John William Waterman
By Steve Lent, Crook County Historian
John William Waterman was born in Missouri on April 10, 1845. His parents Ezekiel and Mary Waterman moved the family across the Plains in 1852 to California. They later moved to Oregon in 1858 and settled near Jefferson, Oregon in Marion County.
When he was seventeen years old in 1862 John accompanied his father in taking some cattle over the Cascades in the hope of selling them at the mines at Canyon City. They grazed cattle at a flat about twenty miles east of present Mitchell and the area became known as Waterman Flat. Ezekiel and John were among the first to winter in the area. The both returned to the Willamette Valley and went into partnership in a mercantile business.
On February 13, 1867 John married Mary E. Smith who had also crossed the Plains with her parents. John entered into a pharmaceutical business for about two years then the family, including his father, moved back to Waterman Flat. His father remained in the vicinity for several years and sold his property to John Fopiano.
John Waterman was affectionately known as ADoc@ to people of Caleb, Waterman, and Antone because he frequently tended to ill people as there were no doctors in the vicinity. He raised sheep and cattle for several years before again returning to the Valley to operate a sawmill business. He soon returned to the Caleb area and opened a mercantile store and in 1882 again took up stock raising. Mary died on September 11, 1884 and was buried at Antone.
In 1895 John married Angie Laswell and that same year he turned over operations of his ranch and store to his sons. At that time the store was moved to Mitchell. John lived in Mitchell for several years and served as Justice of Peace. He retired in 1903 and moved to The Dalles. He was among the first to arrive in the Central Oregon frontier and left a lasting legacy to the development of the region.