In the person of the subject of this sketch we have one of the leading citizens and stockmen of Malheur County, and it is with pleasure that we chronicle the salient paints in his interesting and active career, wherein he has ever manifested integrity, ability and industry. David Dunbar was born in Ontario, Canada, near Kingston, on February 5, 1849, being the son of James and Eliza Dunbar. He was reared on a farm with his parents and gained his education from the common schools of that province. In July 186? he was called to mourn the death of his mother and in the fall of that same year stood forth from the parental roof to do battle with the forces of this world alone. He went to New York and thence by steamer to San Francisco arriving in that city in thirty days. He worked during the winter on the Union Pacific railroad at Truckee, Nevada. Sometime after this he joined a wagon train and made his way to the Idaho Basin. This was in 1867 and he mined for a time and then freighted from Relton, Utah to Silver City, Idaho after which he purchased a band of horses and took them to Montana and sold them, purchasing a band of stock and work cattle. These he brought back to Silver City, selling the cattle for work there, and brought the stock cattle to the vicinity of Ontario. He had wintered previous to that time near where Ontario now stands.
He located his present place of two hundred acres on Snake river, which is now well improved, and also his place where he now lives, six miles west from Ontario. This farm contains one hundred and sixty acres of good land, well improved, and furnished with plenty of irrigating water. He also owns a fine residence of modern design on a block of lots in Ontario, which is the family home during the school season. In 1880 Mr. Dunbar made a trip to Laramie, Wyoming, with a band of cattle, shipping them to Chicago, and thence he went to, his old home in Canada, and made a visit to his father, remaining over one winter. In the spring of, 1881 we find him again in Oregon, bending his energies to the prosecution of the stock business, which he has followed since that time with the wisdom and thrift that have given him great success. Mr. Dunbar is selling off his range stock, and is devoting himself in breeding thoroughbred Shorthorns, and raising abundance of alfalfa hay for them.
On March 3o, 1891, Mr. Dunbar married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of George and Margaret (Calder) Manson. Her parents are deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar there have been born three children, named as follows: Margaret, Ralph and Helen.
