Uriah F. Abshier

The Oregon legislature agreed and passed the bill, enlarging Lake County by about 20 percent.

During the session, he also sponsored a bill to donate 20 acres of state land to the city of Linkville (now Klamath Falls, Oregon) for a cemetery.

In 1886, the local post office was moved from an outlying ranch into the town of Silver Lake and Abshier was appointed postmaster.

[17][18] During that same time period, he also began operating the official Silver Lake weather station.

[23] In the early 1890s, Abshier filed three land grant claims in the valley north of Silver Lake.

[25] The third land grant was for a 160 acres (65 ha) timber culture claim, which was patented two years later.

In 1892, Abshier was elected to the position of Lake County assessor as a Democrat, beating the Republican candidate, C. S. Benefiel, 481 votes to 208.

That evening virtually the entire town's population of 50 inhabitants along with another 150 people from ranches in the surrounding valley had gathered in the local community center to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

During the entertainment program, an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling was bumped and spilled its contents, starting a fire in the crowded hall.

In the fire and panic that followed, 43 people were killed and an additional forty severely burned.

[29] Abshier was able to rescue his five-year-old son from the blaze; however, his wife was playing the organ on the far side of the room and was unable to escape the flames.

[37][38][39] In 1903, Abshier moved to Washington state, settling in Centerville in Klickitat County, just north of the Columbia River.

He also sold farm equipment and horse harnesses as well as buggies and large Conestoga wagons.

In 1908, Abshier & Niva's grain warehouse joined the Portland Board of Trade (a predecessor organization of the chamber of commerce).

[43] In 1916, a fire destroyed most of downtown Centerville including the Abshier & Niva hardware store.

[40][41] In 1920, Abshier left Centerville and moved back to California, settling near Orland.

For the next 14 years he operated a fruit farm in the Loam Ridge area of Glenn County.