Ivan Decatur Applegate was born in St. Clair County, Missouri and died at Ashland, Oregon. He was the 5th child and fourth son of Lindsay and Elizabeth (Miller) Applegate.

When he was 3 years old the family removed across half the continent. The family first settled in the Willamette Valley near the coast mountains and remained there until 1850, when a removal was made to the Yoncalla Valley. After 10 years another removal was made to Jackson County, and in 1862 Ashland became the family home.

The system of common schools was in a rudimentary state in the early days in Oregon and their continuity could not be depended upon for months at a time, but the Applegate families were fairly well supplied with books, and, as a rule, the scions of those frontiersmen availed themselves of every opportunity offered to inform their minds, as well as to become accomplished horsemen, efficient in the use of the rifle, and otherwise prepared for the border wars with the aboriginal inhabitants, likely to occur at any time.

Ivan Applegate excelled in these border accomplishments, and made the best possible use of his educational opportunities in the public schools and of a few months' term in Bethel College, a more advanced educational institution of the early days.

In 1859, Lindsay Applegate and his sons became the owners of the Siskiyou Mountain Toll Road franchise, and for several years Ivan, mainly in connection with his brother, Lucien, conducted that enterprise and also engaged in farming and stock raising.

In the Spring of 1863 a company of mounted state milita was organized in southern Oregon, with headquarters at Ashland, officially known as Company "A," and locally known as the "Mountain Rangers," of which Ivan D. Applegate was chosen as Captain by the men. He was commissioned by A.C. Gibbs, the war governor of Oregon.

Upon completion of this service Captain Applegate returned to his occupation as a stockman, and with his brother, Lucien, moved to the Swan Lake Valley in Klamath country, establishing their homes and business there in 1869. That year he became assistant to A.B. Mecham, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon.

During the Modoc War he served as guide, interpreter, or leader in nearly all the commissions and councils which attempted to settle the vexed Modoc question, and when the war came he shirked no danger in the line of service or usefulness.

On July 14, 1871, on Pleasant Creek in Jackson County, Capt. Applegate was united in marriage to Margaret Hutchison. To this union were born five children: Alice Anna, March 28, 1872 at Klamath Agency, Eda Flornce, June 20, 1873 d. Dec 1903; Moray Lindsay Aug. 6, 1876, Lena Lee and Jessie Margaret April 18, 1883 d. Aug 15, 1905.

Submitted by Jeanie Sawyer
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