Winfield Eckley was the man who owned the two photographs featured in our “Corvallis, Oregon” post.

Winfield was born 13 January 1893 in Lagrande, Oregon.[1] He was the son of Edwin Eckley and Harriett Jane “Hattie” Proebstel.[2] He attended Oregon Agricultural College and appeared as a graduate in the school’s 1916 yearbook.[3]

When Winfield registered for the World War I Draft, he was employed as a student engineer at the General Electric Corporation in Schenectady, New York.[4] He claimed exemption from the draft as he was testing government work for General Electric.[5]

Winfield was enumerated in the 1920 US Federal census in Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, where he was a lodger with the Lally family.[6] He was a salesman for the General Electric Corporation.[7]

Winfield Eckley and Pauline M. Herman were married 25 April 1921 in Indiana.[8]

The Eckley family lived in Tell City, Indiana for many years, where Pauline passed away in 1975 and Winfield in 1991.[9]

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[1] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011.” [online database with images], Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 July 2019); entry for Winfield Eckley, State No. 91-022806; citing Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900-2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.

[2] Ibid

[3] “U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012.” [online database with images], Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 July 2019); Oregon Agricultural College, 1916, entry for Winfield Eckley.

[4] “U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.” [online database with images], Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 July 2019); entry for William Eckley, Union County, Oregon; citing United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.

[5] Ibid

[6] 1920 U.S. census, Berkshire, Massachusetts, population schedule, Pittsfield, enumeration district (ED) 58, p. 2B (penned), dwelling 27, family 43; Winifield Eckly [Winfield Eckley]; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 July 2019); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 680.

[7] Ibid

[8] “Indiana, Marriages, 1810-2001.” [online database], Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 July 2019), entry for Winfield Eckley & Paulina M. Hermann.

[9] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 July 2019), memorial page for Pauline Herman Eckley (14 Mar 1893–Jun 1975), Find A Grave Memorial no. 122378041, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Tell City, Perry County, Indiana, USA ; Maintained by Christina (contributor 47758927) .

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