Baker County Sketch Book, 1920

A. G. TABOR

A large group or prospectors came up from California in 1862. They crossed the Cascades down in the region of Klamath, found their way to the John Day River, and later arrived at the flat below the present town of Granite, July 4th 1862. They there found gold in the Granite Creek, and decided to settle, calling the place Independence in honor of the day. When they applied to the postal department in Washington for a post office however, it was noted that there was already one post office in the state by that name, so the name Granite was chosen for the new settlement.

The original group divided into three sets. One of the groups went about ten miles north and founded the settlement called Hamilton; a second went East and founded Lamont, while the third remained in Granite. The group that settled Hamilton Flat was led by Uncle Billy Dickinson. Another group settled on Day's Flat 5 miles further north, was led by Ephraim Day. R. W. Waucop, an old plains scout, and Jim Thorpe became butchers in Granite. One of the miner's was George Dunlap. The five or six Beagle brothers went on and located Beagles Gulch Mines, and later packtrained from Umatilla Landing.

A.G. Tabor had the first General Store in Granite. He also ran a small Hotel, and was the first postmaster. Milton Stephens, a deserter from the Union Army (This was not known until his death) and Harvey Robbins located in Granite later and bought the Tabor General Store.

There were three stores run by Chinese for Chinese trade. Joseph D. Young was one of the 1862 group of prospectors who settled on a bar about five miles below Granite. The place was called Joe Young's Bar.

Mr. Tabor built his house in 1876 on a bench of land at the northeast side of the flat and that house is still the home of his son, Waulkie Tabor. Mr. A. G. Tabor was among the men sho opened the Monumental Mine in 1875 -- the first quartz mine in that district. Fred Wagner opened a blacksmith shop. After a few years Granite moved up the hill to its present location where it is out of reach of the spring freshets of the creek.