Early Life
Sprague was born on July 16, 1825 in Delaware, Ohio. His parents were Pardon and Mary (Meeker) Sprague. His father was stockman, hotel keeper, county sheriff, and state legislator. Sprague received a private education in a small school near his home. He later attended Ohio Wesleyan University in his home town.
In 1850, Sprague moved to Oregon. He settled in Jackson County, where he opened a shop that built fanning-mills for winnowing grain. Sprague was the first manufacturer in the Pacific Northwest to produce modern winnowing machines. Like the majority of Oregonians at the time, Sprague was a strong supporter of the Union during the American Civil War.
Read more about this topic: Franklin B. Sprague
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