FootNote
The new kid on the block, FootNote is known for digitizing historical
documents... many of which are genealogical gems. With naturalizations,
city directories, war records, newspapers, town records, etc... this new
kid is quickly being recognized as an alternative to Ancestry.
While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
The Western Star, of
Milwaukie, after running a few months, was
brought down to Portland and published under
the name of The Oregon Weekly Times.
The Methodist church, on the corner of Third
and Taylor streets, was dedicated in the
autumn of 1850; the Congregational church,
on Second and Jefferson, in 1851; the
Catholic church on Third and Stark, was
begun in 1851, but not dedicated until
February, 1852. A public occasion of much
interest was the celebration of St. John's
day, in 1850, by the Masons. The people
assembled at the Masonic Hall, which was
still surrounded by logs and stumps, and
there formed a procession, and preceded by
the military band of Fort Vancouver, marched
to the Methodist church, where was delivered
an address by Rev. H. Lyman, followed by an
oration by T. J. Dryer. Officers were then
installed, Lieut. F. S. R. Russell, of the
United States Army, acting as Worthy Grand
Master. In the evening public dinner was
served at the California House. In 1850 the
Sons of Temperance were organized with much
enthusiasm and large numbers.
In October, 1851, a meeting of very great
importance was held. This was to ratify
publicly the opening of the road to Tualatin
Plains. General Coffin performed the
ceremony of laying the first plank, and
speeches were delivered in which the coming
grandeur of the city was quite accurately
predicted. Mr. Tilford, a lawyer and fluent
speaker, made the oration, using among
others the following expressions which
elicited hearty applause: "This is the
commencement of an era of commercial
prosperity which will continue to increase
until the iron horse takes the place of the
plank road. There are persons now within the
sound of my voice that will live to see the
day when a main trunk railroad will be
extended from sea to sea; from the Atlantic
to the Pacific."
Indeed, this road, which, however, has not
to this day been planked, was the factor
determining Portland as the site of the
principal city. She became thereby most
convenient to the farmers of Polk, Yamhill
and Washington Counties, who would not haul
their produce three to ten miles further to
St. Johns or St. Helens. Although for many
years very rough, and through woods so deep
that the mud dried only by virtue of the
longest droughts, it was nevertheless the
most popular highway.
Ships and Commerce
Many vessels crossed the bar of the Columbia
in 1849 and a number came up to Portland. Of
these none was more serviceable than the
Madonna, from New York, under Captain
Couch. This was his third trip out, and by
far the most successful. His cargo of mixed
goods was disposed of in part at San
Francisco, his lumber selling for $600 per
thousand. On board were W. S. Ogden, a
prominent merchant of early times, and
G. H.
Flanders, a sea captain, before this in the
employ of John and Caleb Cushing. Capt.
Flanders is a man whose energy and
enterprise have done much for Portland's
commerce. Reaching the city once more, Couch
had his land surveyed and platted. It is
said that in laying off a street he gave his
half for the use of the public, but Stark
refused to meet him half way; thus making A
street but half width. It is also reported
that upon the surveyor finishing the job,
worth about $700, Couch offered him for his
pay, two blocks on Second and Third
streets-which were refused. The Madonna
was run on the route to San Francisco by
Flanders, and the firm of Couch & Co. were
so prosperous as to be able to dispatch in
1850 the brig Emma Preston to
China-the first from Oregon to China.
The unfavorable condition of steam
navigation, already mentioned, which
supplied Milwaukie with a river steamer, and
St. Helens with ocean craft, but left
Portland to voyage by canoes, or to depend
upon uncertain winds, was earnestly examined
in order to find a remedy. A general desire
and willingness to buy a steamer of their
own was freely expressed by the proprietors
and leading citizens, and this being rumored
abroad, attracted to the northern waters the
Gold Hunter. She was a side-wheeler,
a staunch little vessel, but as stated by
one who knew her well, having such a
capacity for consuming fuel that on a week's
voyage so much of the space between decks
had to be used for storing wood as seriously
to interfere with room for freight,
passengers or supplies. Nevertheless, when
she appeared in the Willamette and promised
steam communication with San Francisco and
the outer world, she was deemed acceptable
and bought. Sixty thousand dollars was the
purchase price, sufficient to give
Portlanders a controlling interest, and of
this, twenty-one thousand dollars were paid
on the spot; eighteen thousand six hundred
dollars were furnished by the Portland
proprietors and the rest was made up by the
citizens in small shares. Much rejoicing was
occasioned by this event, and Portland began
to loom up at once as a seaport. Hall, a
seafaring man then a resident of Portland,
was made captain, and A. P. Dennison,
purser. Each owned a few shares of stock.
The jubilation, however, was short lived,
and the purchase proved a disastrous
failure. Some of the stockholders, contrary
to expectation, disposed of their shares to
the San Francisco holders, thereby giving to
the latter a majority interest. After a few
trips the Gold Hunter was ordered off
the route and sent to Central America. This
was done wholly without the knowledge of the
Oregon owners, and they watched and waited
in vain for the return of their steamship.
She never came back, but was attached, on
the southern coast for debt and involved her
owners in still further expense and loss.
Many blocks had to be sold by Coffin and the
other proprietors to make good their
unprofitable outlay. Although thus
unfortunate, they did nevertheless gain
their ends. The necessity of steam to
accommodate Portland was made apparent, and
the ability of her people to supply
themselves was proven; and to forestall
others from reaping the profits, the Lot
Whitcomb, and the Pacific Mail steamers
both made Portland their terminal point. It
was in March, 1851, that the first vessel of
the latter company came hither. This was the
steamship Columbia, a commodious and
fine vessel, which ran uninterruptedly until
1860, doing a most successful business. At
the latter date she was drawn off for the
China trade, and in the Oriental seas was
destroyed by fire.1
The establishment of the Oregonian,
the opening of steam communication, and the
construction of the wagon road to the
Tualatin Plains were the things that gave
Portland her first supremacy. Of the three
none was more decisive than the wagon road,
for it fixed the trade of the farmers,
brought down loads of grain and other
produce, and the droves of cattle and hogs.
It made Portland popular; the occupants of
the woods and plains finding here rest and
relaxation from the limbo of their
self-imposed exile. In April, 1851, at the
first city election, which was rather a tame
affair, since as yet there were no politics
involved, there were cast two hundred and
twenty-two votes; indicating a population of
six hundred or seven hundred-as a very large
proportion of the inhabitants were adult
men. Although this is but the figure of a
village, it shows that Portland had passed
all other Oregon towns, and had assumed
metropolitan importance. Indeed, whether
from their spirit and energy, their
cosmopolitan make-up, or their great
expectations, the people of Portland have
from the earliest times surrounded their
city with the air and manner of a great
place.
As indicating something of the strength and
importance of the city in 1851, the
following list of business houses is given,
which is believed to be comprehensive.
H. W. Corbett, general store; Josiah
Failing, with his two sons, Henry and' John,
general store; Capt. C. H. Lewis, of the
firm of Allen & Lewis, general store; J. H.
Couch, general store; Breck & Ogden, general
store; A. M. & L. M. Starr, stove and tin
store; Capt. Norton, a small store, but did
the most of his trading from his vessel;
Thos. Pritchard, grocery; A. M. Barnes,
general store; G. W. .Vaughn, hardware; Mr.
Vaughn also built the first flour mill.
Northrup & Simonds, general store; Hiram
Smith, who had the sign "No. 1 Smith," to
distinguish him from the later arrivals of
his name, general store; Lucien Snow, dry
goods; G. W. Snell, drug store; Patrick
Raleigh, had on hand a stock of goods to be
sold out; Frazar & Jewett, general store.
Mr. Thos. Frazar, so universally known in
our city came on the steamer Columbia,
arriving at Astoria in March, 1851. From
Astoria he found passage to Portland on a
flat boat run by Capt. O'Neill, since so
well known as a purser on the line of
steamboats of the O. S. N. Co. Mr. Frazar
was from Massachusetts, a native of Duxbury,
and is a descendant of John Alden, famous in
the history and poetry of New England.2
Besides these stores there were vessels
lying in the river with stocks of goods for
sale. One of these was a schooner from
Boston, under Capt. Watson; another, under
Capt. Benj. Smith, with A. P. Dennison as
partner, or assistant. A French brig under
Capt. Trevalliot, lay for some time along
the shore, until by reason of improper
unloading, and carelessness as to -the fall
of water, she careened on her side and was
sunk. This Trevalliot was a notorious
character, drunken and profane beyond
measure. He gave undue attention to horse
racing, having a dark Indian pony, that he
called "Siskiyou," upon which he charged up
and down the streets, defying the town boys
and countrymen.
In the latter part of 1851 there were a
number of Jewish merchants who made a
beginning here in the mercantile line and
began to displace their Yankee competitors.
The following is a list of the names of
those living at or near Portland prior to
1852. It has been very carefully made up by
Mr. John M. Breck, Mr. Geo. L. Story, Mr.
Henry Failing, and Mr. T. B. Trevett, all of
whom were living in our city at the time
mentioned. They will be recognized as among
our most capable business men of the present
day and merit the thanks not only of the
publishers of this work, but of all
interested in Portland, for their interest
and efficiency in helping us to make the
volume complete.
Geo. L. Story, Capt. Wm. Baker, T. B.
Trevett, Col. Wm.M. King, Dr. R. B. Wilson,
Dr. L. C. Broy, Frank D. Camp, Rev. Horace
Lyman, Rev. C. S. Kingsley, Rev. J. H.
Wilbur, Rev. St. Michael Fackler, Knute
Peterson, Peter D. Hardenberg, Capt.
Molthrop, Samuel R. Holcomb, Nelson Northrup,
Mr. Simonds, G. W. Vaughn, Peter Erpelding,
Thomas G. Robinson; J. Kohn, Levi Anderson,
David Weil, Uriah Harris, Jack Harris, Major
Tucker, Nathaniel Coe, Lawrence W. Coe,
Eugene F. Coe, Henry Coe, Mr. Tallentire,
Thomas Gladwell, Capt. Ayres, A. D. Fitch,
Wm. Fitch, John Thompson, Thomas Stephens,
Wm. Stephens, Jas. B. Stephens, Finice
Caruthers. James Terwilliger, Wm.
Blackistone, Peter Guild, Col. Loring, Col.
Frush, Capt. Richard Williams, Capt. Wells,
Hugh D. O'Bryant, Colburn Barrell, Crawford
Dobbin, Job McNamee, Richard White, Allen
White, Robert Thompson, Shubrick Norris,
William H. Barnhart, Thomas J. Hobbs,
Nathaniel Brown, Sam R. May, Robt. N.
McLaren, Finley McLaren, Henry W. Corbett,
Josiah Failing, Henry Failing, John W.
Failing, J. J. Lintz, Jos. W. Cleaver, Dr.
Salisbury, A. M. Starr, L. M. Starr, Capt.
O. H. Hall, Nathaniel Crosby, Thos. H.
Smith, L. M. Simpson, Wm. Seton Ogden, John
M. Breck, N. H. Owens, Orlando McNight, F.
M. Smith,' A. L. Francis, I. B. Francis,
Otis J. Dimmick, John Orvis Waterman, John
Thomas, Charles Lawrence, W. D. M. Carter,
Mr. Southmayd (printer), Mr. Berry
(printer), C. A. Reed, R. B. Comfort, Harley
McDonald, George W. Higgins, Thos. Frazar,
Mr. Jewitt T. B. McElroy, Sam A. Clarke,
Joseph Durbrow, John Ferguson, Wm.McMillen,
David Lewis, Frank Matthias, Lewis Day, Mr.
Adams, Richard Hoyt, Zenas Webber, Anthony
L. Davis, Jas. Warren Davis, Thomas A.
Davis, Lucien Snow, Herman Wasserman,
Fleming family, John M. Murphy, Dr. E. H.
Griffin, Mr. Fttlinger Mr. Simonsfield, A.
L. Lovejoy, F. W. Pettigrove, L. B.
Hastings, D. S. Baker, Geo. W. Snell, Dr.
Saml. Hooper, Deveaux Babcock, C. B. Pillow,
A. V. Wilson, Clark Drew, A. B. Stuart, M.
M. Lucas, Peter Fulkerson, John B. Talbot
and family, John Donner and family, Mr.
Bennett, O. Travalliot, Lucius H. Allen. C.
H. Lewis, Peter Dewitt, John H. Couch, John
P. Couch, George Sherman, P. Hibert, M.
Chappellier, Mr. Daulne, John Ricketson,
John Mears, Frank E. Webster, Dan Stewart,
Jas. Fruit, R. R. Reese, Thos. J. Dryer,
Benj. Stark, Nehemiah Northrup, Mr. Northrup,
Thos. J. Holmes, D. H. Hendee, Thos. A.
Savier, John D. Walker, D. C. Coleman, W. S.
Ladd, Sam Bell, Lewis May, Geo. A. Barnes,
Mr. Barnes, Hiel Barnes, Capt. B. F. Smith,
Thos. Pritchard, Hiram Smith, I. B. Smith,
Richard Kissarn Cooke, R. M. Field,
James
Field, S. S. Slater, A. H. Johnson, A. C. Bonnell, Zachariah Norton, R. P. Boise,
Alexander Campbell, W. B. Otway, W. P.
Abrams, Mr. Cheney, John Harlow, Moses
Abbott, Dr. Isaac A. Davenport, Mr.
Skidmore, Stephen G. Skidmore, A. P.
Dennison, G. C. Robbins, C. G. Birdseye, W.
B. Marye, J. Blumauer, W. W. Chapman, D. H.
Lownsdale, Stephen Coffin, Thos. Hartness,
J. B. Backenstos, E. D. Backenstos, Rev.
Father Croke, A. B. Hallock, Frank. DeWitt,
Thos. Carter, Chas. M. Carter, T. Jefferson
Carter, A. N. King,
George H. Flanders, R.
C. Baldra, Wm. Grooms, C. C. Redman, John W.
W. McKay, Frank Tilford, Sherry Ross, Mr.
Ross, E. L. Goldstein, Nelson Ham, John C.
Carson, Joseph S. Smith, J. B. V. Butler,
Mr. McBride, Mrs. Apperson and family, C. S.
Silver, Jacob Kamm, Sargent, of Sargent &
Ricketson, John C. Markly, Ed. Chambreau,
Samuel D. Smith, Geo. Kittridge, L. C.
Potter, Danforth Balch, Capt. Irving, Gideon
Tibbetts, James Wheeler, David N. Birdseye,
Mr. Clinkenbeard, Mr. Wimple, Chas. P.
Bacon, Wm. Sherlock, Mr. Henderson, David
Fuller, J. L. Parrish, Norman Parrish,
Samuel B. Parrish, Chas. W. Parrish, French
Louis, Mr. Camp, Samuel Marsh, The Roberts
family, Hiram Wilbur, W. B. Doublebower,
Elijah B. David-son, Dr. Perry Prettyman,
Edward Long, Lewis Love, Clinton Kelly,
William Naylor, James Thompson, Eli Stewart,
Dr. Ralph Wilcox, George Loring, John
Elliott, George Elliott, Wm. L. Higgins, Wm.
S. Caldwell, Richard Wiley, Wm. Bennett.
1 It seems
that there were three captains of the name
of Hall; T. A. Hall, of the Ocean Bird; O.
C. Hall thought to be his son, of the Gold
Hunter; and William Hall who married a
daughter of Captain Warren, and afterwards
went to Washington county, building a flour
mill, but was fatally injured by the fall of
a burning tree. Crossing the Willamette in
an early day was sometimes dangerous. The
story is told of the first ferryman's being
forbidden by the proprietor of the East
Side, to land on his premises; the crossing
was made in a skiff, in the face of the
loaded shot gun of the man on the East shore
of the river. When the boat touched the
sand, however, the ferryman, upon pretense
of shipping his oars, suddenly produced a
rifle and under its protection the
passengers landed unmolested. The affair was
watched from the Portland shore by a number
of citizens who feared a bloody issue.
2 As men of influence, such
as were known to all in the early day, were
J. P. Long, a native of New Orleans and a
man of intense Southern ideas who kept a
small store on Alder street; and Thos.
Pritchard, an Englishman by birth, who
re-moved to Victoria as early as 1861.
