Commerce of the Northwest Pacific Coast

Any great commercial city, as London, New York, or the younger cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, would serve an equally good purpose by way of illustration. A commercial city is the point of storage, account and exchange for the commodities of the region. The advantages of Portland as such a center are at once apparent. As noticed above she is the “cross-ways” of the track between the mountains from California to Alaska, and the path made by the Columbia River from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. At this point are made four right angles, fixing the center … Read more

Biography of Hon. Dean Blanchard

HON. DEAN BLANCHARD. – Among those who have manifested great interest in the welfare of the Pacific Northwest as a whole, and Columbia county, Oregon, in particular, the gentleman above named figures conspicuously. He was born in Madison county, Maine, on December 20, 1832, where he resided on his father’s farm until 1853, when he left for California, reaching that state in December of that year. In April 1854, he came to Oregon, and located at St. Helens, having secured a situation as salesman and book-keeper in a store there. In 1855, he went with the command of Major Haller, … Read more

Bacon, Wort – Obituary

Forest Grove, Oregon, July 19. (Special) – Wort Bacon, aged 45 years, died suddenly at this home near Greenville last night. He leaves a wife and child. He had been in Forest Grove yesterday afternoon arranging with John Beal, a real estate agent here, to take charge of his office, and departed for his home about 4 o’clock, and at 11 o’clock he was dead. He had resided in Portland and in Washington County the past 15 years. Interment will be in the Wilkes Cemetery Tuesday. Mr. Bacon was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Bacon, the aged couple … Read more

Holman, Henry Chester “Chet” – Obituary

Henry Chester “Chet” Holman , 84, of Hood River, died Sept. 19, 2002, at his home. His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Anderson’s Tribute Center in Hood River. There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. Friday at Juniper Haven Cemetery in Prineville. Visitations will be today at Anderson’s Tribute Center. Henry “Chet” Holman was born March 8, 1918, at Prineville to Henry Chester and Agnes Frison Holman. Chet was raised by his foster mother, Ida Wilson, of Prineville and was a graduate of Crook County High School. He worked for various employers in Prineville … Read more

Cooper, Ada Mrs. – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon Mrs. Ada May Cooper, 62, of Portland died May 29 at the U. S. naval hospital at Astoria, following a long illness. The Cooper family moved to La Grande in 1924, and lived here until they moved to Portland in 1941. Mrs. Cooper will be remembered as the mother of Alice Jeanette and Maelizabeth Cooper, both of whom are dead. the girls were talented La Grande violinists. Surviving here are her sons, Lt. Leonard Cooper U. S. N. R., stationed at the Astoria naval air station, and Ellery “Bud” Cooper of Portland, recently discharged from … Read more

Lilly, Alfred – Obituary

Lostine Resident Killed in Portland Alfred Lilly, old time resident and uncle of Mrs. Eva Quesenberry of Lostine, was electrocuted near his home in Portland, Wednesday. He was helping to put up a radio and the aerial came in contact with a live wire. Death was instantaneous. His body was taken to Lostine Saturday where the Odd Fellows laid him to rest in the Lostine cemetery. Oregon Trail Weekly North Powder News Saturday, January 28, 1928

Wicks, Albert G. – Obituary

Albert G. Wicks, 100, of Warren, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 24, 2005, at Warren. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 6 o’clock tonight at Gray’s West & Co. Albert was born on Sept. 21, 1904, at Hereford. He was the third child of Arrie Jane Osborn and Jasper E. Wicks. Albert’s father and grandfather, Henry M. Wicks, traveled to Oregon by covered wagon and homesteaded property in the Hereford area. Albert lived for many … Read more

Biography of John H. Mitchell

For a quarter of a century the subject of this sketch has been one of the most prominent figures in the political history of Oregon. Becoming a citizen of the State soon after it was invested with the sovereign dignity of statehood, he at once became an active man in the political arena, and so rapid was the growth of his influence that within six years he had served a term with distinguished credit in the State Senate, and was the choice of a large body of his party associates for the highest office the State had to bestow. This … Read more

Biography of Robert Bruce Wilson, M.D.

ROBERT BRUCE WILSON, M.D. – A well-known figure both in the earlier and alter stages of Portland’s development was that of Doctor Robert Bruce Wilson, the son of Holt Wilson, of Virginia. He was born June 12, 1828, in the historic city of Portsmouth, in the Old Dominion, of which his father was an honored and substantial citizen. At an early age he finished a thorough course of medicine at the University of Virginia, but in so doing became deprived of sight in his left eye, a loss peculiarly unfortunate to one in his profession. Joining in the impulse common … Read more

Horton, Troy J. – Obituary

Troy J. Horton, 75, a former Baker City resident, died Oct. 24, 2002. There will be a celebration of his life Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Fishhawk Lake Community Center. For directions, call Stan Horton at 503-755-2289 or look at web site www.fishhawklake.com. Troy was born at Taylorville on July 25, 1927. He graduated from Westport High School and then served in the U.S. Army. His graduate and post-graduate work was at Linfield College at McMinnville. He was a recipient of the John Hay Whitney Fellowship in 1960-61 at Columbia University in New York. He taught at … Read more

Biography of Charles Adolph Alisky

Charles Adolph Alisky was born near Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, October 6, 1840, and is a descendant of an old and highly honorable German family which for several generations has resided at or in the immediate vicinity of the place of his nativity. His father, William Alisky, was a native of Mayence, and early in life exhibited rare musical talent, at the age of seven years playing a flute solo at a concert in Mayence. His genius for music attracted the attention of the Grand Duke of Hessia under whose protection he was sent to the Conservatory of Music at Paris. Here … Read more

Portland Oregon – Increase in Population and Wealth

During 1863 a long step toward improvement was the organization of the Portland and Milwaukie macadamized road, with A, B. Richardson as president, Henry Failing secretary, and W. S. Ladd treasurer of the Board of Directors. The shipping lists of the steamers show large exports of treasure, one hundred thousand dollars. two hundred and forty thousand dollars, and even seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars being reported for single steamers. Six thousand to seven thousand boxes of apples were also reported at a single shipment. The old side wheel river steamer John H. Couch for many years so familiar a … Read more

Ryder, James Bartlett “Jimmy” – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon James (Jimmy) Bartlett Ryder, 78, a lifelong Baker City resident, died Friday, March 7, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His graveside service will be today at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 13, at Mount. Hope Cemetery, with Pastor Joe Bush officiating. Viewing was held on Wednesday, March 12, from noon to 8 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. Mr. Ryder was born March 25, 1924, in Baker City to Horace B. and Edna Maude (Barton) Ryder. He graduated from St. Francis Academy in 1942. After graduation he moved to Portland with his brothers, Joe and … Read more

Maxwell, James Quinton – Obituary

James Q. Maxwell Services Oct 31 James Q. Maxwell, 56, of Sumpter, a native Oregonian, died Wed. at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise as the result of an accidentally self-inflicted gun shot wound. Graveside services were conducted at 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 31 at the Haines Cemetery. Rev. Gerald C. Nelson of the United Methodist Church in Baker and Haines officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. Mr. Maxwell was born October 9, 1920 in Haines the son of Wallace and Ethel Cartmill Maxwell. He his schooling in Haines and worked in the ship-yards … Read more

Shives, Carol Ann Hull Mrs. – Obituary

Carol Ann Shives, 66, of Baker City, died Dec. 6, 2005, at her home. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Garth Johnson of the Agape Christian Center will officiate. Visitations will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Mrs. Shives was born at Baker City to Howard Harrison and Lillian Hazel Stowell Hull. She was educated in Baker schools. She lived at Portland for 18 years, where she worked for Chase Textiles until her retirement. She also had lived at Salem and was a … Read more

Biography of John Dovell

JOHN DOVELL. – Mr. Dovell is one of those men who have belabored fortune, and have knocked about the world until it is sufficient to turn one’s hair gray simply to listen to their adventures. A native of the Azores, of Portuguese parentage and born in 1836, he came to Portland, Maine, at the age of fourteen, and learned shipbuilding. He left in four years and plied his trade in New Orleans, shipping thence to Liverpool, and coming as ship’s carpenter from that foreign port to San Francisco. He soon came up the coast to Portland, Oregon, and worked upon … Read more

Biography of S. G. Reed

S. G. Reed, of Portland, one of the city’s most useful and progressive citizens, was born at East Abington, Massachusetts, April 23d, 1830. His early education was received in the public school of his native town, but he afterwards attended a private school and academy. He came to San Francisco, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, in the spring of 1852, and in the following autumn came to Oregon, where he has ever since resided. He was a clerk in the mercantile house of W. S. Ladd & . Co., from the fall of 1855 until the 2d day … Read more

Biography of William Billings

WM. BILLINGS. – The name Billings at once suggests the picturesque hills and valleys of Vermont; and we find that the subject of this sketch is indeed a Green Mountain boy, having been born in Ripton in 1827. He lived upon his father’s place until 1846, and in that year went down to New Bedford and shipped before the mast. This step brought him to Washington Territory; for, in 1849, he was left at Honolulu, from whence, in the bark Mary, he came to California, the gold of the Yuba mines detaining him but a few months. Indeed, the best … Read more

Jewell, Marie Mildred Bilyeu – Obituary

A funeral for Marie Mildred Jewell will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the chapel of Skyline Funeral Home. Burial will be in Skyline Memorial Gardens. Mrs. Jewell died of pneumonia Saturday in a Portland hospital. She was 66. Born Dec. 30, 1925 in Silverton, she was raised and attended school in Lebanon. Her maiden name was Bilyeu. She married Ray Evan Jewell on June 20, 1943. Mrs. Jewell worked for the Milwaukee Box Factory for several years and was employed at a gift shop at Union Station for about five years until 1970. She then operated the utility pay … Read more

Herold, Reao Richard – Obituary

Summerville, Oregon Reao Richard Herold, 91, of Summerville, died Nov. 10 at a local care center. At his request there will be no public services. Those who wish may sign the guest book at www.danielsknopp.com. Reao was born on July 11, 1916, to Thomas and Elsie (Grabley) Herold in Montrose, Colo. During World War II he served with the U.S. Navy. After his honorable discharge he worked in the home construction business in Longview, Wash., and Portland. He loved his work and enjoyed gambling. He moved to Summerville from Lake Oswego four years ago to be near family. Survivors include … Read more