Portland Oregon

End to the Portland Land Title Controversy

Following is the agreement referred to so often in the foregoing decision, and may be regarded as the palladium of the Portland land titles, and the end of controversy to all contestants. It was made in March, 1852, when the proprietors found that it was impossible to secure a title jointly to the land which they had been holding and selling as partners. Each covenants that “First, He will fulfill and perform all contracts and agreements that he has entered into with the others, or each of them, or with other persons, respecting the said tract of land or any … Read more

Biography of J. B. Montgomery

This well known citizen, though not among those who came to Portland at the earliest day of the city’s history to lay here the foundations of municipal and commercial greatness, is a prominent and representative man of the reinforcement that came when Portland was just beginning her larger growth; and to this reinforcement much of the credit of the city’s remarkable progress is due. James Boyce Montgomery was born at Montgomery’s Ferry, on the Susquehanna river, in the State of Pennsylvania, twenty-five miles north of Harrisburg, on the 6th of December, 1832. He went to school until he was sixteen … Read more

Wells, John – Obituary

LaGrande has had a full share of accidents during the year past. The last is the accident by which one of our oldest and most prominent citizens, Mr. John Wells met his death. For twenty years Mr. Wells has been hauling wood from his mountain ranch into town and had never met with an accident. Last Friday morning he went to the mountains as usual for a load of wood taking with him a China man whom he had employed. The road was frozen so that although the wagon was rough locked, in coming down the mountain there was danger … Read more

Biography of Hon. George B. Rogers

Some men achieve success almost instantaneously, some by slow accretion, others only after long and patient working and waiting. The experience of men who are willing to work persistently and intelligently and wait calmly goes to prove that success may surely be attained during an ordinary lifetime, and no man not cut off at an untimely age need work and wait in vain. These reflections have been suggested by a consideration of the career of Hon. George B. Rogers, receiver of the United States land office at Blackfoot, Idaho, who is one of the most prominent and successful citizens of … Read more

Ackley, Charles – Obituary

Charles (Chuck) Ackley, Enterprise, died at his home on Williamson Road on Feb. 7. 1991. He was born on Sept. 25, 1923 in California. He was a graduate of Whitman College and worked in Seattle, Portland , the bay area, and in Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities as a bookseller, technical writer and editor, and as an administrator. He first came to Wallowa County to teach and then to direct the Chief Joseph Summer Seminar. Over the past several years, Chuck has been active in community arts events and especially in local theater. He is survived by two sons, Todd … Read more

Biography of Charles H. Dodd

In no summary of the forces and agencies which have made the Pacific Northwest within the last two decades take such rapid strides in material greatness, should be omitted the part bourne by the subject of this sketch. For nearly a quarter of a century he has been a conceded power for good in the commercial, intellectual and moral progress of a wide extent of country, and has left in many places and on many things the impress of his individual work. The following sketch of his life belongs very properly to the history of a city where he has … Read more

Biography of Dr. Martin Payne

DR. MARTIN PAYNE. – This Oregon-made man of worth and note was born September 14, 1838, in Crawford county, Arkansas, and is the son of Clayburne and Miriam Somner Payne. On April 17, 1843, the family set out for Oregon, joining the emigration of that year under Applegate and Burnett, and with the guidance of Doctor Whitman. On the Rocky Mountains the father died; and the mother was compelled to care for her little family by herself the rest of the journey. She secured kind assistance from her companions; and particularly was Doctor Whitman careful to see that she was … Read more

Biography of Hon. Eugene Semple

HON. EUGENE SEMPLE. – Eugene Semple was born June 12, 1840, at Bogota, South America, his father being at the time the Minister of the United States at new Granada. Coming with his parents to Illinois, his youth was spent in Madison and Jersey counties of that State. Attending the common schools of the latter county, he finished his education at the St. Louis University in 1858. Commencing the study of law in the office of Krum & Harding, in St. Louis, he afterwards attended the Law School of the Cincinnati College, where he graduated in 1863, taking the degree … Read more

Sipes, Bonnie Boesch Mrs. – Obituary

Bonnie B. Sipes, 44, Dies at Dallas Bonnie Lee Boesch Sipes, 44, a native of this valley, passed away in Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1979. She was born January 1, 1935 in Haines, Oregon to Ferdinand and Bertha Warfield Boesch. She attended school in Muddy Creek and graduated from North Powder High School in 1953. She was active in 4-H for nine years. She was employed at the Record Courier in Baker for one year as a secretary and in art and type composition design before moving to Portland, Oregon where she was employed at the Oregon Woolen Mills. … Read more

Biography of Van B. Delashmutt

Delashmutt, Van B., the present Mayor of Portland, was born in Burlington, Iowa, July 27, 1842. Ten years later the family came to the infant territory of Oregon, and settled on a farm in Polk county, in the Willamette Valley. The monotonous life of a farmer’s boy illy suited the naturally adventuresome disposition of young DeLashmutt, and at the age of fifteen he went to Salem, where he secured employment in the office of the Salem Statesman, as an apprentice to learn the printers’ trade. With characteristic earnestness and energy the apprentice served three years, and at the end of … Read more

Biography of George S. Brooke

GEORGE S. BROOKE. – This gentleman is the cashier of the First National Bank of Sprague, and is also a director and one of the largest shareholders. Mr. Brooke comes of cavalier stock. On his father’s side, he is a descendant of the Brookes of Maryland. In the year 1650, Robert Brooke, of England, having brought out a colony consisting of his wife, ten children and servants, forty persons in all, settled on the east shore of the Patuxent river. The settlement was called De La Brooke. The founder had a patent direct from Lord Baltimore. He was a member … Read more

Prominent Railroad Managers of Portland

There have been but very few important changes among those officials who have had to personally superintend the actual and practical operations of the road during the past twelve or fourteen years. Mr. E. P. Rogers enjoys the distinction of being the ” Pioneer of the road.” Most of those prominently connected with the early organization of the road are dead. Among those may be mentioned J. H. Moores, I. R. Moores, E. N. Cooke, Joel Palmer, J. S. Smith, S. Ellsworth, James Douthitt, J. H. D. Henderson, Greenberry Smith, A. L. Lovejoy, A. F. Hedges, W. S. Newby, J. … Read more

Baldwin, Phebe Jane Morrow – Obituary

Baldwin–July 18, Phebe of 6335 N. Haight, beloved mother of Mrs. Mildred Engeldinger, Mrs. George Anderson and Mrs. Grace Emmott, all of Portland. Services Monday, July 15, at 1 PM, at Killingsworth Funeral Home, 430 N. Killingsworth, Remains being forwarded to Tacoma, Wash., for interment. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biography of H. Y. Thompson

H. Y. Thompson was born at Senecaville, Guernsey county, Ohio, June 4, 1845. He was favored with a liberal education in the public and high schools of his native town. With the hope of improving his health, which had become impaired, in 1862, he undertook a trip across the plains and during the winter of 1862-3 was engaged in mining in Auburn, Baker County, Oregon. In the spring of 1863 he went to Idaho City and for three years carried on his mining operations at that place. His health not improving, he determined to try the climate of the valley … Read more

Cross, Evalyn Lois – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Evalyn Lois Cross, 92, of La Grande, died Oct. 1 at a local care center. A funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande. Burial will follow at the Cove Cemetery. A viewing will be held today from 4 to 6 p.m. at Daniels-Knopp. Evalyn was born April 11, 1917, to George and Olive (Haak) Kirkpatrick in Mount Vernon, Iowa. She moved to California in 1938 and married Harry Cross in 1943. They lived in Lawndale, Banning and then San Diego. Evalyn was a … Read more

Rammer, Jeffrey Scott – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Jeffrey Scott Rammer, 34, of Baker City, died Nov. 19, 2000. A Celebration of Life service was held at the First Lutheran Church, 1734 Third St. Mr. Rammer was born on June 4, 1966, at Sheboygan, Wis. He moved to Portland to pursue a career in corrections. He was a corrections officer with the state Department of Corrections for 13 years. He met his wife, Julie, in Salem. They were married on Sept. 15, 1991. In 1997, they had their first son, Jacob. Later that year, Mr. Rammer and his family moved to Baker City where he … Read more

Cruzan, Pauline – Obituary

Pauline Cruzan Dies at Portland Word has been received of the passing on Monday, Oct. 10, 1960, of Mrs. Pauline Cruzan, about 49, of Portland, after an illness of several months. Funeral services were yesterday (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. at the Vernon Presbyterian church in Portland and burial was in Sunset Hills Memorial Park. Mrs. Cruzan was the daughter of Boone F. and Maude Childers and had lived in the Lostine area several years. She leaves her husband, James Cruzan, of Portland; a daughter, Mary Warfield; two foster sons, Dan and Michael Bolme, three grandchildren; four sisters: Mrs. Lulu Dimmick, … Read more

West, John F. – Obituary

John F. West Died Sunday At La Grande John F. West, well known resident of this city, died at the La Grande hospital last Sunday morning, Dec. 2. He had suffered for some time with sarcoma, and had but recently been taken back to the hospital. The deceased was born Nov. 5, 1857, in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents emigrated to Kansas when he was a child and he was left an orphan at 7 years of age, together with several brothers and sisters. At the age of 10 years, he traveled to Colorado and made his own way from that … Read more

Biography of Capt. William Benjamin Wells

CAPT. WILLIAM BENJAMIN WELLS. – This skillful early navigator of the Willamette and the Columbia, and one of the first projectors of the great steamboat and transportation companies of the later time, was born in Ogdensburg, New York, July 18, 1822, and at that port imbibed his love of the water which followed him his whole after life. At the age of twelve he moved with his father to the western district of Upper Canada, remaining in that province until his marriage in 1844 to Miss Mary J. Richardson. The young pair, who were very much devoted to each other, … Read more

Bean, Ormond Robert – Obituary

Retired Portland City Commissioner Ormond R. Bean, 89, a 31-year servant in city, state and federal governments, died early Friday morning [February 14, 1975] in the Parkview Nursing Home. Death was due to natural causes, said his son, Ormond Bean, Jr. First elected to the Portland City Council in 1932, the elder Bean served from 1933 until 1939 when he was appointed Oregon Public Utility Commissioner. From 1943 until 1946, Mr. Bean was a transportation director in America’s World War II effort, serving in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Middle East. Returning to Portland, he was elected once more to … Read more