History

J. K. Kelly was appointed District Attorney for the United States,  and Walter Forward, of Marion County, was appointed Marshal. The first term of this Court was opened at No. 63 Front street, near Stark, on the third floor of the building, in 1859, and for many years the government afforded no better quarters for it, although the place was poorly adapted for its purpose. In 1871 the present government building was completed and the Federal Courts were assigned commodious and convenient quarters. During the years that have followed the organization of this Court, the strong individuality of Judge Deady … Read more

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

In April, 1859, the owners of the steamboats Carrie Ladd, Senorita and Belle, which had been plying between Portland and Cascades, represented by Captain J. C. Ainsworth, agent, the Mountain Buck, by Col. J. C. Ruckel, its agent, the Bradford horse railroad, between the middle and upper Cascades, by its owners, Bradford & Co., who also had a small steamboat plying between the Cascades and The Dalles, entered into a mutual arrangement to form a transportation line between The Dalles and Port-land, under the name and style of Union Transportation Company. There were some other boats running on that route, … Read more

In honor of the event, flags were flying from every available flag staff in Port-land. A procession was formed in the city and marched to the spot selected, where ground was to be broken. This procession was preceded by the Aurora brass band. The first division consisted of the Washington and Fenian Guards, the mayor and members of the council of Portland, the chaplain, orator of the day, the president and directors of the Oregon Central Railroad Company, the chief engineer and corps of employees. In this division was borne the shovel to be presented by Samuel M. Smith to … Read more

Morrison street, into which enters the bridge-way from across the Willamette, begins with the Esmond Hotel of five stories, on the north, and W. S. Ladd’s five story brick, on the south. The St. Charles Hotel stands on the south side, and on First street handsome brick blocks appear-except that on the southeast corner, apparently as a relic of ancient architecture, remains the old wooden, clapp-boarded two story Occidental Hotel. The street continuing westward is of a very uneven character. Fine three and four story brick and wooden houses, alternate with one story fish and fruit stalls and coffee houses. … Read more

The year 1886 was marked by a great increase in buildings and improvements, some of which were of great extent, as will be seen by the following list: Morrison Street bridge (commenced), two hundred thousand dollars; Albina Terminal works, seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars; the new medical college, thirty-five thousand dollars; the reduction works in East Portland, fifty thousand dollars; Reed’s five-story brick building on Third street, between Washington and Stark, ninety-five thousand dollars; the United Carriage, Baggage and Transportation Co.’s barn, twenty-five thousand dollars; the four-story brick stable on Second street between Stark and Washington, twenty-seven thousand dollars; … Read more

The Herald discusses the subject and shows in the same manner how dependence upon San Francisco worked ill to all Oregonians. It said: “We have frequently urged upon our citizens the importance of establishing a foreign commerce and an independent trade for Oregon. Every intelligent man, on first becoming acquainted with the vast natural resources and commercial facilities of Oregon, is struck with astonishment at the apparent want of enterprise exhibited by the business men of this section in the matter of foreign commerce. A few days ago we noticed a sale of flour from the Salem mills at the … Read more

Growth and Improvements: Appearance of the City in 1850 – The First Brick Building – Brick Buildings Erected From 1850 to 1860 – List of Buildings in 1855 – Portland During the Indian War of 1855 and ’56 – Rapid Growth in 1862 – Increase in Population and Wealth, Improvement and Growth From Year to Year – Present Development and Importance of Portland.

In the season of ’43 he joined the emigrants and made the journey once more across the plains and mountains, reaching Fort Vancouver in the autumn. Such was Amos Lawrence Lovejoy, a frank-faced, open-hearted man with blue eyes, fair complexion and dark, auburn hair, who stepped ashore with the Tennessean, and laid claim to the site of Portland. The two peered about in the deep woods more or less, but soon went on to Oregon City for their abode, while making ready to hew out a site among the big trees at Portland. By purchase from Overton, F. W. Pettygrove, who … Read more

The purely domestic commerce in the Willamette Valley was conducted with the old-time energy, employing forty steamers, with an aggregate tonnage of thirteen thousand, seven hundred and ninety-one, and twenty-one sailing vessels of various descriptions aggregating two thousand and thirteen tons. The Oregon and California Railway was now in active operation and the Oregon Central had tapped the agricultural portion of Washington county. In 1873 there appears a great rise in exports. For the fiscal year ending in September the following showing is made: To foreign ports there were employed three steamers, the California, George S. Wright and Gussie Telfair, … Read more

The gorge of the Columbia, with its Latourelle, Multnomah, and Horse-tail Falls, and its Oneonta canyon, with the Cascade mountains themselves, are most inviting, and to the artist no less than to the common excursionist, prove wonderful. Mount St. Helens has been an object of attraction to the Alpine Club of this city, the members of which recently played snow-ball upon its mosque-like top. Mount Adams and Rainier, although the finest and most curious of all, are too much removed to be frequented by the men of Portland; they will ultimately, however, come into due appreciation. For those bent on … Read more

History of Portland Oregon Financial Institutions: Early Banks – Causes Which Stimulated the Growth of Banking Interests – Financial Condition of Portland Banks – Ladd & Tilton – First National Bank – Bank of British Columbia – Oregon and Washington Mortgage Bank – Portland Savings Bank – London and San Francisco Bank – Merchants’ National Bank – Oregon National Bank – Portland National Bank – Ainsworth National Bank – Commercial National Bank – Northwest Loan and Trust Company – Portland Trust Company – Northwest Fire and Marine Insurance Company – Pacific Fire Insurance Company.

In 1866 the offices were Thos. G. Young, W. H. Weed and Win. T. Patterson. In 1867, Thos. G. Young, W. H. Weed, Wm. W. Witsell. The latter Chiefs are found in the list of the city officers, given above. As the city grew larger and the years passed, it was deemed better not to depend upon volunteer companies, but to maintain a regular paid fire department. In 1882 this was organized, and in 1883 H. D. Morgan, who still serves, was appointed Chief. Under this management the loss by fire has been greatly reduced, as shown by the following: … Read more

It was a memorable conflict, that conducted by the first rival railroad companies of Oregon; with matter in it for a novelist. It would be rash to intimate that Elliott with all his mythical capitalists was an agent of Holladay all the time, the general opinion being that he was at first acting only for himself, or that the East Side Company knew the extent of his romances, which they used so well to their advantage. It would on the other hand be difficult to believe that Holladay, or the original East Side Company, were actually imposed upon by representations … Read more

The first effort looking toward the organization of a civil government was made in 1841, at Champoeg, which at the time was the seat of the principal settlement in the Willamette Valley. It originated among the members of the Methodist Mission, and for that reason did not have the cordial support of the independent settlers. The movement failed, and although several causes contributed to this result, the main reason was the unpopularity of its chief promoters among those Americans disconnected with the missions. At this time, says an early pioneer, the people of Oregon were divided into two great divisions … Read more