History

Weaver Mining District

Weaver Mining District Name and Boundary of District “1st This District shall be known as Weaver District and bounded as follows – to wit, commencing at the mouth or sink of the Hassayamp Creek following up the eastern bank of said creek to the Tanks on the Southern boundary line of Walkers, thence West to the head of the Canyon of the St. Maria, thence southerly to Indian Springs continuing in said direction crossing Date Creek near the Indian cemetery ten miles from said crossing, thence east to the place of beginning. Size of Claims. “2nd – The size of … Read more

Pioneer Mining District

Miners Meeting on the Oolkilsipava River May 10th 1863 Mr. S Shoup President J. V. Wheelhouse Secretary “Names of original prospectors as required by Resolution No seven – Capt. J. R. Walker. George Bloper. G. Gillahan. Jos. E. Walker, Jr. A. C. Benedict. Jackson McCrackin. John Dixon. S. Shoup. Rodney McKinnon. Jacob Linn. T. J. Johnson. Felix Cholet. Jacob Miller. B. Ellis. M. Lewis. Jas. V. Wheelhouse. A. B. French. Jas. Chase. Jack Swelling Chas. Taylor. George Coulter. Frank Finney. H. B. Cummings S. C. Miller. Wm. Williams. “Preamble, laws & resolutions adopted & passed by the ‘Walker’ prospecting & … Read more

Yapapei (Sic) Mining District

By Laws Leihy & Mellons Camp September 10th 1863 “Notice is hereby given that a Miners Meeting will be held at Leihy & Mellon ‘s Camp on the 28th day of September for the purpose of forming a Mining District and to make laws governing the same – September 28th 1863 “The meeting called in accordance with the above notice was organized by electing A. B. Smith – President & Geo. W. Leihy Secretary – “A committee of 5 were elected to draft laws for government of District & its boundaries – A. B. Smith, Geo. W. Leihy, G. C. … Read more

Walker Mining District

“At a meeting of the Miners of Lynx Creek & Vicinity held pursuant to notice on the 24th day of November 1863 at the office of the Recorder, the President T. J. Johnson tendered his resignation which was accepted and Capt. Bogert was elected chairman. “The Recorder J. V. Wheelhouse tendered his resignation, and an election for the office of Recorder was called after a ballot Mr. V. C. Smith was declared elected. “Upon Motion a committee of five was appointed by the chair to draft Laws to govern the Quartz mines of the District consisting of Y. C. Smith, … Read more

Quartz Mountain Mining District

Laws “At a meeting of Quartz Miners held at Lount Cabin on Granite Creek December 27th 1863. John West was chosen Chairman and 0. M. Dorman Secretary – “The following laws & regulations for the better governing of Quartz Mining, as reported on by the committee, were taken up separately and adopted. “Article 1st. That this District shall be known & called the Quartz Mountain District, and shall be bounded and described as follows: Commencing at a Bald Mountain known as the North West corner of the Walker District running along the west line of said District to its South … Read more

Biography of Rockey P. Earhart

The subject of this sketch was born in Franklin County, Ohio, on the 23td day of June, 1837, and came to Oregon by way of the Isthmus of Panama, in 1855. Educational advantages were offered him in select schools in his native State, where he gained a thoroughly practical business training. Upon arriving in Oregon, and incidentally meeting with some of the public officials of the day, his superior clerical abilities were very soon recognized, and he received the appointment of clerk under Captain (now General), Robert McFeely, U. S. A., and Quartermaster P. H. Sheridan, then a comparatively unknown … 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

Biography of A. H. Johnson

Few American cities can furnish so many instances where men have accumulated large fortunes simply by well directed labor, however adverse the circumstances which surrounded their early struggles, than Portland. The subject of this sketch is a striking example of the truth of this statement. Arriving in Portland some thirty odd years ago, without friends or money, but possessed of good health and plenty of pluck and energy, he has steadily pushed onward and upward until today he occupies a prominent place among the leading business men of the city. He was born in London, in 1830, and is the … Read more

Biography of John William Whalley

Whalley, John William, was born on the 28th of April, 1833. His ancestors on his father’s side had, for a long period, been yoemen residing at Dent in the West Reding of Yorkshire, England, who had migrated there from Norfolk, and belonged to the same family of which Edmund Whalley of the Cromwellian Army was a member. Many of the family held respectable positions, both in the church, the army and at the bar, the elder sons usually owning and managing the small estate of the family, the younger members making their living in some of the learned professions. On … Read more

Biography of Benton Killin

Benton Killin, one of Portland’s prominent citizens, was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on the 5th day of August, 1842. When only three years old his parents crossed the plains, and settled on the old homestead, on Butter Creek, Clackamas county, Oregon, in the spring of 1847. Here his aged mother still lives, enjoying, in the evening of life, a rest from the severe toils of her earlier years. On this farm the next twelve years of young Killin’s life was spent in the hard labors of a farmer’s boy. But while thus surrounded, with but little to arouse his … Read more

Biography of William H. Saylor, M.D.

William H. Saylor, M. D., was born in Wapello County, Iowa, August 17, 1843. His parents were Conrad G. and Mary A. (Black) Saylor. In 1852 he was brought by his parents across the plains to Oregon, and in the fall of that year arrived in Portland. In the succeeding spring the family went to Olympia, Washington Territory, remaining there until the summer of 1854 when they removed to a farm which his father had purchased in Rock Prairie. Here our subject lived until the breaking out of the Indian war of 1855 when the family, removed for protection to … Read more

Biography of James Lotan

James Lotan was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1843, and is of Irish descent, his father John Lotan, having been born in Ireland and emigrated to America in 1840. Until his twelfth year young Lotan attended the public schools of his native city. He then became an apprentice to the machinist trade in his uncle’s shop. After acquiring a full knowledge of his trade he went to Jacksonville, Florida, where with an elder brother he was employed until the war of the Rebellion began, when he returned home, and a few months thereafter, in May 1861, enlisted for two … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Klosterman

John Klosterman, wholesale grocer and commission merchant of Portland, was born in Hoya, Prussia, in 1840. He was educated in the common schools of his native town and also attended an Agricultural College in Eastern Prussia. In 1858 he took charge of an estate for a large land proprietor continuing in such capacity for about ten years. In 1867 he came to America and for the first six months while acquiring the English language worked on a farm in Illinois. He then went to Cariboo, British Columbia and was engaged in prospecting and mining for nearly a year, after which … Read more

Biography of Henry H. Northup

Henry H. Northup, of Portland, was born in Berkshire, Massachusetts, February 27, 1839. His father was a farmer as were his ancestors for several generations. He attended the public schools, and when of sufficient age, which in those days was nine or ten years, was kept at home during the summer to assist in the work upon the farm. When he had reached the age of twelve years his father died, leaving, with slender property, a widow and three children of whom the subject of this sketch was the only son. From that time commenced a struggle for existence. His … Read more

Biography of J. C. Moreland

J. C. Moreland was born in the State of Tennessee, June 10, 1844, and is the youngest of nine children of Rev. Jesse and Susan (Robertson) Moreland. His father, a well known and highly respected pioneer of Oregon, was a native of North Carolina, while his grandfather, on the maternal side, fought in the war of the Revolution; and two of his mother’s brothers took part in the war of 1812, the elder of whom rose to the rank of a Brigadier-General under Jackson in the Creek war. In 1848, in view of the baleful influence of slavery, his father … Read more

Biography of Charles J. Smith

Charles J. Smith, Manager of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company, was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky, March 13, 1854, and is the son of Charles F. and Z. A. ( Jackson) Smith. His father was a merchant at Nicholasville for several years, but in 1857, removed to Kansas City, Missouri, where he died in 1877. In the latter city, the subject of this sketch was educated in a private school until he reached the age of fourteen, when he entered Blackburn University at Carlinville, Illinois, from which institution he graduated in 1870. After graduation he spent one year as a … Read more

Biography of Edward James Jeffery

Edward James Jeffery was born in Oneida county, New York, April 23, 1835, and is of English descent, his parents having been born in England. During his infancy the family moved to Lenawee county, Michigan. Here he resided on a farm and obtained a limited education in the district school until the spring of 1852, when he started across the plains for the Pacific slope. In October following, after a journey of more than six months, he arrived at Placerville, California, where, until the following spring he engaged in mining. He then went to Stockton where he was employed in … Read more

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

Biography of John Henry Woodward

John Henry Woodward was born at Peach Orchard in the. town of Tompkins (now Hector), Schuyler County, New York, February 9, 1836, and is the eldest son of John Woodward, who, with his father’s family came to America from London, England, in 1824, settling on a large farm in what was then comparatively a wilderness on the banks of Seneca Lake, New York, where members of the family still reside. Mr. Woodward received his primary education at the county district school. Later on he attended an academy at Peach Orchard under the management of John A. Gillette and was finally … Read more

Biography of Samuel Coulter

Samuel Coulter was born in Tyler county, Virginia, August 20, 1832, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah (Rodes) Coulter. His father’s parents were natives of Wales and at an early day settled in Virginia, while his maternal ancestors came from England. At the age of four years he lost his father and soon thereafter the family moved to Van Buren county, Iowa. When be reached the age of twelve his mother died, after which he went to live with his half brother, Capt. B. L. Henness, who now resides near Mt. Tabor, Oregon, who kindly offered him a … Read more