# Portland, Oregon: Its History and Builders/Volume 1/Chapter 14

CHAPTER XIV. 1850—1893.
Taking a stroll through Portland on May day, 1850, there was not found any good opportunity for a promenade. The sidewalks of rough planks were of the most primitive and make-shift order; and reaching the outskirts of the town in any direction—and the visitor did not have far to go to do so—he found it fenced in with the immense crop of fallen timber lying criss-cross in every possible shape. This resulted from no lack of desire on the part of the town's people to have the outlook better, but from inability to master the frowning obstructions of an inpenetrable forest. The automobilists who skip out to Mt. Hood in a couple of hours over a nice smooth road now-a-days, think they have seen the grand old forests of Oregon. But they have not. What they can see now along the road to Mt. Hood is nothing compared with what existed on Portland townsite sixty years ago.
It was a serious undertaking to build a city, in such surroundings. The erection of dwellings and business houses went on so slowly that progress was scarcely perceptible. People built a house from dire necessity, and then only the smallest and cheapest house that would serve their wants. There were but two houses in the town in 1850 that were finished on the inside with plaster. The first hotel was called the California house, and stood on Front street above Alder. Dennis Harty kept a boarding house on Jefferson street. Harty made some money at the business and went up to Polk county and took up a land claim, and when the Narrow Gauge Railroad was built up the Yamhill valley in 1878, Harty 's widow boarded the construction forces on her donation claim. The first hotel of any pretensions was erected by General Coffin in 1851, at the northeast comer of Front and Washington streets. It was subsequently enlarged by additions and called the "American Exchange;" and was finally sold to Van de Lashmutt, who moved it up to the corner of Front and Jefferson streets where it stands to-day. Wooden buildings continued to be the rule until 1853, when W. S. Ladd erected a small brick building for store purposes on Front street. It is still standing and doing business, being now occupied by sheet-iron workers, manufacturing all sorts of pipe.
The following list of brick buildings erected from 1853 to 1860 was prepared by the late Edward Failing in his life time, and is reliable:
​1853—W. S. Ladd, 103 Front street, between Stark and Washington; D. C. Coleman, southeast corner Front and Oak (cost $9,500), Lucien Snow, Front street, between Pine and Oak; F. B. Miles & Co., southwest corner Front and Pine (cost $13,500).
1854—Blumauer Bros., Front street, between Washington and Alder (afterwards owned by Cohen & Lyon), J. Kohn & Co., Front street, between Stark and Washington, next south of Ladd's; Geo. L. Story, Front street, between Stark and Washington, next north of Ladd's; P. Raleigh, southwest corner Front and Stark (2 stories); J. A. Failing & Co., southeast corner First and Oak, small brick warehouse.
1855—L. Snow & Co., 1-story brick, next north of the store built in 1853.
1856—Sellers & Friendly, 89 Front street, between Oak and Stark.
1857—Holman & Harker, Front street, between Morrison and Yamhill; Baum & Bros., 87 Front, between Oak and Stark; Benjamin Stark (3 stories), 91, Front, between Oak and Stark; Hallock & McMillan (2 stories), northwest corner Front and Oak; M. Weinshank, two stores, each one story. Front street, between Ash and Pine.
1858—H. W. Corbett (2 stories), northwest corner Front and Oak; Benj. Stark (3 stories), 93 Front street, between Oak and Stark; Allen & Lewis (2 stories), northeast corner Front and B; E. J. Northrup, northwest corner Front and Yamhill; A. D. Fitch & Co., next door north of Northrup; Seymour & Joynt (2 stories). Front, between Washington and Alder; A. R. Shipley & Co. (2 stories), Front, next south of S. & J.; A. D. Shelby (2 stories), 105 First, between Washington and Alder.
1859—Failings & Hatt (2 stories), 83 Front street, between Oak and Stark; Geo. H. Flanders (2 stories); Old Masonic hall, southeast corner Front and B.; A. D. Shelby (2 stories), 103 First, between Washington and Alder, north of his store built in 1858.
1860—Harker Bros. (2 stories), next south of Holman & Harker, built in 1857; Pat. Raleigh (3 stories), southeast corner First and Stark; H. Wasserman (2 stories). Front, between Washington and Alder; Weil Bros. (2 stories), Front, next south of Wasserman's; A. D. Shelby (2 stories), southwest corner First and Washington.
In point of residences the prosperous merchants quite early exhibited their pride and good taste in fairly good buildings. H. W. Corbett built his home on the block immediately south of the postoffice in 1854. That building was moved away in 1878 to make room for the present elegant home of Mrs. Corbett.
The first home of Capt. John H. Couch, where he lived all his life, in Portland, a photo of which is given on another page, was erected before the Corbett home, and stood on the west side of Couch lake, and Captain Couch could sit on his front porch and shoot a duck in the lake any day for dinner. Couch lake was a real lake covering about forty city blocks, commencing at Flanders street between Second and Fourth streets and running north as far as Thurman street. The present Union Railroad Depot stands in the old lake on a battery of piling outlining the whole of the brick structure; the whole of the lake having now been filled up to the established street grade by pumping sand out of the river opposite.
The steam saw-mill, the first in Portland, which Reed & Abrams had labored so hard to establish, was destroyed by fire in 1853, and its loss was a veritable calamity to the little city. And thinking the town had got its growth, some enterprising citizen took a census of the business houses in 1855, and found in operation four churches, one academy, one public school, two steam saw-mills, four printing offices, two express offices, four physicians, six lawyers, two dentists, five furniture shops, three bakeries, four stove and tin stores, two merchant tailors, two jewelry stores, four blacksmith shops, one foundry and machine shop, three wagon makers, six painters, two boat builders, five livery stables, twelve hotels and boarding houses, three meat shops, six whiskey saloons, two billiard ​and bowling alley rooms, one book store, one drug store, one picture gallery, one shoe store, one candy factory, half a dozen tobacco shops, twenty-five general stores of dry goods and groceries, ten exclusively dry goods stores, and seven exclusively grocery stores, two feed stores, and two hardware stores.
Up to 1854, what is now known as Multnomah county, was a part of Washington county, and the Portland people had to go out to the village of Hillsboro to transact their county business, and fight out their law suits. In this year the legislature divided the territory of Washington, setting off the present Multnomah by itself and making Portland the county seat. And this gave Portland quite a little "boost" on the road to greater prosperity.
In 1855 and '56 the Indian war broke out on the upper Columbia and made traveling dangerous if not impossible in both Or^on and Washington territory. Portland became, in consequence thereof, the chief supph- point and the outfitting point for all the military forces. A general camp and headquarters was established across the river in what is now East Portland, from whence the volunteers were carried by steamboat to the Cascades, where the first fighting took place. This military preparation and expense stimulated business at all tile stores, but it checked all building operations, mainly because all the fighting men had gone out after the Indians, and but few were left to hammer and saw.
This Indian war was inevitable. It had been brewing for a long time. Its first outcrop was the murder of Whitman and his family, and dependants. The seething storm was ill-concealed from such careful observers of Indian character as McLoughlin. Meek, Ogden, and Newell. McLoughlin constantly warned the settlers to be prepared, while at the same time he strove to hold in check the determined chiefs of the restless, dissatisfied tribes. "Is it right to kill the Americans?" asked a Cascade chief of McLoughlin one day. "What," roared the doctor. "They or we must die," calmly replied the Indian. "Not only do they spoil otu" forests, and drive away our game, depriving us of food and clothing, but with their bad morals and religion they poison us with disease and death. We must kill them, or let them kill us."
That was the whole story; that was the view every Indian took of the situation. And the remnant of than feel that fate today. They are strangers and trespassers in the land the Great Spirit gave them. Hence, they are for the most part reserved, silent, sullen in their intercourse with the white people.
The first assessment for taxation shown by existing records, makes Portland property worth, in 1857, the sum of one million one hundred and three thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine dollars. The population of the town this year amounted to 1280. At the election held the next year, 1858, there were four hundred and sixty votes cast. The first daily paper was issued in 1859 by S. A. English &. Co., and called the "Portland Daily News." This was, however, not the first paper in the town. The Oregon Weekly Times, which was formerly the Western Star, of Milwaukee, and the Weekly Oregonian. had been published for nine years before this first daily. The Daily News did not last long, and after a few issues suspended permanently. The first issue of the Oregonian appeared on December 4, 1850. as a protege of the townsite proprietors. Its first issue was heralded with great eclat, and Col. Chapman sent a special messenger with a bundle of the first issue by horseback up the west side of the Willamette valley as far as Corvallis, and back down by the east side of the valley, giving Oregonians to everybody to read. Thomas J. Dryer was the founder of the paper, and its first editor. The paper started off at a lively gait, and has kept it up ever since, until now it has the largest circulation of any paper west of the Rocky mountains. The Oregon Times became a daily in 1860, and the Oregonian issued its first daily in 1861.
In the enrollment of school children in 1860, six hundred and ninety-one were found of school age; and the total population was two thousand nine hundred and seventeen, of which sixteen were negroes and twenty-seven Chinese.
VIEW OF PORTLAND FROM ROBINSON'S HILL, 1908
​Discovery of mines in Idaho and eastern Oregon greatly stimulated navigation on the Willamette and Columbia, and as many as twenty steamers were plying in 1862 on these rivers. In that year the population, as determined by the city directory, rose to four thousand and fifty-seven. Of these, seven hundred are reckoned as transient, fifty-two colored, and fifty-three Chinese. The Oregonian of that year remarked that the increase in wealth and population had been of the most substantial character. "Eighteen months ago," it said, "any number of houses could be obtained for use, but today scarcely a shell can be found to shelter a family. Rents are up to an exhorbitant figure, many houses contain two or more families, and the hotels and boarding houses are crowded almost to overflowing. The town is full of people and more are coming in. Buildings are going up in all parts of Portland, streets graded and planked, wharves stretching their proportions along the levees, and a general thrift and busy hum greet the ear or attract the attention of a stranger upon every street and corner." "Substantial school houses,) capacious churches, wharves, mills, manufactories and workshops, together with brick buildings, stores and dwelling houses and street improvements," are referred to in the city directory. As for occupations, the following list is given: Three apothecaries, four auctioneers, three brewers, two bankers, six billiard rooms, two confectioners, five dentists, twelve restaurants, fourteen hotels, twenty-two lawyers, five livery stables, twenty-eight manufacturers, eleven physicians, eight wholesale and fifty-five retail liquor dealers, forty-five wholesale and ninety-one retail dealers in general merchandise, two wholesale and eight retail grocers.
During 1863 a long step toward improvement was the organization of the Portland and Milwaukee 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 sidewheel steamer John H. Couch, for many years so familiar a figure on the lower Columbia, was launched this year. The principal building was that of the Presbyterian church at the corner of Third and Washington streets. The laying of the corner stone was observed with due ceremony. Rev. P. S. Caffrey officiating, assisted by Revs. Pearne and Cornelius. A new school house of the congregation of Beth Israel was opened this year. The arrival of thirty-six thousand pounds of wire for the Oregon and California telegraph line showed the interest in telegraphic communication with the outside world. The assessed valuation of property was three million two hundred and twenty-six thousand and sixty dollars.
In 1864 much expansion was noticed. Grading and draining of the streets was largely undertaken. The Presbyterian church was finished at a cost of twenty thousand dollars and was called the finest structure in the state. The Catholic church was improved to an extent of two thousand dollars. J. L. Parrish erected a three-story brick building, fifty by one hundred feet, on the corner of Front and Washington streets. A house was built by the city for the Columbia Engine Company No. 3, on Washington street, at a cost of six thousand dollars. The lot cost two thousand dollars. Two new hotels, the What Cheer House and the New Columbian were built, and older ones such as Arrigoni's, the Western, the Howard House, the Pioneer and Temperance House were improved. A considerable number of stores and dwelling houses were also put up. The greatest improvement, however, was the O. S. N. Company's dock on the water front between Pine and Ash streets. It was necessitated by the increasing traffic with Idaho and the upper Columbia. There was not hitherto a dock to accommodate vessels at all stages of the water. This new wharf was accordingly built with two stories, the upper being fifteen feet above the other. The lower wharf was two hundred and fifty feet long by one ​hundred and sixty wide; the upper, two hundred by one hundred and twenty, thus occupying the entire front of one block. For this work there were used sixty thousand feet of piles and timber, five hundred thousand feet of sawed plank, two thousand eight hundred perch of rock, and six hundred barrels of cement. The work was completed from plans of J. W. Brazee and supervised by John D'Orsay. The cost was fifty thousand dollars. The wharf and buildings of Couch and Flanders, in the northern part of the city, were improved, bringing their value up to forty thousand dollars. The river front was not then, as now, a continuous series of docks, and these structures made an even more striking appearance than later ones far more pretentious and valuable. In order to prevent delay and vexation in the arrival of ocean vessels, a call was made for money to deepen the channel of the lower Willamette, and was met by double the sum named. The improvements were soon undertaken with great vigor. Five thousand dollars was spent in grading and improving the public square between Third and Fourth streets on Main. With the general leveling of the irregularities of the surface of the city and the removal of stumps, more effort was made to adorn the streets and dooryards with trees and shrubbery, and to make handsome lawns. The surroundings of the city were, however, still wild, and the shattered forests blackened with fires had not yet given away to the reign of art.
The population was now five thousand eight hundred and nineteen; there were one thousand and seventy-eight frame buildings, fifteen one-story, thirty-seven two-story and seven three-story brick buildings—one thousand one hundred and thirty-seven of all kinds.
There were seven wharves in the city: Abernethy's at the foot of Yamhill street. Carter's at the foot of Alder, Knott's on Water between Taylor and Salmon, Pioneer at the foot of Washington owned by Coffin & Abrams, Vaughn's at the foot of Morrison, the O. S. N. wharf between Ash and Pine streets, and the Portland wharf of Couch & Flanders in North Portland, at the foot of C and D.
There were thirty-eight dealers in dry goods and general merchandise, thirteen grocers, ten meat markets, four dealers in produce and provisions, three drug stores, fifteen physicians, four dentists, twenty-eight attorneys, three booksellers, thirteen hotels.
The real estate agents now omnipresent and legion were represented by the single firm of Parrish & Holman. Plumbers were represented by a single name, C. H. Myers, 110 First street. Hatters had but one name, A. J. Butler at 72 Front street, while saddlers had four, J. B. Congle, 88 Front street; H. Kingsley & Reese, 100 First street; Wm. Kern, 228 Front street, and S. Sherlock & Co., 52 Front street. S. J. McCormick published the Oregon Almanac, 105 Front street; H. L. Pittock, The Oregonian, at No. 5 Washington. The Pacific Christian Advocate was published at No. 5 Washington by the Methodist church, and the Evening Tribune at 27 Washington street by Van Cleave & Ward.
There were salt depots on Front street, a soap factory operated by W. L. Higgins on Front street near Clay, and a turpentine manufactory by T. A. Wood & Co., near the same site. Carson & Porter at 208 Front street, and J. P. Walker at 230 Front street foot of Jefferson, operated sash and door factories.
The total exports of 1864 reached eight million seventy-nine thousand six hundred and thirty-one dollars; most of this was gold dust from Idaho, and the price of produce was far in excess of that at present.
2—Joseph Watt, exported first cargo of wheat direct to Europe. 3—Joseph H. Lambert, produced the "Lambert cherry"—the best in the world. 4—Cyrus A. Reed, built the first sawmill.
Of brick buildings made in 1865, Cahn & Co.'s, at 37 Front street, extending to First; Willberg's two-story building on Front street; Moffett's on Front, and that of Wakefield, Glenn and others on Front, were the most prominent and represented a considerable outlay of money. Cree's building at the corner of Stark and Front, built in 1862, may be mentioned. A broom factory, a match factory, the Willamette Iron Works and the First National Bank were established this year. To these may be added Vaughn's flour mill on Front and Main streets, then an expensive and imposing building, costing about fifty thousand dollars. About thirty-five thousand dollars was spent on street improvements in 1865.
The total value of exports was seven million six hundred and six thousand five hundred and twenty-four dollars, the most of it being gold dust. To form commercial communication with San Francisco, there were two lines of ocean steamers, one running the Sierra Nevada and the Oregon, and the other the Orizaba and the Pacific. Of these, the Orizaba was the largest, registering fourteen hundred tons. To Victoria the Active was run under the command of Captain Thorn. There were sailing vessels also to San Francisco, some of which, were later run to the Sandwich Islands. These were the bark Jane A. Falkenberg, of six hundred tons; the bark Almatia, of seven hundred tons; the bark W. B. Scranton, of seven hundred tons; the bark Samuel Merrit, of five hundred and fifty tons; the bark Live Yankee, of seven hundred tons. To the Sandwich Islands, also, there were then running the barks A. A. Aldridge, of four hundred tons, and the Comet, seven hundred tons.
Of the steamboat lines on the river, there were now in operation the following three: The Oregon Steam Navigation Company, running to Astoria; the J. H. Couch, with fare at $6.00 and the freight at $6.00 per ton; to Monticello; the Cowlitz or the Rescue, fare $3.00 and freight $4.00; to The Dalles, the New World, Wilson G. Hunt, the Cascade, Julia, Oneonta, Idaho and Iris, with fare at $6.00 and freight at $15.00; above The Dalles, the steamers Owyhee, Spray, Okanagon, Webfoot, Yakima, Tenino, and Nez Perces Chief, with fare to Lewiston at $22.00 and freight at $60.00 per ton. These were the palmy days of river travel, the steamers being crowded and a small fortune being made at every trip. The People's Transportation Company confined itself to the Willamette and ran the Senator and Rival below Oregon City, and the Fanny Patton and others above the falls. The independent steamer Fanny Troup ran to Vancouver, and on the Willamette above Canemah there were the Union and the Echo. The Willamette Steam Navigation Company, still another line, ran the Alert and the Active on the Willamette. These Willamette craft, having no competition from railroads, also did a fair business.
The population of Portland in 1865 was six thousand and sixty-eight. The occupations represented are illustrated by the following list: Of apothecaries, four; architects and civil engineers, four; assayers, three; auctioneers, three; ​bankers, four; billiard rooms, six; bakers, two; contractors and builders, seven; brokers, eight; butchers, seventeen; dentists, three; restaurants, five; hotels, sixteen; insurance agents; three; lawyers, twenty-three; livery stables, seven; manufacturers, sixty-three; photographers, five; physicians and surgeons, fifteen; plumbers, two; real estate agents, three; retail dealers in merchandise, one hundred and thirty-three; retail liquor dealers, one hundred and five; theater, one; wholesale merchants, thirty-nine; wholesale liquor dealers, twelve. There was assayed gold dust valued at two million nine hundred and thirty-four thousand one hundred and seventy-seven dollars. These are the figures of a busy little city. The number of voters was one thousand seven hundred and twenty-three.
The old courthouse, now being replaced by the new and elegant structure of steel, stucco and porcelain brick, was completed in 1866. In a charming letter by Judge Deady to the San Francisco Bulletin of that date, we get a description of the panorama seen from the top of the new courthouse as follows: "But to return to Portland. On every side of me I saw its varied and sometimes motley structures of wood and brick, densely packed together, and edging out toward the limits of the natural site of the city—green semi-circle of irregular shaped fir clad hills, on the west and south, and the water of the bright Willamette curving outwardly from the north to the south. A radius of a mile from where I stood would not more than reach the verge of the town. Across the Willamette, and upon its east bank, I could count the houses and orchards in the suburban village of East Portland. This place is yet half town, and half country, but it is destined at no distant day to furnish an abundance of cheap and comfortable homes to the thrifty and industrious artizans and laborers whose hands are daily turning this raw clay and growing timber into temples and habitations all of civilizd man." A beautiful picture and well fulfilled.
In 1866 Portland men built and commenced operating the only furnace for making iron on the Pacific coast. The Oregon Iron Company's Works at Oswego, were completed this year and commenced running by putting out ten tons of pig iron daily. W. S. Ladd was president and H. C. Leonard, vice-president of the company. Mr. Leonard is still with the city he helped so much to build, enjoying life to the full for an octogenarian.
The assessed value of property was four million one hundred and ninety-nine thousand one hundred and twenty-five dollars. The export of produce reached the following figures: Flour, one hundred and forty-nine thousand and seventy-five dollars; salmon, twenty-one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four dollars; bacon, seventy thousand and sixteen dollars; apples, sixty-eight thousand eight hundred and sixty dollars; wool, sixty thousand, eight hundred and forty dollars, making an aggregate of four hundred and fifty-five thousand, four hundred and fifty-seven dollars. The shipment of gold dust, bars, etc., reached the large sum of eight million, seventy thousand, and six hundred dollars, which, it is possible, was an over estimate.
The screw steamship Montana and the side-wheeler Oriflamme appeared on the line to San Francisco, and the little screw steamer, Fideliter, to Victoria. The population was six thousand, five hundred and eight, of whom three thousand and twenty-four were Chinese.
Exports of produce and merchandise reached the value of two million four hundred and sixty-two thousand seven hundred and ninety-three dollars. The great apparent increase over 1866 was due to a more perfect record kept, and actual improvement. The shipment of gold dust fell to four million and one thousand dollars. The river was much improved at Swan Island. The population of the city for this year was estimated at six thousand, seven hundred and seventeen.
COMMENCEMENT OF RAILROADS.
In 1868 the railroad company began work, the west side breaking ground April 15th, and the east side two days later. During this year also an independent commerce sprang up with New York, and the way was opened for direct export of grain to Europe. The iron works of the city began to command the trade in the supply of mining machinery for the Idaho and eastern Oregon companies. The saw-mill of Smith, Hayden & Co., on the corner of Front and Madison streets, was improved so as to cut twenty-four thousand feet of lumber per day, and that of Estes, Simpson & Co., on Front street v>'as enlarged to a capacity of twenty thousand feet. The handsomest building of this year was that of Ladd & Tilton, for their bank, at the corner of First and Stark streets, at the cost of seventy thousand dollars. This year over four hundred dwelling houses were erected. "And yet," said the Oregonian, "you will find that there are no desirable houses to rent. The great and increasing growth and improvement of our city is no chimera." Indeed during this year Portland; was -experiencing one of those waves of prosperity by which she has been advancing to her present eminence.
The exports of the year reached a value of two million, seven hundred and eighty thousand, four hundred and eight dollars, requiring the services of nine steamers and thirty sailing vessels. The assessed value of property was four million, six hundred thousand, seven hundred and sixty dollars. Real estate transactions reached a volume of one hundred and forty-three thousand, eight hundred and forty-six dollars. The price paid for the lot on the corner of First and Alder streets by the Odd Fellows (1868) was twenty-two thousand, five hundred dollars. The shipments of treasure and bullion were three million, six hundred and seventy-seven thousand, eight hundred and fifty dollars. The population was seven thousand, nine hundred and eighty.
The first attempt to systematically advertise the city and country and attract immigration and capital, dates back to the year 1869, when an organization was formed called the "Immigration Exchange." Some money was collected and some literature prepared, setting forth the resources, advantages and attractions of the country, and the printed matter sent to the eastern states in a hap-hazard sort of way. It did not accomplish much, but it was a beginning of that work which has made Thomas Richardson famous, and given Oregon and Portland thousands of people and millions of capital.
The first cargo of wheat exported direct from Portland to foreign countries was loaded and sent out in 1868. Joseph Watt, a farmer of Amity, Yamhill County, and the same man that brought the first flock of sheep two thousand miles across plains and mountains to Oregon, and also raised the money and started the first woolen factory in Oregon, has also the honor of shipping this first cargo of Oregon wheat from Portland, Oregon, to any foreign country, sending it to Liverpool. Ladd & Tilton advanced the money to Watt to purchase the wheat, which came from "Old Yamhill" as a matter of course, and was carried down on the little river boats from Dayton to Portland. And after Watt got his wheat aboard the ship, and insured, he took his bills of lading and insurance policies to Edwin Russell, manager of the bank of British Columbia ​and Russell took the papers and drafts on Liverpool, gave Watt the purchase price of the wheat, enabling him to pay his debt to Ladd & Tilton, and having bought the wheat, got it down to Portland, loaded this first ship and got his money back, and paid his debt all inside of thirty days.
In 1869, in the line of buildings there were erected seven of brick, aggregating a cost of $172,000, and twelve large frame buildings, costing altogether $58,000; while many smaller ones were built, making a total of about $400,000. The most conspicuous of these was the Odd Fellows' building at the comer of First and Alder streets, three stories in height, and costing $40,000; the United States building for courthouse, customs house and postoffice was begun on a scale to cost three hundred thousand dollars. The reservoir of the Water Works Company on Sixth street, with a capacity of three million, five hundred thousand gallons, was built this year. On the improvement of the Willamette there was spent thirty-one thousand dollars. Exports reached one million, sixty-six thousand, five hundred and two dollars; treasure, two million, five hundred and fifty-nine thousand dollars; and bullion, four hundred and nineteen thousand, six hundred and fifty-seven dollars. Real estate transactions were upward of half a million. The population of Portland proper was estimated at eight thousand, nine hundred and twenty-eight, and of east Portland, five hundred.
The railroad on the east side of the river was completed to Barlow, and work on the west side was progressing. The shipping of grain to Great Britain was becoming more firmly established. A greater spirit of enterprise was manifested among merchants and other citizens to publish abroad the advantages of soil and climate and position. A number of fine buildings were erected as follows: Corbett's three-story building, with solid iron front on First street, between Washington and Alder, costing forty thousand dollars; a brick block of four buildings occupying a frontage of one hundred feet on Front street, and running back eighty feet, of iron front, costing thirty thousand dollars, built by Lewis & Flanders; a three-story brick building, having one hundred feet frontage on First street and eighty feet on Ash, at a cost of thirty-two thousand dollars, by Dr. R. Glisan; all addition by the O. S. N. Co. to their block on Front street, forty by ninety feet, costing twenty thousand dollars; the Protection engine house at the corner of First and Jefferson streets, costing ten thousand dollars; a new edifice by the Congregational church at the corner of Second and Jefferson streets, with one spire one hundred and fifty feet high, costing twenty-five thousand dollars; the Bishop Scott grammar school building on B street at the junction of Fourteenth.
As 1870 fills out a decade, it is not out of place to give here a somewhat more detailed list of the occupations then flourishing in the city. Of hotels there were twenty-two: The St. Charles, at the corner of First and Morrison; The International, at the corner of Front and Morrison; the American Exchange, at the corner of Front and Washington; the Occidental, at the corner of First and Morrison, The Western Hotel, on Front near Pine; the Pioneer Hotel, on Front near Ash; The Shakespeare Hotel, at 23 Front street; the Washington Hotel, corner of Alder and Second; the New Orleans Hotel, at the corner of Yamhill and First; the Wisconsin House, at the corner of Ash and Front; the Russ House, at 126 Front street; the Railroad House, on Front near Yamhill; the St. Louis Hotel, on Front street; the New York Hotel, at 17 North Front; the Patton House, at 175 Front street; the Fisk House, on First near Main; the Cosmopolitan, at the corner of Front and Stark; The California House, at 13 Stark street; the Brooklyn Hotel, on First street near Pine. There were also twelve boarding houses and nine restaurants. Real estate agents now numbered six houses: J. S. Daly, Dean & Brother, William Davidson, Parrish & Atkinson, Russell & Ferry, Stitzel & Upton. The wholesale merchants contained many names in active business: Allen & Lewis, Baum Bros., Fleischner & Co., Jacob Meyer, L. White & Co., Seller, Frankeneau & Co., and Goldsmith & Co. Of retail merchants of that time there may be named: C. S. Silver, S. ​Simon, A. Meier, D. Metzgar, W. Masters & Son, John Wilson, M. Moskowitz, P. Selling, Loeb Bros., Koshland Bros., Van Fridagh & Co., S. Levy, Mrs. C. Levy, Kohn Bros., Galland, Goodman & Co., Joseph Harris & Son, J. M. Breck, M. Franklin, J. M. Fryer & Co., Beck & Waldman, Clarke, Henderson & Cook, Leon Ach, and John Enery. In the groceries and provisions there were the wholesale merchants: Amos, Williams & Meyers; Leveredge, Wadhams & Co., and Corbitt & Macleay, and thirty-three retailers. In hardware: Corbett, Failing & Co., Hawley, Dodd & Co., E. J. Northrup & Co., and Charles Hopkins. The druggists were: J. A. Chapman, Hodge, Calef & Co., Smith & Davis, C. H. Woodward, S. G. Skidmore, and Wetherford & Co. George L. Story made a specialty of paints and oils. There were nine houses of commission merchants: Allen & Lewis, McCraken, Merrill & Co., Knapp, Burrell & Co., Everding & Farrell, George Abernethy, Williams & Meyers, Everding & Beebe, Janion & Rhoades, and T. A. Savier & Co. The lumber manufacturers and merchants were: Abrams & Besser, Smith Bros. & Co., J, M. Ritchie, and Estes, Stimson & Co. The foundries were: the Eagle, the Oregon Iron Works, the Willamette Iron Works, Smith Bros. Iron Works and the Columbia Iron Works. The furniture dealers were: Hurgren & Shindler, Emil Lowenstein & Co., W. F. Wilcox, and Richter & Co. Hat manufacturers were: J. C. Meussdorfer, N. Walker and Currier & Co. The flour mills: G. W. Vaughn and McLeran Bros. The physicians were: R. Glisan, J. S. Giltner, J. A. Chapman, J, C. Hawthorn, A. M. Loryea, W. H. Watkins, R. B. Wilson, G. Kellogg, J. W. Murray, E. Poppleton, J. A. Chapman, I. A. Davenport, H. A. Bodman, S. Parker, F. C. Paine, J. C. Ryan, F. W. Schule, Robert Patton, J. M. Roland, J. F. Ghiselin, H. McKinnell, Charles Schumacher, G. W. Brown, T. J. Sloan, W. Weatherford and J. Dickson. The printers were: G. H. Himes and A. G. Walling. The publications were: The Oregonian, which issued daily and weekly editions and was published by H. L. Pittock with H. W. Scott as editor; The Bulletin, James O'Meara editor; the Oregon Herald, H. L. Patterson proprietor, and Sylvester Pennoyer editor; the Pacific Christian Advocate, I. Dillon editor; the Catholic Sentinel, H. L. Herman editor; the Oregon Deutshe Zeitung, A. Le Grand editor; and the Good Templar, with C. Beal as editor. The Oregon almanac and city directory were regularly issued by S. J. McCormick.
The saddlers were J. B. Congle, Samuel Sherlock & Co., N. Thwing, and Welch & Morgan. The leather dealers, J. A. Strowbridge and Daniel O. O'Reagan. The dentists were J. R. Cardwell, C. H. Mack, J. G. Glenn, J. H. Hatch, J. W. Dodge, Wm. Koehler and Friedland & Calder. In the crockery and glassware trade there were W. Jackson, H. W. Monnastes, A. D. Shelby, M. Seller and J. McHenry.
There were seven wholesale dealers in liquors, nine livery stables, thirteen meat markets, four photograph galleries, twenty cigar and tobacco dealers, six breweries, five bakeries, two brickyards, four banks, fourteen printers, one match factory, one soap factory, one salt works, one barrel factory, two box factories, twenty-one dressmakers, five dealers in Chinese goods, two book binderies, one tannery, five wagon makers, six blacksmith shops, two express companies, three railroad companies, five merchant tailors, two telegraph offices, thirteen licensed draymen and two undertakers, besides a number of other occupations such as auctioneer and wigmaker.
The assessed value of property in the city was six million, eight hundred and forty-eight thousand, five hundred and sixty-eight dollars; about half of its purchasing value. The population was estimated at nine thousand, five hundred and sixty-five.
In 1871 the improvements continued, the amount spent on buildings being estimated at one million, two hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars. Commenting upon this at the time, the Oregonian said: "Many of these buildings are costly and of handsome and imposing appearance. We doubt if any city ​on the Pacific coast can show anything like a parallel. The exhibit proves conclusively and in the most appreciable manner the rapid strides of our city towards wealth and greatness. . . . Every house is occupied as soon as finished, and not infrequently houses are bespoken before the ground is broken for their erection. . . . Rents are justly pronounced enormous."
The finest buildings of this year were the New Market theatre of A. P. Ankeny, sixty by two hundred feet, on First and A streets, extending to Second, and the Masonic hall on Third and Alder, of three stories, and a Mansard roof, still a very prominent building, and finished in the Corinthian style.
The number of steamers registering in the Willamette district were thirty-one; of barks, one; brigs, six; schooners, two; scows, two; sloops, four. The total value of property assessed was ten million, one hundred and fifty-six thousand, three hundred and twenty dollars, with an indebtedness of one million, one hundred and ten thousand, one hundred and five dollars. The population as estimated reached eleven thousand, one hundred and three.
In 1872, Ankeny's New Market theatre was completed at a cost of one hundred thousand dollars, and the Masonic Temple at eighty thousand dollars. A Good Templar's hall was built on Third street costing ten thousand dollars. The Clarendon hotel was built on north First street near the railroad depot. Smith's block, a row of warehouses between First and Front streets and Ash and Oak, was built this year at a cost of fifty thousand dollars. Pittock's block on Front near Stark was completed at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. Trinity church erected a house of worship on the corner of Sixth and Oak streets, at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. Dekum's building on the corner of First and Washington streets, of three stories and still standing, costing seventy thousand dollars, was begun in 1871, and completed in '72. The home for the destitute was built this year.
In the line of shipping there were five ocean steamers plying to San Francisco, the John L. Stephens, an old-fashioned side-wheeler being the largest, carrying one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven tons. Coastwise tonnage aggregated one hundred and nine thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine tons; in the foreign trade there were eighteen thousand, nine hundred and forty-four tons. From foreign countries there arrived twelve barks and two ships, with a total capacity of nine thousand, four hundred and forty tons. Imports—that is strictly from foreign countries—were seven hundred and twenty-eight thousand, seven hundred and twenty-five dollars; exports to foreign countries six hundred and fifty-eight thousand and six hundred and fourteen dollars. The west side railroad was running to the Yamhill river at St. Joseph, and the east side to Roseburg in the Umpqua valley. Large fires occurred in 1872 making a total loss of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The population was estimated at twelve thousand, one hundred and twenty-nine.
THE GREAT FIRE.
The great disaster to the city was of course telegraphed far and wide and not only offers of aid but checks for money was sent in from San Francisco and many eastern cities. Henry Failing was made chairman of the relief committee that was immediately organized; and promptly telegraphed the thanks of Portland for the generous offer of aid, but kindly declined them all. For a time this decision aroused bitter opposition and called out severe criticism. Mr. Failing met this storm with the dignity and firmness that characterized his whole life, saying: that it was not meet, even in sore distress, for a rich city, like Portland to accept charity; and that the manly thing, and the right and proper thing to do was for the rich men to put their hands deep down into their purses and discharge this duty to the honor and credit of the city; and to make his acts tally with his brave words thereupon subscribed ten thousand dollars himself. That ended all discussion, silenced all criticism, healed all the bruises, and set everybody to work, to rebuild the city with funds to purchase tools and clothing for workingmen rendered houseless, and the loss was soon forgotten and the blackened ruins soon again covered with better buildings than those swept away by the fire.
THE SALMON INDUSTRY.
The value of the salmon in the Columbia river had long been understood. The early fur traders had caught a few salmon and carried them away in salt with their furs. The Hudson's Bay Company had every year sent some salted and dried salmon home to London with their returning ships. And both Winship and Wyeth had come to the Columbia river prepared to carry away salmon, salted dried or kippered. But none of them had ever made a success of such efforts. Their failures were not owing to any scarcity of fish, but mostly because they had to depend on Indians to catch the fish. And Indians could catch but one fish at a time, either by spearing him, or hooking him with a line. This was too slow for commercial profit, and the Indian knew nothing about the use of nets or pounds. It remained for the white men to discover a way to utilize the vast schools of salmon which annually swept into the mouth of the great river. Salted salmon in kits and barrels had been on the market for years, but it was poor food, and worth a man's life to be compelled to depend on the stuff.
While temporarily stopping at the old American Exchange hotel, at the foot of Washington street, in 1864, General Coffin said to this writer one evening, "Come around to the wharf and I'll show you some fish." I went and saw a sight; and admitted I had never seen any fish before. A husky steamboat roustabout was pitching salmon off a little steamboat that had just got in from ​down the Columbia, and had a wagon load of salmon for sale to anybody that wanted fresh fish. There were big salmon and little salmon and salmon of all sizes from the royal Chinook weighing seventy-five pounds down to the youngsters weighing two pounds. And people were coming in to get what they wanted. The hotels and restaurants—no "grills" in those days—took the large fish at two-bits apiece, and the family men took the little fish at ten cents apiece. Think of it; now you pay twenty or twenty-five cents a pound for royal Chinook, and four-bits for a two pounder called "Salmon trout."
I said to General Coffin "why don't you can these fish?" "Oh you can't do that, you can't can fish, they'd all spoil." I suggested that eastern men were canning oysters, and I could see no reason why salmon would not be canned. As a matter of fact, at that very time the Hume Brothers had, after years of trial, succeeded in successfully canning salmon on the Sacramento river in California, and the very next year came up to Oregon and started a cannery down the Columbia and made a fortune out of the business before anybody else found out the secrets of the canning process. But employees soon discovered that there was money in the knowledge they possessed, and lost no time in getting Oregonians to put up the money to build canneries, and since that first little cannery of the Humes there has been taken out of the Columbia river and turned into gold coin not less than fifty million dollars worth of salmon. It has been the greatest gold mine the state has possessed excepting only the wheat fields, until now, when lumber is booming up big as a greater mine of wealth than fish or wheat. And notwithstanding the easy money, great profits and reliability of the business, the wealth of the fisheries has well nigh been destroyed by the selfishness and shortsightedness of the fishermen, and some cannerymen, who would not forego a penny of profit, or the chance of losing a single fish, in any effort to maintain a supply of fish, raised without costing one cent, by giving the fish a chance, or half a chance, to propagate their species, or to help out the spawning by artificial hatcheries. Fifty years from now when some one rewrites this history, it will be curious to look in and see if the Columbia river fishermen did ever awake to a common sense view of their business, and a patriotic duty to their city and state, and take effective measures to preserve, and conserve the Columbia river salmon.
Hook and line fishing at Oregon City. Steam tug gathering fish from the seiners.
But this book must not overlook Mrs. Quinn, the faithful helpmeet that made John a rich man. Several years after the Quinns had got all the business they could handle, and Mrs. Quinn was still cutting away in her spotless white apron, an old friend and customer said to her. "And don't you get tired of this job, Mrs. Quinn?" "Oh yes," she replied, "it is not a beautiful job to be sure, but I am going to stay right here at this block until I make twenty thousand dollars and then I'll quit and get myself the finest silk dress ever brought to this city." The story passed around the town and everybody had their little joke and laugh, but the Quinns held on the even tenor of their way. One morning Mrs. Quinn was absent from the shop and a man was at her block. The story of the twenty thousand dollars was recalled, and before noon of that day, Mrs. John Quinn appeared at the first department store of the city of Portland then kept at the southeast corner of First and Washington streets by Clark, Henderson & Cook, the predecessors of the Lipman, Wolf & Co. store. She was radiant with smiles, and evidently a happy woman. As she entered the store one of the proprietors, Mr. Vincent Cook, came forward to wait on her and jokingly inquired if she had made that twenty thousand dollars yet. The response was quick and hearty, "Yes I have," and the reply was "then you want that silk dress." "That's what I've come for." Mr. Cook was equal to the occasion—in fact "Vint" Cook was always equal to any occasion—and, keeping in mind the reputation of his house, replied: "I've been keeping a piece of silk for you for some time. It's the finest piece of silk ever brought to this city," placing it on the counter, "and there never will be as good a piece of silk brought to Portland again, for I can tell you confidentially, this silk was made to order for the empress of China or some other empress—just look at it," as he unrolled it, "it will stand on end like a row of salmon barrel staves." "How much must I have," said the delighted customer. "Well," says the merchant, "you're a fine large lady that will become this fine goods, I think twenty yards would not be any too much." And so twenty yards were cut off and paid for. "Now," says Mr. Cook, "I could well afford to give you that dress, Mrs. Quinn, for I've learned something from you." "What's that," replied the lady? "Well, it's just this, if you and John Quinn can make twenty thousand dollars in this fish business in a few years, I think I can make something at it myself, and I will sell out here and go into the fish business." And he did sell out and joined his brother James in packing salmon, and made his million.
This is but a sample story in the life and growth of this far western city. It illustrates much of this life and growth, and it is just as necessary to this history as any account of the growth of ocean commerce or development of railway transportation.
THE EXPRESS BUSINESS.
Transportation interests in building up the city commenced of course with the first ships that tied up to the oak trees growing along the river front from Jefferson street down to Hoyt street. And without this great builder of cities and nations there would have been no Portland. But along with this chief agency, came other and minor elements of growth, which deserve recognition. The express business to Portland came in on board the first steamship that tied up to the Portland water front, in the person of an express messenger. But no permanent office was established in the city until 1852, when "The Adams Express Company" opened an office here and continued in business until the advent of Wells Fargo & Company in 1853, when the field was abandoned to the latter company. There were on the overland route between Oregon and California ​a number of express riders carrying letters and small packages as early as 1851, the charges for carrying letters being fifty cents for each letter.
In 1853, Wells Fargo & Company opened an office at Front street near the foot of Morrison street with Major William H. Barnhart as agent, and the office and agent is shown in the picture of Front street of 1853. On this subject Mr. Eugene Shelby, a native of the city and now superintendent of the Wells Fargo lines on the Pacific coast, and residing at San Francisco, says:
   "Our first agency was located in a store, but in the course of a few years, as the business grew, exclusive offices were secured, and up until about 1868 or 1869 we were always located on Front street, north of Stark street. Sometime about the time named, we moved into the building which still stands on the northeast corner of First and Stark streets, which we occupied until 1874, moving thence to a room constructed especially for our business in the Newmarket building on the southwest corner of First and Ankeny streets. We continued to occupy this space until the flood of 1894 drove us out, and our next location was in the Imperial hotel building on the northeast corner of Seventh and Washington streets. We remained there three years, moving in 1897 to the wooden structure, purchased by the company on the southeast corner of Fourth and Yamhill streets. That location we left in 1907 to take up quarters in the spacious structure erected by the company at Sixth and Oak streets—the present location.
   While I am confident I do not recall the names of all the old agents in the list, the most of them appear—W. H. Barnhart, J. M. Vansycle, W. W. Briggs, E. W. Tracy.
   These gentlemen, I think, with two or three others, I cannot remember, were the agents between the years 1853 and 1872. Sam C. Mills and Frank M. Warren were also connected with the company at Portland prior to 1872, and James A. Henderson acted as cashier there in the old. days. H. C. Paige was prominent as a route agent, though when his services with the company terminated later on he was very much under a cloud. In 1872 Major W. A. Atlee was appointed agent, serving until about the first of the year, 1873. At that time Colonel Dudley Evans, now president, was placed in charge of the Portland office, and he retained the agency until 1883. Mr, .Ralph Welch then assumed control which he retained from 1883 to 1884. In March, 1884, Mr. Eugene Shelby was made agent, and he continued to act in that capacity until June of 1906, being succeeded at that time by the present general agent, Mr. H. Beckwith.
   Early history of Wells Fargo & Co., in Portland would doubtless prove interesting, but unfortunately, there are very few people now living who are familiar therewith. We handled letters for many years after the business was first established, and nearly all the important business communications were intrusted to our care. Upon the arrival of a steamer at Portland from San Francisco, the latter city in the early days being Portland's supply point, a large bag containing letters was all ready to be thrown ashore before the steamer was landed. It was rushed to the uptown office, opened and assorted, a large letter list, which the steamer messenger had meanwhile prepared, being conspicuously placed on the wall and for an hour or more thereafter the office was flooded with business men. This condition prevailed even when steamers arrived as late as twelve c clock at night. In fact, in those days every employe of our company was on terms of personal acquaintance with every prominent merchant and banker, a condition which does not now prevail in any city, in the United States.
   Amongst the best known employes in the sixties was Sam C. Mills, who afterward moved to San Francisco, where he lived for many years. Amongst the well known employes of later date were Charlie Fuller and Frank M. Mollthrop, who, by the way, is yet living on a farm near Columbia slough. Charlie Meade, letter clerk, probably knew every resident of Portland in the early seventies, his work as letter deliveryman bringing him in contact with everybody. He died many years ago.
Many of the present merchants and residents of the city will recall the pleasant face and genial hand shake of Colonel Dudley Evans, who was for many years in charge of the Portland office, and to whose friendly interest the city is very largely indebted for its first Class A steel frame twelve story building standing at the corner of Sixth and Pine streets; and who since Mr. Shelby's letter was written has passed over to the other side beyond the reach of energetic express companies.
The Telegraph in Oregon.—We are indebted to the "Father of Telegraphy in Oregon," Dr. O. P. S. Plummer for the history of this important aid to social and commercial progress.
In the year 1855 or 1856 two men, Johnson and Graham undertook the construction of a telegraph line to connect the Willamette valley with San Francisco.
They solicited stock subscriptions from the business men and settlers in the section interested, in which they were quite successful and in time strung a wire from Portland to Eugene city.
The wire used was very light, the insulators very poor and not a pole was set where a tree could be made to serve as a support. Charles Barnhart of Cornelius, informed me several years ago that he remembered distinctly that a pole stood at Butteville, the only one of which he has any recollection.
Johnson established his headquarters in the drug store of our worthy Dr. J. B. Cardwell at Corvallis, and there a telegraph office with a register was duly installed, but not a single telegram was transmitted for pay from Corvallis office and a very limited business was done at Portland with Warren Davis as operator, and at Oregon City where D. W. Craig, (a pioneer printer and editor, yet living at Salem, eighty years of age), did the "brass pounding," during the long interval occupied in the canvassing for funds for the construction of the line. The project proving a failure, the work was abandoned and the enterprising co-laborers left the country.
A few years later J. E. Strong of Salem, undertook the construction of a line from Portland to Yreka to form a connection with that of the California State Telegraph Company.
He succeeded pretty well until the work had reached a point near Eugene city, when meeting with reverses, the principal one being the loss of a quantity of wire and other material in a shipwreck while in transit from New York around Cape Horn, he was stranded and turned the line over to the California State Company in the fall of 1863, upon an agreement to complete to a connection at Yreka and thus reach San Francisco.
Two building parties entered promptly upon construction work. One party under R. R. Haines working from the south and one under E. A. Whittlesay from the north, reached a meeting point at the Joseph Lane farm a few miles north of Roseburg on the fifth day of March, 1854.
Of the men engaged at that time in construction and operation, I can only locate two at this time. I think the others have all passed to the beyond. Captain Frank M. Tibbetts, whose home was at Oakland, was one of the Whittlesey party and did work as line repairer for several years. He is now employed on the Albina ferry and has resided in Portland for many years, a vigorous, well preserved man. John M. Lyon continued with the construction work as the building was extended towards Puget Sound, and managed the office at Seattle for a long time, served as postmaster for a term and is yet living in honorable retirement in that city.
​Upon completion of the construction work I was transferred from the San Francisco office to Portland and performed all the work of the office with the aid of one man who did delivery and line repair service during the first eight months.
Business was very satisfactory and Portland grew and prospered, and in the late fall, Albert Strong, of Salem, son of the line promoters, was employed as my assistant, but was soon succeeded by a young fellow named Ward, who came from California, operated for over a year and returned, locating at Visalia.
W. W. Skinner was transferred from Yreka to Portland office in the fall of 1865 to serve as delivery man and line repairer. He was a good operator as well and an all around valuable assistant. Later he served as railroad station agent and operator at Salem for many years, and was honored by election to the office of mayor of that city. He passed away in April, 1909.
The line as first built lacked much of being first class. The insulators were poor indeed. The amount of escape especially during damp weather was so great that messages often had to be repeated at points between Portland and Yreka, which was the south end of the Oregon circuit, where all telegrams were transmitted either through "repeaters" or by copying and so forwarding when the line happened to be down, which often occurred, or when working badly.
The insulators used at first and for the first few years, were composed of a block of wood of size about four by four by three inches, with a hole bored into the center in which was inserted an iron bar or core coated with gutta percha, the coating in many instances being imperfect or cracked so that frequently the sap from trees to which they were nailed formed a means of communication from the line wire to the ground. These insulators were attached to trees where the expense of poles could possibly be saved, and western and southern Oregon was then well wooded.
The main line batteries at Portland and Yreka were known as Grove batteries in which nitric acid was used and the three dozen or more cells in Portland office had to be cleaned and replenished daily. The local batteries then used were known as Daniels or gravity bluestone batteries.
Offices were far apart at first and compensations of operators at small places were very low, being one-half of the moneys collected for telegrams. Such towns as Oregon City, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene and Roseburg paying the munificent returns from ten to twenty dollars per month for their care. Registers with the strip of paper were used in nearly every office in the state. The operators were either business men in the way towns or their clerks, or both, and there was such a fascination about having the offices in places of business that there was little trouble in finding parties who were glad to have the charge for the small compensation.
I smile when I recall one case as an example: Adolph Levy, who was operator at Oregon City succeeded Fred Charman, devoted a lot of time to the telegraph even to the neglect of his buisness, for which he only realized fifteen or sixteen dollars a month, complained to me about the meager pay; I referred him to the general superintendent, Colonel James Gamble; Gamble advised him to resign; he again called on me saying he should have more pay but did not want to give up the office, and several other operators like situated felt as my dear good friend Adolph did, but delayed with the job.
Portland office did a good business. Merchants and others soon took advantage of the comparatively rapid means of communication. The tariff to San Francisco was three dollars for the first ten words, and one dollar and a quarter for each additional five words or portion thereof.
I many times received four dollars and a quarter for eleven word messages. Now the ratio is fifty cents and three cents for each additional word. Like rates ruled to other points and similar lower rates are established now.
​The early times operators in Oregon were a fine lot of fellows, and but few are left. With scarcely an exception they have done well in their various life engagements. Among those living now I recall, D. W. Wakefield, S. B. Eakin, Dr. S. Hamilton and his boys, J. Waldo Thompson, of San Diego, Thos. Sheridan, C. K. Wheeler, George Mercer, F. A. Taylor and Joseph Purdom. I need not give their addresses, they can be easily located, they are all well known good citizens, and to this day I am proud of the old operators.
In 1865 the California State Company's properties were acquired by the Western Union Company and the condition of the lines in Oregon was soon much bettered. Better insulation and better service in every way was introduced as the business grew.
James H. Guild succeeded me as manager of the Portland office in September 1866, where he rendered valuable service for many years. I practiced medicine for two years at Albany, when I was tendered the superintendency of the lines in Oregon and northern California and acted in that capacity until 1875, when I was relieved by Colonel Frank H. Lamb, who had for several years been superintendent of all lines north of the Columbia river, and who is yet rendering most capable and efficient service with his headquarters at Los Angeles. Mr. Guild superintended and operated the Oregon Steam Navigation Company's lines for many years. So much in regard to telegraphy in the earlier days in Oregon.
Now in this year of our Lord, 1910, a wonderful change is presented, an advance and development scarcely conceivable, even to those who have marked the progress. Instead of with great difficulty making the one wire which traversed Oregon from north to south, transmit communications to the California border and frequently not so far in those days, we now have several wires and a single wire is made tO' pass several messages at one time to and from San Francisco or like distant points.
Instead of generating a weak current of electricity by means of a few cells of batteries, it is now created by water power or other means in vast amounts and stored for use as required. The creating of this power and the uses to which it is now applied are hard to realize. With the wonderful advances of our great state and her phenomenal growth, the telegraph has kept pace.
Forty-six years ago a handful of men did all the telegraph service in Oregon. Today there are employed in the telegraph service in the city of Portland of men, women, boys, and line men, engaged in commercial and railroad dispatching work a total of one thousand, eighty-six. And what of the telephone service? The Pacific States Company, with its twenty-four thousand, five hundred, sixty-seven instruments (phones) in use in the city of Portland furnishes employment for eight hundred, forty-one persons. The city of Salem has two thousand, three hundred, ninety-six phones, and other cities and towns throughout the state are also well accommodated.
The Home Telephone Company has ten thousand, five hundred phones installed in Portland, in which service the patrons do their own switching. The service in connection with our fire department and our police system are important uses. Then the rural lines, the great aid and convenience for the country folks, are so numerous and distributed that to approximate a stating of their number would be an almost impossible task.
The uses of electricity in street car service are wonderful. Three hundred and thirty-eight such cars are running in the city of Portland and to suburban points every day, and furnish employment for approximately four thousand persons. Several other cities throughout the state have similar service.
The Mail Service.—The first movement to establish mail communication with Oregon by United States mail service was made in 1845, when the post master general advertised for proposals to carry the United States mail from New York to Havana, thence to Chagres river and back; with joint or separate ​offers to extend the transportation to Panama and up the Pacific coast to the mouth of the Columbia river, and thence to the Sandwich islands, the senate recommending a mail route to Oregon. Between 1846 and 1848 the government thought of the plan of encouragmg by subsidies the establishment of a line of steamers between Panama and Oregon by way of some port in California — gold had not yet been discovered. Upon the discovery of gold in California a United States postal agent for the Pacific coast was appointed to reside at San Francisco, and manage the mails, appoint postmasters, and generally regulate the entire postal business for the coast. Under this authority, John Adair was appointed postmaster at Astoria, F. M. Smith at Portland, George L. Curry at Oregon City, J. B. Lane at Salem, and J. C. Avery at Corvallis; and the mail for Oregon from the eastern states was sent up on sailing vessels as they chanced to come during the year 1849. Not a single mail steamer appeared on the Columbia river in 1849; and when Mr. Thurston, Oregon's delegate to congress, hunted out the matter in the postoffice department, he found that the secretary of the navy had agreed with Mr. Aspinwall, who had contracted to deliver mail in Oregon, that if he (Aspinwall) would take the mail once a month by sailing vessel "to the mouth of Klamath river, and touch at San Francisco, Monterey, and San Diego free of cost to the government, he would not be required to run mail steamers to Oregon until after receiving six months notice."
Here was mail service in hot haste. Oregon was to be at the end of the line, but get the mail at the mouth of the Klamath river. The secretary of the navy that made this brilliant arrangement had not found out that the people of Oregon at that time lived in the Columbia river valley, and that the mouth of the Klamath river was in California. After resigning as secretary of the navy iii the administration of President Zachary Taylor, he became president of South Carolina college, and is known to fame as William C. Preston. Such facts as these show the difficulties under which Portland struggled to get a start. The next move to get mail service to Portland was secured by Mr. Thurston through the regular channels of the post office department. And here Thurston ran up against another townsite. Commodore Wilkes and Sir George Simpson of the Hudson's Bay Company had evidently pooled their issues in favor of a proposed city at the Hudson's Bay station at the mouth of the Nisqualley river at the head of Puget sound; and had got an order to run the mail steamers to that point without stopping at Astoria. Thurston's job was to knock out Nisqualley and substitute Astoria, which he succeeded in doing. In writing about the matter to a friend, he says: "If they get ahead of me they will rise early and work late." Thurston, also, at that time got letter postage reduced from forty cents for letters of a single sheet down to 12½ cents. Mr. Thurston was a man of great energy, and very positive and aggressive convictions in politics. He told the late General Ben Simpson that the only sure way to carry an election was to never stop campaigning until he had personally interviewed every voter in his district.
Samuel R. Thurston was born in Monmouth, Maine, in 1816, came to Oregon from Iowa in 1847, ran for congress at the first election after the territory was organized, and was elected after a hot contest with Columbia Lancaster and J. W. Nesmith, Thurston running as the champion of the missionaries against the Hudson's Bay Company, and died at sea on his way home to Oregon, April 9, 1851, and was buried at Acapulco, Mexico.
In June, 1850, the steamship Carolina, Captain L. R. Whiting, made her first trip to Portland with mails and passengers. She was withdrawn in June following and placed on the route from San Francisco to Panama. On October 24, 1850, the steamer Oregon brought up the mail on her first trip to this port, and was an object of much interest, being the first ship to carry the name of the state. But there was no regularity in arrivals, or departure of the mail from Portland until the arrival of the steamer Columbia, which was brought out from New York in March, 185 1, by Lieutenant Totten, and afterwards commanded ​by Captain William Dall, well known to all old Portlanders. By the Columbia, Portland got a mail once a month. The Columbia was commenced in New York by a man named Hunt, who had lived in Astoria, and went east under a contract with Coffin, Chapman and Lownsdale to build the ship and run her on the Portland and San Francisco route. Hunt went east, laid the keel of the ship and got her on the ways, his money ran out, and the townsite proprietors not sending any more he sold the hull to Howland & Aspinwall, who hnished her up and sent her out to take the Portland business.
The government then in 1851 appointed a postal agent for Oregon — Na- thaniel Coe, a man of high character and religious life. Mr. Coe did much to im- prove and establish regular postal service throughout Oregon. On the expira- tion of his term of office he settled in Hood river valley near the present site of the town of Hood River, spending the evening of life in scholarly studies, plant- ing the first fruit trees in that now celebrated apple growing region, and pass- ing away at the age of eighty years, leaving highly respected sons to keep his good name.
During the first few years of the settlement of Oregon and the founding of this city the mails were carried at great expense, under great difficulties, and often at the risk of great dangers. The Indians early got to understand that the man that carried letters was in their estimation "a. big medicine man," and that all letters were "bad medicine" for them. It was not surprising that the man who undertook to carry the mail through an Indian country took his life in his hand. The photo of one of these first mail carriers (A. B. Stuart) is given on another page. Mr. Stuart was the first carrier by land, carrying dis- patches for the military department through the Indian country, going as far north and east as Fort Colville near the British line. While on one of these trips Mr. Stuart found five white men dead on the trails that had been murdered by the Indians, and he himself had to hide in out of the way places along the trails to camp and sleep in his clothes at night. Mr. Stuart was the first inspector of streets in the city of Portland and the first inspector of tobacco shops under internal revenue act of congress passed in 1864. And is still alive in fairly good health in this city.
The first carrier of the United States mails out of this city was Charles Ray of Ray's Landing on the Willamette river, who is still alive, in good health and near the four score mile post.
United States mails are now carried in and out of the city by the carload on thirty-six daily trains on transcontinental railroads, in addition to the mails daily carried in and out of the city on as many more local electric railway cars. From the mere pretense of a post office in 1850, the business of the post office of Portland, Oregon, has now grown to such proportions as to require :