Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-04-07

home manufacturer
First Industries Noted.
A paper was read by the writer, for
the facts in which I am indebted to
Ex-Governor 2. F. Moody of Salem, and
Mrs. L. D. Crandall Of The Dalles, sec
retary of the Wasco county historical
society, as follows:
"The first industry established at
The Dalles was a sawmill built in 1850
to saw out the lumber for the military
post just established in 1850 when Cap.
tain Jordan, commander of the two.
company post, and who afterwards dis.
tinguished himself by joining the forces
of the confederates, built the new post |
and operated several mills,
"In 1868, the first flouring mills
were built by Robert Pentland, the
frame Of which is still standing. The
machinery was brought from Fifteen
Mile. The Walker mill run from 1850.
Pentland was pioneer of great enter
prise, and is reputed to have started
the first water works of Portland. AT
ter building the mill at The Dalles he
brought in the first water supply from
Mill Creek in 1868. His mill was run
by water power.
"The first sash and door factory Of
planning mill was built soon afterward
by Abrams and Hogue 1t was oper
ated by steam and the lumber was
brought from mill down the. river at
about where the Cascades are now 10
Gated.
"The first woolen mills were estab
lished about 1858, also on Mill creek,
and were sold by the company to Bep
Snipes, brother of George Snipes,
still living at The Dalles. Tt was .
joint stock company, but not a member
of the company is now believed to be
living. Wool was cleaned and secured
blankets and woolens were woven, and
socks were manufactured Many wom-
en- were employed putting the heels and
toes into the socks. The mil proved .
failure financially. A great deal Of the
wool was bought as high as dollar o
pound, and all the operatives had to be
imported from the east, The machinery
of this mill went to Dayton, Wash. The
Dalles became great wool market lat
er, when q. +. Moody handled more
wool in his warehouse direct from the
backs Of, the sheep than any other wool
market in the United States, or, per
haps, in the world, 100000 pounds pei
year.
"The North Dalles boom, started by
Rev. o. D. Taylor, was one of those en-
terprises, which, had it succeeded, would
have made a great man, The most that
can be said of Taylor is that he was q
years ahead Of the times. Taking W
his work late in the eighties he wal
caught in the maelstrom of the panic o.
the early 'nineties and wiped out. Op
posite the present city he planned
great industrial center. With prophet,
foresight he predicted that a transcon
tinental railroad would be built on thu
north bank OF the river, which at thi'
point has three miles Of deep water fol
docks. His maps showed street cal
lines, and bridge across the river
which now crosses the river at Cello
and which eastern tousists 20 years age
called for information about from the
railroad conductors. In fact, Taylor g
literature suggested that incoming home
seekers bound for the future metropolis
ask the train men to put them off al
the east end Of the bridge. Taylor sold
thousands Of lots in the east to his reli
gious friends. He had financed the Bap
tist church, and had to take it off the
hands of the congregation, He built a
shoe factory that actually manufac
tured shoes, and was standing until q
few years ago, when it burned down
The flames shot up straight to heaven
on MINDLESS day, and made great fu
neral pyre Of the Taylor enterprises
Taylor came to The Dalles in 1882 and
his life reads like romance. He laid
out fruit tracts on Mill creek ten years
in advance Of the fruit industry that
has grown up since then. He built 0
planning mill and projected a glass fac
tory, planning to bring the water for ir
rigation and power from the Big Eddy
and built a corset factory when large
part of the then population had very
little use for such an article. Taylor
, was kidnapped by sheriff from sagi
. nav, Mich, taken back to that state
convicted on one count, but later
cleared on all the counts against him by
his creditor, preached the funeral ser
mon of the sheriff who captured hin
on his own ranch on Mill creek, camC