USA > Oregon > History of Oregon, Vol. II > Part 12
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We give a few brief excerpts from testimonials by close friends.
J. P. Newell, Mr. Amos's successor as chairman of the state committee, says: "Nearly eighteen years of close association with I. H. Amos ever deepened my respect and affection for him. I have never known him to do an unworthy act or to utter an unworthy thought. There was no bitterness in his heart toward any person; his indigna- tion was ever for the deed, never for the doer. Strong and fearless in his convictions, he was sweet of temper and modest in his estimate of himself. If the energy which he put into the temperance work had been devoted to selfish uses, he would have died rich in money instead of good works. He had better things to do than make money. Making the world a better place to live in was more to him than wealth. I have no regret for the sake of him who has gone, but I am sad when I think of the years to come when I shall miss the warm handclasp and the wise counsel of my leader and friend."
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F. McKercher :- "Mr. Amos was a devoted husband and father, a loyal and sym- pathetic friend, a conscientious business man and a patriotic and self-sacrificing citizen. He was remarkably gifted in the art of meeting and persuading men. Had his energies been expended in the usual channels he might easily have had a high standing among leaders of political thought and action; but his finer sensibilities prevailed, and his vigorous personality expressed itself in the work of reform for the moral, social, and political uplift of his country."
T. S. McDaniel :- "Mr. Amos accepted the responsibilities of life seriously. Every- thing that needed doing meant that he must relate himself to it and give to it the full measure of his strength. Rarely have I known one who so literally disregarded his own material interest in determining his course of action. He was to me and many others in the prohibition ranks, a leader like unto Moses, laboring his full forty years in the wilderness of indifference, where the people were dull of understanding, unahle to realize that God was ready to take them over Jordan as soon as they were ready to cooperate with Him. When God brought the people to the border of the promised land He released I. H. Amos and took him, like the ancient prophet, from a mountain top of glorious experience to be with Himself."
Like Moses, Mr. Amos chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Editorial, "The Vindicator" :- "Isaiah H. Amos was a good soldier of the Better Tomorrow. It was impossible to get away from the force of his warm brotherly spirit or to fail to admire his rock-fast devotion to the truth. It is good to have known him and to have served with him. The memory he leaves is fragrant and beautiful. It will be richly worth while, some day, somewhere, where the great and good and wise and brave form their ranks in the everlasting triumphant march of eternal truth, to feel again his shoulder touch and hear again his cheer."
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GEORGE L. BAKER.
The career of George L. Baker, mayor of Portland, presents a notable example of a self-made man. From a street Arab of San Francisco to the highest office within the gift of the people of Portland is a far cry, but the indomitable energy, resolute purpose and courageous spirit of the man were assets of far greater value than inherited wealth and utilizing every legitimate opportunity for advancement he has pressed steadily forward to the goal of success. His life has been filled with adventure and in the postgraduate school of experience he has learned many valuable lessons.
A native of Oregon Mayor Baker was born at The Dalles in 1868, a son of John and Mary (Edgett) Baker. When a small child he was taken by his parents to Walla Walla, Washington, where the family resided for a short time and then started over- land to the Willamette valley of Oregon, traveling by means of a saddle horse and a pack horse. From there they removed to Seattle, whence they boarded a steamer trans- porting lumber, working their passage to San Francisco where the father opened a shoe shop. The family were in very straitened circumstances and George L. Baker was obliged to leave school at the age of nine years in order to aid in providing funds for their sustenance. He worked at any honest labor he could ohtain, blacking shoes and selling newspapers, often picking up stray bits of coal from the streets in order to provide warmth for the family. Later he secured employment at carriage painting, after which he obtained work in a theatre, an occupation that proved very congenial to him and rising from the bottom of the ladder he worked his way to the top as far as theatricals on the Pacific coast were concerned. His first venture into the theatrical world was not successful and it was not long afterward that he was compelled to seek employment as a sewer laborer in Seattle in order to replenish the family exchequer. While the family were residing in Seattle the son made his way to Portland where he again entered theatrical circles, becoming caretaker for the animals in the Cordray Museum, while later he was made assistant flyman in the old Marquam Theatre. There he remained for several years, his energy, conscientious service and capability winning him successive promotions until he at length rose to the position of manager. His
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next independent theatrical venture was at Baker, Oregon, where he erected an opera house at a cost of thirty-three hundred dollars, but the net result of a year of effort there was failure and loss of all but twenty dollars of the investment. Returning to Portland he looked about for a new field of operation and finally took a lease on the old Metropolltan Theatre, which he conducted for a year at a net profit of about thirty- four thousand dollars. The following year the Portland theatrical field was invaded by an eastern theatrical interest and in the ensuing controversy for supremacy in the field Mr. Baker was forced into bankruptcy after an expenditure of about sixty- one thousand dollars. His strict honesty and integrity are indicated in the fact that after years of hard work he was at length able to liquidate his indebtedness of twenty-seven thousand dollars and thus start even with the world, his only assets being some theatrical fixtures, which, however, were later lost in the fire which destroyed the old Exposition building, thus leaving him again penniless. Still un- dismayed by a culmination of misfortunes which would have utterly disheartened a man of less determination and courage, Mr. Baker once more ventured into the the- atrical world, leasing the old Tabernacle which he remodelled, launching his new enterprise under the name of the Bungalow Theatre. This last undertaking proved a success and he next became interested in the Eleventh Street Theatre, subsequently taking over the Marquam which now bears his name.
In addition to his business activity Mr. Baker has been very prominent in civic affairs. For eleven years he served as a member of the city council of Portland, retiring from that body when the commission form of government was adopted. Two years thereafter he was elected city commissioner and after serving for two years in that position he was chosen mayor in 1916 and reelection has since continued him in that office. He is one of the most popular chief executives the city has ever had. He is giving to Portland a most public-spirited and progressive administration, char- acterized by various needed reforms and improvements and the worth of his work is widely acknowledged. He regards a public office as a position of trust and never uses his natural talents unworthily nor supports dishonorable causes. His official record is a most creditable one and he is striving in every way possible to make Port- land one of the best governed cities in the Pacific northwest.
Mayor Baker is prominent in Masonic circles, having attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite Consistory and also belonging to Al Kader Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is also identified with the Woodmen of the World, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is also a member of a number of civic organizations, including the Chamber of Com- merce. Mayor Baker is a citizen of whom Portland may well feel proud. He is a big man in every sense of the word, by nature kind-hearted, sympathetic and gener- ous and possessing those sterling qualities of manhood which in every land and clime compel respect and admiration.
FRANCIS MARION WILKINS.
Francis Marion Wilkins, former mayor of Eugene, is one of the most highly esteemed residents of the city. Moreover, he is one of the oldest sons of Oregon, his birth having occurred in Clackamas county on the 10th of August, 1848. Throughout the intervening years which have brought Oregon from its territorial position to a place among the leading states of the Union, he has been greatly inter- ested in its progress and in all possible ways has aided in its improvement and de- velopment. His father, the Hon. Mitchell Wilkins, was born in Orange county, North Carolina, in 1818. In early life he engaged in boating and boat building on the Mississippi river and subsequently resided near St. Joseph, Missouri, performing the first carpenter work of any note in that embryo town. In 1847 Mr. Wilkins and his wife crossed the plains to Oregon and after many trials and tribulations they reached Clackamas county on the 25th of October. They spent the winter near what is now Marquam and in the spring of 1848 resumed their journey toward the south, at length reaching what is now Lane county, where Mr. Wilkins took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres located ten miles northeast of the present site of the city of Eugene. He at once set about the work of clearing and developing his claim and had barely become established in his pioneer home when, lured by the discovery of gold in California, he started for the Eldorado on horseback in the fall
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of 1849. This venture proved unsuccessful, however, and soon afterward he returned to his Oregon ranch, where he resided the remainder of his life, devoting his energies to stock raising, in which he met with a substantial measure of success. He hecame a prominent figure in public affairs and in 1876 he was commissioner from Oregon to the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, acting in the same capacity at the New Orleans Exposition in 1884 and the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. He likewise became one of the organizers of the State Agricultural Society and for many years served as its president. In 1844, in Platte county, Missouri, he married Per- melia Ann Allan, who was born in Bates county, Missouri, April 7, 1827, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Morrow) Allan, and they became the parents of seven children, three of whom are living: Francis Marion, Angeline and Amos. Those deceased are Jasper, Eliza Jane, Henrietta and May Rose. Mr. Wilkins passed away January 31, 1904, while his wife's death occurred on the 10th of June, 1909. Coming to the state in pioneer times they bore their full share in the work of development and upbuild- ing and in the section where they resided they were widely known and universally honored.
In the acquirement of an education their son, Francis M. Wilkins, attended the district schools and afterwards learned the drug business. In 1869 he was gradu- ated from the Portland Business College and in 1877 he embarked in business on his own account in connection with Dr. Shelton, under the firm name of Shelton & Wilkins. After a brief period, however, Mr. Wilkins purchased his partner's interest and conducted the business alone until his retirement in 1895, his reliable and pro- gressive business methods and his reasonable prices having won for him a good patronage. He has since been active in public affairs and for eight years served on the promotion board of the Commercial Club, in which capacity he rendered valuable service to his city in promoting its business interests. In other public connections he has given equal demonstration of his loyalty to the best interests of the community, serving for two years as councilman of his city, to which office he was elected in 1905. He has also been called to the office of mayor of Eugene and gave to the city a businesslike and progressive administration, characterized by many needed reforms and improvements. It was during his tenure of office that the first street paving was done in the city and the first land purchased for park purposes. He also secured for the city many needed public utilities, including gas and street car service, and the first combination wagon for fighting fire was secured during his administration. He served for a number of years as president of the Lane County Agricultural Society, which has for its purpose the holding of fairs in Lane county and for the past six years he has been a member of the board of public commissioners. Thus along many lines of activity he has contributed to the progress and upbuilding of his city.
In 1872 Mr. Wilkins was united in marriage to Miss Emma Goltra, a native of Lebanon, Linn county, the wedding ceremony being performed at her home in Lane county. They have become the parents of five children: Maude, the wife of Herbert T. Condon of Seattle, Washington; F. L., also a resident of Seattle; Nina, the wife of Major C. C. McCormack, a surgeon in the United States army; Lucia, who mar- ried Major H. C. Moore, who spent a year and a half in France and is now stationed at Ft. Lawton, Washington; and Gladys.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and fra- ternally he is connected with Spencer Butte Lodge, No. 9, I. O. O. F., and is also a past chief patriarch of Wimawhala Encampment, No. 6. He became a member of the first lodge of the Knights of Pythias organized at Eugene and is identified with Eugene Camp, No. 15, Woodmen of the World, of which he became a charter member.
A. E. PETERSEN.
A. E. Petersen, a successful real estate dealer of Salem, is also well known as a horticulturist, being the owner of one hundred and four acres of valuable land in this vicinity, devoted principally to the raising of fruit, and along both lines of activity he has contributed to the work of development and improvement in his section of the state. He was born at Red Wing, Minnesota, October 12, 1877, and is a son of J. H. Petersen, a native of Norway, who came to the United States when seven years of age, becoming a resident of Red Wing. Subsequently he went to St. Paul and in 1889 he came to Port- land, Oregon, establishing himself in the cutlery business. He has been very success-
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ful in the conduct of his mercantile interests and although sixty-four years of age is still an active factor in commercial circles, his place of business being at No. 111 Third street, in Portland. In 1876, in Red Wing, Minnesota, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Suhrs, who was born in that city in 1856. Mr. Petersen was one of the early settlers of Minnesota, having located in that state before the building of a railroad through that section of the country. He maintains his residence in Salem, although his business interests are in Portland, and his sterling traits of character have gained for him a wide circle of friends.
In the schools of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Portland, Oregon, A. E. Petersen pursued his education and on starting out in life independently he became identified with the real estate business, handling Northern Pacific Railroad lands. He had also pursued a course in law and was associated in practice with Charles H. Abercrombie, city attorney of Astoria, and they likewise engaged in handling realty, their activities in that field constituting an important element in promoting the substantial growth and upbuilding of the city of Astoria. Subsequently Mr. Petersen operated the Seaburg Fish Cannery on the Rogue river for two years, after which he returnd to Salem, where he became identified with the real estate business and also followed the occupation of farming, along which lines he is still active, his office being located in the Oregon building. He has negotiated many important realty transfers and has an intimate knowledge of the worth of real estate in his locality, being considered an expert in placing valuations upon property. He is also successfully conducting his farming interests, being the owner of a twenty-four acre ranch adjoining the city limits, which is devoted to the cultivation of prunes, cherries, apples and loganberries. He also owns a farm of eighty acres eight miles south of Salem and on this property he raises prunes, loganberries and grain. He employs the most scientific methods in the cultivation of his land, his efforts being productive of excellent results. He maintains his residence in Salem and is the owner of an attractive home at No. 823 North Commercial street.
On the 8th of June, 1911, Mr. Petersen was united in marriage to Miss Grace Mosier, a daughter of Tobias and Mary (Beeman) Mosier, honored pioneer settlers of Oregon and members of two of its most prominent and influential families. The father came to the Willamette valley in 1847 and the mother arrived four years later. Both crossed the plains with ox teams, experiencing the horrors of Indian attacks and passing near the scene of the Whitman massacre. Mr. Petersen is fond of good literature and is an extremely well-read man, having devoted much time to the study of history. He is regarded as an authority on the history of Oregon and has in his possession many val- uable books pertaining thereto. His labors have always been constructive and intelli- gently carried forward, resulting in the attainment of a substantial measure of success, while at the same time his efforts have proved a valuable element in promoting the growth and prosperity of his community. He is recognized as an enterprising and alert business man and as a public-spirited citizen and his personal qualities are such that he has gained the warm friendship of many.
EDWARD GRENFELL.
As fire marshal of Portland Edward Grenfell is rendering most important and valuable service to the city, discharging the duties of the office with notable capa- bility and fidelity. He is one of Oregon's native sons, his birth having occurred at McMinnville in 1882. His parents, Edward and Annie (Shank) Grenfell, were na- tives of Cornwall, England, and of New Zealand, respectively, the father coming to Oregon in the '80s by way of Cape Horn. In this state he engaged in farming and to him and his wife were born ten children, namely: Nettie, Thomas, Edward, Stewart, Stephen, William, Ralph, Lester, Ernest and Izora.
Edward Grenfell, the third in the family, was reared on his father's farm and remained at home until he reached the age of twenty years. On starting out in life independently he became connected with the Bremerton navy yards, where he remained for two years and then made his way to Portland, securing employment as a member of the fire department. His faithful and efficient service soon won recognition and in December, 1907, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and in March of the following year was made captain. In January, 1918, he received the appointment of fire marshal and also became battalion chief of district No. 1, being now at the head of fire prevention work in Portland. His thorough preliminary training and
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broad experience well qualify him for this responsible position and he is conducting the department along the most modern and progressive lines, at all times keeping abreast with the advancement that is being made in methods of fire prevention. He is a thoroughly dependable man, of courageous spirit and firm determination and is deserving of the highest commendation for the capable manner in which he is dis- charging his duties.
In 1915 Mr. Grenfell was united in marriage to Miss Iva O. Olenstead who was born and reared in the state of New York. In his political views he is a republican, stalwart in his support of the principles and candidates of the party and fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen of the World. He is also a Mason of high rank, having attained the thirty-second degree in the consistory and also belonging to the Shrine, and in his life he exemplifies the beneficent teachings of the order. His entire career has been characterized hy marked devotion to duty and in safeguarding the lives and property of the citizens of Portland he is performing a service of inestimable worth.
ALPHA EUGENE ROCKEY, M. D.
The name of Dr. Alpha Eugene Rockey of Portland figures prominently in the annals of surgery in the northwest. Since 1891 Dr. Rockey has practiced in the Rose City and his wide study and increasing experience have placed him in the front rank among those of expert skill in this section of the country. A native of Illinois, he was born in 1857, and following the completion of a course in medicine he practiced for ten years in Iowa City. While there residing he was united in marriage to Miss Phila Jane Watson and they became the parents of two sons. Anxious to obtain the highest degree of efficiency possible in his chosen profession and actuated at all times by a sense of conscientious duty in his chosen work, he went abroad for postgraduate study in pathology and surgery, spending several years in the universities of London, Berlin, Vienna, Paris and Cairo.
Coming to Portland in 1891, Dr. Rockey concentrated his efforts largely upon general surgical practice and also for nineteen years was surgeon to the street railways, first to the Oregon Water Power & Railway Company, and from the time of its organization chief surgeon to the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, until after his return from military service. He then resigned this position to engage in the exclusive prac- tice of surgery in association with his sons, Drs. Paul and Eugene Watson Rockey.
Dr. Rockey of this review is a member of the county, state and national medical associations and of the North Pacific Surgical Association, of the American College of Surgeons and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has served as president of the city, the county and the state medical societies and has made numerous and valuable contributions to surgical literature, becoming widely known in this connection.
In 1911 Dr. Rockey was commissioned lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps by President William Howard Taft. When America entered the World war he and his sons applied for active service and were assigned to duty at the base hospital at Camp Lewis. There the father was given the rank of major and made chief of the surgical service. His sons went overseas with the American Expeditionary Forces, did active duty in evacuation hospitals in France and after the armistice were with the Third Army in the occupied territory. Dr. Rockey was retired from active duty in May, 1919, with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Medical Reserve Corps of the army.
HOLGER M. PIHL.
Holger M. Pihl, of the Pihl Transfer & Storage Company of Portland, conducting a baggage, packing and shipping business, is a native of Denmark. his birth having occurred at Bornholm, in that country. His father, Chris Pihl, was also a native of that place and is still farming there at the age of sixty-eight years. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Marie Dedrickson, is also living.
Holger M. Pihl was educated in the common schools of his native country and when
LIEUTENANT COLONEL A. E. ROCKEY
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eighteen years of age bade adieu to friends and family and sailed for the new world. He made his way at once to Oregon and engaged in farming in Washington county, being employed by John F. Forbis for seven years. Then in connection with his brother, Carl C. Pihl, he purchased a farm at Banks, Oregon, comprising one hundred and sixty-four acres of land and continued the cultivation of the place for two years. The brothers still own the property, from which they expect to remove all the timber, and stock it with Jersey cows in the near future. It was in 1915 that Holger M. Pihl and his brother, M. P., entered the transfer and storage business and today their annual patronage brings them in more than thirty-six thousand dollars. They operate one light and five heavy service trucks and their business is steadily increasing. It is conducted as a partnership arrangement, Holger M. Pihl being associated with his brother, M. P. Pihl, who came to the United States in 1908 and established the business. Another brother, C. C. Pihl, came to Oregon in 1904 and is also a resident of Portland, but is not connected with the company. The Pihl Transfer & Storage Company employs six men and the two brothers, who own the business, are stockholders also of the Cremona Phonograph Company of Albany, Oregon.
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