USA > Oregon > History of Oregon, Vol. III > Part 54
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Mr. Miller is a native son of Oregon. He was born in 1891 of the marriage of John O. and Alice (Giebelhouse) Miller, who removed to this state in 1888 and in the public schools he pursued his education. In early life he became connected with the lumber industry as office boy in the office of a large wholesale firm, his faithful service and capability in the discharge of his duties winning him promotion from time to time until he became traveling representative, remaining thus employed until 1917, when he organized the Coast Fir Lumber Company, of which C. E. Putman is the secretary, having charge of the operation of their shingle mill at Skamoka wa, Washington, which manufactures a quarter of a million shingles daily. They maintain a hranch office in Denver, Colorado, of which H. S. Barkuloo of that city has charge and they are conducting an extensive business, handling sixty million feet of lumber yearly. Since its organization the business has enjoyed a steady growth and as presi- dent of the Coast Fir Lumber Company Mr. Miller is active in the management of one of the important concerns that has made the lumber trade a chief enterprise and source of revenue in the northwest, and each year makes a trip east to Chicago.
In 1912 occurred the marriage of John W. Miller and Miss Anna Hopp of Port- land, and they have become the parents of three children: Evangeline, Walter and Thomas. In his political views Mr. Miller is a republican and an active party worker but has never been an aspirant for public office. His interest in the welfare and progress of his city is indicated in his membership in the Chamber of Commerce and he is also a thirty-second degree Mason, being a member of Oregon Consistory, No. 1, and also belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Automobile Club. He owns an attractive Irvington home at No. 534 Brazee street. In business matters his judgment has ever been found to he sound and reliable and his enterprise unfal- tering and he is regarded as one of the leading citizens of Portland, his progressive- ness constituting a potent element in its continued development.
JAMES ORVILLE ELROD.
James Orville Elrod, a Portland capitalist and progressive citizen whose interest in municipal and public affairs is constantly manifest in tangible ways-ways that pro- duce important and far reaching result-was born on a farm in Ringgold county, Iowa, in 1875, his parents being Eli W. and Arminta (Elder) Elrod. The father was horn in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1854, and in early life engaged in the lumber business, but afterwards concentrated his efforts and attention upon agricultural pursuits. He died in Portland in 1918, having for a long period survived his wife, who passed away in Sherman county, Oregon, in 1894.
James O. Elrod attended the schools of Little Falls, Minnesota, where his parents removed during his hoyhood days. In 1894, following the death of his mother, he went to Moro, Oregon, where he leased a wheat ranch and engaged in wheat raising for three years, meeting with substantial success in the undertaking. He then extended the scope of his business to include the sale of lumber and mercantile hardware and
JOHN W. MILLER
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had stores in Grass Valley, Oregon, as well as in Moro. He conducted his business of this character until about 1905, when he sold out and in 1917 disposed of his wheat farm. In the meantime his commercial and agricultural activities had been carried on along most progressive lines and his enterprise and industry had brought to him a most gratifying measure of prosperity. In the meantime he had made large invest- ments in real estate and his attention is now given to the supervision of his prop- erty interests from which he derives a splendid return annually. In all things he is recognized as a man of sound business judgment and his perseverance, his diligence, and his capable management have brought splendid returns.
On the 17th of January, 1896, at Fort Ripley, Minnesota, Mr. Elrod was married to Miss Minerva Cook, a daughter of Henry P. Cook, and they have become parents of two children: Lucile and Maurine. Mr. Elrod is a republican in his political views. He served on all the bond drives during the World war and also the drives in support of the Y. M. C. A. and the Red Cross work. He belongs to the Portland Chamber of Commerce, the Progressive Business Men's Club, to the Press Club, to Multnomah Club and the Waverly Club. He is also connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is a Scottish Rite Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine. During the
recent Shrine convention held in Portland he was the chairman of the host and hostess committees which were composed of one hundred and forty-eight separate committees of from six to ten members. Each of these separate committees was in charge of a particular Temple of delegation from as many separate cities. It was their duty to see that the people were properly entertained and looked after and this gigantic task was under the direction of Mr. Elrod, who discharged his duties in a notably excellent manner, so that to him is due much of the credit for the splendid impressions visi- tors to Portland carried away with them. His work was equally commendable in connection with the war drives, in all of which he was either a colonel or a captain, directing the efforts of the men who served under him, and he was considered most efficient and capable by those in charge of the work in Portland. His course marked him at all times as a one hundred per cent American and in days of peace, as well as in days of war, Mr. Elrod is continually giving evidence of his devotion to the public good.
AARON MILLER.
Aaron Miller, a retired nurseryman of Milton, Umatilla county, was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, on the 27th of December, 1829, a son of Michael and Anna Mariah (Henry) Miller. Both parents were born in Baltimore county, Maryland, and there were united in marriage. In 1829 they removed to Richland county, Ohio, where the father took up government land, later selling it and renting. In 1840 Mr. and Mrs. Miller removed to Perry county, Illinois, taking along their little family. Michael Mil- ler followed farming there for two years, at the termination of which time he removed to Van Buren county, Iowa, farmed there for two years and then took up forty acres of land which he improved and on which he resided for ten years. On this home place the death of Mrs. Miller occurred.
When eleven years of age Aaron Miller, whose name initiates this review, re- moved with his parents to Perry county, Illinois, where he completed his education. In 1849 Aaron Miller and his brother Joshua crossed the plains in ox-drawn wagons, making their way to California in search of gold. They located at, Diamond Spring, California, where they followed mining throughout the winter and the following spring set out for Rich Gulch. They met with a heavy snowstorm between Bidwells Gulch and Rich Gulch and were some time in reaching their destination. In 1852 Mr. Miller with others, started in the sawmilling business on Little Butte creek, California, twenty miles east of Chico and for two years he successfully conducted the business, during which time he received a bad injury. Mr. Miller again resumed mining and after two years returned to his old home in Iowa. In the spring of 1859 he went to Clark county, Missouri, and bought eighty acres of land, which he improved and op- erated for about two years, and during that time he was married. In 1860 he traded * his eighty acres of land for four hundred acres in Ringgold county, Iowa. The land at the time the trade was put through was worth easily five dollars an acre, but later it fell in price, a piece of misfortune that financially crippled Mr. Miller. He was, how- ever, of a courageous and determined nature and did not for au instant allow this dis-
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aster to affect his life. He removed to Monroe county, Iowa, where his brother Daniel was engaged in farming and he worked for him as a farm hand, also renting land near Eddyville, Iowa. In 1864 he determined to go west and started overland for California. For two years he successfully operated land in Stockton, California, and later for three years in Sonoma county. In 1871 he moved onto land near Walla Walla, Washington and after one year spent there took up his present farm of two hundred and forty acres, near Milton. He first built a log house and later erected a fine large home. He brought the land to a high state of cultivation and in 1873 started in the nursery business on a small scale. The success of this venture seemed assured from the start and it increased rapidly from year to year. In 1893, the oldest son of Mr. Miller, Samuel A., took over the work and enlarged the plant. Soon afterward his two brothers, G. W. and C. Bert, became interested in the business and today they have one hundred and ninety acres devoted to this interest. The nursery buildings are spacious and of fine architecture and the sons are possessors of attractive homes in the vicinity. After turning the business over to his oldest son Mr. Miller retired from active business life, a representative and influential citizen.
On the 12th of December, 1858, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Bradfield, a daughter of George and Rachael (Riggs) Bradfield, and a native of Clark county, Missouri. Her father was engaged in wagon-making for a number of years and in later life became a successful farmer. Six children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Miller: Mrs. L. M. Roup, Samuel, Sophia, G. W., F. R., and Bert.
Throughout his life Mr. Miller has been a stanch member of the republican party, having firm belief in the principles of that party as factors in good government. His religious faith is that of the Adventist church. Mr. Miller maintains an active interest in public and civic affairs and every movement for the betterment of the community may count on his undivided support.
JOSEPH ALFRED STROWBRIDGE.
It would be difficult to point to a single incident or phase of the career of Joseph Alfred Strowhridge and name it as the most important in his life, for along many lines he contributed to Portland's benefit and upbuilding, while at the same time he care- fully managed his business affairs, becoming one of the successful residents of the Rose City, while he neglected no opportunity to promote public progress in accordance with modern ideas of city building. Far-reaching and effective were his labors and his name and memory are today honored wherever he was known. A native of Penn- sylvania, his birth occurred in Montour county, December 1, 1835, his parents being Philip M. and Elizabeth K. Strowbridge. The ancestral line could be traced back to John Strowbridge of Colleton, who was born in Devonshire, England, in 1500. Some of his descendants emigrated to the lowlands of Scotland in the reign of King James I, and the progenitor of the family in America was William Strowbridge, who left the land of hills and heather in 1718, and established his home at Middleboro, Massachu- setts. The grandparents and the parents of Joseph A. Strowbridge, however, were natives of Pennsylvania, and in 1836 the parents removed to Marion county, Ohio, where the boyhood days of Joseph Alfred Strowbridge were passed to the age of six- teen years. He was at that time preparing to enter the Ohio Wesleyan University, but his father determined to migrate to Oregon, and in October, 1851, the family left the Buckeye state, spending the winter in St. Joseph, Missouri, and resuming the long journey in the early spring. Traveling across the plains and through the mountain passes to the Pacific coast, they arrived in Portland on the 4th of October, 1852. Mr. Strowbridge, with the assistance of three men brought his live stock from The Dalles down into the Willamette valley over the old Indian trail, while the family continued to journey by the river route. An ardent lover of nature he was greatly impressed with the magnificence of the scenery, and he often said that nothing in his later life ever appealed to him as his first view of the promised land. "The boy stood upon a high bluff overlooking the great 'River of the West.' The deep blue waters collected from ten thousand streams, swept by in mighty current to the sea. In the distance 'Bright Wil- lamette' winding like a silver thread through the valley, hastening to join the lordly Columbia. This lovely valley! Its wild beauty soon to be enhanced by fields of golden grain, sunkissed orchards and gardens of roses-lay like an emerald in the evening sunlight, for in the crimson west the sunset gates were open and a flood of radiant
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light was upon river and valley, mountain and forest. The purple shades of evening hung over the foothills of the Cascade range; against the dark rich shades of the evergreen forest, the vine-maple draped its pale green tapestry; beautiful ferns in tropical luxuriance were all about him, while just across the canyon Mount Hood towered thousands of feet in solitary grandeur; the snows of centuries glistening in the rosy tints of the afterglow. To him it was a glimpse of paradise. That night he camped beneath the Oregon stars and as he listened to the murmuring of the west wind through the trees like an echo from the distant ocean, a sweet and restful peace came upon him; the weary journey of three thousand miles had ended, and this beau- tiful land beside the western sea was henceforth to be his home."
When at The Dalles the father of Joseph A. Strowbridge became ill of mountain fever, and his death occurred a few days after the arrival of the family in Portland, so that upon the son, who was not yet seventeen years of age, devolved the respon- sibility of supporting the family. Moreover, a heavy fall of) snow in December, 1852, which laid upon the ground for two months, made grazing impossible, and there was no feed to be had for the band of fine horses which they had brought across the plains, all of which died during the memorable winter. Mr. Strowbridge eagerly ac- cepted any employment which he could secure, determined that his course should be one of progress and success. He soon saved a little money and in 1853 sent a few boxes of apples to San Francisco in care of Purser Meade of the steamship Columbia, this being the first shipment of fruit from Oregon to that city. Such a substantial financial return came to him through this venture that he continued to engage in han- dling all kinds of domestic produce. He was winning substantial prosperity, when he lost all in 1856 through the failure of Adams & Company's Bank in San Francisco, in which he had deposited ten thousand dollars over night for safe keeping. In the morning he learned with thousands of others that all the gold had been carried at night to the dock and placed on board the ship at anchor in the harbor and that the ship sailed through the Golden Gate at daybreak. Thus again disaster came to strip him but he allowed nothing to overcome his courageous spirit, and with resolute purpose set to work to retrieve his lost fortune.
It was in 1858 that Mr. Strowbridge entered into partnership with C. M. Wiberg for the conduct of a retail boot and shoe business and the sale of leather and findings. Again he saw the possibilities for success in the line which he had undertaken and going to Boston, he there made arrangements with manufacturers of that city to ship him goods by way of the Isthmus route, and around Cape Horn. In this way he opened the first wholesale boot and shoe house north of San Francisco, conducting the business until 1870, when the firm of Wiberg & Strowbridge sold its store to a San Francisco firm, Mr. Strowbridge, however, retaining the leather and findings. He became a pioneer leather merchant of Oregon, and the first to import direct from the European market, buying from the tanneries in the south of France and receiving his goods through the customs house at Astoria and later at the port of Portland. In August, 1873, Mr. Strowbridge once more faced severe losses through a great fire that destroyed twenty-one blocks in the business district of the city. All of the property which he had acquired, together with his stock, was either burned or torn down in order to check the fire, and it is related of him that as he surveyed the smoking ruins the next morning he remarked, "Well, the ground is left, I'll try again." This was char- acteristic of the courage and determination that ever dominated the man and enabled him to surmount difficulties and obstacles and push his way steadily forward to the goal of success.
In the early days of Portland's development Mr. Strowbridge became one of the first members of Willamette Company, No. 1, of the Portland Volunteer Fire Department, which was organized in 1853 by the citizens of the little hamlet for their mutual protection, and he who first saw the red glare upon the midnight sky, rang the bell; while the members of the department would speedily respond to the call and assist the fellow townsmen in extinguishing the blaze. Mr. Strowbridge was also connected with events occasioned by Indian warfare. In 1855, when the Red men were dis- playing unusual hostility, Mr. Strowbridge recognizing the danger in which the occu- pants of isolated farms were living, rode through the valley warning people and ad- vising them to bring their families into Portland. They came from every direction, driving their stock, and camped in the streets of the little town, until they could return in safety to their homes. These people never forgot this kind service and deeply appre- ciated the thoughtfulness which saved them from the horrors of Indian massacre.
Mr. Strowbridge was also associated with the work of organizing the Portland
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Library Association. In connection with L. H. Wakefield, he collected twenty-five hun- dred dollars for the purpose in a single afternoon, and within a short time the money was forwarded to New York to the agent of Henry Failing, who made a careful selec- tion of books which were then shipped by way of the Isthmus route to Portland. Mr. Strowbridge was also associated with the first company organized to build a bridge across the Willamette at Portland, but the project was not carried through as the idea was too far in advance of the times. One friend told him, "if there were a dozen bridges he would always use the ferry, that his horse might rest while he was cross- ing." Such were the opinions held at that time.
Throughout the years of his residence in Portland Mr. Strowbridge and his fam- ily enjoyed a high social position, occupying an enviable place in those social circles where true worth and intelligence are accepted as passports into good society. He was married in 1864 at Oxford, Ohio, to Miss Mary H. Bodman, and they became parents of four sons and a daughter: Alfred B., Joseph A., Jr., Mary H., and Henry J., all born in Portland, where they still reside; and George H., deceased. The family circle was broken by the hand of death, when on the 30th of June, 1903, Mr. Strowbridge was called to his final rest.
Mr. Strowbridge was one of the first members of the original Board of Trade, which afterwards became the Chamber of Commerce at Portland, Oregon; was also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and president of the board of di- rectors of the Building Association which built the first Temple in Portland, Oregon; a member of the board of directors of School District No. 1, Portland, Oregon, from 1895 to 1900; and an active member of the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Aid Society for a number of years. He had been a faithful follower of the teachings of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Willamette Lodge, No. 2, A. F. & A. M .; Port- land Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M .; Oregon Commandery, No. 1, K. T .; Oregon Consistory, No. 1, A. A. S. R. His political support was given to the republican party, which in 1888 elected him to the state legislature. He carefully considered all of the vital ques- tions that came up for settlement in the general assembly, and left the impress of his individuality and ability for good upon the history of the general assembly during that period. He was always keenly interested in Portland's welfare and progress and no one contributed more largely to the upbuilding and development of the city in early days than did he. In both the paternal and maternal lines, he was descended from Revolutionary war ancestry and the same spirit of patriotism which actuated his forebears in the struggle for independence was always manifest in his connection with the public interest of the northwest. He was a most generous and benevolent man, giving freely of his means to assist others, and yet without ostentation. Opportunity was to him ever a call to action, whether it was the opportunity to advance his in- dividual fortunes through the legitimate channels of business or the opportunity to promote public progress along the line of municipal affairs. His life was at all times fraught with good deeds and actuated by honorable purposes, and no student of his- tory can carry his investigation far into the records of Portland without learning of the value of his labors as a contributing element in the city's upbuilding.
GEORGE LA VERNE RAUCH.
George La Verne Rauch, attorney at law of Portland, now associated with W. P. La Roche, former city attorney for Portland, with offices in the Yeon building, was born in Gaines, Michigan, June 30, 1886, a son of George D. Rauch and a grand- son of Henry Rauch, the latter a native of Pennsylvania, who served as a captain of the Black Horse Cavalry. George D. Rauch was born in Ida, Michigan, in 1856, and was married in that state to Frances A. MacFetridge, a native of Ida, Michigan. They now reside in Iona, Michigan.
George L. Rauch obtained his primary education in the Michigan public schools and then became a University student at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in 1911 with the Bachelor of Law degree. In the meantime, however, he had taken special work in the University of Missouri in 1907 and 1908. After completing his course in the University of Michigan he went to Detroit and subsequently to Buffalo, New York, and when six months had passed he came to Portland in 19II and ac- cepted the position of contracting engineer for the Portland Gas and Coke Company, which he thus represented for two years and a half. He was next associated with
GEORGE L. RAUCH
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the late J. E. Magers, and in June, 1916, went to the Mexican border, with the One Hundred and Sixty-second United States Infantry, which was the old Third Oregon Infantry. He went to the border as a private and remained there on duty for six months. On the expiration of that period he returned to Portland and in June, 1918, he was commissioned first lieutenant in the air service, and assigned to the duty of prevention of disloyalty and destruction in the mines and woods of Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, serving until February, 1919, when he was honorably dis- charged. Before entering the United States army he had had considerable military experience, having been a member of the Michigan National Guard from 1904 until 1907, after which he was assigned to the United States Signal Corps for instruction. When he came to Portland he assisted in organizing A Troop of the First Oregon Cavalry and was first sergeant of that command for some time in 1913. He after- ward became first lieutenant and commander of the Machine Gun Company of the Multnomah Guards, thus continuing from December, 1917, to the period of his entry into service for the World war in June, 1918.
On the 9th of November, 1916, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr. Rauch was married to Miss Mabel Rose, a graduate of the University of Michigan, and very active in woman's work in this state. Mr. Rauch is a stanch supporter of the republican party and fraternally is a Knights Templar Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine. He is also connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Chamber of Com- merce, of which he is membership chairman, the Ad Club, of which he is first vice president, the Progressive Business Men's Club, the Mazamas and the American Legion. His position on any vital public question is always one of progressive support and he ranks with honor among the representative citizens of Portland and its leading young lawyers.
MRS. ADELINE FISKE ROGERS.
A spirit of progress has actuated Mrs. Adeline Fiske Rogers in all that she has undertaken and she has accomplished great good for Forest Grove, where she is known as one of its most beloved residents. She is a native of the state of Vermont and a daughter of Anson and Prudence (Howe) Fiske, both representatives of old Vermont families, widely and favorably known in the Green Mountain state through many gen- erations. After receiving a thorough education and most careful home training she was married on the 31st of May, 1860, to Dr. George Oscar Rogers, a native of Maine, who had attained prominence as a dentist in New Hampshire, where the young couple began their domestic life. The rigors of the climate of the old Granite state. how- ever, caused the young couple to start out in search of a warmer clime and Dr. Rogers in 1873 opened an office in Hongkong, China, where he practiced his. profession for a decade, gaining both a fortune and robust health. While they greatly enjoyed their stay in the Orient, with its many interesting and varied experiences, they gladly returned to the United States in 1884 and took up their abode in Boston, Massa- chusetts, but again the climate proved too severe for the Doctor's health and for a season they traveled extensively, visiting the Pacific coast, the southern states, Mexico and various European countries. In their travels they availed themselves of the oppor- tunity to make a fine collection of art treasures, for both Dr. and Mrs. Rogers were lovers of art and keenly appreciative of the art treasures which have come down to us through the centuries. Particularly was Dr. Rogers interested in porcelain and tapestry and his collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain is considered one of the choicest in America. It was bought from the Doctor's estate by the Boston Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as the Rogers Collection.
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