USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > History of Portland, Oregon : with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 13
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claim. The case involving alinost endless possibilities, and, by its notoriety, inviting the appearance of other sporadic heirs, a company was formed to buy up the rights and the claims of the two contestants. Hannah and Thomas were well paid, and the former withdrawing left the property with Thomas, who turned it over to the company. Their title was confirmed by the Courts, and they proceeded to sell off lots and blocks. Upon the appearance of Villard, and the formation of the Oregon and Transcontinental Railway Company, the stocks of this Caruthers Company was bought for the O. R. & N. R. R., and it was at first proposed to make the terminal works of this road on the west side of the river, near the present site of the Powers' Manufactory. Maps of the city made at that time show the O. R. & N. road crossing the Willamette at Ross Island, and there was at first considerable preliminary work done at this place. The depot and terminal works were finally located, however, on the east side of the river below the city, but the railroad is understood to still own what remains unsold of the original Caruther's claim-illustrating once inore how loose property gravitates toward railways.
The records of the Courts have also teemed with litigation as to property on surrounding tracts, as of King, Terwilliger and Balch; while the Holladay case, of more recent years, on the east side, lias long afforded items for the press. Into the circumstances or merits of these, however, it will not be necessary to enter here.
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CHAPTER V.
GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENTS.
Appearance of the City in 1850-The First Brick Building-Brick Buildings Erected From 1850 to 1860-List of Buildings in 1855-Portland During the Indian War of 1855 and '56-Rapid Growth in 1862-Increase in Population and Wealth, Improvement and Growth From Year to Year-Present Development and Importance of Portland.
IN this chapter we shall attempt to furnish a record of the improve- ments made in the city during consecutive years, giving statistics of population, of the various industries, and of the buildings erected. While aiming to neglect nothing that is important, we shall try to avoid unnecessary or cumbrous details, and while not expecting this portion of the work to cover all the facts that might be gathered, we hope to make it at least intelligible, and for those who are fond of hard statistics, of considerable value.
In the department of commerce, of transportation, and manufac- turing, this chapter will be found but partially filled, since the importance of the growth of our shipping, of navigation companies and facilities on our river, the building of railroads and the construc- tion of manufactories, have been considered of so much interest as to require for each a separate chapter. The reader is therefore referred elsewhere for a more minute account in these special fields.
From preceding pages it has already been learned that in 1850 the town was of the mnost shabby construction. There were at that time no brick buildings and only two or three frame houses which presented anything like an architectural appearance. There were but two houses which were plastered, that of Mr. Pettygrove on Front street, and that of Capt. Crosby on Second street. Carter's store on Front street was one of the pretentious buildings of the time, being two stories high, but its finishing on the outside was only riven weather-boarding. In the matter of hotels and lodging houses the accommodations were but of the most primitive character. There was the old California house on Front street, and on Jefferson street one Dennis Harty kept a small boarding-house. A boarding-house by a Mrs. Apperson also accommodated the more staid bachelor
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population. The old Canton House was built in 1851 by Stephen Coffin, a two story structure of fairly decent appearance and of respectable finish. It was subsequently turned into the American Exchange Hotel and served many years for the purpose of a lodging house. It is now standing at the foot of Jefferson street, one of the few relics of the early day.
The substantiality of a town inay be inferred from the sort of material which its capitalists are willing to put into the walls of its structures. Canvas and battens serve for a mining camp, or for some uncertain frontier village. Clapboards and white paint and chimneys denote more hope of permanence, while brick and stone and iron show that it is not only for the present, but for coming generations also, that the city has been established. Portland was wholly of wood 'until 1853. In this year W. S. Ladd was so far willing to bank upon the future as to construct a building of brick. Mr. Lucien Snow and D. C. Coleman soon followed his example. Mr. Ladd's was that now occupied by Beach & Armstrong; a substantial structure of decent appearance and commodious for the transaction of business. It has been in constant use up to the present time, and while not exactly ornamental or imposing, is not at all discreditable to the business portion of the place. Mr. Snow was a Maine man, having the thrift and enterprise of New England, and Mr. Coleman was a brother of the wealthy merchant of San Francisco of that nanie.
For the following complete list of brick buildings for the decade, 1850-'60, we are indebted to Mr. Edward Failing, well known as a leading citizen and merchant, whose memory covers the entire period and whose interest in our city insures the accuracy of his recollection. The estimated cost of the earlier structures is given, and where not otherwise specified, but one story may be understood.
1853-W. S. Ladd, 103 Front street, between Stark and Washington; D. C. Coleman, southeast corner Front and Oak (Cost $9500); Lucien Snow, Front street, between Pine and Oak; F. B. Miles & Co., southwest corner Front and Pine (Cost $13,500).
1854-Blumaner Bros., Front street, between Washington and Alder (afterwards owned by Cohen & Lyon); J. Kohn & Co., Front street, between Stark and Wash- ington, next south of Ladd's; Geo. L. Story, Front street, between Stark and
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Washington, next north of Ladd's; P. Raleigh, southwest corner Front and Stark (2 stories); J. Failing & Co., southeast corner First and Oak, small brick ware- house.
1855-L. Snow & Co., one-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 & Bro., 87 Front, between Oak and Stark; Benjamin Stark, (3 stories) 91 Front, between Oak and Stark; Hallock & McMillen, (2 stories) northwest corner Front and Oak; M. Weinshank, 2 stores each one-story, Front street, between Ash and Pine.
1858-H. W. Corbett, (2 stories) southwest 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. Northup, northwest corner Front and Yam- hill; 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 Wash- ington 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; A. D. Shelby, (2 stories) southwest corner First and Washington.
Elegant residences were built quite early. First among these was that of H. W. Corbett, in 1854, on Fifth street, between Yamhill and Taylor, which was replaced by a more costly structure in 1876. Mr. C. H. Lewis erected an attractive mansion in 1863. Capt. Couch's old residence on Fourth street, on the west side of Conchi's lake, near H street-still remaining-was built still earlier.
In 1852 the steamboats serving on the river were the Willamette owned by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, on the route to Astoria to connect with the ocean steamers of that line, which did not at first attempt to ascend to Portland; the Lot Whitcomb, the Mult- nomah, the James P. Flint, the Washington and the Eagle, running to or connecting with various points on the lower Columbia and Willamette. The still older steamers, Columbia, Black Hawk and Major Redding were worn out, and their machinery was converted to other uses.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
In 1854 the steam saw mill was destroyed by fire, introducing a minus sign before the improvements. But there had been activity since 1851 in multiplying structures of all kinds, so that when in 1855 a census was taken Portland was shown to contain four churches, one academy, one public school, one steam flour mill, four steam saw mills, four printing offices, two express offices, four physicians' and six lawyers' offices, two dentists, five cabinet shops, three bakeries, four stove and tin stores, two tailoring establishments, two jewelers, four blacksmith shops, one foundry, three wagon-makers, six painters, two boat-builders, six livery stables, twelve hotels and boarding- houses, three butchers, six saloons, two bowling alleys, one book store, one drug store, one photograph gallery, one shoe store, one candy manufacturer and "a few cigar stores." There were also, besides these, twenty-five establishments dealing in dry goods, groceries, etc., together with ten engaged exclusively in dry goods, and seven in groceries only. The assessed value of property, both real and personal, was one million one hundred and ninety-five thousand and thirty-four dollars.
In 1854 Multnomah county was set off from Washington, being granted a separate government, on December 23d of that year. This gave our city a little more importance as county seat and was greatly to the convenience of our lawyers and the county officials of Portland, who had hitherto gone to Hillsboro in Washington county on county business and to attend court.
During 1855 and '56 the Indian war was raging with bloody violence upon the frontiers, and carried uncertainty into almost every department of business. Portland as a supply point for the armies of the territory, which were scattered throughout the Column- bia basin, presented a scene of vast activity. Troops were moving to and fro through hier streets; a general camp and headquarters were made at East Portland; distinguished men, such as Gov. Curry, Gen- eral Stevens and General Wool, were frequently seen in the city, while our intrepid volunteer Colonels, Nesmith, Kelly and Cornelius, either taking out their troops, armed rudely with pistols, knives, shot-guns and rifles, and clad and mounted according to their own means and taste, or bringing back their worn and battered battalions
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from tiresome and often unsatisfactory pursuit of the savages, are even yet bright in the memory of our people. Such unknown little officers as Sheridan could not yet be distinguished from the rest of the boys in blne. Less was felt at Portland of the war in Southern Oregon, where Col. Chapman, Col. Kelsey, Gen. Limerick, Major Bruce and General Ross, with other brave men, were "rounding up" and bringing to punishment the oft times wronged, but nevertheless wholly untamed and untrustworthy savages of the Umpqua and Rogue river. But though this military activity stimulated business to a certain extent, it was not a productive or progressive period, and little building was done.
The assessed value of property in 1857 was one million one hundred and three thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine dollars. It is not to be supposed that there was natural shrinkage of nearly two hundred thousand dollars in two years, as the figures would seem to show, but merely a lower assessment. Nevertheless, the increase in property could not have been very great. The population of this year is placed at twelve hundred and eighty. At the election of 1858
the vote polled was four hundred and sixty. In 1859 the first daily paper was issued, The Portland Daily News, published by S. A. English & Co. The life of this journal was not of long duration, and it was in no way connected with the publication of the same name in more recent years. In 1859 there was also erected the first really handsome dwelling house. This was the residence of W. S. Ladd, built from the model of a house seen by him during his travels at the East. It was situated on Jefferson street and Sixth, occupying an entire block, and was from the first noticeable for the elegance of its appearance, its commanding site and tasteful grounds. As improved in 1878, it is one of the most substantial of Portland's many beautiful residences.
In 1860 The Oregon Times became a daily, and The Oregonian in 1861.
By the school enrollment of 1860 it was found that the children of school age numbered six hundred and ninety-one. The total population was two thousand nine hundred and seventeen, of which there were sixteen colored and twenty-seven Chinese. The great flood [10]
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of the Willamette in 1861, the highest on record until that of 1890, did somne damage to wharves and other buildings along the city front, but occasioned no serious loss. The asylum for the insane was established during the summer of this year on the west side of the river, under the management of Drs. Hawthorne and Loryea. A few years later it was removed to a beautiful site in East Portland, where it remained until the destruction of the building by fire a number of years afterwards.
In June of 1862-the second result of the heavy snow fall of the winter before-the Willamette rose to a great height from the flood in the Columbia, inundating the lower part of the town, but doing but little real damage. In 1861-62 the assessed valuation of property was two millions eighty-nine thousand and four hundred and twenty dollars.
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 to-day scarcely a shell can be found to shelter a family. Rents are up to an exhorbitant figure, inany 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, inills, manufactories and workshops, together with brick buildings stores and dwelling houses and street improve- inents," 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
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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 organiza- tion of the Portland and Milwaukie inacadamized road, with A. B. Richardson as president, Henry Failing secretary, and W. S. Ladd treasurer af 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 side wheel river 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 Reverends 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 two hundred and sixty dollars. The day of independence was observed with great ceremony this year, the United States Military Department, under Brigadier General Alvord, from Vancouver, and the Fire Department and other societies of Portland uniting their efforts to make an imposing parade, while the evening was made resplendent with fireworks. To the country people who thronged the city this was new and imposing, and the imagination of none had yet extended to so lofty a flight as the illumination of the snow-capped mountains, as in recent years, to close the display. A spirited address by Hon. Amory Holbrook, in a time when the scream of the eagle meant something more than lifeless platitudes, added to the inspiration of
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the hour. The capitulation of Vicksburg was also celebrated a short time afterwards by a torchlight procession. There was no lack of patriotism in those days.
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 accomodate 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 hun- dred 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,. fifty tons of iron, two hundred and twenty-five thousand shingles, 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
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call was made for money to deepen the channel of the lower Willam- ette, and was met by double the sum named. The improvements were soon undertaken with great vigor. Five thousand dollars were 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 door yards with trees and shrubbery, and to make handsome lawns. The surroundings of the city were, however, still wild, and the shattered forests seemed excessively rude, having no more the grace and stateliness of nature, and having not yet given away altogether 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 book-sellers, thirteen hotels.
The hotels were for the most part on Front street, showing the as yet comparative cheapness of land along this thoroughfare. There were the Mansion House, 'at 143 Front street; the Farmer's House, 169 Front street; What Cheer House, 126, 128 and 130 Front street; The Union Hotel, 131 Front street; The Shakspeare House, 25 Front street; The Franklin House on Front near Vine; The Howard House, No. 5 North Front; The New York Hotel, No. 17 North Front; the Pioneer and Temperance House on the corner of Front and Washington; The Western Hotel, at 13 and 15 Morrison street: the Miner's Home, at the corner of First and Taylor.
1 Old numbers.
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As dealers in hardware may be named J. R. Foster & Co., E. J. Northrup and G. W. Vaughn, doing business between Taylor and Salmon, on Front street, and H. W. Corbett and Henry Failing at the present site of the business of Corbett, Failing & Co., on Front, at the corner of Oak. There were also three houses engaged in the furniture business-Lowenstein & Co., at 138 First street; Hur- gren & Shindler, at 97 First street, and W. F. Wilcox, at 207 Front street. 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; Win. Kern, 228 Front street, and S. Sherlock & Co.52 Front street. There were as many as eight livery stables-those of Bennett & White, at 116 Second street; M. Patton, on Salmon near Front; R. E. Wiley, corner First and Taylor; Sherry Ross, 165 First street; N. Gray, on Front near Clay; W. R. Hill, on the corner of Front and Market; R. J. Ladd, at 31 Washington, and L. P. W. Quimby, at 63 Second street. There seems to have been a demand for transfer business and numbers of draymen or companies had a license for express work. Many of them, however, were simply delivery wagons. There were forty-six places for the sale of liquor. The photographers were W. W. Davis, at 99 First street; Hack & Dobson, at 10712 Front street; B. H. Hendee, at the corner of Washington and Front, and A. B. Woodard & Co., at No. 5 Morrison street. The printers had three firms, R. D. Austin, at 27 Washington street; William D. Carter, at 73 Front street, and A. G. Walling, at No. 5 Washington 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 VanCleave & 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.
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