Everyone was interested in Fort Bridger, but it did not seem to me to be much of a place, it was quite deserted looking, in fact, Jim Bridger, himself was away and I was terribly disappointed. I had heard him spoken of as a sonny man. I did not know what it was and was anxious to see one. We now hear a great deal about Jim Bridger and his Indian wives in connection with the discovery of gold in California, though his connection with it must have been somewhat remote since he was half way across the continent when it happened. He was known then,( in 1843 ) as a trader and a ruffian, not to be classed with Kit Carson or Hastings or men of their type.His somewhat doubtful fame had traveled eastward and our people hoped to see him. I remember going into the fort on the chance that I might see him somewhere about. There was no one in sight except a man, who sat at a big table. I suppose, when big folk came in, he looked up, but when I was in the room, he sat with a goose quill pen in his hand and read from a sheaf of papers. Since he did not notice me, it gave me a chance to stare at him all I pleased. I decided that he was a Frenchman and the impression has remained with me. He may or may not have been, since my opinion was based on the fact that he wore a blue cap with a shiny visor. I do not feel justified in saying that he really was a Frenchman, neither would I say that it greatly mattered. To me, he was quite as interesting as Jim Bridger, but the grown folk were disappointed. Walt Davies monmouth, OR

Thanks Jim, Beth, Jean, and Doneva!! Hope I didn't leave anyone out. Am sorry about the "Fritz" name. His name is really "Fred Devine". He was my grandmother's cousin through his wife and "Fritz" was what she called him. The address and website information and genealogical information is all VERY, VERY, MUCH APPRECIATED. I will follow up by phoning the company. I believe he only had daughters and that one or all of his sons-in-law remained in the business somehow. All I have is an article about him from a section of a book, about "Brave Men"..not sure if that's the title? Book dealt with Fred Devine; Samuel K. Barlow; and Sebastain Miller, among others. I suspect that living relatives of his family could help me tremendously with his wife's family (MATTOON) history. Again... I really appreciate how willingly and quickly everyone jumps in to offer such wonderful help. Jackie On Wed, 20 Mar 2002 17:21:48 -0800 Jim Tompkins <tompkins@bctonline.com> writes: > >If anyone out there has information about living relatives or new, > or > >biographical material about Frtiz Devine or the Devine Tug and > Barge > >Company, I would surely appreciate hearing from you. He apparently > grew > >up along the Columbia, lived in St. Johns area so wonder if > something > >about him would show up in Vanport history. I checked the site > >out--great site and interesting, but nothing about Devine. Thanks > for any > >suggestion or help. > >Jackie > > Found these in Portland directories: > > Fred Devine Diving & Salvage Co. > 6211 N Ensign St > Portland, OR > 503-283-5285 > Inspection, Repairs and Hull/Prop Cleaning > [This is in St Johns today - Did Fritz have a son named Fred?] > > In recent years Donjon [Marine out of New Jersey, 1997] has > expanded its towing and salvage interests to the West Coast by > taking > a 25 per cent share of Portland, Oregon-based Fred Devine Diving and > > Salvage, which operates the salvage tug Salvage Chief out of > Astoria, > Oregon. > > The barge, Columbia NY, and the tug, Atlantic Salvor, belong to the > New Jersey-based Donjon Marine Co., half of a joint venture with > Portland's Fred Devine Diving and Salvage Co. The companies have > been > hired to remove the New Carissa's stern. [The New Carissa is a > modern > Oregon legend.] >

Boy things must have changed a lot in a few years or else we just got the budget ride. My mother and I traveled by train when I was about six or seven (1949?) from Oregon to Nebraska to visit relatives. It seems like we had to change trains quite often. Some of them were fairly nice but others must have been freight trains with one car that had about four seats in it. It still was exciting to me but sometimes a little dirty. Verdena Veelle ----- Original Message ----- From: <MMDSchwartz@cs.com> To: <OREGON-TRAIL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 10:20 AM Subject: Train ride memory : Laura, : : One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is my first train ride, around : 1953 when I was four, from Seattle to Ellensburg (eastern Washington). Was : that the Empire Builder? I remember riding in the "Vista Dome," but may be : confusing that with a later memory. : : Anyway, it was just me and Grandma, which was really a special treat for the : fourth of five children. As I recall, we ate breakfast in a dining car with : white linen tablecloths and silver service. I remember being fascinated with : the little prepackaged jams, which I had never seen before. I saved some to : take home to my siblings. Fingerbowls were brought to us when we finished! : When I looked at mine with wide eyes, Grandma laughed, "You don't have to : drink it!" : : I still remember parts of the television jingle, "You'll feel like a king in : a castle on wheels, in all kinds of weather, it's smooth as a feather -- : Vista Dome North Coast Limited!" There was something in there, too, about, : "It's really terrific, Northern Pacific." : : Thanks for stirring fond memories. : : Marilyn Schwartz : Bellingham, WA : : :

The only tie-in I remember between the Devine's and the Vanport flood was their private home was flooded along with a lot of other people's. The water was not deep enough for the 'Chief' to come anywhere inland and participate in any way in the actual flood relief. In fact, if I remember correctly, it was out to sea at the time, on a job. Doneva Beth Perry Johnston <bjohnsto@oregonvos.net> wrote: There's quite a bit about the company, started in 1913, at its web site: http://www.freddevinedivingandsalvage.com/ At 05:35 PM 3/20/02, Jean Rotter wrote: >There was a Fred Devine Salvage Company around that time. I can look that up >in the Portland phone book if you don't have a way to check it with that >name. >Jean Rotter > >jasmels@juno.com wrote: > > > If anyone out there has information about living relatives or new, or > > biographical material about Frtiz Devine or the Devine Tug and Barge > > Company, I would surely appreciate hearing from you. He apparently grew > > up along the Columbia, lived in St. Johns area so wonder if something > > about him would show up in Vanport history. I checked the site > > out--great site and interesting, but nothing about Devine. Thanks for any > > suggestion or help. > > Jackie my entire genealogy database, 45,000+ names http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=donevanell (be sure entire URL fits in your Address bar) --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Movies - coverage of the 74th Academy Awards�

on 3/20/02 5:35 PM, Jean Rotter at jrotter@oregonvos.net wrote: > There was a Fred Devine Salvage Company around that time. I can look that up > in the Portland phone book if you don't have a way to check it with that > name. > Jean Rotter > > jasmels@juno.com wrote: > >> If anyone out there has information about living relatives or new, or >> biographical material about Frtiz Devine or the Devine Tug and Barge >> Company, I would surely appreciate hearing from you. He apparently grew >> up along the Columbia, lived in St. Johns area so wonder if something >> about him would show up in Vanport history. I checked the site >> out--great site and interesting, but nothing about Devine. Thanks for any >> suggestion or help. >> Jackie > > I have some Devines in my family tree, including a Fred. Descendants of Charles G. Devine Generation No. 1 1. CHARLES G.1 DEVINE was born July 18, 1832 in Virginia or Newark, New Jesey, and died July 15, 1904 in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon (Source: City of Portland Death Index.). He married HENRIETTA ELLIOTT Abt. 1864 in Oregon, daughter of FRANCIS ELLIOTT and ADELIA CUTTING. She was born May 27, 1844 in Indianapolis?, Marion County?, Indiana, and died December 02, 1929 in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. Notes for CHARLES G. DEVINE: Also called O.D. Divine by Francis Elliott. INFORMATION SOURCES: 1870 US Census, Oregon, Multnomah County, East Portland, East Portland Post Office, page 39 DEVINE, Charles; age 38 years; male; occupation-brick mason; value of personal estate- $100, born in Virginia; citizen DEVINE, Henrietta; age 25 years; female; occupation-keeping house; born in Indiana DEVINE, Charles; age 6 years; male; born in Oregon DEVINE, Agnes; age 4 years; female; born in Oregon DEVINE, William; age 3 years; male; born in Oregon DEVINE, Emma; age 6 months; female; born in Oregon 1880 US Census, Oregon, Wasco County, Dalles City, June 4, 1880 DEVINE, Charles; age 49 years; male; head of household; occupation-brick mason; value of personal estate- $100, born in Virginia; DEVINE, Henrietta; age 24 years; female; wife; occupation-keeping house; born in Indiana; father born in New York mother born in Vermont DEVINE, Charles; age 15 years; male; son; born in Oregon DEVINE, Agnes; age 13 years; female; daughter; born in Oregon DEVINE, William; age 12 years; male; son; born in Oregon DEVINE, Emma; age 10 years; female; daughter; born in Oregon DEVINE, Frankie; age 3 years; male; son; born in Oregon DEVINE, Freddie; age 2 years; male; son; born in Oregon 1904 City of Portland Record of Deaths Charles G. Devine Date of Death: July 15, 1904 Age: 71 years, 11 months, 27 days Sex: male Race: white Nativity: Virginia Place of Death: 1111/2 E 16th St. Cause of Death: heart failure Place of Interment: Riverview Cemetery Doctor: William Amos Undertaker: F.S. Dunning More About CHARLES G. DEVINE: Burial: 1904, Riverview Cemetery, Portland, Oregon (Source: City of Portland Death Index.) Notes for HENRIETTA ELLIOTT: INFORMATION SOURCES: 1858 Oregon Marriage License, Clackamas County for John M. Leadford and Henryetta Elliott. 1860 US Census, Oregon Territory, Multnomah County, #888 Elliott, Francis, age 38, laborer, born in New York Elliott, Adelia, age 37, born in New Hampshire Elliott, Henrietta, age 16, born in Indiana Elliott, George, age 12, born in Oregon Elliott, Adelia, age 8, born in Oregon Elliott, Francis, age 6, born in Oregon Elliott, Ernest, age 1, born in Oregon 1870 US Census, Oregon, Multnomah County, East Portland, East Portland Post Office, page 39 DEVINE, Charles; age 38 years; male; occupation-brick mason; value of personal estate- $100, born in Virginia; citizen DEVINE, Henrietta; age 25 years; female; occupation-keeping house; born in Indiana DEVINE, Charles; age 6 years; male; born in Oregon DEVINE, Agnes; age 4 years; female; born in Oregon DEVINE, William; age 3 years; male; born in Oregon DEVINE, Emma; age 6 months; female; born in Oregon 1880 US Census, Oregon, Wasco County, Dalles City, June 4, 1880 DEVINE, Charles; age 49 years; male; head of household; occupation-brick mason; value of personal estate- $100, born in Virginia; DEVINE, Henrietta; age 34 years; female; wife; occupation-keeping house; born in Indiana; father born in New York mother born in Vermont DEVINE, Charles; age 15 years; male; son; born in Oregon DEVINE, Agnes; age 13 years; female; daughter; born in Oregon DEVINE, William; age 12 years; male; son; born in Oregon DEVINE, Emma; age 10 years; female; daughter; born in Oregon DEVINE, Frankie; age 3 years; male; son; born in Oregon DEVINE, Freddie; age 2 years; male; son; born in Oregon 1900 US Census; Oregon; checked Oregon, Washington. Could not find. 1910 US Census, Oregon, Tillamook County, Tillamook City, Enumeration District 260, Volume 11, Sheet 1, Line 87, Soundex Code D150 Henrietta DEVINE; head of household and living with other family members; female; age 64 years; widow; mother of 7 children and 7 are living; born in Indiana; father born in Michigan, mother born in Vermont, English speaking, no occupation given, able to read and write, owned house free and clear C.N. DEVINE, son, male, age 45 years, single, born in Oregon, father born in New Jersey, mother born in Indiana, occupation- brickwork laborer, able to read and write F.H. DEVINE, son, male, age 32 years, married one year, born in Washington, father born in New Jersey, mother born in Indiana, occupation-gasoline engineer, able to read and write Emma DEVINE, daughter, female, age 40 years, born in Oregon, father born in New Jersey, mother born in Indiana, occupation-none, able to read and write G.B. DEVINE, son, male, age 28 years, born in Oregon, father born in New Jersey, mother born in Indiana, occupation- blacksmith laborer, able to read and write Mrs. F.H. DEVINE, daughter-in-law, female, age 18 years, born in Montana, father and mother born in Illinois, occupation- none, able to read and write William Charles DEVINE, grandson, male, age 8 months, born in Oregon, father born in Washington, mother born in Montana Note: Henrietta Elliott DEVINE was living next to her brother, George Elliott. 1920 US Census, Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland, Precinct 204, Enumeration District 113, Volume 22, Sheet 12, Line 41, East Flanders Street, Soundex Code D150 Henrietta DEVINE; head of household, own home free of mortgage, female, white, 74 years old, widow, able to read and write, born in Indiana, father born in New York, mother born in Vermont, English speaking Charles N. DEVINE; son; male; white; 54 years old; single; able to read and write; born in Oregon; father born in Virginia; mother born in Indiana; English-speaking; occupation- calcining ? Irah H. CHRISTENSEN; housekeeper; female; white; 40 years old; married; able to read and write; born in Illinois; father and mother born in Ohio; English-speaking; private housekeeper More About HENRIETTA ELLIOTT: Burial: December 02, 1929, Riverview Cemetery, Portland, Oregon More About CHARLES DEVINE and HENRIETTA ELLIOTT: Marriage: Abt. 1864, Oregon Children of CHARLES DEVINE and HENRIETTA ELLIOTT are: i. CHARLES N.2 DEVINE, b. 1864, Oregon. ii. AGNES DEVINE, b. 1866, Oregon. iii. WILLIAM DEVINE, b. 1867, Oregon. iv. EMMA DEVINE, b. 1870, Oregon. v. FRANK DEVINE, b. 1877, Oregon; d. 1929. More About FRANK DEVINE: Burial: 1929, Riverview Cemetery, Portland, Oregon vi. FRED N. DEVINE, b. 1878, Oregon; m. ?; b. 1892, Montana. vii. G.B. DEVINE, b. 1882, Oregon.

There's quite a bit about the company, started in 1913, at its web site: http://www.freddevinedivingandsalvage.com/ At 05:35 PM 3/20/02, Jean Rotter wrote: >There was a Fred Devine Salvage Company around that time. I can look that up >in the Portland phone book if you don't have a way to check it with that >name. >Jean Rotter > >jasmels@juno.com wrote: > > > If anyone out there has information about living relatives or new, or > > biographical material about Frtiz Devine or the Devine Tug and Barge > > Company, I would surely appreciate hearing from you. He apparently grew > > up along the Columbia, lived in St. Johns area so wonder if something > > about him would show up in Vanport history. I checked the site > > out--great site and interesting, but nothing about Devine. Thanks for any > > suggestion or help. > > Jackie

There was a Fred Devine Salvage Company around that time. I can look that up in the Portland phone book if you don't have a way to check it with that name. Jean Rotter jasmels@juno.com wrote: > If anyone out there has information about living relatives or new, or > biographical material about Frtiz Devine or the Devine Tug and Barge > Company, I would surely appreciate hearing from you. He apparently grew > up along the Columbia, lived in St. Johns area so wonder if something > about him would show up in Vanport history. I checked the site > out--great site and interesting, but nothing about Devine. Thanks for any > suggestion or help. > Jackie

If anyone out there has information about living relatives or new, or biographical material about Frtiz Devine or the Devine Tug and Barge Company, I would surely appreciate hearing from you. He apparently grew up along the Columbia, lived in St. Johns area so wonder if something about him would show up in Vanport history. I checked the site out--great site and interesting, but nothing about Devine. Thanks for any suggestion or help. Jackie

Laura, One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is my first train ride, around 1953 when I was four, from Seattle to Ellensburg (eastern Washington). Was that the Empire Builder? I remember riding in the "Vista Dome," but may be confusing that with a later memory. Anyway, it was just me and Grandma, which was really a special treat for the fourth of five children. As I recall, we ate breakfast in a dining car with white linen tablecloths and silver service. I remember being fascinated with the little prepackaged jams, which I had never seen before. I saved some to take home to my siblings. Fingerbowls were brought to us when we finished! When I looked at mine with wide eyes, Grandma laughed, "You don't have to drink it!" I still remember parts of the television jingle, "You'll feel like a king in a castle on wheels, in all kinds of weather, it's smooth as a feather -- Vista Dome North Coast Limited!" There was something in there, too, about, "It's really terrific, Northern Pacific." Thanks for stirring fond memories. Marilyn Schwartz Bellingham, WA

I've added a 1958 map of the area to the web page. http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~cchouk/vanport/ Cecil mailto:cchouk@cox.net

One of my lists just posted this site on Poorhouses in the early US. It is a good research tool. It lists the history of poorhouses in general and then provides a list by state. http://www.poorhousestory.com/ Stephenie Flora Researching Oregon Pioneers http://www.oregonpioneers.com/ortrail.htm

Subject: [GEN-EVENTS-L] Boone Society Inc. Family Reunion_ Wilsonville OR this summer Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 13:06:43 EST From: GFJay@aol.com To: GEN-EVENTS-L@rootsweb.com The Boone Society, Inc. Family Reunion will be held in Wilsonville, OR July 31- August 3rd. and what a program is planned! Two full days will be devoted to touring this historic and stunningly beautiful area! Included on the agenda are the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood, Barlow Road (part of the famous Oregon Trail), Multnomah Falls, the Oregon Coast and Salem, the state capitol. Of course many Boone sites will be visited and observed. For additional information, registration, reservations, etc., go to the Boone Society, Inc. web site at <A HREF="http://www.boonesociety.org/">Boone Society Home Page</A> or <http://www.boonesociety.org/>. Geraldine Ingersoll, Director and Membership Committee Chair The Boone Society, Inc. ___________________________ -- oooO Oooo || || +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ { Current publications available at: } http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid=rosess { http://stores.half.com/rosesss } { Rose Terry @>,--'--- _ RMTerry@prodigy.net } +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~000~~~~~( )~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ ( @ @ ) || \ / || ||| || 0ooo Give your children these two things - One is roots, the other, wings.

jim etal: Thank you again for all the data on Vanport City as it adds to my family history notes in regards to some of my mom's life. Happy Trails, Joan *_~ > >A little more info on VANPORT or VANPORT CITY. The Oregon Book of > >Information A to Z, 1st Edition 1998 by Connie Hopkins Battaile states: > > > >Vanport - A city located on a floodplain between Portland & Columbia River > >1942-1948. Temporary housing for shipyard workers WWII. It was largest > >housing project ever built in US at the time. 40,000 people at end of 1943. > >2nd largest city in Oregon. Vanport College later developed into Portland > >State University. At 4:17 PM May 30, 1948 the river breached the railroad > >dike at the West end. 18,000 population, 15 killed. > > > >I couldn't find a copy of "Oregon Geographic Names" 6th edition 1992 by > >Lewis McArthur ISBN 0875952372 > > There is a paragraph in the 1982 Fifth edition, no really new > information, but it does cite a couple of articles in the Oregonian > newspaper August 12th and 16th, 1943, about the project. > > jim >

Hi Listers Does anyone have information or personal stories about the 1947-48 flood in Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland, Washington? Benton and Franklin Counties. Laura

In a message dated 3/18/2002 10:11:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, GFJay@aol.com writes: > The Boone Society, Inc. Family Reunion will be held in Wilsonville, OR July > Hmm. My baileys were with the Boones in on the Forks of the Yadkin in NC, where Samuel Bailey md Sarah Bryan, who likely was kin to Rebecca Bryan, Daniel Boone's wife. Then in oreg mt Thomas Bailey had his 1852 Donation Land Claim across the river from the Boones on the north landing for Boones Ferry. 5 years later he sold it to the Boone family. Then i find some of those same Boones are buried in Coos Co where my Baileys lived

Hi all train buffs. I rode that Empire Builder from Pasco to Seattle from the 5th grade until I could drive there!! Fabulous, hanging out in the blue dome chatting with people from Chicago. Great for a kid growing up in Pasco, WA. Would love to see some great web links for the trains about Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities area to Chicago too. I have lots of friends who parents were railroaders from White Bluffs, Beverly and Pasco during the 40's and 50's. One gal used to stop at Wishram for a sandwich with her mom as they rode the train in the late 50's to Portland. Now there is a winery at Wishram, Cascade Cliffs and a guy from the Sea-Tac Airport in Burien left and I think he is trying to open an antique mall "uptown," Wishram, a train stop on the Columbia River east of Bingen, WA. Share your childhood train stories and some good links for trains. Laura -----Original Message----- From: Shirley Johnson [mailto:grandmaj@pomeroy-wa.com] Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 9:04 AM To: OREGON-TRAIL-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Trains Pomeroy is in Garfield County. It is also the county seat and the only town in the county. We are almost exactly 30 miles west of Lewiston, ID, and 30 miles north of the Oregon boundary. I see I spelled Alpowai incorrectly and apologize for that. Right now we are in the process of gettting ready for the Lewis and Clark Bi-Centennial celebration that occurs in 2003 so there are all sorts of interesting things in the planning stages. Shirley > At 08:36 PM 3/14/02 -0800, Shirley Johnson wrote: > >Hi Beth and others, > > > >The train came to this little - 1500 population - town of Pomeroy, in > >southeastern Washington in 1886. I know that for sure because the line was > >taken out in 1986, exactly 100 years after the beginning. This line came out > >of Walla Walla but there was also a line that ran up the Snake River to > >Lewiston, ID and I don't know what year that one was built. At one time > >there was a plan to run the Pomeroy line across the Alpowaii summit to > >connect with the Lewiston line but it never happened. > > That is fascinating to know. Somewhere I've seen a map that as I remember > had small little "fingers" of railroads going into several areas of eastern > Washington but don't remember that they were dated. What is the county for > Pomeroy? > > Beth > > [remainder of message snipped] > >

>A little more info on VANPORT or VANPORT CITY. The Oregon Book of >Information A to Z, 1st Edition 1998 by Connie Hopkins Battaile states: > >Vanport - A city located on a floodplain between Portland & Columbia River >1942-1948. Temporary housing for shipyard workers WWII. It was largest >housing project ever built in US at the time. 40,000 people at end of 1943. >2nd largest city in Oregon. Vanport College later developed into Portland >State University. At 4:17 PM May 30, 1948 the river breached the railroad >dike at the West end. 18,000 population, 15 killed. > >I couldn't find a copy of "Oregon Geographic Names" 6th edition 1992 by >Lewis McArthur ISBN 0875952372 There is a paragraph in the 1982 Fifth edition, no really new information, but it does cite a couple of articles in the Oregonian newspaper August 12th and 16th, 1943, about the project. jim

>Not an accurate portrayal of Sam Hill in the March 15 posting. He was James >J. Hill's son-in-law, having married Mamie (Mary Frances Hill), J. J.'s >oldest daughter in 1888. For a number of reasons, in 1903 Mamie and >children left Seattle to live in the East. Sam earned a fortune in his own >right and invested some of it to establish a new town on the Columbia >River. "In April 1908, Sam wrote asking his congressman to approve a post >office for the town he first intended to name Maryland, ' . . . so called >after Mrs. James J. Hill, my wife, and my daughter.'" Hill later wrote: "I >desired to call the place Maryland, but the government objected, advising >me to that effect by telegram at my expense. I handed the telegram to >Jusserand [the French Ambassador, who, with his wife, was visiting Sam], >who said, 'Call it Maryhill. You have the name right in your hand, after >your daughter, your wife and [her] mother.'" (see "Sam Hill", John E. Tuhy, >Timber Press, 1983, pp. 201, 203) > >In a manner of speaking, all Oregonians are empire builders. The opening >line of the state song is "Land of the Empire Builders." > >Bob I concede to the more knowledgeable authority. Although I think the train Empire Builder was named for James Hill's nickname more than the Oregon state song. jim

A little more info on VANPORT or VANPORT CITY. The Oregon Book of Information A to Z, 1st Edition 1998 by Connie Hopkins Battaile states: Vanport - A city located on a floodplain between Portland & Columbia River 1942-1948. Temporary housing for shipyard workers WWII. It was largest housing project ever built in US at the time. 40,000 people at end of 1943. 2nd largest city in Oregon. Vanport College later developed into Portland State University. At 4:17 PM May 30, 1948 the river breached the railroad dike at the West end. 18,000 population, 15 killed. I couldn't find a copy of "Oregon Geographic Names" 6th edition 1992 by Lewis McArthur ISBN 0875952372 in Eugene/Springfield, Oregon area today. Bookstores have copies on order. The library does have a book called "Vanport" by Manly Maben. I will check it next week. You can type the query VANPORT or VANPORT CITY in the following web site and get same answer: http://www.calcite.rocky.edu/gps/ 50+ years later it probably doesn't make too much difference which it was called? My wife went to the beach on the bus with the senior class for the day and they were just returning to Portland over St Johns bridge when they found out about Vanport on a news bulletin on the radio. Stanley Clark

Not an accurate portrayal of Sam Hill in the March 15 posting. He was James J. Hill's son-in-law, having married Mamie (Mary Frances Hill), J. J.'s oldest daughter in 1888. For a number of reasons, in 1903 Mamie and children left Seattle to live in the East. Sam earned a fortune in his own right and invested some of it to establish a new town on the Columbia River. "In April 1908, Sam wrote asking his congressman to approve a post office for the town he first intended to name Maryland, ' . . . so called after Mrs. James J. Hill, my wife, and my daughter.'" Hill later wrote: "I desired to call the place Maryland, but the government objected, advising me to that effect by telegram at my expense. I handed the telegram to Jusserand [the French Ambassador, who, with his wife, was visiting Sam], who said, 'Call it Maryhill. You have the name right in your hand, after your daughter, your wife and [her] mother.'" (see "Sam Hill", John E. Tuhy, Timber Press, 1983, pp. 201, 203) In a manner of speaking, all Oregonians are empire builders. The opening line of the state song is "Land of the Empire Builders." Bob To: OREGON-TRAIL-L@rootsweb.com From: Jim Tompkins <tompkins@bctonline.com> Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 10:45:48 -0800 Subject: Re: Trains >The route became the Great Northern and is now part of the UP, and >is the route taken by the Empire Builder (I think that's the name) >between Portland and Chicago. The first train from the east arrived >at Portland on September 8, 1883. I believe the Empire Builder (Jim Hill's nickname) linked Seattle and St Paul, but close enough with the SP&S link between Portland and Seattle. I know the Burlington Northern bought out the NP (terminus at Tacoma, WA) and the Great Northern (terminus at Everett), but I think the UP merger fell through. The Northern Pacific (Jay Cooke, Henry Villard, et al on the government dime) main route goes from Duluth to Billings to Spokane to Yakima to Tacoma then Seattle. It was stalled in Montana by the same Panic of 1873 that stalled the O&C at Roseburg. The construction reached Billings, MT, Sept 1, 1883, and crossed the Rockies on Sept 8th (the date cited above). When the NP reached Pasco, a train was sent down a local line (Rawhide RR from Wallula toWalla Walla) to the ORNC (building the south bank line to meet the UP Oregon Short Line) then to Portland, arriving Sept 11, 1883. The GN main line from Pasco to Tacoma over an Oregon Trail bypass called the Naches Pass Trail was not completed until 1888. The Spokane, Portland, and Seattle RR (north bank of the Columbia railroad) was completed in 1905 and technically never reached Seattle. Trains out of Portland were called the Pioneer, Oregon Pioneer and Portland Rose. To kep things straight in my student's minds I suggest the following. 1) If it ends in Pacific (UP, CP, SP, NP) it was a government subsidized transcontinental. 2) Almost all others were private ventures that connected with the big boys. 3) JJ Hill's The Great Northern was the only privately financed transcontinental. (This can be argued by ATSF fans , but up here in the Great Pacific Northwet the ATSF is not a player.) 4) Henry Villard tried to buy out everybody starting with the NP and the SP. 5) Jim Hill was the uncle and Sam the nephew. Sometimes Sam didn't even know where the Sam Hill he was. His wife was Mary Hill and her dry side palace was Maryhill. 6) The modern UP mergers are complicating everything as well as slowing down traffic. jim