Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 3.djvu/519

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sop Chief was struck amidships by a boat belonging to the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company and sunk. This was quite a loss to Captain Jones, as he was unable to collect any damages, but he succeeded in raising the wreck, rebuilt the boat and made use of her for years afterward. About 1887 ^^ built the steamer Maria and as time passed acquired possession of the Vulcan, the Gamecock, the F. B. Jones and the Engine. At the present time he is the owner of four steamers plying in the waters of the Pacific northwest. He organized the Willamette & Columbia River Towing Company in 1890 and has since been president of the company, of which William E. Jones, his son, is treasurer, and Maria L. Jones, secretary. The offices of the company are at 181 East Water street. The company also maintains a machine shop completely equipped for making all repairs upon its vessels. As stated above, Captain Jones has one son; he also has one daughter, Etta M., the wife of E. L. Politte, of Sunnyside, Oregon.

Beginning as a pilot on the river. Captain Jones was granted a master's license in 1877. He continued as master until 1905, when he retired but is still actively identified with the company of which he is the head. His son also holds a master's license and is one of the navigators whose operations are constantly being extended. Captain Jones takes a lively interest in all maritime matters and is recognized as one of the best informed men on the northwest coast in matters pertaining to water craft. He has been a witness of vast strides in commerce, and his sound judgment and active participation in business afifairs has brought wealth and influence. A man of great energy, he has accomplished much important work that one of lesser capacity would have found impossible. It is men of intelligent comprehension and broad calibre that have built up the great business projects in the west and laid the foundations of successful enterprises on the shore of the Pacific. Among them prominently stands the subject of this memoir. Captain F. B. Jones.


J. S. HATHAWAY.

Fifty-eight years ago J. S. Hathaway came to the northwest and was identified with agricultural interests here until his death. His family are now living in Vancouver and well deserve to be mentioned among the honored and worthy pioneer settlers of this section of the country. Mr. Hathaway was born in Herkimer county, New York, on the nth of January, 1824, and pursued his education in the schools of the Empire state. When he was a young man he accompanied his parents on their removal to Berrien county, Michigan, the family home being established in the vicinity of Niles, where he remained for some time.

In that locality Mr. Hathaway was married to Miss Isabella E. Bates, who was born in Ohio, May 7, 1827, a daughter of Dennis and Isabella (Brunson) Bates. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway was celebrated on the 27th of October, 1847, and they began their domestic life in Michigan, where they resided for about five years, leaving for the far west in 1851. They stopped in Illinois for the winter, remaining for several months with friends in that state and in the spring of 1852 they started on over the Oregon trail with ox teams, making the long and arduous journey across the plains and prairies and over the mountains to this section of the country. They left Illinois in March and traveling day by day arrived in Portland in October. The Rose City was then a little village of little commercial or industrial importance. It had a few hundred inhabitants and its home and business houses were situated near the river bank, while beyond to the west, south and north and across the river on the eastern bank of the Willamette there stretched mile after mile of pine forest. Mr. Hathaway and his brother Marshall built some of the first sidewalks in Portland in the winter of 1853-4. The walks were built by individuals and not by the city.