Joseph Gaston

“ European race of men in its all-conquering march from farthest East to farthest West, the history of Oregon is not only national in its fundamentals but also finds its original root-graft in the oldest of the virile tribes of men. The same Providence that cast the Mayflower on the rockbound shores of New England to land the Pilgrim Fathers in a new world, inspired the men and women and furnished them with the faith and courage to overcome mountains, deserts and savage tribes and plant Christianity, civilization and laws in the wilderness of Old Oregon. ”

“ If there is no lesson, no useful thought to the reader, then the history is of no more value than the every-day novel. If those who come after can learn nothing from those who have gone before, it is a waste of time to make up the record for any other purpose than selling the story as any story of fiction might be sold. But the historians of Oregon may justly point with pride to the illustrious history of the state, crowded with examples of the daring, courage, toils and homely virtues of its pioneer settlers ”

“ These characteristics of the mass developed traits in the individual no less marked and distinguishable. The independent fur hunter in lonely mountains, the pioneer farmer on the isolated prairies—all held themselves ready to defend the home or fly to the common defence. These hard circumstances developed in Oregon a race of men and women independent in thought and deed, courageous to insist on their rights and careless of wealth or fame.
It has been urged by some writers that there is a unity in all history of the human race. ”

“ A state isolated from the rest of the great body of the American people by two thousand miles of mountains and arid plains that can accomplish these results and secure this position among the states of the Union is no ordinary community, and must have a history at once both unique and forceful to an extraordinary degree.
To search out facts from twenty thousand pages of printed matter heretofore issued to the world as veritable history of Oregon, a great deal of which is uncertain, much of it romance and not a little of it in dispute, is the task set before the author. ”

“ Himes and the great foundation of facts and material largely secured by him for the Oregon Historical Society, no complete history of Oregon could be written. For forty years he has delved, digged, traveled, collected, arranged, stored and studied every avenue and scrap of Oregon history to be found or obtained until he is now a walking storehouse on the great subject.
Other men and women have helped, and generously helped. From Cyrus H. Walker, the oldest living white man born west of the Rocky Mountains, and chaplain of the Oregon State Grange, we have had very great assistance. ”

“ The steamboat and the steam car have not exhausted all their wonders. They have not yet found their amplest and most appropriate theatres—the tranquil surface of the North Pacific ocean, and the vast inclined plains which spread east and west from the Rocky Mountains, the magic boat, and the flying car are not yet seen upon the ocean, and upon the plain, but they will be seen there ”

“ Already these adventurous voyagers, spreading themselves over the country that seems to suit their tastes are cultivating farms, establishing vineyards, erecting sawmills, sawing lumber and doing a thousand other things that seem perfectly natural to them. ”

“ Born to a conscious existence of its dignity as an organized community of civilized men, and influenced by the antecedent dangers and trials through which the community fought its way to recognition by congress, it is not singular that there should be found here types of men and women, and a civil government with laws and institutions out of the ordinary ”

“ He followed the business of promoting and building railroads in the state from 1864 to 1880, an account of which will be found in Chapter XIX of this history. On retiring from this railroad work he settled on a farm at the town of Gaston in Washington County, and devoted sixteen years to the work of draining and converting the disease breeding swamp of Wapatoo Lake—a thousand acres—into a fruitful and beautiful farm. ”

“ These facts are interesting only as showing how families started in European countries and through wars and religious persecution were forced to emigrate to America, and add their blood, education and influence—whatever it might be—to the building of the new nation. ”

“ She was afterwards called the Columbia. Here the first marriages in the Paeific Northwest were celebrated, and the first children born, one of whose parents were white; the first river steamer, the Columbia, 1850, was built; the first custom house erected on the coast, and one of the two (Oregon City) postoffices west of the Rockies. Twelve potatoes planted at Astoria in May yielded 190 potatoes. Turnips and radishes also raised.
Wm. Cannon was probably the first American to come to the Pacific Northwest and permanently reside here. ”

“ John Floyd, of Virginia, introduced an Oregon bill in congress. This was the first bill introduced providing for the occupation of the Pacific Northwest by the government.
1825—Fort Colville established by Hudson's Bay Company. David Douglas, Scotch scientist, who found and named the Douglas spruce of the Pacific coast, discovered the natives cultivating the indigenous tobacco plant of the Columbia river.
1827—The first apple trees grown in the Pacific Northwest were planted at Vancouver, Washington. They sprang from the seed of an apple eaten at a dinner party given in London, England. ”

“ Joseph Gaston, author of the history of Portland, and of this Centennial History of Oregon, born in the village of Lloydsville, Belmont County, Ohio, November 14, 1833, comes of French Huguenot ancestry, as do all of the Gastons of the United States—the family being represented in all of the states, and there being postoffices in twelve states, bearing the Gaston name. ”

“ While always taking an interest in politics and public affairs, he has never been an office holder, and only once a candidate for office, being the Populist candidate for the office of justice of the supreme court in 1894 ”