Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/548

 interest. He was liberal to the public and his friends to a fault. He is the only man that ever gave grounds for the public schools of the city; he gave the first bell to a church in the city, which still sends out its call from the old Taylor-street church every Sunday morning, inviting in the faithful. He organized the company to build the wagon road to Washington county; he organized the People's Transportation Company to reduce freight charges on the Willamette and Columbia rivers; he helped start the Oregon Central Railroad, and man}' other enterprises. (For further notice see biographical sketches.)

The third man to join the Portland Townsite Company was William W. Chapman. Esq., who for distinguished services in the Oregon Indian wars was commissioned a colonel of the volunteers and ever afterwards retained that title. Colonel Chapman was born in old Virginia, early in 1800. His father was a brick mason and contractor, and built the first brick building in Washington City. By dint of great personal efforts and private study, he picked up an education, studied law and attained a good position in the practice of the law in Virginia. But thinking the new western states offered the best opportunities for advancement, removed to Iowa while that region was yet a part of Michigan. There he was appointed United States district attorney, and when Iowa was set off as a separate territory. Chapman was elected the first delegate to Congress from Iowa, in 1836. He made a fine impression in Congress in his efforts to reclaim to Iowa a strip of territory, in dispute with Missouri, and in which he was entirely successful, giving him great credit in the new state. He was a member of the convention to form a constitution for Iowa, and was the father of the measure to transfer the gifts of public lands to the states for internal improvements from such purpose to the endowment of public schools, and which after that became the settled policy of the United States. And while in congress he was to a great extent the author of the legislation to provide the right to preempt public lands, which then led to the Homestead Act, which has made millions of people happy and independent. Colonel Chapman came to Oregon in 1847, settling first at Corvallis and later at Salem. He was often at Oregon City on legal business, and there made the acciuaintance of Coffin and 'Lownsdale, and got into the Portland Townsite Company. He held many positions of honor and trust, discharging every duty with scrupulous integrity, an honor to the city and the state, and passed away with the universal respect of all citizens.

The battle to make Portland the land terminus of all ocean commerce was the first and greatest question to be settled. That settled in favor of Portland, the people would come fast enough. But before it was settled the settlers and little businesses were slowly coming in.

The ferry across the river was started as early as 1845, consistnig of one canoe.

The first blacksmith shop was opened by Terwilliger at the corner of First and Morrison streets in 1846.

Henderson Luelling brought in the first grafted fruit trees in 1847. In this same year Captain Crosby built the first frame house in the town, bringing the materials for it from the eastern states in his ship around Cape Horn. Talk about carrying "coals to Newcastle," but don't forget Crosby's house, carried twenty thousand miles in a ship to build alongside the finest timber in the world.

In 1848 the first Methodist church was organized in Portland, and the erection of the church building commenced by Rev. J. H. Wilbur.