Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/338

 330 GEORGE H. HIMES. % Ankeny, is one of the United States Senators of the present day representing the State of Washington. Dr. Perry Pretty- man came to Oregon in 1847, and his donation claim, lying on the western slope of Mount Tabor, forms a highly im- portant part of the region immediately contiguous to this city. He it was who introduced dandelions into Oregon for medical purposes. There was not a dandelion in Oregon prior to 1848. His sons were all accomplished agriculturists. One of them Henry W. lives in Portland at the present time. The name of William S. Ladd is a "household word" throughout all Oregon, even the entire Pacific Coast. ' ' Public spirit," to an unusual degree, characterized his life work, and for many years his name headed every subscription list circulated in this city, which had for its object the promotion of some worthy cause. And his descendants are honoring their father by pursuing the same general policy, and in addi- tion assisting to develop different lines of industrial life, hitherto impossible until within relatively a few years, all of which is aiding in building up the commercial interests of the State in a large degree. George Collier Robbins was an early watchmaker and jeweler in Portland, and was a dis- tinctively public-spirited man. He left Portland in 1862, and for many years lived in San Diego, California, where he died a few weeks ago. H. S. Jacobs was a wagonmaker of Portland. One of his employees, J. M. Howe, invented a device which was of great value in wagon building. Mr. Jacobs sold that in Washington to the government at the breaking out of the Civil War, reaping large profits therefor. Robert Pittock, a brother of Henry L. Pittock, of the Ore- gonian, was a well-known business man here for many years. He died in Southern California recently. Kin^sley & Rees carried on the harness business several years in Portland. Hurgren & Shindler came to Portland in 1857, and were the first to begin the manufacture of furniture on a large scale. Seymour & Joynt and A. M. & L. M. Starr were stove and tinware merchants, and stood high among the business men of fifty years ago. Mrs. Francis was the wife of Simeon