Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/178



160 T. C. ELLIOTT

Dalles-Celilo Portage were at once constructed and then the Bradfords realizing the temporary character of their wooden tramway and mule drawn cars exchanged their property for stock in the Oregon Steam Navigation Co., but with the sardonic expectation of indirectly still reaping some harvest from their rivals across the River by reason of the five year contact. The construction crew of the Oregon Steam Naviga- tion Co. (some 200 men) was at once transferred to the Cascades and the rebuilding of the Bradford Portage Road begun making use of the six miles of extra rails. Messrs. Ruckle and Olmstead soon after decided to sell and did so for the sum of $155,000.00, the deal being closed on November 4th, 1862. This all took place during the phenomenal year of 1862 when freight was moving up the River in such quan- tities that it was impossible to handle it at times. The Oregon Steam Navigation Co. perfected its legal organization under the laws of Oregon, October 18th, 1862, and surrendered its special Washington charter in December, 1862.

It becomes pertinent to here make mention of the man who more than any other seems to have influenced the use of this portage for at least 25 years and whose early career has not yet been written into the annals of Oregon. The active mind in the organization of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company and its development and current business relations was the keen and skillful and genial Capt. J. C. Ainsworth, its presi- dent, but the dominant personal influence on the board of directors in determining matters of policy and of transporta- tion rates and of settlements with competitors was that of R. R. Thompson, the principal stockholder.

Robert R. Thompson, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Oregon City with the migration of 1846 and eked out a bare living there for two years doing odd jobs at blacksmithing, carpentering and tinkering of all sorts; and his wife did her part toward family support. In 1847 Mr. Thompson was one of those elected a Justice of the Peace in Clackamas County; in 1848-9 he joined the rush of gold hunters to California and