Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/313

Rh there was no law, and no claim to the country, by any state or nation. For here there was not only no law to found any rights upon, but the country was in dispute between two rival nations, and no one knew whether any act they did in good faith would ever be recognized.

The first means of land transportation was started from Portland in the project of a wagon road west from the city through the "canyon" up Tanners creek, so called from Lownsdale starting his tannery on it. The people did not see the necessity of this road until the St. Helens townsite owners started a road from their town to reach the farmers on Tualitin plains. Money was raised, the timber cut out, and a narrow track graded up the canyon, winding around the base of the overhanging hills. And then in a great burst of enterprise, it was resolved to make a plank road of it. A wagon load of planks were sawed out down at Reed and Abrams mill and hauled out to the starting point, about where the city reservoir is located, and the whole town went out to celebrate the opening of the graded track and the commencement of the grand plank highway. General Coffin was master of ceremonies and laid the first plank, and then lawyer Frank Tilford made the speech for the occasion, and in which he said among many other encouraging things:

"This is the commencement of an era of commercial prosperity, which will continue to increase until the iron horse takes the place of the plank road. There are persons now within the sound of my voice that will live to see the day when a main trunk railroad will be extended from sea to sea; from the Atlantic to the Pacific."

Very true, orator Tilford. Your prophecy uttered on October 15, 1851 was realized for Oregon, on September 10, 1883, by the completion of the line made up of the Northern Pacific from St. Paul to the old town of Ainsworth on Snake river, just above its junction with the Columbia, and the line of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company from Ainsworth to Portland—32 years after Tilford's prophecy.

In October, 1850, the Methodist church at the corner of Third and Taylor streets was opened and dedicated to divine worship.

The Congregational church at the corner of Second and Jefferson, was opened in 1851.

The First Catholic church, at the corner of Third and Stark streets, was erected in 1851, and dedicated in February, 1852.

St. John's Day was celebrated by the Masons the first time in Portland in 1850. The Masons and the common people assembled at the Masonic hall, surrounded by logs and stumps, formed a procession and marched to the Methodist church, where Thomas J. Dryer, founder and editor of the Oregonian, delivered an oration. Rev. Horace Lyman, delivered an address, Lieut. Russell of the United States army, from Fort Vancouver, acting as Worthy Grand Master.

In this year, the Sons of Temperance were organized in Portland with great enthusiasm and large numbers.

In April 1851, the first city election was held. No politics involved. Two hundred and twenty-two votes were cast, and H. D. O'Bryant elected mayor; W. S. Caldwell, recorder, with R. R. Thompson, Shubrick Norris, George A. Barnes, Thomas G. Robinson and L. B. Hastings, for councilmen—thus ushering in the first city government of the city of Portland.

As was easily forseen, there could not be laid out and built up a city in this territory on any titles founded on the facts existing here in 1844, without incurring great doubts as to legality, if not endless litigation. And such turned out to be the case. And there was scarcely a single possibility for it to be otherwise, no matter what the intentions of the land holders were. In 1844, the title to the country was still in dispute between the United States and Great Britain. After