Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/630



effective, or be swamped with calls for help they could not relieve. In the mean- time, Mr. Matthew Patton, one of the noble whole-souled old pioneers of the city, had proposed to donate a city block of land to any society which would agree to build thereon a charitable institution within a year, that would cost not less than one thousand dollars.

The ladies had already vindicated, by their unselfish labors and abundant charities, their right to public support and encouragement, and they decided to claim the benefits of Mr. Patton's offered block. So, in 1889, they reorganized their society under the name of the "Home for the Friendless," and elected a board of five trustees to serve for one year, consisting of Rev. W. O. Forbes, Dr. J. J. Fisher, Capt. W. H. Foster, Dr. N. S. Spinney, and W. P. Watson, with Mrs. Mary A. Knox, president of the society; Mrs. Mary Foster, vice- president; Mrs, Freelove Delay, treasurer; Mrs. Eva Cline, secretary, and Mrs. Mary Evans, corresponding secretary; and went to work to raise money to clear the land, and get a house built to comply vv'ith the conditions of the gift. It was no easy job. In the year 1889 Albina was a straggling village of a few hundred people, and none of them burdened with surplus cash. But the plucky women got the money. The faded old admission cards testifying to valentine balls, mid- summer ba,lls, picnics, and so on, hitting the purses of the men on their vulner- able points, showed how, when and where, and by what patient and persistent labors these noble women of old Albina laid the foundations of a great charity, which will testify to their good works, and keep their names in sweet remem- brance for all the future history of the city.

The last report of the -society tref ore taking up the building of the home shows how carefully they had managed their- business.

Cash balance from i8§8 $ 28.50

Received from all sources during the year 1887 916.60

Total $945-10

Expended on charitable work during the year 1889 649.20

$295.90

With that balance, they started in on the year's work for 1890, twenty years ago, to provide for the poor and unfortunate of their neighborhood and build a home for the friendless.

Of that work, the Oregonian of that date says : "The Tatton Home for the Friendless,' the cornerstone of which was laid in Albina Sunday afternoon, rep- resents a noble charity, and one for which much self-sacrificing labor has already been performed. Its aged patron, Mr. Matthew Patton, was one of the pioneers of Oregon, having resided in the early fifties on a donation land claim near LaFayette, Yamhill County. He has, however, for more than thirty years, been a citizen of Multnomah County. The site of this institution, so well designated by its nam.e, was given by Mr. Patton, and consists of a valuable block in Al- bina. Through the energetic labor of the Ladies' Relief Soicety of that place, funds have been secured for the building, the corner stone of which has been laid, and there is every prospect that the work will go on satisfactorily. The aged poor, for whom no place of refuge, outside of the county almshouses exists in the state, will be the special care of this institution ; and certainly a more worthy or humane object could not well engage the attention of charity, or ask the sup- port of benevolence."

And within two years they had a house of six rooms built and paid for, and commenced taking in those aged and unfortunate people that had "nowhere to lay their heads" — the first home for old people.

The rich people of Portland never took much interest in this enterprise.^ But on the contrary, they took steps to found an "old ladies' home" on this side of