Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 3.djvu/520

514 In the year following his arrival in the northwest, Mr. Hathaway removed with his family to Clarke county, Washington, securing a donation land claim about fifteen miles below Vancouver. He at once began to develop and improve this, making his home thereon until 1861, when he purchased two hundred and thirty acres of land four miles from Vancouver. There he followed farming until his death, which occurred January 12, 1876, when he was fifty-two years of age. He had shared in the hardships and privations of pioneer life and took active part in the early development, especially in the reclamation of wild land for the purposes of civilization. Mr. Hathaway was one of the first to embark in the dairy business and later became the largest dairyman in his part of the state. He made the first cheese that was marketed in Oregon and Washington. He also furnished Vancouver with water before waterworks were established, delivering the water in barrels regularly to his customers.

The family continued to reside upon the home farm near Vancouver until 1905, when the property was sold. There were nine children, of whom six are living: Hiel B., who is now located in Fehda, Washington; Mrs. Abigail M. King, of Vancouver; Mrs. Emma J. Caples, of Vancouver; Orrin B., also of Vancouver; Alpha B. and Alfred O., twins. The former of Vancouver, and the latter of 'Washougal. There are now thirty-four living grandchildren. The family is indeed one of the older families of this section of the country and great changes have occurred during the fifty-eight years of their residence in the Columbia river valley. They can remember when nearly all teaming was done with oxen and when shipments were made by way of the rivers and the ocean. Long years passed after their arrival ere railroads were built, and it was a considerable period before it was no longer necessary to man the forts of this part of the country as a protection against the Indians. The Hathaway family have always borne their part in the work of general progress and improvement.

Among the men who have assisted in a marked degree in beautifying the city of Portland may be named John Anthony Miller, president of the Oregon Hassam Paving Company, who is one of the most extensive contractors in his line in the northwest. He was born in Saxony, Germany, August 26, 1868, and received a public school education in his native land. At the age of thirteen years he came to America, landing at the port of New York, and found himself in a strange country, unable to speak a word of the English language. But he determined that he would not allow this difficulty long to stand in his way and as opportunity presented he gained a thorough knowledge of the English tongue.

His first work was upon a farm in Michigan, where he remained for about two years and where he gained experience and knowledge which assisted him materially in later years. He next went to a logging camp and was there employed until 1889, being then attracted to Oklahoma, which, however, did not meet his expectations as a country for permanent abode. He arrived in Portland in August, 1889, and his earthly possessions at that time consisted of one suit of clothes which he was wearing and one dollar and seventy-five cents in money. He was looking for work and he found it.

In 1890 Mr. Miller became connected with street improvements and gained a favorable introduction to the business in which he has attained great success. He did the first brick street paving in Portland. This was on Burnside street, from Third to Sixth, and he also laid the first wooden block pavement on Fourth street, between Jefferson and Burnside streets. The company of which Mr. Miller is president owns the patents of the Hassam pavement, which is so extensively used in this city and the state. The first pavement in Portland was laid in 1907 on Hancock street, between Twenty-fourth and Twenty-seventh streets,