Page:The Overland Monthly, volume 1, issue 1.djvu/29

 Islands. Couch & Co. despatched the brig Emma Preston to China. Couch's addition to Portland, sometimes called North Portland, was laid out on the "land claim" of Capt. John H. Couch. December 4, of that year the first paper was published in the town—the Weekly Oregonian. Thomas J. Dyer (afterwards Commissioner to Sandwich Islands) editor and publisher. At this time there were two other newspapers published in the Territory—the Spectator, at Oregon city and the Western Star, at Milwaukie, a then promising young city on the east bank of the Wallamet and six miles south of Portland.

The Western Star soon after disappeared from the Milwaukie horizon, to reappear in Portland as the 77mes. The town itself proved to be too near Portland, to become a city. It has however been noted for the manufacture of flour, the building of steamboats, and the Meek and Lluelling nursery, from which this coast received its first supply of cultivated apple trees. The first steamboat of any size or quality built in Oregon—the once famous Lot Whitcomb—was launched at Milwaukie on Christmas, 1850.

In January, 1851, Portland was first incorporated. The territorial extent of the young city was limited to two miles along the river by one mile back, making two square miles. In April following, the officers of the city government were chosen—Hugh D. O'Bryant being chosen mayor over Joseph S. Smith, the present democratic candidate for Congress, in Oregon. In June the city gave 222 votes for delegate to Congress, from which fact it may be safely inferred that the total population did not then equal one thousand. In March of this year, regular steam communication with San Francisco was first established. The "good" ship Columbia arrived at Portland in that month and commenced to make monthly trips to San Francisco, carrying the U.S. mails. She was withdrawn from the route about 1860, and afterwards destroyed by fire in the China seas. Her Oregon career was an uninterrupted success.

In 1853 the first brick building was erected in Portland, by William S. Ladd, now the managing partner of the banking house of Ladd & Tilton.

In 1855 the local census showed that there were in the town four churches, one academy, one public school, one steam flour mill, four steam saw mills, four printing offices, and about forty stores engaged in the sale of dry goods, groceries, etc. The real and personal property in the town was valued that year for taxation at $1,195,034, probably about one-half of its cash value.

In 1857 the valuation of property was a fraction less than in 1855, and the population was enumerated at 1,280—seven hundred and sixty-five males and five hundred and fifteen females. In 1860 the population had increased to 2,917; of these seven hundred and sixteen were between the ages of four and twenty, and entitled to attend the public schools. The following table shows the population on December 31st, of each year given:

In 1866 the property in the city liable to taxation was valued at $4,200,000, and in 1867 at $4,100,000. The apparent decrease in valuation is more than accounted for by the passage of a law between the two assessments which allowed the debts of the property holder to be deducted from the value of his property. In 1866 there was collected by the city $70,000 taxes from property, and about $14,000 from licenses and fines; of this amount $10,000 was expended upon the improvement of the Wallamet river. During the same pe-