WPA Interviews

Gray, F. M.

July 8, 1940

The following sketch of the life of F. M. Gray was copied from an old newspaper clipping, date of publication not known. It was loaned for copying by Mrs. Gormley as it treats of her father's life.

My father took up a donation claim on Mount Tabor in 1855,"said F. M. Gray. * * * "Robert M. Tuttle's home on the corner of 69th and E. Stark street is located just about where our home stood. I was born in Illinois, Oct. 8, 1849. We crossed the plains to Oregon in 1858. My father, George B. Gray, was born in Iowa, and my mother, Eliza Vancil Gray was born in Ohio. Mother died when I was six months old, so my father's mother, Mrs. Martha Gray, took me. My father, with his mother and myself, started for Oregon in the spring of 1852.

I went to my first school on Mount Tabor, to John Newell. Later I went to school to Rosa Fraser. In those days Mount Tabor, Laurelhurst, Sunnyside and the other districts in East Portland were all heavy timbered or brush.

There was a country road from Mount Tabor to the Stark Street Ferry, but of course it was muddy a good deal or the time on account of being shaded by the heavy trees.

Among our neighbors were Mr. Prettyman, Mr. Abrams and Mr. Cason. My father was Justice of the Peace on Mt. Tabor. Some men who lived about where Montavilla is now were arrested for stealing. Their names were Clara, Taylor and Golden. They were examined before my father. Golden was cleared, Taylor was sent to the Penitentiary for three years and Clara went to The Dalles, where he got into trouble and was killed by the Sheriff.

Senator J. H. Mitchell tried his first case in Portland before my father. I don't remember whether he won or lost the case.

Father wanted to have a school established on Mount Tabor but the people who were up there refused to pay taxes for it. Dr. Prettyman and Rev. Hosford were the ones who objected the most. They believed that if the people living east of the river wanted a school they should hire a teacher and make it a subscription school. Finally enough of the settlers were brought into line, but Rev. Hosford refused to pay his taxes. As Justice of the Peace father levied on his horse, so he decided to pay the school tax, and the school was established.

'When I was sixteen I started for Portland Academy. Professor Frambes was the principal of the school. I went there about three years, after which I went to work in my father's livery stable. When I was 19 we moved to Judson 's Ferry, near Salem. Later we lived at Buena Vista, where I learned the trade of stoneware turner in the pottery there. The Smiths owned the pottery. Amadee Smith, now county commissioner, lived there when I was learning my trade. I lived in Buena Vista for seven years. The pottery works were then given up and moved to Portland, so I worked ass a bridge carpenter.

I was married when I was 21 years old, to Mary Ann Morgan. My wife died last November. Two of our children are still living-Mrs. Bell Gormley and Mrs. Margaret McClelland who lives in California. I was in the creamery business at Halsey for some years. I have also been in the draying business and have been a buyer for Swift & Co., and for some years I worked for R. M. Tuttle on Mount Tabor."

Copyright © 2000 Patricia Dunn. All rights reserved. This transcription may not be reproduced in any media without the express written permission by the author. Permission has been given by the Transcriber to publish on the LGS web site.