History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River, Oregon. Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

DANIEL AND PUTNAM BRADFORD 1850
and the
WASHINGTON PORTAGE

     The Bradford Brothers settled in Oregon, on the north bank of the Columbia river at the town of Cascades, which, at that time, was known as Cascade City and was supposed to have a very bright future.
     Francis Chenoweth had that year built a portage road around the falls for the purpose of charging a toll from immigrants and others passing through. This portage was built on land which Mr. Chenoweth had homesteaded, but from time immemorial the Indians had traveled over the land in passing up and down the river. It was a rough trail but there was no better until Mr. Chenoweth made his "railroad".
     The Bradford Brothers purchased this road from Mr. Chenoweth and foreseeing future possibilities, at once began improvements.
     Mr. J.P. Flint of San Francisco, became a silent partner furnishing funds when needed. Dan and Putnam Bradford were both shrewd and energetic business men. A sawmill was built, a store, a wharfboat for the lower portage, where Mr. Bishop, a brother-in-law, resided with his family and attended to the business at the lower portage. Another wharfboat was built at the upper end of the portage and a small steamer was built to run from the Upper Portage to The Dalles. This boat was named "J.P. Fkint", and was used on the middle river during the season of 1851. This was THE FIRST STEAMBOAT ON THE MIDDLE RIVER, and Captain J.O. Van Bergen was the master. Arrangements were made with boats on the lower river to connect with the lower portage.
     The Flint proved to be too small for service so when the busy season was over she was taken below the Cascades, enlarged and renamed the Fashion and put on the Portland run for Bradford Brothers.
     Lumber was produced at the Bradford Mill for building purposes, supplying settlers at the Cascades and eastward on both sides of the river. The home built in Hood River by Nathanial Coe was made from lumber produced at the Bradford Mill. A barge was built and used by the Bradford's for transporting lumber and other materials from place to place on the Middle Columbia and even passengers were that way at times. In 1852, the Hudson Bay Company put on the "Allen", a small boat managed by Captain Tom Gladwell. In 1854 this boat sank near Mitchell's point Soon after this Bradford Brothers remade their barge into a steamboat and named it "Mary" and she was used that fall for transferring the immigrants from The Dalles to the Cascades.
     The family of Nathaniel Coe settled in Hood River early in the year and Lawrence Coe became one of their employees and later a business partner in The Bradford Co. made their own rates, owned their portage and boats with no competition and light taxes.
     When they purchased the road it was in Oregon, but now it was in Washington, for a new state had been formed and the road was in the new territory. The business transacted by the company came through Portland and their charges soon came to be considered exorbitant by some.
     In 1835 gold was discovered in both eastern Washington and eastern Oregon and every miner had to pass the Cascades so that their business was largely increased. On the other hand a rival appeared on the south bank of the Columbia River. Col. J.S. Ruckel began the Oregon Portage by putting the steamer Wasco on the Middle river and the Fashion on the run to Portland. On February 9th, 1856 the Oregon Portage was opened. To meet this opposition the Bradford Co. began making extensive improvements.
     In the meantime an Indian war was raging in many localities east of the Cascades. At 8:30 on the morning of March 26th an attack was made at Bradford's store and simultaneously on the entire line of the road. The men were just going to work and were taken by surprise and were entirely unprepared. Forty persons barricaded themselves in Bradford's store and successfully withstood the attack until rescued by soldiers two days later.
     Some whites escaped on the Mary and Wasco and some fled to the mountains and hid. Eighteen persons were killed and fourteen were wounded and recovered. On the morning of the 27th, the Belle came from Vancouver with forty soldiers and the Fashion came up from Portland with volunteers. But their number was too small to force their way to Bradford's store. Col. Phil Sheridan was in command and he succeeded in holding the Cascade Indians on Bradford's Island and protecting the whites at the lower wharfboat. On the morning of the 28th, relief came early when the Mary and Wasco arrived from The Dalles towing two barges and all loaded with soldiers under the command of General Wright. For further particulars of this tragedy see the biography of Lawrence Coe.
     This massacre was a severe blow to the Bradford Co. Their sawmill was burned as well as the houses of their employees and those of the settlers and much of their road was destroyed. But they quickly rallied their forces and in April bought the wrecked Gazelle at Oregon City, repaired and renamed her Senorita and put her on the Portland run in the place of the Belle. They built the Hassaloe on the middle river to take the place of the Mary. With these better boats the Bradford Company was able to transfer their freight in less time until Ruckel built the Mountain Buck which was more speedy and powerful than the Senorita. Then overtures were made by the Bradford Company, a truce was declared in November 1857. The Oregon Portage was closed, the Wasco laid off and the Mountain Buck took the place of the Senorita, the profits to be equally divided. This arrangement lasted less than a year, when the Oregon portage was again opened.
     Captain J.C. Ainsworth and his associates built a larger and more powerful boat than had ever been operated from Portland. On her trial trip it was found that she could easily climb the rapids as far as the middle landing, or lower end of the Bradford portage. An alliance was made with Captain J.C. Ainsworth by the Bradford company and the Carrie Ladd was put on the Portland route. The Oregon portage could not compete and proposed a combination and a new line was formed, known as the Union Transportation Co., beginning operation about May 12, 1859.
     There was no corporation but only an agreement, but before the year closed the partners obtained a special act of the Washington Territory legislature creating a corporation and organized under the title of Oregon Steam Navigation Company.
     The Carrie Ladd and Hassaloe connected with the Bradford Portage.
     The Oregon Portage was closed, the Mountain Buck and Wasco laid up. The owners of the two portages had became stockholders in the corporation but had no voice in the management of the portages. Twenty dollars per ton was charged on all freight between Portland and The Dallas, $5.00 being allowed to the portage railroad. The Washington portage carried all the business up to June, 1860, and received the $5.00. After that Ruckel and Olmstead received five-twelfths and Bradford & Co. seven-twelfths. A ton was determined usually by measurement, 40 cubic feet being a ton. The O.S.N. Co. controlled all the steamers on the river, the owner being stockholders. The books of the company have been preserved and information can be secured by those interested. Among the stockholders of the new corporation were the owners of both portages as well as the owners of the steam-boats involved.
     Bradford and Co. having the most capital invested became the heaviest stockholders. The ownership of the Oregon portage was transferred to Harrison Olmstead, and D.H. Olmstead, his brother, became Superintendent of that portage. An agree-ment was made between the owners of the two portages that one or both should be used as the needs demanded and that Bradford and Company should receive seven-twelfths, and the Oregon portage receive five-twelfths of the earnings.
     This agreement was made May 12th, 1860. During the month of May and June Bradford and Company received the entire amount or all the earnings. Beginning with July 1st the receipts were divided as agreed upon. The O.S.N. Co. made an agreement with Bradford and Olmstead for transferring freight and passengers over their lines at the rate of $5.00 per ton, from Portland to The Dalles. The O.S.N. Co. received $20.00 per ton and allowed the portages one-fourth of their receipts.
     The portage owners were stockholders in the company, but the corporation had no share in the earnings of the portages or in the management of their affairs. The Oregon Portage was built so near the water line that each June rise in the Columbia river damaged it so that expensive repairs had to be made. In addition to making the necessary repairs it changed its roadbed to a railroad by laying a wooden track covered with strap iron and this railroad was in operation early in May 1861. Like the Bradford road its power was furnished by mules hitched tandem when more power was needed. On May 17th the Bradford Company closed and all the traffic was carried by the Oregon Portage from that time.
     By a special act of the Washington legislature a charter had been granted citizens of the Cascades to build a steam railroad over the Washington portage, seven miles in length. Bradford and Co. secured this charter and it was expected that they would build the portage road. To keep pace with north bank portage, the Oregon portage ordered the construction of the Pony and in May 1862 it was substituted for the mules and the Oregon portage became a real steam railroad. Soon after the steam road became firmly established and dependable, Bradford sold his charter to the O.S.N. Co., and also his roadbed with its equipment. He stipulated that the sale of the roadbed should not be effective until May 1865. That date was the end of the period which Bradford and Olmstead had agreed to transfer freight and passengers for the O.S.N. Co. and seemed to be put in the sale for the purpose of exacting the seven-twelfths which had been agreed upon.
     Col. Ruckel made a protest against its payment and Dan Bradford replied, through J.C. Ainsworth president of the O.S.N. Co., saying: "I don't believe the Col. has entirely lost his judgment or he would hardly agitate such a question. As it is, it is not a matter for the Company consideration. They have a contract with Bradford and Olmstead and 'tis for the latter parties to settle their own difficulties if there are any." The owners of the Oregon portage did not relish this condition and offered to sell the portage for $175,000. This offer was rejected and they finally sold for $1155,000. The O.S.N. Co., at once went to work on the Washington portage and by May 1863 they had a railroad seven miles in length with heavy iron rails and two good locomotives at their disposal. Joseph Bailey was appointed superintendent of the Oregon portage which was used only in emergencies after this date. The O.S.N. Co. had little use for the portage but it was held to keep out rival companies. The O.S.N. Co. refused to pay the Bradford claim and on July 19th the directors submitted the case to E.D. Shattuck for arbitration without appeal. His decision awarded $21,862.50 to Bradford and Company for their share of the earnings of the portage up to April 20th, 1863 . A few years later D.F. and Put. F. Bradford offered their stock in the O.S.N. Co. for sale. The capital stock was valued at $2,000,000, and each share at $500. They owned seven hundred and fifty-eight shares and offered them at 75 cents on the dollar. Lawrence Coe at once offered his shares (336) at the same rate. The small stockholders became alarmed and quickly followed their leaders.
     Every share was greedily snatched up by San Francisco capitalists, and prosperous days for the O.S.N. Company followed.
     The Bradford brothers made their home in Washington Territory but in 1882 moved to Hood River where they spent their declining years.
     The brothers occupied a well kept home on State Street in Hood River after the death of their wives. Mrs. Canfield (a niece) from Massachusetts cams west and took charge of their home. They were regular attendants at the Riverside Congregational Church and P.F. Bradford was trustee. D.F. Bradford was the first to pass away, but his brother did not remain long after.
     P.F. Bradford Jr., had his home in the Upper valley. He was commonly spoken of as "Flint" and was a general favorite among his acquaintances.
     He was born in l856 and spent most of his life in the Columbia River Gorge. In his younger days he spent much of his time attending eastern schools. He was a direct descendent of Governor Bradford of Massachusetts. He married and had one child who was an invalid from her babyhood days. The mother died and the daughter not long after. Bereft of his family he died, the last of his line, but left a host of friends to miss him.

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