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Portland, Oregon - Its History and Builders, S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Portland, 1911
Page 723-5

JAMES MONROE BLOSSOM

James Monroe Blossom, the pioneer merchant and citizen of Portland, was born July 30, 1817, at Monmouth, Kennebec county, Maine. He was a descendant of seven Mayflower passengers who came over on the first trip of this vessel in 1620. These passengers were: Edward Fuller, his wife Ann and their son Samuel, who were ancestors of Temperance Fuller, Mr. Blossom's great-grand-mother; and John Howland and wife and John Tilley and wife, ancestors of Bithiah Smith Blossom, Mr. Blossom's grandmother. He was a lineal descendant of Thomas Blossom, who came over on the second trip of the Mayflower, in August, 1629. At Plymouth, Thomas Blossom became the first deacon of the church. All of the above Mayflower passengers emigrated from England to Holland in 1608-9 in order to escape persecution on account of their religious belief and hence the "pilgrimage" to Leyden, and through which the name of their church was derived, - "Pilgrim Church" and those composing it are now called Pilgrim Fathers.
Thomas Blossom was an educated man as is shown by his letter dated "Leyden, December 15, anno 1625," to Governor Bradford, Plymouth, Massachusetts, announcing the death of his pastor, John Robinson, of the Pilgrim church, March 1, 1625. A letter of the same purport was also written and signed by Francis Jessop, Thomas Nash, Thomas Blossom, Roger White and Richard Maisterson, dated Leyden, November 30, A. D., 1625. In the summer of 1625 Miles Standish made a voyage to England in the interests of the colony. Upon his return he had serious tidings to relate. But most sorrowful of all, Standish had to tell them of the death of their beloved pastor. The above letters were brought over by Miles Standish and also one from Roger White, Mr. Robinson's brother-in-law.
Joseph Blossom, the great-grandfather of James M. Blossom, was a member of the celebrated "Boston Tea Party" and on the night of December 16, 1773, assisted in throwing three cargoes of tea overboard in Boston harbor. The members of the "Tea Party" were disguised as Mohawk Indians. Mr. Blossom's grandfather, James Blossom, was a seafaring man, being captain and part owner of the whaleship Neptune, with headquarters at Bath, Maine. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary war he, with his entire ship's crew, enlisted. He was commissioned January 1, 1776, first lieutenant of Captain John Graham's (3rd) Company. Also as first lieutenant he was in command of Captain Grannis' (sea coast) Company, being stationed at Elizabeth Islands and Martha's Vineyard. He was with Washington at Trenton and Valley Forge. At the battle of Brandy-wine he was struck in the face by a fragment of shell and greatly disfigured.
The war department records show that Ansel Blossom, father of James M. Blossom, fought in the war of 1812 with England, serving as private in Captain Moses Boynton's Company of Infantry, Second Regiment (Blasdell's) Massachusetts Militia, also as private in Captain Nathaniel Pettengill's Company of Colonel Ellis Sweet's Regiment, Massachusetts Militia. After the war closed Ansel Blossom with his family removed from Monmouth, Maine, to a farm adjoining Willshire, Ohio. Mr. Blossom's education was not neglected. His father, Ansel, was a classical scholar and teacher and through him he acquired an excellent common-school education. His father's kindness and acts of charity were proverbial and this splendid trait was acquired by his son, James.
Young Blossom remained on his father's farm until his seventeenth year. He is now a "big boy" and sees the necessity of assisting his father, whose family is a large one, by shifting for himself. In 1834 he left home, walking from Willshire to Piqua, Ohio, his destination, a distance of sixty miles. Soon after his arrival at Piqua he became a tailor's apprentice. We next find him in business for himself as a merchant tailor at Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was here that he met his wife, Elizabeth Louise Gates, and to whom he was married September 14, 1841. Their children were: Leonora, who married Judge J.J. Hoffman, died in New York city and is buried in Washington, D. C.; Charles Erdley, who is deceased, his remains being interred in Portland, Oregon; Mary Mercy, who married J. D. Gordon and is also deceased, being buried in Portland, Oregon; James Monroe, who resides in the famous Upper Hood River valley, Oregon; Justine Millard, who married J. J. Bliss and is now living at Alameda, California; Maria Louise, residing in Portland; and Robert Hurd, who is engaged in business in Portland.
The Second Presbyterian church of Fort Wayne, Indiana, (now Westminster) was organized May 5, 1844, by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. His brother Charles was its first pastor. Mr. Blossom sang bass in Mr. Beecher's choir. Charles Beecher was an excellent musician - he could play as well as sing, and he led the singing in his church.
Mr. Blossom with others, in the early '40s and '50s, caught the California gold fever or the Oregon fever. His preference, however, was for Oregon. On the 25th of March, 1852, he with his wife and four small children left Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the long overland trip "across the plains," reaching their destination, Portland, Oregon Territory, October 26, 1852. What a marvelous journey this overland trip was! And especially so when we consider that the longest land journey previously attempted was less than four hundred miles. Arriving in Portland (leaving a splendid home and an excellent business) these young pioneers found themselves bereft of everything except energy and good health. The first money which Mr. Blossom had in Portland was found by him on the street. It was a five dollar gold piece and proved an acceptable "find." In Portland they at once met former Fort Wayne friends, C. S. Silver and his estimable wife, who had preceded them in the "plains across" by two years. One room was rented from Mr. Silver and in this unpretentious manner was housekeeping begun in Oregon. This house was situated on the northwest corner of Third and Washington streets.
Mr. Blossom soon secured employment and after a few years a partnership was formed with E. J. Northrup, this firm, Northrup & Blossom, succeeding Nelson Northrup, E. J.'s father, in the business established by him, namely, the first hardware firm in Portland. The business prospered and has continued uninterruptedly to the present day, and as an outgrowth of this old firm, established in 1851, we have the present substantial one known over the entire northwest, namely, The Honeyman Hardware Company.
Mr. Blossom was a public-spirited man and was always ready to assist in any worthy cause. He was one of the fifteen organizers of Samaritan Lodge, No. 2, I.O.O.F., instituted at Portland, April 8, 1853. In 1857 the city officers of Portland were as follows: Mayor, James O'Neill; recorder, A. L. Davis; treasurer, T. N. Lakin; assessor, J. M. Breck; marshal, S. R. Holcomb; councilmen, J.H. Couch, T. J. Holmes, A. B. Hallock, Charles Hutchins, P. Hardenburg, N. S. Coon, B. F. Goodwin, James M. Blossom and S. G. Reed. August 20, 1860, was elected the first board of trustees of the First Presbyterian church, at Portland, composed as follows: W. S. Ladd, James M. Blossom, J. C. Ainsworth, H. A. Hogue and B. F. Smith.
In 1864 Mr. Blossom left Portland to engage in business in Boise City, Idaho. One of his old pioneer friends, Frank R. Coffin, writing from Boise, Idaho, says of him: "His standing in this community was one that you may be proud of. His word was as good as his bond always. There are not many here now who were here in his day. They, like him, have joined the great majority."
Of Mr. Blossom's old time Portland friends and business associates but few remain today. There were two, however, who knew him well and they both, before their death, referred to aim as a most excellent man and one whose friendship they prized. These gentlemen, W. S. Ladd and Henry Failing, were bankers, with whom Mr. Blossom transacted business. When Mr. Blossom left Portland, Mr. Ladd remarked to him that should he return to engage in business, he must not hesitate to call on him for financial backing. This old time merchant died in Portland, April 14, 1891, and was buried in Portland's pioneer cemetery, the Lone Fir.

Portland, Oregon - Its History and Builders, S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Portland, 1911
Page 725-7

ELIZABETH LOUISE BLOSSOM.

This pioneer woman was born April 2, 1822, in Washington, D. C., and died July 19, 1901, at Portland, Oregon. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Louise Gates, and she was married to James Monroe Blossom, September 14, 1841, at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her ancestors, paternal and maternal, came from England, settling first in Virginia prior to the Revolution. Her father, Lemuel Gates, it is believed, was born in Norfolk, Norfolk county, Virginia. General Horatio Gates, of Revolutionary fame, was his uncle, and hence was Mrs. Blossom's great-uncle. General Gates was a social favorite and was a kind, brave and generous man. He was a slave owner, like many other southerners. As one evidence of his generosity, we find that he voluntarily liberated his slaves. Before the Revolutionary war he rendered his king excellent service in various expeditions against the Indians in Virginia. He was shot through the body at the slaughter of the Monongahela and was thought to be mortally wounded. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, and because of his brilliant services in Virginia and elsewhere, General. Washington recommended Gates for an officer's commission in the army, and through this recommendation, he was appointed adjutant-general with the rank of brigadier. Much has been said pro and con as to Mr. Gates' Revolutionary services. It would appear, however, that he has been grossly maligned by a cabal whose main purpose was to belittle his meritorious service and through its intrigue his downfall was planned. From Virginia Lemuel Gates went to Washington, D. C., about 1812. He was a gunner in the Washington navy yard during the war with England in 1812-14. In that city he was married to Mary Ann Linkins about 1815, in which city, as stated, the subject of this sketch was born.
Mrs. Blossom's maternal ancestry was named Linkins. Some members of this family residing in Virginia spell their name Lincoln and some Linkhorn. It has been determined, however, that all are descended from a common ancestry. Abraham Lincoln was one of the many "Linkins." The records of Rockingham county, Virginia, show that the Linkins, Lincoln and Linkhorn families were people of considerable consequence in the early days of the republic. On the muster rolls of the Washington militia that served during the war of 1812-14 are the names of John Linkins and William Linkins, brothers of Mary Ann Gates and uncles of Mrs. Blossom. These brother militiamen, helped repair Fort Washington, which had been damaged by the British, and also participated in the defense of the city of Washington against the attacks of the foreign foe in 1812-14. It is interesting to note that there are near descendants of this old family still living in Washington, D. C., and Aspen, Colorado - three grandchildren of William Linkins, the militiarnan, namely: Miss Esther Rittenhouse Linkins and George Washington Linkins, residing at Washington; and William Woodward Linkins residing in Aspen.
As a child, Mrs. Blossom attended the famous Foundry Methodist Episcopal church and Sunday school. A word as to this old historic structure will not be amiss. The founder and builder of this church was Henry W. Foxhall, who was an Englishman and emigrated to America in 1794. Mr. Foxhall came to Georgetown at the suggestion of Thomas Jefferson and operated a foundry, where he was engaged in manufacturing cannon for the government. This was then the only foundry south of Philadelphia, and it is said that the battle of Lake Erie was postponed until Mr. Foxhall could build and transport guns to the scene of the engagement.
Presidents McKinley, Hayes and other presidents since Lincoln have attended this church. Soon after President Lincoln went to Washington he attended the Foundry church, occupying a seat within the altar while Bishop Simpson preached a missionary sermon. After the collection was taken at the close of the service, and the congregation about to be dismissed, an irrepressible brother arose and proposed to be one of a given number to raise one hundred dollars to make the president a life member of the Missionary society. The proposition was put and brothers A, B and C responded readily. But the pause finally came, the balance was wanting. When the bishop asked "who will take the balance?" the pause became impressive. The tall form of Lincoln was seen to rise, a long bony arm was extended imploringly, and he said: "Bishop, this is the first time I have ever been placed on an auction block. Please let me pay the balance and take me down." Amid laughter and applause, Mr. Lincoln paid the balance and became a member of the society.
In 1833, when our old earth passed through the famous shower of meteors, Mrs. Blossom then aged eleven years, residing in Washington city, remembers vividly the heaven's grand display of fireworks. The effect was startling beyond description. Many thought the world's end had come, especially the ignorant negroes, who showed their fear in many ludicrous ways.
Soon after Mrs. Blossom's marriage in 1841, Miss Eliza Wilmot, a relative of Lord Erdly Wilmot, made her home with Mrs. Blossom. Miss Wilmot gave her some gold-plated buttons which. came from a coat of Lord Erdly's. These buttons are in possession of the family today.
Mrs. Blossom was received into the Second Presbyterian church (now Westminster) at Fort Wayne in 1847. Rev. Charles Beecher, a brother of Henry Ward Beecher, was its first pastor. September 7, 1851, Mrs. Blossom was given a letter of dismissal by the pastor, Charles Beecher, shortly before her departure for Oregon. In after years, Mrs. Blossom often referred to this talented man. He was also very witty, being similar to his brother, Henry Ward, in this respect. Charles Beecher was a splendid musician. At his church service he would announce the hymn and then step from the pulpit to the front of the congregation, with violin in hand, and lead the singing. Mr. Beecher had a singing school which Mrs. Blossom and her husband attended. Hugh McCulloch was also a pupil in this famous singing school. Mr. McCulloch, then a young man, was bookkeeper in a bank. He afterward became secretary of the treasury under President Lincoln. In later years he became secretary of the treasury under President Arthur. While visiting her old home, Mrs. Blossom met Mr. McCulloch in Washington, in 1868, and she was most cordially received. He gave her a picture of himself and one of his daughter.
And now at this time occurs probably the most important event in Mrs. Blos-som's life, namely, the journey "across the plains" to Oregon. It began March 25, 1852, and was finished October 26, 1852. The speaker, C. B. Moores, at the Pioneers Reunion on June 22, 1904, referring to the pioneer women who crossed the plains, said: "To thousands of strong men it meant a struggle against exposure, disease and death that was enough to dismay the stoutest heart. It was an exploit worthy the prowess of any knight errant of chivalry, and the story of that great excursion is in the future to illumine the brightest pages of history. But who, after all, were the real heroes of that great movement? If to all of these stout-hearted men, nurtured in the school of hardship and ad-versity, it meant what it did, what must have been the experience of that great army of pioneer women, companions of all their trials, many of them invalids, many of them delicately nurtured and of finer mold and more delicate sensibilities, leaving friends and home comforts and all of the hallowed associations of a lifetime for the dread uncertainties and responsibilities of an expedition to a distant and unknown land whose promises might turn to ashes and prove the wreck of all their hopes. No repetition of the story can even approach the actual experience."
Upon the consummation of this long march, and amid new surroundings, Mrs. Blossom again took up her life work. She was received into the First Congregational church at Portland, Oregon, November 20, 1853, by letter from the Second Presbyterian church in Fort Wayne. August 1, 1860, she was granted a letter commendatory to the First Presbyterian church of Portland. Mrs. Blossom with her daughter Leonora, were two of the original seventeen members who composed this church at its reorganization, August 4, 1860. Her connection with the old First church was continuous until the time of her death. She was a faithful attendant during all these years. Her faithfulness to family, to friends and to her church was strong and enduring. She was widely known for her deeds of charity to the homeless and distressed. The loving letters and testimonials at the time of her death verify this. She lies at rest beside her husband in Portland's pioneer cemetery, the Lone Fir, around which cluster so many sacred memories.