Root, Neva - Beginning of the Town of Tigard j
The Begi
h
i. theTowtv Of
IG
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f NevaRot
e
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neva Root has made Tigard
her home since 1922 when she came FOREWARD
here withher parents. Her father'
was Justice of the Peace here for There have been
seven years. many requests for
She taught Ist grade at information on the early history of
Charles F. Tigard School for 12 Tigard and I know of two other persons
years and for 10 years at Phil who have done considerable work on
Lewis .School. She retired in 1966 this but their material is not avail
and has been and still is a volunteer able. For this reason I feel called
at the Tigard City Library since she to write what I find on the subject.
retired. 1 will be frank and state that I got
my information from news clippings
which my Mother, Josephine Root, took
from Tigard newspapers beginning in
NEVA ROOT
Bom.•July 10,
1901
Died-March 29, 1999
TIGARD PUBLIC LIBRARY
13500 SW HALL BLVD
TIGARD OR 97223-8111
A member of Washington County
Cooperative Library Services
i7
:1 His wife, Julia taught in the grade
school for some time. Curtis has a
son, David.
A younger brother, Hugh Butler
married.Mayme Legermont mother of
Mrs. Frank North. He built his store
�- — mostly by himself with the house atT
- tached in 1900. It was located where
the parking lot across from City
Hall is. It must have been torn down in
the late 50's. With material he had
left from the store building, he built
the first lumber yard back of the
r store on Tigard Avenue and it was run
for a short time by a Mr. Johnson who
K. sold it to Emil Johnson who later
h,
moved his yard to the present location
�- � of Tigard Lumber Yard. 1 remember Mr.
�] (],
T- Butler Tigard as a slow-moving, slightly
~ 0+6.T iGARQ
GE N Uk-A .. STORE
e
H. B. Tigard was a slowmoving,
slightly stooped old gentleman
who was very soft spoken and
who filled the candy bags too
full to be closed. 15
stooped old gentleman who was very
soft spoken and who filled the candy Anna and Herbert McDonald. Mrs. Mc-
bags too full to be closed. He like t Donald kept the store after her husband's
i his brother Charlie, had served some death until about 1955 when it was torn down
years as master of.the Tigard Grange. and the Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store went in that
About 1907 the Oregon Electric place. Mr. Tigard married Rose-Holman, who
Railroad went through Tigard to Port was born in Kansas May 19, 1870 and who
land and was a great aid to the farmers still lives in the old family home with her
who had farm produce or dairy produce daughter, Mrs. Grace Houghton. Grace
to market in Portland. Also, the high taught in colleges and after coming back home
school students took advantage of that she taught for a time in Tigard High School
.-means of transportation'to attend Lincoln ; and Reed College.
High. School. There was no high school Charles Tigard was the-first president
here until 1926. of the Tigard Bank and was influential
The Spokane, Portland, and Seattle in Tigard affairs. He died at the age of eighty
Railroad went through about the same in 1942. g g y
;..
time but reached Portland going the oppa- Curtis Tigard, his son, also makes his
site direction from what the Oregon Electric home in Tigard and was connected with the
took. Now the town moved closer to the U. S. National Bank for years, being Tigard
railroad and the "ville" in Tigardville Branch Manager for several years. He is-
was dropped as there were a number of retired now.
cities with the ville. Of course,
McDonald's General Store, the Grange
16
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opened the first general store for
Tigard on the southeast corner of
--__ - --- - McDonald Street and Pacific Highway soon
after his father died. In 1886 the first
-- -- _ Tigard Post Office was placed in his
store and for two years he ran it
----_`- with no compensation in order to convince
the Government that a post office was
MEgT needed in Tigard. At this time the
M er
name was changed from East Butte to
�— - Tigardville. By 1892 he saw the need
for a larger store and a
community
center for which he had a new building
i� erected across the street on the
-- northeast corner. The store and post
office were on the first floor and
the upstairs was for meetings, polling
place etc. Later he sold his store
to his sister-in-law and her husband,
RAUN'S MEAT
,t
' 1
I
occupation. How difficult that trip Hall, 'the telephone office next door
to.Portland must have been. Part of . to the south; Gaarde's Blacksmith Shop
the way the roads were corduroy and just north of Gaarde Avenue on the-
were rough, bumpy, and: muddy in the highway; the Evangelical Church and
rainy season. The route went down some other buildings or businesses that
the Slavin Road. John .Wesley Tigard I may have forgotten, remained in old
was an intelligent man, always appeared Tigardville.
very quiet and like'the other Tigards The new Tigard began to grow.
was a staunch Republican. He was Schamonis came about .1907 from Tualatin
killed by a car one morning when he and built their dance hall, served meals
was crossing the highway to take a cake and 1 believe, hadsome rooms to rent.
to the Odd Fellows Hail.for a social It was the first building on the left
affair. as we go south from the.tracks. Kruger
Charles, born February 15, 1862, had his barbershop and pool hall close
was the seventh child. Like the rest by and Shubring and Biederman had a
of,the children, he attended the old grocery in Boland's building. On the
East Butte School which his father and other side beside Tigard's General Store
neighbors had built near where Fowler was Raun's Meat Market where the barber
Junior High is now. He and his mother shop is. By 1910 Mr. Bill Ariss, father
of Lee, had*had a livery stable for years
and then had heavy farm equipment before
10 19
i
John was working with him. John call-
the place was turned into a filling station ed for help and his father was removed
and auto repair shop. Mr. Twiss.had from under the tree but his legs
a plumbing business on the right side troubled him for the rest of his life.
and Mr. Nick Rickert had one on the He died in 1882 leaving his good re-
corner across from the new post office, n putation as an honest, ambitious, -in-
which was the location of a large house dustrious man and a staunch Republican,
i
owned by the Burnhams and later the To him and-his wife Mary, were
Tiga rds. In that house has been a born ten children. Only three remained
bakery managed b Mrs. Bushnell, mother
in the Tigard area. Three died very
of John, and also the first home of young. John, the eldest, was born
Youngs Funeral Home. The Tigard in Arkansas and came across to the West
Feed Store was started by Mr. Biederman. with his parents and lived many years in
in the early days. the house almost directly across the
Mr. Bonesteele, father of Russell, highway as you travel west on McDonald
bu[lt the large .building which houses Avenue. He had a coach route to Port-
the Tigard City Library and Lanson's land in the early days. He made the
Wholesale Book Store in 1915, fora trips on Tuesdays and Fridays charging
Ford Safes Garage and later he had the .5& for the round trip. No doubt the
Dodge Agency. He left in 1917 and it
became the Sealy Mattress Factory, arrival of train service cut short his
1 .
9
20
from George Richardson. He paid for
these later by logging for his neigh- followed by Mr. Davis' Locker and
hors. Cold Storage Plant. Ray Christensen
. The family moved into that cabin had a planing mill just north of
December 5, 1852 and spent a miserable Fanno Creek. The remodelled building
winter subsisting almost entirely on still stands.
potatoes. In the spring they planted Sylvester Vincent was Tigard's
their garden. Now it is hard to tell ' first doctor. He and his brother, Dr.
the exact location of those three Arthur Vincent who came a little later
hundred acres but we know where the were Homeopathetic Physicians. Dr.
present Charles Tigard home is onGordon B. .Leitch was the first regular
Gaarde Avenue after having been moved 'doctor and Dr. R.A. Bissett joined him
in 1928. Dr. Leonard- B. Davis or Dr. Newall
from around the corner of Pacific High-
way. Also the first store was on the m+th was the first dentist.
corner of.McDonald Street on Pacific High- The first. newspaper in Tigard
was The road mu.st have cut through The Sentinel
published by the Pioneer
Tigard property. Think of the trees that Publishing Company in 1924. Professor
were cleared off. E. B. Nedry was the first editor. Also,
Wilson .Tigard was injured by a that year we had the first graded road,
falling tree in 1860 while his son � Highway 99W. The first. telephone and
electric power came in 1911.
8 21
am still in the process of locating
am household goods had to be left along the
several of the old businesses and
enlarging on a goodly number of these trail..
already mentioned. Too many of the The party reached The Dalles
older residents and settlers are rest- October 12, 1852 where the required
ing in the marble orchards to make it way.to get to the Willamette Valley was
easy to complete this. I m usn't forget to bu i Id f lat-bottomed boats, l ike rafts ,
the first bank of Tigard which was and float themselves and their goods
started in 1919 in the building which down the Columbia River.
is the City Hall now. Charles Tigard They stopped at Sandy, and then went on
was the first president. For years to Milwaukie where Wilson Tigard took
Mr. W. M. Evans.was manager and Arthur a Job driving a logging team. At this
Vincent was a friendly cashier. Clara work, he broke some ribs and had to
McDonald Leslie was also a friendly give up the job.
cashier for years. Later the bank As soon as he was able he walked
became a member of the U. S. National - ! to the Tualatin Valley and found a
Bank and Curtis Tigard, son of Charles place he wanted - a three hundred acre
Tigard, was manager for years, claim owned by Mr. Matthews. He
bought this timbered claim with a
little cabin on it for two Spanish
cows worth $50 apiece which he borrowed
22
i' 7
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_ TIGARD'S FIRST SCHOOLS
Shortly after his arrival in
-_ this area in 1850, Mr. Wilson Tigard
felt theneed for a school for his
children and the neighbors' children
who lived scattered about in the woods
in the vicinity. By 1853, he, with
�--- the help of neighbors put up a log
school house which was well constructed f
but small. The present Fowler Junior
High School fronts part of the property
of the old Butte. School grounds. Tigard
- -was known as Butte or East Butte until
z about. 1900.
There were 83 to 85 pupils in
the one room school with on.e teacher
;for all. The students in the upper
Xlasses who did well in their subjects
-NO were.allowed to work with the younger
;pupils which was a pleasure to them.
Yrs.
6 23
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the "Oregon fever" and set out with
their baby son, Jahn, and a group of Of course, the school was not graded
emigrants to find new homes in the but pupils were placed according to
West. Their date of departure was the reader they were able to read.
April 12, 1852. There were 130 persons School lasted ten months of the year.
in the party among whom were Wilson's Mrs. Anna McDonald, who was then
mother, brother, two sisters and Anna Pollard, half-sister of Mrs. Rosa
their husbands with children of each Tigard, missed only one day of school
couple. when the snow was two feet deep and
Cholera reached the epidemic walking from south of McDonald Road
stage as the party wound its way to school was toodifficult. Her name
westward and many died en route. was written on the blackboard by the
Wilson's mother became a victim of the teacher as the only pupil with perfect
disease but lived to reach Oregon. attendance. Only eight or nine child-
Aside from Cholera, the emigrants ren were in school the day she returned.
lost many of their cattle and had to It has been interesting also to hear
kill some of their oxen for food. With Mrs. Hannah Christensen (then Hannah
the loss of animals it was necessary Wood) tell about walking.to school
to lighten the loads on the wagons and through the woods from her home on
what is now 121st Street across from
where a windmill still stands. There
was only a path through the woods and
there were bears there.
4
25
f
I
j The school was heated by a pot- THE BEGINNING OF THE TOWN OF TIGARD
bellied stove that burned wood and
-sat in the middle of the room heating The founder of our city was
those near it to the point of dis- Wilson M. Tigard, who was born at
comfort and chilling those-away from . Fort Smith, Arkansas, September 1826.
itand'they were uncomfortable. Near Although his grandparents came from
the school was a spring from which came Northern Ireland on the same ship,
the drinking water that was passed they did not know each other until
around in the only tin cup that the they settled in Georgia. Wilson's
school had to dip.water to drink. father was an American Revolutionary
Close by was the dense pine flat and patriot.
it was there that the boys and girls Wilson was the eldest child in his
gathered to pick gum from the family and had little opportunity for
trees to chew, calling it "pine flat an education but improved himself
chew". This sufficed as the center through study and reading.
of education until about 1869 when a On March 17, 1850, Wilson took
frame building was erected near the Mary A. Yoes, also of Arkansas where
same location. Among teachers mention- they lived two years, as his wife.
t ed as outstanding by the pupils were . Mary was born July 29, 1830, the
Mr. George Hall and Mrs. Dick Wilmott. daughter of Conrad Yoes.
By 1852 the young couple caught
i
r
26 3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neva Root made Tigard her home in 1922 when she came here with her parents. Her father was
Justice of the Peace here for seven years.
She taught 1st grade at Charles F. Tigard School for 12 years and for 10 years at Phil Lewis
School. She retired in 1966 and began volunteering at the Tigard City Library until her death in
1999.
NEVA ROOT
Born:July 10,1901 1 Died:March 29, 1999
FOREWARD
There have been many requests for information on the early history of Tigard and I know of two
other persons
who have done considerable work on this but their material is not available. For this reason I feel
called to write what I find on the subject.
I will be frank and state that I got my information from news clippings which my Mother,
Josephine Root,took from Tigard newspapers beginning in 1944 and I continued her scrapbook
after her death in 1956; None of these articles were refuted which• makes me sure that they are
authentic.Also I was acquainted with some of the
authors.
The Oregon Historical Society in Portland also has
considerable information concerning the history of the City of
Tigard which is available to anyone going there.
THE BEGINNING OF THE TOWN OF TIGARD
` The founder of our city was Wilson M. Tigard,who was born at
Fort Smith,Arkansas; September 1826.
r
Although his grandparents came from Northern Ireland on the same ship, they did not know each
other until they settled in Georgia.'Wilson's father was an American Revolutionary patriot.
Wilson was the eldest child in his family and had little opportunity for an education but improved
himself through study and reading. On March 17, 1850,Wilson took Mary A. Yoes,also of
Arkansas where they lived two years, as his wife. Mary was born July 29, 1830, the daughter of
Conrad'Yoes. . By 1852 the young couple caught the "Oregon fever"and set out with their baby
son,John, and a group of emigrants to find new home in the
West. Their date of departure was April 12, 1852. There were 130 persons in the party among
whom were Wilson's mother,brother, two sisters and their husbands with children of each
couple.
Cholera reached the epidemic stage as the party wound its way westward and many died en
route ..Wilson's mother became a victim of the disease but lived to reach Oregon.Aside from
cholera,the emigrants lost many of their cattle and had to kill some of their oxen for food. With
the loss of animals it was necessary to lighten the loads on the wagons and household goods had
to be left along the trail.
The party reached The Dalles October 12, 1852 where the
required way to get to the Willamette Valley was to build
flat bottomed boats, like rafts, and float themselves and
_ their goods down the Columbia River. They stopped at
- � Sandy, and then went on to Milwaukie where Wilson Tigard
took a job driving a logging team.At this work, he broke
some ribs and had to give up the job. As soon as he was
able he walked '1 to the Tualatin Valley and found a place
_ _ y he wanted - a three hundred acre claim owned by Mr.
Matthews. He bought this timbered claim with a little cabin
on it for two Spanish cows worth $50 apiece which he
borrowed from George Richardson. He paid for these later
{ by logging for his neighbors.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 2
The family moved into that cabin December 5, 1852 and spent a miserable winter subsisting tell entirely on potatoes. in the spring they planted in their garden. Now it is hard almost Y resent Charles Tigard home
exact location of those three hundred acres but we know wherect corner of Pacific Highway.Also the
is on Gaarde Avenue after having been moved, from around e High,way.The road must have cut
first store was on the corner of,McDonald Street on Pacific through Tigard property.Think of the trees that were cleared off.
ohn was working with him.John
Wilson Tigard was injured by a falling tree in 18pOwhile his SO but
this legs troubled him for the
called for help and his father was removed from under the
rest of his life.He died in 1882 leaving h is good reputation as an honest,ambitious,industrious
man and a staunch Republican.
Ma ,were born ten children. Only three remained in the Tigard area.Three r
To him and his wife,Mary
died very young John)the eldest,was born in Arkansas and came across to the West w thh west
parents and lived many years in the house almost directly across the highway as you travel
on McDonald Avenue.
He had a coach route to Portland in the early days.He made the trips on Tuesdays and Fridays
of
_-
charging 50�for the round trip. No doubt the arrival
train service cut short his occupation. How difficult that
�% �'`. ! Part of the way the
;\ �'� tri to Portland must have been
p and were rough,bumpy, and muddy
- - - roads were corduroy
N•w.M'iDOM4LD T-.,
GE ALM
Mr�uwwasE in the rainy season. The route went down the Slavin
C J- y Road.
{1516 115161 A':`
z�
Ii51E' '
john Wesley Tigard was an intelligent man, 'always
� '- appeared very quiet and like the other Tigards' was a
The siore and post office staunch Republican. He was killed by a car one morninge
were on the tint floor and
the upstairs was for meetings when he was crossing the highway to take a ca e
and a polling place-
Odd Fellows Hall for a social affair.
3 �
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root
Charles,born February 15, 1862, was the seventh child. Like the rest of the children, he attended
the old East Butte School which his father and neighbors had built near where Fowler Junior High
is now. He and his mother opened the first general store for Tigard on the southeast corner of
McDonald Street and Pacific Highway soon after his father died.
In 1886 the first Tigard Post Office was placed in his store and for two years he ran it with no
compensation in order to convince the Government that a post office was needed in Tigard. At
this time the name was changed from East Butte to Tigardville.
By 1892 he saw the need for a larger store and a community center for which he had a new
building erected across the street on the northeast corner. The store and post office were on the
first floor and- the upstairs was for meetings, polling place, etc.
Later he sold his store to his sister-in-law and her husband,Anna and Herbert McDonald. Mrs.
McDonald kept the store after: her husband's death until about 1955 when it was torn down and
the Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store went in that place.
Mr. Tigard married Rose-Holman,who was born in Kansas May 19, 1870 and who still lives in the
old family home with her daughter, Mrs. Grace Houghton. Grace taught in colleges and after
coming back home she taught for a time in Tigard High School and Reed College.
Charles Tigard was the first president of the Tigard Bank and was influential. in Tigard affairs. He
died at the age of eighty in 1942. Curtis Tigard, his son, also makes his home in Tigard and was
connected with the U. S. National Bank for years,being Tigard Branch Manager for several years.
He is retired now. His wife,Julia taught in the grade school for some time. Curtis has a son, David.
A younger brother, Hugh Butler, married Mayme Legermont, mother of Mrs. Frank North. He
built his store mostly by himself with the house attached in 1900. It was located where the
parking lot across from City Hall is. It must have been torn down in the late 50•s. With material he
had left from the state building, he built the first lumber yard back of the store on Tigard Avenue
and it was run for a short time by a Mr.Johnson who sold it to Emil Johnson who later moved his
yard to the present location of Tigard Lumber Yard.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 4
The Beginthihd ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Of the Neva Root made Tigard her home in 1922 when she came here
with her parents. Her father was Justice of the Peace here for seven
. s
of years.
'TIG�RI�+ She taught 1st grade at Charles F. Tigard School for 12 years and for
10 years at Phil Lewis School. She retired in 1966 and began
r I volunteering at the Tigard City Library until her death in 1999.
f'
L' - NEVA ROOT
vaRook
Born:July 10,1901 1 Died:March 29, 1999
FOREWARD
There have been many requests for information on the early history of Tigard and I know
of two other persons who have done considerable work on this but their material is not available.
For this reason I feel called to write what I find on the subject.
I will be frank and state that I got my information from news clippings which my Mother,
Josephine Root,took from Tigard newspapers beginning in 1944 and I continued her scrapbook
after her death in 1956; None of these articles were refuted which makes me sure that they are
authentic. Also I was acquainted with some of the authors.
The Oregon Historical Society in Portland also has considerable information concerning
the history of the City of Tigard which is available to anyone going there.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root
THE BEGINNING OF THE TOWN OF TIGARD
The founder of our city was Wilson M. Tigard,who was
born at Fort Smith,Arkansas; September 1826.
Although his grandparents came from Northern Ireland
on the same ship,they did not know each other until they
settled in Georgia. Wilson's father was an American
Revolutionary patriot.
_ Wilson was the eldest child in his family and had little
opportunity for an education but improved himself through
study and reading. On March 17, 1850,Wilson took Mary A.
Yoes, also of Arkansas where they lived two years, as his wife.
Mary was born July 29, 1830, the daughter of Conrad Yoes. By 1852 the young couple caught the
"Oregon fever" and set out with their baby son, John, and a group of emigrants to find a new home
r
in the West. Their date of departure was April 12, 1852. There were 130 persons in the party
among whom were Wilson's mother, brother, two sisters and their husbands with children of
each couple.
Cholera reached the epidemic stage as the party
- wound its way westward and many died en route. Wilson's
mother became a victim of the disease but lived to reach
Oregon. Aside from cholera,the emigrants lost many of
their cattle and had to kill some of their oxen for food.With
the loss of animals it was necessary to lighten the loads on
the wagons and household goods had to be left along the
trail.
The party reached The Dalles October 12, 1852
where the required way to get to the Willamette Valley was
to build flat bottomed boats, like rafts, and float themselves
and their goods down the Columbia River. They stopped at
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 2 1 P
Sandy, and then went on to Milwaukie where Wilson Tigard took a job driving a logging team. At
this work, he broke some ribs and had to give up the job. As soon as he was able he walked to the
Tualatin Valley and found a place he wanted - a three hundred acre claim owned by Mr.
Matthews. He bought this timbered claim with a little cabin on it for two Spanish cows worth $50
apiece which he borrowed from George Richardson. He paid for these later by logging for his
neighbors.
The family moved into that cabin December 5, 1852 and spent a miserable winter
subsisting almost entirely on potatoes. In the spring they planted in their garden. Now it is hard
to tell the exact location of those three hundred acres but we know where the present Charles
Tigard home is on Gaarde Avenue after having been moved, from around the corner of Pacific
Highway. Also the first store was on the corner of McDonald Street on Pacific Highway.The road
must have cut through Tigard property. Think of the trees that were cleared off.
Wilson Tigard was injured by a falling tree in 1860 while his son John was working with
him. John called for help and his father was removed from under the tree but his legs troubled
him for the rest of his life. He died in 1882 leaving his good reputation as an honest,ambitious,
industrious man and a staunch Republican.
To him and his wife, Mary,were born ten children. Only three remained in the Tigard
area.Three died very young. John,the eldest,was born in
Arkansas and came across to the West with his parents
� .
and lived many years in the house almost directly across
H•W M-DONALD - ! the highway as you travel west on McDonald Avenue. He
GENERAL MERCNANDIgE
had a coach route to Portland in the early days. He made
5116 the trips on Tuesdays and Fridays charging SN for the
- _1516-6�� - {�
1518 1518 ��`� I! j
_ round trip. No doubt the arrival of train service cut short
" I his occupation. How difficult that trip to Portland must
have been! Part of the way the roads were corduroy and
The store and post orrice
were on the first Haar and were rough, bumpy,and muddy in the rainy season. The
and a polling place.e upstairs was for meetings
anroute went down the Slavin Road.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 3 1 P ,3 z3 ,_,
John Wesley Tigard was an intelligent man,always appeared very quiet and like the other Tigards
was a staunch Republican. He was killed by a car one morning when he was crossing the highway
to take a cake to the Odd Fellows Hall for a social affair.
Charles, born February 15, 1862,was the seventh child. Like the rest of the children, he
attended the old East Butte School which his father and neighbors had built near where Fowler
Junior High is now. He and his mother opened the first general store for Tigard on the southeast
corner of McDonald Street and Pacific Highway soon after his father died. In 1886 the first
Tigard Post Office was placed in his store and for two years he ran it with no compensation in
order to convince the Government that a post office was needed in Tigard. At this time the name
was changed from East Butte to Tigardville. By 1892 he saw the need for a larger store and a
community center for which he had a new building erected across the street on the northeast
corner. The store and post office were on the first floor and the upstairs was for meetings, polling
place, etc.
Later he sold his store to his sister-in-law and her husband,Anna and Herbert McDonald.
Mrs. McDonald kept the store after her husband's death until about 1955 when it was torn down
and the Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store went in that place.
Mr. Tigard married Rose-Holman,who was born in Kansas May 19, 1870 and who still
lives in the old family home with her daughter, Mrs. Grace Houghton. Grace taught in colleges
and after coming back home she taught for a time in Tigard High School and Reed College.
Charles Tigard was the first president of the Tigard Bank and was influential in Tigard
affairs. He died at the age of eighty in 1942. Curtis Tigard, his son, also makes his home in Tigard
and was connected with the U. S. National Bank for years,being Tigard Branch Manager for
several years. He is retired now. His wife,Julia taught in the grade school for some time. Curtis
has a son, David.
A younger brother, Hugh Butler, married Mayme Legermont, mother of Mrs. Frank North.
He built his store mostly by himself with the house attached in 1900. It was located where the
parking lot across from City Hall is. It must have been torn down in the late 50s.With material he
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 4 1 P F1 v,,
had left from the state building, he built the first lumber yard in back of the store on Tigard
Avenue and it was run for a short time by a Mr. Johnson who sold it to Emil Johnson who later
moved his yard to the present location of Tigard Lumber
W Yard.
' I remember Mr. Butler Tigard as a slow-moving, slightly
_ stooped old gentleman who was very soft spoken and
who filled the candy bags too full to be closed. He like his
brother Charlie, had served some years as master of the
Tigard Grange.
About 1907,the Oregon Electric Railroad went
through Tigard to Portland and was a great aid to the
Ke.TItgo farmers who had farm produce or dairy produce to
tiEsr� SroRE
market in Portland. Also, the high school students took
H.B. Tigard was a slowmoving,
slightly stooped old gentleman advantage of that means of transportation to attend
who was very soft spoken and
who filled the candy bags too Lincoln High School.There was no high school here until
full to be closed.
1926.
The Spokane, Portland,and
Seattle Railroad went through about the
same time but reached Portland going
the opposite direction from what the
. 79CARD
Oregon Electric took. Now the town
moved closer to the railroad and the .
"ville" in Tigardville was dropped as
there were a number of cities with the
"ville".
Of course, McDonald's General Store,the Grange Hall, the telephone office next door to the
south; Gaarde's Blacksmith Shop,just north of Gaarde Avenue on the highway;
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 5 1 P a
the Evangelical Church and some other buildings or businesses that I
may have forgotten, remained in old Tigardville. a
The new Tigard began to grow. Schamonis came about 1907 ` --
from Tualatin and built their dance hall, served meals and I believe,
had some rooms to rent. It was the first building on the left as we go
south from the tracks. Kruger had his barbershop and pool hall close
by and Shubring and Biederman had a grocery in Boland's -
EVANGELICAL CHURCH
.. building.
--__ On the other side beside Tigard's General Store
ZZMEn� was Raun's Meat Market where the barber shop is. By
qr r
z 1910 Mr. Bill Ariss, father of Lee, had had a livery
.'�;�.. ----F stable for years and then had heavy farm equipment
before the place was turned into a filling station and
�4? 421 auto repair shop.
r , w+un,,sT Mr. Twiss had a plumbing business on the right
side and Mr. Nick Rickert had one on the corner across
from the new post office,which was the location of a large house owned by the Burnhams and
later the Tigards. In that house has been a bakery managed by Mrs. Bushnell, mother of John, and
also the first home of Young's Funeral Home. The Tigard feed store was started by Mr. Biederman
in the early days.
Mr. Bonesteele, father of Russell, built the large building which houses the Tigard City
Library and Lanson's Wholesale Book Store in 1915, for a Ford Sales Garage and later he had the
Dodge Agency. He left in 1917 and it became the Sealy Mattress Factory, followed by Mr. Davis'
Locker and Cold Storage Plant. Ray Christensen had a planing mill just north of Fanno Creek. The
remodeled building still stands.
Sylvester Vincent was Tigard's first doctor. He and his brother, Dr.Arthur Vincent who
came a little later were Homeopathic Physicians. Dr. Gordon B. Leitch was the first regular doctor
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 6 1 , - .<.; f_
and Dr. R.A. Bissett joined him in 1928. Dr. Leonard B. Davis or Dr. Newall Smith was the first
dentist.
The first newspaper in Tigard was The Sentinel published by the Pioneer Publishing
Company in 1924. Professor, E. B. Nedry was the first editor. Also,that year we had the first
graded road, Highway 99W. The first telephone and electric power came in 1911.
I am still in the process of locating several of the old businesses and am enlarging on a
goodly number of these already mentioned. Too many of the older residents and settlers are
resting in the marble orchards to make it easy to complete this.
I mustn't forget the first bank of Tigard which was started in 1919 in the building which is
the City Hall now. Charles Tigard was the first president. For years, Mr.W. M. Evans was manager
and Arthur Vincent was a friendly cashier. Clara McDonald Leslie was also a friendly cashier for
years. Later the bank became a member of the U. S. National Bank and Curtis Tigard, son of
Charles Tigard,was manager for years.
TIGARD'S FIRST SCHOOLS
_ Shortly after his arrival in this area in 1850, Mr.
Wilson Tigard felt the need for a school for his children
and the neighbors' children who lived scattered about in
the woods in the vicinity.
-�> — B 1853, he,with the help of neighbors put u a
Y P g P p
log school house which was well constructed but small.
: .. _.. :
- = = The present Fowler Junior High School fronts part of the
property of the old Butte School grounds. Tigard was
There were 83 to 85known as Butte or East Butte until about 1900. There
pupils in the one room school were 83 to 85u ils in the one room school with one
with one teacher for all. p p
teacher for all. The students in the upper classes who did well in their subjects were allowed to
work with the younger pupils which was a pleasure to them.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 7 1 P ;, �r
Of course, the school was not graded but pupils were placed according to the reader they
were able to read. School lasted ten months of the year. Mrs.Anna McDonald,who was then Anna
Pollard, half-sister of Mrs. Rosa Tigard, missed only one day of school when the snow was two
feet deep and walking from south of McDonald Road to school was too difficult. Her name was
written on the blackboard by the teacher as the only pupil with perfect attendance. Only eight or
nine children were in school the day she returned. It has been interesting also to hear Mrs.
Hannah Christensen (then Hannah Wood) tell about walking to school through the woods from
her home on what is now 121St Street across from where a windmill still stands. There was only a
path through the woods and there were bears there.
The school was heated by a potbellied stove that burned wood and sat in the middle of the
room heating those near it to the point of discomfort and chilling those away from it and they
were uncomfortable. Near the school was a spring from which came the drinking water that was
passed around in the only tin cup that the school had to dip water to drink. Close by was the
dense pine flat and it was there that the boys and girls gathered to pick gum from the trees to
chew, calling it "pine flat chew." This sufficed as the center of education until about 1869 when a
frame building was erected near the same location. Among teachers mentioned as outstanding
by the pupils were Mr. George Hall and Mrs. Dick Wilmott.
Imagine! Principals in those days received the magnificent sum of$30.00 a month and
teachers about$20.00 but of course board was cheaper. Board was about$2.50 a week with the
home furnishing the best of food possible.
It was said that teachers "lived high on
the hog."
Well, in 1896 a four room school,
two story building was put up where the
Charles F. Tigard School now stands. Not
all rooms were needed until about 1911.
This building burned down in 1920.
Six.roo", graded school at Tigard. The tern, ended one week earlier than in Portland For a year or two small portable
schools. A high school is in prospect. Maple-shaded walk.- lead to the school.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 8 1 Page
buildings were used to house the pupils. The front part of the present building was completed in
1922 with rooms being added up to the last few years. According to reports, Professor E. Britt
Nedry was the first principal of the school built in 1922 and he remained for 18 years.
Old Time Tigard by Neva Root 9 1 P �„ _