Henry S. Rowe
33rd Mayor of Portland, Oregon
In office
1900–1902
Preceded byW. A. Storey
Succeeded byGeorge Henry Williams
Personal details
Born(1851-10-11)October 11, 1851
Bolivar, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 20, 1914(1914-03-20) (aged 62)
Sauvie Island, near Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ProfessionBusinessman, politician
A sketch of Rowe, 1905

Henry Spoor Rowe (October 11, 1851 – March 20, 1914) was an American businessman and politician. He served as the Mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 1900 to 1902.

Background

Rowe was born in Bolivar, New York, on October 11, 1851[1] (another source says October 18),[2] one of the six children of John S. Rowe and Hulda Peck Rowe.[1] The family moved to Wisconsin and Henry Rowe began working for the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad as a telegraph operator at the age of thirteen.[1][3] He held numerous positions in the railroad industry, working primarily in Kansas. Rowe met Agnes Hefly in Kansas; they were married and had two sons.[1] Rowe moved to Oregon in 1880, initially working for the steamship division of Henry Villard's newly established Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company.[1]

Political career

After becoming active in politics at the county and state level, Rowe was elected Mayor of Portland, Oregon, as a member of the Republican Party, defeating the incumbent W. A. Storey.[4] He was elected on June 4, 1900,[5] and took office on July 2, 1900.[6] During Rowe's term, Portland's first Board of Park Commissioners was established.[7] Rowe also served as president of the Board of Fire Commissioners and on the city's Water Committee.[1][2] He is noted for his interest in developing Oregon's scenic attractions and also for reducing city expenditures.[8][9]

Later career

Rowe returned to the railroad industry after his term as Portland's mayor.[1] He was also involved in the banking and real estate industries. Rowe later went into business with Lee Holden, a former Portland Fire Chief.[3] Rowe and Holden constructed the Rhododendron Inn near Mount Hood in 1905.[10][11] A post office was established nearby in 1909; the town was christened "Rowe" in his honor, but the name was eventually changed to Rhododendron, Oregon.[8] Rowe died on March 20, 1914, of heart disease at a duck farm[12] he owned on Sauvie Island.[13] He is buried in Lone Fir Cemetery.[13][9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry S. Rowe.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Gaston, Joseph (1911). Portland, Oregon, its history and builders: in connection with the antecedent explorations, discoveries, and movements of the pioneers that selected the site for the great city of the Pacific, Volume 2. S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. pp. 314–316.
  2. ^ a b "He Has Made No Pledges; Mayor-Elect Rowe On His Future Plans". The Morning Oregonian. June 7, 1900. p. 12. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Who's who in the Northwest, Volume 1. Western Press Association. 1911.
  4. ^ "Both Parties Win: Republican Carry the City and County Offices, But Lose on the Legislature". The Morning Oregonian. June 6, 1900. p. 3. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  5. ^ "Directory of Current and Past Elected Officials: Mayors of Portland". Auditor's Office, City of Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "New Officers Are In". The Morning Oregonian. July 3, 1900. p. 8. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "1852-1900". About Portland Parks & Recreation. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  8. ^ a b McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 807. ISBN 978-0875952772.
  9. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lone Fir Cemetery". National Park Service. 2007. Section 8, p. 21. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  10. ^ "Rhododendron, Oregon". MountHoodHistory.com. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  11. ^ Kuechle, Jeff (March 22, 2009). "Community profile: RHODODENDRON". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  12. ^ "H. S. Rowe Dies Suddenly: Ex-Mayor of Portland Drops Dead at His Duck Farm". St. Helens Mist. March 20, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  13. ^ a b "H. S. Rowe Buried". The Morning Oregonian. March 23, 1914. p. 16. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
Preceded byW. A. Storey Mayor of Portland, Oregon 1900–1902 Succeeded byGeorge Henry Williams
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