George Anson Pease facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Anson Pease
Born	September 30, 1830 Stuyvesant Landing, Columbia County, New York State, US
Died	January 22, 1919(1919-01-22) (aged 88) Portland, Oregon, US
Known for	River navigation
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mildred A. Moore
Children	4

George Anson Pease was a famous steamboat captain in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He started working with steamboats on the Willamette River in the 1850s. He continued working in different roles until the early 1900s, commanding many boats. In 1861, during a big flood, Captain Pease bravely rescued 40 people from the flooded city of Salem, Oregon while on his steamboat, the Onward.

Who Was George Anson Pease?

George Anson Pease was born on September 30, 1830, in Stuyvesant Landing, a small place in New York State. His father, Norman Pease, was a builder. His mother, Harriet McAllister, later moved to Oregon.

George was the oldest of seven children. Sadly, one sibling died very young. His five sisters were:

• Maria A. Pease, who married Alexander Warner.
• Martha E. Pease, who married John Howser.
• Jane Pease, who married A. M. Cannon.
• Harriet E. Pease, who married Captain Charles W. Pope.
• Pamela Pease, who married Alfred Herring.

His Early Life and Learning

George and his sisters went to "subscription schools" in New York. These were schools where families paid a fee for their children to attend. When he was fifteen, George started learning to be a carpenter and joiner, working with his father. After his father passed away in 1847, George finished his training with another carpenter.

Moving West: The Gold Rush and Oregon

In 1849, George heard about the California Gold Rush. He decided to sail all the way around Cape Horn (the southern tip of South America) to California. He arrived on his 19th birthday, September 30, 1849. He tried mining for gold and found some success, but his partner cheated him, and he ended up with nothing.

In July 1850, George moved north to the Oregon Territory. He arrived on a ship called the brig Annie E. Maine, crossing the Columbia River bar (a tricky entrance to the river) on July 21.

Once in Oregon, George bought two flatboats. He used them to carry goods on the Willamette River between Milwaukie, Oregon, Oregon City, and later Portland. In 1850, he started with a keel-boat, moving freight from Portland to Oregon City. Native Americans helped him move the boat using poles, oars, and sails.

George Pease's Steamboat Career

George Pease became a key figure in the early days of steamboat travel in Oregon.

Starting on Steamboats

In 1851, the first steamboat, the Canemah, arrived on the upper Willamette River. George worked on it as a deckhand and clerk for six months. He also worked on other early Willamette River steamboats like the Hoosier, Oregon, and Franklin.

In the summer of 1852, George oversaw the building of the sidewheeler Oregon at Fairfield Landing on the Willamette River.

Owning and Building Steamboats

In 1857, George Pease helped build the steamboat Elk in Canemah, Oregon, with other partners. In 1858, he and others bought the Elk, and in 1860, they bought the Onward.

In 1860, George also helped build the steamer Enterprise and owned a large part of it. He operated the Enterprise for two years before it joined the People's Transportation Company, a big steamboat company formed in 1862.

Also in 1860, the Rival was built in Oregon City, Oregon. George A. Pease became her first captain.

Heroic Rescue During the Great Flood

During the massive Willamette River flood in late 1861, many towns were destroyed. Captain Pease, commanding the steamer Onward, performed a remarkable rescue. The river was full of floating houses and debris. When the Onward reached Salem, the city was underwater. Captain Pease steered his steamboat right through the streets of Salem, rescuing people from their flooded homes.

Later Career and Leadership

In 1863, Pease built another independent steamer, also named Enterprise, in Canemah. He had support from a group of investors, including his brother-in-law, Captain Charles W. Pope. This new Enterprise ran independently for a short time with Pease as captain.

In 1865, Pease joined the People’s Transportation Company. He served on their board of directors for several years. In 1871, the company was sold to Benjamin Holladay, a powerful businessman. Pease continued to work for Holladay as the superintendent of his river lines. He even supervised the building of a large hotel at Clatsop Beach in 1872.

Later, Holladay sold his businesses to the Oregon Steam Navigation Company (O.S.N.). Pease stayed on as a captain for O.S.N. In 1875, he captained the Bonita from Portland to Astoria, Oregon. After that, he commanded the Dixie Thompson and Emma Hayward for O.S.N. until 1878 or 1879, when he became a pilot.

Piloting and Other Work

As a pilot, George Pease guided ships safely through rivers and bars.

Working as a Pilot

In 1888, a new law meant that ships didn't need a pilot if they were being towed. This gave the towing business on the Columbia River to the Union Pacific Railroad Company. George Pease was the only state-licensed pilot working for them. After some years, he moved to work for the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company.

In March 1889, the pilots and engineers of the Oregon Railway & Navigation company went on strike for better pay. George Pease was one of the three men chosen by the pilots to negotiate with the company.

From 1896 to May 1903, Pease was the captain of the United States government dredge, the W. S. Ladd. A dredge is a special boat used to clear out riverbeds. He retired from active work in 1903.

Gold Mining and Prospecting

In 1855, George Pease went on a gold prospecting trip with 25 other men. While they were away, an Indian war broke out. Pease also owned some mines in Idaho.

His Family Life

George Anson Pease married Mildred A. Moore in Linn City, Oregon, on December 26, 1857. Mildred was born in Illinois and moved to Oregon with her family when she was five.

Mildred A. Moore passed away in Portland on October 22, 1879, at age 37. They had four children, but two, Francis A. Pease and George E. Pease, died when they were very young.

Their two children who survived were Archibald Leon Pease (1858-1919) and Harriet M. Pease Colbert (1861-1948). Both grew up, married, and had children. Archibald L. Pease also became a steamboat captain. In 1893, he was the captain of the famous sidewheeler T.J. Potter on the Columbia River.

Community and Political Life

George Pease was active in many groups and had strong beliefs.

Joining Community Groups

George Pease became a Mason in 1855 in Oregon City. He was a leader in the Multnomah Lodge, which was the oldest Masonic lodge on the Pacific coast. He was also a founding member of Portland Masonic Lodge No. 55 and a high-ranking Mason in the Scottish Rite. He was also a member of the Al Kader Temple.

Pease was also a member of the Odd Fellows, another fraternal organization. In 1857, he was the secretary of Oregon Lodge No. 3, I.O.O.F.

He also belonged to the Pioneers' Association of Oregon and Historical Society, the Masters and Pilots' Association of United States Steam Vessels, and the American Brotherhood of Steamboat Captains and Pilots.

Political Views and Actions

George Pease was a Republican and served on the Oregon City Council. He was a strong supporter of the Union during the American Civil War. On June 11, 1861, he captained the Onward, carrying a large group of Union supporters upriver to a rally in Corvallis, Oregon. The trip from Canemah took two days.

During the summer of 1861, people across Oregon were putting up flag poles and raising the U.S. flag. Some people who supported the Confederacy (called "secesh" by Union supporters) would sometimes replace the U.S. flag with the Confederate flag. In the town of Linn City, Oregon, on July 1, 1861, Captain Pease and another steamboat captain, James D. Miller, led a group of Union supporters. They raised a 132-foot (40 m) flag pole with a large U.S. flag made by the women of the city.

His Final Years

George Anson Pease passed away on January 22, 1919, in Portland, Oregon, at his home. He was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City.

Steamboats George A. Pease Was Involved With

Here is a list of some of the steamboats George A. Pease owned, commanded, helped build, or piloted. Most were sternwheel river steamers, unless noted:

• Active
• Alert
• Bonita (1875)
• Canemah (sidewheeler)
• Dixie Thompson
• Elk
• E.N. Cooke
• Emma Hayward
• Enterprise (1860)
• Enterprise (1863)
• Onward (1858)
• Oregon (sidewheeler 1852)
• Pioneer, a steam tugboat
• Rival
• Senator
• Success
• Welcome