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From: "karen zach" <>
Subject: Re: [INPARKE] RALSTON BIO
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 22:58:39 -0400
References: <20060829.101200.2996.7.bwebb9@juno.com><00cd01c6cd68$2e1663f0$6601a8c0@KARENSVAIO>


Gaston, Joseph. 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
Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1911, p. 366.

Lonner Owen RALSTON, who during the years of his residence in Portland,
covering a period since 1899 has been closely associated with its financial
and banking interests and is now devoting his attention to his various
investments which include valuable business and residence property, is
numbered among those citizens who have firm faith in the future of Portland
and are putting forth effective and far reaching effort in its behalf.
Oregon claims him as one of her native sons, his birth having occurred in
Lebanon, Linn County on the 15th of December, 1859. His father, William M.
Ralston, was born in Rockville, Parke County, Indiana March 24, 1824 and was
a son of Jeremiah and Margaret McKnight Ralston. The family removed about
1834 to Burlington, Iowa where William Ralston engaged in merchandising
until 1847. That year witnessed their arrival in Linn County, Oregon and in
1848 he went to the mines of California but 3 years later returned to
Lebanon, Oregon establishing a store at that place. Subsequently he carried
on farming and stock raising near Lebanon, continuing in busines suntil
1872, when he retired from active life. Jeremiah Ralston, the grandfather of
our subject, platted and started the town of Lebanon and donated the ground
for Lebanon Academy of which he was one of the founders. The father was the
owner of 320 acres of valuable land there from which he derived a
stubstantial income up to the time of his death, which occurred on 23 june
1906. In 1852 he married Laura A. Denney, a daughter of Christian and Eliza
Nickerson Denney and sister of Judge O. N. Denney who was one of Portland's
most prominent men, serving as advisor to the king of Corea (sic) and
counsul to China. He is mentioned on another page of this volume. Mrs.
Ralston was born in Muskingum Co OH and died in Oregon Nov 2, 1897 having
come to this state in 1852 with her parents who settled in Linn Co. Unto
WIlliam and Laura Ralston were born 5 children: Lonner Owen Ralston, the
only surviving member of the family was educated in the public schools of
his native county in the Albany Oregon College and business college of
Portland. A portion of his youth was spent upon the home farm and from 1880
until 1898 he devote dhis time and energies to stock raising and to
merchandising in eastern Oregon. He conducted stores at Arlington and at
Olex, both in Gilliam County and met with success in his operations in that
part of the state but seeking the broader field offered by the city he
disposed of his mercantile interests in 1898 and soon afterward came to
Portland. He still retains ownership of 2,000 acres of land there, however,
property that is constantly rising in value as that section of the state
becomes more thickly settled. For a year after leaving Gilliam County Mr.
Ralston resided in Albany and in 1899 came to Portland where he has since
figured prominently in connection with the financial and property intersts
in the city. In 1904 he was one of the organizers of the Oregon Savings Bank
of which he served as pres until the followin gyear when he sold his
interest. In 1908 he accepted the presidencey of the American Bank & Trust
Company but resigned that postion upon selling his interest in January 1910.
Under his administration both were growing and prosperous institutions his
keen business foresight and carefully formulated plans proving elements in
the success. Mr. Ralston is now president and owner of Marietta Trust Co of
Portland a holding company for Mr. Ralston's intersts. He has also been
interested in various other enterprises but now devotes his attention to his
investments owning much valuable business and residence in Portland. In
addition to his 2000 acre tract in Eastern Oregon he has a farm of 1000
acres on the Kalama River in Washington.

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