Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/146

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140
F. G. Young.
140

140 JAMES R. ROBERTSON. It seems to have been well started on a splendid site and by a man well qualified for such a humanistic undertaking, but through political means removal was secured. In its new location, however, it continued to grow and has now become the flourishing institution at Chemawa. Captain Wilkinson was a man of qualities that endeared him to the people of the community, and his death in the recent Indian disturbances in Minnesota caused much regret. The buildings in part still remain and the best one is used as a dormitory for boys. It was the desire of one of the trustees, Mr. E. M. Atkinson, son of the founder, and added to the board in 1887, to utilize the buildings for a depart- ment of industrial training which might grow into a tech- nical school, and it went so far as to receive the indorse- ment of the board of trustees. For some reason, however, probably lack of funds, it was never carried out. Captain Wilkinson had been a useful man in the college and the military drill was continued after his departure. As successors are to be noted Captain Pierce, a man of considerable ability along the line of classical studies and himself a translator of Vergil and Horace, and Capt. A. Tyler, who still resides at Portland. In 1883 President Herrick resigned his position and returned to the East, where he engaged in educational work. He is still living and maintains an interest in the college with which he was once connected. With little delay a successor was chosen by the board of trustees. Rev. Jacob F. Ellis, the next president, was a native of Ohio and a graduate of Wheaton College. His education was interrupted by the civil war, but he returned to complete it and took a theological course at Oberlin Seminary. At the time of his coming to Oregon he was a pastor at Toledo, Ohio. He had first come to Oregon as pastor of the Congregational Church at Forest Grove and then removed to Seattle, Washington, where he accepted