that instead
of concentraing all educational effort on the Willamette university, he favored the establishment of academies at widely separated points in the state, so that all young people could at reasonable expense, obtain the advantages of academic education. And by thus pushing this educational plan, educational advantges would be more generally diffused, students would be prepared for the university, and hopeful young men given a chance for the ministry. Wilbur labored to carry out this idea to the extent of establishing the old Portland academy at the corner of Seventh and Jefferson streets, in 185 1; and also the Umpqua academy at the town of Wilbur, in Douglas County.
New countries and trying circumstances develop men. Both these incidents bore down on the pioneer preacher with a heavy hand. Hard work and poor pay or no pay at all, were not the least of his trials. The heathen, white and red, were around and about him. While never, like Peter Cartwright of Illinois, compelled to use force to command respect for his calling, yet had it been necessary, James H. Wilbur could have administered that argument with irresistable eft'ect. With a giant's strength, mentally and physically, he used it for the noblest purposes, always willing to serve and labor to bring forth good works no matter how plain or humble the cause or the occasion. With his own hands he cleared the ground, hewed the timbers, and as far as his strength would admit, built the old Taylor Street Methodist church, — the first church building in Portland. And with his own hands he cleared the block of land from the dense fir forest and hewed out the timbers for the old Portland academy, a building fifty feet in width, eighty feet long, and two stories high. And after thus making the ground ready, and preparing heavy timbers under the old style of building frame structures, he canvassed the whole country and raised $5,000 to complete the Academy building.
That Wilbur was a man of great force and influence, outside of as well as in the church, is attested by the fact, that in 1863, while he was outside of Oregon, temporarily as superintendent of Indian schools in Washington territory, he was nominated as candidate for the United States senate, without his knowledge, at the legislative convention at Salem to select a successor to Senator Benjamin Stark. And after accepting the position as superintendent of Indian schools, he was by President Abraham Lincoln, voluntarily promoted to the position of In- dian agent on Yakima reservation. Altogether, he gave more than twenty years of his life to the work of educating and Hfting up the Indians, and his death was universally mourned by them, as their greatest loss and sorrow.
All his family passed away before him ; and the property he had accumulated by investing his savings in lands, was all given to church and charitable purposes. Ten thousand dollars was given to the Methodist Missionary Society; ten thou- sand dollars to the church Extension Society ; ten thousand dollars to the Freed- man's Aid Society; and the balance of his estate, seventeen thousand dollars to the Willamette university. As it was said of Dr. A. L. Lindsley, the Presbyte- rian leader, so it may be said of James H. Wilbur — his work will not perish. It will go on as long as recorded history and the human race co-exist. It is to the great honor of Portland that it has had such men. And it is still to the greater honor of mankind, that they have lived such lives.
THE CONGREGATIONAL LEADERS.
No notice of the founding of religious institutions in Oregon can leave out the name of Rev. George H. Atkinson, a man of commanding presence, most agreeable personality, marked talent and high character. He was born at New- bury, Vermont, sailed from Boston for Oregon, in October, 1847, and arrived in Oregon in June, 1848, coming by sea and the Sandwich islands.
Dr. Atkinson was sent to Oregon by the Llome Missionary Society of Bos- ton, as a superintendent of the congregational work in this territory. On his arrival he at once entered upon the work he was sent to do, and organized the
