Donald Macleay
Encyclopedia
Donald Macleay was a prominent 19th century merchant and banker in Portland
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. A native of Scotland
, he emigrated at the age of 16 with his parents to the Canadian
province of Quebec
before relocating as an adult to California
and, later, Oregon. With his business partner William Corbitt, he established a highly profitable wholesale and shipping business in Portland that centered on groceries and liquor, then wheat, salmon, and timber exports. He invested in Oregon railroads, served for a time as president of the Portland Board of Trade, and is generally credited with founding the U.S. National Bank of Portland (forerunner of U.S. Bancorp), of which he was president toward the end of his life.
Macleay was active in Portland's social organizations such as the St. Andrew Society and the Arlington Club
. He and his wife, Martha, had four children, one of whom, Roderick, became a director of his father's bank. His legacy includes Macleay Park, a part of Forest Park in Portland, and Macleay
, an unincorporated
Oregon community that was renamed in his honor in 1882.
, Ross-shire
, Scotland
, in August 1834. As a child, he had a private tutor and went to school in Leckmelm. Financial difficulties caused his parents to move to Canada
and settle on a farm near Melbourne, Quebec
, when Macleay was 16. By age 20, he had formed a business partnership with a merchant, George K. Foster, of Richmond, Quebec
.
, where he met William Corbitt, and by 1866 they had established a wholesale grocery and shipping business, Corbitt & Macleay, in Portland. The business grew rapidly and by 1870 had become "one of the leading firms of the northwest".
One of several Scottish merchants and financiers who moved to Portland in the 1860s and 1870s, Macleay was among the most successful. Starting as grocery and liquor merchants, Corbitt & Macleay expanded to wheat and salmon exports, and, taking advantage of cheap Asian (coolie
) labor, they supplied buyers in Hong Kong
with spar
s and ship planking. In addition, Macleay became involved in railroad investments through his association with another native of Scotland, William Reid
, who formed the Portland Board of Trade, and Henry Villard
, who organized the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
Macleay was active in many banking and investment enterprises in and near Portland. He served as a director of the Portland & Coast Steamship Company, the Portland Telephone & Electric Light Company, and other businesses and banks, and he was for a time the vice president of the Oregon & California Railway Company
. As president of the Portland Board of Trade, he worked to persuade the U.S. government to build a jetty
system at the Columbia Bar
. He was one of the founders of the Portland Chamber of Commerce
.
Retiring from the wholesale mercantile business in 1892, he helped to establish the United States National Bank of Portland (forerunner of U.S. Bancorp) and served as its president. He was president of the British Benevolent and St. Andrew societies of Portland and was one of the founders of the Arlington Club.
. The couple had four children, Barbara, Edith, Mabel, and Roderick, and were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Portland. Martha died in 1876, and Macleay later remarried. Roderick was a director of the U.S. Bank in the early 20th century.
, when many banks failed, the U.S. Bank survived. However, to help keep the bank afloat, Macleay loaned it large sums of his own money and took no pay as bank president. Exhausted, he retired in the spring of 1895 and died on July 26, 1897.
Long before his death, Macleay's interest in the Oregonian Railway
Company, which had built a narrow-gauge railway in the eastern Willamette Valley
, led him to donate money for a schoolhouse at a railroad station in Marion County
. The community, formerly named Stipp, was re-named Macleay in 1882.
In 1897, Macleay deeded a 108 acres (43.7 ha) tract of land along Balch Creek
to the city to provide an outdoor space for patients from nearby hospitals. Developed by the city, this tract, known as Macleay Park, was one of many parks and land parcels that were combined to form Portland's Forest Park in 1948. Macleay Park is still referred to by its original name even though it is part of the larger park.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. A native of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, he emigrated at the age of 16 with his parents to the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
before relocating as an adult to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and, later, Oregon. With his business partner William Corbitt, he established a highly profitable wholesale and shipping business in Portland that centered on groceries and liquor, then wheat, salmon, and timber exports. He invested in Oregon railroads, served for a time as president of the Portland Board of Trade, and is generally credited with founding the U.S. National Bank of Portland (forerunner of U.S. Bancorp), of which he was president toward the end of his life.
Macleay was active in Portland's social organizations such as the St. Andrew Society and the Arlington Club
Arlington Club
The Arlington Club is a private social club organized in 1867 by 35 business and banking leaders of Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. First called the Social Club and later re-named the Arlington Club, it offered its all-male members, most of whom were relatively wealthy and powerful, an...
. He and his wife, Martha, had four children, one of whom, Roderick, became a director of his father's bank. His legacy includes Macleay Park, a part of Forest Park in Portland, and Macleay
Macleay, Oregon
Macleay is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Oregon, United States, about nine miles east of downtown Salem in the Waldo Hills near the Little Pudding River....
, an unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Oregon community that was renamed in his honor in 1882.
Early life
Donald Macleay was born in LeckmelmLeckmelm
Leckmelm is a small settlement on the eastern shore of Loch Broom, in Wester Ross in the Highland council area of Scotland.It is about southeast of Ullapool, along the A835 road.The Battle of Leckmelm took place in the area in 1586....
, Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in August 1834. As a child, he had a private tutor and went to school in Leckmelm. Financial difficulties caused his parents to move to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and settle on a farm near Melbourne, Quebec
Melbourne, Quebec
Melbourne is a township of 950 people, part of the Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec.-External links:*...
, when Macleay was 16. By age 20, he had formed a business partnership with a merchant, George K. Foster, of Richmond, Quebec
Richmond, Quebec
Richmond, population 3,336 , is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke and Drummondville, in the heart of Estrie in Quebec, Canada.-Richmond today:...
.
Merchant, banker, public figure
At the age of 25, Macleay went to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he met William Corbitt, and by 1866 they had established a wholesale grocery and shipping business, Corbitt & Macleay, in Portland. The business grew rapidly and by 1870 had become "one of the leading firms of the northwest".
One of several Scottish merchants and financiers who moved to Portland in the 1860s and 1870s, Macleay was among the most successful. Starting as grocery and liquor merchants, Corbitt & Macleay expanded to wheat and salmon exports, and, taking advantage of cheap Asian (coolie
Coolie
Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century...
) labor, they supplied buyers in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
with spar
Spar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
s and ship planking. In addition, Macleay became involved in railroad investments through his association with another native of Scotland, William Reid
William Reid (Scottish businessman)
William Reid was a Scottish businessman who emigrated to the U.S. state of Oregon in 1874 to establish the Oregonian Railway. He made several extensions to the railroad in the western Willamette Valley. The city of Dundee, Oregon was named after Dundee, where Reid had previously lived.- References :...
, who formed the Portland Board of Trade, and Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
, who organized the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
Macleay was active in many banking and investment enterprises in and near Portland. He served as a director of the Portland & Coast Steamship Company, the Portland Telephone & Electric Light Company, and other businesses and banks, and he was for a time the vice president of the Oregon & California Railway Company
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
. As president of the Portland Board of Trade, he worked to persuade the U.S. government to build a jetty
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
system at the Columbia Bar
Columbia Bar
The Columbia Bar is a system of bars and shoals at the mouth of the Columbia River spanning the US states of Oregon and Washington. The bar is about wide and long....
. He was one of the founders of the Portland Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
.
Retiring from the wholesale mercantile business in 1892, he helped to establish the United States National Bank of Portland (forerunner of U.S. Bancorp) and served as its president. He was president of the British Benevolent and St. Andrew societies of Portland and was one of the founders of the Arlington Club.
Family life
In 1869 Macleay married Martha Macculloch of Compton, QuebecCompton, Quebec
Compton is a municipality in the regional county municipality of Coaticook and the administrative region of Estrie. And Home Of the world famous Sanders Farm and Vallons Maraichers farm, organic vegetable growers in the Deep Root Organic Cooperative of Vermont....
. The couple had four children, Barbara, Edith, Mabel, and Roderick, and were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Portland. Martha died in 1876, and Macleay later remarried. Roderick was a director of the U.S. Bank in the early 20th century.
Death and legacy
During the Panic of 1893Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
, when many banks failed, the U.S. Bank survived. However, to help keep the bank afloat, Macleay loaned it large sums of his own money and took no pay as bank president. Exhausted, he retired in the spring of 1895 and died on July 26, 1897.
Long before his death, Macleay's interest in the Oregonian Railway
Oregonian Railway
The Oregonian Railway was a narrow gauge railroad in the Willamette Valley in the U.S. state of Oregon.-History:A group of Scot capitalists formed the Oregonian Railway Company, Limited after purchasing the bankrupt Dayton, Sheridan & Grande Ronde railroad in 1879.The first changes made were to...
Company, which had built a narrow-gauge railway in the eastern Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, led him to donate money for a schoolhouse at a railroad station in Marion County
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
. The community, formerly named Stipp, was re-named Macleay in 1882.
In 1897, Macleay deeded a 108 acres (43.7 ha) tract of land along Balch Creek
Balch Creek
Balch Creek is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning at the crest of the Tualatin Mountains , the creek flows generally east down a canyon along Northwest Cornell Road in unincorporated Multnomah County and through the Macleay Park section of Forest Park, a...
to the city to provide an outdoor space for patients from nearby hospitals. Developed by the city, this tract, known as Macleay Park, was one of many parks and land parcels that were combined to form Portland's Forest Park in 1948. Macleay Park is still referred to by its original name even though it is part of the larger park.
Works cited
- Corning, Howard M., ed. (1989) [1956]. Dictionary of Oregon History. Portland: Binford & Mort Publishing. ISBN 0-8323-0449-2.
- 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, vol. 3. Chicago, Illinois: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company..
- MacColl, E. Kimbark; Stein, Harry H. (1988). Merchants, Money, and Power: The Portland Establishment 1843–1913. Portland, Oregon: The Georgian Press. ISBN 0-9603408-4-X.
- McArthur, Lewis A., and McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names, 7th edition. Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.