E. Henry Wemme
Encyclopedia
E. Henry Wemme was a wealthy businessman in Portland
, in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. He was an active business investor during the pioneering era of automobile
s and aviation
.
A farmer's son born in the village of Crostau, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany as Ernest Heinrich Wemme, he had only a grade-school education. Facing enrollment in the German army, he immigrated to the United States
at 18 years of age, not intending to stay. He later said he "went broke and couldn't get away."
According to an account published in 1932 by August Wemme, his brother, Henry Wemme began his career in Portland in 1883, "with a spool of thread and a needle or two as capital."
One of his ventures was as a supplier of tent
s and other supplies to those joining the Klondike Gold Rush
. Wemme purchased canvas and cotton, having more material "than all the rest of the dealers on the coast put together", just as the boom to Alaska came to an end. Fortunately for Wemme, the large payments for excess materials occurred just as the USS Maine
was sunk, starting the Spanish–American War. Wemme was given an order for 32,000 tents, plus "an open order for hospital tents, telling me to make all I could." Instead of going bankrupt, Wemme used up his large surplus of materials and made a substantial profit.
Wemme owned the first automobile in Oregon, a Stanley Steamer bought in 1899 from what became the Locomobile Company of America. He also introduced other automobiles to the Portland area, including a Haynes-Apperson
, an Oldsmobile
, a Reo
, and a Pierce-Arrow
. He was president of the Portland Automobile Association. Each of his successive cars bore the Oregon license plate #1.
In 1906 he sold Willamette Tent & Awning to Max S. Hirsch (who had worked for his relatives at the Meier & Frank department store for the previous 20 years and sold his M&F stock for $50,000 in order to finance the purchase of Wemme's business. The firm became known as Hirsch-Weis and then White Stag
). Wemme invested most of his wealth in downtown Portland real estate.
In 1912, Wemme bought the Barlow Toll Road
for $5,400. He built bridges and made other improvements worth $25,000, then gave it to the people of Oregon as a free highway. Wemme, Oregon
is an unincorporated area along the Mount Hood Corridor and is named after him.
He at least briefly turned his attention to aviation, becoming the Pacific Northwest
agent for the biplane
s by Curtiss
. One of his automobile salesmen, Eugene Ely volunteered to fly Wemme's first Curtiss biplane to Oregon. Ely crashed without serious injury, and soon went to work for Curtiss.
He developed the Overlook neighborhood
in North Portland.
"As for his personality, Wemme usually dressed like a poverty-striken laborer. He seldome wore pressed clothes or had his shoes shined and he was generally unshaven. He was always mouthing an unlighted cigar, the liquid qualities of which ran down both sides of his mouth and chin. He worked like a horse and lived like a hermit." He never married.
Wemme died December 17, 1914 in Short Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles; he is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Wemme's brother's book bemoans a probate dispute over "an estate appraised at more than a million dollars…"; the book was written to
Wemme's will, drawn and executed by Portland lawyer and friend, George W. Joseph
, bequeathed half to the Christian Science Church
and half to German heirs. The dispute evolved into a major political fracas, going as far as the Oregon Supreme Court
; in the process, Joseph was disbarred, and also launched a strong run for Governor of Oregon
, though he died shortly after earning the Republican Party's nomination.
Ultimately, half of his estate went to "found and maintain a large home for wayward girls". It is now known as the Salvation Army White Shield Home in Northwest Portland, located at 45.541747°N 122.723165°W. It serves pregnant teens and young mothers who are in the foster system, typically due to being from a violent or abusive family.
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...
. He was an active business investor during the pioneering era of automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s and aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
.
A farmer's son born in the village of Crostau, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany as Ernest Heinrich Wemme, he had only a grade-school education. Facing enrollment in the German army, he immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at 18 years of age, not intending to stay. He later said he "went broke and couldn't get away."
According to an account published in 1932 by August Wemme, his brother, Henry Wemme began his career in Portland in 1883, "with a spool of thread and a needle or two as capital."
One of his ventures was as a supplier of tent
Tent
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
s and other supplies to those joining the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
. Wemme purchased canvas and cotton, having more material "than all the rest of the dealers on the coast put together", just as the boom to Alaska came to an end. Fortunately for Wemme, the large payments for excess materials occurred just as the USS Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
was sunk, starting the Spanish–American War. Wemme was given an order for 32,000 tents, plus "an open order for hospital tents, telling me to make all I could." Instead of going bankrupt, Wemme used up his large surplus of materials and made a substantial profit.
Wemme owned the first automobile in Oregon, a Stanley Steamer bought in 1899 from what became the Locomobile Company of America. He also introduced other automobiles to the Portland area, including a Haynes-Apperson
Haynes-Apperson
Haynes-Apperson Company was a manufacturer of Brass Era automobiles in Kokomo, Indiana, from 1896 to 1905. It was the first automobile manufacturer in Indiana, and among the first in the United States...
, an Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
, a Reo
REO Motor Car Company
The REO Motor Car Company was a Lansing, Michigan based company that produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms.REO was initiated by Ransom E. Olds during August 1904...
, and a Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow was an American automobile manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901-1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.-Early history:The forerunner...
. He was president of the Portland Automobile Association. Each of his successive cars bore the Oregon license plate #1.
In 1906 he sold Willamette Tent & Awning to Max S. Hirsch (who had worked for his relatives at the Meier & Frank department store for the previous 20 years and sold his M&F stock for $50,000 in order to finance the purchase of Wemme's business. The firm became known as Hirsch-Weis and then White Stag
White Stag (clothing)
White Stag is an in-store brand of women's clothing and accessories sold by Wal-Mart. Originally founded as a skiwear manufacturer in Portland, Oregon, the company was purchased by the Warnaco Group in 1966, which in turn sold the brand to Wal-Mart in 2003....
). Wemme invested most of his wealth in downtown Portland real estate.
In 1912, Wemme bought the Barlow Toll Road
Barlow Road
The Barlow Road is a historic road in what is now the U.S. state of Oregon. It was built in 1846 by Sam Barlow and Philip Foster, with authorization of the Provisional Legislature of Oregon, and served as the last overland segment of the Oregon Trail...
for $5,400. He built bridges and made other improvements worth $25,000, then gave it to the people of Oregon as a free highway. Wemme, Oregon
Wemme, Oregon
Wemme is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Welches and Brightwood along U.S. Route 26. It is one of the communities that make up the Villages at Mount Hood....
is an unincorporated area along the Mount Hood Corridor and is named after him.
He at least briefly turned his attention to aviation, becoming the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
agent for the biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
s by Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
. One of his automobile salesmen, Eugene Ely volunteered to fly Wemme's first Curtiss biplane to Oregon. Ely crashed without serious injury, and soon went to work for Curtiss.
He developed the Overlook neighborhood
Overlook, Portland, Oregon
Overlook is a neighborhood in the North section of Portland, Oregon on the east shore of the Willamette River. It borders University Park and Arbor Lodge on the north, Humboldt and Boise on the east, Eliot on the southeast, and Northwest Industrial and the Northwest District across the Willamette...
in North Portland.
"As for his personality, Wemme usually dressed like a poverty-striken laborer. He seldome wore pressed clothes or had his shoes shined and he was generally unshaven. He was always mouthing an unlighted cigar, the liquid qualities of which ran down both sides of his mouth and chin. He worked like a horse and lived like a hermit." He never married.
Wemme died December 17, 1914 in Short Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles; he is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Wemme's brother's book bemoans a probate dispute over "an estate appraised at more than a million dollars…"; the book was written to
get before the American people…the facts as how E. Henry Wemme's willWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
was set aside, rendered null and void, and how both heirs of his body and the E. Henry Wemme Endowment Fund (now administered by the Oregon Community Foundation) was pillaged and plundered and dissipated, and to show how and why I have been cast into prison, where I still languish at the age of sixty three…
Wemme's will, drawn and executed by Portland lawyer and friend, George W. Joseph
George W. Joseph
George W. P. Joseph was an attorney and Republican politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of California, his family relocated to Oregon when he was young. There he would practice law and serve in the Oregon State Senate....
, bequeathed half to the Christian Science Church
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
and half to German heirs. The dispute evolved into a major political fracas, going as far as the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
; in the process, Joseph was disbarred, and also launched a strong run for Governor of Oregon
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
, though he died shortly after earning the Republican Party's nomination.
Ultimately, half of his estate went to "found and maintain a large home for wayward girls". It is now known as the Salvation Army White Shield Home in Northwest Portland, located at 45.541747°N 122.723165°W. It serves pregnant teens and young mothers who are in the foster system, typically due to being from a violent or abusive family.
See also
- Bull Run Hydroelectric ProjectBull Run Hydroelectric ProjectThe Bull Run Hydroelectric Project was a Portland General Electric development in the Sandy River basin in the U.S. state of Oregon. Originally built between 1908 and 1912 near the town of Bull Run, it supplied hydroelectric power for the Portland area for nearly a century, until it was removed in...
– a hydroelectric project of the Mount Hood Company, which Wemme owned for part of the time