"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon." Authors: "a
compilation of this work....by a number of writers."  Chicago: Chapman
Publishing Co., 1903.  p. 67.
 
HENRY EVERDING

     During the many years of his residence in Portland Henry Everding has
advanced with the people of his adopted locality and has entered with zest into
the business and social life by which he was surrounded.  Possessing the
adaptiveness characteristic of his Teutonic nationality, he has also applied the
thrift and conservatism so necessary to the successful development of pioneer or
growing conditions.  A citizen of this part of the west since 1864, he first
started a grain, feed and produce business in partnership with Edwin Beebe,
under the firm name of Everding & Beebe, his partner having been similarly
employed since 1862.  This modest beginning was located on the corner of Front
and Taylor streets, and after various changes from one part of the city to the
other settled down to where Mr. Everding has been conducting his affairs alone,
ever since the death of Mr. Beebe, twenty years ago.  It is the oldest
commission house in Portland, and in the early days had a much more extensive
and far reaching trade than at present, at that time shipping grain and produce
to California and the adjacent states.
     A native of Hanover, Germany, Mr. Everding was born April 14, 1833, and
comes of a family distinguished in war and peace and vitally connected with
commercial, agricultural and industrial affairs.  The father of Mr. Everding
died at a comparatively early age, and thereafter the widow and children carried
on the work of the farm which he left to their care.  Of the eight children all
came to the Pacific coast.  John, who came in 1853, is now a resident of San
Francisco; Charles, Fred and Richard came over in 1854; the two first mentioned
died in California, while Richard is living in Portland; Henry and his mother
came in 1855.  There were three daughters in the family, one of whom is
deceased, while the others reside in California and Portland respectively.
Henry was six weeks out from Bremen on a sailer, and after landing in New
Orleans took a three weeks' trip up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to
Cincinnati, where he worked in a starch factory for six months.  For a few
months following he clerked in different stores, and while learning the language
and familiarizing himself with the customs of the country, managed, by thrift
and economy, to save a little money. 
     In April, 1855, Mr. Everding went tot New York and embarked for Aspinwall,
and from Panama sailed on the John L. Stevens for San Francisco, which craft
contained fourteen hundred passengers.  When thirty-six hours out the boat came
upon the wreck of the ill-fated Golden Age, a large number of whose passengers
were taken aboard the Stevens and returned to Panama.  No interruption marred
the progress of the second sailing and the hopeful little band arrived in San
Francisco in May, 1855.  Here Mr. Everding was fortunate in finding work in the
starch factory of his brother, John, who had started the first enterprise of the
kind in the city.  Later Mr. Everding and his brother Frederick stocked and ran
a ranch in Contra Costa county, the management of which fell to Frederick, while
Henry turned his attention to the starch factory.  As before stated, he came to
Portland in 1864, and inaugurated the large grain, feed and produce business
with which his name has since been connected.
     Since coming to Portland Mr. Everding has been united in marriage with
Theresa Harding, a native of Prussia, Germany.  Mr. Everding is essentially
social, as are the most of his countrymen, and is identified with Willamette
Lodge No. 2, A.F. & A.M.; Oregon Commandery No. 1, of which he is a charter
member, having been transferred from Knights Templar Commandery No. 1, of San
Francisco.  He is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of
Portland.  Mr. Everding is one of the substantial and highly honored pioneers
and citizens and has been among the most helpful and representative of the
countrymen who have settled in this city.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.