Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 976. JAMES ABRAHAM one of the most eminently respected of Oregon's noble pioneers, a prosperous citizen of Portland, and a generous philanthropist, is, we regret to say, not an American by birth, for we would gladly claim all that is great and good. However, he is the next thing to it, that is, a native of the Isle of Wight, England, where he was born July 29, 1811. His father was a merchant miller, who, by the loss of several vessels, with their large cargoes, was financially ruined, and, in 1821, emigrated to the United States, intending to make a new start in life. He located in Ohio, then a new and undeveloped country, where he engaged in farming, meeting with deserved prosperity. James Abraham remained with his parents until he attained his sixteenth year, when, possessing a muscular body and an ambitious mind, he determined to be self-supporting. Going to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, he was variously employed until nineteen years of age, when he engaged in the trade of carving and gilding, in the shop of John D. Morgan, manufacturer of frames and mirrors. By his energy, industry, and adaptability, he made rapid and efficient progress in his new business, and in a few months acquired the skill of a journeyman. He then went to Louisville, Kentucky, as foreman of a shop which employed many workmen who were both older and more experienced than he, the push and enthusiasm of Mr. Abraham securing for him the position. He subsequently purchased an interest in another company, and gradually built up a handsome business, continuing with unabated prosperity until 1834, when he returned to Ohio, where he joined his father in the erection of a sawmill, which they operated together for twelve years. To this enterprise Mr. Abraham devoted much laborious and earnest work, but made little financial progress, and, accordingly, in 1846, sold out his interest and returned to Louisville, where he resumed his old trade. He was married in Johnson county, Indiana, August 1, 1849, to Miss Jane St. John, an estimable lady, and a native of Ohio. He then engaged in clearing a farm from timber, and set out an orchard, but being too ambitious to wait for his orchard to grow, and hearing in the meantime most glowing accounts of the marvelous opportunities of Oregon, he started, in the spring of 1852, with an invalid wife, and one child, for the El Dorado of the West. They came all the way across the desolate plains with an ox team, which slowly and laboriously crept along. Arriving in Oregon in the fall of 1852, he located a donation claim of 320 acres, near East Portland, on which he built a small shanty, and, after comfortably installing his family in their new quarters, he began to work for Meek & Luelling, nurserymen, with whom he learned the process of grafting and caring for trees. Subsequently, Mr. Abraham engaged in the nursery business on his own account, making his start without money, by picking up the discarded roots from other nurseries. From this small beginning he extended his interests until he succeeded in building up an extensive and profitably trade. Accumulating means, he engaged in the purchase of real estate, thus becoming the proprietor of the town sites of Sunnyside and Mount Tabor, in both of which localities he resided for a number of years. In 1870 he made the first effort ever effected toward the establishment of a town at Sunnyside, which consisted in his planting trees upon Maple avenue. In his real-estate speculations, he has been a wise and successful dealer; foreseeing the future great destiny of the country, he adhered closely to his convictions, and the results have fully verified his fondest hopes. He was one of the active promoters of the Mount Tabor railroad, for which he, by his usual energy and perseverance, secured valuable right-of-way privileges. Mr. Abraham has been as earnest in promoting public and charitable interests as he has in securing his own. This is exemplified in the case of the Portland Methodist Hospital. To this institution he sold the magnificent site on which it is built, for the sum of $20; but, when it became embarrassed for lack of funds to complete and open the building, cancelled the obligation of its trustees for the entire amount, thus making his donation to this institution, $25,000. Another incident in point is that of the erection of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in East Portland. On the commencement of this edifice, in 1890, Mr. Abraham donated $20,000, to which large sum he added, at the time of the dedication of the building, in 1891, $25,000 more; thus enabling its trustees to dedicate if free of debt, a thing which could not possibly have been done without his princely giving. Mr. Abraham has been an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1853, and much of the time has held important official relations to it. He is now on the Board of Trustees of the Centenary Church, and also of the Portland Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham had one child, William Jay, a promising youth, but who died in 1864. Thus is briefly given the most important events of an active and useful life, whose efforts have all been in the line of advancing the condition of his fellow-men, and have earned the gratitude of thousands of this and coming generations. Transcriber's additional notes: Census 1860, August 4; Multnomah Co, Or; Portland, p 470 Jas, Abraham, ENG, nurseryman, $800 / $300 Jane, OH Wm, 9, IN 1870; Multnomah Co, Or; East Portland, p 130 Jas. Abrams, 59, ENG, farmer, $15,000, $150, parents foreign born Jane, wife, 40, OH, keeping house Edwd, 43, OH, farmer, father foreign born Rachel, 40, OH, at home Thomas, 19, OH, att. school Fremont, 15, OH, att. school Tipton, 12, IN, att. school Ellsworth, 8, IN, att. school ?, 5, f, IN Harriett, 2, OH 1880, June 17; Multnomah Co, Or; East Portland, p 382 James Abrahams, 68, ENG, ENG, ENG, farmer Jane, wife, 57, OH, OH, NJ, gen. debility T. Sawyer, servant, 58, single, VT, --, --, works on farm Amanda Gero, 17, servant, single, OR, PA, MA, doing housework Irvin Jewitt, 24, servant, single, NH, NH, NH, works on farm James Keith, 68, boarder, TN, SC, SC, married, magnetic heeter/healer 1900, June 6; Multnomah Co, Or; Portland Pct # 41, p 180; 30 E 7th Jane Abraham, 71, OH, OH, OH, Feb 1829, Wd, owns home free Frank, boarder, OH, OH, OH, March, real estate agent Ellen, boarder, OH, OH, OH, May Mary H. Cochrane, boarder, MO, MO, MO Oregon State Archives http://genealogy.state.or.us James Abraham, death, Feb. 7, 1893; Portland Jane Abraham, death, June 13, 1904; Portland Metro Pioneer Cemeteries http://www.metro-region .org/article.cfm?articleid=11326 Lone Fir Cemetery; Portland, Oregon. James Abraham buried Feb. 9, 1893; Jane Abraham buried June 15, 1904; ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2006 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.