Gaston, Joseph.  "Portland, Oregon, Its History and Builders."  Vol. 3.  Chicago
- Portland: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911. p. 329.
 
JAMES BOYCE MONTGOMERY

     James Boyce Montgomery, a railroad builder whose efforts contributed to the
development of both the east and the west and who for many years was one of the
best known and most highly honored citizens of Portland, was born at
Montgomery's Ferry on the Susquehanna river in Pennsylvania, twenty-five miles
north of Harrisburg, December 6, 1832. Between the ages of six and sixteen years
he was a pupil in the public schools near his home and then sought the city that
he might find broader opportunity for the exercise of his industry and ambition,
his dominant qualities. In Philadelphia he obtained a position on the Evening
Bulletin, with which he was connected for several years, until qualified to do
expert work in that line. His ability won recognition among those prominent in
the printing business, and he was offered a position on the Sandusky (Ohio)
Daily Register by Governor H. D. Cook in 1853. It is notable that each forward
step in his career brought him broader opportunities. His position with the
Register led to his appointment as editor of the Pittsburg Morning Post, and in
time he became one of the proprietors of that paper, which he successfully
managed, making it one of the leading journals of that section of the country.
Other fields of labor, however, seemed to promise more rapid and substantial
returns and, disposing of his interests in the paper to Colonel James P. Barr,
his partner, he took up the work of railroad development in Pennsylvania as a
contractor. With two associates in 1858 he secured a contract to build a bridge
across the Susquehanna river at Linden, Pennsylvania, for the Philadelphia &
Erie Railroad Company. The work was successfully completed and furnished the
opening for larger operations in the field of railroad building. In 1859 Mr.
Montgomery was awarded the contract for building the Bedford & Hopewell Railroad
in Pennsylvania, and in 1861 became associated with Captain William Lowthes in
the building of the Nesquehoning Valley Railroad. The outbreak of the Civil war.
resulting in the difficulty of obtaining labor, caused a suspension of this
work, however, but it was afterward completed by Mr. Montgomery in 1868-9. In
the meantime he had done work under contract for the Philadelphia & Erie
Railroad, and in 1866 became one of its directors, in which position he remained
until 1869. He also built the wire bridge across the Susquehanna river at
Williamsport, Pennsylvania. His operations in the field of railroad building
became all the time of more importance, bringing him prominently before the
public in this connection. He became one of the owners of the charter of the
Baltimore & Potomac Railroad in connection with Thomas A. Scott, George W. Cass,
J. D. Potts and J. D. Cameron, who were active in securing the construction and
completion of the line between Baltimore and Washington, D. C. He was also
interested in the completion of four hundred miles of the Kansas Pacific
Railroad, extending into Denver. He met with substantial and growing success as
a railroad builder and contractor, and his services in that connection were in
continuous demand. He found ready solution for intricate business problems,
readily coordinated forces and brought seemingly dissimilar interests into a
unified whole. Difficulties vanished before him as mists before the morning sun,
for his energy seemed indomitable, and when one avenue of opportunity was closed
he sought the fulfillment of his purpose in another direction.
     Mr. Montgomery's residence on the Pacific coast dated from 1870, and the
following year he became a resident of Oregon. Soon afterward he offered to
build the first portion of the Pacific division of the Northern Pacific Railroad
and the contract was awarded him against fifteen other builders. He constructed
over one hundred miles of the road and also built the draw-bridge across the
Willamette at Harrisburg for the Oregon & California Railroad. He was most
systematic in all that he did, so that results were accomplished at a minimum
loss of labor, time and material. In this is the secret of all success, and in
time led Mr. Montgomery to a position among the prosperous residents of the
northwest In 1870 he went to Scotland for the purpose of organizing a company
which subsequently built or acquired one hundred and sixty-three miles of road
in the Willamette valley, of which Mr. Montgomery himself constructed
seventy-eight miles. The American spirit of energy and determination soon
accomplished his purpose. The company was organized and a contract for rails was
let at Stockton-on-the-Tees. Proceeding to London, he chartered the two vessels
St. Louis and Childers to bring the rails to this country. While crossing to
Great Britain he had become acquainted with Captain Gilmore, who said that he
was on his way to Cardiff, Wales, to take command of the ship Edwin Reed which
was to sail with a cargo of rails for the Willamette valley to be used by a
company organized in Great Britain for constructing a railway line. With
celerity and dispatch Mr. Montgomery carried out his plans and not only
organized the company, but also had his rails in Portland six weeks before the
arrival of the Edwin Reed under command of Captain Gilmore.
     While railroad construction and organization largely claimed the energies
and ability of Mr. Montgomery, he did not confine his efforts entirely to that
line, his labors proving equally effective in other departments of business He
took large contracts for government work in the channels of the Columbia and
Snake rivers, requiring the removal of great masses of rock, particularly at the
John Day rapids. He built and operated steam sawmills at Skamokawa on the
Columbia the enterprise being conducted under the name of the Columbia River
Lumber & Manufacturing Company. He likewise built large docks and warehouses on
the water front at Albina, and of these was sole proprietor. The word fail had
no part in his vocabulary. A plan undertaken was carried forward to successful
completion, and the methods employed were ever of the most honorable and
straightforward character. Indeed Mr. Montgomery sustained an unassailable
reputation for business integrity and reliability from the outset of his
business career, and that he early gave indication of his marked business
ability as well as integrity is perhaps best indicated by an incident which
occurred in 1861 when he was but twenty-nine years of age. At that time he had
accumulated but very little property and was in need of ten thousand dollars
with which to carry on a business project. He made his way to the home of a
relative, General J. K. Moorhead, a distance of three hundred miles, and asked
the general to indorse his note for ten thousand dollars. This was done and the
money was forthcoming from the Bank of Pittsburg, payable in four months. At the
end of that time Mr. Montgomery again had need for ten thousand dollers and
again asked the general to indorse his note for that amount. The latter replied:
James, it is a good deal of trouble for me to indorse your note every three or
four months and inconvenient for you to come out this distance. I can do
something better. Thereupon he sat down and wrote out the following: "To J. Cook
& Company, Washington, D. C.; Gentlemen: I will be responsible to the amount of
one hundred thousand dollars for money advanced to J. B. Montgomery.
Respectfully, J. K. Moorhead." In commenting upon this, Mr. Montgomery afterward
said that at the time he thought of it only as an act of conspicuous generosity
on the part of his relative, but subsequent years of experience convinced him
that it was an act of great confidence in his integrity. General Moorhead never
inquired into the matter or spoke of it for nearly two years, and then asked if
Mr. Montgomery had straightened matters up with the bank. Upon being answered in
the affirmative, the subject was dropped and never referred to again.
     Although an active man of business, Mr. Montgomery did not follow the
course of many successful business men of the present day, who feel that
politics are something with which they have no concern. He recognized the
obligations as well as the privileges of citizenship, and stanchly and loyally
supported the principles in which he believed. He voted with the democracy
until, differing with the party policy on the question of slavery, he joined the
republican party in 1860 and supported Abraham Lincoln. He was thereafter to the
time of his death an earnest advocate of republican principles, and in 1866,
1867 and 1868 represented Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, as a delegate in the
state convention. In the first year he was associated with Thaddeus Stevens,
Wayne MacVeagh and others on the resolutions committee, reporting a resolution
commending the nomination of General Grant for the presidency, which was the
first state convention to present the name of the hero of Appomattox as a
presidential candidate. Mr. Montgomery would never consent to become a candidate
for office until 1890, in which year he was nominated and elected to represent
Multnomah county in the state legislature. He was nevertheless throughout all
the years a potent factor in political circles by reason of his influence, his
clearly expressed opinions, and his effort to further the cause in which he
believed.
     In 1861 Mr. Montgomery was married to Miss Rachel Anthony, a daughter of
the Hon. Joseph B. Anthony, of Lycoming county, Pennsylvania. She died in 1863,
leaving an only son, and in 1866 Mr. Montgomery wedded Miss Mary S. Phelps, the
only daughter of Governor John S. Phelps, of Missouri.
     The life history of James Boyce Montgomery most readily illustrates what
may be attained by faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest
purpose. Integrity, industry and energy were the crowning points of his success,
and his connection with various enterprises and industries was of decided
advantage to the sections of the country in which he labored. He stood as the
highest type of American citizenship; capable and discriminating in business,
patriotic and loyal in citizenship, and with conscientious regard for the rights
and privileges of his fellowmen.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2008 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.