Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 1087.
 
JAMES E. HASELTINE

     one of the prominent representative iron and hardware merchants of the city
of Portland, is a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, born September 30, 1833.
He is of New England ancestry who came to this country from England early in the
year of 1637 and settled in Massachusetts. His father, Daniel Haseltine, was
born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, in 1795, and was during his life a builder and
contractor. He erected the lighthouse at Robin's Reef, in New York harbor, and
on Whalesback, in Portsmouth harbor, which are destined to be lasting monuments
to his honest work. He married Miss Mary E. Hill, a native of Portsmouth, and
the daughter of Mr. Elisha Hill, of that city. There were born to them seven
children, six of whom are living.
     Mr. Haseltine, the subject of our sketch, was the youngest son, and is
eminently a self-made man, as he had no money given him to start with. When he
entered the Pembroke Academy he rang the old bell and swept the floors to aid in
paying his tuition. In 1867 his business career, on his own account, began in
Portland, Maine. He engaged in the iron and hardware business until he came to
Portland, Oregon, in 1882, and purchased an interest in the business of E. J.
Northup & Co. in the iron, heavy hardware and carriage material, both wholesale
and retail.  Mr. Haseltine succeeded to the whole business, and such has been
his special gifts for this line of business that his success has been very
satisfactory.  Mr. Haseltine does not confine himself to mercantile affairs
exclusively, but is one of those broad men who take an interest in everything
that will tend to build up their State, both financially and morally.  In all
such work he is ready, willing and can be depended on. It is just as safe to
count on him in all worthy enterprises as if he had been seen and promised to
take hold. Such men are valuable and important factors in the history of this
city and State. Mr. Haseltine has interested himself considerably in city
property, having built a wharf and numerous houses, including a fine house in
which he now resides with his
family.
     In 1855 he married Miss Mary E. Knox, a native of New Hampshire.  Mrs.
Haseltine's grandfather, Daniel Knox, was a paymaster in the war of 1812, in
America. Mr. and Mrs. Hazeltine have had eight children, six of whom are living.
Their three eldest sons, Edward Knox, J. Ambrose, and Harry Alonzo, are all
filling important places in their father's store, and the youngest son, William
Carl, is at school in the East.  The daughters, Annie Mabel and Mary E., are at
school, the former at Wellesley College, and the other at Portland High School.
     Mr. Haseltine is in politics a Republican, and he and the most of his
family are Methodists, and he takes an active part in the church. He is a member
of the Board of Trustees; and is also Secretary of the same, of Grace Methodist
Episcopal Church, of which he became a member at its organization, and aided in
the building of the fine church edifice. He is also Assistant Superintendent of
the Sunday-school, and takes a deep interest in all its efforts.  Before
removing to Oregon Mr. Haseltine was for two years a member and President of the
Portland,. Maine, Common Council and also served two years on the Board of
Aldermen.  He is a Past Grand Master and Past Grand Representative to the
Sovereign Grand Lodge of the I. O. O. F. from the State of Maine and has held
the presidency of the Y. M. C. A. in the above city.
     He is at present one of the vice-presidents of the National Board of Trade,
composed of the representative business men of the nation. In the affairs of his
adopted city he takes a deep interest. He is a member of the Finance Committee
of the Chamber of Commerce and one of the Building Committee. He is one of the
Directors of the City Board of Charities and Seamen's Friend Society. Mr.
Haseltine was one of the organizers and the first vice-president of the United
States National Bank of Portland. He is the leading owner of Ocean Park in
Pacific county, Washington÷a tract of upward of 200 acres÷bordering on the
Pacific ocean, one of the most delightful summer resorts in the Northwest. He
has a fine fruit farm a few miles from the city, where pears, peaches, prunes
and small fruits are raised in abundance, and in the growth of which he takes a
great interest.
     From all this, it will be seen that Mr. Haseltine is a man of versatile
talents. He is also an agreeable gentleman, and has hosts of friends wherever he
is known.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.