"Portrait & Biographical Record of Portland & Vinc. Oregon." Chapman 
Publishing Company, 1903. p. 792.
 
 
HON. JAMES E. HASELTINE

     The genealogy of the Haseltine family is traced to England, where the name
was originally Hazelden, from "Hazel," a tree or shrub, and "den," a valley, the
whole meaning "the valley where the hazels grew." To this day the name is
frequently heard in Devonshire and Yorkshire.  During 1637 two brothers, Robert
and John (of whom Robert is supposed to have been the elder) landed at Salem,
Mass., having crossed the ocean with Rev. Ezekiel Rogers and about sixty
families. They became the first settlers in the present town of Bradford. Their
descendants followed the march of civilization into New Hampshire, Vermont and
Maine, still later to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.  The
two brothers themselves did not remain permanently at Bradford, but John moved
to Haverhill and Robert secured land near him.  The large tract they owned
became known as Haseltine's Meadow and as such has continued to the present day.
In descent from Robert the generations in America have been Abraham (2), Richard
(3), James (4), James (5), Daniel (6) and James Edwin (7), the last named
therefore representing the seventh generation of the family in America.
     Abraham Haseltine, who made his home at Bradford and served as town clerk,
married Elizabeth Longhome, and their son, Richard, was born in Bradford
November 13, 1679. The latter became one of the original proprietors of Chester,
N. H. By his marriage to Abigail Chadwick he had a son, James, born July 2,
1719, and deceased November 3, 1803. The first wife of James Haseltine was
Rebecca Mulliken and his second marriage was to Hannah Kimball. By his second
wife he had a son, James, born April 2, 1766, and deceased April 23, 1849.
During the latter part of his life he cultivated a farm at Pembroke, N. H. His
wife was Susannah Gordon, who was born in Salem and died at Pembroke, N. H.,
January 21, 1857, when eighty-four years of age. Their son, Daniel, was born at
Haverhill November 13, 1795, and died June 30, 1852. The wife of Daniel was Mary
Elizabeth Hill, who was born at Portsmouth, N. H., September 9, 1800, and died
at Portland, Me., September 3, 1852. Her father, Elisha Hill, a blacksmith by
trade, was born in Portsmouth, N. H., January 9, 1777, of English descent, and
died May 23, 1853. His wife bore the maiden name of Phoebe Jenkins.
     During the war of 1812 Daniel Haseltine was summoned, and one of the valued
possessions of his son. James Edwin, is the military order for inspection issued
during that war, when he enrolled as a soldier in the Fifth Company, First New
Hampshire Infantry. For some years after the war he followed contracting and
mason work in Portsmouth, N. H. but about 1835 removed to New York City, where
he built the lighthouse on Robbins Reef, New York Harbor, also the Custom House
at Newburyport, Mass., which is still standing; and the Dutch Reformed Church on
Lafayette place. The family returned to New Hampshire in 1842, and settled at
Pembroke, and ten years later removed to Portland, Me.  During that same year
(1852) he was engaged in building stone wharves in Panama. The work completed,
he started home in July, but died on shipboard of the cholera and was buried at
sea, off Sandy Key, Fla. In his family there were the following children : Mrs.
Caroline Elizabeth Bingham, who is eighty years of age and makes her home in
Minneapolis, Minn.; George Hill, who died at ten years of age; Daniel Barker, an
engineer and inventor, who died at Charleston, S. C.; Henry Hart, who is
connected with the public library in Brooklyn, N. Y.; Mrs. Anna Mary Curtis, of
Wolfville, Nova Scotia ; James Edwin, of Portland, Ore.; and Phoebe Eliza, of
Brooklyn, N. Y.
     During the residence of the family in Portsmouth, N. H., James Edwin
Haseltine was born September 30, 1833. Two years later the family removed to New
York City and from there went to Pembroke, N. H., and in 1852 settled at
Portland, Me. In the various places where they resided he attended the schools
and received fair advantages. In order to assist in defraying his expenses at
Pembroke Academy, he swept the floors and acted as janitor. When only ten years
of age he had been put out to work on a farm in New Hampshire. The long days of
toil, unrelieved by play or pleasure, laid the foundation of those sterling
traits of character which brought him success in later life. Undiscouraged by
his environment, he determined to secure an education, and every effort was bent
to the attainment of this purpose. In 1849 he began in a humble capacity with a
shoe merchant at Portland, Me., and six months later drove a team in
Massachusetts, thus earning a little money. On his return to New Hampshire he
worked on a farm for a time, but in 1852 began clerking in a wholesale produce
house in Portland. Two years later he became connected with a retail hardware
store in the same city. January I. 1856, he entered upon a long connection with
a wholesale and retail iron store, of which he was head salesman for eleven
years, finally retiring in order to start in business for himself. His initial
experience of this kind was gained in the iron business, with which he was most
familiar. January 1, 1868, the business was inaugurated, but inside of eight
months his former employer. Eben Corey, offered him a one-half interest in the
business if he would return. Accepting the offer, he continued in the same place
another eleven years, and meantime served as a member of the city council and
for one term was president ; also was chairman of the international convention
of the Young Men's Christian Association the call for which he issued, and which
convened July 14-19, 1869. His connection with this organization dates back to
December of 1853, when he joined the association in Portland, Me., the seventh
of the kind to be started in the United States. At one time he served as
president of the society and was made a life member many years ago.  It was his
privilege to attend the international convention held in Washington, D. C., in
1871.  For many years, while living in Portland, Me., he was superintendent of
the Sunday-school connected with the Chestnut Street Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Board of Trade likewise numbered him among its members.  While serving as a
member of the school board, one of his fellow-members on the board was Thomas B.
Reed, who was also a neighbor. In later years Mr. Haseltine had the pleasure of
being the first to support and aid Mr. Reed in his candidacy for congress, and
about 1898, when Mr. Reed visited the west, he was entertained delightfully by
Mr. Haseltine, and at a reception held in the parlors of the Hotel Portland, Mr.
Reed was introduced to the leading citizens of the city.  During March of 1861
Mr. Haseltine was initiated into the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Maine
Lodge No. 1, at Portland, of which he is past noble grand, and later was made
grand master of the Grand Lodge of Maine, also grand patriarch of the Grand
Encampment of Maine, and is a past grand representative of the Sovereign Grand
Lodge of the United States.  Even after leaving New England he still retained
his association with the Odd Fellows there. He is a member of Bramhall Lodge No.
3, K. of P., in Portland, Me., and an active worker in its Relief Association.
     During 1878, having disposed of his interests in Maine; Mr. Haseltine
visited Oregon for the first time. From 1879 to 1882 he was engaged in mining in
Fresno and Tuolumne counties, Cal.. but in the latter year relinquished his
mining ventures and settled in Portland, Ore., where, February 1, 1883, he
became interested in the heavy hardware business of E. J. Northrop & Co. On the
9th of April, of the same Year, Mr. Northrup was accidentally killed, and Mr.
Haseltine thereupon purchased an additional one-sixth interest in the business,
becoming a half owner in the same. The title was changed to J. E. Haseltine &
Co., and in 1897 the business was incorporated under that name; with Mr.
Haseltine as president. In 1892 he built the Haseltine block, on the corner of
Pine and Second streets, and now owns two hundred feet on Second, extending from
Pine to Ash, the improvements on the same comprising the most substantial of the
kind in the entire city. The business is principally wholesale, shipments being
made to all points in Oregon, as well as northern California.  Washington,
Idaho, and Montana. A specialty is made of hardwood lumber and wagon material.
Another property owned by Mr. Haseltine is the wharf which bears his name and
which is located between East Oak and East Pine streets. In addition, he has
built up residence property in different parts of the city and owns a fruit farm
at Vancouver, Nash. On the organization of the United States National Bank of
Portland, in which he bore a prominent part, he was elected to fill the position
of first vice-president. For three years he was vice-president of the National
Board of Trade, composed of representative business men from various parts of
the country.  During the three years he served as vice-president the yearly
meetings were held in Washington, D. C.
     November 30, 1855, in Suncook, N. H., occurred the marriage of Mr.
Haseltine and Mary E. Knox, who was born in Sanbornton, N. H., October 23, 1834,
and engaged in educational work for a short time prior to her marriage. Her
father, Hillary Knox, a native and farmer of Sanbornton, was a son of Daniel
Knox, a paymaster in the Revolutionary war. On the maternal side Mrs. Haseltine
is descended from Rev. John McClintock, who was chaplain in General Stark's army
at the battle of Bunker Hill. One of her ancestors, Andrew Knox, was a brother
of John Knox, the illustrious Scottish religious reformer. Eight children were
born to the marriage of Mr. Haseltine and Miss Knox, and of these six attained
maturity, and five are living.  Edward Knox Haseltine, who was born August 11,
1857, engaged in business with his father until his death in 1897. Alice Louise,
who was born December 2, 1860, died on the 23d of the same month, two years
later. James Ambrose, who was born January 5, 1865, is vice-president and
manager of the business founded by his father. Henry Alonzo was born December 3,
1867; Annie Mabel, born January 6, 1871, is a graduate of Wellesley College ;
William Carl, born January 3, 1873, is secretary of J. E. Haseltine & Co.;
Clarence Hill was born June 17, 1874, and died on the 5th of September, same
year; Mary Elizabeth, born October 9, 1876, married M. H. Schmeer, bookkeeper
for J. E. Haseltine & Co., and resides in Portland.
     One of the active workers in the organization of the Republican party in
Maine in 1856 was Mr. Haseltine, and from that year to the present he has
supported party principles In 1896 he was elected to the state senate at the
head of his ticket, and served in the two regular sessions as well as the
special session of 1898. During his service he was chairman of the Multnomah
delegation and also of the committees on municipal corporations and horticulture
and a member of others. Under appointment from the governor he acted as a
commissioner to the Trans-Mississippi Exposition at Omaha. In the work of
securing a new city charter he was quite active, doing all in his power to
secure its adoption fit the expiration of his term as state senator he retired
to private life, not being a candidate for re-election. One of the important
measures to which he is now devoting time and thought is his work as a member of
the advisory committee of the Lewis and Clark Exposition. For years he has been
a trustee of Riverview Cemetery, also a member of the water committee. He is
connected with the Portland Chamber of Commerce. Here, as in the east, he has
given his influence to aid in the work of the Young Mens Christian Association
and has officiated as a vice-president in the same. On the organization of Grace
Methodist Episcopal Church of Portland he was a charter member and was one of
its building committee at the time of the erection of the edifice. At this
writing he is a member of the board of trustees and formerly served as
Sunday-school superintendent.
     Besides the varied interests previously enumerated Mr. Haseltine is
interested in Ocean Park, of which noted resort he was one of the promoters. In
1883 this park was selected by a number of Methodists for a camp meeting ground.
The property was afterward sold to private business men, who have been
interested in promoting the improvement of the grounds and adding to its
attractions as an ocean resort.  Wide shaded avenues open out from parks, where
ample space is afforded for literary assemblies, religious meetings and athletic
sports.  The sea bathing is one of the especial attractions, although many not
desirous of this form of recreation still find sufficient to draw them here
every season, where boating in the bay, and fishing or hunting in the woods
afford rest for bran workers and needed recreation.  No better proof can be
furnished of the opportunities offered by the west than the success, which has
attended the efforts of Mr. Haseltine in the commercial activities of Portland,
and he is one of many who have reason to be grate MI that fate brought them to
this prosperous region of the northwest.

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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.