Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 3.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 447.
 
JOHN HENRY BURGARD

     John Henry Burgard, one of the pioneer insurance men of Portland, has
engaged in this business continuously for a period of forty years, achieving
substantial success, and also figures prominently in civic and philanthropic
affairs. He was born in Buffalo, New York, January 1, 1865, a son of Charles and
Elizabeth (Reinhardt) Burgard, natives respectively of France and Germany. The
father was born near Metz, November 11, 1834, and when a youth of fourteen came
to America, locating in Buffalo, New York. Energetic and capable, he forged
rapidly to the front in commercial circles and for forty years was engaged in
the meat-packing business in Buffalo. In 1892 he established his home in
Portland and here lived retired until his death in 1907. His wife was born in
Darmstadt, December 15, 1843, and was a child of two when her parents came to
the United States, settling in Buffalo.
	In the acquirement of an education John H. Burgard attended the public
schools of his native city and also had the benefit of a course in a business
college. In November, 1888, he came to Portland and entered the insurance
business with George A. and James Steel. At that time the latter was president
of the Merchants National Bank and he was also the builder of the first electric
car line in the city. George A. Steel afterward filled the office of state
treasurer and also served as postmaster of Portland. Mr. Burgard was associated
with these men until 1892, when he was joined by George N. Weidler, the builder
of the Oregon & California Railroad, and the business was conducted under the
style of Burgard & Weidler for five years. In 1897 Mr. Burgard secured the
general agency for several insurance companies, forming a partnership with E. A.
Strout, of Seattle, and at that time the firm of Burgard & Strout came into
existence. Subsequently it was dissolved and the firm of Puffer, Burgard &
Company was then organized. The senior partner died in 1907 and the business has
since been continued under the form of John H. Burgard & Company. They write all
forms of insurance, representing old and well known corporations, and theirs is
regarded as the leading firm of the kind in Portland. Having an intimate
knowledge of every phase of the insurance business, Mr. Burgard is able to give
his clients expert advice, and his well known honesty and reliability has been
one of the chief factors in the attainment of his success. He is a director of
the West Oregon Lumber Company and also of the Alaska-Pacific Fisheries Company,
both of which have profited by his business acumen and experience.
     Mr. Burgard was married June 25, 1890, in Rickreall, Oregon, to Miss Jessie
Clark, who was born September 25, 1868, in Dallas, this state. Her father,
William Edward Clark, left Missouri in 1852 in company with his parents, two
brothers and a sister. Both parents died of cholera and William E. Clark then
became the head of the family. He brought its surviving members safely across
the plains and later aided in quelling the Indian uprisings in Oregon. His wife,
Lavina (Tatom) Clark, was born in Illinois and also made the long and hazardous
overland journey in 1852. Her sister became the mother of I. L. Patterson, the
present governor of Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Burgard have two sons. The elder, John
Clark, was born in Portland, March 21, 1891, and was graduated from the
University of Oregon in 1916. In the following year he enlisted and was sent to
the first training camp at the presidio in San Francisco. He went overseas as a
first lieutenant of Company H, of the Three Hundred and Sixty-second Infantry,
attached to the Ninety-first Division, and on October 31, 1917, was wounded in
Belgium by shrapnel. Lieutenant Burgard participated in the Argonne offensive
and was decorated with the Distinguished Service medal, awarded him for liaison
duty in which his detachment captured forty-two machine gunners, whose hiding
place he had detected and prevented enfilading fire which might have wiped out
the company. He now lives in San Francisco and is engaged in the fire insurance
business with Henley, Scott & Burgard. William Norman was born August 24, 1892,
and was also graduated from the University of Oregon with the class of 1916. In
1917 he responded to the call to arms and went with his brother to the presidio,
where he was commissioned a second lieutenant. He went to France with the
Ninety-first Division and was first a member of Company M. Later he was
transferred to Company C of the Three Hundred and Sixty-fourth Infantry and was
gassed during the memorable battle of Argonne. During that terrible conflict
both sons were in action on the farm at Beauregardville, in the province of
Alsace-Lorraine, where their grandparents and other members of the family had
lived for generations. William N. Burgard is now associated with his father and
takes a leading part in the management of the business.
     John H. Burgard is identified with the various Masonic bodies, the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Arlington Club, the Multnomah Club, the
Portland Golf Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants Exchange. For a
quarter of a century he has been chairman of the board of trustees of Patton
Home for the Friend-'less, which during that time has grown from a building of
seven rooms to a large, modern institution containing one hundred rooms. Since
its early organization he has been a member of the public docks commission and
is now serving his fourth five year term as its chairman. Formerly he was a
councilman and for many years he has contributed generously of his time, means
and energies to movements for Portland's growth and betterment. Liberal,
broad-minded, wholly unselfish, Mr. Burgard measures up to the full stature of
American manhood and citizenship and his influence upon the life of his
community has been of the highest order.

 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in March 2013 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.