Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 2.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 600.
Includes portrait 

L.S. AINSWORTH

One of the most highly respected citizens of the Hood River valley is L. S.
Ainsworth, who is a representative of one of Oregon's old and highly honored
families, and who in his own career has fully maintained the prestige of the
family name. He was born in Portland, Oregon, April 1, 1877, and is a son of
Captain George J. and Margaret (Sutton) Ainsworth, the former born in Oregon
City, Oregon, April 13, 1852, and the latter in San Francisco, California,
November 17, 1852. The paternal grandfather, John Cummingers Ainsworth, who
came west to California in 1849, became prominent in the early commercial
affairs of Oregon and is referred to at length in the sketch of J.C. Ainsworth,
on other pages of this work. George J. Ainsworth attended the public schools of
Portland and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the first
class to graduate from the University of California, in 1873. He then returned
to Portland and worked on the Columbia river in various capacities for the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company. In the meantime he studied and prepared for
the examination for a captain's certificate and received his master's papers in
1875. He served as a river captain for one year and was then made
superintendent of the company by which he was employed, having his headquarters
at Portland, and retained that position until 1880, when the company sold out to
Henry Villard, by whom Mr. Ainsworth was retained as superintendent for two
years. In 1882 he went to Oakland, California, and took charge of his father's
business, which commanded his attention until his father's death, in 1893, when
he was made executor of the estate, in which capacity he served until his death,
which occurred at Portland, October 20, 1895, at the comparatively early age of
forty-three years. He is survived by his widow, who now resides in Berkeley,
California. They were the parents of two children, L. S. and Mabel, who was born
in Portland and is the wife of Edwin Mays, of Berkeley, California. Captain
Ainsworth was an active member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in which
he was honored with the thirty-third degree, being also a member of the Mystic
Shrine. The maternal grandfather, John Sutton, went to California in 1849, and
there served as a marine engineer. He was in the United States navy during the
Mexican war, and followed steamboating on the Pacific coast until he was lost
with the steamship "George S. Wright," which went down, with all hands, in
Alaskan waters in 1873.

L. S. Ainsworth received his education in the public schools and under private
tutors, and then for one year had charge of the office of his father's estate.
He went to work for the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, being employed in
the office at Portland for one year, after which he became a purser on Columbia
river boats of The Dalles, Portland & Astoria Navigation Company, running from
Portland to The Dalles. He followed that work for five years and then went to
Paisley, Lake county, Oregon, where he opened a general merchandise store, which
he ran for six years. While there he and Dr. A.A. Witham organized the Farmers
Mutual Telephone Company, one of the first of its kind in southern Oregon, and
built one hundred miles of line. In 1910 they sold out and Mr. Ainsworth went to
Portland, where he remained until 1911 when he came to the Hood River valley and
bought six acres of land in the Belmont district, one mile southwest of Hood
River. There he built a nice home and planted cherries and other fruits, making
a very attractive place.

Mr. Ainsworth has been married twice, first, in 1904, to Miss Charlotte Henley,
who was born in Berkeley, California, a daughter of Captain James B. and
Katherine L. (Ballely) Henley, both of whom are deceased. Mrs. Ainsworth died
June 20, 1905, and in 1908 Mr. Ainsworth was married to Miss Katharine Sitton,
who was born in Salem, Oregon, and is a daughter of Charles E. and Relief
(Spadding) Sitton, the former born in Yamhill county, Oregon, and the latter in
Massachusetts. The Sitton family came across the plains with ox teams and
covered wagons in 1843, Grandfather Sitton locating on a donation claim in
Yamhill county. He was one of the first settlers in the Willamette valley and
today his sons and grandsons are among the prominent and influential citizens of
Yamhill county. In his young manhood L. S. Ainsworth was an expert amateur
tennis player, taking part in many hard-fought battles on the courts, and has
also been a keen hunter and fisherman, which are his favorite forms of
recreation. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he
has passed through the chairs, and Mrs. Ainsworth is a member of the P. E. 0.,
which devotes its activities to the welfare of girls. Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth
enjoy a wide acquaintance through their section of the Hood River valley and,
because of their kindly and hospitable dispositions and their estimable
qualities, they are held in the highest esteem by all who know them.

 
*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.