Gaston, Joseph. "Oregon Pictorial and Biographical." Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 117.
Otis R. Additon
For a third of a century Otis R. Additon has resided on the Pacific coast. He makes his home in Lents and is known as the father of the town, for his progressive and enterprising spirit have contributed in large and substantial measure to its growth, prosperity and stability. The breadth of the continent separates him from his birthplace, Greene, Maine. It was there on the 14th of August, 1843, that he first opened his eyes to the light of day, his parents being Zelotes and Talatha (Small) Additon, in whose family were five children, Otis E, being the eldest. Of the others Sydney Quincey and Lizzie are now deceased. Melissa, the fourth member of the family, married Arthur Stillman, of Abingdon, Massachusetts. She is now a widow and a nurse by profession, residing at Brockton, Massachusetts.
Spending his youthful days in New England, Otis R. Additon started to make his way in the world by serving an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for fifteen years. At the time of the Civil war, however, all business and personal considerations were put aside in order that he might espouse the cause of the Union army. He enlisted in the Signal Corps and is now almost the only survivor of that part of the service living on the Pacific coast. After the close of the war he engaged in merchandising for thirty years and was thus connected with commercial interests in Massachusetts and Oregon. In 1878 he sold out and came to Oregon, settling in the Willamette valley. He became a merchant of Corvallis, where he continued for twelve years, after which he removed to Portland, where he resided for several years. He then came to the present site of Lents, where he was actively engaged in the real-estate business until 1909, when he practically retired from active life. His enterprise and energy proved important factors in the upbuilding of the place and he is known as "the father of Lents." In his real-estate operations he laid out several additions and practically built the village. In all he was actuated by a spirit of progress that enabled him to overcome obstacles and difficulties and use the resources at hand to the best advantage, not only in the upbuilding of his own fortunes but also in the improvement of the town.
In 1867, in Abingdon, Massachusetts, Mr. Additon was united in marriage to Miss Lucia Faxon, a native of the Bay state, and a daughter of Lucius and Harriet (Jones) Faxon, In their family were ten children. With one exception all reached years of maturity, although Henry, Bela, Harriet, Elmira, Anna and Andrew are now deceased. Delia is the wife of Isaac Holmes, of Massachusetts. Webster is a resident of Abingdon, Massachusetts. The other member of the family is Mrs. Additon, who by her marriage has become the mother of one son, Alton Sydney, who was born in 1871 and now lives in Berkeley, California. He married Miss Mabel Burgess, a representative of one of the pioneer families of that state. They reside in San Francisco and A. S. Additon is interested in mining.
In his political views Mr. Additon has always been a democrat and came of a family connected with that party, while his wife's people hold to the republican faith. He has never been an office seeker but has always been recognized as a public-spirited citizen and one who has done much for the community in which he lives. He holds to the Christian faith and in all of his work for progress and improvement has the sympathy and assistance of his wife. Mrs. Additon is also recognized as one of the leading residents of Lents. She is the founder of the Woman's Press Club of Oregon and has an extensive acquaintance throughout the state. For ten years she served as president of the club and is numbered among those ladies whose influence has been of far-reaching benefit in upholding the standards of the individual and public action. For four years she served as president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in Oregon and is now one of the national lecturers for that organization. She has always been a great student of sociology and there is no one better informed concerning this subject in all the state than Mrs. Additon. She is at the head of the social science department of the Woman's Club of Portland, and she was named as one of the women delegates to represent the state at the Centennial Exposition in Astoria. In all of her public work her home interests have never been neglected but she has ever stood fearlessly and unfalteringly "for God and home and native land," and her support of the various measures in which she is so deeply interested, results from close study of the situation and a comprehensive knowledge of the principles involved. Both Mr. and Mrs. Additon are widely known throughout Oregon and command the respect and honor of all with whom they came in contact.
Transcriber's additional notes:
This same biography also appears in....
"The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811 - 1912"
Author: Joseph Gaston
S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.; Chicago; 1912
Vol. 2, Page 96
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2009 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.