Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 3.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 187.
 
ARAM O. CARTOZIAN

     That America is truly the land of opportunity has been strikingly
illustrated in the interesting career of Aram 0. Cartozian, president of
Cartozian Brothers, Inc., of Portland. Born under a foreign flag, his early
years marked by poverty, privation and persecution, his rise to his present
position in the business world should put to shame every American boy who claims
that he has no opportunity to advance. Mr. Cartozian's success has been gained
through his tireless effort, honest dealing and progressive methods and no
resident,of Portland is more worthy of public esteem. Born in Sivas, Armenia, in
1884, he is a son of Osgan and Margaret Cartozian. His father was killed in 1895
in one of the massacres of which the Armenians have been the victims from time
to time, and his mother was later brought to Portland by her son, and here spent
her later years, dying in 1927, at the age of ninety-two years.
     Mr. Cartozian had but little opportunity for school training up to eleven
years of age, though he was for a short time cared for by Christian missionaries
who placed him in an orphanage. At an early age he became a weaver of rugs, and
in that way gained a knowledge which has been invaluable to him in later years.
In 1904 he came to the United States, landing in New York city, where he
obtained a place in the rug department of the Seigel-Cooper Company. Later he
worked in the rug department of A. A. Vantinei & Company, and about that time
met Miss Frances Gage, who had taken care of him as a missionary in Armenia. She
advised him to come to Portland, Oregon, and encouraged him to enter business
for himself. In 1906 Mr. Cartozian arrived in Portland and rented a small room
at Eleventh and Alder streets, to which he carried one box of Oriental rugs from
the depot. He started to solicit business as a repairer of rugs, at the same
time also trying to sell new rugs. However, he met with little success, as
people did not care to trust their rugs to be taken to the sort of a place
occupied by him, one man being afraid even to leave his rug over night. With the
idea of obviating this difficulty, he rented a storeroom in the Bushmark
building, at Eighteenth and Washington streets, bought a two-by-four inch
scantling and, borrowing a saw and hammer, he made a hanger for rugs, on which
he displayed his wares. During the first year and a half at this place he slept
on the floor behind the rugs at night. His perseverance and earnest effort were
rewarded, however, as business began to come his way, and subsequently he bought
a lot in Mt. Scott, on which, with the help of one man, he built a four-room
house.  He then sent to New York for his mother and his brother Hovesep, who
arrived here in 1908. They all lived in this little cottage, in which they were
happy, even if the home was without lath or plaster for another year. About this
time Miss Gage, who had kept in touch with him, gave him the names of friends of
hers, who gave him work and introduced him to others, so that business
materially increased. In 1910 they moved to the Ramapo hotel, at Fourteenth and
Washington streets, and about that time Mr. Cartozian sent for his brother Tatos
to come from New York to Portland, where they all worked together in the
interest of the business. Prosperity attended their efforts and when the Pittock
block was completed they leased a ground-floor storeroom, seventy-five by
thirty-eight feet, with a basement of the same size, as well as a work shop and
washing plant. Through his efficient buying and sound business methods the
business soon attained a point where Mr. Cartozian felt justified in extending
his field of operations and in 1918 he opened a fine store in Seattle and one in
Spokane, taking concessions in department stores in each place. In 1920, in
order to provide a sure source of supply for rugs, they established an office in
Sultanabad, Persia, where also they established their own looms for making their
own rugs, and this too has proven very successful. In 1922 they established
another company and opened a wholesale house at 295 Textile building, on Fifth
avenue, New York city, which is in charge of Hovesep Cartozian. In 1924 they
opened a branch at Tacoma, and another store in Portland, and also inaugurated
truck service through Oregon, Washington and Idaho, selling their goods through
stores. The Cartozian Brothers employ thirty-eight people in their Portland
business and in Persia have four hundred people employed on the looms and as
buyers. The Cartozian Brothers carry about a half million dollars' worth of
Persian, Oriental and Chinese rugs in their various stores, and are regarded as
the leaders in their line in this part of the country. Mr. Cartozian is very
frank in the statement of his belief that the success of his business has been
made possible only through the appreciative and cooperative spirit of the people
of Portland, and in this connection he cites the fact that a larger percentage
of Portland homes contain genuine Persian rugs than any other city in
the country. Mr. Cartozian feels deeply the genuine spirit of friendship of the
people of this community, which he values more than the money which he has made
here. His firm has been approached a number of times by representatives of San
Francisco and eastern cities to locate there, but he is a firm believer in and
booster for Portland and is not in the least tempted to sever his relations with
this people.
     In 1914 Mr. Cartozian was united in marriage to Miss Nuvere Nakashian,
who was born in Armenia and was brought to the United States when a child of
seven years. To them have been born three children, Aram 0., Jr., Lorus and
Nuvere. During the period of his residence here Mr. Cartozian has been able to
bring to this locality five of his brothers, two sisters, two nieces and his
mother, while since the World war, through Masonic aid and the assistance of
Judge Wallace McKemment, he has also brought a brother, a sister and a niece.
Altogether he has spent about seventy-five thousand dollars in getting his
family together in this country. He is a member of Spokane Lodge, A. F. & A. M.;
Portland Consistory, A. A. S. R.; and Al Kader Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S.; and
also the Portland Chamber of Commerce, of which he belongs to the retail
merchants committee. Mr. Cartozian is a man of frank and straightforward manner,
cordial and friendly in his social relations and is loyal to the spirit and
institutions of his adopted country. He has a host of warm and admiring friends
and commands the sincere respect of all who know him.

 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2009 by Diana Smith. Submitter has
no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.