Lockley, Fred. "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the Sea." Vol. 3. S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928. p. 909. Includes portrait LINCOLN SHAVER Lincoln Shaver was vice president and chief engineer of the Shaver Transportation Company of Portland at the time of his death, which occurred November 29, 1922, being killed together with his brother Captain James W. Shaver in an automobile accident, on that date. He was born in East Portland. October 1, 1861, and was the fifth child of George Washington Shaver, who bore the name of the first president of the United States and the founder of the country, while Lincoln Shaver was named in honor of the preserver of the country, his birth having occurred in the year of Lincoln's inauguration as president of the United States. His mother's name was Sarah Dixon. Lincoln Shaver had passed through all the experiences of pioneer life in the northwest. At the age of eleven years he attended school at the Shaver and McMillan school, at what is now Cherry and Williams avenue in Portland. He attended altogether for about twelve months during winter terms, but while his educational training was somewhat limited, he was a thorough student in the school of experience and learned many valuable lessons in that way. He was one of a large family and his three brothers -- James W., George and Delmer -- all hold captains' commissions, having devoted their lives to navigation interests. When a lad of twelve years Lincoln Shaver began working part time with his uncle, about two and a half miles from the town of Molalla in Clackamas county. At other periods he was engaged in the wood business and in looking after a donation land claim that is now known as the "Dixon Place" and which corners on the irrigation land claim. In 1878, his uncle, John Dixon, wished him to go to Roseburg and help another uncle, Tom Dixon, to take a band of cattle to Lake county, where John Dixon had a ranch. They proceeded to Klamath county, at which time the Plute and Bannock Indians were causing considerable trouble, so that Mr. Shaver and his uncle were compelled to leave their cattle at the foot of Steen mountain. His uncle, John Dixon, had sent out a man to tell them that they had better drop the cattle and not try to fetch them in; however, they proceeded to one of the ranches of Pet French. Another band of cattle was four miles ahead of them, and was being driven to the Diamond ranch, which also belonged to Pet French, who had altogether ten ranches. The Indians saw the drivers who were on ahead, and the latter came riding back to the Shaver-Dixon camp as fast as their horses could run, shouting "Indians!" Accordingly Mr. Shaver and Mr. Dixon left their camp wagons and took their horses and proceeded back along the road to the ranch of Dave Sherk, where there were sixty men with three Gatling guns and a breastwork built of fourteen inch sod. This occurred on the 24th of July, 1878. Mr. Dixon and a man by the name of Nickelson went back some days later after the grub wagons. Dave Sherk and two other men declared that they were going to Fort McDonald if they saw no signs of Indians. There were a number of pony tracks across the wagon road, but the men thought it was a band of wild Indian ponies. They had gone some distance when they saw Indians. It had been their purpose to return if they saw Indians, but the wily savages made their way toward the rear, thus cutting Sherk off from the men. The Indians shot at Sherk and severed a lock of hair just above his ear. He was a fine rider however and able to shoot from his horse, which he kept going at a running pace, until he outdistanced his pursuers. Such were some of the experiences which the early settlers had to endure. On the 10th of September, 1878, Mr. Shaver went to Winnemucca with a band of cattle, proceeded southward to San Francisco and afterward returned to Portland, making the trip on the steamer "City of Chester," which broke her shaft off Nehalem river. The steamship "Little California" towed the "Chester" up to the mouth of the Columbia river. It was after this that Mr. Shaver began dealing in wood, in which business he continued until 1880, and he then began working and studying in order to gain a pilot's license, working on the Frazer river under a number of the well known captains of those days. He obtained his first engineer's license on the 4th of March, 1889, and his last license as chief engineer was issued on the 2d of March, 1917. Mr. Shaver was at the time of his death the vice president and chief engineer of the Shaver Transportation Company. Gradually he advanced in his business career, and success came to him as the years passed. In 1881 he went to British Columbia to help pilot between Westminster and Yale in order that he might learn the business. He ran on the chain lakes in British Columbia, on the Peerless and Kamloops, two lake boats. While on the Frazer river he was on the Reliance, William Irving, Royal City, Enterprise, William G. Hunt, Yosemite, Gertrude and the Teaser. For six years he maintained his headquarters in Westminster. After his return to Portland in 1887, he ran on the Willamette river between Portland, Astoria and The Dalles. At the time of his death he had complete charge of the machinery of the company, acting as chief engineer, the company owning a fine fleet of boats at this time, including the Shaver, Sarah Dixon, Henderson, Cascades, No Wonder, Wanna and Pearl, all steamboats, and the following gasoline boats: Doris, Echo, Marion and Alice. In 1892 Mr. Shaver was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Kettler, who was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, having come west with her parents, when she was but nine years of age. The family first located in the state of Washington, and later came to Oregon, where she was married to Mr. Shaver, and to them were born one son, Leonard Raymond Shaver, on August 12, 1893, in Portland, where he attended the public schools, after which he spent three terms in study at Corvallis, Washington, and one term in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the State University, where he completed his education as a mechanical draftsman, and expert accountant. After his return he received a mate's license and on the "Sarah Dixon" he started to learn the practical side of navigation with the end in view of becoming a master navigator. He is now serving in the capacity of vice president of the Shaver Transportation Company. Lincoln Shaver, one of four brothers who having been associated with marine transportation, and having built up a most extensive business, under the name of the Shaver Transportation Company, is greatly missed in navigation circles, as well as among his many friends and members of the family. The activities of one brother have ably supplemented and rounded out the labors of the other and the four brothers for a long period maintained a place among the leading and representative business men of this section of the country. Submitted to the OR. Bios Project in September 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Oregon Biographies Project. The submitter has no further information on the individual featured in the biography.