Cole, John J.  ( Portland)

John J.  Cole (Portland)

Joined the Oregon Camera Club on May 10, 1898. He worked as a traveling salesman for Ben Levy & Co. His home was listed in early 1900s directories as Willsburg, a rail point near Portland (between Sellwood & Milwaukie.) His later residential addresses were all temporary hotels. He was a member of the OCC through 1917.

News Items:

1904: “Day Of Pleasure How Tens of Thousands Spent Sunday … Excursion of Photographers.

The Oregon Camera Club excursion to Multnoamh Falls and Oneonta Gorge was one of the most enjoyable events of the day. The excursionists left the Oak street dock on the steamer Chas. R. Spencer at 9 o’clock and photographed many various points of interest along the river. Among the points photographed was the lighthouse at the mouth of the Willamette River, Rooster Rock and Cape Horn. The day was a perfect one for the excursion, the bright sunlight making snapshots feasible at all tomes of the day.

Multnomah Falls was reached at about 1 o’clock, where the excursionists left the boat. Lunches were spread in the various shady nooks and many photographs of the falls were taken, as many as 15 cameras being lined up for pictures on a small vantage point at the same time. After photographing the falls a number returned to the boat, where they enjoyed an exceptionally fine lunch prepared on the steamer.

At 3 o’clock the steamer left for Oneonta Gorge, arriving there 15 minutes later. Here again all the cameras were in evidence and many exposures were made. While the photographers were photographing various places the Spokane Flyer passed, and a number of pictures were taken of the train as it sped on to Portland.

The steamer turned her nose homeward at 5 o’clock and arrived at her dock at 8:15. The trip down the Columbia, and up the Willamette was a happy one, nearly half of the 350 people aboard crowding into and about the cabins and singing popular songs. Coming up the Willamette a number of pleasure parties on other boats were passed and complimentary salutes from the big whistles of th monty and cheers of the passengers were exchanged. Supper was served on the steamer at 6 o’clock, and many a hungry photographer did justice to an appetite gained in the open air on the scenic Columbia.

The committee in charge of the excursion was as follows; C. H. Hoeg, George Holman, W. B Struble, J. J. Tyrell, and T. Birdsell. Following are some of the people who availed themselves of the opportunity to use their cameras: Henry Wemme, John J. Cole, John Blakely, of New York City; Miss Ross, Miss A. Hart, of Los Angeles; Ed Jorgenson, Charles York, Miss Daisy Jenks, Miss Madge Kay, Ed Stine, the Misses McGowan, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Craft, John Kelley, Milton Werschkul and Stanley Serschku.” Oregonian, May 30, 1904 Pg. 5, col. 4-5.