Clatsop County OR Archives Biographies.....Silvo, William 1884 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 10, 2010, 11:03 pm

Source: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Author: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 264 - 267

     WILLIAM SILVO.  One of Astoria's important and prosperous industries is 
the Columbia Iron and Steel Works, of which William Silvo is one of the 
owners. He has had extensive technical experience, has shown marked ability as 
a business man and is accounted one of Astoria's progressive citizens. Mr. 
Silvo was born in Finland in 1884 and is a son of Anton and Marie Silvo, also 
natives of that country. The father, who followed the trade of a stonemason, 
is deceased, and his widow now resides in Astoria. To them were born seven 
children, namely: Mrs. Lydia Hikkuri, who still resides in Finland; Hjalmer, 
who is engaged in farming at Grays Harbor, Washington; Walter, who is a 
machinist and is employed in the Columbia Iron and Steel Works at Astoria; 
William; Mrs. Hilja Hellersted, of Astoria; Elsie, who was a trained nurse, 
was killed during the World war while in charge of the State of Finland 
Hospital in Hamina, Finland; and Henry, who is a machinist and works for his 
brother in Astoria.

     William Silvo received a good education in his native land, attending the 
common and high schools and having two years at the University of Frederisham, 
Finland. He learned the trades of machinist and boilermaker, which he followed 
until 1902, when he came to the United States. He first located at Sault Ste 
Marie, Michigan, where he followed his trade for awhile, after which he was 
employed in various plants in Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, 
Minneapolis and Duluth, during which period he was gaining valuable 
experience. In 1908 Mr. Silvo came to Astoria and for about a year worked in 
the Astoria Iron Works, after which he went to La Grande, Oregon, and worked 
in the shops of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. From there he went 
to Hoquaim, Washington, where for four years he served as foreman in the shops 
of the Lamp Machine Company. He then came back to Astoria and bought an 
interest in the Columbia Iron Works from John Weinberg, who had established 
the business in 1908, beginning as a blacksmith in a small shop on Taylor 
street. In 1923 he formed a partnership with August Stemberg and, acquiring 
full control of the plant, they incorporated it as the Columbia Iron and Steel 
Works, with a capital stock of twenty-seven thousand dollars. Mr. Silvo is 
president and general manager of the company and Mr. Stemberg is secretary and 
shop foreman. Leasing a tract of land, two hundred by two hundred feet in 
size, at Port Terminal, Astoria, they erected a new plant, equipped with 
modern, improved machinery, and are now prepared to handle all kinds of 
blacksmith, machine and boiler work, also making many boilers of different 
kinds. The plant represents an investment of one hundred thousand dollars, and 
in 1924 the capital stock was increased to fifty thousand dollars, all of 
which is owned by Messrs. Silvo and Sternberg. They employ an average of fifty 
men, most of whom are skilled workmen, and a large part of their business is 
the repairing and building of marine boilers for the vessels that dock at the 
port of Astoria.

     In 1914, in Seattle, Washington, Mr. Silvo was united in marriage to Miss 
Elna Erickson, who was born in Finland, where both of her parents died when 
she was quite young, and soon afterward she came to the United States. Mr. and 
Mrs. Silvo became the parents of a daughter, who died in infancy. The mother 
died in 1919 and in 1927 Mr. Silvo was united in marriage to Miss Edna 
Boswell, who was born in Vancouver, Washington. Her parents were of English 
descent and pioneer settlers in Vancouver, where the mother is still living, 
the father being deceased. Mrs. Silvo is a graduate nurse; which profession 
she followed prior to her marriage.

     Mr. Silvo is a member of Temple Lodge, No. 7, A. F. & A. M., at Astoria; 
St. John's Chapter, No. 14, R. A. M.; St. Aldemer Commandery, No. 11, K. T.; 
Al Kader Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Portland; Astoria Lodge, No. 180, B. P. 
O. E.; the Chamber of Commerce, the Astoria Golf and Country Club and other 
local organizations. He has shown a desire to cooperate with his fellowmen in 
all efforts to promote the welfare of the community and he is uniformly 
regarded as one of its solid and dependable citizens, worthy of the high 
esteem in which he is held by all who know him.

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