Clatsop County OR Archives Biographies.....Vernon, M. D., Nellie Smith 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 19, 2010, 2:51 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 297 - 298
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     NELLIE SMITH VERNON, M. D.  One of the most highly honored members of the 
medical profession in Clatsop county is Dr. Nellie Vernon, of Astoria, who for 
twenty-five years has faithfully and capably ministered to the physical 
welfare of the people of her city and county, and in this work she has been 
very successful. A native of Vancouver, Washington territory, she is a 
daughter of Sylvanus and Mary Ann (Turner) Smith, the former born in New York 
state and the latter in Springfield, Illinois. Mr. Smith was one of the 
argonauts who sailed from New York around Cape Horn to California in 1849 in 
the hope of securing their fortunes in the gold mines. He followed mining 
there for several years, and then came to Oregon territory, where he met and 
married Miss Turner. They lived at old Fort Vancouver, where Mr. Smith had a 
position in the quartermaster's department, and he later served as sheriff of 
Clark county. Because of his honesty and his integrity of character, he was 
commonly known by the name of "Honesty" Smith. He became a charter member of 
the lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Vancouver and became 
prominent and influential in the community. He died in 1874, while, still a 
comparatively young man. He was survived many years by his widow, who passed 
away in 1926. They became the parents of three children, Nellie, Mary Ann and 
Monona, the last two now deceased. The mother, in later years, told of the 
family wintering at old Fort Vancouver with Dr. John McLoughlin during the 
pioneer days, when, because of the hostility of the Indians, Grandfather 
Turner's donation claim was considered too far from the fort for safety.

     Nellie Smith received her early education in the district schools of 
Clark county and remained at home until 1885, when she became the wife of 
James Vernon. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, where he was reared, and 
became a gold miner, following that work in the Black Hills of South Dakota, 
California, southern Oregon and Montana. He came to Oregon in the early '80s 
and bought a farm near Vancouver, Washington. His death occurred at Astoria in 
1924. From the time she was thirteen years old Dr. Vernon had an ambition to 
become a physician, but not until after she had married and reared a family 
did she gratify that ambition. In 1897 she entered the medical school of the 
University of Oregon, from which she was graduated with the degree of Doctor 
of Medicine in 1901. She began the practice of medicine in Portland, where she 
remained about a year, and on March 1, 1903, she came to Astoria and has 
followed her profession here continuously since. While conducting a general 
practice, she specializes in diseases of women and children, and has been 
uniformly successful. She has served as county health officer of Clatsop 
county since 1907, and has also been city health officer for a number of 
years, the city and county offices having been combined. In 1920 Dr. Vernon 
organized a school health department, which has proven most effective in 
promoting and conserving the health of the school children, and in every 
possible way she has evinced a deep interest in the health and welfare of the 
people of both city and county. She has been closely devoted to her life work, 
for which she has a genuine love, and in her private practice and the 
performance of her official duties she has visited every corner of the county, 
sometimes being called to the logging camps, entailing arduous trips over the 
mountain roads, sometimes with horse and buggy, occasionally on horseback, and 
often afoot.

     Dr. Vernon is the mother of two children, James, the second, who is an 
electrical contractor in Portland, is married and has two children, James III 
and Petronella; and George W., who is a machinist and general mechanic at the 
port docks, Astoria. He is married and has a son, Leonard Gordon. Dr. Vernon 
is a member of the Daughters of Rebekah, the Pythian Sisters, the Women's 
Benefit Association, the Knights and Ladies of Security, the Oregon State 
Medical Society and the American Medical Association. She possesses a strong 
individuality, has the valuable faculty of inspiring confidence on the part of 
her patients and has shown herself skilled and capable in her efforts to 
combat disease. She is cordial and affable in manner, gracious and tactful in 
all of her relations, and has a large circle of warm and devoted friends 
throughout Astoria and Clatsop county.

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