Columbia County OR Archives Biographies.....Silva, Captain W. J. October 25, 1882 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com June 19, 2009, 6:21 pm

Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     CAPTAIN W. J. SILVA, who, after many years of active service as a river 
steamboat captain, is now engaged in the garage business in Rainier, is 
meeting with very satisfactory success and is numbered among the progressive 
and enterprising citizens here. He has been a lifelong resident of Rainier, 
born on the 25th of October, 1882, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine 
(Wilson) Silva, the former a native of the isle of Flores of the Azores 
islands and the latter of the state of Virginia, where her family had long 
been established. Joseph Silva received a limited education as, at the early 
age of ten years, he went to sea as a cabin boy with an uncle, who was a sea 
captain. He sailed to all parts of the world and in the middle '60s came to 
Oregon, where he spent the remaining years of his life, Locating at Rainier, 
he was for several years engaged in commercial fishing and was in business in 
Rainier until about 1903, when he sold out and retired. His death occurred at 
this place in 1918 and his widow passed away in February, 1920. To them were 
born thirteen children, namely: Mrs. Julia Both, who died in 1919; Charles, of 
Cannon Beach, Oregon; Mrs. C. P. Archer, of Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Bertha 
Yount, of Cannon Beach, Oregon; William J.; Mrs. Frank Sherwood, of Rainier; 
Mrs. George Doll, of Tacoma, Washington; Earl, of Portland; Dr. Arthur, of 
Clatskanie, Oregon; Mrs. H. L. Patterson, of Portland; Leona, the wife of Dr. 
Russell L. Beck, of Rattoon, New Mexico; J. W., of Clatskanie, Oregon; and 
Dean B., who died in February, 1924.

     William J. Silva received a good education in the public schools of 
Rainier, after which he went to work on the river and was engaged in 
steamboating on the Columbia during the ensuing twenty-five years, with the 
exception of two years spent in Alaska. In 1906 he took the examination and 
was granted a master's license, after which he served as captain of several of 
the famous old river boats. The first year he ran a small gas schooner out of 
Nome; the next year he worked a freight steamboat on the Yukon river, Alaska, 
with headquarters at St. Michaels. In 1920 Captain Silva quit the river and he 
and his brother, J. W. Silva, established a garage in Clatskanie, which they 
operated together successfully until February, 1928, when the Captain sold his 
interest in the business and, coming back to Rainier, bought an interest in 
the City garage, of which he is now manager. This is a large, well equipped 
establishment, doing all kinds of automobile repair work, and they also carry 
a large stock of tires, tubes and accessories and maintain a gas and oil 
service. They also have the local agency for the Chevrolet, Hudson and Essex 
cars, in selling which they have been very successful.

     In 1924 Captain Silva was united in marriage to Mrs. Christine (Wamsyold)
Hoeye, who is a native of South Dakota and is a daughter of Jens Wamsyold who 
is now a rancher near Yacolt, Washington, her mother being deceased. Mr. 
Wamsyold came to the Pacific coast in 1898 and has since resided here. Captain 
Silva has shown an interest in local public affairs and served two years as a 
member of the city council at Clatskanie. He is a member of Portland Lodge, 
No. 55, A. F. & A.M., at Portland; Portland Consistory, A. A. S. R., and Al 
Kader Temple, A. A.O.N.M.S., at Portland. His wife is a member of the 
Daughters of the Nile at Portland, and they are both members of the Order of 
the Eastern Star. The Captain possesses a splendid collection of photographs 
and pictures of the famous old steamboats of the early days on the Columbia 
river, at a time when this river was the highway of Oregon and Washington, 
before there were either rail or wagon roads. He is a man of good business 
ability, has won a well earned reputation for square dealing and throughout 
the community commands the sincere respect and good will of all who know him.

Additional Comments:
History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, 
Pages 927-928

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/columbia/bios/silva822gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/

File size: 4.6 Kb