Columbia-Multnomah-Clatsop County OR Archives Biographies.....Wellington, John H. February 1, 1871 - ************************************************ 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 Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 20, 2009, 4:08 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 23-25 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company John H. ("Duke") Wellington, who is nearing the completion of his second term as sheriff of Columbia county, Oregon, in which position he has rendered effective and satisfactory service, is a man of wide and varied experience, has proven himself a worthy and dependable citizen and it is doubtful if there lives in Columbia county a more popular man than he. Mr. Wellington was born in Manchester, England, on the 1st of February, 1871, and is a son of John and Hannah Wellington, the former born in Belfast, Ireland, and the latter in Staffordshire, England. His father was a brushmaker by trade, a line which he followed during all of his active years, and his death occurred at Preston, England, in 1874. His widow survived him many years, passing away at Manchester, England, in 1908. They were the parents of six children, Martha, Hannah, Rose, Alice and Sarah, all of whom are married and living in England, and John H. The last named received his education in the public schools of his native land and when ten years of age went to work in cotton mills on half time, attending school half of each day. When fifteen years old he enlisted in the British navy, and was in active sea service from 1886 until 1889, serving first on the steamship "Impregnable" and completing his time on "H. M. S. Rover." This was a corvette, a sail-rigged ship, which was also fitted with steam engines. When winds were favorable, the propellor was hoisted through a well in the bottom of the ship, which sailed along under canvas. In 1889 Mr. Wellington came to Boston, Massachusetts, on a cattle boat and, after remaining in that city a short time, shipped on the bark "Colorado," with a cargo of spool wood for Greenock, Scotland, and returned to this country with a cargo of coal for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then sailed for Amsterdam, Holland, on an oil tanker, later went to Shields, England, and from there, on the German ship "Katrina," to Iquique, Chile, where they took on a cargo of nitrates for England. He went up to Manchester for a short visit with his mother, after which he shipped from Liverpool on the "Charles E. Moody," a clipper ship, for Baltimore, Maryland, where he was paid off. His next voyage was on the "Treasurer," a Nova Scotia vessel, to Barcelona, Spain, with a cargo of coal, after which they proceeded to Trapani, Sicily, and took on a cargo of salt, which they delivered at Gloucester, Massachusetts. After being paid off, he went to New York city, where, in the fall of 1891, he shipped on the "Tillie E. Starbuck," for Portland, Oregon. They carried a general cargo and the voyage around Cape Horn took six months. Mr. Wellington was paid off in Portland and, deciding to quit the sea, worked at various occupations in that city for a few months. He then came to St. Helens, where for four years he worked in the rock quarries, also doing some commercial salmon fishing. In 1896 he went to Rossland, British Columbia, where he worked in the gold mines for two years, at the end of which time he returned to St. Helens and, on the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, he enlisted in the United States Navy. He was sent to the Mare Island navy yard, where he was assigned to the "Philadelphia," the flagship of the Pacific squadron, under the command of Admiral Kautz. They went to the Hawaiian islands, which they annexed and placed under the United States flag, and from there to the Samoan islands, where, in a skirmish at Apia, Mr. Wellington was shot in the elbow. From April until August he was confined in the ship's hospital, and was then transferred to the naval hospital at Mare Island, California, where, on September 1, 1899, he was honorably discharged from the service on account of disability. Returning to St. Helens, Mr. Wellington was employed at various lines for a few years and in 1908 opened a general store, catering largely to ships, and built up a large and prosperous trade. In 1916 he sold the store and spent about a year at Seaside. When the United States became involved in the World war he enlisted in the navy, being one of the first in this locality to volunteer, and was sent to Bremerton, Washington, where he was made instructor of naval recruits, in which capacity he served for several months. He then went to sea, picking an sub-chasers on the Pacific coast and taking them to the Atlantic coast, and later was engaged in convoy duty out of New York until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged with the rank of chief boatswain's mate. In the spring of 1920 Mr. Wellington became the republican candidate for sheriff of Columbia county and was elected. In 1924 he was reelected, but does not intend to run for a third term. In 1922 he bought twenty-four acres of land adjoining the city of St. Helens, which he has partly cleared, and has planted about twelve acres, ten acres being in filberts and two acres in mixed fruits. In 1903 Mr. Wellington was united in marriage to Miss Mary T. Blakesley, who was born and reared in St. Helens and is a daughter of A. H. and Teresa (Matt) Blakesley, the former born in Vermilion county, Ohio, on December 13, 1831, and the latter at Waldo Hills, near Salem, Oregon, in 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Wellington are the parents of a son, Lester E., who was born at St. Helens, graduated from the high school at Seaside and had two years in the University of Oregon. He is a veteran of the World war, having enlisted at the same time as his father, in April, 1917, and spent one and a half years in the air service in France. He is now manager of the Twentieth Century chain stores in southern Oregon, with headquarters at Medford. When Mr. Wellington volunteered for enlistment for the World war he was drawing a pension as a veteran of the Spanish-American war. The recruiting officer told him a war veteran drawing a pension could not enlist. Mr. Wellington promptly replied, "To hell with the pension. I'm going to enlist." As he and his son left home together for the war, leaving alone the wife and mother, it was one of the very rare times in their married life when Mr. Wellington saw tears in his wife's eyes. Mr. Wellington is a member of Bremerton Lodge, No. 1181, B. P. O. E., at Bremerton, Washington; Scout Young Camp, No. 2, S. W. V., and Columbia Post, No. 42, A. L. On his fruit farm he has erected an attractive modern bungalow and is now situated to enjoy life in an ideal manner. He has shown a keen interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community, being an advocate of good schools and improved highways, and his support may always be counted on in the advancement of measures for the public good. Because of his splendid record in every relation of life, his sterling qualities and his genial and unaffected manner, he commands to a notable degree the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens and has a host of warm and admiring friends throughout Columbia county. 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