Multnomah-Umatilla County OR Archives Biographies.....Dodson, John Richard April 27, 1869 - ************************************************ 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 February 14, 2011, 12:36 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 921 - 923 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company JOHN RICHARD DODSON. Into the lives of few men have come experiences as varied, and ofttimes thrilling, as have characterized the career of John Richard Dodson, prominently known as the treasurer of the Jantzen Knitting Mills of Portland. His life story had its beginning in Bloomington, Illinois, where he first opened his eyes to the light of day April 27, 1869. His parents, William K. and Sarah A. (Cropper) Dodson, were natives of England but came to America in early life and were married in Baltimore, Maryland. About 1858 they established their home in Bloomington, Illinois, where the father conducted a profitable business as a wholesale merchant. He built a beautiful mansion in Bloomington, which was sold in the course of the administration of his estate to Adlai E. Stevenson following his election to the vice presidency of the United States. In that home William K. Dodson passed away at the age of fifty-three years. In the acquirement of his education John R. Dodson passed through the grades and the high school of Bloomington to his graduation at the age of seventeen years. He then entered the employ of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company at Bloomington and subsequently worked for the same corporation and for the Illinois Central in Chicago during the period of the World's Columbian Exposition there. In April, 1895, he removed from Chicago to Pendleton, Oregon, where he obtained the position of boss scourer for the Pendleton Wool Scouring Mill and was so engaged to the time of the building of the Pendleton Woolen Mill. In July, 1896, he was sent to Alaska as deputy collector of internal revenue by the United States government and at the time of the Dawson strike he resigned his position and turned his attention to gold mining in that locality. There he was associated with Tex Rickard, now nationally known as a prize fight promoter, with whom he went up over the ice on the Yukon river from Circle City to Dawson, where they arrived January 1, 1897. They prospected together on several creeks, working on El Dorado creek until they had earned enough money to secure an option on "Four and Five Below" on Bonanza, after which Mr. Rickard worked "Four" and Mr. Dodson "Five." Due to the lack of provisions at Dawson, Mr. Dodson returned to Circle City, taking a scow load of men with him. He there remained for a time and was about the first white man to cross over to the Fairbanks country, where he took the census of 1900. Selling his mining interests at Dawson, he became interested in several claims on Mastodon creek at Circle City and there mined successfully but eventually sold out and engaged in merchandising at Circle City. The J. R. Dodson store was a large enterprise for that locality and eventually he bought out the N. A. T. & T. Company, a large provision company backed by Chicago capital, after which he conducted the business with a partner under the firm name of Jewett & Dodson. His associate, Frank L. Jewett, was the agent for the N. A. T. & T. Company and both men had wide experience as to the needs of their buying public, thoroughly understanding Alaskan conditions. They did a business of notable proportions and won a gratifying measure of success. There is no phase of life in Alaska through the period of mining development there with which Mr. Dodson is not thoroughly familiar and many are the interesting tales which he might tell concerning the early days in which thousands were making their way into that country in search of gold. In 1917 Mr. Dodson became connected with the Jantzen Knitting Mills of Portland and was elected treasurer of the organization. His sound judgment as to financial matters, his keen business insight and his enterprise have featured largely in the development of this business, which was organized in 1910 by Carl C. Jantzen and John A. Zehntbauer for the manufacture of knitted goods. Throughout the intervening period they have largely specialized in the manufacture of swimming suits and their output has become the accepted standard of goods of this character throughout the entire country. Their sales, too, extend into fifty-four foreign lands. The success of the enterprise is based upon the development of an elastic knit stitch, known as the Jantzen stitch, whereby they have been able to produce perfectly shaped and fitting garments that give opportunity for every movement of the swimmer without the least binding in any way. It was a fortunate day for the original partners when they secured the cooperation of Mr. Dodson, for though they possessed practical experience in the knitting business and had developed the required Jantzen stitch and the machinery for its production, they had comparatively little capital with which to develop their business. Mr. Dodson, having realized a substantial fortune through the careful and intelligent management of his mining and mercantile interests in Alaska, brought to the concern the necessary capital that in 1917 enabled the company to purchase the plant and business of the Nollan Knitting Company. From that time forward their trade has prospered and constantly expanded. It was Mr. Dodson who originated the advertising design of the Jantzen diving girl, showing great initiative in producing this unique method of placing the red-garbed diving girl upon the windshields of automobiles as well as in other public places, where they have been viewed by millions, thus making the name of Jantzen a familiar one throughout the length and breadth of the land. The Jantzen Knitting Mills now have an extensive plant in continuous operation in Portland and own two blocks of land near the Portland mill. They are now erecting a large and architecturally attractive administration building, which is being rapidly pushed toward completion and when finished will be one of the most beautiful industrial structures in the city. It is of the one-story offset type of reinforced concrete with pressed brick face finish and covers the remainder of the ground of the Jantzen block between Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets, Flanders and Glisan streets, furnishing an additional floor space one hundred and fifteen by one hundred and eighty feet. The private offices are finished in mahogany and the floors throughout are either rubber tile or linoleum, while the latest heating, lighting and ventilating systems have been installed. The walls, too, contain a deadening felt that largely absorbs all noise and the completion of this splendid new administration building leaves the present structure for production purposes entirely. Another marked step in development with which Mr. Dodson has been directly connected was the establishment and building of a factory in Australia, where the business is to be carried on under the name of Jantzen (Australia) Limited, purposing to use Australian wools and Australian employes who will follow along the lines instituted by the parent concern. Australia offers excellent market for the products put out by the Jantzen company in that the Australians are a nation of surf bathers. Experiment has shown that locally spun yarn gives as good results as those obtained from the American article, thus assuring the high quality of the local production. A substantial plant has been erected, thoroughly equipped, situated in Sydney, operations there beginning on the 20th of June, 1928. Today the plant is running night and day, with fifty employes, and cannot keep up with its orders. Mr. Dodson, accompanied by his wife, went to Australia that he might personally supervise the organization of Jantzen, Limited, and see to its initial development. That the plans of himself and his associates were well formulated and intelligently executed is shown in the splendid results which are already attending the new enterprise. Mr. Dodson is also the treasurer of the Wagner Razor Strop Company of Portland and is a director of the Jantzen Amusement Park Company. In 1901, in Portland, Mr. Dodson married Miss Pearl Smith, who was born in this city, a daughter of Charles Smith, a well known Portland pioneer, business man and political leader. His activity along various lines led to the substantial development of the northwest and he was numbered among its honored early settlers. Both he and his wife have passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Dodson have one son, G. Robert, who is now in the New York sales department of the Jantzen Knitting Mills and who married Miss Elizabeth Setters, who was born in Astoria, of which city her father, O. B. Setters, was at one time mayor. Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Dodson made several trips to Alaska during the early years of their married life, residing there for different periods, and on the 6th of December, 1927, they sailed for Australia, where Mr. Dodson had charge of the development of the Jantzen (Australia) Limited at Sydney. They found conditions there extremely different, particularly as to the railroad systems, for the railroads are owned by each individual province and at the border line passengers must not only change cars but must also see that their baggage is transferred to the line in the next province. After doing the work which had caused him to visit Australia, Mr. Dodson and his wife made quite an extensive tour of the Orient, visiting the East Indies, Singapore, Siam, China, Japan and the Philippines, and while in Siam they became acquainted with Prince Damrong and his family and were taken for a trip about Bangkok in the car of the prince. On the 24th of September, 1928, they returned to Portland to again occupy their attractive home at 1117 East Couch street, which was completed in 1926. Mr. Dodson is well known in fraternal and club circles. He is a Mason of high rank and a Shriner and also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He belongs to the Multnomah Golf Club, the Lions Club, the Portland Chamber of Commerce and it is well known that his cooperation can be counted upon to further any project which looks to the development and upbuilding of Portland. Throughout his entire life he has carried forward to successful completion whatever he has undertaken and was considered a valuable asset to the business circles of this city when he became actively identified with the Jantzen Knitting Mills. His varied experience has thrown him into contact with all kinds and conditions of men — the criminal element among the miners and those who went to Alaska with the high purpose of winning success for their families. In every relation of life he has measured his own course by the Golden Rule and enjoys the unqualified esteem of those who know him. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/dodson1491gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 11.4 Kb