Multnomah County OR Archives Photo Person.....Enke, Herman ************************************************ 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 September 30, 2010, 7:16 am Source: Biography:History Of The Columbia River Valley From The Dalles To The Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928 Pages 560 - 563 Name: Herman Enke HERMAN ENKE, of Portland, has given a practical demonstration of what may be accomplished, even in the face of discouraging conditions, through the exercise of the qualities of persistent industry, sound common sense and worthy principles and, as owner of Enke's City Dye Works, he is now enjoying well merited prosperity. Mr. Enke was born in Thuringen, Germany, August 20, 1862, and was there reared, receiving a good education in the public schools. He learned the dyeing trade, being apprenticed at the age of twelve years to serve four years without pay. He learned the business in every detail and was employed in different plants in his home country for about eight years. In 1888 he came to the United States, locating in Portland, Oregon, where he was employed in a small dye shop for two years. Not being acquainted with the English language, he attended evening school, putting in eighteen hours a day at work and study. He first entered the employ of the Portland Dye Works, but as that concern could give him only three days work a week, he put in the other three days as gardener for the late W. S. Ladd, working twelve hours a day for $2. On the 22d of May, 1890, he started in business for himself at 65 Sixth street. He hired Chinamen to handsaw wood, which Mr. Enke would carry into his place, which he called the City Dye Works. However, his determined efforts bore fruit and in the course of time his business grew to a volume that demanded larger quarters and he moved several times. In 1905 he bought his present location, comprising a lot one hundred by one hundred feet, on which he built a good plant, and also installed a water supply. This building served until 1927, when it was destroyed by fire, after which Mr. Enke erected his present fine, fireproof building, two stories in height and sixty by one hundred and twenty-five feet. His entire plant now occupies a space of one hundred by two hundred feet, and all of his machinery and equipment is of the most modern type. He does all kinds of dyeing, redyeing, cleaning and renovating, and his work has been of a quality that has gained for him the continued patronage of the representative families of the city. During his early years here he built much of his own machinery, in the course of which he developed some excellent original ideas. The firm makes a practice every year of cleaning children's clothes free of charge between Christmas and New Year's, and in 1927 cleaned about fifteen hundred suits under that offer. He has his own steam plant, while the machinery is electrically driven, with individuals motors. He inaugurated the first auto delivery in Portland and now has about twenty trucks employed in collecting and delivering. The business was incorporated under its present name in 1921 and is regarded as one of the leading concerns in its line in Portland. It employs one hundred people, with a payroll of twenty-five hundred dollars a week. The company handles over a million separate pieces a year, and uses about one hundred and twenty-five thousand clothes hangers a year, besides a half million safety pins. So well systematized is the handling of this enormous business that of the million pieces handled a year, the average loss will not run over ten pieces for the year. Mr. Enke trains all of his own help and has a competent and loyal force, to whose cooperation his success is largely due. By his first marriage Mr. Enke became the father of four children: Alma, is the wife of Dr. George Hoffman, and they have three children, March, George and Donald; Belinda, who is the wife of D. Murray, is a graduate of Leland Stanford University and is a teacher in the Franklin high school; William H., is superintendent of his father's plant. Irene is at home. For his second wife Mr. Enke chose Miss Sadie Wintermantle, who was born in Portland and whose father, William Wintermantle, came to Oregon prior to the Civil war, and enlisted and served in that conflict. Mr. and Mrs. Enke are the parents of three children, namely: Wilma, who is a student in the University of Oregon, June, who is attending high school, and Doris. Mr. Enke has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for over twenty-eight years, is a charter member of Multnomah Camp, No. 77, W. O. W., and belongs to the Portland Social Turnverein, the Sons of Herman, the Chamber of Commerce, The Kiwanis Club, of which he is a charter member, the Advertising Club, the Press Club, of which he is a life member, the East Side Commercial Club and the Progressive Business Men's Club. He is a director of the National Association of Cleaners and Dyers of the United States and Canada, of which he was one of the organizers, while during the late war he served as treasurer of the National Defense League, his plant being used as a conservation depot. Mr. Enke is widely known as an expert in everything pertaining to his line of business and not less than half of the owners of cleaning and dyeing establishments in this state served their apprenticeship under him. He is a man of strong character and pleasing personality, is well liked by all who come in contact with him and commands the uniform confidence and respect of the community. Additional Comments: Source/publication of Biography:History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 560 - 563 Photo at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/photos/bios/enke1263gph.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/enke1263gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb