Multnomah-Polk-Statewide County OR Archives Biographies.....Hart, J. N. May 13, 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 L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 27, 2009, 7:52 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company J. N. HART, who conducts a large general law practice in Portland, has a well earned reputation as a learned, sagacious and successful attorney, and has also been active in the public affairs of his state, giving able and effective service in every position which he has held. He was born in Wayne county, Illinois, May 13, 1869, and is a son of John S. and Minerva J. (Neel) Hart. In 1885 the family came to Oregon, locating in Polk county, where the father engaged in farming and stock raising, later moving to Benton county. Both parents are deceased, the father dying in January, 1926, and the mother in February, 1924. The father was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he served with an Illinois regiment. J. N. Hart received a good public and high school education and then attended the law school of the University of Oregon. He was admitted to the bar in 1895 and engaged in the practice of his profession at Dallas, Oregon, where he remained eight years. He moved to Baker, Oregon, where also he resided eight years, and in 1912 came to Portland where he has been engaged in the practice of law to the present time. He has built up a large clientele, handling no criminal cases or collections, and is regarded as one of the most dependable members of the Multnomah county bar. In 1890 Mr. Hart was united in marriage to Miss Irene Dempsey, who was born and reared in Polk county, Oregon, and is a daughter of James A. and Alice (Embree) Dempsey. Her maternal grandfather was Carey D. Embree, who came across the plains to Oregon in 1844 and was one of the early sheriffs of Polk county. To Mr. and Mrs. Hart have been born two children: J. H., who graduated from Georgetown University, Washington, D. C., and is now practicing law at Juneau, Alaska, is married and has two children. Hallie Ruth, who graduated from the University of Oregon and took a postgraduate course at Leland Stanford University, is now a teacher in the Grant high school in Portland. Politically Mr. Hart has been a lifelong republican and has shown a helpful interest in public affairs. He was elected and served as county superintendent of schools of Polk county, prior to entering upon the study of law. He served as district attorney of the third judicial district from 1900 to 1904, and was a presidential elector on the republican ticket in 1904. In 1906 he was elected to the state senate from Baker county and served in that body until 1910, rendering a good account of himself as a wise and discriminating legislator. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in which he has received the Royal Arch degrees; the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and maintains professional affiliation with the Multnomah County Bar Association, the Oregon State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is a stockholder in and attorney for the Portland National Bank, is a director and secretary of the Railway Exchange Investment Company and a director and secretary of the KXL Broadcasters. In uprightness of conduct, absolute integrity in the management of cases entrusted to him, courtesy to opponents and firmness in presenting the facts for every client, he is the ideal lawyer, and commands not only the respect of his professional colleagues, but the confidence and esteem of the public. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 579-580 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/hart554gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb