Multnomah-Clackamas County OR Archives Biographies.....Hesse, Fred January 5, 1870 - ************************************************ 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 January 18, 2011, 3:04 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 712 - 715 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company FRED HESSE. The constructive faculties have predominated in the career of Fred Hesse, a well known mechanical engineer and a successful business man who ably controls the operations of one of Portland's largest productive industries. He was born in Witten, Germany, January 5, 1870, his parents being Fred and Josephine (Le Claire) Hesse. His father passed away in 1910 and the mother's demise occurred in Portland in 1924. Fred Hesse (II) was educated in his native land, in which he received his early training as an engineer, and in 1890, when a young man of twenty, he sought the opportunities of the United States. He located in Oregon City and worked for seven years for the county engineer of Clackamas county. In 1897 he came to Portland and for about three years was a draftsman for the Wolff & Zwicker Iron Works. In 1900 he was one of the founders of the Columbia Engineering Works, of which he was made manager, and filled the position for six years. From 1906 until 1908 he was associated with J. B. C. Lockwood in the capacity of a consulting engineer and was then placed in charge of the Oregon Foundry, which he managed successfully for three years. In 1911 he made his first independent venture, purchasing the Heacock & Lawrence Iron Works, which had been placed in the hands of a receiver, and established the Hesse- Martin Iron Works. Their foundry and machine shop at the corner of Belmont and East Seventh streets covered a ground space of one hundred feet square and they started with a force of about thirty men. In, 1922 the business was reorganized and has since been conducted under the style of the Hesse-Ersted Iron Works. A. J. Ersted withdrew from the concern in November, 1926, and the present officers are: Fred Hesse, president; H. S. Mitchell, vice president; A. M. Mears, treasurer; and Ralph Wilbur, secretary. During the World war the Hesse-Ersted Iron Works required larger quarters in order to fill its contract with the United States shipping board and purchased an entire block at No. 468 East Taylor street from Whitney L. Boise, who was admitted to partnership in the concern at that time. The building was designed for use as a foundry and machine shop and is completely equipped. The plant is modern to the ultimate degree and in equipment the machine shop ranks with the best in the northwest. Seventy-five men are regularly employed by the corporation, which specializes in pulp manufacturing machinery such as barkers, chippers and rechippers, screens, wet machines, pulp bailers and dryers, etc. In addition the firm makes sawmill machinery and hoists of all kinds, cranes and a general line of transmission and conveying machinery. A general foundry business is conducted and the plant has a daily capacity of ten tons. The company has a competent staff of engineers and draftsmen and does all of its own designing. Among the important achievements of the corporation was the making of the conveying equipment for Terminal No. 4 in Portland, a seventy-thousand-dollar job. The output of the plant is shipped throughout the northwest, as well as to California and points in the east. To Mr. Hesse and his associates belongs the credit for the development of this extensive industry, which reflects his progressive spirit, his administrative power and high standards of production. In 1890 Mr. Hesse was married in Germany to Miss Helen Ruhland, who died in 1921. She had become the mother of five children. Agnes, the first-born, is now Mrs. Karl Koch, of Portland, and has three children: Helen. Karl and Bobbie. Elsie became the wife of Fred Thiess and passed away in 1925. Fritz was married in Portland to Miss Thelma Hammersly, by whom he has a son, Fred (III). Carl married Miss Edna Sheehy, of Portland, and they have two children, Frances and Jane. Huxley, who lives in Seattle, Washington, is also married and has two children, Huxley, Jr., and Theodore. Mr. Hesse's second union was with Myrtle M. Ireland, a native of Hillsboro, Oregon. Mr. Hesse is connected with the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Association of Engineers, and from 1919 to 1927 served on the state examining board of engineers. He holds a life membership in the Portland Press Club and is also affiliated with the East Side Commercial Club, the Multnomah Athletic Club and the Portland Art Association. In matters of citizenship he is loyal and public-spirited and lends the weight of his support to all movements for the advancement of his community along material, moral and cultural lines. Alert, resolute and energetic, he has made his opportunities count for the utmost and is honored for his integrity and breadth of mind and esteemed for his enterprise and ability. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/photos/bios/hesse1371gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/hesse1371gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb