Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Peters, S. V. W. 1892 - 
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 24, 2010, 1:19 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 599 - 600
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     S. V. W. PETERS, vice president and general manager of the Portland Motor 
Car Company, has gained his present standing in the business world through his 
determined and well directed efforts and is recognized as one of the leading 
figures in the automobile circles of Oregon. The Portland Motor Car Company 
was established January 1, 1917, by Cameron Squires, who is still president of 
the concern, first located in the old Wemme building, but was subsequently 
brought to present location at 421 Burnside street, in a one-story building, 
one hundred by one hundred feet. At that time the company had the agency for 
Packard and Nash cars, but in 1922 relinquished the Nash agency and devoted 
their attention to the sale of Packard cars until 1924. In that year they 
became distributors for the Hudson and Essex cars in Oregon and the southern 
part of Washington, and has agencies at every important city and town in its 
territory. The company's business has enjoyed a steady increase from the 
beginning, in 1923 taking additional space, one hundred by one hundred feet, 
and in 1928 made still another increase in space of the same size, so that it 
now occupies one room, two hundred by one hundred feet and another of one 
hundred by one hundred feet, embracing thirty thousand square feet of space on 
one floor, the most extensive ground floor space for one business in Portland. 
In addition to its splendid salesrooms and adequate offices, the company 
maintains complete repair and parts departments. The company employs eight 
persons in its office, has eighteen salesmen and has fifty-four people in the 
various shop departments. It maintains its own paint, grease and body 
departments and is equipped to give the highest type of service promptly and 
at the lowest cost consistent with good workmanship. This company has sold 
about three thousand six hundred cars in Multnomah county and approximately 
seven thousand five hundred cars in Oregon during the past four years, being 
the largest distributors of the Hudson and Essex cars in the state.

     S. V. W. Peters, vice president of the company, was born in Seattle, 
Washington, in 1892, and is a son of William A. and Frances (Van Wyck) Peters. 
They went to Seattle in 1882 and 1889 respectively and were married in that 
city. Mr. Peters, a prominent attorney, is a member of the largest law firm in 
that city. S. V. W. Peters received his educational training in the public 
schools of Seattle and in Hitchcock Military Academy of California. He became 
connected with the canning business of Ainsworth & Dunn in northern 
Washington, where he remained two years, after which he was with the Kelly-
Clark Company, fish brokers at Seattle. In 1916 he became associated with the 
Northwest Motor Company, Seattle dealers in Packard cars, with which concern 
he remained until 1917, when he enlisted in the United States air service. He 
was overseas fifteen months, during a large part of which time he engaged in 
long-distance reconnaisance work. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and 
made a flight commander and is officially credited with the destruction of one 
enemy airplane. After the close of active hostilities he was assistant, in 
charge of the squadron, for five months, and on his return to this country was 
honorably discharged. He again took up the automobile business in Seattle, 
where he remained until 1920, when he came to Portland and bought an interest 
in the Portland Motor Car Company, of which he has since been vice president 
and general manager.

     In 1921 Mr. Peters was united in marriage to Miss Mary Louise Winslow, of 
San Francisco, California, and they are the parents of a son, S. V. W., Jr., 
who is now six years of age. Mr. Peters is a member of the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 
the University Club, the Waverly Golf Club and the Chamber of Commerce, in 
which he belongs to the aviation and auto safety committees. He is president 
of the Aero Club of Oregon and has taken a very active part in promoting air 
development and service in this section of the country. He gives his political 
support to the republican party. Because of his ability and his splendid 
personal qualities, he is held high in the respect and esteem of all who know 
him.

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