Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Schnabel, Charles Joseph August 17, 1867 - February 4, 1921
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Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com January 25, 2007, 12:28 pm

Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

	CHARLES JOSEPH SCHNABEL.  A man of fine intellect, great force of 
character and strict honesty, Charles Joseph Schnabel upheld the dignity and 
honor of the Portland bar, of which he was a member for thirty years, and also 
demonstrated his ability to successfully manage financial affairs of 
importance.  He was born August 17, 1867, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was 
a son of Robert A. and Elizabeth M. (Becker) Schnabel.  His father was a 
native of Germany and the mother was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  When a 
young man Robert A. Schnabel sought the opportunities of the new world and six 
weeks after his arrival in the United States volunteered for service in the 
Union army in response to President Lincoln’s first call for troops.  He was 
wounded in the first battle of Bull Run and his injuries were the direct cause 
of his death, which occurred in the east in 1882.  Mr. Schnabel followed the 
profession of journalism and was an able editorial writer.
	Charles J. Schnabel obtained his early instruction at Fort Wayne, 
Indiana, and attended the public schools of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  On the 
8th of February, 1889, when a young man of twenty-one, he arrived in Portland 
and his law studies were pursued in the University of Oregon, from which he 
was graduated in June, 1891.  He was admitted to the bar in the same year and 
chose Portland as the scene of his professional labors.  His exceptional 
qualifications for legal work at once became apparent and in 1893 he was 
appointed assistant United States district attorney, serving during the 
administration of President Cleveland.  On the 31st of May, 1896, Mr. Schnabel 
retired from office and resumed the private practice of law.  In 1907 he 
formed a partnership with W. P. La Roche, also an attorney of high standing, 
and as the years passed the firm of Schnabel & La Roche established an 
enviable reputation, successfully handling a large amount of the litigation 
tried in the courts of this district.  Mr. Schnabel had a mind trained to be 
cautious, accurate in thought and precise in its conclusions, and in his 
presentation of a case he was always fortified by a comprehensive 
understanding of the legal principles applicable thereto.  An astute 
financier, he successfully controlled the operations of the Schnabel 
Investment Company, of which he was president, and was also active in 
industrial affairs, serving as secretary of the Smith & Watson Iron Works.
	On October 4, 1896, Mr. Schnabel was married in Portland to Miss Elsa 
Anne Smith, whose father, C. E. Smith, was one of the city’s honored 
pioneers.  A native of Switzerland, he spent the early part of his life in 
that country and in 1863 settled in Portland.  He was an expert mechanic and 
became well known as the founder and president of the Smith & Watson Iron 
Works, one of the city’s chief industries.  In 1873 he was sent by President 
Grant as a delegate from Oregon to the Vienna Exposition and while in Hamburg, 
Germany, he met Miss Hedwig Hansen, who became his wife.  The family home was 
at the corner of Second and Hooker streets and in 1910 Mr. Smith donated this 
acreage to the county.  He was offered a large sum of money for the land but 
refused to sell and the old Multnomah County Hospital was located on the 
property.  A man of generous impulses, notable business ability and marked 
public spirit, he contributed materially toward the upbuilding and progress of 
the Rose city, in which he made his home for forty-nine years, and his death 
in 1912 was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.  Mr. and Mrs. Schnabel 
became the parents of two children, Charles H. and Katherine.  The son is 
endowed with literary and artistic talent and is now taking a course in 
portrait painting in London, England.  The daughter is the wife of Edward A. 
O’Neil and lives in San Francisco, California.
	Mr. Schnabel was a thirty-second degree Mason and a Noble of Al Kader 
Temple of the Mystic Shrine.  His love for young people prompted his efforts 
in behalf of the Boys and Girls Aid Society and the Young Men’s Christian 
Association.  He was also active in the affairs of the Humane Society and for 
sixteen years was vice president of the General German Aid Society.  A 
recognized leader of Portland’s legal fraternity, he became a member of the 
general council of the Multnomah Bar Association and at one time was its 
president.  He possessed a great heart and a great mind and there was perfect 
accord between them.  Mr. Schnabel needs no eulogy, for the simple record of 
his career tells its own story.  His life was abruptly terminated February 4, 
1921, and his tragic death was mourned not only in Portland but throughout the 
state.  Mrs. Schnabel resides in the family home at No. 785 Park avenue and 
her unostentatious acts of charity and kindness have made her greatly beloved.


Additional Comments:
History of the Columbia River Valley from The Dalles to the Sea, Pages 198-201

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