Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Tichner, Abraham December 10, 1852 - 
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Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com and   June 30, 2006, 1:00 am

Author: Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea,  Volume II, 
Pages 204-205

        ABRAHAM TICHNER.  Although a native of the east, Abraham Tichner has 
resided on the Pacific coast from infancy and is thoroughly familiar with the 
various phases of pioneer life in this region.  For fifty-eight years he has 
made his home in Portland and his life record is closely connected with the 
history of the city’s growth and development during that period.  At an early 
age he began the struggle for an existence in the business world and his 
success is the merited reward of hard work, honorable dealing and the wise use 
of the talents with which nature endowed him.
	Mr. Tichner was born December 10, 1852, in New York city and his 
parents were Solomon and Lena Tichner.  His father was a native of Bavaria, 
Germany, and when a young man followed the tide of immigration to the United 
States.  He went to California with the ‘49ers but soon afterward returned to 
New York city, where he remained until 1853.  In that year he brought his 
family to the Pacific coast by way of the isthmus of Panama and Abraham 
Tichner was carried in the arms of his mother, who was mounted on a donkey as 
they crossed the isthmus of Panama.  They made the journey in company with 
Henry Blakeman and his sister, the former afterward becoming an outstanding 
figure in political circles of Oregon.
	The Tichner family settled in San Francisco and a cousin of Abraham 
Tichner built the first winery in California.  At an early period in its 
existence Abraham Tichner began to work for the Chronicle, in San Francisco 
and packed the papers on his back to the postoffice.  The money he earned was 
carefully saved and his education was secured in the public schools of San 
Francisco.  When a youth of eighteen he brought his parents to Portland on the 
old steamer John L. Stevens, a side-wheeler, which was six days in making the 
trip.  They arrived in the city on May 1, 1870, and Abraham Tichner and his 
brother secured employment here.  They worked hard in order to provide for the 
family and managed to pay off an indebtedness of eight thousand dollars 
incurred by the father.
	Soon afterward Abraham Tichner was drawn into politics, in which he 
was active for many years, becoming one of the leaders of the republican party 
in Oregon.  At the time of the trouble with the Chinese he was local inspector 
of customs and was connected with that branch of the government service for 
five years.  He was identified with the police force of Portland for six years 
and rose to the rank of captain.
	Eventually Mr. Tichner became interested in buying city, county and 
state warrants, and this constituted the turning point in his fortunes.  Going 
to the First National Bank, of which Henry Failing was president, he obtained 
a loan of three thousand dollars and during the first two months made thirty 
dollars but his interest amounted to forty dollars.  After a conference with 
Mr. Failing he secured more reasonable terms and is responsible for the 
establishment of six per cent as the legal rate of interest on loans.  Mr. 
Tichner gradually enlarged the scope of his activities and about 1898 formed a 
partnership with A. H. Maegly, an association which proved mutually 
advantageous.  In 1909 they succeeded in financing the Maegly-Tichner 
building, among the first modern office structure on Broadway in Portland, and 
in this project Mr. Tichner invested all of his money.  On January 30, 1926, 
the tenants of the building tendered the owners a banquet, an unusual mark of 
esteem and respect, and a beautiful memorial of the occasion, signed by the 
occupants, is one of Mr. Tichner’s treasured possessions.  Many of his real 
estate transactions involved thousands of dollars and his ability, foresight 
and sagacity placed him with the leading operators in this field.  Throughout 
his business career he followed the course sanctioned by conscience, honor and 
good judgment and accumulated a substantial competence which now enables him 
to live retired.
	Mr. Tichner was married June 14, 1874, to Miss Mary E. Baker, a 
daughter of Perry G. Baker, who was a native of Virginia and settled in the 
Willamette valley of Oregon in 1854.  He was one of the earliest contractors 
of Portland and became the most successful.  Mr. Baker dug the foundation for 
the first free school here but excelled in street contracting work, in which 
he specialized, and much of his capital was invested in local real estate.  On 
January 11, 1855, he was married at St. Johns to Miss Maria Loomis and theirs 
was the first wedding in Multnomah county.  Mrs. Baker was a daughter of James 
and Sarah Loomis, who left Missouri in 1844 and journeyed by ox team and wagon 
to Oregon.  Mr. Loomis filed on a donation claim near St. Johns, the terminal 
docks being now located on the property.  Mr. and Mrs. Tichner became the 
parents of four children.  The three sons are all deceased.  The daughter, 
Hazel I., is the wife of William J. Lyons, state manager for the American 
Surety Company, and has one child, Mary Elizabeth, who is attending the 
Lincoln high school in Portland.
	Mr. Tichner was one of the first subscribers of the Journal and has 
been a reader of the Oregonian for fifty-seven years.  He has passed through 
all of the chairs in the Ancient Order of United Workmen, with which he has 
been identified for forty-eight years, and his connection with the Woodmen of 
the World covers a period of seventeen years.  Mr. Tichner is also affiliated 
with the Loyal Order of Moose, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the 
Auld Lang Syne Society.  His deep interest in the progress of Portland has 
been manifested by effective efforts in its behalf and his worth as a citizen 
is uniformly conceded.


Additional Comments:
History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Volume II, 
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1928


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