Washington-Marion County OR Archives Biographies.....Raynard, John W. 1875 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com June 11, 2009, 1:06 am

Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     JOHN W. RAYNARD.  Starting as a newsboy, John W. Raynard has steadily 
progressed through the exercise of the qualities of diligence and perseverance 
and is now in charge of the Beaverton office of the Oregon Telephone Company, 
a public utility with which he has been prominently identified for many years. 
He is one of the successful ranchers of Washington county and also figures 
conspicuously in civic affairs. A native of Ireland, he was born in Limerick 
county in 1875 and when a child of five came to the United States with his 
parents, William and Julia (Shire) Raynard, who settled in Minnesota. In that 
state the father followed agricultural pursuits until 1889, when he migrated 
to Salem, Oregon, which he left in the spring of 1890, and afterward engaged 
in farming in Washington county. He now resides in Civic City, but the mother 
passed away in 1926. In their family were three children: C. W., who in 1892 
transferred his activities from Oregon to Los Angeles, California, where he 
remained until 1926, acting as superintendent of construction, and has since 
lived in Beaverton; Mrs. Annie Fizell, who died in 1922; and John W.

     When a boy the last named sold the Oregonian and the Statesman on the 
streets of Salem and afterward attended the public schools of Laurel and 
Scholls. He aided in cultivating the home farm and as a young man operated a 
threshing machine in eastern Oregon for thirteen seasons. During the winter he 
worked in logging camps and ran a donkey engine on the Columbia river for many 
years. At Scholls he became a telephone employe and from 1908 until 1911 was 
identified with that branch of the service known as "trouble shooting." He 
showed a natural aptitude for the work and was rapidly promoted. In 1912 he 
was elected a director of the Scholls Telephone Company, of which he later 
became secretary and treasurer, and thus served for five years, while his wife 
had charge of the books. Mr. Raynard did a great deal of repair work in 
addition to his executive duties and also operated a portion of the homestead, 
which he still owns. After a year's retirement he returned to the telephone 
company as manager and began to acquire stock in the firm, of which he soon 
gained control, becoming president of the company about 1921. He successfully 
conducted the business until October, 1926, when it was purchased by the 
Oregon Telephone Company, of which he is now assistant plant superintendent 
and manager at Beaverton. When he entered this line of work Beaverton had but 
forty-six telephones and there are now four hundred and twenty. This exchange 
has direct connection with the towns of Tigardville, Wilsonville, Tualatin, 
Scholls, Stafford and Sherwood, thus affording excellent means of 
communication throughout the county. Mr. Raynard is a highly trained 
specialist in the work of telephone construction, operation and management and 
has greatly improved this branch of the service. He is also a scientific 
agriculturist and one-third of his sixty-acre farm is devoted to the growing 
of walnuts and filberts, while the remainder of the tract is rented. The land 
is rich and productive and the ranch is improved with good buildings and 
thoroughly equipped. From 1892 to 1894 he lived in Portland and then moved 
back to the farm.

     In 1906 Mr. Raynard married Miss Grace Crabtree, a native of Illinois and 
a daughter of Frank and Anne Crabtree. Mrs. Raynard's father was a soldier in 
the Civil war and one of the gallant defenders of the Union cause. He passed 
away about 1928 and his widow resides in Forest Grove. Mr. and Mrs. Raynard 
have two children, Ruth Margaret and John C., who were born on the homestead. 
In politics Mr. Raynard is a stalwart democrat and while living at Scholls was 
a precinct committeeman for a number of years. He is a member of the town 
council of Beaverton and a tireless and effective worker in behalf of his 
community, manifesting an unselfish spirit of devotion to the general good. In 
the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce he takes a prominent part and is also 
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Rebekahs, the Masons 
and the Eastern Star. He is a charter member of the Beaverton Lodge of Odd 
Fellows and has twice been a delegate to the Grand Lodge. While at Scholls he 
became a charter member of the Rebekahs and his wife is also connected with 
that organization and with the Eastern Star. Throughout his career Mr. Raynard 
has never undertaken a task unless he considered it worthy of his best efforts 
and this constitutes one of the secrets of his success. By nature he is 
generous, sincere and companionable and his personal popularity is attested by 
a wide circle of steadfast friends.

Additional Comments:
History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, 
Pages 853-854

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