Washington County OR Archives Biographies.....Thornburgh, J. A. March 1, 1872 - ************************************************ 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 October 22, 2009, 1:08 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 44-46 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Among the capable and dependable business men of Forest Grove, Oregon, none commands public confidence and respect to a higher degree than does J. A. Thornburgh, president of the Forest Grove National Bank, with which institution he has been actively identified from the time of its organization, twenty-one years ago. This bank was established March 4, 1907, with the following officers and directors: W. B. Haines, president, and now president of the Portland National Bank, J. E. Bailey, vice president, J. A. Thornburgh, cashier, and Thomas S. Todd and J. W. Fuqua, directors, who owned all of the stock and were the first board of directors. The bank had a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, and was first located down Main street from its present building, into which it moved on the completion of the structure in the fall of that year. The total resources of the bank on March 22, 1907, were seventy-three thousand, two hundred and twenty-three dollars and seventeen cents. The present capital is twenty-five thousand dollars; surplus, fifty thousand dollars; undivided profits, twelve thousand dollars, and total resources, nine hundred and eighty-two thousand dollars. The bank has paid dividends every year since its organization. Mr. Haines served as president of the bank until 1909, when he was succeeded by Mr. Thornburgh, who has filled that position continuously since. Mr. Bailey was succeeded as vice president by Mr. Todd, but was later again elected to that position, in which he is still serving. Mr. Thornburgh was cashier until his election to the presidency, after which Mr. Bailey served temporarily until the election, in 1910, of W. W. McEldowney, who still fills that office. The present directors are J. A. Thornburgh, John E. Bailey, E. F. Burlingham, S. G. Hughes and W. W. McEldowney. The bank conducts both a commercial and savings departments and is a member of the Federal Reserve system. Mr. Thornburgh was born about four miles north of Forest Grove, Oregon, March 1, 1872, and is a son of Ambers and Rebecca (Neal) Thornburgh, of whom the former was born in Tennessee and now lives about ten miles north of Forest Grove, while the latter, who was born in Iowa, is deceased. Ambers Thornburgh's maternal grandfather, John Mills, and his wife Anne, came across the plains in 1843 and he helped to build the first log house in Portland. Ambers Thornburgh came to the coast in 1859, locating first in California, where he lived until 1861, when he came to Washington county, Oregon, and engaged in farming, his original farm being still in the possession of the family. He was later engaged in the sawmill business and in his business affairs proved a man of good business judgment, meeting with a fair measure of success. He retired from active pursuits about 1898 and will be ninety-six years old in July, 1928. To him and his wife were born eight children, namely: Ella, who is the wife of C. L. Benefiel, of Manning, Oregon; W. J., who lives on the home farm; J. A., of this review; T. W., of Opal City, Oregon; Myrtle, who is the wife of A. W. Creps, of Banks, Oregon; Millie, who is the wife of A. O. Killin, of Forest Grove; and two who are deceased. Ambers Thornburgh had moved from Tennessee to Iowa when fourteen years of age, and there met his future wife. When twenty-seven years old he came west and in 1866 he sent for her and they were married. J. A. Thornburgh attended the public schools and remained at home, assisting in the work of the farm and in the operation of his father's sawmill until twenty years of age, when he took a commercial course in a business college in Portland. During the ensuing four years he was engaged in farming, after which he served two years as deputy county recorder. He then acquired a half interest in the Crescent Flour Mills, which he managed until 1907, when he became one of the organizers of the Forest Grove National Bank, at which time he sold his interest in the mill and has since devoted his attention to the bank. He is a man of mature and reliable judgment and to his able and judicious efforts the splendid growth and success of this institution has been largely due. Mr. Thornburgh is the owner of two fine farms, one of two hundred and twenty-five acres and the other of ninety-three acres, which he operates with hired help and to which he goes nearly every day during the spring and fall seasons. One farm is devoted to the raising of hops and filberts and the other to general farming, sheep raising and filberts. He owns one of the largest filbert orchards in the state, comprising sixty-eight acres, and is planning to put in from thirty to forty more acres to filberts, of which he has now twenty acres in full bearing. On April 22, 1894, Mr. Thornburgh was united in marriage to Miss Nettie M. Whitney, who was born in Michigan and is a daughter of W. R. and Martha (Hines) Whitney, the former now deceased, while the mother lives in Portland. She is a niece of Harvey Hines, an old and well known preacher of this state. Mr. and Mrs. Thornburgh have a son, R. Glenn, who is connected with the Forest Grove National Bank. He married Miss Opal Ranes, who was born and reared in Forest Grove, a daughter of John and Mary Ranes. Mr. Thornburgh is a member of Holbrook Lodge, No. 30, A. F. & A. M., of which he has been treasurer for many years; Delphos Lodge, No. 39, K. P.; the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He has taken an active interest in local public affairs and has served several terms as a member of the city council and two terms as mayor. Mrs. Thornburgh is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Women's Club, the Adelphian Society and the Ladies Circle of the Congregational church. He has shown sound judgment in his business affairs, in which he has met with well merited success, and is recognized as one of the solid and substantial men of Washington county. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/washington/bios/thornbur869gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb