From "History of North Washington" Published 1904

Transcribed by: Candy Grubb (candyg@theofficenet.com)
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N.J.H. FORTMAN
	N.J.H. Fortman, a civil engineer of considerable experience 
throughout the northwest who has shown himself very capable in his 
profession, is now surveyor of Ferry county, he also does mining
engineering.
	He was born in New York, on January 14, 1838, his parents J.C.H.
and A.E. (Devely) Fortman, were natives of Holland, who came to America
and located in New York state where they remained the rest of their lives.
The father was the professor of languages and they were the parents of
three children, Nathaniel, deceased, N.J.H., and Anna Kuyper.  Our subject
was educated in the state of New York, and when sixteen entered the naval
college.  After his graduation from the institution, he went to sea for
practical experience, and followed this for a number of years, visiting
nearly every part of the globe.  In 1856, he was shipwrecked on the south
coast of the island of Java.  During the last two years he served at sea,
he was an officer.  In 1859, Mr. Fortman came to California and took up
mining, and one year later we find him on Puget Sound.  There being very
little work in civil enginerring, he turned his attention to farming, 
which occupied him until 1873.  For six years after, he was very active in
pursuing the higher intricacies of civil engineering, fitting himself for
every kind of work.  For a number of years, he was surveyor at Port 
Townsend, and later entered the employ of the Puget Sound Iron Company as 
their leading agent and engineer.  In due course of time, Mr. Fortman took
up real estate business and dealt in land during the boom days at Port
Townsend.  He came to where Republic now stands, but before the town was
started, and here he has reamined since.  He has done a great deal of
excellent work throughout the county and the adjoining the country.  In
political matters, Mr. Fortman is a Democrat, and his party named him for 
surveyor, and he won the day against Thomas M. Hammond.  In former years,
Mr. Fortman has been quite active in political matters and has served in
many official positions.  Fraternally, he is connected with the Red Men.
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