On Becoming Beaverton

According to Oregon Geographic Names, the name of Beaverton came from the settlement's proximity to a large body of water caused by beaver dams.

The area of Tualatin Valley which became Beaverton was originally the home of a Native American tribe known as the Atfalati, which settlers mispronounced as Tualatin. The Atfalati population dwindled in the latter part of the 18th century until the once prosperous tribe was no longer dominant in the area by the time settlers arrived in the 19th century. The natives had a village called Chakeipi, meaning Place of the Beaver, and early settlers referred to it as "Beaverdam".

From 1847, early settlers included Lawrence Hall, Augustus Fanno, Thomas Denney, Orin S. Allen and others.

In 1860, a toll plank road from Portland to Beaverton was completed over a trail called Canyon Road.

After the U.S. Civil War, numerous other settlers, including Joshua Welch, George Betts, Charles Angel, William Watson, and John Henry, laid out what is now known as Beaverton, hoping they could bring a railroad to an area once described as "mostly swamps & marshes connected by beaver dams to create what looked like a huge lake."

In 1872, Beaverton's first post office opened in a general store operated by Betts, who also served as the first postmaster of the community. Betts Street, where the current post office now stands, is named in honor of him.

In 1893, Beaverton, which by that time had a population of 400, was officially incorporated. Alonzo Cady, a local businessman, served as the first mayor. Many major thoroughfares in Beaverton are named for these early settlers.

Beaverton was an early home to automobile dealerships. A Ford Motor Company dealership was established there in 1915 by Otto Erickson. It was later purchased by Guy Carr in 1923 and over the years Carr expanded it into several locations throughout Beaverton.

In the early 1920s, Beaverton was home to Premium Picture Productions, a movie studio which produced about fifteen films. The site was later converted into an airfield known as Watts Airport which became Bernard's Airport after it moved to the area of the present-day Cedar Hills Crossing shopping center on Cedar Hills Blvd.

The town's first library opened in 1925. Originally on the second floor of the Cady building, it has moved repeatedly; in 2000 it was moved to its current location on Hall Blvd and 5th.

Beaverton's Population is currently over 82,000.

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

The People of Early Beaverton

Augustus Fanno

The first settler to file a claim in Washington County

• Born March 26, 1804 in Cumberlain, Maine
• Died June 29, 1884 in Oregon
• Registered his claim on September 22, 1847 in what is now the Greenway area
• Married to Martha Ferguson in 1833 and had one son, Eugene.
• Martha died in childbirth shortly after arriving in Oregon in 1847.
• Married to Rebecca Jane Denney in 1851
• Had six children, including Augustus, Jr. and Alonzo
• Most of the Fanno’s are buried at Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard, OR.
• Augustus Fanno filed the first land claim in what is now Washington Co.
• He pioneered the growing of onions in Oregon by developing a breed that adapted to the wet climate and soil of the area.
• Fanno Creek and Fanno Street are named after him.
• He built the Fanno Farmhouse in 1857.  It is now a historic home on the National Registry of Historical Places.
• Fanno Creek is named after him

Lawrence Hall

The first settler in Beaverton but filed his claim afterA. Fanno

• Born March 10, 1800 in Bourbon County, Kentucky
• Died February 11, 1867 in Portland, OR
• Staked his claim in spring of 1847 in the north side of the present town.  Jenkins Rd. forms the southern boundary of the claim.
• Married Lucy Davidson White in 1822 and had nine children.  She died in 1865.
• Are buried at Union Cemetery of Cedar Mill in unmarked graves.
• Primary professions include Politician, Postmaster and Captain in the Cayeuse War.
• Hall Blvd is named after him

Thomas Denney

Source: City of Beaverton

Built the area's first saw and gristmills leading to a mini-building boom of plank homes and becoming one of the leaders in Oregon’s timber industry

• Born July 1, 1817 in Kentucky
• Died November 15,1908 and buried in Tigard, Oregon
• Married his cousin, Berrilla King, on January 4, 1849 in Indiana
• Left Indiana for Oregon in March 1849 with his new bride. 
• Had seven children, their first being born just as they were about to cross the Cascades in September 1849.
• Thomas and Berrilla are buried at Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard, OR.
• Built the first sawmill in the area,
• Son, Aaron Vasco Denney married Alice E. Smith
• Descendant, Judy Donovan, still lives on the original land claim and regularly attends our historical society meetings.
• Denney Rd is named after him

Orrin Sweet Allen

Source: City of Beaverton

Helped establish meeting place for early Congregationists of Beaverton

• Born  March 11, 1824 in New York
• Died July 25, 1902
• Married Frances Wade in 1856 and had 3 children
• Fought for the Union in the civil war in 1862
• Arrived in Beaverton in 1870
• Home was located at the present-day intersection of Allen Blvd and Hall Blvd
• Buried in Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard, OR
• Early member of the Bethel Congregational Church and helped secure a place of worship for the congregation.
• Primary profession was farmer, carpenter, cabinet maker and painter
• Early Commissioner of ‘Streets in Beaverton’
• Youngest son, Floyd, was born in Beaverton
• Allen Blvd is named after him

Charles Angel

He assisted with the platting of Beaverton

• Presumed born in 1826 in Oregon
• Assisted Joshua Welch in platting the new town of Beaverton
• An 1870 US Census entry for Washington County, OR lists a Charles Angell (with two L’s) as a 44 year old common laborer, born in Oregon. 
• Owned land worth $1000.
• Angel St. is named after him

George Betts

He built Beaverton’s first store and was the city’s first postmaster

ource: City of Beaverton

• Born approximately 1826 in New York
• Married to Hetty and had four children (she died in 1861)
• Married to Elizabeth in 1862 and had four children
• Came to Oregon in 1853 from Fort Vancouver in Washington where he was a soldier
• Built Beaverton’s first commercial building as an incentive for the railroad to put a depot in
• Assisted Joshua Welch in platting the new town of Beaverton in 1868
• Primary Profession includes farmer, being the city’s first postmaster as well elected as justice of the peace
• Betts Ave, where our Main Post Office is located, is named after him

William O. Hocken

Donated land for Beaverton City Park

Source: City of Beaverton

• Born in 1840 in England
• Died in March 19, 1921 in Washington County
• Emigrated to US in 1866
• Came to Beaverton in 1870
• Married to Emma Hicks and had two children
• William and Emma are both buried at Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard, OR.
• Donated land and helped build Beaverton’s first Methodist Church at 4^th and Watson
• The land donation included area that is now the Beaverton City Park
• Served as mayor from 1914-1917 and as city treasurer before that. 
• Served on the school board
• Last name is sometimes spelled ‘Hockins’ on US Federal Census records
• Hocken Ave. is named for him.

Joshua Welch

Platted out a map of what would be the town of Beaverton

• Born in 1825 in Brown County, Ohio
• Died in 1908 in Washington
• Staked his claim in the Oregon Territory in 1849
• Married Olive Adline on December 5, 1850 and had six children (she died in 1896)
• Married for third time in 1907.
• Joshua and Olive are buried at Fairview Cemetery in Cheney, WA.
• Played a key role in bringing the railroad to Beaverton
• On December 26^th, 1868, delivered the proposed town plat of Beaverton to the Washington County clerk
• Farmed a small plot but in 1858 received 55 acres from Samuel Stott and even more land in 1859 from William Hall
• There are no major roads named after Joshua Welch

William Penn Watson 

Watson Avenue was named for him

• Born on December 28, 1828 in Jacksonville, IL
• Married Priscilla Patton on January 4, 1851 in Lafayette, OR
• Priscilla was born on April 6, 1833 in Lafayette, IN (died 1924)
• Raised five children: 3 sons and 2 daughters
• Died in Long Beach, CA on April 14, 1910
• Crossed the Oregon Trail in 1849
• Settled in Yamhill County in the 1850’s
• Farmed in Beaverton in the 1860’s
• Moved to Hood River in the 1870’s to grow peaches before ending up in CA
• Assisted Joshua Welch in platting the new town of Beaverton
• Watson Ave. is named for William Penn Watson

Earl Fisher

• Born September 18, 1879 in Beaverton
• Died April 13, 1961 in Beaverton
• Buried at Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard, OR.
• Organized Beaverton’s first hook and ladder company
• Organized the Beaverton Military Band
• Helped construct a bandstand for open-air concerts community plays
• Served five separate one-year terms as mayor
• Served as State Representative and State Senator
• Farmer
• 1912-1914, Writer and editor of The Owl, Beaverton’s newspaper
• Served 26 years teacher and principal
• Served as Beaverton  Mayor, 1906-08, 1933, 1951

Francis Marion Robinson

• 1885, Doctor in Beaverton
• 1887, Built Victorian house and pharmacy on Broadway (Now Beaverton Bakery)
• 1889, Married Lottie Danks

  Source: City of Beaverton

Alonzo Cadys

• 1892, Arrived in Beaverton
• 1893, Beaverton’s first mayor     
• 1895, Beaverton Postmaster for 20 years
• 1902, Potato and Onion broker
• 1914, Youngest son, Fred W, built Beaverton’s first brick building (Cady Bldg)

Frank W. Livermores

• 1896, owned sawmill near Weir Rd
• 1905-1910, owned logging and sawmill on 280 acres of Cooper Mt.
• 1910, owned lumber business where Nona Emilia’s currently is on TV Hwy
• 1930’s, president of Beaverton Bank
• His Daughter, Ivy, was born on Cooper Mt.