14 Facts About Lot Whitcomb

Lot Whitcomb was an American commercial entrepreneur and politician who established the city of Milwaukie, Oregon.

Lot Whitcomb was born in Vermont on April 24,1807.

Lot Whitcomb married the former Irene Chamberlain in 1828, and together they would have four children, all daughters.

Around 1830 Lot Whitcomb moved to Michigan, where he began work as a contractor.

Lot Whitcomb subsequently moved to Illinois, where he served a term in the Illinois House of Representatives.

The party reached Oregon City in November 1847, where Lot Whitcomb would remain for the rest of the year.

Early in 1848 Lot Whitcomb made a donation land claim and made use of parts brought with him on the journey to establish a water-powered sawmill at the confluence of Johnson Creek with the Willamette River.

Lot Whitcomb decided that a surer path to fortune lay with the manufacture and supply of lumber to the boomtowns of Northern California and he built a schooner, the Milwaukie, and bought a brig, the Forest, to carry lumber and other goods to markets in California.

The milling and shipping business proved lucrative and other ships were added to Lot Whitcomb's fleet, including the barks Louisville, Ocean Bird, and Keoka, all added by 1851.

Lot Whitcomb used some of his profits to launch a newspaper, the Western Star, based in Milwaukie.

Lot Whitcomb sold the ship to an Oregon City group, which in turn sold it to the California Steam Navigation Company in 1853 for use on the Sacramento River.

Lot Whitcomb served as postmaster at Milwaukie from 1851 through 1857.

Lot Whitcomb was 49 years old at the time of his death.

Liberty Ship 1594, SS Lot Whitcomb, was named after him.