jjgolden.html

The Oregonian, Portland, OR., October 9, 1890, page 6
Includes portrait

JOHN J. GOLDEN
Founder of Goldendale, Wash.

GOLDENDALE, Wash. Oct. 5 - John J. Golden, the founder of Goldendale, was born at Pittsburgh, Pa., March 18, 1826. He learned the carpenter's trade, and when 21 years of age he moved to Indiana. September 20, 1852, he arrived at Placerville, Cal., after a six months' journey across the plains by ox teams. For two years he mined alongside of Joaquin Miller and several others noted characters. In 1855 he engaged in the general merchandise business at Weaverville, in the same state. Flour in those days was shipped from Chile, and retailed for $8 per sack. Bacon was shipped from the Umpqua valley, Oregon, and sold to the miners for 50 cents per pound, and potatoes and onions went at 10 cents per pound. In connection with the general store, Golden conducted 11 butcher shops in supplying the miners beef at 50 cents per pound. In 1858 Golden was attracted to the Fraser river, and on the way stopped over night in a little town known as Portland. First street them was full of fir stumps, while there was a dense forests extending back from Third street. From the village of Portland he went by a boat propelled by horsepower to Monticello landing on the Cowlitz river. From that point he went horseback over a trail to Fraser river, passing Olympia, Seattle and the Snoqualmie pass. At that time Olympia was five times larger than Seattle, while the town of Whatcom was a thriving place. Golden says he was offered 160 acres of land in the present valuable part of the city of Seattle for $1400 cash.
May 17, 1859, John J. Golden was united in marriage to Miss Jane G. Parrott, at Monmouth, Polk county, Or. Their honeymoon was spent on their way to Klickitat county, where they have since resided. The fare in those days from Portland by boat to The Dalles was $12 each. They went on the old Hassalo, the first steamboat plying on the middle Columbia, and were landed on the border of Klickitat by Captain McFarland. July 9, 1859, found them with Louis Parrott and Robert Tarter in Klickitat valley, which at that time swarmed with painted the Indians. The Yakima war had closed that spring, and Indian Agent Bancroft at Fort Simcoe, with the assistance of seven companies of United States troops, stationed at the fort, was busy gathering the renegade Indians. Golden says before the summer closed there were 18, 000 Indians on the reserve. In the spring of 1862 Golden entered in a contract with R.R. Thompson, of the O.S.N. Co., to put in 1000 cords of wood at Columbus landing, at the rate of $10 per cord. He built the first wagon road on the Columbia river from Goldendale, and that was the Columbus wagon road. In the early '60s he engaged in the sawmill business, 15 miles south of Columbus, and for nine years was so engaged. He conducted a lumber yard at old Umatilla landing, and in 1864 sold lumber at $50 and $60 per thousand. This lumber was shipped by sailboat up the Columbia river from Columbus. Rockland, across from The Dalles, was the county seat of Klickitat. Near Golden's home there had been built a school house, which was used on Sunday for a church. The new place, not yet on the map, had been threatened with the name Willowdale. A Methodist preacher by the name of Pittner called a citizens' meeting, and named the town Goldendale with the consent of all present. Golden laid out the original town with eight blocks of 16 lots each, in the year 1872, and has witnessed the population of Goldendale increase from the family of 10 to 1000 people. For years he has been zealous in his efforts to secure direct railway communication. Recently he donated ground for machine shops and other requirements of the Columbia & Klickitat Railway company. The depot will be in the old homestead, four blocks south of the Golden residence.