Mahala (Harris) Weatherford
Dec. 30, 1906; Oregonian, p 32 (photo)
"Mrs. Weatherford, Pioneer of 1852, Passes Away at Condon"

   Mrs. Mahala Harris Weatherford, one of the best known and most beloved pioneer women of Oregon, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ella W. Steele, in Condon, Oregon, December 19, in her 85th year. She was born in North Carolina, September 22, 1822, and in her youth her parents removed to Iowa, where she was married to Dr. William Weatherford on July 18, 1839. In April, 1852, the journey to the "Far West" was begun, and as the mother of five children, Mrs. Weatherford came to realize in her own experience the significance of"crossing the plains" with an ox team, the average length of the journey being six months. The family first located at Lafayette, Yamhill County, then one of the most pretentious towns in the infant territory, in fact it was the most important place on the west side of the Willamette River, outside of Portland. Here Dr. Weatherford began the practice of his profession, and Mrs. Weatherford, not having enough to keep her busy in caring for the five children, commenced keeping boarders, in order to assist in enlarging the family treasury.

   About four years later the family moved to Portland, acquired property at the northeast corner of Third and Salmon streets and built a small frame dwelling, quite pretentious, however, for that day. Dr. Weatherford, soon after his arrival, began practicing, and it was not long before he established a drug store on Front Street, a little south of Yamhill, the third drugstore in Portland, it is believed. This was destroyed by the disastrous fire of August 2, 1873, the greatest fire in the history of Portland, about 22 blocks being burned over. In 1869 an elegant residence, on the the finest n the city at that time, was built on the northwest corner of Second and Salmon streets, and it was here that Dr. Weatherford died May 17, 1880.

   Altogether there were 10 children in the family, five of whom are now living, as follows: Mrs. Mary Harris, Los Angeles; Lewis C., Portland; Mrs. Ella W. Steel, Condon, Oregon; Mrs. Ada Schmidt, Berkeley, Cal.; Mrs. Lillie Downing, Salt Lake City, Utah. A son, William, Jr., was accidentally drowned in the Willamette River in the early ‘60s, and another son, James W., the second child born, and who was associated with his father in the drug business for a number of years, and who, after the fire of 1873, carried on the same business in Salem for a number of years, died on the 71st anniversary of his mother's birth, September 22, 1893.

   Throughout Mrs. Weatherford's long and strenuous life, she was a devoted Christian woman, one who literally wore herself out in ministering to others, and who was always on the alert in seeking opportunity to relieve distress in whatever form it might be found. She was truly a mother in Israel, and exemplified in her life all the graces which ennoble true womanhood. G.H.H.