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Friday, April 27, 2012

From the Jones Studio in Silverton, Oregon: Slethammer/Steelhammer?



This photograph isn't identified per se.  It has a name on the back, "Mrs. Stethammer" (or it could possibly be Slethammer, Steelhammer, or Shelhammer).  It was taken at the W.L. (William L.) Jones Studio in Silverton, Oregon circa 1890.  I am basing the date on the little research I did on the Jones Photo Collection Website (http://www.jonesphotocollection.com), which provides access to some of  W. L. Jones' photographs as well as to the Jones Family history.  This particular photographer's imprint seems to have been used in the 1890s.  W. L. Jones operated the studio in Silverton from 1880 to 1913, when the family moved the business to Grays Harbor.

I searched the censuses for any of the surnames I mentioned above and came up with one match in the Silverton area.  I'm going on record as saying this is a crazy long shot, because it's unclear what the name printed on the back means.  Was the photo ordered by Mrs.  S****hammer, Silverton, or was she the recipient?  Impossible to say.  There is other ordering information by her name, such as the dimensions of the photo ordered, 16 X 20, which leads me to believe that she may have had something to do with the ordering, since the pencil inscriptions seems to be in the same hand for both the name and the ordering information.

I found one match for a Steelhammer family:

1900, June 21; Marion Co, OR; North Silverton Pct, p 68
Andrew G. Steelhammer, 53, Jan 1847, Swe, Swe, Swe, mar 29 yrs, to US 1869,
Christina, wife, 49, Aug 1850, Nor, Nor, Nor, mar 29 yrs, 9 children-8 living, to US 1869  
Carl G, son, 25, Nov 1874, MN, Swe, Nor, single, blacksmith  
Lars R., son, 17, June 1882, ND, Swe, Nor, single, grocery salesman  
Arthur E, son, 13, Feb 1887, ND, Swe, Nor, farm laborer  
George W, son, 11, Feb 1889, ND, Swe, Nor, farm laborer  
Henry W, son, 9, Jan 1891, ND, Swe, Nor, att. school  
Arliss G, gr dau, 4, Feb 1896, OR, PA, MN

Further information turned up in the book A Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley, Chapman Publishing Company, 1903 for Andrew G. Steelhamer. It says that he and his family  came to Silverton in 1892 from Winona, Minn.

Mr. Steelhammer was united in marriage with Miss Christina Anderson...Of their union, the following named children have been born; John F.,  a resident of Salem, Ore. [became Mayor of Woodburn, Oregon 1916-1918]; Carl G., Deceased; Helma, wife of A. P. Allen, San Francisco, Cal.; Oscar Adolph, connected with the Military Bank at Salem, Ore.; Louie R., of Salem, Ore.; Artie E.,  living at home; George W., at home; and William H., living with his parents, plays in the Silverton band.

There are several Steelhammers in the Silverton Cemetery, Silverton, Marion County:
Steelhammer, Andrew G., b. 1847, d. 1937, s/w Christine A. Steelhammer
Steelhammer, Carl C., b. 1874, d. 1902
Steelhammer, Christine A., b. 1850, d. 1936, s/w Andrew G. Steelhammer
Steelhammer, Jennie M. Goode, b. 1878, d. 1925, "Mother", Wife of J. F. Steelhammer
Steelhammer, John F., b. 1872, d. 1962, "Father"
Steelhammer, Oscar A., b. 1878, d. 1935

I have looked for portraits of Steelhammers online, and did find one of John F. at the Oregon State Library Photo Website.  What do you think?  Is there a resemblance?

1 comment:

  1. Mmm... Well, I'm not too convinced there is a resemblance, but then the side versus front view makes it hard.

    I found these two pics, and if I had to pick, I would say your photograph looks a lot like Carl G.:
    Carl G. Steelhammer
    http://liberaluniversity.org/smb/smb21.html

    Arthur E. Steelhammer
    http://liberaluniversity.org/smb/smb10.html

    ReplyDelete