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FEATURE WL
Charles H. Dodd & Company
From the beginning, Charles H. Dodd became one of the most
influential people in the territory’s agricultural future. He established
supply depots throughout the territory. He loaned equipment to
farmers expecting payment only when the crops came in and were
marketed. As early as 1869, thousands of dollars in equipment was
loaned. When Indian wars drove farmers from their homes, Dodd
suffered great losses, but his reputation as one who the farmers
could rely on was cemented.
Dodd was the most adventuresome of the men who formed
the implement companies. He was born of English parents in
New York City on Feb. 26, 1838. He was given a fine education and
grounding by relatives in Stamford, Conn., and entered Yale College at the age of 15.
Though he intended to continue at Yale until graduation, near the end of his sophomore year in
1855, a recruiter convinced him and three classmates
to go to Panama to supervise crews of workmen building a
railroad line across the Isthmus of Panama. While on that job,
he came down with the dreaded Chagres fever, but recovered
in time to finish the job. He gained experience in engineering,
construction and crew supervision. After the Panama experience,
Dodd tried gold mining, then went to San Francisco and
joined a hardware firm. Needing a strong and resourceful man
to recover a lost or stolen cargo vessel in South America, the
Peabody Co. of Boston hired Dodd, and he began the search.
He traveled much of South America before finding the vessel
in Montevideo, Uruguay. After another brief foray into the
hardware business, Dodd joined the Arizona Rifle Company
and went off to fight in the border wars with Mexico.
Marriage convinced the adventuresome Dodd to settle down, and he came to Salem, Ore., and established a hardware
store in 1866. In 1868, he moved to Portland and opened Hawley, Dodd and Co. Hawley was a San Francisco
financial backer. In 1880, Dodd bought out Hawley and became the sole proprietor.
I have not found reference to when the company ended, but presumably it carried on for many years.
Dodd became a prominent leader of Portland affairs as chairman of the School
Board, president of the Board of Trade (Chamber
of Commerce) and chair of the State
Immigration Board. He was certainly a hard
working and brilliant businessman. His
sons were educated in the east at Amherst
College, and then spent their lives back there.
Charles Dodd died in Portland on June 12,
1921.
MAJOR LINES: Schuttler wagons, Buckeye
mowers and reapers, Altman threshers, Deere
plows
LOCATIONS: Portland, Albany, Athena, Ore.;
Spokane, Pullman, Colfax, Walla Walla, Wash.;
Moscow, Lewiston, Idaho.
WHEAT LIFE JANUARY 2012 63