John C. Ainsworth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John C. Ainsworth

John Commingers Ainsworth (June 6, 1822 – December 1893) was an American pioneer businessman and steamboat owner in Oregon.

Ainsworth was born in Springboro, Ohio on June 6, 1822. His parents died while he was young, so he went to work for his uncle. They became partners in a business selling goods from boats along the Ohio River, but soon he split from his uncle and bought a store with a partner, which was sold at a good profit after only one year. He married a young woman, Josephine Augusta Kendall, who died fifteen months later. All of this took place before Ainsworth turned twenty.

Ainsworth was not done partnering with his uncle. In 1844 they bought a steamboat and started a successful packet delivery service along the upper Mississippi River. Then the Gold Rush hit in 1849, and he sold his share of the business to go to California. The Gold Rush did not live up to his expectations, so he found a job piloting a steamer on the Willamette River in Oregon.

In 1851, he married the daughter of Judge S.S. White, and built a house in Oregon City.^[1]

In late 1860, Ainsworth and several investors started the Oregon Steam Navigation Company (OSNC). The OSNC controlled the shipping routes of steamers, railroads, and freight lines in Washington and Oregon. By 1869, the OSNC monopolized the Columbia River transportation market. In April 1879, Henry Villard purchased the OSNC for its full value of $5 million. Ainsworth retired to Oak Lawn, California after the sale.^[2]

Ainsworth had four children: George, John, Harry and Daisy.

Ainsworth was a Freemason, and eventually the third Grand Master of the Oregon Masonic Lodge.

After retiring to California he wrote his autobiography.

He died in California in December 1893.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

The Oregon Steam Navigation Company and its Related Portage Tramways from Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
Ainsworth & The Building Of The Northern Pacific Railroad from Washington State Railroads Historical Society Museum

v • d • e Steamboats of the Columbia River and tributaries

Steamboat articles by routes	Columbia River (lower) • Willamette River • Cowlitz River • Columbia River (Wenatchee Reach) • Colville River • Arrow Lakes • Slocan Lake • Lake Chelan • Lake Okanagan • Skaha Lake • Kootenay Lake & Lower Kootenai River • Columbia Lake & Upper Kootenai River

Particular vessels	Alaskan (sidewheeler) • Altona • Athlon • Bailey Gatzert • Beaver • Colonel Wright • Eliza Anderson • Fleetwood • Georgia E. Starr • Georgiana • Hassalo (1880) • Idaho • Lot Whitcomb • Lurline • Nez Perce Chief • Olympian (sidewheeler) • T.J. Potter • Virginia V • Wide West • Willamette Chief (1874) • Wilson G. Hunt

Portages, locks, and canals	Cascade Locks and Canal • Celilo Canal • Willamette Locks • Columbia Canal

Steamboat Lines	Harkins Transportation Co. • Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Co. • Okanogan Steamboat Co. • Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. • Oregon Steam Navigation Co. • Shaver Transportation Co. • Bonner's Ferry and Kaslo Transportation Company • Alberta and British Columbia Exploration Company

Geographic Features	Columbia Gorge • Cascades Rapids • Celilo Falls • Dalles des Morts • Arrow Lakes • Columbia Lake

Steamboat owners and captains	John C. Ainsworth • John Bonser • James W. Troup • Henry Villard

Builders and shipyards	Jacob Kamm • John J. Holland

Shipwrecks	Shipwrecks of the inland Columbia River • Steamboat Inspection Service

Lists of vessels	Steamboats on the Columbia

Modern ferry routes	Wahkiakum County Ferry

Steamboats in other areas	Oregon Coast • Yaquina Bay and river • Coquille River • Puget Sound • Lake Washington • Grays Harbor • Chehalis River • Hoquiam River • Willapa Bay • Lake Crescent • Nechako, Stuart & Upper Fraser Rivers • Skeena River • Stikine River • Yukon River • Lakes Route • Inside Passage • Thompson-Shuswap • Peace & Finlay Rivers • Lower Fraser River & Harrison Lake

v • d • e Oregon Steam Navigation Company

lower Columbia and lower Willamette boats	Belle (of Oregon City) (1853) • Jennie Clark (1854) • Express (1854) • Senorita (1855) • Fashion(ex-Venture) (1858) • Julia {Barclay) (1858) • Mountain Buck (1857) • Carrie Ladd (1858) • E.D. Baker (1862) • Wilson G. Hunt (1849;1862) • Cascades (1864:1865) • New World (1849;1868) • Daisy Ainsworth (1873) • Wide West (1877)

Portland to Astoria route	John H. Couch (1863) • Wenat (1867) • Dixie Thompson (1871) • Emma Hayward (1871) • Bonita (1875) • S.G. Reed (1878)

Portland to Kalama route	Welcome (1874)

middle Columbia boats	Mary (1854) • Hassaloe (1857) • Wasco (1855) • Idaho(1860) • Iris (1863) • Oneonta (1863) • Harvest Queen (1878) • R.R. Thompson (1878)

upper Columbia and lower Snake River boats	Colonel Wright (1859) • Tenino (1861) • Okanagon (1861) • Kiyus/Cayuse (1863) • Nez Perce Chief (1863) • Webfoot (1863) • Owyhee (1864) • Yakima (1864) • Almota (1876) • Spokane (1877) • Annie Faxon (1877) • Mountain Queen (1877) • John Gates (1878)

upper Willamette boats	Surprise (1857) • Onward (1858) • Rival (1860) • Willamette Chief (1874)

Cowlitz River	Rescue (1864)

upper Snake River	Shoshone (1866)

Owners and personnel	John C. Ainsworth • Jacob Kamm • William S. Ladd