Mary, having completed her finishing school in New York, married James Boyce Montgomery, 23 October 1866. He was an extremely good looking and successful capitalist railroad contractor. Later, building parts of many railroads in both the Eastern and Western United States. He also built many bridges and did dredging work in West Coast bays, ports and rivers.
The Phelps and Montgomery families were a strong supporter of Lincoln and his policies on slavery.
Civil War fighting took place all around her families plantation in Missouri. The Phelps home was used to shelter the wounded from both sides. Mary and her mother used a small cart to hand pull the injured soldiers to their home where they were given medical treatment. At the same time her father was forced to leave home and retreat with his army unit. The families horses had been all taken for the war effort.
After the Civil War, James and Mary Montgomery traveled by ship to Astoria, arriving on 07 July 1870, and then transferred to the Steam Ship Moses Taylor before arriving in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon on 13 July 1870. They had come to look at Portland and see if it was able to meet their future needs. A short while later they again set sail for the Northern Washington coast. James was looking at the lay of the land to see where best to lay track for the Northern Pacific Railroad terminus on the West Coast. They must have liked Portland, as they came back and put down roots for the rest of their lives. Mary's father and mother followed to Portland and the northwest coast in 1882. [It was during this journey that her mother, Mary Anne Phelps, fell through an open hatch aboard a ship at dock and changed her health for the rest of her life]. Her brother, John Elisha Phelps' and their parent's John Smith Phelps [the only son and heir to his father's estate in Connecticut.] and his wife Mary Whitney of Maine later moved to Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, California [located on the central coast] for health reasons and to leave Missouri's political life. Thus, other family members were drawn to the area. Such as son, John Smith Phelps and his wife who later died in the county.
Mary was the founder of the Oregon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as state regent for eleven years. This work stemmed directly from her activity in the National Daughters of the American Revolution, with headquarters, in Washington, D.C..
She also founded the Colonial Dames in Oregon and was their honorary president. She was a member of the Daughters of 1812, a charter of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots, and honorary vice president of the Daughters of American Colonists, a charter member of the League of Women Voters, of Pro-America, a charter member of the the Portland Women's Union." Always supported the Multnomah Public Library as well as the Portland Symphony and the Portland Art Museum. Was supporter of her church.
Mary was a civic leader. Helped start the Portland Public Schools and the Portland police department. There were many other civic projects that she was involved in supporting.
She was able to spend quite a bit of time in the nations capital and met many of our Presidents and other important leaders of our country. Remember, her father had been a senator and the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Retiring after eighteen years in the United States Congress.
After a long and productive life. Mary went home to be with her Lord at 7P.M. on Monday, 22 March 1943. She died in her home on Hawthorne Avenue in Portland, Oregon.
Mary, having completed her finishing school in New York, married James Boyce Montgomery, 23 October 1866. He was an extremely good looking and successful capitalist railroad contractor. Later, building parts of many railroads in both the Eastern and Western United States. He also built many bridges and did dredging work in West Coast bays, ports and rivers.
The Phelps and Montgomery families were a strong supporter of Lincoln and his policies on slavery.
Civil War fighting took place all around her families plantation in Missouri. The Phelps home was used to shelter the wounded from both sides. Mary and her mother used a small cart to hand pull the injured soldiers to their home where they were given medical treatment. At the same time her father was forced to leave home and retreat with his army unit. The families horses had been all taken for the war effort.
After the Civil War, James and Mary Montgomery traveled by ship to Astoria, arriving on 07 July 1870, and then transferred to the Steam Ship Moses Taylor before arriving in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon on 13 July 1870. They had come to look at Portland and see if it was able to meet their future needs. A short while later they again set sail for the Northern Washington coast. James was looking at the lay of the land to see where best to lay track for the Northern Pacific Railroad terminus on the West Coast. They must have liked Portland, as they came back and put down roots for the rest of their lives. Mary's father and mother followed to Portland and the northwest coast in 1882. [It was during this journey that her mother, Mary Anne Phelps, fell through an open hatch aboard a ship at dock and changed her health for the rest of her life]. Her brother, John Elisha Phelps' and their parent's John Smith Phelps [the only son and heir to his father's estate in Connecticut.] and his wife Mary Whitney of Maine later moved to Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, California [located on the central coast] for health reasons and to leave Missouri's political life. Thus, other family members were drawn to the area. Such as son, John Smith Phelps and his wife who later died in the county.
Mary was the founder of the Oregon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as state regent for eleven years. This work stemmed directly from her activity in the National Daughters of the American Revolution, with headquarters, in Washington, D.C..
She also founded the Colonial Dames in Oregon and was their honorary president. She was a member of the Daughters of 1812, a charter of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots, and honorary vice president of the Daughters of American Colonists, a charter member of the League of Women Voters, of Pro-America, a charter member of the the Portland Women's Union." Always supported the Multnomah Public Library as well as the Portland Symphony and the Portland Art Museum. Was supporter of her church.
Mary was a civic leader. Helped start the Portland Public Schools and the Portland police department. There were many other civic projects that she was involved in supporting.
She was able to spend quite a bit of time in the nations capital and met many of our Presidents and other important leaders of our country. Remember, her father had been a senator and the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Retiring after eighteen years in the United States Congress.
After a long and productive life. Mary went home to be with her Lord at 7P.M. on Monday, 22 March 1943. She died in her home on Hawthorne Avenue in Portland, Oregon.
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- River View Cemetery Montgomery or Phelps
- Portland Montgomery or Phelps
- Multnomah County Montgomery or Phelps
- Oregon Montgomery or Phelps
- USA Montgomery or Phelps
- Find a Grave Montgomery or Phelps
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