Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 30, 1979)
ver and he moved to Sacramento in 850. Ainsworth eventually established a mercantile business in Oregon City id fondness for water travel prom ed him to form the Oregon Steam avigation company in .1860. The mipany operated on the Columbia id Willamette Rivers and held a vir al monopoly on river commerce for my years. Later, Ainsworth sold his lipping interest and entered the inking business. He was a co- iunder of the Ainsworth National ank of Portlancl and the Central ank of Oakland, Calif. The Ainsworth home, now owned ¡Keith Kinsman, was registered in 1932 as a famous American home id in 1972 was registered as the first ational Historic site in Oregon. Its ajesty and romantic qualities are flective of the man who’built it.The stately home is located on the con tinuance of Linn Avenue, on a slight knoll in the Mount Pleasant section of Oregon City. Rosewood, mahagony and walnut furniture were imported from England in 1849 to .furnish the home of Dr. Forbes Barclay, located adjacent to the McLoughlin House on Center Street and Eighth Avenue in Oregon City. The Barclay home is more modest than the Ainsworth dwelling^ and features small pane windows, witch doors, a parlor, a sitting room and the doctor’s office which he called “The Apothecary Shop .’’Chinese wallpaper still covers the walls of the old home. Forbes was a versatile physician. In fact, as the only practicing physician in Oregon city for many years, he covered the area from Vancouver, Wash., to-the Polk County hills in canoes or on horseback to visit his many patients. In addition to being a physician Barclay was also an explorer and an adventurer. While he was a student at Edinburgh University in Ireland, he joined an expedition to search for the missing Sir John Ross’ Artic exploring party. The search came to no avail when their vessel wrecked and all blit young Barclay and few others were lost. Barclay -finished his studies at the Royal College of Surgeons , in 1838 and moved to Vancouver, Wash., where he served as chief surgeon for the Hudson’s Bay Company for nearly 10 years. After leaving the company, he ministered to local townspeople and reportedly never turned down a call. He was also the first mayor of Oregon city. Story and photos by Kelly Laughlin The Barclay House (upper left), and pillared Ainsworth House (lower left) are stately reminders of Oregon City’s historic past. The Barclay House, owned by the McLoughlin Association, is used today as a tearoom where luncheons are served by volunteers to benefit the non-profit organization. The Ainsworth House, privately owned by Keith Kinsman, will undergo some minor restoration work this summer. The articles pictured here are among the only remaining furnishings left in the home from Captain Ainsworth’s day. ftln9-8ummer 1979 page 7