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Portland Observer
Thursday. July 8th. 197t>
Albina house reveals historic documents
Van Vleet "proved up" on a homestead
they discovered a trunk which yielded
some interesting original memorabilia in
Portland school children who have
been lucky enough to have a preview of
the old. ten-room Victorian mansion at
202 N .E . Graham which is currently be
ing restored, have been delighted w ith its
articles of yesteryears, and its third floor
starlight ballroom. The ballroom has a
hundred ceiling lights operated from a
panel which permits all or only a few to
be turned on. or to make them blink.
This is just the reaction M r. and Mrs.
Loy Yee hoped to generate when they
in Clark County and a year later, on
February 3rd. 1886. he married Elisabeth
A. Coffey w ith the Reverend Harvey K.
Hines officiating the ceremony.
Seven children were born to them; Dr.
Ixiuisa W righ t, who lived in Camas; E-
dith; Stella, who became Mrs. Freeman,
wife of a railroad man; Lewis, J r., who
worked as a printer for the Oregonian
thirty years; and Felix. Tw o other child
ren. Lois and H a rrie t, died at an early
the junk left by the form er owner. Inside
it was a homestead deed issued for land in
Clark County, Washington carrying the
signatures of Abraham Lincoln and Stan
ton; a blueprint of the Vancouver Bar
racks dated 1883; a family album bound in
red plush w ith many photos of the Van
Vleet family; a travel diary of one of Van
Vleet's daughters, Stella, who accompa
nied her husband on many trips; identifi
cation ribbons worn by the senior M r.
age.
Van V leet was m arried only a short
time before the Yakima Indian W a r of
1855 1856 erupted. He left his new bride
and joined the arm y. On return he was
employed by the Great N orthern Railway
as a surveyor and land appraiser. Thia
rave him a thorough knowledge of the
Washington T errito ry and its natural re-
territo rial legislature as a representa
tive of Clark County. L ate r he served in
the lower house. He was a Mason for six
ty three years, having joined the Or-
ed in the lower house. H e was a Mason for
s i vet, 11
purchased the 105-year old mansion in
1966. “I t ’s for the children.” Rozell Yee
explains, “that I hope to restore this
house. They’ll be able to see w hat a
Victorian home really looked like, and I
th in k it w ill give the whole area more
pride in Albina. M any prominent people
grew up in this area, and many fine old
homes have been destroyed. When I saw
this bouse I felt it must be saved. To it H l
add many items I'v e collected over the
i
tion of 1853; and many other interesting
items. To thia M rs. Yee w ill add her own
treasures collected over the years.
This restoration would please Lewis
Van V leet, form er owner of the mansion.
I t is said that he took great pride in the
properties he owned in Clark County and
the property he managed as trustee for
others. He was born in New York on
October 21. 1826 of w ellto -d o Dutch par
ents. W hen he m igrated to Oregon in
1855 he had acquired much experience on
his father’s farm in Michigan, had devel
oped a trade skill as a cooper, and had
obtained an education at Oswego Acade
my. A ll these things proved highly use
ful in the prominent role he was to play in
shaping the destiny of The Northw est.
M rs. Yee en the steps ef the historic
Van Vleet msnsien. (left 1 The Yeee have
restored the house to reflect the Victor!
(eheve. rig h tj. Laud
I la a basement tru n k is possi
bly signed by
right] (Photo: Dan
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♦
1971 brochure.
Lewis Van V le e t a ft h e Pioneer Conven
years."
M rs. Yee's love for antiques started in
her youth. She has in her collection china
pieces given to her by her mother which
date back to slavery times. Redecorating
and rejuvenating of the mansion has pro
gressed slowly but surely as there was
much to be done. When the Yees started
to install central heating in the basement
t ’ ' t f t H 1 111H 11 111, ! 111 ♦ ; »11»M1111 t * 1U I H t t i 1 11 t t t • t IA I t t t t t 111 I t 111 I I 111 I I I H M i
gn.'i asei dJirw
sixty three years, having joined the O r
der in Albion. Michigan in 1847. He joined
the Washington Lodge in 1867. and was
made Senior Grand W arden in 1863. Van
Vleet helped establish Kalama Lodge No.
17 at Kalama and Lodge No. 76 in Clark
County. When he moved into Oregon he
was first a member of Multnomah Lodge
No. 1; later in 1901 he joined Albina
Lodge 101 F. and A .M . of Portland. He
was known as a friendly, kind man. even
to animals. As a host it is said he was
generous and hospitable.
There must have been many good
times in the old mansion w ith so large a
family of young folks. And now. once
again some of that happiness w ill return
as school children wander through its
rooms, thanks to the Yees determined
effort. Prestige has returned to the house
as it's been designed by the Portland
Historical Landm ark Commission as a
historical site. I t was also chosen and
featured pictorially in the Commission's
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