William Sargent Ladd      William S. Ladd arrived in Portland, Oregon three months after the town's incorporation, in early April, 1851. Coming ashore with a small consignment of liquor, a character reference from his Congregational minister, a hole in his shoe, and cash to survive for two weeks. The 24-year-old Ladd was short on cash but long on ambition and was destined to become a major business and political leader in the territory, believing that Oregon afforded him great opportunity.      Ladd was barely covering expenses and hard pressed for money, when he needed to pay property tax. If Ladd could not pay the $6, he could in traditional American fashion dig up and remove two stumps in front of his shop, which he did.      Ladd added to his liquor stock by touring valley farms; adding eggs, chickens and other produce. He also became a commissioned merchant selling consigned goods consisting of shaving soap, tobacco, paper, farm tools, blasting powder, and other items. The sweet smell of success came to Ladd after only five months in Portland.      Ladd was involved in politics and was elected to the city council in 1853 and chosen mayor in 1854.      The gold strike put Ladd heavily into gold-dust transactions with San Francisco and New York banks. In 1854, he found himself extending credit along with other Portland merchants, making loans, receiving deposits and generally functioning as a banker to customers. Never a borrower himself, he loaned money to customers at 1 percent per month, probably standard for the period. If not repaid promptly and fully, Ladd took goods in exchange, or in later years, a piece of property. In 1859, Ladd and his San Francisco associate would form the Ladd & Tilton Bank, destined to become Portland's leading and most profitable financial institution. The bank indispensably advanced Portland's growth and industrialization by providing working capital to many non-mercantile enterprises, especially manufacturing. Ladd erected Portland's first brick structure during the summer of 1853.      Within 10 years, the group of dedicated Front Street merchants consisting of William S. Ladd, Henry W. Corbett, Cicero H. Lewis and Josiah and Henry Failing, and their families would dominate the economic, political and social life of Portland. All became warm and lasting friends, close-knit, they trusted and respected one another as business people without losing their sharp competitiveness.      All of Portland as well as the officials of River View Cemetery were shocked and dumbfounded when the one and only grave robbery occurred. William S. Ladd, one of the founders of the cemetery and one of Portland's leading citizens was buried at River View Cemetery Jan. 9, 1893. On Tuesday morning, May 18, 1897, a gardener noticed the grave of William S. Ladd had been opened, the top lifted off the wooden box, the metal coffin inside had been cut on three sides and the body was missing. Good detective work resulted in discovery of the body on the west bank of the Willamette River, opposite the Meldrum place, off old White House Road (which is now known as Macadam Avenue) and the arrest of the four men involved was made the following Friday. The body and grave marker, which had been taken for identification in ransom demands, were returned to River View Cemetery by a boat launch. Reburial was not sufficient. It was made certain Ladd's remains would never be disturbed again. After the box was closed, the grave was filled with cement instead of earth, and a guard stood by day and night until the concrete hardened.

Vice-President of River View Cemetery Assoc. 1883-1893 Died January 6, 1893

E-mail: info@riverviewcemetery.org