JOSEPH E.C. DURGAN Founder Washougal Washington
Cottonwood Beach Washougal Port of Washougal
Joe was born on 1 Feb 1828 in Monroe, County, New York. He died on 18 Mar 1898 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington. He was buried in Old City Cemetery , Fort Vancouver. Joseph E C Durgan-: Born New York,,Came over Oregon Trail 1854 With Durgan Family,, Grandson of Zebulon and Lettice Durgin.Tookup
Donation Land Claim along the Columbia River North of Reed Island and East of Cottonwood beach, lived there 8 yrs the place flooded every year during high water so he decided to move to Vancouver... This was before the Dikes were built. The river has changed a lot since the old days, dredging , Dikes and the dams now regulate the river so it is not much a problem anymore. Only on extreme conditions does it flood any more..They raised cattle.Removed to Fort Vancouver Washington where he owned store and meat market, In 1866 great fire of Fort Vavcouver burnt down store along with his brothers blacksmith shop. At this time the old Fort was set afire to stop the fire from spreading to the wholeTown. The Fort was run down and deteriorated and burnt fast.
He removed To Goverment Island and raised cattle.His first wife died there.. She is Buried in Old City Cemetery Fort Vancouver,, He Became Post Master Of Parkers Landing,, Post Office Was in Carpenters Store .He hauled the mail across the river in a rowboat In 1880 he bought the store and moved it to his new Town of Washougal.
He and his pardner LEWIS LOVE SR. had bought land to build a new Town,, Joe 20 Acres,, Lewis 10 Acres, because steam boats had hard time landing at Parkers Landing in low water-Lewis owned most powerful steam boat on Columbia River,, "The Calliope",, Joe had the platt surveyed by Alex McAndrew a civil engineer on May 6,1880 and donated the land to the towns people for the town of Washougal,,
His house . his son inlaw Al Kersey and Richard Ough were the only houses there at that time,, They built new dock and big warehouse to off load ships And built a new store & Post Office, . most of the work was done by Albert Kersey a master Carpenter and crew,, The lumber came from Rotts mill on Cape Horn Mountain old growth timber..Over the years the Town Prospered and grew into what it has become today ,one of the fastest growing regions in the area,, Washougal Washington.
.Joe Died 1898,. Buried Old city Cemetery Fort Vancouver***
Parents: Joseph E. C. Durgin Sr.
and Judiah Nancy Rowland of the great Rowland family out of New York,, explores for Hudson Bay Company- She was french and named one of children Lafayette...Joe of the Great Durgin family of Oyster River..He was married to Catherine F Amidon in 1849 in McHenry, Illinois. Children were: Simeon D Durgan, Clara Durgan, Mariette Marguerite Durgan, Minerva Ellen Durgan, Susan Durgan.
He was married to Frances L. Bailey Speas on 7 Jan 1879 in Parkersville Washington. Children were: Minnie May Durgan.
Vancouver Independent
1890 --LEWIS LOVE,JR engineer on the Bailey Gatzert, who mysteriously disappeared several weeks ago, was found floating in the river near Astoria and his body buried in the Columbia Slough cemetery on
Saturday. The deceased was a resident of this county, and his parents live at the LOVE place near H. J. BIDDLE'S at Riverside.
1880--WASHOUGAL---J. E. C. DURGAN, in accordance with his announcement, has commenced the building of his new store, which will be a large and fine structure. The dressed lumber is furnished by mills in Vancouver, and the rough lumber from ROTT'S mill on Cape Horn mountain. Much of the lumber is on the ground already.
compiled by Columbian staff
J E C Durgan
Although his name is obscure today, J.E.C. Durgan gets credit as a founder of Washougal and one of the leading early Vancouver merchants.
Durgan crossed the Plains to California in 1850, then returned to his home in Illinois two years later. About 1854 he traveled to the Oregon Territory and settled on a donation land claim five miles east of Washougal, not far from the Skamania County line.
Durgan moved to Vancouver in 1864 to go into the meat-cutting business
. He and his brother, George, built what was said to be the first brick building in town. This later was used by the Commercial Bank.J.E.C. Durgan also was a leader in establishing the Vancouver Seminary.
The town was small but making a bit of headway as an important trading center. But Durgan was restless again. About 1870 he went to Government Island to farm and make cheese and butter, and later moved to another farm, at Cape Horn Mountain. Then he moved to Parker's Landing in 1879, and in the following year relocated to the new town of Washougal, where he continued as a merchant.
He also helped establish Bethel Congregational Church in Washougal.
About 1889 Durgan moved from Washougal to a residence near his son's home on Fourth Plain Road four miles from Vancouver Where he died.
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washougal, Washington