John Gates (December 31, 1827 – April 27, 1888)
was the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, United States, from 1885–1888. Born in
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
, he studied engineering in
. He moved to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
in 1849 and to
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in 1853. He found employment with the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company (OSN), becoming its chief engineer in the early 1860s.
[ He worked for OSN for 27 years. He designed 72 ]steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
s and was an inventor, filing more than 30 patents during his time with OSN.[
Running as the Republican candidate, he was elected in 1885 to a three-year term as mayor of Portland, defeating ]Sylvester Pennoyer
Sylvester Pennoyer (July 6, 1831May 30, 1902) was an American educator, attorney, and politician in Oregon. He was born in Groton (town), New York, Groton, New York (state), New York, attended Harvard Law School, and moved to Oregon at age 25. A H ...
. He died while in office, two months before the end of his term.[
]
References
External links
John Gates, chief engineer for Oregon Steam Navigation Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gates, John
Mayors of Portland, Oregon
1827 births
1888 deaths
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Oregon Republicans
19th-century American politicians
People from Mercer, Maine