week 27 Family Business

Edward Griffin’ s Work

Dr. Edward Henry Griffin, my husband’s 2^nd great grandfather and the first dentist in Portland, traveled for his work. He also posted ads in local newspapers.

On October 10, 1850, Dr. Edward H. Griffin posted this ad in the Oregon Spectator. This paper was the first newspaper printed west of the Rocky Mountains. The ad ran from October 1850 to July 1851. A transcript of this ad reads:

Dental Surgeon

Dr. E. H. Griffin offers his professional services to the citizens of Oregon City and vicinity. Careful attention will be given to all operations in his department of surgery. Cleaning, filling and extracting performed in such a manner as to give satisfaction, Also, teeth inserted on gold plate in the most substantial and tasteful manner.

Office at Main-street House   Oregon City, October 10, 1850

House in Portland- Office in Oregon City

The 12 miles between his house in east Portland and his office in Oregon City could be done by horse. Edward was a good rider. But the trip by horse would have taken about two and one-half hours or more. In 1850 a steamboat, the Lot Whitcomb, ran from Astoria to Oregon City. Its top speed was 12 mph. This would have made it possible for Edward to get to work faster.

Emily Helps Out

An 1852 advertisement from the Weekly Oregonian gave the impression that Edward had an assistant. Edward used anesthesia in some of his procedures. Nitrous oxide or ether was available in the 1840s. He offered lady patients an assistant from his family to help them when they under anesthesia. In 1852, his family of two were himself and Emily, his wife.

A transcript of this ad reads:

Dentistry

Dr. E. H. Griffin, Surgeon Dentist, offers his professional services to the inhabitants of Portland and vicinity. FILLING, CLEANING, and EXTRACTING, executed in the most desirable manner. ARTIFICIAL TEETH inserted on gold plate and made useful for eating. PIVOT TEETH inserted with wooden pivots, or with gold and wood combined. All Operations Warranted. Office or at his residence

N. B. Ladies from the county, can be provided for in my family, while being operated for.

Nov 22                                                                                                                        E.H. Griffin

Emily Griffin Talks about Her Husband’s Dentistry

Emily in an interview with Fred Lockley dated March 2, 1914. This interview was printed in the Oregon Journal, a Portland newspaper. Emily told of Edward’ s practice in Oregon City before a second dentist came to Portland, a Dr. Cardwell. Emily said:

My husband charged $5 for pulling a tooth, $300 for a half set of false teeth, and $500 for a double set. In those days they did not have rubber plates on which to attach the teeth. They were fastened to gold plates. Dr. Griffin bought a rolling mill. I used to help him roll out the $50 gold slugs. We rolled them until they were as thin as a calling card. From three sheets of gold, he made the plates for the sets of artificial teeth.

Edward sporadically paid Emily for her part in the dentistry business. Here is what Emily said about that.

In the early fifties (1850s) money was plentiful. Oftentimes my husband would throw a half dozen $50 gold slugs in my lap and say. “I had a good day today. There is your share.”

Homestead in Linn County

While still working as a dentist, Edward and Emily homesteaded land in Linn County, Oregon. He planted an orchard and raised Spanish cattle. This was between October 1852 and October 1860. Four of their children were born here on the homestead-Edward S., Hallock Augustus, Alice Mabel and Wilbur. Annie F., Hiram Edward, Charlotte and Ferdinand were born in Albany.

Edward still did dentistry. Here is a schedule found in the Weekly Oregonian in 1857. A transcript reads:

Dr. E.H. Griffin offers his professional services to the inhabitants of Portland and vicinity,

Office, first door above 1, Snow & Co., upstairs. Will continue his operations through the month of December.

Will operate in Oregon City from the 1^st to the 12^th of January

In Salem, from the 15^th of January to the 1^st of February

At Albany from the 24^th of February to the 10^th of March and from thence to Portland, where he designs locating permanently.

N.B.—Advice given in all departments of his profession gratis.

Nov. 27^th, 1857

In 1860, Edward was at his residence at Robert’s Bridge. Here is an ad giving details.

In Albany from 1860 to 1883

In 1860 Emily thought it was time for the older children to go to school. The Griffins moved to Albany, Linn, Oregon. Edward practiced dentistry in Albany for twenty-three years.

According to the Albany City Directory for 1878 dentistry was not the only thing Edward did.

In 1866, he was elected to the office of city recorder. That year he also gave $200 towards building the Albany Collegiate Institute.

His dental office listing read,” Griffin, E.H., 65 West First, upstairs.”

His residence listing read,” Griffin, E. H., Dentist, residence, SW corner, Seventh and Walnut.”

In 1870 this family of Albany included Edward, dentist, Emily, keeping house, Hallock, 10, at school, Alice, 13, at school, Annie, 8, Hiram, 4, Lottie (Charlotte), 2. Edward and Emily had lost two children right after their move to Albany-their oldest Edward S. and their infant son, Wilbur.

In 1874 they had another child. This one they called Ferdinand Corbett.

More Griffin Dentists

When Emily and Edward were first married, Emily was Edward’s assistant. Now Edward tried this with two of his children. One child eventually became a dentist and other married a noted Portland organist and became a singer.

In 1876 he ran this ad.

H. A. Griffin, known to his family as Hallock, didn’t stay as Edward’s assistant. In 1876, he started running cattle in Klickitat, Washington Territory.

The 1880 census for Albany recorded eighteen-year-old Annie Griffin, Edward’s daughter, as “learning dentistry”. She married Edgar Coursen in Portland, Oregon on 11 April 1883 and continued a singing career.

Hallock ended up being a dentist after 10 years of cattle ranching. First, he married and started a family in Klickitat. He settled in Fresno, California. He became a dentist, first graduating from the San Francisco College of Science. The San Francisco Examiner carried an article, “Healing from Science”. It listed Hallock Augustus Griffin among those receiving their Doctor of Science degree in 1895.

Emily and Edward live in Separate Locations

Edward moved to Arlington, Oregon in the fall of 1883. He stayed there about 20 years. An article in the Condon Globe, dated 28 Oct 1892, places him there. It says.

Dr. E. H. Griffin, Arlington’s popular dentist, gave us a pleasant call a few days ago as he passed through town…The doctor is one of the most honorable and sociable old gentlemen in the world, and has remarkable vitality for his age, 73 years.

Emily also moved in 1883. She moved to San Francisco with Hiram, Charlotte and Ferdinand.

But Ferdinand also lived with his father. In 1887, according to the Washington Territory census record there were Griffins living in Klickitat. This census listed Hallock Griffin now married to Annie and their children-Clifford, 9, Mable, 7 and Eddie, 5.

Next listed are E.H. Griffin, dentist, 68, and F. (Ferdinand) Griffin, 13.

Edward is presumed to be still working in Arlington. There was a steamboat route from Klickitat to Arlington.

Edward Griffin as an Elderly Man

In 1903, at the age of 84, Dr. Edward Griffin moved to St. Leonard, New Brunswick, Canada. This family story comes from a reliable source. His son-in-law, Edgar Coursen, gave a summary of Edward’s life in 1930. This summary by Fred Lockley was printed in the Oregon Journal on December 4,1930. This summary can be found near the beginning of my first blog about Edward Griffin called “A Matter of Place”.

After returning from Canada, Edward spent some time with his family in California. On the 1910 Federal census for Berkeley, Alameda, California, both Edward and Emily Griffin were living with William and Charlotte Coleman. Edward and Emily are listed as father-in-law and mother-in-law to William Coleman.

Edward died a year later September 1, 1911.

I copied the details from a ledger titled” Records of Deaths, Portland “.  It was in volume 8 on page 152. I found this book in the record room of the Oregon State Archives in Salem, Oregon.

   The entry reads:

Griffin, Edw, H., male, 91 years, 9 months, 21 days, nativity: New York, place of death: 658 Lovejoy, occupation: dentist, cause of death: hypostatic pneumonia, doctor: P.E. Hale, place of interment: crematorium, undertaker: E. Holmen

The address, 658 Lovejoy, was the home of his son-in-law, Edgar Coursen and his daughter, Annie Griffin Coursen.

Here is his obituary published in the Oregonian on September 6, 1911. Like most obituaries it has some false information.