My Family in the Pacific Northwest
1886 -- 1895

Table of Contents
The Founding and Development of Astoria, Clatsop, Oregon
Finnish Settlement in Astoria, Oregon
John Poysky's Early Years in Astora: 1886 -- 1895
John Poysky Purchases Property in Astoria
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The Founding and Development of Astoria, Clatsop, Oregon
American Sea Captain Robert Gray discovered the mouth of the Columbia River in 1792 while sailing along the northern Pacific Coast of what is now the United States. He was the first western explorer to sail into this mighty river.

Ten years later, in 1802, President Thomas Jefferson ordered the planning and execution of a scientific exploration across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Since several countries claimed the land between the United States and the Pacific Coast, the published goal was plausible. The recent purchase of the French Louisiana territory had significantly extended the US boundaries, and helped to explain the desire to increase knowledge of the area. A suspected agenda was to see if it was possible to easily traverse the Continent and link the Eastern and Western coasts for the promotion of United States commerce, emigration and land acquisition. The Lewis and Clark exploration, The Voyage of Discovery, began in 1804.

The mouth of the Columbia River was the planned Western terminus for the Lewis and Clark cross country trek. It commenced in 1804 at St. Louis, Missouri, and ended with their return in 1806. En route they recorded all manner of animals, birds, fish, plants, trees, and the peoples they encountered. Exact surveys of rivers and distances were also recorded.

Upon their successful arrival at the mouth of the Columbia, in December, 1805, The Corps built Fort Clatsop, named in honor of the local Clatsop Indians. The explorers wintered there. The Americans traded with the Clatsops’, principally for food and for clothing since theirs rotted in the damp weather. When possible, the Corps extensively explored both sides of the lower Columbia River. The travelers left Fort Clatsop on March 23, 1806, the men relieved to leave the cold and rain. It had been a long, wet, cold, miserable winter. Rain fell all but 12 days of their stay. The fort fell into disrepair and eventually disappeared from sight.

Five years later, in 1811, John Jacob Astor, a New York financier, sent fur traders around the Horn of South America to establish a trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River. Their site, Fort Astoria, was located in what is now downtown Astoria. Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. The town slowly grew as an exporter of furs, lumber, dairy products and fish. It was into this environment the Finns immigrated in the late 1800’s.

Finnish Settlement in Astoria, Oregon
Charles Newman is credited as the first Finnish settler in Astoria, Clatsop County, Oregon. Charles arrived in 1857, a sailor who had jumped ship in the Eastern US a year earlier and slowly worked his way across the country. Astoria was a thriving, rough sea port. Work was plentiful.

It was not until 1873, when fish could be canned safely and salmon canneries along the Columbia River began to be built, that Finns came in great numbers. Finns were excellent fishermen, grateful for the opportunity to work and to make a good living. Relatives and friends were encouraged to come enjoy the bounty. With the increased population, Finnish services developed, including boarding houses for single men. The 1880 Clatsop County census counted 14 Finnish women and 189 Finnish men. One hundred and seventy-one of the men were fisherman.

John Poysky's Early Years in Astoria: 1886 -- 1895
John Poysky, a laborer in the Rural Parish of Oulu, Finland, emigrated from Finland to the United States in 1886. He had no known relatives in Astoria, but undoubtedly knew fellow Oulu Finns successfully working there. John's emigration, work, return to Finland for his family, and their emigration is recorded on the web page Sofia Määttä and Johan Pöyskö and Kaisa Greta Pöyskö in Finland, 1830 -- 1891.

By 1892 the John Poysky Astoria family consisted of John, his wife Kaisa Greta Poysky and their son George Jacob. The Astoria Budget reported. in 1892, that John purchased the boarding house in which the family was living. Life looked very promising for the young family. Kaisa Greta's siblings were also immigrating to Astoria, and all found satisfactory work. The four sisters married and lived the rest of their lives in the Pacific Northwest.

John applied for US naturalization papers on March 26, 1888. He formally renounced his allegiance to the Czar of Russia when he made his application. Women could not vote, so there was no need to apply for US citizenship.

John became involved in civic affairs. He also began looking for an occupation besides fishing. He settled into the Finnish Boarding House, 1371 Franklin Avenue, Astoria, Clatsop, Oregon. At some point he purchased this property and lived there, and in the family home on Grand Avenue, the remainder of his life. An Astoria newspaper reported John purchased the Boarding House in 1892.

In the Register of Electors for 1900, Clatsop County (includes Astoria) Johan Payskey, fisherman, age 40, of 1371 Franklin Avenue, was listed.

The Franklin Avenue home became known at the Finnish Men's Club. It was a boarding house primarily for Finnish working men. Other authors have noted a Boarding House's reputation was determined by the quality of the meals served. The Finnish Men's Club provided a comfortable living for the large Poysky family, so the meals must have been very good.

Tragedy struck twice in the next two years. John's second son, John Abram was born and died in 1893. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Astoria, Oregon. In 1896, John's wife Kaisa Greta contracted pneumonia, and also died. She and their second son share a tombstone in the Greenwood Cemetery. John and son George continued to live in the Boarding House on Franklin Street. John and Kaisa's Descendents.

John Poysky Purchases Property in Astoria
February 6, 1895 William B. Adair to John Paysky: "John Paysky purchased, from the estate of Mary Ann Adair, deceased, Lot 32, Block 58, for $150.00." The purchase was recorded in Journal No. 8, page 392, of the Probate records in the town of the Port of Upper Astoria. This property was not listed among the Posky Estate assets in 1936. The lot description does not match either the location of the Boarding House on Franklin Avenue or the family home on Grant Ave. However, it is located between 37th and 38th Streets, Irving and Harrison. Again, no mention is made of a building on this site.

This effort is an on-going project, subject to the errors and omissions of all human activities. I gladly receive inquiries, corrections, additions and comments.
Email Jane at poyskyfamily@aol.com