Biography of George F. La Fontaine, 1922, State of Oregon
Surnames: La Fontaine, Duperre, Shephard, Brassfield

************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other
organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use
this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor,
or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the
listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter
has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives
(http://files.usgwarchives.net) to store the file permanently for free
access and not to be removed separately without written permission.
************************************************************************
Transcribed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
W. David Samuelsen - January 2002
************************************************************************
History of Oregon, Vol. 2; The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company, pub.
1922, page 7-8

GEORGE F. LA FONTAINE.

George F. La Fontaine, who is engaged in the transfer and storage business in
Portland, was born in St. Paul, Oregon, February 22, 1891. He was educated in
the public schools of St. Paul, while spending his youthful days in the home
of his parents. His father, Narisace La Fontaine was born in the Province of
Quebec, Canada, and came to Portland in 1851 when fifteen years of age. He
afterward located at St. Paul, Oregon, where he homesteaded on the Nehalem
mountains near Sherwood, residing there for nine years, at which time he
disposed of the property and again took up his abode in St. Paul, once more
following farming. In 1893 he sold his property and removed to Washington.
While carrying on agricultural pursuits at St. Paul he was badly burned in a
forest fire, in fact his arms and back were so frightfully burned while he was
fighting the flames that it caused him to give up all farming and all active
work. In 1896 he returned to Portland and continued to reside here until two
years prior to his death, which occurred in the home of his son, B. F. La
Fontaine, near Salem, on December 26, 1913. HIs wife, who bore the maiden name
of Margaret Duperre, is a native of Oregon and a daughter of a native French
Canadian, who first came to Oregon in 1826. She is living with her son near
Salem at the age of sixty-seven years.

George F. La Fontaine of this review has always resided in the west and has
long been imbued by the spirit of western enterprise and progress. After
attending the public school of his native town he continued his education In
St. George’s school at Tacoma, Washington, from which he was graduated in
1903. He then engaged In the baggage and express business in Portland and in
1917 established business on his own account at 66 Sixth street, under the
name of the Baggage Transfer & Express Company. He now employs four trucks in
his transfer department and also has a large patronage in the storage
department of his business.

On the 19th of March, 1915, Mr. La Fontaine was married to Miss Delphia May
Shephard, a native of western Oregon and a daughter of Leonard and Josephine
(Brassfield) Shephard, who were pioneers of this state, crossing the plains
with ox teams at a very early day. Both are now deceased. The Shephards
crossed the plains from Iowa in 1849. They settled where Baker City now
stands.

Mr. La Fontaine has long taken an active interest in politics as a republican.
He is a young man of great enterprise and energy and has already made a
creditable position in business circles.