430 Ferry St

859 S 12^th

Eugene, OR

154 E 9^th

YMCA

363 High St

170 High St

San Diego, CA

5^th Street

2^nd – Lizzie Owen

3^rd – Bethena Dell Richardson

2^nd – 11 Sep 1907 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon (Divorce 5 Nov 1911)

3^rd – Abt. 1924-1925

Arthur Webster Lord was born 11 Sep 1864 in Maine. We have not been able to trace his family, but through military records, we have his date of birth. We know that he had a daughter named Marie Bertha Lord, who was born in New Hampshire in 1890. We assume she was from a first marriage, but did not find any information on that, except for the 1930 census which described Arthur as being 23 years old when he married the first time. That would put this marriage in 1887.

Military records indicate that Arthur served in the Spanish-American War. His service in the volunteer infantry began on 17 April 1901. Following the war, we find him in Salem, where he worked as a wool sorter at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. He boarded at 430 Ferry St.

According to the book “Later Woolen Mills in Oregon,” toward the latter part of Jan 1906, a group of Salem residents led by Thomas Kay, along with selected employees of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Company, began negotiations to purchase the Eugene Woolen Mill. Arthur W. Lord was one of the signers of the articles of incorporation on 15 Feb 1906. He was listed as one of the incorporators, along with Thomas B. Kay, E. Koppe, and C. J. Howe. Arthur also served as one of the directors and the wool buyer for the Eugene Woolen Mill.

Arthur met a young lady named Lizzie Owen, who worked as a weaver at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem. A marriage license was issued to Arthur and Lizzie on 9 Sep 1907, and they were married on 11 Sep 1907, at Trinity Church. However, the 1908 Salem City Directory listed Lizzie under her maiden name with a shared address with her sister at 2092 Lee St. and Arthur with a dual residence, Eugene and Salem, separate from Lizzie indicating that their marriage might have already been experiencing difficulties.

The marriage did not end well. Within three years, both filed for divorce. Lizzie claimed Arthur deserted her on 13 Apr 1909 and refused to support her. She stated that Arthur owned ten shares of stock in the Eugene Woolen Mill Co., valued at $1200, and that she had loaned him $360 to purchase the stock, which he had not fully repaid. She requested a divorce decree, restoration of her maiden name, and $500 alimony. The divorce was granted in October 1910. No children were born into this marriage.

Arthur continued to work at the Eugene Woolen Mill as a wool sorter and became the mill’s secretary by 1911. He was also appointed to the physical committee at the local YMCA, where he roomed for the next four years. In 1918, the Eugene city directory listed Arthur as the secretary for the Eugene Woolen Mill, living at 363 High St. By the 1920 census, Arthur’s daughter Bertha lived with him. He was still the mill secretary, and Bertha worked in the finishing department. In 1921, Arthur was listed as the foreman at the woolen mill. In March 1923, Emil Koppe and his four sons purchased the entire stock of the Eugene Woolen Mill Company. After selling his shares, Arthur moved out of Oregon and headed south to California.

In July 1924, Arthur married again. His new wife, Bethena Dell (Richardson) Gibson, was also from the Lane County, Oregon area. Their marriage license listed both of them as living in Los Angeles. The couple eventually settled in Imperial Beach, CA. Arthur’s daughter Bertha married Adelbert T. Drum and lived in Paradise Valley, CA until her father’s death. Afterward, she and her husband moved to Superior, WI.

Arthur W. Lord passed away on 13 Mar 1933, at the naval hospital in National City, San Diego, CA. His funeral and burial took place near San Diego.

Arthur’s wife, Bethena, returned to Oregon to live with her daughter from a previous marriage, Juanita (Gibson) Melena. Bethena passed away in Ione, OR on 8 Apr 1957 and was buried in Olney Cemetery in Pendleton, OR.

1905 – Lord Arthur W, sorter TKWM Co, bds 430 Ferry

1908 – Lord A W, sorter Eugene Woolen Mill

1908 – Lord Arthur W, bds 859 S 12^th

1909 – Lord Arthur W, sorter TKWM Co, bds 430 Ferry

1909 – Lord Arthur E, bds 859 S 12^th

Eugene

1910 – Lord Arthur W, sorter Eugene Woolen Mill Co, rms 154 E 9^th

1911 – Lord Arthur W, sorter Eugene Woolen Mill Co, rms YMCA

1912 – Lord Arthur W, sec Eugene Woolen Mill Co, rms YMCA

1914 – Lord Arthur W, sec Eugene Woolen Mill Co Inc, rms YMCA

1918 – Lord Arthur W, sec Eugene Woolen Mill Co Inc, res 363 High

1921 – Lord Arthur W, foreman Eugene Woolen Mill Co, h. 170 High

1930 –  Arthur W. Lord – Birth Year: abt 1865, Gender: Male, Race: White, Age in 1930: 65, Birthplace: Maine, Marital Status: Married, Relation to Head of House: Head, Home in 1930: San Diego, San Diego, California, Street Address: 5^th, Dwelling Number: 8, Family Number: 8, Home Value: 4800, Radio Set: Yes, Lives on Farm: No, Age at First Marriage: 23, Attended School: No, Able to Read and Write: Yes, Father’s Birthplace: Maine, Mother’s Birthplace: Maine, Able to Speak English: Yes. Household members: Arthur W Lord (65), Bethena V Lord (56).

Bethena R. Lord – Birth: 1874, Death: 8 Apr 1957 (aged 82–83), Burial: Olney Cemetery, Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon, USA. Block 30 Lot 37 Grave 8. Memorial ID: 62286291

The Oregon Daily Journal (Portland, OR) 21 Feb 1906, pg. 8 – Eugene Woolen Mill Soon to Be Operated

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 4 Mar 1905, pg. 8 – Woolen Company Officers

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 28 Apr 1907, pg. 4 – A. W. Lord …

Oregon Statesman 10 Sep 1907, pg. 4 – Marriage Affidavit

The Capital Journal (Salem, OR) 10 Sep 1907, pg. 1 – Four Happy People

The Twice-A-Week Guard (Eugene, OR) 10 Oct 1910, pg. 1 – Lord vs. Lord

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 9 Oct 1910, pg. 5 – Files Cross Petition and Answer

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 18 Nov 1911, pg. 5 – A. W. Lord of the Eugene Woolen Mill Co, appointed … YMCA

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 26 Jun 1919, pg. 5 – Two Nash Cars Delivered

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 12 Mar 1921, pg. 5 – Building Permits

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 3 Mar 1923, pg. 7 – Koppe Family Buys Woolen Mill Stock

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 3 Mar 1923, pg. 5 – Mill Stock Purchased

The Morning Press (Santa Barbara, CA) 6 Jul 1924, pg. 8 – Marriage Licenses … Arthur W. Lord and Bertha S. Gibson (3^rd marriage)

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 5 Mar 1925, pg. 4 – Meeting of the Eugene woolen mills incorporators

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 6 Sep 1925, pg. 5 – Return to California

The San Diego Sun (San Diego, CA) 14 Nov 1925, pg. 7 – At Imperial Beach

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 31 Dec 1925, pg. 17 – Eugene Woolen Mills Industry Big Lane Project

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 22 Aug 1927, pg. 3 – Visiting at Richardson Home

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 14 Mar 1933, pg. 3 – A. W. Lord Dies

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 19 Mar 1933, pg. 3 – Former Resident Dies

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 7 May 1933, pg. 3 – Probate Court

The Eugene Guard (Eugene, OR) 8 May 1933, pg. 7 – Legal Notices

The Oregonian (Portland, OR) 9 Apr 1957, pg. 26 – Lord: Mrs. Bethena Richardson Funeral Notice

Later Woolen Mills in Oregon [book], Alfred Lomax, pg. 132-139