Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 2.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 398.

C. F. ROSSITER

For forty-two years C. F. Rossiter has been connected with the harness and
saddlery business and for the past twenty-two years has been engaged in that
line in Vancouver, the firm of Rossiter Brothers being the only concern of the
kind in Clark county. He was born near Toronto, Canada, and is a son of Robert
and Elizabeth (Humphrey) Rossiter, both natives of England, the mother of
Devonshire. They met and were married in Canada and for a number of years the
father was engaged in farming near Toronto. In 1879 he brought his family to the
Pacific coast, locating at Salem, Oregon, and for a short time he operated a
ranch on Salem Prairie. Later he moved into Salem, where he engaged in teaming,
hauling the bricks for the old Scotch mills in that city. In 1896 he went to
Portland, where he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1912.
His widow died in Vancouver in 1923.

C. F. Rossiter received his educational training in the public schools of Canada
and Salem, Oregon, and for a few years he was employed on farms near the latter
place, also assisting his father in teaming. In 1886 he went to Portland and
worked for the harness and saddlery firm of Bennett & Harvey and later was with
W. H. McMonies & Company, in the same business. In 1906 Mr. Rossiter, in
association with his brother, L. J. Rossiter, bought the harness and saddlery
business of L. C. Kain in Vancouver, and they have run it continuously to the
present time under the firm style of Rossiter Brothers. They were first located
at 310 Main street but in 1908 erected the building which they now occupy at 105
Fourth street. They manufacture all kinds of horse "haberdashery," saddles and
auxiliary lines, which they sell at retail only, having built up a large and
prosperous business.

On August 31, 1898, in Portland, Mr. Rossiter was united in marriage to Miss
Beryl Lawrence, who was born in Salem, a daughter of Clark and Mary (Johns)
Lawrence, both of whom were representatives of old families of this locality,
Mr. Lawrence having long been engaged in the saddlery business in Salem. To Mr.
and Mrs. Rossiter were born three children: Clark Lawrence, who lives in
Vancouver, is married and has two children, Clark Lawrence, Jr., six years of
age, and Bobbie, three years old; Gladyce is the wife of D. D. Doyle, of
Portland, and they have three children, Patricia, Donald D., Jr., and Jan
Fredric G. is in school. The mother of these children died August 16, 1923. She
was a woman of many excellent qualities; was gracious and tactful in manner, and
was extremely popular throughout the range of her acquaintance. She was a member
of the Daughters of Rebekah, in which she had passed through the chairs and was
a district deputy at the time of her death, and had served for thirteen years as
secretary of the Neighbors of Woodcraft.

Mr. Rossiter is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is
a past noble grand. He is a man of mature and dependable business judgment, is
public-spirited in his attitude toward measures for the advancement of the
community, and because of his excellent business record and his sterling traits
of character is held in high regard throughout the community.


Submitted to the OR. Bios Project in September 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Oregon Biographies Project. 
The submitter has no further information on the individual featured in the
biography.