Résumé

Principal, John Nestor, Architect, San Francisco, CA, c. 1862-1864.

Principal, John Nestor, Contractor/Architect, Portland, OR, c. 1864-c. 1867. The Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1866, (p. 65), indicated that Nestor worked as a contractor. He was credited by architect Richard Ellison Ritz as someone who "...brought new ideas of cast-iron design from San Francisco [to Portland, OR]." (Richard Ellison Ritz, Architects of Oregon, [Portland, OR: Lair Hill Publishing, 2002], p. 295.) Nestor seems to have left Portland by 1868 or 1869, but was reported to be living in the city in 1874. The Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1874,(p. 171). listed Nestor as an architect.

Farmer, Cornelius, OR, 1880. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Cornelius, Washington, Oregon; Roll: 1084; Page: 336D; Enumeration District: 128, accessed 01/03/2023.)

Principal, John Nestor, Architect, Seattle, WA, c. 1883-c. 1891. It is possible that during the Depression following 1893, Nestor changed professions, becoming a grocer by 1900.

Relocation

Born in Ireland, Nestor made his way to the US early in life. Complicating the search for his entry into the US, there were several men named either "John Nestor" or "John Nester," listed in historical records. At least one was born in Germany (a gardener) one in PA (a teamster and laborer) and another born in Germany in IN (a harness maker).

A note in a Town of Galway Gaol Record of 1849, noted that a "John Nester" (born c. 1834) had been arrested for robbery on 01/29/1849. It is not known if this was the same person. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Ireland Prisoner Registers, accessed 01/03/2023.)

He made his way to Portland, OR, by 1864, where he resided on the corner of 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street. (See Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1866, p. 65.) He continued to live on the southeast corner of East Park and College Streets in 1874. (See Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1874,p. 171.)

The 1880 US Census located Nestor and his family in Cornelius, OR. This document listed his profession as "farmer," and noted that he had had three children: Carrie, John Ralph and Lillie L. Nestor. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Cornelius, Washington, Oregon; Roll: 1084; Page: 336D; Enumeration District: 128, accessed 01/03/2023.)

He arrived in Seattle, WA, by 1883. In 1885 and 1887, Nestor lived in Seattle with his two children, Caroline "Carrie" M. Nestor and Ralph Nestor (born c. 1877 perhaps in OR), according to the Washington Territorial Censuses. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Territorial Census Rolls, 1857-1892, accessed 01/03/2023.) He lived in a rear property at 308 Ash Street, on the northeast corner of Thomas Street and Ash Street, according to Polk's Seattle City Directories from 1888-1891. In 1897, he resided at 308 1/2 Nob Hill Avenue in Seattle.

The architect had relocated briefly to Tacoma, WA, by 1900. According to the US Census of 1900, Nestor lived with his second wife at 932 C Street in Tacoma. Working as a grocer in 1900, Nestor was prosperous to afford a servant, Christina Brown (born c. 10/1878 in WA).

In 1911, a year before the end of his life, Nestor lived at 122 West Garfield Street, along with Margaret and George B. Nestor.

The architect passed away on 05/08/1912 at his residence, 1023 Jefferson Street in Seattle.

Parents

Very little information has been found on his parents. The 1880 US Census indicated that his father had been born in Greece and his mother in France. This record listed his birthplace as Ireland. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Cornelius, Washington, Oregon; Roll: 1084; Page: 336D; Enumeration District: 128, accessed 01/03/2023.)

Spouse

Nestor was married twice. He appears to have split from his first wife Mary "Minnie" A. Barrett (born 04/17/1854 in Buffalo, NY-d. 05/31/1924 in Portland, OR) before 1885, as she was not listed in the WA Territorial Census of that year. The 1880 US Census listed her mother having been from New York. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Cornelius, Washington, Oregon; Roll: 1084; Page: 336D; Enumeration District: 128, accessed 01/03/2023.) A 1934 marriage certificate of her son John Ralph Nestor had the notation of "Ind. (?)" as to her place of birth. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington, Marriage Records, CE304-2-0-29, accessed 01/03/2023.) John Ralph Nestor's World War I draft registration card indicated that his next-of-kin contact was his mother, Minnie, listed as Mrs. Henry B. Loveridge, who in 1918 resided at 200 North Grand Avenue in Portland, OR. (SeePolk's Portland, OR, 1918 City Directory, p. 778.) Minnie Loveridge passed away from liver cancer on 05/31/1924. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Death Records, 1864-1967, accessed 01/04/2023.)

Minnie's parents were John H. Barrett (born in Philadelphia, PA) and Louisa Partlow (born in Hudson, WI).

He wed his second wife, Magaret Elizabeth Bomier, (born 1862 in WI-d. 11/10/1949 in Portland, OR), around 1890. After John's death in 1912, she worked as a baker in 1916. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1916, p. 1174.) (Prior to 01/03/2023, PCAD erroneously stated that Margaret died in Seattle, WA. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Death Records, 1864-1967, accessed 01/03/2023.) She resided at 2718 9th Avenue West in 1918. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1918, p. 1337.)

Her parents were Godfrey Bornier (born 12/10/1883 in the Three Rivers District, Hertfordshire, England-d. 12/10/1883 in De Pere, WI) and Elizabeth Gray Turner (born 08/11/1822 in Ogdensburg, NY-d. 04/17/1890 in De Pere, WI).

Children

It is likely that John Nestor had six children by his two wives.

Records of the birth of his first child Caroline M. Nestor (born c. 11/1872) are contradictory, with some documents listing her place of brith as Indiana, Iowa and Oregon. The WA Territorial Census of 1887 indicated that Carrie had been born in Iowa c. 1872. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Territorial Census Rolls, 1887, accessed 01/03/2023.) The 1900 US Census listed her birthplace as Indiana, and that she resided in Seattle. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Seattle Ward 6, King, Washington; Roll: 1745; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0107; FHL microfilm: 1241745, accessed 01/03/2023.) The 1892 WA Territorial Census listed it as Indiana. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Territorial Census Rolls, 1892, accessed 01/03/2023.) The 1920 US Census corroborated that she had been born in Indiana and lived in San Francisco, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: San Francisco Assembly District 30, San Francisco, California; Roll: T625_139; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 227, accessed 01/03/2023.) An Alameda County marriage certificate, of 12/17/1919, however, recorded her place of birth to have been Oregon.

Caroline Nestor married three times. She first wed Louis Luther Clem (born 01/20/1870 in KS-born 10/23/1923 in Portland, OR), a marine engineer, on 12/04/1889 in Seattle. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Reference Number: kingcoarchmc1665, accessed 01/03/2023.) Following Clem's death, she then entered into a marriage with a man with the surname "Buford" that likely ended in divorce before 1910. She lived alone as a roomer in Seattle according to the 1910 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Seattle Ward 3, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1659; Page: 18A; Enumeration District: 0147; FHL microfilm: 1375672, accessed 01/03/2023.) She wed Pinkney Eugene Causey on 12/17/1919 in Oakland, CA. According to her 1919 Alameda County marriage certificate, this marriage was her third and Causey's second. This document recorded her father as being "John Nestor" (born in Iowa) and her mother being "Minnie Barrett" (place of birth unknown). (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Marriage records, select counties and years. California State Archives, Sacramento, California, accessed 01/03/2023.)

A second child with Minnie Barrett, John Ralph Nestor (born 02/20/1873 in Portland, OR-d. 03/23/1967 in Mount Vernon, WA). Ralph Nestor became an electrician, and resided in Wenatchee, WA, on 12/06/1934. He wed for the second time on that date to Sara L. Cross Justice (born 06/21/1880 in VA-d. 01/28/1959 in WA), a widow, also of Wenatchee. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington, Marriage Records, CE304-2-0-29, accessed 01/04/2023.) In 1940, John and Sara resided in Prairie, Island County, WA, where he worked as a carpenter for a WPA building project. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Prairie, Island, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04342; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 15-14, accessed 01/04/2023.)

The third child was Lillian Louise Nestor Klippel (born 10/13/1878 in Portland, OR-d. 10/30/1971 in Clackamas County, OR). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Cornelius, Washington, Oregon; Roll: 1084; Page: 336D; Enumeration District: 128, accessed 01/03/2023.)

With his second wife, Margaret Bornier, he had at least three children: Haven Nestor (born c. 02/1891 in WA), Margaret E. Nestor Thatcher (born 05/24/1892 in Skagit County, WA-d. 09/30/1973 in Portland, OR), and George Nestor (born c. 12/1893 in WA).

• Seattle, WA (Architect's Death)
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