Résumé

Real estate agent, Portland, OR, c. 1900.

A "William Roberts" worked as a foreman, Oregon Chair Company, Portland, OR, 1907. (See R.L. Polk Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1907, p. 1092.)

Employee, Roberts Construction Company, Portland, OR, 1909. (See R.L. Polk Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1909, p. 1162.)

Partner, Roberts and Roberts, Architects, Portland, OR, 1910-1913. In 1912, Roberts and Roberts rented Room #512 of the Abington Building in Portland, OR. (See Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1912, p. 1265.) Earl Roberts left this partnership by about 1912, but William and Bruce continued to work as Roberts and Roberts until at least 1913. (See Polk's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1913, p. 1033.)

Miner, Seattle, WA, c. 1926. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Death Index, 1940-2017, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Relocation

William A. Roberts was born in ON, Canada, in 1856. (Some sources disagreed about his birthdate. The 1880 US Census listed him as 23 years old, putting his birth c. 1857. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Carthage, Jasper, Missouri; Roll: 694; Page: 453d; Enumeration District: 065, accessed 01/21/2025. The census of 1900 set his birthdate as 08/1850. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Portland Ward 9, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: 1350; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0072, accessed 01/21/2025. Roberts's death certificate confirmed 08/05/1856 as the exact date.) In 1861, the Census of Canada indicated that five-year-old William resided on a farm with his parents Andrew and Mary in New Tecumseh, Simcoe County, ON. Others on this farm included his elder sister and younger brother. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1073-1074, accessed 01/21/2025.)

The 1900 US Census indicated that he entered the US in 1863. The 1870 US Census recorded William as living on the Roberts Farm near Farmington, Ontario County, NY. The census noted that they owned $10,000 in land, and had savings of $1,700. These numbers were higher than most of the Roberts's immediate neighbors. The family included in 1870, William's parents. his four siblings, and Lydia Martha Phillips (born 02/02/1850 in Canada-d. 05/22/1871 in West Gwillimbury, ON, Canada), his aunt.

By 1871 the Roberts family relocated to Muscatine, IA, and three years later to Carthage, MO.

The 1880 US Census documented that he resided in Carthage, MO, where he worked as a farmer. His elder son Bruce was born in Jasper County, MO, suggesting that William continued to live in Carthage in 1883. By the birth of his second son Bruce in 1884, the family had transplanted itself to OR.

In 1900, William A. Roberts worked as a real estate agent in Portland, and resided at 120 East 26th Street, with his wife, two sons and a boarder, Anna Jones (born c. 05/1879 in MT).

In 1909, William A. Roberts resided at 844 Belmont Street in Portland. He lived at this address with his son, Bruce W. Roberts. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1909, p. 1909.)

Roberts's death certificate indicated that he and his wife had moved from Portland to Seattle, WA, by about 1914.It appears that he stopped working with his sons Earl by about 1912 and Bruce by about 1917. He and Bruce collaborated on a mining effort during 1916 and 1917, although it does not appear to have worked out; by 1918, Bruce began work as an electrical engineer for a Seattle utility where he remained for the remainder of his career. Earl made his way to Seattle by 1916, first working as a draftsman and later operating his own architectural practice.

In 1916, William and Lyde made their home at 2542 9th Avenue West in Seattle. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1916, p. 1324.)

By 1926, the year of his death, William made his residence at 1113 Lucille Street in Seattle, WA. He died of cancer of the lip, from which he had suffered for one year. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Death Index, 1940-2017, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Parents

His father was Andrew Roberts (born 06/27/1832 in New Sharon, ON, Canada-d. 03/21/1910 in Caldwell, ID), who worked as a farmer His mother was Mary W. Phillips (born c. 08/1833 in Bond Head, ON, Canada-d. 07/31/1922 in Portland, OR). Andrew's obituary in the Idaho Daily Statesman read: "He married Mary Phillips of Bond Head Ontario, Canada, December 8, 1853. They moved to western New York in 1863, thence to Muscatine, Ia., in 1871, thence to 1874 to Carthage, Mo., thence west in 1884 to Portland, Ore., since which date he has divided his time between different places in Oregon and California, spending most of the last 10 years here." (See "Caldwell Resident Dies," Idaho Daily Statesman, 03/22/1910 p. 2.)

William had at least five sibllings: Elizabeth Parkinson Roberts Cupp (born 09/04/1854 in Canada-d. 12/30/1922 in Boise, ID); Isaac "Ike" Roberts (born 04/28/1859 in Tecumseh, ON, Canada-d. 09/25/1941 in Portland, OR); Joseph Cody Roberts (born 07/28/1862 in Tecumseh, ON, Canada-d. 10/01/1948 in Portland, OR); Sarah W. Roberts Manning (born c. 1865 in NY); and H.E. Roberts. (See "Roberts, Mary," Morning Oregonian, 08/02/1922, p. 18.) As noted in his father's obituary, Ike Roberts worked for the building contractors Stokes and Zeller in Portland in 1910.

Spouse

William Roberts married Louisa Irene "Lyde" Young on 02/21/1880 in Jasper County, MO. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm], accessed 01/21/2025.)

Children

William and Louisa had two sons: Bruce William Roberts (1882-1968) and Earl A. Roberts (1886-1939). Both Bruce and Earl worked as a architects during their lives, although Earl had a longer career. Earl achieved his greatest success while working in Seattle, WA.

Biographical Notes

In 1909, there were at least four men named "William A. Roberts" listed in R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1909.(See R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1909, p. 1909.)