Résumé

Employee, Roberts Construction Company, Portland, OR, c. 1909. Bruce worked for his father William A. Roberts first in the Roberts Construction Company.

Architect / Partner, Roberts and Roberts, Architects, Portland, OR, c. 1910-1913.

Architect, Seattle, WA, 1915. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 1324.)

Employee, mining company, Seattle, WA, 1916-1917. It appears that Bruce continued to work with his father William in this mining business in 1916 and 1917. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1916, pp. 1323-1324 and R.L. Polk's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1917, p. 1360.) It is possible that the mining effort was speculative and failed, and Bruce sought more professional stability working for a utility company thereafter.

Draftsman, Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company, Seattle, WA, 09/1918. His office was located in the Electric Building in Seattle. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Electrical Engineer, Puget Sound Power and Light, Seattle, WA, c. 1920-c. 1942. The Electric Building stood at 7th Avenue and Olive Street in 1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1926; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 105, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Purchasing clerk, City of Seattle, Seattle, WA, c. 1950. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: 199; Page: 73; Enumeration District: 40-84, accessed 01/21/2025.)

High School

Roberts attended high school in Portland, OR. The 1940 US Census reported that he had completed high school, while his wife Dorothy had completed two years. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04375; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 40-36, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Relocation

The engineer and architect Bruce William Roberts was born on 10/11/1882 in Jasper County, MO in the southwest portion of the state. A leading city of the county is Joplin, MO.

Bruce lived with his parents, brother and a boarder, Anna Jones (born c. 05/1879 in MT) at 120 East 26th Avenue, Portland, OR. in a neighborhood just to the east of Lone Fir Cemetery in southeast Portland, OR. (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.)

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

The architect gave his address at 573 East Salmon Street in Portland at the time of his marriage in 1912. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Oregon Center For Health Statistics; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Marriages, 1911-1945, accessed 01/21/2025.)

By 1915, Bruce and his wife Dorothy had relocated to Seattle, WA, where they dwelled at 2542 7th Avenue West. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 1324.)

Between 1916 and 1918, they remained at 2542 7th Avenue West in Seattle. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1916, pp. 1323-1324, R.L. Polk's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1917, p. 1360 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 01/21/2025.) They rented one part of a duplex at 813 West 64th Street in Seattle in 1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1926; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 105, accessed 01/21/2025.)

By 1930, the engineer and architect dwelled with his wife at 6542 6th Avenue NW. At that time, this small house had an estimated value of $3,000, a modest amount, but on par with neighboring, owner-occupied residences.(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0015; FHL microfilm: 2342226, accessed 01/21/2025.) The 1940 US Census indicated that this house at 6542 6th Avenue NW had a value of $2500. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04375; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 40-36, accessed 01/21/2025.) They remained here on 04/25/1942 when he filled out his World War II draft registration card, and continued to reside here at the end of his life in 1968. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 171, accessed 01/21/2025.)

His death certificate indicated that he died on 05/15/1968 of pneumonia and a "circulatory collapse," "hemorrhage," and a "gastric ulcer" at the Waldo Hospital in NE Seattle. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Death Index, 1940-2017, accessed 01/16/2025.)

Parents

His father was the real estate agent and building contractor William A. Roberts (born c. 08/1850 in Canada).

Louisa Irene Young (born 01/15/1856 in Keota, IA-d. 02/08/1927 in Los Angeles, CA) was his mother. Her parents were John Davis Young (born 05/31/1825 in Lewis County, KY-d. 06/08/1896 in Los Angeles, CA) and Mariah Eyestone (born 09/03/1828 in Fayette County, IN-d. 10/06/1880 in Eureka Springs, AR). They married on 10/12/1848. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Geneanet Community Trees Index [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Louisa and William wed c. 1880, as noted in the 1900 US Census. (The 1880 US Census located them living in Carthage, MO, where William worked as a farmer. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Carthage, Jasper, Missouri; Roll: 694; Page: 453d; Enumeration District: 065, accessed 01/21/2025.) She and William had two children, Bruce and Earl A. Roberts (1886-1939). Earl became an architect, working in Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA.

Spouse

Bruce W. Roberts married Dorothy Ellen Brown (born c. 1886 in IA) on 01/01/1912 in Portland, OR. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Oregon Center For Health Statistics; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Marriages, 1911-1945, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Children

No children of Dorothy and Bruce have been documented.

Biographical Notes

His World War I draft registration card described Roberts as Caucasian, with blue eyes and black hair. He was tall with a medium build. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 01/21/2025.)

Roberts's World War II card indicated that he was 6-feet tall and weighed 205 pounds with blue eyes and gray hair. He had a light complexion, and had two notable scars: one on his right-hand index finger and one on his left leg. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 171, accessed 01/21/2025.)

SSN: 531-10-3341.