Returning to the farm after his stint in the Army , Summers later moved to Chicago in 1871 . He was caught in the Great Chicago Fire , rescuing his new family and two others . After the fire , Summers performed contractor work in rebuilding the city . He continued his contractor work on the West Coast , working in San Francisco and San Diego , before arriving in Portland , Oregon in 1879 . He founded a crockery business with his brother-in-law , J. C. Olds , called Olds & Summers , and supplying crockery both wholesale and retail . The business flourished , as the two men became prominent local businessmen in Portland , Oregon
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Owen Summers