Son of Jonathan W. Cobbs, Frank Jay Cobbs Sr. (11/5/1872-4/18/1951) succeeded his father as partner of the Cobbs & Mitchell Lumber Company in 1898. He moved to Oregon in the late 1910s or 1920s to expand C & M Lumber Co. in the west. The Oregon Historical Society shared his obituary in The Oregonian, which thankfully included a photo of F. J. Cobbs, as we do not have one in our collection.
In Cadillac, F. J. Cobbs is well known for his manor built at 407 E. Chapin St., constructed in 1898 by George Mason. After Cobbs moved to Oregon, he had another fabulous mansion built at 2424 SW Montgomery Dr. in Portland.
Frank Jay Cobbs Sr. Obituary from The Oregonian, printed 4/20/1951 – courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society.
MILLIONAIRE EX-LUMBERMAN DIES OF PROLONGED ILLNESS
Frank Jay Cobbs, 78, retired millionaire lumberman, succumbed late Wednesday to a lengthy illness.
Mr. Cobbs, who in the ’20s built the Cobbs mansion at 2424 S. W. Montgomery street, long considered one of Portland’s most beautiful architectural structures, was co-founder of the Cobbs and Mitchell company, a vast lumber operation of which he was president from 1912 to 1937. He was a substantial stockholder and for many years a director of the United States National bank.
Born in Jackson county, Indiana, November 5, 1872, Mr. Cobbs was a son of Jonathan Cobbs, a partner of William W. Mitchell in a prominent Michigan lumber and logging operation.
He came west in 1912 to develop some 4000 acres of burned-over lumber properly in Lincoln and Polk county area owned by the Michigan company, and built the Valley and Siletz railroad from Independence to the terminus at Valsetz.
Salem Firm Operated
The Cobbs & Mitchell company, with Mr. Cobbs and Charles T. Mitchell, son of William W. Mitchell, as partners, was formed shortly thereafter and operated on the timber originally purchased by the Michigan company.
Mr. Cobbs at one time was interested in the Falls City Lumber
company and owned and operated a lumber yard and buildings material depot at Salem, which after being acquired by the Cobbs and Mitchell company was sold to the J. W. Copeland Lumber company in 1937.
When Mr. Cobbs became seriously ill shortly thereafter, his partner was elected president of the company. Subsequently Mr. Cobbs retired from the board of directors and from the position of general manager over all and was succeeded by C. L. Starr, attorney for the company.
Under Starr’s management the companies were operated until December, 1946, when they were sold to the Valsetz Lumber company, which was organized by H. A. Templeton for the purpose of making the purchase. Mr. Cobbs’ partner died during the past year.
Noted for Philanthropies
Mr. Cobbs was a charter member of Waverley Country club, a life member of the Multnomah club and a long-time member of the Arlington club. He was noted for his philanthropies.
He is survived by a son, Frank Jay Cobbs Jr., Portland; two granddaughters, Alice Maud and Jayne Cobbs, San Francisco, and a sister, Delpha Cobbs, Cadillac, Mich.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Finley’s Morninglight chapel., Rt. Rev. Benjamin Dagwell officiating. Vault entombment will be in Portland Memorial.
Pallbearers will be E. C. Sammons, Robert Alton, Herbert A. Templeton, Col. Clenard McLaughlin, C. L. Starr, George Black Jr., H. F. Thomas and Claude M. Johns Jr.