Multnomah Falls, Oregon - Painted by James Jordan
My grandfather Roy Jordan, died when my father was just 3 years old. In a 1923 Grants Pass newspaper article: Five Fatalities! "Out of 616 industrial accidents reported to the state's Industrial Accident, Commission for the week ending February 14' - five were fatal. They were: Frank Tucker, Salem, timber worker; Harry T. Clark, Albany, timber worker; John W. Edge, Baker, oiler; Peter Hansen, Astoria, foreman; Roy A. Jordan, Klamath Falls, public utility lineman. Of the total number of accidents reported 512 were subject to the provisions of the Workmen's Compensatlon Act, 103 were from firms and corporations that have not elected to come under the act and one was from a public utility corporation that is not subject to the act."
This may explain why my grandmother Eva, at 34 years old, and now a widowed mother for a second time, and with 4 boys, would send the youngest toddler James to live with relatives in the small town of Williams, Oregon. There he grew up with different relatives, shuffled primarily between his Aunt Stella Davidson and his Uncle Edward D Jordan who became the father figure during his formative years. He always said "Aunt Stella was a very stern, hard woman". I can only imagine that with very little parental love, you only believe in what you can see or sense, and that is the only thing one can be really sure of. But, she was immensely proud of his family's heritage and passed that passion onto me.
At ten years old, and the Depression now in full-effect, James was sent from Oregon to live with his Aunt Ethel in Mill Valley, CA. When he became a teenager he moved in with his cousin and Aunt Ethel's famous son, the renown sculptor Ralph Stackpole in San Francisco. At 18 yrs old, James graduated from Castlemont High School 1938, in Oakland, CA. He attended San Francisco State University 39-43
Shortly thereafter, he moved to Vallejo, CA. and worked as a civilian as Planner and Estimator for the Navy at Mare Island Shipyards. It will be in Vallejo that he meets his future wife Patricia Campbell, ... her father, Wallace Campbell also worked at Mare Island.
James served in the US Eight Army, from 5-26-46 to 9-24-1947.
By the end of 1945, more than 350,000 US personnel were stationed throughout Japan. By the beginning of 1946, replacement troops began to arrive in the country in large numbers and were assigned to MacArthur's Eighth Army, headquartered in Tokyo's Dai-Ichi building.
Discharge at the rank of Staff Sergeant - Section Chief 502 - Qualification as Expert Rifleman 7-12-46. He served overseas with the Eight Army of Occupation of Japan - Foreign Service Oct 3rd, 1946 to Aug. 10th 1947.
James marries Patricia, works as a Civil Engineer at Mare Island, Treasure Island and then works at Hunters Point Naval Shipyards in south San Francisco for the next 22 years.
In April 1965, San Francisco Naval Shipyard command merged with Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Renamed the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard, it became the largest shipyard complex in the world, employing over 20,200 civilian employees and over 9,400 military personnel.
James would paint and travel during his retirement years, he was by nature a distrusting, skeptical man - most likely because of his being pawned off as a small child by his mother, who decided it best to keep and raise his older half-brother siblings. He rarely spoke of his mother or father, but was keenly interested in his ancestors. He was baptized as a young boy into the church of Christ as were most the his extended Davidson relatives. This was before leaving Oregon for California, but never showed much interest in the matter after that.
He was a hard-taskmaster with his 4 boys, starting at an early age, he enrolled them all in various multi-sport programs insisting they continually practice hard to be successful in their abilities, whether it be passing for touchdowns or pitching no-hitters. We were never the biggest nor the fastest, but we were all over-achievers. Three of the four played football and would also be the starting quarterbacks on their respecttive high school teams. All four would enjoy a nominal degree of success filling-up the sport pages of the various local newspapers with their exploits in their hometown of Walnut Creek.
This may explain why my grandmother Eva, at 34 years old, and now a widowed mother for a second time, and with 4 boys, would send the youngest toddler James to live with relatives in the small town of Williams, Oregon. There he grew up with different relatives, shuffled primarily between his Aunt Stella Davidson and his Uncle Edward D Jordan who became the father figure during his formative years. He always said "Aunt Stella was a very stern, hard woman". I can only imagine that with very little parental love, you only believe in what you can see or sense, and that is the only thing one can be really sure of. But, she was immensely proud of his family's heritage and passed that passion onto me.
At ten years old, and the Depression now in full-effect, James was sent from Oregon to live with his Aunt Ethel in Mill Valley, CA. When he became a teenager he moved in with his cousin and Aunt Ethel's famous son, the renown sculptor Ralph Stackpole in San Francisco. At 18 yrs old, James graduated from Castlemont High School 1938, in Oakland, CA. He attended San Francisco State University 39-43
Shortly thereafter, he moved to Vallejo, CA. and worked as a civilian as Planner and Estimator for the Navy at Mare Island Shipyards. It will be in Vallejo that he meets his future wife Patricia Campbell, ... her father, Wallace Campbell also worked at Mare Island.
James served in the US Eight Army, from 5-26-46 to 9-24-1947.
By the end of 1945, more than 350,000 US personnel were stationed throughout Japan. By the beginning of 1946, replacement troops began to arrive in the country in large numbers and were assigned to MacArthur's Eighth Army, headquartered in Tokyo's Dai-Ichi building.
Discharge at the rank of Staff Sergeant - Section Chief 502 - Qualification as Expert Rifleman 7-12-46. He served overseas with the Eight Army of Occupation of Japan - Foreign Service Oct 3rd, 1946 to Aug. 10th 1947.
James marries Patricia, works as a Civil Engineer at Mare Island, Treasure Island and then works at Hunters Point Naval Shipyards in south San Francisco for the next 22 years.
In April 1965, San Francisco Naval Shipyard command merged with Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Renamed the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard, it became the largest shipyard complex in the world, employing over 20,200 civilian employees and over 9,400 military personnel.
James would paint and travel during his retirement years, he was by nature a distrusting, skeptical man - most likely because of his being pawned off as a small child by his mother, who decided it best to keep and raise his older half-brother siblings. He rarely spoke of his mother or father, but was keenly interested in his ancestors. He was baptized as a young boy into the church of Christ as were most the his extended Davidson relatives. This was before leaving Oregon for California, but never showed much interest in the matter after that.
He was a hard-taskmaster with his 4 boys, starting at an early age, he enrolled them all in various multi-sport programs insisting they continually practice hard to be successful in their abilities, whether it be passing for touchdowns or pitching no-hitters. We were never the biggest nor the fastest, but we were all over-achievers. Three of the four played football and would also be the starting quarterbacks on their respecttive high school teams. All four would enjoy a nominal degree of success filling-up the sport pages of the various local newspapers with their exploits in their hometown of Walnut Creek.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
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Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard
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His Parents:
Roy Jordan Gennieva Davidson
His Father: JAMES JORDAN married Mary Louisa Fidler, 2 FEB 1857, Galice, Or. (daughter of Dr. George Fidler and Jane Strain). Mary was born 10-4-1840 in Crawfordville, Indiana Mary died at her son’s home of Edward Jordan, 4-9-1924, Wolf Creek, Or.
My father, James D Jordan (named after his grandfather) was born in Wolf Creek in 1920. Children of James and Mary Jordan: I. Annabelle Jordan, b. 5-12-1858, Jacksonville, Or. II. William Henry Jordan, b. 3-17-1860, Whisky Gulch, Josephine County, Or. III. Walter H Jordan, b. 1-24-1862, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. IV. Alice Jordan, b. 3-12-1864, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. V. Ethel Jordan, b. 3-9-1865, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. VI. George (Frank) Jordan, b. 3-29-1867, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. VII. Isadora Jordan, b. -1869, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. VIII.Hattie Julia Jordan, b. 10-26-1872, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. IX. Edward D. Jordan, b.12-14-1874,East Fork Williams Creek, Or. X. Morris Jordan, died young X1. Marvin Jordan, b. 11-20-1879, East Fork Williams Creek, Or. XII. ROY JORDAN, b. 10-26-1885, Grants Pass, Or. 
Roy Alvin Jordan
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Her Father: CARTER TARENT DAVIDSON, b. 24 Mar 1859, Independence, Polk Co., OR; d. 19 Jan 1932, Josephine Co., OR. ) married CECELIA "CELIA" ANN BAILEY on 10 Feb 1884 in Foots Creek, Jackson Co., OR) (1st wife), born 21 Mar 1866 in Jacksonville, Jackson Co., OR.
Children of CARTER DAVIDSON and CECELIA BAILEY are: I. Chester Clyde11 Davidson, B. 11 Apr 1885 II. Lester Earl Davidson, B. 08 Oct 1886 III. GENNIEVA "JENNIE" EVA DAVIDSON, b. 26 Jul 1889, Williams, Josephine Co., OR IV. Jay Ellis "Dave"(Ellis Jay) Davidson, B. 23 May 1894 V. Estella Beatrice Davidson, B. 14 Nov 1896 VI. Carter Emerson Davidson, b. 21 Jul 1899 VII. Thelta Iris Davidson, B. 04 May 1908 
Eva is third from left.
Eva Davidson (2nd left) & Siblings
EVA - circa 1920's
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Handwritten notes from James Jordan regarding his childhood:
“Ralph Stackpole was the son of Aunt Ethel. His father was killed in a sawmill accident when Ralph was a young boy. Ethel Jordan and Roy Jordan (my father) were two of eleven siblings, and they lost their father James Jordan in 1887. Ethel, now married to Fremont Stackpole, helped raised her youngest brother, Roy who was only just 2 years old at the time. She also took me in (1930-1931) at her home in Mill Valley, CA. when I was just 10 years old."
"My father Roy Jordan, was killed in an accident working as a lineman for the power company when I was 3 years old and I was farmed out to live with various people including Uncle Ed at Wolf Creek, at the Davis Ranch."
"I also lived with Ralph at Hilltop House San Francisco (next to Coit Tower) to escape the wrath of Ethel’s 2nd husband. It was at that time, two of Ralph's longtime friends also came to live with him, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Ralph's son Peter who was seven years older than me, were often sent out the house and told not to return until the end of the day, whenever Ralph, Diego, Frida and some of their other friends wanted to be alone."
"Ralph Stackpole’s 2nd wife Ginette, was French and very stern. She always insisted I eat chard greens. One day my portion had a very large grub worm. So I ate the greens leaving the worm out in plain sight. Ralph – Ginette and adopted their son got up and left leaving me eating my dinner in peace."
"Ralph built me a jump pit at his Marin Co. home. He also tried to teach me how to use a hammer and chisel at his huge granite and marble courtyard and art studio in downtown San Francisco, called the Montgomery Block. His most notable works were 65 foot Pacifica” theme of the 1939 World’s Fair and the two Statues standing on the corners of San Francisco Stock Exchange.”
“Ralph Stackpole was the son of Aunt Ethel. His father was killed in a sawmill accident when Ralph was a young boy. Ethel Jordan and Roy Jordan (my father) were two of eleven siblings, and they lost their father James Jordan in 1887. Ethel, now married to Fremont Stackpole, helped raised her youngest brother, Roy who was only just 2 years old at the time. She also took me in (1930-1931) at her home in Mill Valley, CA. when I was just 10 years old."
"My father Roy Jordan, was killed in an accident working as a lineman for the power company when I was 3 years old and I was farmed out to live with various people including Uncle Ed at Wolf Creek, at the Davis Ranch."
"I also lived with Ralph at Hilltop House San Francisco (next to Coit Tower) to escape the wrath of Ethel’s 2nd husband. It was at that time, two of Ralph's longtime friends also came to live with him, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Ralph's son Peter who was seven years older than me, were often sent out the house and told not to return until the end of the day, whenever Ralph, Diego, Frida and some of their other friends wanted to be alone."
"Ralph Stackpole’s 2nd wife Ginette, was French and very stern. She always insisted I eat chard greens. One day my portion had a very large grub worm. So I ate the greens leaving the worm out in plain sight. Ralph – Ginette and adopted their son got up and left leaving me eating my dinner in peace."
"Ralph built me a jump pit at his Marin Co. home. He also tried to teach me how to use a hammer and chisel at his huge granite and marble courtyard and art studio in downtown San Francisco, called the Montgomery Block. His most notable works were 65 foot Pacifica” theme of the 1939 World’s Fair and the two Statues standing on the corners of San Francisco Stock Exchange.”