Theodore Gegoux  
The West Coast Years
(1910 to 1931)  

Chapter Fifteen - Portland Rose   1910 to 1912

"Theodore Gegoux, for many years one of the most prominent artists of northern New York, has dropped out of sight and since Dec. 10 last no word has been heard of him by his friends or the members of his family in this city." The Watertown Daily Times - March 30, 1910

Portland via California   Gegoux continued his work in New York until sometime in December of 1909, after which point he traveled to the West Coast, in what turned out to be a permanent change of venue.  Reportedly on November 28, 1909 Mr. Gegoux left Northern New York, for New York city to finish some paintings for Norman Heath of Brooklyn.  Mr. Heath's summer home is on Nobby Island among the Thousand Islands just down river from Keewaydin State park.  While he was in New York, Mr. Gegoux wrote on two occasions to his family, asking that some things needed by him be sent.  Some days later Mr. Gegoux left New York city and went to Cleveland, Ohio where he painted a posthumous portrait of his nephew "Captain Henry Gegoux", who died unexpectedly of peritonitis at Cleveland in 1908.  The artist was reported to have been en route to an aviation meet at Los Angeles, California.   There was aviation meet held at Dominquez Ranch in January 1910, the first on the West Coast, which may have been Gegoux's destination.  It is not known if Gegoux made it to this aviation meet.  The photographs at the California State University Dominquez Hills archives have not revealed an identifiable likeness of Gegoux as of this writing.  So it was that Theodore Gegoux of this city, one of the best known artists in Northern New York, mysteriously disappeared.  It is known that Mr. Gegoux left Cleveland, Ohio, on December 15, 1909 with perhaps $300 in his pocket.  At that time he told relatives that he would go to California.  On that date, every trace of the missing man was lost. (15.002)   It has been said that Gegoux went West for his health.  The source of this explanation was likely George Himes of the Oregon Historical Society, who in about 1920 wrote to Gegoux about his bio sketch for the up coming Founders Day celebration.  Seemingly, some reason was needed to explain Gegoux's presence in the West and that was agreed to by the artist. (see note #)  It is just as likely that Gegoux was seeking a new start, with new projects, and new subject material. In any case the artist achieved the later, if that was in fact his aspiration.   Nonetheless, Gegoux did arrive at Portland, Oregon in 1910, most likely having taken the train.  Gegoux's old steamer trunk still has a destination of Eugene, Oregon painted on the outside.  The artist arrived in time for his rental address to be recorded in the Portland City Directory, which was dated February 1, 1910, and shows that Gegoux was a renter at a location which is near today's address of 518 NW 6th Street, Portland.  Doubtless, the artist could see the Haunted Castle on the hillside above and overlooking the city.  I say that because you can still the Castle today from places along 6th Street.  What a perfect getaway and quiet place for a studio.  And so it was .. that a short time later the Federal Census, dated April 23, 1910, listed Gegoux as a resident of the "Haunted Castle".  This building has since been determined to be the Gleall Castle, which is located at the present day address of 2591 S. W. Buckingham Terrace, Portland. "The Gleall Castle was built in 1892 and still stands today at 2591 SW Buckingham Terrace.  Designed by and built for Charles Henry Piggot, who came to Portland in about 1877. Charles H. Piggot was a President of the Pioneer Wood Company in 1890 and he established the brickyard, which became the Union Brick Company" (1) (1) "Historic Resource Inventory - City of Portland", 1981, Oregon Historical Society Library.   The Gleall Castle is believed to have been unoccupied when Gegoux moved in and opened his studio.  Based on Gegoux family photos, it remained unoccupied after his departure in 1912, and was still boarded up and unoccupied when his family joined him for a visit of the Haunted Castle in August 1921.  Gegoux's studio in the Gleall Castle is where he painted several studies of roses.  It was not lost on Gegoux that Portland was the "Rose City".  For on thing there was the Annual Rose Festival, which Gegoux could scarcely have missed in June of 1910. An annual event since 1907, the Portland Rose festival has, in recent years, gained even more recognition.    "Named the Best Festival in the World in 2011 by the International Festivals and Events Association, for the second time in five years, the Rose Festival isn't a celebration reserved only for rose-lovers. It's a veritable garden of great events and activities that bloom for weeks in late May and early June. Part of Portland's popular culture for the past 105 years, the Rose Festival has its roots in tradition while its programming is both contemporary and nostalgic. Foresighted city leaders started the festival during the first decade of the 20th Century in order to put Portland on the map and brand it the 'summer capital of the world.' Little did they know that more than a hundred summers later the Rose Festival would be world famous for its amazing, award-winning events, as well as serving as a community leader for celebrating values like volunteerism, patriotism and environmentalism. In 2010, the Rose Festival was finally acknowledged as Portland's Official Festival by proclamation of the Council. With dozens of events spot lighting the diverse interests and culture of the community, the Rose Festival makes a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of lives annually, bringing smiles to the faces of both locals and guests. Peruse this website to learn more about the festival's four popular parades, it's three-weekend urban fair packed with great entertainment, good food and fantastic features, and about the iconic Court made up of local high school women making goodwill visits all around the state. The Rose Festival makes Portland a better place to live and visit." (2) (2) The Official Portland Rose Festival web site, 2012 - http://www.rosefestival.org/about/   Years after his death, sheet music to the "Portland Oregon Rose Song" was found along with his tools in a storage container at Bekins Moving and Storage of Portland.   Gegoux used many different media during this period including oil on canvas, oil on wood and occasionally oil on artist board.  "The Portland Rose" 1911 (77 x 43 in), being his most significant work of this period.  Oil on canvas, it features the view of Portland from the castle looking east towards Mt. Hood, with a woman standing in the foreground arranging roses.  Gegoux also completed many still life and seascapes at the castle.  Known works from this period include, "Three Roses" 1912, "Distant Vessel" 1912; a study of "Jelly Jars" of which there are no less than 5 known examples.  A photograph of "Still-Life with Jelly Jar" 1911, as available in "Oregon Painters, the first hundred years (1859-1959)", Ginny Allen & Jody Klevit, 1999.  The artist also executed studies of fruit, primarily apples, as with "The Bag of Apples" 1912.  Gegoux paintings dated 1910 through 1912, were in all probability completed at the Gleall Castle studio or on location in the "plein air" style.

News while at Portland (1910 to 1912)

15.001)  The Watertown Daily Times - March 30, 1910 - Wednesday Theodore Gegoux has Disappeared Portrait Painter Last Heard From in December - Was Then in Cleveland, Ohio

15.002)  The Post-Standard, Syracuse, N. Y. - March 30, 1910 - Wednesday Watertown Artist Is Strangely Gone Left Cleveland, Ohio, December 15 With $300 in His Pocket, and Wife and Two Children Have Heard Nothing of Him Since. Special To The Post-Standard - Watertown, March 29.

15.003)  The Watertown Daily Times - March 31, 1910 Theodore Gegoux - Painter Is Missing Theodore Gegoux - Had Been at Work on a Flying Machine Went to Cleveland December 15th to Paint a Portrait and Since Then Nothing Has Been Heard From Him at his Watertown Home - Special to the Syracuse Herald

15.004)  The Watertown Re-Union - April 2, 1910 - Saturday Theodore Gegoux Has Disappeared Having Been Interested in Flying Machines It Is Thought He Went to Aviation Meet at Los Angeles, California Is Well Known in Northern New York

15.005)  The Northern Tribune, Gouverneur, N. Y. - April 6, 1910 - Wednesday Well Known Artist Disappears Theodore Gegoux of Watertown, for many years one of the most prominent artists of Northern New York, has dropped out of sight.

15.006)  The Post-Standard, Syracuse, N. Y. - April 22, 1910 - Friday Watertown Artist Is Still Missing Not Slightest Trace of Theodore Gegoux Since Last December

15.007)  The Northern Tribune, Gouverneur, N. Y. - April 27, 1910 - Wednesday The whereabouts of Theodore Gegoux the Watertown artist who mysteriously disappeared last December, after completing a painting in Cleveland, Ohio remains unknown despite every effort made to locate him.

15.008)  The Journal & Republican - Lowville - May 5, 1910 - Thursday The whereabouts of Theodore Gegoux, the Watertown artist who mysteriously disappeared last December after completing a painting in Cleveland, Ohio, remains unknown, despite every effort made to locate him.  Several years ago Mr. Gegoux was located in Lowville, and went from this place to Watertown.

15.009)  The Oregonian - November 5, 1911 Spectres Shun Artist. This towering domicile of ghosts, spectres, apparitions and phantoms would seem to the average person the last place on earth to nurture art, the artistic temperament and inspire an artist.  But Theodore Gegoux has found in the presence of the supernatural.  Ideal conditions and exclusiveness for painting pictures and portraying his thoughts, dreams, inspirations, and compositions on canvas.  He has lived alone in the castle for nearly two years, his brushes, easel and palette his only companions.  Barricaded in the castle against public intrusion he has devoted his time to art and the spooks have never molested him.   Mr. Gegoux is a man below the ordinary size and his hair and mustache are plentifully mixed with the silver that marks the other side of the crest of life.  He is very quiet, although he exhibits high nervous temperament that determination and close application to his work has subdued.  When asked how he came to make his home in the mystic surroundings and if he had been molested by spooks, his clear gray eyes twinkled and he laughingly said: " Ghosts!  I haven't seen any and never heard any.  I have always been an investigator of and the supernatural along with my painting.  The Castle seemed to afford the dual opportunity of offering an ideal place to investigate the presence of the supernatural and paint.  I am a skeptic, but at the same time my mind is always open to conviction - it has always been my desire to ascertain the truth.

15.010)  The Watertown Daily Times - December 9, 1911 Theodore Gegoux - Missing Men Alive, Two Heard From - One in San Francisco and One in Portland, Ore. - Both Given Up as Dead One has been absent and unheard from for seven years, and the other, a skillful artist, has been mysteriously absent for two years.

15.011)  The Watertown Daily Times - December 11, 1911 - Monday Theodore Gegoux in the West Theodore Gegoux, the former Watertown portrait painter, who disappeared over a year ago, has been located in Portland, Ore., by means of a letter written to the family by a friend who has seen Mr. Gegoux.  At the present time be is engaged in painting portraits and landscapes.

15.012)  Syracuse Journal - December 11, 1911 - Monday Missing Artist Found At Last Former Townsman Saw and Talked With Theodore Gegoux in Oregon

15.013)  The Watertown Re-Union - December 13, 1911 - Wednesday Theodore Gegoux, an artist, who mysteriously disappeared from here a year ago, has been seen on the Pacific coast where he is doing landscape work.  His family is in this city.

15.014)  The Journal & Republican - Lowville - December 14, 1911 - Thursday The Lost Found Theodore Gegoux, the well known artist and painter, formerly of Lowville, who disappeared from Watertown two years ago last November, has been located in Portland, Ore., where he is reported to be doing a prosperous business.  His wife and one son are in Watertown, and another son is in Los Angeles, Cal.