Philip Thessing Oatfield was the third child born to Michael & Minerva (Thessing) Oatfield. Born on Oct. 11, 1873, he was born on Michael Oatfield’s 600+ acre farm on today’s Oatfield Rd. in Milwaukie – in a farmhouse a few hundred feet south of today’s Concord Rd. In his early years he worked around the family farm doing general farming chores, planting, harvesting, gardening, and picking fruit. He occasionally rode into Portland for supplies (taking one day, round trip), attended to the farm horses, and hauled sacks of wheat to New Era and potatoes to Risley Landing – both by wagon. Along with his brothers “Will” and John, Phil attended the “Riverside School” on River Rd. near Roethe’s Landing, followed by Concord Grammar School beginning in 1890 and the newer Concord School built in 1910. Afterwards he attended the Holmes Business College at 10th & Washington in Portland (as did his brother John) for one year. In those early days families were few, and spread out. The Oatfield’s nearest neighbors were the Thiessens, headed by Henry & Selena (Derry) Thiessen whose home was at today’s Thiessen and Wallace Rds. Thiessen, originally from Denmark, had purchased 180 acres in 1879 and raised six children there.
In 1903 Michael Oatfield, then having reached the age of 68, divided his farm among his six children, reserving a small parcel for him and Minerva. Phil Oatfield received 100 acres, the deed being dated Feb. 12, 1903. Phil’s portion was basically between today’s Hill Rd. and View Acres Rd., and from Oatfield Rd. to the crest of Oatfield hill. It is most likely no coincidence that that same year, on Nov. 8, 1903, Phil married Henry Thiessen’s oldest daughter, Dorothea (Dora) S. Thiessen and they moved into the house he had built on Oatfield Rd. at today’s Risley Ave. Together they had two daughters, Anne Inez Oatfield and Irene Elsie Oatfield, in 1904 and 1908 respectively. The family remained in that house until 1922 when Phil built a new home a little further north nearer today’s Hager Lane – but still on his original 100 acres.
Despite having served repeatedly as a director for First State Bank in Milwaukie for many years (ca. 1913-1941), and at times as Vice President, Phil always considered himself a farmer. He and his older brother John R. Oatfield farmed John’s share of their father’s farm as the “Oatfield Brothers” for many years. The two Oatfield brothers’ names appear on many early Clackamas County road documents and deeds, and both served their community in several ways.
Phil and Dora Oatfield continued living in their 1922 home on Oatfield Rd. into their old age, gradually selling off parcels from Phil’s original 100 acres, but reserving three acres for themselves. Dora Oatfield died in 1935 but Phil continued living there until his death in 1950. His home place was subsequently purchased by Roy C. Schmeer. The Oatfields were a well-respected family in the community and left behind a lasting legacy.
Credits: Irene Oatfield Laudien, Inez Oatfield West, Gloria Laudien Stone – Oatfield family history, photos and documents, U of O Historic Oregon Newspapers website, As We Remember It by Tom Humphrey 1959 pp. 22-25
