Portland Street Names – October 11, 1921 – Glisan

From the October 11, 1921 Oregonian.

Oregon and Portland pioneers from practically every walk of life are represented in the street names from Ankeny to York streets. Which in the earlier days of the city lettered in alphabetical order! In the 20 odd names there are represented sea captains, public officials, builders, merchants, and in short every vocation whose members would play prominent parts in building a city.

Dr. Rodney Glisan, for whom “G” street was renamed, can be said to belong to two vocation, medicine and literature, as well as the first Oregon members of a family which has to this day figured in many ways in Portland life, which is solidly of Pioneer stock.

He was born in Maryland i n1827 and descended from among the first settlers of that state. After graduating in medicine, entering the army in 1850 and serving with it through the Indian hostilities in Oregon, he settled in Portland and married Miss Elizabeth Couch, youngest daughter of Captain John H. Couch.

Dr. Glisan was a professor in the first medical school ever formed in Oregon, the Oregon Medical college, and here, realizing the need of American text books instead of the European variety, he wrote several which were acclaimed the world over. Travels in Europe inspired him to descriptive writing and the products of this inspiration were reviewed in enthusiast’s terms by the great critics. Another book was “A Journal of Army Life.”

Harvey Scott’s “History of Portland” says of him: “Large property interests and genuine affection for his adopted city and state have combined to make him an important factor in their material advancement, to which he has largely contributed. Dr. Glisan’s career in Portland has been alike useful to the city and honorable to himself.”