Exploring the history of Clark County, Washington
Dr. Vinson &
E. Jane Weber
Vinson Weber was a teacher and his wife Jane was also a teacher. They were a handsome couple, and were happily married. He went into the Army and dental school. When he graduated from dental school, he was recruited to come to the Northwest to organize the Operative Dentistry program at the University of Oregon. They moved to Washington in 1946.
They lived with peace and grace and beauty and creativity and intelligence until Jane’s death on November 20, 1974. Near the end, Jane stated, “No one could have had a happier life than I have had, but I wish it could be longer.” Dr. Weber lived in his home until late in his life. He passed on July 19, 2000. Dr. and Jane Weber are interned together in a single plot cemetery at the north end of the home they shared and loved, which is now managed by the Cemetery Authority. There will be no other burials at this location.
Their gift to the community is the Arboretum which encompasses all the Weber land and its future, to which they gave foresight and great energy and wisdom..
The Weber Homestead
It all started with a neighborhood conflict about a driveway. A home-made “For Sale” sign was put up at the top of the parcel where the Arboretum is now, where Dr. Weber saw it while driving by. He got out and looked at the house, and gave the owner a couple of hundred dollars to secure the sale. With the conflict with the neighbor then resolved, the seller said that was not necessary.
Later the Webers bought the old Stanger House and three acres to the amazement of others because of the poor condition of the old historic house. The Weber’s bought the strip of land on both sides of the railroad track along the Columbia River. Then the Weber’s owned the top half and the lower half of the parcel, but not the middle section, which was owned by a lawyer and the Stanger family and that was more conflict. The Weber’s bought additional land, and then bought the second half of that ownership, which was the balance of the parcel. With that last purchase the parcel went from the Evergreen Highway to the Columbia River, which is the entity now known as the Weber Arboretum.
The Webers lived on their beloved land, cared for it, improved it, entertained friends, Vince practiced dentistry and taught, Jane was a beloved teacher who taught at Hudson Bay High School, held meeting to stop the growth of the Portland AirPort and they were successful, were involved and took leadership roles in civic activities, sold handmade hats to very exclusive Portland stores, decorated their home and Stanger House with incredible creativity including fabric covered walls, managed rental property, acquired a caboose built in Vancouver in October of 1942 and barged it on the Columbia River to the property and used it as a rental residence for a family, planned the future development of their land, had goats to eat the growth on the sides of the stream until they strayed too far, he cut the growth on the sides of the stream with a riding lawn mower until the steep hillside became too dangerous, and made the Stanger House a charming residence where a future Congressman and his lovely wife (Don and Carolyn Bonker) resided. During their residence the Bonker’s bed was suspended from the ceiling by leather wagon straps as Jane had designed, and no change was allowed.
