05/12/2026
John "J. J." and Ellen "Ella" Paddock: First Caretakers of Fort Dalles Museum 1905-1915.
John Jay Paddock was born April 14, 1843, in Rome, New York. John was of Irish lineage, his 5x great-grandfather, Robert Paddock, having arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts from Ireland in 1643. John was the only son of seven children born to Robert G. Paddock and Eliza Johnson between 1829- 1849. After Eliza died in 1851, Robert remarried and John subsequently had two half-brothers and a half-sister.
On August 6, 1862, at the age of 19, John signed up for a three-year enlistment in Company E of the 117th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. During those three years, the 117th was involved in hard fighting, assaults, and siege operations at places like Fort Wagner (the 1989 film “Glory,” featured the 54th Massachusetts assault on Fort Wagner), City Point and Bermuda One Hundred, Petersburg, Fort Fisher, and Richmond. The 117th New York Infantry Regiment lost 7 officers and 123 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 135 enlisted men to disease, but John survived.
In 1867, John married Ellen “Ella” Saunders (sometimes spelled Sanders) in Afton, New York. Ella had been born in New York on October 15, 1849. The Saunders were of English descent, the first Saunders arriving in America very early in the 17th century. The 1870 federal census shows John and Ella living in Coventry, New York, with John’s occupation listed as “laborer.” The following year, 1871, the Paddock’s had their first child, a daughter, Myrtle, and in 1873, their first son, Fred, was born. Sometime before 1880, John decided to move his family west, as did so many veterans of the Civil War. The 1880 census has the four Paddocks living in Scandinavia Township, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota). John’s occupation now recorded as “farmer,” Ella “keeping house,” and the children attending school. Perhaps John was taking advantage of the Homestead Act? But, for unknown reasons, John decided to move west again.
On April 6, 1888, the Paddock’s second son, Robert, was born in Pasco, Washington. It is not known how long the Paddocks were in Pasco, but by 1898 they had moved to The Dalles. On March 26, 1898, John filled out an application for admittance to The Dalles’ James W. Nesmith Post #32 of the Grand Army of the Republic. On the application, John stated that his occupation was “farmer.” His wife Ella joined the J.W. Nesmith Relief Corps, No. 17 of the Woman’s Relief Corps.
The 1900 Federal census shows the Paddocks residing on Webster Street, South Side The Dalles, and John’s occupation is now “carpet weaver.” By this time, their daughter, Myrtle, had married and had a daughter born in 1892. Myrtle, her husband and daughter were all living with John and Ella. Their sons, Fred and Robert, were also living at the Webster Street address.
In 1904, the Surgeon’s Quarters at Old Fort Dalles, through the efforts of the Sorosis Club, were transferred by act of Congress to the Oregon Historical Society. An auxiliary, The Old Fort Dalles Historical Society, was created to care for the historic structure. The house was in disrepair, and as reported by the Old Fort Dalles Historical Society, “The society spent $1,000 on the building and secured Mr. and Mrs. Paddock as caretakers.” And so it was that John and Ella Paddock took up residence in the Surgeon’s Quarters at Old Fort Dalles and became the first caretakers of the new museum which opened its doors to the public for the first time in 1905.
When J. W. Nesmith Post #32 of the G.A.R. visited the new museum on Memorial Day in 1906, John signed the visitor log, noting his service in the 117th New York Infantry, and Ella signed as President of the local Woman’s Relief Corps.
The 1910 federal census shows John and Ella Paddock and their 17 year-old granddaughter, Ruth Hubrick, residing at 500 West 15th Street, the address of the Fort Dalles Museum housed in the old Surgeon’s Quarters. Interestingly, John’s occupation is recorded as sexton for a cemetery. It is unknown which cemetery this was. Perhaps the G.A.R. cemetery? Granddaughter Ruth is employed as a telephone operator.
The Paddocks remained in residence as Fort Dalles caretakers until 1915 when they relocated to Seattle where their sons had settled. John died suddenly at the age of 77. An obituary printed in a Rome, New York newspaper from where he had come, reported, “He had just finished his breakfast when he uttered a cry and immediately expired. On Jan. 13, in compliance with his often expressed wish, his remains were cremated in Seattle.” Of his Civil War service, the newspaper noted that John had been “a good soldier and popular with his comrades.” Ellen Paddock outlived her husband by 10 years, passing at the age of 82 in 1931, and her remains were also cremated.
