Slater Family

Bertha Slater Smith, native of Oregon, was best known as penning the Portland Rose Festival Rosarian’s slogan “For you a rose in Portland grows,” after winning a slogan contest in the early 1900s. Born in La Grande, Oregon, she was the daughter of pioneer parents. Her father, James H. Slater, came to Oregon by way of California in 1850. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the 5th Judicial District in 1866, served in the U.S. Congress from 1871-1873, and was a U.S. Senator from Oregon from 1879-1885. Bertha's mother, Edna Elizabeth Gray Slater, was born in Tennessee and was part of the storied “Lost Wagon Train” that first crossed the Cascade range at McKenzie Pass in 1853. Bertha graduated from the University of Oregon and served as president of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. Her husband, Elmer Elwood Smith, was a descendent of another pioneer family whose ancestors fought in the American revolution.

From the guide to the Slater Family Collection, ca. 1850-2010, (Oregon Historical Society)