John F. Damon sailed around Cape Horn in 1849 to California from Massachusetts, where he had been a printer. After working in the gold mines for several months, Damon took jobs with various California newspapers, and in 1858 started on a trip up the Fraser River in British Columbia as a correspondent for the Victoria, British Columbia Gazette. In 1864 he went to Portland, Oregon, where he served as editor of the Oregonian for a short time, then entered the ministry, becoming pastor of the Portland Congregational Church. Damon settled in Seattle, Washington, and spent the rest of his years in the ministry.
From the description of Papers of John Fox Damon, 1849-1902. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 122545577
