author
Frederick V. Holman
1852–1927
A prominent Portland lawyer and civic leader, he also wrote about Oregon’s early history with a deep interest in the people who shaped it. His work is especially tied to the story of Dr. John McLoughlin and the making of the Pacific Northwest.
1 Audiobook
Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon
by Frederick V. Holman
About the author
Born in 1852, Frederick Van Voorhies Holman built a long legal career in Portland, Oregon, and became known as an influential attorney, businessman, and public figure. He studied at the University of California, was admitted to the Oregon bar in the late 1870s, and went on to serve major companies while taking an active role in civic and political life.
Beyond the law, he devoted serious attention to Oregon history. He is best remembered by many readers for writing Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon, a work that reflects his strong interest in the region’s early development and in the contested legacy of one of its central historical figures.
Holman died in 1927, but his name remains connected to both Portland’s civic history and the preservation of Oregon’s past. For audiobook listeners, he offers the perspective of someone who was not just recounting local history, but helping shape the public memory of it.