Sometimes a ghost taps you on the shoulder and pushes you to help. On a sunny August day, Thomas G. O’Connor’s ghost did just that. He found me at the Portland police museum, pointed to an empty picture frame, and said it was reserved for him.

O’Connor died on 29 August 1867—the first Portland policeman to be killed in the line of duty. All of the other frames in the hall contained photos of strong-looking men in police uniform, but O’Connor’s frame hung empty. Very little was known about him.

I felt his presence that day: O’Connor wanted me to tell his story and find a relative who had a photo. I tried to ignore his requests. His push, however, was relentless.

How It Happened
In 1867, Portland was a booming town of a little more than 6,700 inhabitants. A major crossroads for commerce, Portland drew more than its share of vice, and the small police force had its work cut out for it. In April, the force added two more deputies, including Thomas G. O’Connor, appointed by councilman M. O’Connor.

At 2:45 a.m. on 21 August 1867, Portland resident Frank Miguel walked out of the Union Hotel onto First Street. He had been threatening people with a gun earlier in the evening. But now, he was shooting.

When Deputy Thomas O’Connor and fellow officer Townsend heard the shots, they ran to First Street where they found Miguel. A chase ensued. Miguel stopped at First and Stark and raised his gun at O’Connor. O’Connor grabbed Miguel’s hand and pressed the gun downward. Miguel squeezed the trigger. A bullet ripped into O’Connor’s leg.

Townsend shot Miguel in the stomach and Miguel choked Townsend, but Townsend managed to shoot again. The bullet went through Miguel’s cheek and mouth; he died the next day.

The What Cheer House, a local hotel that was owned by M. O’Connor, sent a baggage wagon to the crime scene to transport Thomas O’Connor for medical attention. Unfortunately, just days later, Thomas O’Connor died from the gunshot wound. On the day of O’Connor’s burial, the following was recorded:

“On the thirtieth of August 1867, we the undersigned Pastor of Portland, Oregon, have given Christian burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery to the body of Thomas G. O’Connor, husband of Anne McLoughlin.”

O’Connor’s Family
I found newspaper articles about O’Connor’s shooting and death, and I found that he had a family. That should be enough for any ghost, right? Not for this ghost. He was pushing me to find his family, to find a photo.

On 6 December 1867, the Portland Common Council granted three months’ salary to O’Connor’s wife, Anne. The 1868 Portland directory lists Mrs. Anne O’Connor living on the corner of Front and Clay, but she is not listed in the 1870 census index.

The Widow Remarries
On 31 December 1868, Anne O’Connor wed James Frazer. The following announcement was published:

“The 31st day of December 1868 after one publication of the banns of marriage and a dispensation of Disparitatis Cultis having been granted by the Most Rev. Archbishop F. N. Blanchet, we the undersigned pastor of Portland, Oregon, have received the mutual consent of marriage between James Frazer widower of Sara Ann Kenwardley of this city (non Catholius) on the one part, and Anne McLoughlin of this parish, widow of Thomas O’Connor on the other part, in the presence of James Miles and Margaret O’Connor.”

James and Anne Frazer are listed together in the 1870 Portland census:

Frazer, James S., 52, brass moulder
Frazer, Anna, 36, keeping house
Frazer, Mary, 6, born Oregon
Frazer, William, 4, born Oregon
Frazer, James, 9/12, born Oregon (Oct.)

Anne Dies
A year later, Anne died. Her death announcement in the Portland newspaper gave me another nudge:

“Mrs. Anne Frazer, residing on Fourth Street in the upper part of this city, was found dead yesterday morning. The circumstance naturally created considerable excitement in the neighborhood which was greatly increased by whispers of suspicion that her husband had poisoned her.”

According to the inquest, however, Anne was found to have died of cancer, not foul play.

Guardianship for the Children
Guardianship proceedings for Anne’s children were filed. It was claimed that James Frazer, a habitual drunkard, was not a proper person to care for the children (he was drunk at her funeral). James allowed another family to move into the house and intended to give the children to them. Fortunately, Anne’s family intervened. Her sister’s husband was appointed guardian for the O’Connor children. Charles S. Frazer was appointed guardian for the younger James.

Not long thereafter, the elder James Frazer died. The following newspaper announcement was published:

“About 11 o’clock Sunday night Mr. James S. Frazer, a brass foundryman who has a shop on the south side of Main Street, between Front and First, fell overboard from the little steamer Swallow, at the foot of Taylor street, and was drowned.”

The court closed the guardianships on 2 June 1903. No trace was found of guardians or wards.

No Trace?
For a genealogist, the words “no trace” are fighting words. There has to be a trace—it just may not be obvious.

A little searching took me to two children of the right age to be O’Connor’s children in the 1880 Marin County, California census. They are listed as niece and nephew to Michael O’Connor, a hotelkeeper. The ages and birthplaces are an almost identical match to the Oregon censuses. Michael O’Connor is most likely the former proprietor of the What Cheer House, the councilman who appointed Thomas deputy, and Thomas’s brother.

O’Connor, Michael, 52, hotel keeper
Crowley, Timothy J, 30, son-in-law
Crowley, Mary, 23, daughter
Crowley, Henry, 3, grandson
Crowley, Mary, 2, granddaughter
O’Connor, Mary, 16, niece
O’Connor, William, 14, nephew

Another Family
O’Connor’s spirit nudged me again and told me that I had missed something. Look for the original records. There it was in the Cathedral’s register—O’Connor’s marriage entry showed he was a widower. A little more digging, and I discovered Thomas G. O’Connor and Alice Slattery were the parents of three children—Michael (not M. O’Connor), Margaret, and John.

O’Connor is nudging me still, telling me to search out his descendants to see if they have a photo to donate to the Portland Police Museum. It’s what he wanted me to do all along. And when a ghost pushes you to find something, there is little else you can do.

Connie Lenzen, CG <clenzen@dialoregon.net> is president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and on the National Genealogical Society’s Board of Directors. She enjoys working on good genealogical puzzles (and including footnotes whenever she does). Due to space, footnotes were edited from this essay.