Joseph K. Gill

Gill returned to Oregon in 1866 where he was married in August to Frances A. Willson.^[2] She was the daughter of William H. and Chloe Willson, and Gill took over operating the bookstore formerly owned by Willson at 356 State Street.^[1][2] The couple would have six children, five daughters and one son, Mark.^[2][3] After a short time he purchased the business, but sold it in 1870.^[1] Gill then moved to Portland where he opened a new bookstore with George A. Steel that same year.^[1] He gained sole control of the business in 1878 when Steel retired, and then named it J. K. Gill Company, later taking in his brother John as a partner.^[1] In 1884, he founded the Columbia River Paper company with William Lewthwaite and Henry Pittock, with Gill serving as president.^[4] He also helped found Merchants National Bank and served on the boards of several local insurance companies.^[2]

In Portland, Gill lived in a mansion on the affluent northwest Nineteenth Street.^[5] A Methodist, he was the president of his church's trustee's board .^[2] In the 1890s he climbed Mount Hood.^[6] The flagship Portland store of Gill's book business moved into a new ten-story building in 1921.^[7] In civic affairs he was Republican and member of the Club Commercial Society.^[3] Joseph Kaye Gill died on October 1, 1931, at the age of 90.^[1] The company would grow to almost 40 stores in the mid-1980s, located in Oregon, Washington, California and Arizona^[8][9] before a long decline due to increased competition from stores such as Office Depot.^[10][11] In January 1999, the final seven stores of the office supply, book, stationery, and art supply retailer were closed.^[12]