INTRODUCTION This book was written for two reasons. First, I wished to preserve memories of a little community that no longer exists. Second, I hope that names and dates included in the book will someday aid those who are in pursuit of genealogical information. Rural reporters gave untold hours of their time and energy in preserving these records for us. Much of what I have written here is simply a sifting and sorting of facts gleaned from writings of those early reporters. They, and the newspaper editors, sometimes made errors. I feel sure that I, too, will make errors. Genealogists searching these pages should be careful to verify the facts. Many old friends have given me aid in tracing their family histories and in locating old homesites. Without their aid and especially without the aid of my daughter, Barbara Geer Funk, who spent many long hours copying old records, this book might never have been written. I have gathered material contained herein for at least 20 years. I do not have a computer so the thousands of facts were laboriously sorted by hand; but it has been a labor of love. The old Hebron area has been a wonderful place to spend my lifetime. A few words of explanation of my methods: I realize that genealogists consider it proper to state the day before the month in all dates, as 24 February 1996. However, this method doesn't seem natural to me. If I am asked my birthdate, I answer, "February 24, 1922". Most papers I fill out provide space for month, day and year, in that order; so I will use that sequence in this book. Another change from modern methods is my use of quotation marks. The prevailing usage is to always place periods, commas, etc. inside the quotation marks. I agree with, and will try to follow, the stated policy of an editor of Country magazine. I quote, "If the word is only part of a sentence, we put the quotes inside the punctuation. When the quotation makes up the major part of the sentence, we put the quotes outside the punctuation."
CHAPTER I THEY CALLED IT HEBRON Nestled in a little valley south of Cottage Grove, Oregon there was once a thriving settlement of neighbors and friends who shared their joys and their sorrows, their work and their play. That little settlement was named Hebron. It was only a tiny community; but many people called it home during the 87 years between the time the first settlers homesteaded here in 1852 and the time the Cottage Grove Dam was begun in 1939. This is the story of that little community and the adjoining areas of Cedar Creek on the west side of the valley and the old Woodard mill camp at the south end of the Cottage Grove Lake area. Most of the Cedar Creek area and all of the mill camp area lay in the London District. However, I decided to include the mill camp area in the story because the construction of the Cottage Grove Dam brought about the end of the mill and of the flume that carried the rough lumber to the finishing plant at Latham. Since a part of Cedar Creek was already in the Hebron district, I'll include the entire Cedar Creek area. In recent years, when someone would mention "the good old days" and would bemoan the fact that even the name of the Hebron community was destroyed by the dam, I'd answer, "It's too bad one of the oldtimers doesn't write the story of Hebron". Now I find that I'm one of the remaining oldtimers; so I'll try to record a bit of the history of this little forgotten community. I was born in 1922 in a hillside home on the east side of the road near the south end of the present Cottage Grove Lake area. The date of my birth was only sixty nine years after the first settlers arrived; so I was privileged to know some of the sons and daughters of those earliest settlers. In fact, my maternal grandfather, Robert E. Lacky, was the stepson of Phillip Numbers who came to the Hebron area in 1854. When I was four years old my parents purchased a piece of the Wm. Rogers Donation Land Claim located on the east side of the little valley. I would grow to adulthood there, marry a local boy and spend the rest of my life (at least until the present) in the Hebron area. My husband and I expect to be buried in the historic Taylor Lane Cemetery where the first settlers in the valley are buried. Ruth Woodard McCall gave us a wonderful description of the Hebron area where the Woodard family resided from March, 1900 until January 1, 1907. "We moved up on the hill N.W. of the present-day location of the Cottage Grove dam. There had been some timber cut; but mostly there was virgin timber in all directions..... Papa cut huge trees and grubbed them out and pulled the stumps with a stump puller.....Our road was lined with trees and brush. It was just beautiful trees, 3 or 4 ft. in diameter. There were small wild blackberries (dewberries), red huckleberries and strawberries. The moss in places was lovely. There were deer, cougar, wild cats (bob cats), raccoons and several kinds of squirrels....always the skunks. There were lots of grouse and quail and many kinds of smaller birds. Also bussards." Ruth later added that there were also hazel nut bushes. The valley was still beautiful and peaceful when I was a girl in the 1920's. The Coast Fork of the Willamette River wandered along down the center of the valley. A couple of miles north of my home a covered bridge spanned the river. Just north of that bridge was the Hebron School, located on the west side of the road. Across the road was a little grocery store and service station managed by some friendly folks who were 2
patient with the hungry kids who climbed the stile over the schoolground fence and crossed the road to buy penny candies and, sometimes, a small piece of candy which had a tiny prize concealed in its wrapper. This prize was often given as a gift to a young boy's special girl friend. I still cherish a tiny cup and saucer received in just that way. North of the schoolhouse was the Farmers' Union Hall where much of the social activity of the Hebron community took place. There was no post office at Hebron. We received our mail on Black Butte Route, Cottage Grove, Oregon. The address was usually abbreviated to "B.B. Route" as if Black Butte was two words; although in 1901, when the name of the Harris postoffice was changed to Blackbutte, it was spelled as one word. Diagonally across the road from my home was the Hebron Church where I attended Sunday School, church and Young Peoples' Christian Endeavor along with many of the neighborhood youngsters. As you have seen, there was a Hebron Bridge, a Hebron School, and a Hebron Church. I find it sad that the name wasn't given to the dam and lake that would destroy the community. Instead, they received the name of Cottage Grove, the little town located about five miles away. The last remaining traces of the name Hebron is in the name of the Hebron Grange and the short piece of road that leads to it. South of my home, at the south end of the present day Wilson Creek Park, a covered bridge spanned the Coast Fork. It was known by the local citizens as the Cedar Creek Bridge, as it gave access to the Cedar Creek area on the west side of the river. Earl Murry, whose family lived in the Cedar Creek area, told me he believed the first bridge at that spot was constructed by A.L. Woodard, an early day mill owner. That bridge washed out on Halloween night, 1924. Earl remembered the circumstances very well because his older brother, Roy, was driving home at night when he discovered that the bridge was awash with flood waters. Afraid to drive the car across, he parked the car and walked across. The next morning the bridge was gone. Earl said the mailboxes belonging to the Cedar Creek residents were located on the main road. After the bridge washed out, a hand ferry was used to cross the river. This was difficult and, I imagine, a bit dangerous. The November 20, 1924 SENTINEL said the bridge would be rebuilt at once. It said, "The chords are being hewed and should be ready by the time the bridge crew is ready for them." It also mentioned that "the Weise Brothers mill will remain without means of ingress and egress until the bridge is replaced." The county sent a pile driver to drive the timbers for the west end of the bridge. On December 11 the bridge was in use. The article said, "The large timbers were gotten out at the Weise Mill, most of them being cut after the rebuilding started three weeks ago." A short distance south of the Cedar Creek Bridge was the Mountain Springs. It was a good year-round spring located beside the old road on the east side of the valley south of the present site of Wilson Creek Park. We sometimes stopped there to get a drink of cold clear water. We often drank from a can that sat in the mud beside the spring waiting for the next thirsty traveler. I guess we didn't worry much about germs. I never heard of anyone getting sick from drinking the water. Long before I was born, this lovely little valley was named Carpus Prairie. When I was a little girl my elderly friend, Lillian Taylor, daughter of Joseph P. and Mary (Small) Taylor who came to the valley in 1852 and 1853, told me her father named the area Carpus Prairie, a name he believed to mean "fruitful valley". In September, 1934, 3
Lillian, or "Lillie" as we called her, wrote an article for the Cottage Grove Sentinel in which she stated that the name Hebron gradually came into use after the Hebron Church was erected, in 1880, about 30 years after Mr. Taylor first named the area Carpus Prairie. The church was probably named after the Biblical town of Hebron near Jerusalem.
4
CHAPTER II PIONEER PARENTS OF FIRST SETTLERS Henery Wells Taylor and Charlotte (Peterson) Taylor Henery W. Taylor, born in Burlington County, New Jersey February 18, 1808, was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Taylor. Henery was a blacksmith and a preacher. Charlotte Peterson, the daughter of Jeremiah and Ann Peterson, was born September 29, 1810 in New Jersey. Henery Taylor and Charlotte Peterson were married November 28, 1829 in Gloucester County, New Jersey. They became the parents of ten children. In 1830 the Henery Taylor family moved to Pennsylvania and later to Ohio, then to Missouri where they joined the Harvey Hazelton wagon train. They started west from Greene County, Missouri on April 19, 1852. One record says only three families, the Hazeltons, the Taylors and the Silas Lanes, composed the train of six wagons, one of which carried feed for the stock on the first part of the trip when the grass was short. However, a hand-written record, author unknown, is in the possession of the Howard Taylor family. This record adds another name to the three listed as comprising the wagon train. That name is Paine. It also says five wagons came west. I believe Marcellus Garoutte, who was mentioned, must have returned home with the sixth wagon, the one that was loaded with stock feed for the first part of the trip. I think this record was probably written by one of Henery Wells Taylor's oldest sons, Joseph or Jeremiah, probably Joseph, since it is in the possession of a descendant of Joseph Taylor. Following is the content of that record: 19 April 1852 Winter of 51-52 Marcellus Garoutte and I were making rails, cutting wood six or seven mi. from home and a boy was cut. with us who had been to Cal. He told us about the big trees and we wanted to see them. He was sixteen yrs. old. He'd brought home $800. Said he'd found lots of gold and his grandfather insisted on returning to Missouri before he could get it out, Feather Riv. His grandfather died on the way home in New Orleans 1851 of the Panama Fever. Many died that yr. Don't think the boy ever came to Cal. after the gold. Wm. Tanyhill think a brother of his came. We told Harvey Hazleton we wanted to come and he engaged both of us to drive teams. In Feb. we were 30 mi. from home making rails when my father came to camp and told us he had sold the place and he and all the fam. were coming to Ore. with us. Was going to bring some calves perhaps 20 worth $3 ea. in Miss. but Hazleton thought they would die and talked me out of it. Gave it up. They would have brought $55 ea. on getting here. Drove for my father. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hazeltons Five wagons Lanes Taylors Wm. Paine Jno. Pain Jno. Christopher Hazleton 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hazleton had come in '49 ret. 51 19 April '52 19 Sept. '52 I am grateful to the Taylor family for allowing me to print the above record. Now I continue with the story. The little wagon train encountered a plague of cholera. A son of Harvey Hazelton died near the Snake River. The Taylors' youngest child, "Wm. Henry Taylor, died of the Choleria in the Bois Valley in the latter part of August, 1852." Another son, "Tho. N.B. Taylor died between Malhure and Burnt Rivers rivers in the fore part of Sept. 1852. They and their parents on their way to Oregon." These quotes were taken from the Henery Wells Taylor family Bible. A history book tells us that the parents, Henery and Charlotte, almost died of Cholera at a place called Willow Creek; but they recovered. The little wagon train arrived at Foster, Oregon on September 19, 1852, exactly five months after leaving Missouri. During the winter of 1852-1853 Henry and Charlotte Taylor located on their Donation Land Claim in the Latham district. The 1880 United States Agriculture Census reported that Henry W. Taylor owned 348 acres. He tilled 310 acres, 10 acres were in meadows and 28 acres in woodland. From their land, in 1876, the Taylors donated the land for the east half of a cemetery. On the same date Silas and Lucinia Lane donated the land for the west side of the cemetery. In 1988 Fred Harris wrote, "In 1899 a team and wagon ran away and tipped over with the Lanes, killing one (Silas) and the other died three days later." "The cemetery was named Taylor-Lane Cemetery in 1912 in memory of these fine pioneers." "Before it was donated as a cemetery three people were buried there, all in the year 1867. They were George Garoutte, Phebe Whitney and Narcissa Taylor." Narcissa was a granddaughter of the Henry Taylors. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Taylor. Narcissa died March 29, 1867; Phebe Whitney in September of that year. There is a story that says Mike Lane, son of Silas and Lucinda Lane, was the first person buried in the area which would, on October 7, 1876, be deeded for use as a cemetery. I found two other graves that were there before that date. Thomas L. Garoutte was buried there in 1871, and Levi Jones in 1872. There are several unidentified graves in the old records so there may have been even more graves that were there when the cemetery was established. Fred Harris goes on to tell us that he and his wife, Nellie, donated cemetery extensions in 1947 and again in 1956 "so that a road could be built around the cemetery as they had one road in the center." In return, Block 29 was donated to the Harris family for the family gravesites. Fred and Nellie, along with others, donated substantial sums of money to be used for the perpetual care of the cemetery. Now, Fred lies in the old cemetery. He died February 1, 1991. Nellie still lives nearby, on Nichols Lane. The old cemetery where at least 35 people were buried before the turn of the century is still in use. Present officers of the cemetery association are Ann Newton, president, and Barbara Geer Funk, secretary-treasurer. Charlotte Peterson Taylor died May 28, 1883. Henery Wells Taylor died seven years later, in May, 1890. They are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery on part of their original Donation Land Claim. 6
I found his name spelled "Henry" in some records; but the family Bible spelled it "Henery". Henery and Charlotte's ten children were as follows: 1. Joseph P. Taylor, the eldest, was born July 27, 1830 in New Jersey. More information about Joseph and his family may be found in another chapter. 2. Jeremiah was born October 18, 1832 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. More information about Jeremiah and his family may be found in another chapter. 3. Elizabeth Ann was born December 27, 1834. Old marriage records said she married William Davisson March 16, 1856. Witnesses were H.W. Taylor and John Davisson. In his letter dated June 13, 1856, Joseph Taylor wrote of receiving a letter from William and Elizabeth Davidson. William and Elizabeth had six daughters: Sarah, Frances Amanda, Mary Ellen, Emma May, Joella, and Martha Belle. 4. Alexander was born September 1, 1837. I know little about Alexander. He was living with his parents in 1880 at the age of 43. He was unmarried. A note in Walling's "Illustrated History of Lane County" published in 1884, said Alexander Taylor was VG of Cottage Grove Lodge No. 68, I.O.O.F. A note in biographical sketches said he resided two miles south of Latham, was a farmer and was born in Highland County, Ohio. He died December 24, 1905 and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 5. Sophia (Sophy in Bible) Jane was born in Highland County, Ohio, November 25,1839. She married Howard N. Garoutte December 2 or 7, 1865 in Douglas County, Oregon where she was teaching school. They moved to a farm seven miles south of Cottage Grove. This must have been in the Hebron district; but I don't know where it was located. Later, they moved to her parents' old homestead in the Latham district. Mr. Garoutte died in 1911. Sophia Jane died March 20, 1916 at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Grant Brown (Callista), on the Coast Fork. Mr. and Mrs. Garoutte are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Howard and Sophia were the parents of three boys: George, Thomas, and Walter; and three girls: Lucy, Callista, and Augusta. 6. Sarah Catharine was born December 20, 1841 in Ohio. She married Francis M. Rinehart November 24, 1859. Witnesses were Robert Matheny and Jeremiah Taylor (S. Catharine's brother). No Rineharts or Davissons (No. 3-- Elizabeth Ann) were known to be buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery; but the Davissons, at least, must have remained in the area; because 16 1/2 years later Albert Howard (over 21 years) (second marriage) and Sarah Davisson (over 15 years) were married September 28, 1873 at the house of Joseph Taylor. Witnesses were Joseph Taylor and William Davisson. Sarah had the consent of her father. Joseph Taylor could have been Sarah's uncle, her mother, Elizabeth's brother. Neither Elizabeth Ann nor Sarah Catherine were mentioned in family obituaries as survivors. Perhaps they had died at early ages. 7. Thomas N. B. Taylor, who died on the Oregon Trail, whose birthdate was recorded in the family Bible as May 8, 1844, and whose death date was given as "the fore part of September, 1852," must therefore have been 8 years, 4 months of age at the time of 7
his death. 8. John Taylor, born September 15, 1846, lived only a few days. 9. Mary Frances was born June 15, 1848 in Queen County, Missouri. She married William Johnston White July 9, 1868 at the home of J.J. Walton. The Whites resided in the Latham district near her parents' home until William died in 1885. Mary died December 8, 1927 in Centralia, Washington. Both William and Mary White are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. A note attached to the H. W. Taylor family Bible says Mary's full name was Mary Frances Eglantine Caroline Taylor White. 10. William Henry Taylor was born December 7, 1850. He died on the Oregon Trail "in the latter part of August, 1852" at the age of about 1 year, 9 months. I would not have included Henery and Charlotte Taylor in this tale of the Hebron com-munity except that they were the parents of two of the first five men to settle Donation Land Claims in the Hebron area. Joseph appears to have been the first white settler in the Hebron area. He first named it Carpus Prairie. Jeremiah was one of three men who could claim the No. three spot. He and two others settled their claims on the same date.
8
CHAPTER III FIRST SETTLERS Research gave me the following dates for Donation Land Claims in Hebron. 1. Joseph P. Taylor 2. William M. Whitney
Feb. 28, 1853
S.C. (Settled Claim)
Oct. 10, 1853
S.C.
James H. Shortridge
Oct. 13, 1853
S.C.
Samuel B. Shortridge
Oct. 13, 1853
S.C.
Jeremiah Taylor
Oct. 13, 1853
S.C.
3, 4, and 5:
6. Elkanah Whitney
April
8, 1854
S.C.
7. Henry M. Rogers
April 10, 1854
S.C.
8. Wm. Paine
May
S.C.
9. Phillip Numbers 10. Wm. S. Wilson
Oct.
1, 1854 1, 1854
Nov. 26, 1854
S.C. S.C.
The reader will note that all settled here several years before Oregon attained statehood in 1859. Following is a sketch of each family.
9
Joseph Peterson Taylor and Mary Angeline (Small) Taylor Joseph P. Taylor was born July 27, 1830 in Burlington Co., New Jersey, the eldest son of Henry W. and Charlotte Peterson Taylor. In the year of Joseph's birth the Taylor family moved to Pennsylvania. Later, they moved to Ohio, then to Missouri. On April 19, 1852, when Joseph was 21 years of age, he joined his parents and siblings, along with the Hazelton's and the Lanes for the long journey west from Greene County, Missouri. (Research has added the names Wm. and John Paine.) When the wagon train arrived in Oregon, Joseph elected to remain in Clackamas County for the winter, coming to this Coast Fork valley in early 1853. As always, in researching old records and old newspapers, we discover contradictions. The article in Chapman's "Willamette Valley, Oregon, Illustrated" reads as though Joseph lived with his parents until his marriage in 1857, waiting to stake his land claim until that time; but the old land record says he claimed 159.66 acres in Sections 28 to 33, twp. 21S, Range 3W and moved onto the land February 28, 1853, making the final claim on April 21, 1857. Another apparent error in Chapman's account said Joseph joined the fight against the Rogue River Indians in 1855. However, he was said to have served five months. He was still in the service in June, 1856, so a newspaper article was probably accurate when it said he joined Co. A, 2nd. recruiting battalion of the Oregon Volunteers in 1856. He fought in the battles of Cow Creek, Big Meadows and others. He was wounded in the neck and hands by bullets from an Indian rifle. When Joseph was interviewed by Chapmans in 1903 he was rather bitter about the government's failure to pay him his just wages. I quote, "After the two days' fight at Big Meadows the volunteers established a post and built a stockade and a double loghouse for quartermaster and commissary stores. There being no quartermaster to take charge of the stores, the major of the northern battalion appointed me quartermaster for the post. This was irregular, the legislature not having provided for such a quartermaster. My captain gave me a discharge. This was also irregular, as I should only have been reported on extra duty with my rank. So, although the general government acknowledged my services and paid me the wages of a regular, the state of Oregon rejected my claim as quartermaster on account of irregularities. Although thousands of dollars worth of goods were placed in my hands, and I performed the hardest service that I ever did on any account, it was dis-allowed, and although I hunted Indians on foot while my horse ran on the grass, I have never received a cent from the state of Oregon. Over forty years have passed since I did this service." At the time of the interview, Joseph was about 73 years old. Now I am privileged to print here, with permission, a copy of a letter written by Joseph P. Taylor to family and friends in the Hebron area on June 13, 1856 while he was a quartermaster at Fort Hamerick. The original of the letter is in the Living Rock Museum at Brownsville, Oregon. Copies of the original letter were too dim to copy for this book; so I typed it exactly as written. A piece of the original letter bearing Joseph's signature was plain enough to copy, so I have included it. The Camp Meeting was a religious meeting to be held here at Hebron.
10
Fort Hamerick June the 13th A.D. 1856 Dear Father Mother Brothers Sisters relations and friends It is with pleasure I take my pen in hand to address you although some of you may be disapointed at seeing another letter from me as when I wrote last I expected that my next communication would be verbal but when I returned to this station there was a Quarter Master needed and I was solicitted to accept the appointment which after some hesitation I did. Thinking that I had been in and bore the heat and burden of the day that I might as well try a little job that would be of as much profit as soldiering and not quite as fatiguing, but had of known that the Camp Meeting would have been as late as the 21st I should never have of entered in to the present arangment. I had been informed that the meeting would comence on the 13th so I knew that I could not get home in time to attend. If Gen Hamerick returns with his Command (which is now down rogue river fighting or treating with the Indians) in time for me to close my business I shall If God permit be home by the 20th. I want you to prepare for me to go to the Meeting at any rate. I trust through the will of Providence that peace will soon be made, old Limpy sam and George and the remaining portion of the Cow Creek Indians have surrendered. I have not time to give you an account of the last several fights but can say that the volunteers came off victorious at the last account from below these was one co. of volunteers and some of the regulars a fighting about 30 or 40 miles below this place and Gen. Hamerick with 12 comishioned officers one Indian agent and two two Indian Interpreters and about 200 volunteers was in the vicinity and preparing to ofer old John termes for a treaty and to force him to except them If they find him in the camp which he has made them beleave that he occupies there will be a desperate fight and the end of the war but John may not be thare allthough he has resently whiped Capt Smith and in turn been whiped by the volunteers. gaging by his former manoeuvres he may affect to represnet his camp and make good his retreat through some remote settlement cut up some frieaks suply his wariors with beef and Horses and get into some other mountains but this has been anticipated and an Express has been sent to warn the people where he would be most likly pass. 11
This station will be abandoned as soon as the Gen. returns from the expedition for all the volunteer is ordered by the Gov to be discharged save two Co's which is to remain a few days as rangers. Had I remained with my Co. I should have started home in the morning as my time would had of been out to day but as it is I can resigne when I please. I must close as my candle is a groing short and I have a greadeal to write before I sleep. But I am a thinking abut Old Uncle Anthony a getting my little squint eyed Margrette "the worlds a Theatre" in the which many curious and strang Trgidses are enacted May God prepare the people of Cost fork for the coming Camp Meeting and may the same rid down to his glory for ever amen I yet remain your affectionate son relation and Friend Joseph P Taylor I never write a letter and finish it I had like to forgot to tell you that I got a letter from Wm and Elizabeth Davidson which gave me so much satifaction I will send this letter by the hand of some of my old felow soldiers Jery I have a letter in my pocket Book which I wrote for you to send by Andrew Mclure but he have out coming so I guess I shal have the pleasure of bearing it my self so you may look for it on my arivel if it does not get worn out. The Coast Fork Union Sabbath school was organized May 24, 1857. Henry W. Taylor was elected superintendent; William Harris, librarian; and Joseph P. Taylor, secretary. Teachers were William Harris, Joseph P. Taylor, John Small, Mary A. Small and Sophia Taylor. The next month Wm. J. White took John Small's place. After December 24, 1857 the Union Sabbath school was almost a family affair. On that date teachers Joseph P. Taylor and Mary A. Small were married. Henry W. Taylor was Jospeh's father, Sophia J. Taylor was Joseph's sister, Wm. J. White was Joseph's future brother-in-law and now, Mary A Small was Joseph's wife. Mary Small, the daughter of Hervey and Narcissa Johnson Small, of Hazelton Creek (Cottage Grove) was born in Georgia September 25, 1837, coming to Oregon with her family in 1853. She was married and the mother of three children when she received an interesting letter. Following is a copy of a letter written during the Civil War to Mary A. Small by her brother, J. F. Small. Columbus, Ohio 12
August 13th- 64 __________ Sister I have lately received two letters from you, both written in March last. I fear that before this, you have given up your kind resolution of writing to me whether I answered you or not,-- and also decided against me, as an ungrateful brother, (which indeed I am) but when I make known the circumstances which have prevented my replying until now to your letters I hope you will reconsider, and at least decide to drop me a word of encouragement now and then to remind me that I am not entirely forgotten. This I know you would do if you knew half the comfort your letters give me-- how I read them over and over again, until they resemble the well-thumbed pages of a little school-boys spelling-book, and then stow them away in the most secret recesses of my old pocketbook where they remain long after my "Green Backs" are gone. I will now turn to the facts before referred to- as being the cause of all this delay. I was wounded on the 30th of May by a rifle shot through the left arm, immediately above the elbow. Since then I have been traveling from place to place, without remaining in any given place, long enough to communicate with my regiment. This accounts for the delay of your letters. They did not reach me until a few days ago. I am now on duty at this place as Mustering & Disbursing Officer. My wound is healed but it has left me but little use of my arm. In other respects I am in perfect health, and enjoying a rest from field duty as well as could be expected. This is altogether a pleasant place, with _______ ____ ______ cheap to compared with the present exhorbitant rates at which all other valuable accomodations are selling. A pair of "shoulder straps" and a few green backs will ensure a ticket for one or more of the upper crust, I think I will not purchase for awhile yet, green backs are likely to go up and then I would lose by my bargain. I have not heard from Pa for a long while--not since he wrote me on the 1st of January last. I had almost forgotten to tell you how I came to be an Officer. I was recommended last Winter to the War Department for promotion by Captain Sumner (son of the late Major Gene Sumner). My recommendations were highly endorsed by all the Officers of my regiment, and I was ordered by the Secretary of War to appear before a Board of Officers convened at Washington to examine all applicants for Commissions in the _________. I passed a successful examination and received my Commission from the President, to rank as Second Lieutenant from the 18th of May/64. Before closing I must remember Joseph and the children. Tell John (the little rascal) that I wish to see him very much, and will send him a nice present before long. And tell Lincoln that Uncle John has shaken hands with his "Uncle Abe" at the White House. My next letter will be to Joseph. Hoping the row may soon terminate and I be permitted again to visit my Pacific home. I remain your affectionate Brother J.F. Small 2nd Lieut. 1st. U.S. _____ Joseph and Mary prospered on their 160 acres; and that 160 acres was added to until it was said to be more than 500 acres. The 1880 United States Agriculture census said Joseph P. Taylor owned 443 acres, including 43 tilled, 57 in meadows and 343 in woodland. The Taylors had nine children. I believe they were all born in the old home. That old house sheltered the family for almost 90 years and might still be there except for the coming of the Cottage Grove Dam. There were three old maid sisters who eventually 13
became known in the community as "The Taylor Girls". They stayed on in the old home and one of them died there. The other two sisters lived there as long as possible, until the dam construction forced them to move to a home on west main street in Cottage Grove. Then the old home that had sheltered them all of their lives was destroyed. The nine children of Joseph and Mary Taylor were: 1. Narcissa, the firstborn, arrived at the Taylor home October 3, 1858. Although Narcissa's sister, Lillian, was about eighteen years younger than Narcissa; and although Narcissa died about nine years before Lillian was born, Lillian sometimes mentioned Narcissa in her writings. In 1934 Lillian wrote a newspaper story about Narcissa that especially touched my heart. I will quote parts of it here. The Snow White Cart and A Child of the Sixties By Miss L.J. Taylor At Carpus Prairie, the summer and fall of 1866, a little girl almost eight years of age was often seen pulling a two-wheeled cart of dazzling whiteness. This child was Narcissa, eldest of nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Taylor. In the cart was the fourth child, Ida Katharine, whom she had been allowed to name for Miss Ida Miller, daughter of J.W. Miller, D.D., very prominent in all affairs of the Methodist church in Oregon....... This cart was made to order by Royal H. Hazleton, wagon maker, who was unexcelled in his trade. By old timers he was affectionately called "Uncle Harvey." I am told that the cart was a very stylish affair in its day, although very substantially built. Four initials in black, for the four Taylor children, Narcissa, Ida, Lincoln, and John, were painted on front (N), back (I), and sides (L and J). Sometimes the cart went up the Rogers lane and possibly to some of the house-tohouse prayer meetings inaugurated by Henry Rogers, a zealous worker in the Christian church. It may sometimes have stood near the blacksmith shop on top of the Shortridge hill, where a group of tots watched Uncle Jim Shortridge seize red hot irons from the forge and beat them on his anvil. Meanwhile Mrs. Shortridge and Mrs. Taylor enjoyed one of their cherished visits together. Probably the cart went to school picnics, crossing the first bridge over the Coast Fork at Carpus Prairie, built, I believe, by Wm. M. Whitney. Narcissa Taylor had but a few toys, yet she had a work basket that probably could not be duplicated today. It was made by the second Mrs. Silas Lane, who had great skill in the art of basket making. Narcissa could sew and knit and with a hook she made gloves for her father.... Although Narcissa never saw a railroad, it seems probable that she did see large sailing vessels and steamboats at Portland where her parents went together to sell bacon....... Narcissa Taylor probably visited in Springfield at the home of her grandfather, Harvey Small, where she would be apt to attend their church and meet the early day Baptists." Narcissa Taylor died March 29, 1867 at about 8 yrs.,7 mo.,. I do not remember hearing or reading of the cause of death. 2. Lincoln Taylor was born January 21, 1861. He attended the University of Oregon and graduated with the class of 1883. He was a civil engineer. On July 22, 1896 Lincoln married Sarah Matilda Powell, the daughter of Alexander 14
Hamilton and Mary Ann Powell, prominent Hebron residents. Sarah Matilda was a school teacher. Lincoln died July 14, 1929 at the age of 68 on the place where he was born, although he had lived part of his life in town. 3. John Henry Taylor was born February 3, 1863. I do not know what education he received. The EUGENE CITY GUARD announced that John H. Taylor of Cottage Grove and Ellie M. Brown of Deer Creek were married at Deer Creek August 27, 1892. The wedding was also announced in the ROSEBURG REVIEW. John Henry died January 15, 1903, just nineteen days before his fortieth birthday. The obituary said he had resided at Roseburg for the past six years where he was engaged in the photograph business. He and Ellie had three children. 4. Ida Catherine (Lillian spelled the name "Katharine" ) was born July 23, 1865. She attended the University of Oregon in Eugene, taught school, then attended and graduated from Oregon State Normal School in Drain in 1887. In 1885 that Normal school gave this definition of a normal school: "An educational institution whose special object is to train young gentlemen and ladies for the very responsible duties in our public schools." Ida died January 17, 1945 at age 79 at the Cottage Grove home where she and Lillian moved when the Cottage Grove Dam was built. 5. Rebecca Ethel was born April 4, 1868. Ethel graduated from Oregon State Normal School in Drain and taught school for several years. She had been ill for many years when she died May 24, 1937 in the family home in Hebron where she had spent her life. I will always remember the night she died. I was fifteen years old and had known "The Taylor Girls" all my life. My mother went to spend the death watch at Ethel's bedside. Mother sat up all night in an upstairs bedroom of that big old house with two frightened maiden ladies whose sister was dying. She told me later that Dr. Axley joined her in that long vigil and they talked quietly as they watched dawn come. Then she comforted the two remaining sisters as Ethel took her final breath. I had been to the Taylor Girls' house many times and simply could not imagine two of them without the other. My mother took me with her to their house later that day to see what could be done to help. The light in that bedroom in May, 1937 was from an old-fashioned kerosene lamp. Ethel didn't live to see the miracle of electricity arrive in the little valley. It was finally turned on in my parents' and my grandparents' homes in December of 1937. 6. William Harvey Taylor used the name Harvey. He was born April 22, 1870. I don't know the extent of his schooling. He was a surveyor. He married Belle C. Baughman, daughter of D.C. and Catherine Braman Baughman, October 15, 1899 at the home of the minister, Isham Burnett. Harvey owned property in the Hebron district near the home of his parents. Harvey and Belle had five children: D. Clifford, Ester, Agnes, Joseph, and Howard. The family resided in Cottage Grove until Harvey's mother died in 1917, leaving Harvey's three sisters, Ida, Ethel, and Lillian, alone in the old home. Harvey, Belle and family moved to their Hebron property. The children attended the Hebron school from the fall of 1917 through 1922. In September, 1922 Agnes and her mother moved to Cottage Grove so Agnes could attend high school. The entire Harvey Taylor family moved to Cottage Grove in September, 1923. A son, Daniel Clifford, died in 1931. Harvey died February 1, 1943 at the age of 73 at his home on Mosby Creek. He was survived by his widow and four children: Ester Sprinkle, Agnes Turpin (now 15
Opperman), Howard B., and Joseph. Two of Harvey's sons were surveyors. In 1943 Joseph Taylor was with the U.S. Army in North Africa; and Howard Baughman Taylor was a government surveyor at Bonneville Dam. Howard, his wife, Faye, and their family have preserved much of the Taylor family heirlooms and memorabilia at "The Living Rock Studios" at Brownsville, Oregon. The unusual stone building containing many thousands of interesting rocks was built over a period of ten years by Howard, Faye, their family and friends. The pamphlet describing the Living Rock Studios says, "The building and its contents is a memorial, dedicated to God, in honor of those early Oregon pioneers who crossed the plains in covered wagons to establish homes, schools and churches." The seven "Living Rock pictures" each illustrate an incident related in the Bible. It simply underscores the deep religious beliefs I found running through several generations of the Taylor family. An interesting artifact in The Living Rock Museum is an old metal stencil. Of this stencil Lillian wrote, "A cherished relic in the Taylor family is a metal stencil that Joseph P. Taylor used in branding his many substantial flour sacks, grain sacks and also, I believe, his wool sacks. The name, J.P. Taylor, Carpus Prairie, was thus always before our eyes." I include, with permission, a picture of the old stencil. The lettering on the original stencil is 14 inches long. 7. Lillian Josephine was born June 23, 1876. Lillian lived in the pioneer Taylor home all of her life with a few brief exceptions until she was forced, by the construction of the Cottage Grove Dam, to move to Cottage Grove. Lillian was a writer, historian, and a caretaker of her aged parents and her two older sisters. For years she contributed articles to the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL and, I believe, wrote the Hebron news for some time. When I look back over the years when I knew her, I think she must have been very lonely in those later years. She always seemed so happy to have company. She was a virtual shut-in because of the need to always be there to care for her sisters, especially Ethel. I have a little dish that was given to me by Lillie when I visited there more than half a century ago. It must have been heartrending to leave that old home where she had spent her lifetime and go to unfamiliar surroundings, knowing the old home was about to be destroyed. Lillian passed away at a hospital in Eugene May 27, 1949, the last of her generation of her large family. She is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 8. Charlotte "Lottie" died October 8, 1879. She was not quite 3 months old. 9. Rosa died, at the age of 18 days, on October 22, 1880. Both "Lottie" and Rosa are buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery near their older sister, Narcissa. Joseph Peterson Taylor, the father, died March 9, 1912 at age 81. The mother, Mary Angeline Small Taylor, lived on for another five years. She passed away May 23, 1917 at age 79. Both are buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. An interesting note found attached to the Taylor Bible records stated: "Joseph P. Taylor is Joseph Henry Walker Yalls Peterson Taylor. His sister is Mary Frances Eglantine Caroline Taylor White."
16
William Markham Whitney and Rosina B. (Crow) Whitney William Markham Whitney was born August 7, 1819 in Monroe County, New York, the son of Joshua and Hulda (Markham) Whitney. William's father was a cabinetmaker and carpenter. William became a carpenter and millwright. Rosina B. Crow was born in Massachusetts. William and Rosina were married January 2, 1852 in Livingstone County, N.Y. according to his Donation Land Claim records; but I believe this date may have been incorrect. The 1850 census found William and Rosina living in Branch County, Michigan near his parents' home. William was 40 years of age, Rosina, 35. They had two sons: Elkanny (Elkanah), 17, and Jerome, 12. In 1853 the William M. Whitney family crossed the plains, arriving in Lane County, Oregon in August. On the same wagon train was another family which would prove to be very important to the Whitney family story, Daniel White and Mary Jane (Storms) White. William and Rosina Whitney came to Carpus Prairie and settled a Donation Land Claim October 10, 1853. The claim was north of the present site of the Cottage Grove Dam. I see Whitney Butte every time I go north on London Road. A description of the property was as follows: Certificate No. 267 William M. Whitney, a married man (Rosina) of the county of Lane, State of Oregon, claiming a Donation right, in virtue of the Act aforesaid, to a half-section tract of Public Lands known and designated in the Surveys and Plats of the United States as the Claim 51 in Township No.21S., Range No.3W; beginning at a point 1.31 chains S. from the N.E. corner of said section 28, thence running N. 120.83 chains; thence W. 20.16 chains, thence S. 67.91 chains; thence W. 14.15 chains; thence S. 52.50 chains; thence E. 34.91 chains; to the place of beginning containing 320.89 acres; of which the S. half is designated for the wife, and the N. half for the husband. William was only required to have two disinterested witnesses. They were Samuel Boon Shortridge and James H. Shortridge. On these early Donation Land Claims one of the requirements was that the applicant had to be white. The 1860 census found the Whitneys on their claim; but a new name had been added to the family. Matilda Jane was seven years old. She had been born in Michigan so had come to Oregon as a baby in 1853. Lillian Taylor, daughter of the first settler, Joseph Taylor, spoke highly of Mr. Whitney. She wrote that he put up a sawmill on the Coast Fork, "perhaps the first sawmill." We believe that mill was on Mr. Whitney's property. Lillian also wrote that Mr. Whitney built the first bridge over the Coast Fork at Carpus Prairie. Remember that I wrote of the White family that came to Oregon with the Whitneys. Mary A. White, daughter of Daniel and Mary Jane White, became the bride of Elkanah Whitney on January 8, 1861. On March 27, 1872, Matilda Jane Whitney married Aaron W. Turpin at the home of Jonathan Turpin. In the 1880 census we find Aaron and Matilda living beside Jonathan Turpin in the London area. The census said Aaron and Matilda had six children. Jerome Whitney was a bachelor. 17
The 1880 U.S. Agriculture Census said William M. Whitney tilled 50 acres, had 85 acres in meadows and 425 acres of woodlands, a total of 560 acres. The October 14, 1885 issue of the EUGENE CITY GUARD said, "Mr. William Whitney of Latham started to Michigan this morning." Did he go home for a visit for old times' sake; or was he called by the illness of a sister, Phebe, who died in December, 1885? I found no further mention of the trip. A December 18, 1889 Cottage Grove item in the EUGENE CITY GUARD said, "Mr. Wm. Whitney had a paralytic stroke Sunday morning. He is at Thornton's Hotel. ( In the September 28, 1889 COTTAGE GROVE LEADER I find, "The Cottage Grove Hotel has changed its name and sign to the Thornton House.") The January 4, 1890 issue of the EUGENE CITY GUARD said, "William Whitney died near Cottage Grove the first of the week. He was a pioneer of the county and was 82 years of age" I don't believe the age given in the above item was correct. I found his birth date listed as 1810; and the census records of 1850, 1860, and 1870 agreed with that. The 1880 census disagreed slightly, giving his age as 69, probably because of a different date when the census was taken. I believe Mr. Whitney was 79 years old and would have been 80 if he had lived until August 7. I believe, also, that Mr. Whitney must have been ill for some time before his death because on September 24, 1886, his wife, Rosina or Rosana, sold 200 acres of their Donation Land claim to George M. Hawley.
18
Elkanah Whitney and Mary Ann (White) Whitney Elkanah and Mary Ann Whitney, son and daughter of pioneer families, and pioneers themselves, first staked a claim on land in the Hebron area adjoining his father's claim, described as follows: "Certificate No. 268, Claim No. 50, secs. 16 and 21, in Township 21S., Range No. 3W, beginning at a point 10.68 chains N., and 19.61 chains E., from the S.W. corner of said Section 16, thence running thence E. 40.00 chains, thence S. 40.00 chains; thence W. 40.04 chains, and thence N. 40.00 chains; to the place of beginning, containing One hundred sixty 8/100 acres." The claim was " commenced on the 8th day of April, 1854, and continued to the 8th day of May, 1858, four years prior to the date hereof, and having...... established by four dis-interested witnesses, the fact of continued residence and cultivation required by the said act___." Another property description gives the same measurements, "commencing at the interior N.W. corner of Wm. Whitney's claim." Elkanah's four witnesses were Joseph P. Taylor, Jeremiah Taylor, William Payne, and Philip Numbers. Then Elkanah Whitney married Mary A. White on January 8, 1861, as I stated earlier. Elkanah had been born in Monroe County, N.Y. in 1832. Mary Ann was born in Indiana, Ca. in 1845. Elkanah and Mary Ann Whitney left the Hebron area in the late 1860's and traveled to southern Oregon. In 1870 they homesteaded near Merrill near the mouth of Lost River. I had not known it was possible to file on two homesteads; but that is apparently what happened in this instance. After filing their claim, Elkanah and Mary Ann came back to Hebron to spend the winter. When they returned to Lake County, now Klamath County, in the spring of 1872, they had three sons, Albert V., William P., and Daniel M. A daughter, Phebe Jane, had died in September, 1867, at the age of four years. She is buried in Taylor-Lane cemetery. An infant also died that year. Four more children were born in Klamath County. The Elkanah Whitney family arrived at their new home during the Modoc Indian War; but they were not harmed. Mary Ann (White) Whitney died in 1896 and was the first person buried in the Merrill cemetery. Elkanah died in October, 1898. A son, William, stayed with his parents until their deaths. His biography says his father died in 1900. Albert, the oldest son, died at Medford in October, 1928 and was buried at Central Point.
19
James Henderson Shortridge and Amelia Savannah (Adams) Shortridge James H. Shortridge was born in Tippecanoe County, Indiana July 18, 1831, the son of Samuel Boone Shortridge and Emily Ann (Heath) Shortridge. At the age of ten James began to work in a nursery. At a later date, he learned the blacksmith trade from his father. The family moved to Muscatine County, Iowa where James' mother died. Another move took them to Mercer County, Illinois. "The Portrait and Biographical Record" says James started across the plains from Millersburg, Illinois March 13, 1851. On March 13, 1853 at Santiam City, Marion County (Donation Land Claim said Linn County) Oregon, James H. Shortridge married Amelia S. Adams. Amelia Savannah (Adams) Shortridge was born in Vermillion County, Indiana February 12, 1835. Amelia was the seventh of ten children born to John F. and Rebecca (Hinkle) Adams. The parents were both natives of Kentucky, but were married in Indiana where they lived for twenty years. Then they lived in Iowa for fifteen years before crossing the plains by ox team to Oregon in 1852. The eldest son, Amelia's brother, died of cholera on that trip. The Adams family took up a Donation Land Claim near Salem, Oregon. Mrs. Adams died in July 1876, and Mr. Adams died in October of the same year. The Centennial History of Oregon said,” James had resided near Cottage Grove since 1851, owning a 320 acre farm which he filed upon in the year of his arrival in Oregon." This was incorrect. When James and Amelia Shortridge celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary, the following information was given: " Mr. Shortridge came to Oregon from Mercer County, Illinois 13 March, 1851, arriving at Santiam City in the eastern side of Willamette Valley on 18 August. They had crossed by the Barlow Road. Shortly after arriving in Oregon Mr. Shortridge joined a party taking cattle into California to the Yreka gold fields. The winter of 1851-52 was known as 'the great famine' in the Yreka gold fields." Another article says, " He first went to Calif., stayed there until starved out in 1852, he came to Willamette Valley..... Mr. Shortridge and Miss Adams had been sweethearts back east. They were married two years to the day after Mr. Shortridge left the east. Mrs. Shortridge was 18 and Mr. Shortridge was 21 years of age when they married." I obtained a copy of the original papers on Donation Certificate No. 478. It reads, "James H. Shortridge, a married man, (Amelia Savannah) of the county of Lane in the State of Oregon, claiming a donation right..... to One Half Section tract of Public Lands... as the Claim "52". Beginning at a point 2.51 chains south and 5.15 chains east from the quarter post on the line between sections 21 and 28 in Township 21 south Range 3 West. Thence north 20.36 chs.__ thence west 38.12 chs. __ thence south 60.79 chs.__ thence east 59.63 chs. __ thence north 40.79 chs. __ thence west 21.25 chs. to place of beginning __ containing 319 and fifty hundredths (319.50) acres: East half to husband__ west half to wife. having proven to the satisfaction of the Registrar, and Receiver of Umpqua District, Oregon, the fact that such settlement was commenced on the 13th day of October, 1853 and continued to the 20th day of October, 1857, four (4) years prior to the date hereof." The patent was issued May 26, 1864. Witnesses were Samuel B. Shortridge and Jeremiah Taylor. In the affidavit signed by James H. Shortridge, he swore that "he is a white male 20
settler on public lands in Oregon, that he arrived in Territory on the 12th day of January, 1853, that he is a native citizen of the U.S." James and Amelia Shortridge were the parents of seven children: 1. Emily R. born 1854, died 1858. 2. Franklin Boone, born 1856, married Tulan Dewald, worked as a miner in Estacada, Oregon. In October, 1919, F.B. gave the Sentinel a list of early pioneers. 3. Mary Rosetta, born 1857. The Lane County marriage records record the marriage of J.W. Harris to Mary R. Shortridge June 6, 1875. This was Dr. J.W. Harris of Eugene. 4. William Johnson, born 1858. Died in infancy. 5. Alice A. born 1862, married James P. Langdon June 21, 1885 at her parents' home. James died of pneumonia September 1, 1896 at about age 40, leaving Alice and five children. James is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Alice married John J. Weeden August 30, 1900. John had come to Oregon ca. 1896 at age 21. He died September 18, 1936 and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Alice Shortridge Langdon Weeden died in California at the age of 87. 6. Lillie Jane born 1865, died in infancy. 7. Sarah O.C. (Olive Catherine) first married Frank M. Jones, second S.M. Lacey. I believe both men lived in Portland, Oregon. James and Amelia Shortridge had bad luck on their farm. First, the barn and all of its contents, including grain, lumber, and farming implements, was destroyed by fire in September, 1869. Almost twelve years later, on June 18, 1881, the house and contents burned. There was no insurance. According to "The Portrait And Biographical Record", These great losses made it necessary for Mr. Shortridge to sell a portion of his farm. After that time he owned 159 acres, eighty being under cultivation." James H. Shortridge died October 25, 1916 at the age of 85 years, 3 months and 8 days. The obituary in the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL said James was, " one of the best known and most highly respected pioneers of Lane county". It also said, "The life of Mr. Shortridge was an active one. During the time he was operating his farm he served 40 years as head of the blacksmith shop for the old Oregon and California stage line, was road supervisor of a district as large as a good-sized county, was a member of the school board, was a senior deacon in the Christian church and also special deputy sheriff. He also served several years as secretary of the Union league and was color sergeant of the Coast Fork rangers, E troop of the state militia. Less than three years after James' death, Amelia died, July 31, 1919. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery beside her husband. She was 84 years, 5 months and 19 days old. James and Amelia had shared more than 63 1/2 years of marriage. Lillie Taylor wrote that there were five graves on the James H. Shortridge Donation Land Claim: The first Mrs. Phillip Numbers, daughter Mrs. Albert Howard and infant son; and Emily and William Johnson Shortridge, children of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shortridge.
21
William Wallace Shortridge and Ellen Jane (Keyes) Shortridge William Wallace Shortridge was born March 30, 1836 in Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa, a son of Samuel Boone Shortridge and Emily A. (Heath) Shortridge. William Wallace came west with his family when he was 16 years old, in the year 1852. They settled in Hebron, or, as it was then known, "Carpus Prairie". In 1856, Wm. Wallace participated in the Rogue River Indian War, serving in Co.A. under the command of Captain Ladshaw. Ellen Jane Keyes was born March 12, 1846 in Hancock County, Illinois. She crossed the plains in 1853. Wm. Wallace and Ellen Jane were married August 4, 1861, with James Shortridge and Harrison Keyes as witnesses. Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Shortridge lived at Hebron for almost three years, then at Pass Creek near Divide, before buying 160 acres at London. Their farm grew and prospered. I believe the Ida Post Office was operated for a time from the Shortridge home before it was discontinued in 1883. Then, in December, 1885, the Wallace Post Office was said to have been established in the Shortridge home. However, the September 28, 1899 issue of the COTTAGE GROVE LEADER said the Wallace Post Office was "kept at the Shortridge mill." Wallace also established the Shortridge sawmill on the Coast Fork River in 1883. Wallace and Ellen had six sons and five daughters. All except the first, William Clarence, were born at London. William Clarence was born at Divide. W.Wallace Shortridge and Ellen Jane (Keyes) Shortridge celebrated 60 years of marriage on August 4, 1921. They had moved to Cottage Grove sometime earlier. William Wallace Shortridge died April 29, 1922 and was buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Ellen Jane (Keyes) Shortridge was killed in a train-auto accident April 9, 1926 and was buried beside her husband.
22
Samuel Boone Shortridge and Emily A. (Heath) Shortridge Samuel Shortridge was born September 15, 1796 (?) in Kentucky. Emily Ann Heath was also a native of Bourbon County. Samuel and Emily were married in Kentucky where they lived for awhile before moving to Indiana, then to Muscatine County, Iowa where they purchased land and occupied it for some time. Mrs. Shortridge died there, according to "The Centennial History Of Oregon". Soon after her death, Mr. Shortridge took their family to Mercer, Illinois where they lived until 1852. However, a descendant, Franklin Boone Shortridge, wrote, "Grandmother died somewhere on the North Platte River." It is known that the family came west in 1852. Samuel and Emily Shortridge had seven children, four dying in infancy. The three remaining children were: James H., born July 18, 1831 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. William Wallace, born March 30, 1836 in Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa. Caroline Drennon, born May 24, 1838 in Lafayette, Indiana. I have included sketches of James and Wallace in this chapter. Caroline D. Shortridge didn't come west with her father and brothers in 1852. Instead, she married J.W. Emmons before her 14th birthday. A little girl, Samantha Jane was born to J.W. and Caroline in Rocksland (Rock Island?) County, Illinois, October 6, 1852. The Emmons family traveled the Oregon Trail in 1866 and settled near Caroline's brother, Wm. Wallace Shortridge. Samantha Jane Emmons married Luther M. Dillard August 4, 1875 at the house of Mr. Hiram Stewart. This was Samantha Jane's mother's and step-father's home. Caroline Emmon's first husband (Samantha's father) had died in 1870. Caroline married Hiram Stewart in 1872. Mr. Stewart died in 1892. Luther and Samantha Dillard lived in Lane County the rest of their lives. I don't know the date of Caroline Drennon Shortridge Emmons Stewart's death. "The Centennial History Of Oregon" said Samuel took up a Donation Land Claim of 160 acres adjoining that of his son, James. He lived there for several years, then sold his land and moved to Salt Lake City. I don't know how long he remained at Salt Lake City. He later returned to Lane County where he lived until his death in 1876. "The Portrait and Biographical Record" said Samuel cultivated his 160 acre claim until 1858. The last years of his life were spent in the home of his son, James. A descendant, Franklin Boone Shortridge, wrote that Samuel took up 60 acres of land ''which he cultivated and improved until 1858 when he took up his home with J.H. Shortridge where he lived the balance of his life." This should have read "160 acres". There is a monument at Shortridge Park on the east side of the Cottage Grove Lake. It states that a grandmother of Samuel Boone Shortridge was a sister of Daniel Boone. This is an error. Samuel was a brother-in-law to Daniel Boone's daughter, Lavina (Boone) Scholl. It is said that Samuel hunted with the famous Daniel Boone.
23
Jeremiah Taylor and Rachel E. (Jones) Taylor Jeremiah Taylor was born October 13, 1832 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Henry W. and Charlotte Taylor. On April 19, 1852, when Jerry Taylor was 19 1/2 years old, he joined his parents and siblings, along with the Hazelton's and Lanes, leaving Greene County, Missouri to travel the Oregon Trail, arriving in the Carpus Prairie area that fall. A hand-written document at The Living Rock Museum says Wm. and Jno. Paine were also in the wagon train. On October 13, 1853, on Jerry's 21st birthday, he moved onto his own land claim, 159.73 acres in sections 32 and 33, Township 21S, Range 3W. He completed requirements for ownership four years later. In 1854 he was away for several months in the mine fields in California. In 1855 Jeremiah Taylor enlisted in Company B for service in the Rogue River Indian War. He took part in the battles of Little Meadows, Big Bend, and Cow Creek. In the battle of Cow Creek he was so seriously injured that he spent three weeks in the hospital. A farmer before the war, after the war Jeremiah attended Columbia College in Eugene, Oregon and became a school teacher. He was also a very successful farmer, raising Short-horn cattle, grain, and other farm produce. Jeremiah Taylor and Rachel Emaline Jones were married July 28, 1860. Rachel was born in Missouri, Oct. 31, 1842, the daughter of William Jones and Emma (Randy) Jones. She crossed the plains with her family in 1846. Jeremiah and Rachel Taylor were the parents of six children: Elizabeth A., Elzina J., William Henry, Charlotte E., George, and John, all born on the Donation Land Claim at Hebron. 1. Elizabeth Ann "Dollie", the oldest of the six children, was born March 19, 1861. In the 1880 census it was recorded that she was a teacher at age 19. There is a Lane County marriage record for N. Johnson and Elizabeth A. Taylor, married December 4, 1881 at the house of J. Taylor. In the cemetery records I found Ludolphus N. Johnson died May 1, 1896. Later, Elizabeth married a man named Lestoe. When her mother died in 1917, Mrs. E.A. Lestoe was residing in Cottage Grove. When Elizabeth died March 4, 1937 at age 75 at Adams, Oregon, her body was returned to be buried beside her first husband in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. I did not find Mr. Lestoe in the cemetery. Elizabeth was survived by three children: a son, Lewis Taylor Johnson, and two daughters, Mrs. Unabelle Bechtel (wife of Shelton Bechtel) and Mrs. Ann Schatz (wife of Charles Schatz.) 2. Elzina Jane Taylor was born February 15, 1864. In January, 1884 I found that Elzina was attending the University in Eugene, Oregon, along with her brother, John, and other young people from Hebron. In February the newspaper tells us Jerry Taylor went to Eugene to visit his daughter who had been ill. In March Mr. Alex Taylor went to Eugene to visit his niece, Miss Elzina Taylor, who was ill. Elzina evidently returned home because, on August 8, 1884, Misses Elzina Taylor and Kate Spare went to Eugene and Long Tom. However, Elzina died June 28, 1885 at the age of 21 years, 4 months and 13 days. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 3. William Henry Taylor was born October 10, 1865. He used the name Henry. The 24
marriage records show that W.H. Taylor (over 21 yrs.) and Bell Powell (over 17 yrs.), married June 4, 1887 at the house of Justice of the Peace, J.C. Stouffer. Bell was Clarinda Belle Powell, daughter of prominent Hebron residents, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Hamilton Powell. Henry died December, 1925 at the age of 60, at Spokane, Washington. Interment was at Republic, Washington. The obituary said Henry "had been a resident of eastern Washington for the past 25 years, living recently in Okanogan County." His wife and six children survived. The children were: Alfretta Rae, Winona Ruth Taylor Rollier, Norman Elsworth, Dorothy Taylor Yand, Carroll Powell, and Henry Lawrence. 4. Charlotte E. Taylor, age 13, was listed in the 1880 census; but a later article about the family gave her name as Emmaranda. She was born March 19, 1867 at Hebron. Both Charlotte and her future husband, Alfred Sherman Powell, attended Oregon State Normal School at Drain, Oregon. According to the Lane County marriage records, "A.S. Powell (over 20 years) and Emaranda C. Taylor (over 18 yrs.) were married September 4, 1887 at the home of the bride's father." The witnesses were A.H. and Mary Powell and Jo. R. Taylor. I knew the Powells as "Alf" and Emma. I don't believe they resided at Hebron long; but came back to visit. Alfred and Emma had a little girl, Roma Ethel, who lived only a few months. Their two sons, Robin and Virgil, were both veterans of World War I. Virgil also took part in World War II, being present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Emma Charlotte Taylor Powell died June 27, 1949 in Centralia, Washington. Alfred Sherman Powell died April 1, 1951. They are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 5. George R. Taylor was born August 6, 1870. When my parents and I moved to our ranch in the Hebron district in the fall of 1926, I was four years old. Our neighbor across the street was George Taylor. George's parents, known to friends and neighbors as Uncle Jerry and Aunt Rachel, had been gone almost 10 years so I never knew them; but George soon became my friend. George was a bachelor. He had the usual old wood range in his kitchen. An armload of wood would be carelessly dumped on the floor nearby. Gunny-sacks of groceries would be stacked on the unwashed table along with dirty dishes. The floor was never swept unless relatives or friends came to visit and cleaned the place up a bit. A tin can or two sat on the floor to catch the "terbaccer juice" he carelessly spat in that general direction. I don't know the extent of George's education; but I know he could read because there were always books lying around. When Dad would walk over to visit with George, I sometimes went along, intrigued by the yarns the men would spin of days past. Now I wish I might have had a tape recorder to record those tales of the first settlers in the valley. Each spring, George would come to find me and ask me to go with him to his yard to pick one of his mother's big red peonies. Every year he would tell me that when his mother arrived there as a bride she carried all of her belongings in the saddle bags on her horse. One of those belongings was a tuber of the big red peony. I still have starts of that beautiful peony. George was said to have raised huge potatoes in the fine river-bottom soil on the old place. I don't remember whether George had already moved away when the dam came, or if it was then that he was taken to the Sunset Home in Eugene. The old Jeremiah Taylor home that had also been George's home, was destroyed because of the dam. George died at the Sunset Home October 23, 1947 and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 25
6. John N. Taylor, the youngest of Jerry and Rachel's six children, was born March 13, 1875. On July 4, 1911 John married Jessie P. Baughman, daughter of the Hon. D.C. Baughman and his first wife, Catherine Braman Baughman. John and Jessie remained in the Cottage Grove area for many years, moving to Eugene in 1928. When John died in Eugene July 13, 1961 at the age of 86, his obituary said he was a life long resident of Lane County. He was a retired Southern Pacific railroad employee. He was survived by his wife, Jessie; a daughter, Katherine Miller; and two sons, Albert and Dean, all of Eugene. I believe Albert's name was probably Alfred. This is based on another record I found. John and Jessie's first son was Kendrick Kenton who had died in 1942 at the age of 30. After John's death, Jessie lived another 9 1/2 years. She died Jan. 21, 1971. Both are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. A couple of interesting notes about Jeremiah and Rachel Taylor: Annabelle Gilcrist Hersey told me that her older sister, Jane, worked for Rachel and Jerry about 1909 or 1910. Every Saturday night they dug up from the ground a jar of gold coins. From this jar Jane was paid one gold coin. On Jan. 5, 1884, the EUGENE CITY GUARD noted, "An oyster supper at Mr. Jerry Taylor's last Friday evening." Were they fresh oysters? If so, in a day of transportation by horseback and of no refrigeration, how did they manage that? Jeremiah Taylor died January 6, 1916. Rachel died June 11, 1917. Both are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery.
26
Henry M. Rogers and Paulina Rogers I know very little of Mr. and Mrs. Rogers' background other than the information I have gleaned from the Donation Land Claim papers. Those papers first said Henry was born in England in the year 1827, but later said he was born in Wales. Paulina was born in 1833 in Indiana. Henry M. Rogers married Paulina (no maiden name known) March 28, 1852 in Des Moines County, Iowa. They arrived in Oregon November 3, 1853. Henry became a naturalized citizen in Eugene City, county of Lane, Territory of Oregon, May 14, 1855. The naturalization paper was signed by E.F. Skinner, Clerk of District Court. The land patent issued May 11, 1865 said he had been in residence on the property from April 10, 1854 to April 18, 1865, eleven years prior to the date patent was issued. The property description was as follows: Claim No. 56, Donation certificate No. 811. "Beginning at a point 1.02 chs. West from the corner of Secs. 27, 28, 33, & 34 in Town-ship 21 South of Range 3 West, Thence East 18.50 chs., thence South 64.35 chs., thence West 78.42 chs., thence North 33.40 chs., thence East 59.62 chs., thence North 30.89 chs., to place of beginning; containing 318.83 acres__ East half for husband, West half for wife." Several different dates of beginning residence were given on the papers, the earliest being January 16, 1854. I have no explanation for this other than that Mr. Rogers might have neglected to file his intentions when he first moved onto the claim; so the final patent did not recognize the earlier date. The papers required only two witnesses; but Mr. Rogers had seven witnesses to attest to knowing him and his wife and the time they occupied the land. Those witnesses, all well-known names of that early day, were: Phillip Numbers, Isaac Massey, Wm. S. Wilson, William M. Whitney, Marion Martin, John Perry White, and Lyman Hawley. Thanks to the research done by my daughter, Barbara Geer Funk, on the Geer family, we know a bit more of the Rogers family. There is a record of twelve children of Henry M. and Paulina Rogers as follows: 1. James E. (listed in census as "Idiotic") 2. Elizabeth J. "Lizzie" who married Levi Geer September 13, 1877 at the home of her parents. Her brother, Francis M., was a witness. Levi was a prominent citizen of the London area. 3. Francis Marion, who would marry Levi Geer's sister, Caroline, January 1, 1881 at Moscow, Idaho Territory, at the Baptist parsonage. 4. through 12. Mary E., Matilda J., Milvord R., Rebecca, Lucinda, George W., Hiram, Henry, and Minnie. Levi and Elizabeth (Rogers) Geer moved to Nez Perce County, Idaho about 1880. A daughter, Clara, was born to them there. Clara would marry Lawrence G. Moxley of the London area in September 1897. I believe all 12 of Henry and Paulina Rogers' children were born on their Carpus Prairie Donation Land Claim, the last child born in 1876. Lillie Taylor wrote that her family members possibly attended "house-to-house prayer meetings instigated by Henry Rogers, a zealous worker in the Christian Church." Henry and Paulina Rogers sold a 20 acre piece of their Carpus Prairie property to Narcissus Small in June, 1879. I don't know when the rest of the property was sold; but 27
I believe the Rogers family moved to Idaho about the time their eldest daughter, Elizabeth and her husband, Levi Geer, moved there in 1880. Marion Rogers served as a juror at Moscow, Idaho in January, 1890. Caroline (Geer) Rogers, wife of F. Marion, died at Moscow September 4, 1900 and is buried in Buchanan Cemetery. The 1905 Latah County, Idaho tax list reported that Henry M. Rogers owned property valued at $1400 in Moscow. Henry's wife, Paulina, died at Moscow September 23, 1899. Henry M. Rogers died there April 26, 1924. Their daughter, Elizabeth, died January 24, 1895 after she and Levi returned to London, Oregon to live. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery near her daughter, Clara (Geer) Moxley, and Clara's son, Eldon Moxley. I don't know when the Rogers' son, Francis M., died, nor what happened to the other ten children of Henry and Paulina.
28
William Payne William Payne was a single man who was born in Tennessee in 1831. (The 1880 census said he was born in Missouri.) On William's application for a Donation Land Claim on August 26, 1856 he stated that he was a white male settler on public lands in Oregon, that he arrived in said territory on Sept. 12, 1852, and that he was a U.S. citizen. He had resided upon and cultivated the land from May 1, 1854 to August 26, 1856. Joseph and Jeremiah Taylor witnessed that William had resided upon and cultivated the land until August 26, 1856. Phillip Numbers and Elkanah Whitney witnessed for William from August 26, 1856 until May 8, 1858. The property description was as follows: Commencing at a point 18.25 chs. East of the S.W. corner of Jer. Taylor's __ and running thence 40.00 chs. South, 40.00 chs. West, 40.00 chs. North, 40.00 chs. East to place of beginning containing 160 acres. William signed with his mark. The patent was issued July 26, 1866, Donation certificate No. 793, Notification No. 771. I believe William Payne crossed the plains with the Hazelton-Taylor-Lane wagon train. I refer the reader to the Henery Wells Taylor article in this book. There was also a John Paine (Payne?) mentioned. That wagon train arrived at Foster, Oregon September 19, 1852. William Payne said that he arrived in the territory September 12, 1852. He was about 21 years old. I believe, also, that this Wm. Payne was the same man who built a sawmill in the London district in 1867 near the present-day sight of the London Mini Mart. The mill was purchased by Phillip Numbers. The book, "Golden Was The Past", says the year of purchase was 1872. I could not find the date that Wm. Payne sold his Donation Land Claim; but since he received the patent for it in 1866 and built a sawmill in the London district in 1867, I imagine that is when he sold the D.L.C. He and Phillip Numbers witnessed a double wedding March 27, 1872 at the home of Jonathan Turpin.
29
Phillip Numbers and Catherine (Shaw) Numbers Phillip Numbers was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania February 19, 1824, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Numbers, Sr. "In the fall of 1843 John Numbers, Sr., with his wife and ten children, in a two-horse wagon, braved the hardships of an overland trip of 550 miles and started on a journey from Holmes county, Ohio to Fulton county, Illinois. The next fall, the family returned to their Ohio home, leaving 19 year old Phillip Numbers in Illinois." If the years as stated in this article are correct, Phillip would have been 20. In 1849 Phillip married Catherine Shaw. In the summer of 1854 Phillip and Catherine crossed the plains with Shaw's wagon train. They arrived on the Coast Fork September 8, 1854 and located their 320 acre Donation Land Claim in Carpus Prairie on September 15, 1854. (The D.L.C. papers said October 1, 1854.) This claim would later become the John and George Kebelbeck and W.L. Kimble properties. Phillip and Catherine Numbers had two daughters, Sarah Malvina and Nancy. Catherine Numbers died in 1857. After her death her two small daughters attended school in Douglas County where they lived for a time with relatives. Returning to Lane County, the sisters married brothers, Albert and Oren Howard. Albert Howard and Nancy Numbers were married September 25, 1869. Oren Howard and Sarah Malvina Numbers were married March 18, 1872 at the home of Phillip Numbers. Nancy died later, possibly in childbirth. I base this on Lillie Taylor's statement that Catherine Numbers and Nancy Howard and infant son were buried on the James H. Shortridge Donation Land Claim. Nancy's widower, Albert Howard, married Sarah Davisson September 28, 1873. After Catherine Numbers died, Phillip spent some time on the Powder River in Eastern Oregon, then came back to the Coast Fork and bought a sawmill in the London district about 1870. He operated the Numbers Sawmill for many years. On January 15, 1874, Phillip Numbers married my great grandmother, Mrs. Clarissa Lacky. Clarissa was a widow with six children. Phillip and Clarissa were married in Douglas County. He brought his new family to his home near the sawmill. There he and Clarissa reared those six children. Phillip and Clarissa did not have children of their own. Phillip was known to the children, the children's children, and to his friends as "Dad Numbers". He was highly respected in the community. When Phillip Numbers crossed the plains in 1854, he lost contact with his parents, brothers, and sisters. His relatives gave him up for dead, "concluding that he had possibly been killed by Indians or had died from other causes while crossing the vast western plains which in those days was a hazardous undertaking." A stranger, noting the Numbers name on an office, eventually put two of the brothers in touch with one another. The headline of a clipping from a January 1, 1901 Applecreek, Ohio paper tells the story: "Mourned as dead for nearly half a century, Brothers separated in youth locate each other when both are old men-- one in Oregon, the other in Ohio." Phillip learned he also had a sister living in Missouri and a nephew in Idaho. Phillip Numbers died March 23, 1903 at the age of 79 years. He is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Clarissa (Harper) Lacky Numbers died April 9, 1925 at the home of her son, Robert E. Lacky, in Cottage Grove. She is buried beside Phillip. 30
Sarah (Numbers) Howard and her husband, Oren, lived in Hebron for many years on a portion of the Numbers Donation Land Claim. Seven children were born to her, two dying in infancy. Sarah lived at Roseburg for awhile, then moved to Coburg about 1921. She died in Coburg on March 31. 1935.
31
William Stanage Wilson and Mary Ann (McNutt) Wilson William S. Wilson was born in Lowden County, Ohio in 1821, the son of James and Mary (Stanage) Wilson. William married Mary Ann McNutt October 21, 1849 in Will County, Illinois. A son, James Henry, was born in Illinois in 1851. The Wilson family crossed the plains, arriving in the Oregon Territory October 26, 1852. After two years spent in the North Santiam Valley,they settled in Carpus Prairie and filed for a Donation Land Claim. The creek and area where they settled is still known as Wilson Creek. The Wilson Donation Land Claim Certificate No. 509 Patent was dated Nov. 26, 1854. The claim was described as follows: 320.40 acres in Twps. 21 and 22, Range 3W beginning at a point 3 chs. West and 9.87 chs. North of the 1/2 mile post between Secs. 32 and 33 and running thence East 21.62, South 32.62, East 43.62, South 38.50, West 65.25, North 71.00 to place of beginning, East half to husband- West half to wife. Witnesses to the fact that William and Mary Ann Wilson were living on the claim as husband and wife were Henry M. Rogers and James H. Shortridge. Witnesses to the fact that the Wilsons had resided on the land and cultivated it were Henry M. Rogers, James H. Shortridge, and Christopher Johnson. The 1860 Federal census lists W.S. Wilson and wife, Mary. He was a millwright. He owned real estate valued at $1,000 and personal property valued at $1,600. Five brothers and two sisters joined little James Henry who had crossed the plains with his parents. The boys were: Charles Orren, Harvey Eustace, William Albert, Robert Milton, and John Franklin. The girls were: Paulina Jane, and Eva Ann. The last child born to William S. and Mary Ann Wilson was John Franklin, born July 11, 1864. The mother, Mary Ann, died six days later, on July 17, 1864. William married again on June 4, 1865. The second wife was Nancy Johnston. I don't know when William Wilson left Hebron. He died May 29, 1917 at Nampa, Idaho in a Soldiers' Home. He was about 95 years old. There is a monument located at Wilson Creek Park which honors William Stanage and Mary Ann (McNutt) Wilson.
32
CHAPTER IV ROADS, BRIDGES, AND MAIL ROUTES I read somewhere that Indians had lived in this valley for 10,000 years before white men came. White people spelled the name of the Willamette Valley natives in many different ways, such as Kalapuya, Calapuya, Calapooia, etc. In order to understand how new the white man is to the Willamette Valley we need to look at the succession of events that led up to the first white settlers here. In the early 1800's the Lewis and Clark expedition reached only as far as the Columbia River. In 1811 Astoria became the first white settlement in the Northwest. From there fur trappers ventured farther and farther afield. In fact, McArthur's "Oregon Geographic Names" tells us it was Donald McKenzie, a member of Astor's Pacific Fur Company who, in 1812, explored the Willamette Valley. The McKenzie River was named for him. In 1813 a post was built near the present location of Salem. By the 1820's trappers had followed the Indian trails far down the valley. Those trappers traded buttons, beads, metal utensils, clothing and perhaps, even guns and ammunition, to the Indians for furs. The trappers also brought something else to the Indians. They brought the white man's diseases such as measles, smallpox, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. Many Indians died from these diseases. In fact, most of the Calapooya Indians were gone by the 1830's. The first wagon train arrived in the Willamette Valley in 1841; but they didn't come as far south as the Coast Fork. A gradual increase in the number of settlers followed until, in 1843, the first important immigration occurred. About 1,000 settlers came to the valley. In that year the American settlers met at Champoeg to organize a provisional government. It wasn't until 1848 that Oregon was recognized by the U.S. government as a territory. On Feb. 14, 1859, Oregon became a state. Meanwhile the Oregon Donation Land Law was passed in 1850; and the settlers began spreading into all areas of the valley to claim their free land. Thus, in 1852, settlers began arriving in the Hebron area. When the federal Homestead Act was passed in May, 1862, it triggered another rush for land. The Coast Fork Trail came into the valley from the north. It followed the Coast Fork River south to its head waters. A trail branched off at the present sight of London and went over Shoestring Mountain. The Coast Fork Trail was probably originally made by the feet of the Calapooya Indians; although they undoubtedly often followed paths made by wild animals. I don't know whether the Indians were living in this Hebron area when the white settlers came or whether they were just using this section of the valley as their hunting and fishing grounds. When I was a child, my dad often plowed up arrowheads in his fields on the Wm. Rogers Donation Land Claim. I have also found arrowheads on our property on the west side of the Cottage Grove Lake. We didn't, however, find evidence of permanent campsites. I don't recall that any of the old friends of my youth told stories of Indians inhabiting the land of Hebron; although I have heard and read many stories of the existence of Indians in the area from London to the south. I know others crossed the Shoestring Mountain. There were also Indians living in the Cottage Grove area; so they lived both to the north and south of Hebron. I found three references that seemed to indicate that there were Indian residents of 33
Hebron in the 1850's and 60's. Lillie Taylor was writing of her little sister, Narcissa, who died in 1867 at the age of eight. Lillie wrote, "This child probably knew many Indian words and she loved Indian Sally who delivered huckleberries in shining pails to the settlers. She once saw a young Indian mother, whose name and tribe I cannot give, sitting by the Taylor fireside with her dusky baby in her arms." According to a history prepared in 1960 by Mrs. J.F. McFarland, there were a few white families up the Coast Fork by 1853. Before that the area was occupied by the Calapooia Indians. In an article written in 1912 on the occasion of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Shortridges' 59th wedding anniversary, it stated, "In the olden days there were three different tribes of Indians in the valley and it was necessary to learn all three languages. They had many friends among the Indians, some were: Indian John and Sampson, who worked for them and Jake Fearne who still lives." My good friend, Leveita Clark Floyd Menegat, who has also spent most of her life in this little valley, said she had understood that Shortridge Park was once an Indian campsite. That seems a reasonable assumption. The trappers followed the Indian trails into the valley. They, in turn, were followed in the early 1850's by the white settlers whose wagons widened the trail. The settlers forded the Coast Fork River until the winter storms caused the river to become too high for man and beast to cross. Then the settlers were almost isolated from the tiny settlement that would, many years later, become Cottage Grove. They had no telephones, radios, automobiles, rescue helicopters, or hospitals. They had to be self-reliant. They raised and preserved their own food, hunted, fished, made their own clothes, doctored their families and their livestock, and sometimes buried members of their families. The first mention I found of a bridge in the area was in Lillie Taylor's notes. In 1934 she wrote, "...the first bridge across the Coast Fork at Carpus Prairie, built, I believe, by Wm. M. Whitney." Whitney came to the area in 1853. We don't know the date the bridge was built. Lillie said her sister crossed the bridge to go to school before her death in 1867 at the age of eight years. The bridge must have been gone or been dangerous by 1886 because that was the year a contract was let to L.N. Roney, a well-known bridge builder, to build a bridge across the Coast Fork at Taylor's Point. Joseph Taylor was appointed superintendent. In February, 1890 that bridge was washed out by flood waters. One and a half years later an article in the COTTAGE GROVE LEADER said, "A new bridge is badly needed up Coast Fork, near Taylor's. The bridge at this place washed out a year ago last winter, and is very much needed to be rebuilt, especially in the winter as the river gets up so high it can't be forded." The article urged the road commissioner of the district to apply to the county commissioners for an appropriation. In October, 1892, a road was ordered established and opened on Cedar Creek. In December, 1896, the commissioners court ordered the surveying of the J.G. Powell road in township 21 south, range 3 west. In Feb., 1897 it was ordered opened for travel. After the Taylor bridge washed out in February, 1890, I don't know whether it was replaced until, in February, 1898, a contract was let to L.N. Roney to build a covered bridge, a 100 ft. span with a 50 ft. approach on each side " across the Coast Fork River below Taylor Ford at what is known as Rock Ford." The bridge was completed in April. 34
In 1903 it was decided to build "a good substantial road" from Cottage Grove through Oregon Mineral Springs (located at present day London) to Black Butte. Men who lived along the entire route volunteered either cash or labor to help build the "Cottage Grove Wagon Road". The wagon road over Shortridge Hill, where the dam tender's station is now located, had long been one of the worst grades found in a county road in south Lane County. My mother, Clara Lacky Gilham, was born in 1894 south of the Hebron area near the present site of the London Mini Mart. She often spoke of the Shortridge Hill road. She remembered that it was a bad pull for teams. When it was muddy the horses would sink in up to their knees. They had to pull their feet out of the mud with every step. My grandfather, Robert Lacky, would pull his team only about the length of the wagon before letting the horses rest. My dad, Archie Gilham, said his father, C.E. Gilham, who moved to the area in 1907, hired out to haul things from Cottage Grove to the London Store. He had a good team; but, largely because of the road over Shortridge Hill, he would haul only about 1,800 pounds per trip. In the spring of 1909 John Woodard began working on this difficult part of the road, trying to find an easier route. Finally, in the summer of 1913, the newspaper said, "The old landmark, so familiarly known as the 'Shortridge Hill', with its 13% grade, will soon exist only in memory. For fifty years or thereabouts, people have pulled this hill and crossed the rough and sometimes dangerous ford of the Coast Fork. The new line of travel will follow around the base of the hill covering a distance of nearly one mile. A one per cent grade is the maximum found by the county surveyor." The new road was to be finished before fall. It would be four more years, in the summer of 1917, before the bridge at Hebron was built. This bridge was located a short distance south of the present Cottage Grove dam. Many of us, as children, walked through that old covered bridge on our way north to the Hebron School. In Chapter One, I have told of the Cedar Creek Bridge. There was still another bridge across the Coast Fork. It was located about one-fourth mile south of the present bridge at the south end of the Cottage Grove Lake. The bridge wasn't built to connect roads, but rather, to connect Woodard's Camp A mill to the main Black Butte road. I don't know the date the bridge was built. The newspaper said the mill had been in operation "a number of years" when the flume from the mill to Latham was begun. That seems to indicate that the bridge had been in place a number of years before 1921. It was not a covered bridge. It was known as the Camp A bridge and was replaced in the fall of 1927. When the Cedar Creek Road was established in 1892 it was, of course, of poor quality. However, in this newly- settled country, it wasn't bad by comparison. In December, 1891 part of Main Street in Cottage Grove was plowed and graded. In the winter of 1892 a woman sued Cottage Grove because she stepped in a crack in the board walk across a ravine on Main Street and was injured. Main Street was graded and graveled in 1894. As you can see, the country roads weren't too far behind. The Cedar Creek road was a plank road for a long time. A plank road was simply two rows of 2" x 12" planks laid down for the car wheels to travel on. The planks were usually fastened end to end when the road was new; but after a lot of use, the planks would sometimes slip sideways so that when one drove onto the ends of the planks, there was no assurance that they would meet the ends of the next planks when you got 35
there. More than one hapless driver have found their cars stuck in the mud or highcentered when they missed the planks. When the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce came to Cedar Creek to visit the Weise Mill in September, 1925 they traveled this plank road. The newspaper editor wrote, "Alongside the road was an automobile that had been 'speared' by a chunk of plank that had flopped up out of the roadway. The plank had almost disemboweled the car. It had gone through the radiator and continued plowing its way through the car until it must have stuck its sharp point between the legs of the operator of the car." More than three years later, in December, 1928, Walter Murry was in an accident on the plank road while going to work Saturday morning. His car was badly damaged. There were many other accidents on that old plank road. I could find nothing to confirm my guess; but I imagine the Weise Brothers built the plank road to facilitate the movement of their lumber to market. Cedar Creek road was finally graveled during the summer of 1929. My husband, Roy Geer, who was 12 years old at the time, accompanied his father, Frank Geer, to this work. Roy carried drinking water to the workers. Another plank road in the Hebron area was the culprit as late as the spring of 1932 when Bill Losee's car "slipped off the planks and turned over on its side, breaking one wheel, bending the fenders and breaking the windshield". In the fall of 1924, after three months of work on what was now known as London Road, the former Black Butte Road; the county road supervisor proudly proclaimed the macadam road "the best job in the county by all odds". However, that statement was challenged by the Coast Fork local of the Farmers' Union who claimed there had been poor handling of the funds allotted to the project, and that much of the gravel used was not crushed. Members of the County Court and the County Engineer agreed with the road supervisor that this road was one of the best in the county. The County Engineer denied the charge that the cost was too high. Modern roads were well on the way. As I pondered the condition of the early roads or, rather, trails, I thought of that hardy pioneer, the mailman. The first record I found of mail coming into the valley was of a letter mailed from Little York, Mo. to Joseph P. Taylor, Carpus Prairie, Lane Co., Oregon in the year 1865. There was no post office known as Carpus Prairie, yet the letter reached Mr. Taylor. In the spring of 1877 Mr. E.D. Cathcart began carrying the mail over the mountains from Cottage Grove to Oakland. Five years later, in May, 1882, his contract was renewed for four more years. Of course, that long and arduous journey was accomplished on horse-back. That certainly was a difficult job with such hazards as a river and several creeks to ford, muddy trails or snow to deal with during the winters, some very steep terrain and, perhaps, even wild animals. The first record I could find of a post office existing in the south end of this valley was that of Ida near the present location of London. Established July 18, 1877, Ida was out of service almost two months during the summer of 1882. The Ida post office was discontinued February 8, 1883. I couldn't find a record of a post office in the south end of the valley for almost three years until the Wallace post office was established December 8, 1885 near the former location of Ida. Wallace succeeded to Amos in 1898 and Amos became London in 1902. The London post office was in use until Jan. 15, 1919. 36
Another post office five miles farther south was Harris, in use from December 28, 1898 until August 10; 1901 when the name was changed to Blackbutte. This post office remained in use until 1957. There were two post offices in use at the same time during the twenty years between the time the Harris office (later Black Butte) was established on December 28, 1898 and London was taken out of service December 24, 1918. The route from Cottage Grove to these post offices was the route that served Hebron. I didn't find the name of the man who carried the mail between spring, 1886 and December, 1893. On that date the mail route from Cottage Grove to Wallace, eleven miles and back, once a week, time schedule 3 1/2 hours, was awarded to E. Parker of Kentucky. After Sept. 15, 1894, the mail to Wallace was delivered twice a week. In December, 1897, P.F. Sillings was awarded the $120 contract to carry mail from Cottage Grove to Wallace. In October, 1898 J.J. Lane was awarded the contract to carry the mail from Cottage Grove to Wallace twice a week. "A Close Call" as related in the August 30, 1901 BOHEMIA NUGGET: "J.J. Lane, the mail carrier up the Coast Fork, met with a serious and nearly a fatal accident on the in trip on Tuesday. While leisurely jogging along in his cart, the vehicle suddenly broke down, throwing him out and turning the cart completely over and on top of him. The horse became frightened and ran, dragging the outfit with Mr. Lane under it for 600 ft. until it collided with a fence post and smashed the cart to pieces. Mr. Lane got a terrible shaking up, but was fortunate in not having any bones broken. A farmer nearby loaned him a buggy and he gathered up the scattered contents of his charge and brought the mail through on time." My mother remembered Mr. Lane. She said, "He drove an old white horse to a rig.... then Fred Grey drove the stage quite awhile, and Bert Ellenburg drove a long while". My dad added, "Mr. Clow carried the mail for a long time with an old Model T. He'd just take up the road with that old rig and it would get out of the ruts and maybe out in the fence corner; but he'd just keep going and that old Model T would bring him back into the road. You never knew when you were riding with him what you were going to do. They nicknamed him 'Doc Yak'." Three successive mail carriers of the 20's and 30's were Claude A. Kurre, J.A. (Jack) Powell, and Lee Nixon. Jack Powell began in 1926. "B.B. Route covered a distance of more than 50 miles." The Oct. 18, 1928 SENTINEL said, "Jack Powell, mail carrier, bought his second Whippet coach. He had driven the first one for 18 months, covering 30,000 miles at very low maintenance cost and received a good trade-in allowance when he traded it in. The first car had never missed a trip and never gave any trouble. "The Black Butte route includes 250 stops daily..... much of it over rough gravel roads." In 1930 Lee Nixon took a four year contract to deliver mail on B.B. Route. In 1934 he signed a new four year contract. For many years my parents referred to a mail-carrying vehicle as "the stage". I believe that was because the early day mail carriers also carried passengers and freight as the stagecoaches before them had done. As late as 1917 I found that the London-Blackbutte Stage was advertising for passengers and freight for the run between Cottage Grove and Blackbutte. In the years before that, the mailmen served a similar purpose. The brave mailmen were the link between the settlers and the rest of the country. 37
CHAPTER V HEBRON'S SOCIAL LIFE In the early days of the Hebron community there was little communication with those outside the valley. The residents made their own entertainment; but there was no lack of things to do. Neighbors became close friends and shared many happy hours. Holiday celebrations were common. After the church was established, it took the lead in the observance of Christmas and Easter; but the school presented Christmas programs, too. In those days children were encouraged to memorize poetry and give recitations. Two other dates were important to the school children. On Valentine Day the teacher usually presented an elaborately decorated box to hold the homemade valentines for the exchange at the end of the day when bashful boys and girls secretly hoped for a personal valentine from that special friend. At the end of the school year came a time when the children could look forward to taking part in a picnic and a baseball game. I'll never understand how people who worked so hard found so much time for visiting and recreation. Early papers were full of items about people spending afternoons or even days at a time visiting friends and relatives. There were birthday parties, box socials, pie socials, card parties, sewing bees, quilting parties, play parties, corn husking bees, dances, etc. The men also hunted and fished and played horseshoes. An occasional barn-raising brought the whole community together. Of course, the church was a big part of most settlers' lives. There were also weddings, christenings, and funerals. In the summer there were gardens to tend, crops to plant and harvest, canning to do, wood to cut and store, and a myriad of other chores to do; but the people still found time for picnics, baseball games, swimming, berry-picking trips, long hikes, wiener roasts, horse races, etc. Sometimes work was also fun. A huckleberry-picking trip to Bohemia Mountain was one of those occasions. Several families would take wagons loaded with food, clothing, tents, stoves, canning jars and equipment. A wonderful camping trip would end with many jars of huckleberries, and often with some venison, to be enjoyed during the long winter. On a postcard written Sept. 3, 1915 and postmarked at Bohemia, Oregon, my mother wrote in part: "All went to Grouse Mt. yesterday. I got about 18 gal. of berries. Have 150 qts. sealed and still at work. All are at camp today. Think we will get our jars all sealed today. Don't know when we will be home. the boys want to hunt for a few days now." On that date my dad was 22 years old, my mother almost 21. Dad's brother and sister-in-law, Chester and Edith Gilham and their two children were in the group, as were Mom's parents, Robert and Lydia Lacky, and two young men friends, George Carlile and Mike Murphy. Dad and Mom described the trip as lots of fun. I wonder if present-day residents would be willing to work that hard on a camping trip and still call it fun. July 4th was a joyous time with big parades and celebrations. Basketball must have been popular, too. I found that in February, 1917 Latham defeated Hebron, 19 to 6. In April, 1917 Silk Creek defeated Hebron, 16 to 10. The players on Hebron's team were Ardee Geer, Stanford Bartel, Leonard and Lester Gilcrist, and Bernard Piper. Baseball was very popular in the 1920's. A few local games even received newspaper coverage. In June, 1924 a baseball team from the Woodard Mill played 38
London. The mill team won; but in a return game, London won. In June, 1926 the newspaper didn't specify the type of ball game played between Woodard's Camp B and Divide, but did give the score, 1 to 0 in favor of Camp B. A new form of entertainment arrived in the community with the arrival of the radio. When a London resident had a radio installed in his home in mid-1924, it made news. Throughout 1925 radio was noted as a means of entertainment, with such items as a group gathering to hear preaching on the radio, another group of fifty gathering to hear a radio brought all the way from Eugene, and radios that furnished entertainment for parties. When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, the newspaper announced that some Hebron residents had visited relatives and friends to listen to the election returns on their hosts' radios. Music was an important part of life. There were many amateur musicians who were willing and able to provide fine entertainment at a program, a dance, a friend's home, or just for their own families. In my own youth, the 1920's and 1930's, we enjoyed play parties at peoples' homes where we played such games as "Skip to My Lou", "Miller Boy". and "Go In and Out the Window". The house and barn dances created memories which will stay with me all my life. When I was about nine years old I started taking violin lessons from a teacher who traveled to this area from Eugene to give lessons in private homes. I was invited to join Mrs. Albert Woodard at her home at Woodard's Camp A for lessons. Later I joined schoolmates, Bernice and Ivan Patten, for lessons at their home. Bernice played the piano, Ivan the violin. I took lessons for about six years. When I was thirteen years old I played first violin with an All-State Orchestra performing in Portland in December, 1935. I also played first violin with the Eugene Junior Symphony Orchestra during the 1936-37 season, and was concert mistress of the Cottage Grove High School Orchestra; but all of this wasn't as much fun as joining a group of neighborhood friends to play for a house dance, a barn dance, or just for a practice session at home. The practice sessions often occurred spontaneously at my parents' home when different neighborhood musicians would begin showing up and would "just happen to have" their instruments with them. I remember one such session when we counted twenty-one musicians. Most were accompanied by one or two family members or friends. Our little home nearly burst at the seams! My husband-to-be, Roy Geer, wanted to get in on the fun so, in 1935, he bought a Dobro guitar and taught himself to play it. He became a very good guitarist. We would play music together many times. The first record I could find of Roy and me playing music to entertain the public was at a program at the little Hebron Church on December 6, 1935. I was 13. Roy was 18. The hours at the country dances were long, usually beginning at 8 P.M. or before, and continuing until 3 or 4 A.M., with a brief rest for a midnight supper of sandwiches, cake, and coffee furnished by the ladies who attended and the hostess. Many times my parents and I went home, changed our clothes, and went straight to our ranch chores without a wink of sleep. I still remember the first time I played for a dance. I hadn't become a very good violinist when we found ourselves at a house dance where the old man who was playing the fiddle became too intoxicated to play. Calling me to him, he said, in a slurred voice, "Here, Honey. Your daddy says you can play a fiddle. You play for awhile." Without my music I could recall only one tune, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain." "That's 39
O.K., someone sang out. "Just play it different speeds and we won't know the difference." My mother suggested some other tunes that I might play without my music; and a kind and experienced "second" who kept time with his guitar, helped a scared kid play a few tunes for a happy crowd of neighbors and friends to dance to. I was grateful, though, when another old man took up the fiddle and I could escape. Later, when I became experienced at playing for dances, I'd watch the clock. When the clock struck 3 A.M. I would start playing "Three O'clock in the Morning". Then, if the crowd showed signs of winding down, I'd play "Good Night, Ladies", "Home Sweet Home", and finally, a fast-paced version of "Show Me the Way to go Home". The dances weren't always held in houses or barns. I found that a dance was held, in August, 1919, at the new sawmill on Cedar Creek. After the Farmers' Union Hall was built in May, 1925, it became a community hall. I don't know the date that a dance club was organized by members of the community. I do remember that there were strict rules and regulations. The dances were held for members and their guests. Liquor was not allowed in the hall. Individuals who indulged, then came on the dance floor, were firmly escorted outside. Some of those who took responsibility for conducting the dances were my dad (Archie Gilham), George Kebelbeck, and Earl Marcy. Dad and Earl were both floor managers and callers. They would announce the next dance, keep a sharp eye out for any unseemly conduct, and call the quadrilles. Mrs. Tom Williams often called for a quadrille, too. After the dances were being held in the hall, occasional dances were still held in peoples' homes for special occasions. Some of the homes mentioned in the paper were those of Jesse Culver, Tom Williams, Fred Patten, Judd Doolittle, and Earl Marcy. Oh, how I would like to turn back the hands of time and once more attend one of those old-time country dances with family and friends. The women of the community used their ladies' club groups as a means to lighten the load of work. Remember the adage, "Many hands make light the work". They would gather at a member's home to sew carpet rags, piece or quilt or tack quilts, or even to darn socks. They also gave wedding and stork showers for members and friends. A newspaper article about these meetings would often add, "A dainty lunch was served". I made an effort to trace the origin of the women's clubs in the Hebron area, but came up with some questions. A March 29, 1917 item said: "Mrs. John Murry entertained the ladies' club last Thursday afternoon with a quilt tacking. Those present were Mrs. Sarah Finley, Mrs. Ruth Hopman, Mrs. R.E. Lacky, Mrs. Clara Gilham, Mrs. Edith Gilham, Mrs. Ella Wills, Mrs. Emma Kelly, Mrs. George Kappauf, Mrs. George Kebelbeck, Mrs. John Kebelbeck, Mrs. Martha Gilcrist, Mrs. Winnie Warner, Mrs. Eva Young, & Miss Myrtle Gilham. A dainty lunch was served." In April of 1917 there were Hebron articles about two meetings of the ladies' club. The club was not given a name; but there were several duplicates of ladies' names in the listings of members; so I believe it was the same group. I didn't find another mention of a club meeting until October of that year. Did the original club just stop meeting during the summer and resume in the fall; or was this a new club? It had a name, " The Comfort Club". This was during World War II. Was this club formed to comfort the soldiers with clothing, gifts, food, etc.? Four of the names listed at the April meetings were also at the October meeting, accompanied by four others. Those attending the April meeting were Mesdames George Kappauf, Emma Kelly, Edith Gilham, Clara Gilham, R.E. Lacky, Anna Bendele, Sarah Finley, Martha Gilcrist, Eva Young, J.A. Powell, Dolly Lestoe, G.A. Small, John Murry, Ruth Hopman, 40
Ella Wills, Winnie Warner, and Misses Piper, and Myrtle Gilham. Of those, only Young, Kappauf, Martha Gilcrist, and Powell attended the October meeting, along with Mesdames George Kebelbeck, Gertrude Fuhrer, Jessie Gilcrist, and Belle Sweaney. I found no more mention of clubs until October and November of 1923; but I don't believe this was an organized club. In October, sixteen women met at the George Kebelbeck home to sew for the orphans' home. In November, the Hebron women gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Gilcrist to sew for the orphans' home. This home, I believe, was at Corvallis. In February, 1928 a newspaper article said, "Several of the women of the neighborhood met Wednesday at Hebron hall and organized a social club, which will meet the last Wednesday of each month at the hall." Later articles identified the group as the Jolly Workers Club. The names of the charter members and the first officers were not given. Fifteen members were present at the March meeting when it was decided to meet twice a month. In January, 1931, almost three years after the club was organized, two new members joined the club, bringing the total to 30. The ladies worked hard to earn money to provide a piano, a stage, and a kitchen for the Farmers' Union Hall where they held their meetings. They sponsored programs at the hall, sold refreshments, held food sales in Cottage Grove, received $100 as third prize for an exhibit they prepared for the Lane County Fair, and spent a great deal of time quilting. Members' names were seldom mentioned in the paper. It did say that Miss Miriam Piper and Mrs. Fred Patten finished the display for the fair. In regard to the display at the fair in August, 1929, I am puzzled. The article said, "Two years ago the Hebron group won first prize and last year they were awarded third prize". The mystery: Since the club was organized in February, 1928, how did it win a prize in a fair in August, 1927? Perhaps the ladies were already meeting and working together and later decided to organize as a club. On March 21, 1930 a play, "Always in Trouble", was presented at the Farmers' Union Hall by the Jolly Workers, netting the club nearly $70 which was a lot of money at that time. The cast of the play: Fannie Patten, Elsie White, Miriam Piper, Helen Hull, Viola Rohde, Mabel Heath, Alice Barkemeyer, Mrs. Ward, and Ruth Dugan. In August, 1930 the club gave a surprise birthday party for Elsie White, a member of the club. Those present were Mrs. George Kebelbeck and daughter Caroline, Mrs. Jack Cherry, Mrs. Artie Dugan and sons Alvin and George, Mrs. Henry Rohde, Mrs. Charles White, Miss Miriam Piper, Mrs. Phoebe Young, Mrs. Mary Smith, Mrs. Fred Patten and children Bernice and Ivan, Mrs. John Kebelbeck and daughter Florence and friend Vergie Schamel, Mrs. L.D. Huff and daughters Hazel and Helen, Mrs. John Murry, Mrs. Walter Murry, Mrs. Mabel Heath and sons Junior and Wilbur, Mrs. F.C. Fuhrer and sister, Mrs. Ray Haynes, Mrs. G. Pitzer and children Alice and Gerald, Mrs. Truman Clark and daughter Georgia, Mrs. Jessie Gilcrist and daughters Annabelle and Katie, Mrs. Coffman, and Mrs. Alfred White and daughters Eleanor, Vivian, and Dorothy. On December 5, 1930 the club presented a play, "The Old Maids' Club"; but the names of the cast were not given. On May 6, 1932 they presented the play, "The Poor Married Man". Clyde Clark helped direct this play. The cast: Elizabeth Clark, Laila Clark, Mabel Heath, Mrs. Goble Pitzer, Ruth Dugan, Raymond Vinson, Bernice Patten, and Fannie Patten. Entertainment between acts: a song by Raymond Vinson, violin music by Marie Gilham (this writer), Maxine Currin and Alvin Dugan, piano solos by Marjorie Cherry and 41
Bernice Patten, and accordion selections by Marguerite Brookhart. In September of 1932 the club sponsored a community fair and program at the hall. The October 3, 1933 news said, "The Ladies' club met last Wednesday at the hall and finished a quilt they had been working on for several months." I don't know why the meeting place was changed; but that same month, October, the ladies began meeting in members' homes. Perhaps the weather was too cold to allow them to be comfortable in the big old hall, or perhaps there were now fewer members attending the meetings. At least the newspaper accounts of these meetings in the homes gave us a more complete list of members' names. Before pursuing the search for members' names, I will record here the names of officers of the Jolly Workers Club as I found them recorded in the Sentinel. Although the club was organized in 1928, I found no record of an election until April, 1930. YEAR PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SEC./TREASURER 1930 Mrs. Geo. Kebelbeck Mrs. Truman Clark Mrs. Artie Dugan 1931 Mrs. Clyde Clark Mrs. Jack Cherry Mrs. Walter Murry 1932 Miss. Miriam Piper Mrs. Fred Patton Mrs. Addison Heath 1933 Miss. Miriam Piper Mrs. Fred Patton Mrs. Addison Heath 1934 Mrs. Truman Clark Mrs. Walter Murry Mrs. A.L. Gilham 1935 Mrs. Ivan Abeene Mrs. Fred Patton Mrs. Clyde Clark 1936 Mrs. Richard Garman Mrs. Artie Dugan Mrs. Geo. Kebelbeck 1937 Mrs. Artie Dugan Mrs. Frank LaBlue Mrs. Walter Murry 1938 Mrs. Charles Fuhrer Mrs. Amos McGarvin Miss Miriam Piper 1939 Mrs. Frank LaBlue Mrs. Charles Fuhrer Mrs. Addison Heath 1940 Mrs. Roy Geer Mrs. Earl Marcy Mrs. Addison Heath 1941 Mrs. Charles Fuhrer Mrs. Addison Heath Mrs. Fuhrer moved to Springfield and Mrs. Clyde Clark was elected president. Yes, this writer was president in 1940. Married in August, 1939, I joined the Jolly Workers and was elected president in 1940. That was a special time for me. The members were older than I. I gained many treasured friends, and learned a great deal from these accomplished homemakers. We held about 21 meetings that year. We also sponsored a community picnic in Miss Piper's grove. We drew Polyanna names and exchanged gifts on birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. We donated to the needy and helped one another by tacking quilts, quilting, embroidering tea towels and quilt blocks, etc. In the spring we had a plant exchange. Plants, seeds and "slips" of plants were the beginning of a new bride's love of gardening. Members attending the meetings numbered between 19 and 38. The larger number attended our wonderful Christmas party. We gained at least two members that year. They were Mrs. Jessie Ganet and Mrs. Leonard Nation. Some of the ladies who were identified in the Sentinel over the years who have not been mentioned in this article about the Jolly Workers are: Mesdames Bacchus, Lawrence Barkemeyer, Jesse Blue, Buker, Harvey Clark, J.D. Clark, Lynch Currin, William Denney, Judd Doolittle, Roy Ewing, Cecil Geer, Chester Gilham, Floyd Haden, Ernest Heaton, Philip Hersey, Regina Hickethier, Harold Hurst, Billie Johnson, Inez Kramer, Daisy Markham, James Morris, John Richardson, Ab Ritchie, Ernest Shaw, Clayton Simons, Leslie Speen (sp.?) Martin Tull, Bert Tullar, Fred Tullar, Chet Vinson, Abbie Jane White, Ella Wills, Clifford Williams, Stuart 42
Williams, Tom Williams, Owen Wilson, and Albert Woodard, and Misses Hazel Fuhrer, and Miriam Seagoe. How times have changed! In July, 1919 I read that Mrs. John Kebelbeck entertained some of her friends with a wool-picking. How long has it been since the reader attended a wool-picking? I remember another celebration. We used to enjoy May Day parties on May 1. The day usually included a Maypole dance in which all of the youngsters at the party participated; but I had to laugh when I read a May,1940 newspaper. "1500 people attend gay May day festivities here!" (At that time, "gay" merely meant happy or joyous.) I have a Friendship Quilt made by the Hebron Jolly Workers Club dated 1940. The names on the quilt are printed here: Hazel Losee Elizabeth Kebelbeck Mrs. George Reichel Dorothy Murry Violet Wilson Edith Gilham Lucy Barkemeyer Marie Geer Jessie Ganet Geneva Garman Metta Doolittle Daisy Markham 4-11-1940 Clara A. Gilham Elizabeth Clark Mrs. L.O. Nation Grace LaBlue Lillian Marcy Edith Tullar
Florence Kebelbeck Etta Buker Ruth Dugan Mrs. Martin E. Tull Myrtle C. Gilham Mina Clark
Mrs. W.L. Baker (Miriam Piper) Fannie Patten Margaret Murry Mrs. P.E. Young (Phoebe) Bertha Clark Lois Abeene- 1940 J.W.C. -- Hebron 1940
Geanie Murry Leveita Floyd Ida May White Ruth Hurst Regina Hickethier Lydia Morris
43
Golda Tullar Mary Smith Mabel Heath Hazel Fuhrer Elsie White Katie Hopman
CHAPTER VI HEBRON'S SPIRITUAL LIFE It was largely due to the foresight of Lillian Taylor and Annabel Small Meacham that we are now able to put together a story of the Hebron Church. Since I plan to quote often from their records, and having counted both as friends, I will hereafter take the liberty of using their first names. I found only a couple of items about circuit riders in this valley. J.W. Miller, D.D. was a circuit rider and presiding elder of the Methodist Church, Spencer Butte district, which included Coast Fork. Ida Taylor, born in 1865, was named after Miller's daughter, according to Lillie. In 1885, more than 30 years after the first settlers came to the valley, it was mentioned in the Eugene City Guard that Rev. Mr. Skipworth was the new circuit rider. I believe there had probably been many of those hardy souls who had ridden horseback for many miles to bring the gospel to the settlers who were without access to regular church services. Perhaps even Joab Powell, the famous circuit rider whose voice, it was said, could be heard for a distance of a mile, preached from atop a stump or from a settler's front porch in this little valley. The first recorded church activity in the area seemed to have been at Latham, north of Hebron, or as Hebron was know at that time, Carpus Prairie. Annabel wrote, "In the lovely month of May, 1857 a pleasant activity centered around a little log schoolhouse at Latham. A Union Sabbath School was organized. The minutes of the meeting were headed 'Coast Fork'. Henry Wells Taylor had charge of the first meeting and the election of first officers. The officers were H.W. Taylor, superintendent; William Harris, librarian; and J.P. Taylor, secretary. The following teachers were appointed: Wm. Harris, J.P. Taylor, John Small, Mary A. Small, Sophia Taylor and, later, Wm. J. White." (White was appointed in June to take the place of John Small who was absent.) Annabel continues " The following people donated money to purchase books: H.W. Taylor, J.P. Taylor, John M. Harris, George Small, Henry Small, James McFarland and Alex Cooley. These people represented four churches, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Christian." Lillian added the following to the list of donors: Jacob Clinesmith, James McBride, Henry Gilbert, Isaiah Bosley, Methodist Sabbath School Union and Wm. Harris. Lillian tells us that when the first Latham school house was built a provision was made that excluded Mormons from preaching inside its' walls. "The very first summer the Union Sabbath School was in existence two Mormon missionaries arrived expecting to preach but were refused the use of the building so went to a nearby grove to preach." Lillian couldn't name the exact date of the organization of the Christian Church at Hebron, but stated that there was such a church in 1875. She described the meeting place as follows: "The old county road came down the long south slope of Shortridge hill and here, amid a group of stately oaks, west of the road, stood the brown, unpainted building that had so much to do with church history at Hebron." Annabel gave a similar account of the old school. (No, not a church) but she called it "a unpainted Brown school house on the slope above what is now the Cottage Grove Lake on the west side." I believe the capital "B" in "Brown" was a typographical error. I don't believe there was a Brown family which gave its name to the school. The Rev. J.M. Harris and his family moved to Hebron during 1871. Lillian credited 44
his labor with bringing about an increase in church membership. During the 1870's a Rev. Morse of the Christian Church held a revival in the brown schoolhouse. One evening was devoted to a debate between Rev. Morse and Rev. James Douglas, a Methodist-Episcopal minister. In the latter '70's the Christian Church alternated its services between the Hebron school house and the Numbers school house which was several miles to the south. Annabel tells us the "Numbers school house was located east of the river just near the end of Raisor Bridge as it is known now. At that time, it was (at) the north end of the Wm. H. Small place. Also this would have been just south of the Phillip Numbers place." Some of the ministers of the era, according to Annabel, were Rev. John Rigdon, Rev. Joseph Sharp, Rev. Morse, Rev. Sam Driver, Rev. J.M. Harris, and Rev. Henry Wells Taylor. The Reverends Taylor, Harris and Morse have been mentioned previously. Lillie wrote, "Henry Wells Taylor was a blacksmith and farmer who was licensed but not ordained to preach in the Methodist Church." She also wrote, "Communion services were held each Sunday and baptismal services (at the river) near the Numbers school house or near the Jim Powell ford." Annabel wrote, "In 1879 Mr. and Mrs. A.H. "Hamp" Powell moved to this area from near Albany, Oregon and donated land to be used for a new church. This church was built just north of Wilson Creek." It was finished in 1880. Actually, the church was located about 1/4 mile north of Wilson Creek on the west side of the old road. I quote further from Annabel's article, "The elders at this time were David Harris, A.H. Powell and William Johnston." "In 1881 Rev. Alfred Powell held meetings. He was the father of A.H. Powell, James Powell, and Joseph Powell of the Hebron community." "In the early 90's Rev. A.M. Sweaney and family came to make their home south of Hebron. He served Hebron church as pastor and conducted very successful revivals." Annabel said it was 1898 when the London residents, who had been attending church at Hebron, built their own church at London. Some of the ministers who filled the pulpit at the Hebron Church were the Reverends Isham Burnett, John Sutherland, Byrd Smith, Todd, Rufus G. Callison, Bales, I.M. Mulkey, G.M. Whitney, Alley, Skaggs, Samuel Baughman, Wiltse, and Messick. Lillian said that during the 80's and 90's it was not uncommon for Methodist ministers to speak in the Hebron church. Some of those were the Reverends Thomas Boyd, Kemp, Joseph Sams, and M.C. Wire. I began searching old newspapers for items about the Hebron Church. In the EUGENE CITY GUARD of May 3, 1884 I found, "Sunday school was re-organized last Sunday at Hebron with W.J. White, Supt.; A.H. Powell, Asst. Supt.; John Taylor, Sec.; D.R. Harris, choirster; and Ollie Powell, Librarian. The Ambrose Woodard family resided in Hebron from March, 1900 to January 1, 1907. A daughter, Ruth, shared some memories of those nearly seven years: "Nearly everyone in the community attended church. We had some real good leaders. Mr. and Mrs. Alex Small and children and the Powells were good musicians. Mrs. Small (Annabel Meacham's mother) had charge of the children's programs. We had them at Christmas, Easter and Childrens' Day (in June). Nearly all the children took part every time. We had Evangelists come nearly every year. All my older brothers and sisters were members of the Baptist Church in Wheaton (Illinois). Walter and Albert were converted 45
while at Hebron and were baptized in the river." On June 7, 1905 I found this article in the BOHEMIA NUGGET: "The Hebron Christian church will hold Children's Day exercises on Sunday, June 11 at 10 A.M. Following the exercises a collection will be taken for foreign missionary purposes. There will also be a basket dinner at the church and preaching services in the afternoon. The church is 8 miles south of Cottage Grove. Everybody is invited to attend. A.L. Woodard, Sunday School Supt." I didn't find another reference to the church until September, 1921. Ministers mentioned in the next few years were: Rev. J.E. Carson of the Christian Church in Cottage Grove, through November, 1922. Another who preached occasionally during 1922 was Rev. A.R. Spearow of the Presbyterian Church. Then came a steady stream of ministers from the Eugene Bible University to keep the Hebron church active. Annabel had mentioned L.C. Haulman of Northwest Bible College who had preached at Hebron in 1892. Others she mentioned, saying, "many from Divinity School in Eugene, later named Northwest Bible College" were Newton Mulkey, A.H. Mulkey, and Victor Hoven. I found Mr. Hoven had preached at Hebron occasionally in 1923 and 1925. I imagine Annabel is recalling his name from an earlier date. I continue with Annabel's list: J.B. Holmes, Harry Benton, David Kellems, J.P. Woodley, James Pointer, M. Howard Fagan, Barnard Davis, Clarence Morgan, and Eric Carlson. I found many others listed as having preached at Hebron during the 1920's and 1930's, most from the Eugene Bible University or E.B.U. I have made a lengthy list but will not include them here. Harvey Shipp was the pastor for about a year in 1924 and 1925. Reverend Elmer M. Patterson, a retired professor from Northwest Christian College, served as pastor of the Hebron church for 3 1/2 years from about December, 1933 until May, 1937. Carl Zehrung, student pastor, served at Hebron for about a year in 1940 and 1941. There was an active Sunday school at Hebron during the 20's and 30's. I often attended the Sunday school which was across the road from my home. However, there is little mention of the Sunday school in the newspapers. In October, 1925 the election of Sunday school officers resulted in the following: Mrs. John Murry, supt.; Mrs. Emma Kelley, asst. supt.; Roy Murry, sec.-treas.; and Ada Gilham, organist. These people were all very special to me. Mrs. Murry was my aunt, Roy and Ada, my cousins, and Emma Kelley, a dear friend. Ada is still living, in Gold Hill, Oregon, and is very active in the church there. In 1926 Aunt Gean (Eugenia) Murry was re-elected superintendent and Mrs. Jessie Gilcrist, sec.-treas. The other officers were not listed. In 1927, Aunt Gean and Mrs. Gilcrist traded offices. In 1934 the Sunday school was re-organized. The attendance at the meeting was 48, and two weeks later it was 66, a large number of people in this small community. In the month of April, 1936 there were 52 present. In the December 6, 1935 paper there was the program of a play given by the ladies of the Hebron church. The cast of the play, "Hezekiah's Arrival", included Elinor Losee, Eunice Edwards, Earl Murry, and Asa Clark. In July, 1940 Sunday school officers elected were Wendell Small, supt.; Jesse Buker, asst. supt.; Maxine Ewing, sec.-treas.; Mrs. Buker, asst. and Mrs. Florence Small (Wendell's mother), organist. 46
In September, 1940 the newspaper said Wendell Small was attending Northwest Christian College. Wendell became a minister and has devoted his life to that calling. Most of the young people of Hebron, including myself and my husband-to-be, belonged to the Young People's Christian Endeavor, which met separately from the Sunday school and church. We conducted our own meetings but had an adult leader. The young people took turns at presenting the lesson of the week. The organization also served as a social group. I found a newspaper article that said my aunt, Myrtle Gilham, was the leader of the "young people's group" in 1934, about the time I joined. I found a couple of references to a Christian Endeavor Society during the 1920's. In March, 1924 such a society existed; and in June, 1925 a program was given at the Farmers' Union hall to benefit the Christian Endeavor. But let's return to the 1930's and a few memories of the Young People's Christian Endeavor of that time. We picnicked and swam at the nearby Cedar Creek bridge picnic area. We had taffy pulls at parties at members' homes. We had bonfire parties, wiener roasts, and watermelon feeds. We held New Year eve watch parties. We took long, wonderful hikes. But, in spite of all the joy and closeness we shared, we grew up and went our own ways. So, too, must the Young People's Christian Endeavor have fallen into disuse until a new group of youths needed the special camaraderie and spiritual training. I see that the group was reorganized in December, 1937. In that same month electricity was turned on for the first time in the 57 year old church. Perhaps the Christian Endeavor turned on lights in some of the lives of the young people who attended. I read that 14 members held Easter sunrise services at the Frank Geer home on Cedar Creek. The sunrise services were special times in my life. They were held for several years on the hill across the road from the church and across the fence to the south of my parents' home. Sometimes the services were held at the church and were followed by an Easter breakfast. Clearing of the basin behind the Cottage Grove dam necessitated the removal of the Hebron Church from the location where it had stood for so long. The December 12, 1940 Sentinel announced, "A Christmas program is being planned for Sunday morning, December 22, at the Hebron church. So far as is known now this will be the last Christmas to be celebrated in the church as it is in the reservoir of the Cottage Grove dam and must be moved or torn down soon." The program of that special day: The Story of the Wise Men Maxine Ewing Solo Wendell Small Reading Margaret Shortridge Trombone solo Harper Casler Reading Allen Abeene The Story of the Shepherds Eathel Ann Newton Solo Raymond White Reading Juanita Marcy Reading Joyce LaBlue Vocal Trio Laurabel Gilham, Shirley LaBlue, Marianne Abeene 47
Reading Berta Tullar Guitar and Violin Duet Addison and Wilbur Heath Reading Jean Ritter Reading Clyde Gilham Solo Mrs. Ivan Abeene The old church stood in its original position for 9 1/2 more months. The last meeting there was Oct. 7, 1941, then the congregation shifted their meetings to the Hebron Grange hall and began tearing down the old church, board by board. Annabel wrote, "The contractors were Ed Long and Herman Barkemeyer. J.C. Buker was in charge of moving and rebuilding. The elders at this time were J.C. Buker, George Andrews, Jess Hiss, Charles Powell, and Pearl Campbell, with Pearl Campbell as Pastor." On September 10, 1942 the SENTINEL wrote that the first Sunday school services had been held in the newly relocated church the previous Sunday. The newspaper said, "The new location provides a beautiful setting for the church, it being placed in a grove of evergreens on the Black Butte road between the dam and Cedar Creek..... Practically all of the old lumber was used, only some of the larger timbers being replaced and a new brick flue added. The building was completely torn down and rebuilt. The original pulpit remains, and pews which were built at the time of the church and put together with handmade square nails, have been renovated and put back into service after their 55 years of use. The pulpit Bible, which is the original, is practically a museum piece and during the rebuilding, has been on display at the Eugene Bible College." In this article and in another there is a difference of opinion as to the date the church was originally built. Lillian Taylor wrote, "Services were held in the Christian church building at Hebron in the fall of 1880. However, in my possession is a letter dated November 5, 1883, in which is the statement, ' The church here is finished'. The nature of the added improvement I do not know." Annabel Meacham took her date of 1880 from Lillian's writings. In 1926 when the congregation was raising money to make improvements, the paper said the church was built in 1879. On June 16, 1940 the church held a celebration honoring 60 years of worship in the building. That agreed with Lillian's 1880 date. The September 10, 1942 SENTINEL article telling of the first Sunday school services in the new location said, "The original church was founded and built in the old location in 1888." It also stated that the pews which were built at the time of the church had been in use 55 years. That would say the church was built in 1887, or if allowance was made for approximately a year when they weren't used while the church was rebuilt, the original date would have been 1886. I think someone's arithmetic was faulty. I believe the 1880 date was correct. The actual location of the relocated church was 7/10 mile north of Cedar Creek Road on the west side of the Cottage Grove Lake. Annabel wrote, "Church was carried on till October, 1970 when the Hebron church bought the London church property." She said the last meeting of the church at Hebron was October 1, 1970. The old building had served the people for 90 years. Many baptisms took place in the nearby Coast Fork river. Many marriages were performed at the altar of the old church. Some of the funerals held there were in memory of people whose entire lives had been centered around the church. There was even one attempted suicide within those hallowed walls: Cottage Grove item in EUGENE CITY GUARD, August 21, 1894: "A young man named G.L. Shortridge residing nine miles south of town attempted to 48
suicide Sunday evening. After failing with a dose of morphine he placed the muzzle of a revolver against his temple and fired, but fate seemed against him, for the ball took a downward course lodging in the opposite cheek. The chance for recovery is slim but at this writing he is resting very well. Verily, the course of true love does not run smooth." EUGENE CITY GUARD, August 25, 1894: "All for love. Our Cottage Grove correspondent, in another column, gives an account of the attempted suicide of Lane Shortridge near that town yesterday. We take additional particulars from the OREGONIAN as follows: Lane Shortridge, aged 23, was found this morning just inside the door of Hebron church, eight miles from here, with a bullet hole through his head. It is supposed he had been lying there since 10 o'clock last night. His condition is very uncertain. The ball entered the right temple and lodged in the upper part of the left jaw. It is reported that Shortridge was deeply in love with a certain Miss Powell, and had asked her to marry him. Being refused, he determined to kill himself. Yesterday he came to a drug store and wanted to obtain laudanum for his mother as she was suffering severely with a toothache. It seems Shortridge first tried to take his life with laudanum, and being unsuccessful, shot himself. Cottage Grove Item, LEADER, EUGENE CITY GUARD, September 8, 1894: "Lane Shortridge who was accidentally shot in the temple three weeks ago is doing quite well. Dr. Wall removed the bullet last Monday." Gilbert Lane Shortridge, son of William Wallace Shortridge and Ellen Jane Keyes Shortridge, married Martha Cox July 19, 1898. Lane and Martha had six children, five girls and one boy. The only son, Francis Willard, was killed in action in World War II, Dec. 18, 1944. Gilbert Lane Shortridge, born at London, Oregon October 12, 1871, died July 29, 1946 at the age of 74. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Parker, who owned the adjoining property, bought the church and tore it down. I am the proud possessor of some of the old square nails that held the old building together.
49
CHAPTER VII SCHOOLS Area Schools-- Hebron and Cedar Creek As was true in most pioneer settlements, one of the first things the Hebron settlers did was build a school for their children. We don't know the exact date that first school was built. Lillian Taylor, daughter of 1853 pioneer, Joseph Taylor, wrote of a one-room log schoolhouse that existed at Latham from 1853 to 1860. Janetta Overholser, writing in "Golden Was The Past", agreed with Lillian. I don't know whether children of Carpus Prairie (later called Hebron) attended the Latham school before a school was established in their own district. I doubt it; but I can't be sure. A bridge was built across the Coast Fork River sometime after Mr. Whitney arrived in 1853 and before Narcissa Taylor, daughter of Joseph and Mary Taylor, crossed that bridge to attend the Carpus Prairie school in about 1865 and 1866. Lillie described the old Carpus Prairie school in two articles. She said Narcissa attended an unpainted brown schoolhouse built on a slope well back from the county road and sheltered by several large oaks. In October, 1934, when Lillie wrote the article, the property upon which the school had been located belonged to Wm. J. Tharp. Two of Narcissa's teachers were Jane Taylor and W. J. Small. In the second article Lillie wrote, "The old county road came down the long south slope of Shortridge Hill and here, amid a group of stately oaks, west of the road, stood a brown unpainted building..... As a school building it was in use from an unknown date until 1883." She said Dr. Frank Carter of Lincoln County taught at Carpus Prairie "sometime later than '65." Lillie also said that the new schoolhouse was completed in 1883; but she didn't say where it was located. Now, I present a mystery. I believe there was once a school located in the orchard on the J.P. Taylor place. My father-in-law and my husband both reported seeing the ruins of an old log cabin there. Lillian Taylor told them it was an old schoolhouse. Philip and Annabelle (Gilcrist) Hersey remembered the old school. Here is the mystery: Lillie wrote at least two articles about the old Carpus Prairie school, the old brown schoolhouse that ceased to be used in 1883 when the new school was built; but I can find no mention of a schoolhouse on her father's property! Was this building constructed in 1883? It would have been at least 40 years old when my fatherin-law and my husband found it. Or was it constructed at an earlier date before the Carpus Prairie school on Shortridge Hill? That seems unlikely because Joseph Taylor didn't have a child ready to attend school until about 1866, and she attended the Shortridge Hill school. Could this have been school district #48? I found only six references to #48 in the old newspapers. Ida Taylor, the teacher mentioned, was a daughter of Joseph Taylor: Mar. 15, 1884: Mr. W.H. Martin was chosen clerk and Mr. Miles Pitcher director of district #48 at the regular school meeting. Aug. 23, 1884: We understand that district no. 48 is wanting a good teacher to teach a three months school this fall. Sept. 6, 1884: Miss Ida Taylor has been engaged to teach school in Dist. #48. Oct. 11, 1884: Miss Ida Taylor began teaching school last Mon. in Dist. #48. Dec. 6, 1884: Miss Ida Taylor's school was out last week in district #48. She had taught a two month term. Mar. 14, 1885: Mr. W.H. Martin was elected clerk and W. McCoy and Nathan Martin 50
were elected directors in district 48. Janetta Overholser wrote that the Hebron school that survived the building of the Cottage Grove Dam was built before 1880; but Lillian Taylor, born in 1876 and a lifelong resident of the area, seemed certain of the 1883 date. That would have dated the school at 44 years when I started to school there in 1927. I know it was an old school when I began attending school, so it may have been the same old school. If it was the one constructed in 1883, it was located on the west side of the river and some distance north of the Taylor place which was on the east side of the river, so it couldn't have been the Taylor school. I found one newspaper reference that I believe refers to the schoolhouse in the Taylor orchard. The February 7, 1885 EUGENE CITY GUARD said, "A Mr. Todd is teaching a select school at the school house near Mr. Powell's on the Coast Fork. He has upwards of twenty scholars." A.H. Powell, who donated a building site for the Hebron Church in 1880, owned much of the land of the area, including part of the Rogers Donation Land Claim. That land bordered Rogers Lane which was bordered on the other side by the Taylor place where the old Taylor School was located. I don't know what a "select school" was. The earliest reference to Hebron School District #50 that I found in old newspapers was in the June 5, 1875 edition of the EUGENE CITY GUARD. The article was titled "District Schools. Observations by the County Superintendent." It read, in part, "The school in district No.50 is composed of 20 pupils, under the charge of John Harris who has had a previous experience of three terms. The pupils have evidently been very well trained in this district, as the recitations were good and the pupils were not afraid to speak out so as to be heard." The next report I found from the school superintendent was dated July 5, 1879. There was evidently an error in the district numbers, as it names two teachers for district 50. I'll copy it here as I found it: "Miss Serepta Nelson in No. 75 (London), and Miss Fannie Comegys in No.50 are doing very good work; each of them is engaged in her first term of school. couldn't read make very good teachers if they apply themselves properly. They are well liked in their respective districts. Miss Josie Gat couldn't read all of name has a small school of 11 pupils in No. 50. The house and furniture therein are very sorry affairs, neither comfortable nor ornamental. She has to labor under great disadvantages, but is doing the best she can." Following are the apportionments of State School Funds to District 50 as reported in the EUGENE CITY GUARD. The district clerk is also named. July 26, 1879 J.P. Taylor $20.15 Mar. 26, 1881 J.H. Shortridge $61.20 Mar. 25, 1882 J.P. Taylor $73.50 July 28, 1883 J.P. Taylor $20.30 Apr. 25, 1885 J.P. Taylor $117.20 Apr. 23, 1887 J.P. Taylor $120.20 Apr. 25, 1888 J.P. Taylor $113.22 Apr. 27, 1889 J.P. Taylor $129.20 Apr. 26, 1890 A.S. Powell $158.00 Aug. 30, 1890 A.S. Powell $ 28 from Co., $58 from St. May 2, 1891 A.S. Powell $152.80 Aug. 27, 1892 D.C. Baughman $ 23 from Co., $46.40 from St. Sept. 2, 1893 D.C. Baughman $ 38.50 from Co., $24.50 from St. 51
Apr. 21, 1894 D.C. Baughman $193.19 May 11, 1894 ??? $122 Number of scholars listed in District 50 were: 1885--32, 1886--32, 1887--39, 1889--33, 1890--40, 1891--40, 1893--35, and 1894--37. In May, 1884 the paper said, "Miss Ella C???eary, school ma'am of district No. 50." The July 10, 1886 report of the school term in district No.50, beginning April 5 and ending June 25, 1886, read as follows: "Those who reached 100 per cent in final examinations are Emma Taylor, Belle Powell, Grace Baughman, Laura Powell, Winnie Powell, Wayne Grubb. Those who reached 99 per cent are Lizzie Baughman, Harvey Taylor, Lilly Taylor, Maria Pangburn. Those having not missed one day are Ethel Taylor, Lilly Taylor, Winnie Powell, Bert Baughman. Ethel Taylor received the prize offered for special excellence in Orthography (spelling). Winnie Powell won a volume of poems. Tilla Powell, teacher. On March 19, 1892 it was reported that J.P. Taylor was elected director to succeed A.H. Powell, and D.C. Baughman was elected clerk. Miss Maud Alley, of Eugene, was to teach the school. On July 16, 1897 the amount of taxable property in District 50 was $25,875! Ruth Woodard lived in Hebron with her parents and siblings for almost seven years, beginning in March, 1900. She said the Hebron School was a one-room schoolhouse between the road and the river. Ruth wrote, "School opened by singing one or more patriotic songs, then one or more of our own choosing. It was an honor to get to pass out the song books. School was held 3 months in the spring and 3 in the fall, sometimes with a new teacher each term. Lilly Taylor was my first grade teacher and I liked her very much. Bertha White was another when I was quite young. (Author's comment: Bertha was the daughter of W. Johnston and Mary Taylor White.)... Lola Howe (Mrs. Mills' sister) taught, too. The last teacher I had at Hebron was Ivadene McGee, later Hubbard." Ruth wrote, " Some of the older ones walked to the Joe Taylor place, several hundred feet away, and got water for us. We all used the same dipper to drink out of." The children living in the north end of the area walked to school together. They had to cross a foot log across the river. Some children bounced the log up and down; but the Marcy family who lived just north of the Woodards had a daughter, Bessie, who couldn't keep her balance on the bouncing log. The teacher instructed Ruth not to bounce the log, but she couldn't resist. Of course, Bessie fell in. That got Ruth into trouble. Ruth wrote, "After school took up the teacher had me go up front and she gave me a "licking" with a hazel, or willow "switch" or limb." In the June 28, 1905 issue of the BOHEMIA NUGGET we read that Miss Summers of Eugene had been teaching the Hebron school. The September 16, 1908 WESTERN OREGON paper said, "School started at Hebron Tuesday with Miss Adele White as teacher. A good attendance is reported." On October 13, 1911 Ben King was teaching the Hebron school. The teachers I was able to verify as having taught in the Hebron school during the 20th century are: June 28, 1905 Miss Summers Sept. 16, 1908 Miss Adele White (Bertha Pearl White, daughter of Johnston and Mary Taylor White, taught one term sometime around 1910.) Oct. 13, 1911 Ben King 1914 - 1915 Jane Gilcrist 52 students in one room. Katie Gilcrist Telford wrote: 52
"Annabelle and I were in the first grade and our cousin, Jennie Langdon, was our teacher. In the second grade our teacher was our sister, Jane Gilcrist." Since Jane taught the 1914-1915 term, it therefore seems correct to state that Jennie Langdon taught the 1913-14 term. 1916 - 1917 Joe Smith 1917 - 1918 Miss Teeters 1918 - 1919 Miss Gladys Taylor (Cunningham of Roseburg by 5/8/31) 1919 - 1920 Miss Lamb 1920 - 1921 Miss LaVerne Lamb of Goshen 1921 - 1922 Miss LaVerne Lamb of Eugene 1922 - 1923 Mrs. Lincoln Taylor 1923 - 1924 Mrs. Lincoln Taylor 1924 - 1925 Mrs. Shelburn 1925 - 1926 Mrs. Ella Hankins of Cottage Grove. She had 42 pupils in 8 grades. Nov., 1925 Mrs. Helen Bushell began teaching the primary department, using a cloak room for a classroom. Mrs. Hankins still taught the upper grades. 1926 - 1927 Mrs. Hankins was the one teacher hired. 1927 - 1928 Rosalie Mason of Peoria. (By 9/8/38 she was Mrs. Al Oatman of Camas Valley). There were 33 pupils. In October Mrs. Nettie Clark of Portland was hired to teach the upper grades. Beginning this year there were nine months of school. Until now the school was in session from September to May. 1928 - 1929 Mrs. Nettie Clark and Miss Rosalie Mason were hired; but Mrs. Clark accepted a job nearer her Portland home. J.R. Rose of Creswell was hired. 1929 - 1930 Mrs. Roy (Elsie) Taylor taught the upper grades. Mrs. Harley (Camille) Ream taught the lower grades. Mrs. Murry (Maybelle) Newton substituted for about two weeks. 1930 - 1931 Mrs. Murry Newton taught the upper grades. Mrs. Roy Taylor rehired to teach the lower grades. There were 27 pupils. 1931 - 1932 The teachers were Maybelle Newton and Audrey Wolfard. 1932 - 1933 Maybelle Newton and Audrey Wolfard were hired; but the Nov.4, 1932 newspaper said, " Mrs. Strobeck's room has a new stove." Was Audrey Wolfard married; or was this a new teacher? 1933 - 1934 Miss Grace Beatty of Brownsville was hired. She lived at the home of Mrs. Alice Ward. There were only 15 students; but Grace still had to teach all standard subjects in all eight grades. 1934 - 1935 Maybelle Newton was hired to teach all eight grades. There were 26 students with more to enroll later. 1935 - 1936 Maybelle Newton. Although there were more students, the district was very poor, so the school board's answer to the problem was to remove the partition between the rooms in order to make a larger room. 1936 - 1937 Maybelle Newton, teacher. 28 pupils. 1937 - 1938 Maybelle Newton, teacher. In the summer of 1938 it was voted to form a Union High School district of Walden, Latham, Blue Mountain, The Cedars, Cottage Grove, Hebron, London, Culp Creek, Dorena, FairView, Mount View #128, Mount View #131, Diston, and Divide. 1938 - 1939 Mrs. Clara Morrow of Alvadore. 23 students. 1939 - 1940 Mrs. Clara Morrow. 26 students. All grades filled except the 8th. In October, 1939 the school well was condemned and water was brought from the Heath 53
family well. The May 30, 1940 SENTINEL said, "The annual closing day picnic for the Hebron school was held at the school house Friday. The program was followed by a pot-luck dinner and ice cream was furnished by Mrs. Clara Morrow, the teacher. This will probably be the last closing day ever to be observed by the Hebron school, since the building is in the basin of the Cottage Grove flood control dam." At about the same time the Hebron voters decided to join the Divide and Mt. View schools in consolidation with Latham. Since the dam would also flood the area where Woodard's lumber flume was located, Woodard decided to move his Camp A mill to Latham. He needed the property where the Latham school sat, so purchased another piece of property for the school. In September, 1940 the consolidated Latham school convened in the old West Side School building near the present site of the Cottage Grove Hospital while the Latham School was being moved and more rooms were added to it. The students were transported to the West Side School by bus. The teachers would each teach only two grades. Mrs. Clara Morrow would teach the 3rd and 4th grades. The Latham School was finished in the spring of 1941. The children from the Latham, Divide, Mt. View, and Hebron schools left the West Side School and went to Latham. Years later Hebron was added to the London district instead of the Latham district. The old West Side School was torn down in 1950. All that remains of Hebron is the old school building, which was purchased in June, 1940 from Mrs. J.J. Weeden of Eugene by the Hebron Grange and moved, on May 16, 1941, to its present location below the Cottage Grove Dam. I found the following names listed as school directors and clerks of the Hebron school: Year Directors Clerks 1909 Dennis Cooter 1910 Dennis Cooter 1911 1912 1913 1914 J.A. Powell 1915 J.A. Powell 1916 J.A. Powell 1917 George Kebelbeck J.A. Powell 1918 J.A. Powell 1919 J.A. Powell 1920 John Kebelbeck and Harvey Taylor G.M. Kebelbeck 1921 L.D. Huff G.M. Kebelbeck 1922 T.J. Clark G.M. Kebelbeck 1923 John Kebelbeck G.M. Kebelbeck 1924 R.B. Powell 1925 John Murry Truman Clark 1926 John Murry Truman Clark 1927 Harvey Clark and John Murry Truman Clark 1928 L.D. Huff Truman Clark 1929 Judd Doolittle Truman Clark 1930 Truman Clark Mrs. Fred Patten 54
1931 George Kebelbeck 1932 Judd Doolittle 1933 Truman Clark 1934 George Kebelbeck 1935 Ivan Abeene (3 year term) 1936 1937 In March Archie Gilham replaced George replaced Kebelbeck who moved to Cottage Grove. 1938 Truman Clark, Ivan Abeene, A.L. Gilham 1939 Ivan Abeene, Mabel Heath, Clayton Simons
Mrs. Fred Patten Mrs. George Kebelbeck Mrs. George Kebelbeck Mrs. George Kebelbeck Mrs. George Kebelbeck Miss Annabelle Gilcrist Mrs.Clayton Simons Mrs. George Kebelbeck Mrs. Clayton Simons Mrs. Clayton Simons
The boundaries of Hebron School District #50 were on the north, the south edge of the Daniel B. White Donation Land Claim, and on the south, the place where Wilson Creek emptied into the river. The south boundary divided Cedar Creek families, sending most of the children to London School and the rest to Hebron. In 1931 when the Frank Geer family moved to Cedar Creek, the Geer children started to school at Hebron. The Cedar Creek children who attended London school rode on a bus. There was no bus to Hebron School. The Geer children attended school about six weeks before, as the newspaper said, "Frank Geer has been transferred from the Hebron school district to the London district, as he lives near the boundary line and London runs a bus to within a half mile of his home." My cousins, Roy and Earl Murry, lived on Cedar Creek; but they attended Hebron School. Names of Hebron students gleaned from old newspapers: May, 1914: Those eligible to take part in the county spelling contest in Eugene were Charles and Hazel Fuhrer, Leonard and Ada Gilcrist, Eva Weeden, and Ardee Geer. May, 1915: The Hebron spellers named for the county contest were Dale, Evertt and Eva Weeden, Bennie Herring, and Ada Gilcrist. May, 1916: (London News) Leonard Gilcrist and Bennie Herring took 8th grade exams. June, 1917: These 7th grade pupils have passed the recent geography test: Leonard H. Gilcrist, Metta Mayben. Jan., 1920: Hazel Justin Fuhrer of Hebron School passed the eighth grade exams. May, 1920: Myrtle Mayben passed the 8th grade exams. May, 1921: Miss Agnes Taylor passed the 8th grade exams. Joseph Taylor, Elliott Vinson, and Irene Suchanek passed the 7th grade exams. May, 1923: Katie Gilcrist passed the 8th grade exams and was on the honor roll. Joe Taylor had passed the exams in Jan., 1923. Receiving certificates of award for being neither absent nor tardy during the school year were John Carlile; Claude, Hazel, and Helen Huff; Kathleen Kappauf, and Violet White. (Claude Huff made a grade average of 95.) June, 1923: Annabelle Gilcrist passed the 8th grade exams. May, 1924: (London News) Passed 8th grade exams: Claud Alfred Huff, Camille Schneider, Violet E. White, Pauline Schneider. June, 1926: All three 8th grade pupils: Kathleen Kappauf, Hazel Huff, and Johnnie 55
Carlile, passed final exams. Sept., 1926: Those attending high school from Hebron were Annabelle and Katie Gilcrist; Claud and Hazel Huff; Kathleen Kappauf; Roy Murry. Zella Geer stayed with her grandmother and attended school at Hebron. Jan., 1927: Zella Geer, Florence Kebelbeck and George Kebelbeck, Jr. passed the recent 8th grade examinations. Sept., 1927: Miss Florence Kebelbeck is attending Saint Mary's high school in Eugene. Those who are attending Cottage Grove high school from here are Claude and Hazel Huff; Roy Murry and George Kebelbeck. Pauline and Camille Schneider; Annabelle and Katie Gilcrist and Millicent Burrows leave for Ashland to attend state normal school the coming year. Sept., 1928: Hazel Huff and Florence Kebelbeck stayed in Cottage Grove and attended Cottage Grove High School. Philip Hersey, George Kebelbeck, Jr., and Roy Murry attended Cottage Grove High School and drove back and forth. By October George Kebelbeck was staying in Cottage Grove with his grandparents. Nov., 1928: Hebron pupils home with the flu were Raymond Miller, Lillian Hull, Wells DeWells, Lloyd Gilcrist and Bernice Patten. (Wells DeWells lived with the E.J. Edwards family until they moved to Grants Pass in Jan., 1929 when he moved in with the Jess Culver family.) Jan., 1929: Orville White returned to school after family had been away for more than a year. Mar., 1929: Madelle Finseth had been absent because of illness. Annabelle and Katie Gilcrist were attending Ashland normal school. May, 1929: At a school entertainment, the hit of the evening was a song, "Oh Susanna", sung by Charley Clark. June, 1929: Seventh grade pupils from Hebron who took and passed compulsory exams in geography were Georgia Clark, Raymond Miller, William Simpson. Those sixth graders passing the test in physiology were Lillian Hull, Lucy Edwards and Earl Murry. Sept., 1929: Hebron youths attending Cottage Grove High School: Lawrence Clark and Oscar Newton. George Kebelbeck, Jr., and cousin, Florence Kebelbeck stayed with their grandparents in Cottage Grove. Philip Hersey stayed with Mrs. Jessie Gilcrist. Hazel Huff went to Riddle to pack prunes and would attend high school when she returned. Dec., 1929: Melvin Kebelbeck attended school at Portland. Mar., 1930: Roy Murry was attending Oregon State College in Corvallis. May, 1930: Helen Huff, Elvin and Ellen Nestle received certificates for perfect attendance and punctuality. Georgia Clark passed the 8th grade exams. Lucy Edwards, Juanita Powell, Orville White, and Earl Murry passed the geography exams. Sept., 1930: Those from Hebron who entered Cottage Grove High School were George and Melvin Kebelbeck, Florence Kebelbeck, Lawrence and Georgia Clark, and Philip Hersey. George and Florence were staying in town. May, 1931: Lucy Edwards, Orville White and Earl Murry took the 8th grade exams and graduated. Eunice Edwards and June Williams took the 7th grade exams. Nov.17,1931 SENTINEL: Mrs. Fred Patten, clerk for school district No. 50, reports that the census for this year shows 40 children of school age, of which 21 are boys and 19 are girls. Last year there were 44. Oct., 1932: Students on the honor roll for the first 6 weeks were: Lower grades, Margaret Aldridge, Caroline Kebelbeck, and Shirley Johnson; upper grades, Frank 56
Clark, Zyla LaBlue, Edna Johnson, Leveita Clark, and Marie Gilham. Dec.,1932: At the end of the second 6 weeks those added to the above names were: Norman Aldridge, Donna Doolittle, Irene Plunkett, Charlie Clark, and Delores Culver. Feb., 1933: The names of Hubert and Evelyn White and Vernon Doolittle were added to the other honor roll names just given. Pupils who were neither absent nor tardy were: Orr Jean Daniels, Shirley Johnson, Caroline Kebelbeck, Robert Culver, Charlie Clark, Edna Johnson, Leveita Clark, Marie Gilham, Lores Culver, Evelyn White, and Robert Clark. Marshall Price was entered as a new pupil in the first grade. Mar., 1933: A name added to the honor roll was Robert Clark. Sept., 1933: Lucy and Eunice Edwards entered Cottage Grove high school and were riding with Georgia Clark. Feb., 1934: The honor roll for the past month: first grade, Leonard Barkemeyer; third grade, Shirley Johnson and Robert Culver; fourth grade, Victor Doolittle; sixth grade, Evelyn White, Nathan Edwards, and Lores Culver; seventh grade, Leveita Clark, Marie Gilham, and Edna Johnson; eighth grade, Charles Clark, and Vernon Doolittle. The honor roll for the first half year: Leveita Clark, Lores Culver, Nathan Edwards, and Marie Gilham. Feb., 1934: Miss Marjorie Schneider, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Schneider of Lorane, and one time resident of Hebron who attended grade school here for several years, married John E. White of Portland. Sept., 1934: Vernon Doolittle, Lucy and Eunice Edwards, Frank and Charley Clark, and Bernice Patten were attending Cottage Grove High School. Oct., 1934: Armin and Charles Ward began attending school..... The May 7, 1935 Hebron news column in the SENTINEL said, "The graduation exercises were held Friday evening in the Farmers' Union hall. There were four graduates, Misses Winona Abeene, Marie Gilham, Edna Johnson and Leveita Clark. Rev. Groves of Cottage Grove gave the address." Following is a copy of the graduation program: Class of 1935 Invocation Salutation Song, "School Days" Class Prophecy and Will Song, "Quintuplets' Lullaby" Class Poem Song, "Glow Worm" Instrumental Solo Valedictory Address Presentation of Diplomas Benediction
Rev. Groves Edna Johnson Upper Grades Winona Abeene Five Primaries Leveita Clark Upper Grades Carolyn Kebelbeck Marie Gilham Rev. Groves Mrs. Geo. Kebelbeck Rev. Groves
Class Colors Class Motto Class Flower
Orchid and Yellow Inches Make the Mile Lilac
Our beloved teacher, Maybelle Newton, taught for seven years in the little Hebron 57
school. There was no electricity, no indoor plumbing and no telephone. There was a pitcher pump to provide water and a wood stove to provide heat. Maybelle cared for skinned knees, bloody noses, sick stomachs, and all of the other ills that about 28 students can suffer. She kept order in the school room and on the playground. She taught patriotism and moral values, and taught the required school subjects so well that when we went on to high school, we fared very well. When Maybelle decided that some of her pupils might not be getting enough to eat during the Great Depression, she brought a big kettle from home, along with some meat and some salt. She asked each student to bring one vegetable from home--a potato, carrot, onion, etc. Then, while we studied, she kept a big kettle of stew simmering on that old wood stove. At noon, after we marched out to the pump under the big fir trees to wash our hands and faces in that icy water, we returned to the school house to eat that delicious stew. Let me tell you how Maybelle Newton gave four little girls in an old country school one of the happiest days of our young lives: Our Graduation!! She alone was responsible that year for the care and instruction of eight grades. When the school year began there were 26 students. There were 28 when it ended. I'm sure Maybelle worked many more hours than her contract called for, especially near graduation time. She put the four of us through the required courses of study for 8th grade graduates; then just to be sure we didn't have trouble in high school, she acquired (probably with her own money) some high school textbooks and gave us a thorough preview of high school work. Finally, our wonderful teacher began the plans for our 8th grade graduation program. The school house was small but she wanted to give us a special memory, so she obtained the use of the big Farmers' Union hall. Next, she enlisted the aid of the entire student body. We chose our class colors, motto, and flower, just like the graduates in the big schools. She taught us three songs, two of which were new to us and were "special" just for our big night. She helped us write and practice our salutation, class prophecy and will, a class poem, the valedictory address and even a special "Can You Imagine?" presentation which included every child in the school. That left one more question--how to decorate the big hall without spending any money? Maybelle was equal to that, too. She took all of the children on a long walk to gather wild ferns and flowers. Even though we teased her by offering to pick skunk cabbage to help with the decorations, she still coped with the gang of kids and got the decorating done. That night she gave us a lovely gift of a perfect graduation. Is there any wonder that now, more than a half a century later, that dear woman is revered by many, many former students, not only from Hebron School, but from the many other schools where she taught? However, the graduates from the Hebron School still claim her for their very own. Here is a list of the 28 students which were mentioned in "Can You Imagine?" in 1935: Abeene, Winona, Evelyn, Marianne, and Allen Barkemeyer, Leonard Barkemeyer, Paul Clark, Leveita and Robert Doran, Paul and Joe Doolittle, Victor, Dale, Donna, and Hugh Edwards, Nathan 58
Gilham, Marie Heath, Addison and Wilbur Johnson, Edna and Shirley Kebelbeck, Caroline LaBlue, Shirley Richardson, Guss and Ira Ward, Armin and Charles White, Evelyn and Hubert The 1935 class wasn't the last to graduate from the old Hebron School. Five more classes graduated before the Cottage Grove Dam destroyed the Hebron district. However, this was a special class to me because it was "our" graduating class and "our" wonderful teacher. The September, 1935 Hebron news said Effie Richardson, Lucy and Eunice Edwards, Winona Abeene, Leveita Clark, Marie Gilham, Edna Johnson, and Frank and Charles Clark were attending Cottage Grove High School. In May, 1936, the eighth grade of the Hebron school attended the eighth grade day at the Cottage Grove High School. Those attending were Evelyn White, Evelyn Abeene, Robert Clark, and Nathan Edwards. The eighth grade graduation exercises were held in the Farmers' Union hall. In September, 1936, twelve high school students from Hebron entered high school at Cottage Grove. They were Marie Gilham, Leveita Clark, Evelyn White, Effie Richardson, Winona and Evelyn Abeene, Bernice Patten, Vernon Doolittle, Frank and Charlie Clark, Robert Clark, and Ivan Patten. People in the neighborhood knew one another and shared neighborhood events. In 1937 the Hebron news said, "Each pupil in the Hebron school had the pleasure of seeing his mother at the Christmas tree and entertainment given by the school." On December 23, 1938 all the Hebron pupils gave an operetta, "Christmas with the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe," at the Farmers' Union hall. The neighborhood was invited to the free entertainment. After the program, Charles Fuhrer played Santa Claus in an exchange of presents from the Christmas tree." In May, 1939 those receiving eighth grade diplomas from Hebron School were George Hopper, Richard Marcy, Allen Abeene, and Victor Doolittle. In September, 1939 all the grades were filled except the eighth. New pupils in the school were Evelyn and David Garman, Leona White, and Howard Simons. The Hebron Community Christmas tree and entertainment was held the evening of December 22, 1939. Everyone was invited to the program and the operetta, "Is Santa Real?" This last Hebron school Christmas program was held at the schoolhouse because the Farmers' Union Hall, which had been rented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a soil testing laboratory, had been destroyed by fire on September 20, 1939. The old school house had served the community well. It started as a one-room school. A play shed was built on the grounds in November 1921. In November, 1925 a little cloak room was used for an additional class room. In November, 1927 the recitation room was enlarged by taking out the partition between the cloak room and the recitation room. In September, 1928 the school house was divided into two large rooms, instead of one large room and a recitation room. As I have said earlier, in 1935 there were too many pupils for one of the rooms, but there was only one teacher, so the partition was removed, returning the school to its one-room status. 59
Since there was little money to be spent in the Hebron district, the fathers of the children made repairs, cleaned the grounds and mended fences, while the mothers kept the building clean. Now this community activity was also a thing of the past, although I doubt that these busy people missed the added chore. I have read that the old school bell was given to the Cottage Grove High School by Ruth Powell Randall who had graduated from Hebron about 1912.
60
Hebron's 4-H Clubs Because 4-H work was carried on, as it is now, in conjunction with the schools, it seems that information about the part that 4-H played in the lives of Hebron students should be told here. World Book Encyclopedia tells us that the club movement for boys and girls on farms began about 1900 in Illinois. In 1902, a "Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Club" was organized in Ohio. It became a state organization by 1905. The U.S. Department of Agriculture took an interest and appointed leaders to organize boys' and girls' agricultural clubs. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 provided for a national program of clubs. In the 1920's the name was changed to Boys' and Girls' 4-H Clubs. The first mention I found of 4-H work in the Hebron district was January, 1931, when the Hebron Poultry Club was organized under the leadership of E.J. Edwards. Members present were Frank and Charlie Clark, Ivan Patten, and Mr. Edwards' children, Lucy, Eunice, and Nathan. The next year another club began. This time it was a health club, Hebron's Healthy Happy 4-H Club. The president was Frank Clark; vice-president and reporter, Edna Johnson; secretary, Zyla LaBlue; yell and song leader, Charlie Clark. Other members of the club were Evelyn White, Leveita Clark, Marie Gilham, Delores Culver, Robert Clark, Fred Losee, LaVerne Ewing, and Hubert White. This was in December, 1932. The county club agent visited the school at this time and presented pins to the pupils completing one year of club work, and certificates to those completing two years. This would seem to indicate that there was a 4-H club before the first record I found; but I made another search of old newspapers and could not find a reference to another club organization. Other references I found to Hebron 4-H clubs were: March, 1933-- a health club. Leveita Clark, Evelyn White and Marie Gilham demonstrated the proper method of brushing teeth. October, 1934-- Mrs. Maybelle Newton organized a 4-H cooking club at school. Miss Georgia Clark was the leader. The president was Winona Abeene; vicepresident, Marie Gilham; and secretary, Evelyn White. About four months later, Miss Clark moved to Gowdyville. Mrs. George Kebelbeck took the leadership of this Kitchen Krew Cooking Club. I remember the tea Mrs. Kebelbeck helped us give at her home for our mothers in March, 1935. On the last day of school in May, 1935, there was a 4-H program with the county club agent present. We showed off our cooking skills. The names of the prize-winners were published as follows: Cakes: Marie Gilham, first; Winona Abeene, second; Carolyn Kebelbeck, third; Evelyn Abeene and Edna Johnson, honorable mention. Salads: Leveita Clark, first; Edna Johnson, second; Marie Gilham, third; Evelyn White and Carolyn Kebelbeck, honorable mention. June, 1935-- A 4-H sewing club, the Sew and So, was organized with Lucy Edwards as leader. Officers were Bernice Patten, president; Eunice Edwards, vice-president; Winona Abeene, secretary. The New Deal, 4-H poultry club, met with the leader, Eunice Edwards. November, 1935-- The county club agent presented the following awards: first year pins: Carolyn Kebelbeck, Allen Abeene, Paul Doran, Gus Richardson, Ira Richardson; second year pins: Victor Doolittle; third year pins: Evelyn Abeene, Evelyn White, Robert Clark, Hubert White; fourth year certificates: Leveita Clark, Winona Abeene, Marie Gilham, Edna Johnson (graduated last year); fifth year pin : Nathan Edwards. February, 1936-- The Sunshine Sewing Club met at the Fred Patten home. A short 61
program was given by Bernice Patten and Evelyn Abeene. February, 1936-- A 4-H camp cookery club, with Bernice Patten as leader, was organized. Officers elected were: president, Ivan Patten; vice-president, Nathan Edwards; secretary, Evelyn Abeene; news reporter, Eunice Edwards. Other members were Lucy Edwards and Winona Abeene. At the next meeting the club was named the Jolly Hikers' Camp Cookery Club. Six new members joined: Donna, Dale, Victor, and Vernon Doolittle; Robert and Leveita Clark. March, 1936-- Hebron Poultry Club officers were elected as follows: president, Charles Clark; vice-president, Carolyn Kebelbeck; secretary, Ivan Patten; yell and song leader, Nathan Edwards; program committee, Carolyn Kebelbeck, Nathan and Eunice Edwards. March, 1936-- The Sunshine Sewing Club met and chose the cast for a play, "The Ghost Chaser." Those selected were Eunice Edwards, Ivan Patten, Effie Richardson, Evelyn Abeene, Nathan Edwards, Charlie Clark, and Lucy Edwards. March, 1936-- Two new members, Norma Dugan and Maxine Wilson, joined the Jolly Hikers' Camp Cookery Club, bringing the membership to 18. May, 1936-- The poultry club was named, "The Hebron Feather Duster Poultry Club". June, 1936-- Bernice and Ivan Patten; Lucy, Eunice, and Nathan Edwards; Evelyn Abeene; Marie Gilham; Leveita Clark, and Effie Richardson went to Corvallis to attend 4-H summer school for two weeks. August, 1936--Bernice Patten took her 4-H camp cookery club to Rujada camp ground for a 3 day campout. April, 1939--Mrs. Lois Abeene took the 4-H clubbers to Eugene where George Hopper received honorable mention for writing on marketing. Other members were Richard Marcy, Victor Doolittle, and Allen Abeene. April, 1940-- I quote the SENTINEL: "The Junior Jolly workers, which is the girls' 4-H club of Hebron, are making excellent progress in their work. Shirley LaBlue, Laurabel Gilham, Donna Doolittle, Maxine Wilson, Gladys Simons and Marianne Abeene of the second year group have completed dishtowels, pot holders and aprons. Two dresses are finished and the other four are ready to be hemmed. The group, quite experienced in mending their own hose, will make short work of their last problem, a stocking darn. Juanita Marcy, the only member taking first year work, has completed a stenciled luncheon cloth, handbag and a pincushion, having progressed nicely. Other club features enjoyed by the girls are business meetings, programs, games and refreshments. Several members plan on entering the achievement exhibit in Eugene, with all work and record books completed by May 8, 1940." The Junior Jolly workers gave a surprise birthday party honoring Mrs. Add Heath and Miss Katie Barkemeyer. The hostesses were Laurabel Gilham, Shirley LaBlue, and Marianne Abeene. Other club members present were Donna Doolittle, Maxine Watson, Gladys Simons, and Juanita Marcy.
62
The Cedar Creek School Lela Kelley Perini McKay, a lifelong friend whose ancestors, the Kelleys and Winecoffs, played important roles in the Cedar Creek School, was kind enough to tell me a great deal about the school. I also researched old newspapers and old school and school board records for information. I found records of labor, materials and money contributed to the school by Cedar Creek residents. In those records I found the school was called Fern Ridge. The school district, No.49, was established January 17, 1880. It was composed of bits of London District #75 and Hebron District #50. The new school was more convenient for those students who lived in the Cedar Creek area. The other two schools were located some distance away. The legal voters of District No. 49 elected three directors: G.W. Kelley, S.C. McCoy, and E.B. Whited. The elected clerk was J. S. Douglas. At that first meeting of the Board of Directors on February 10, 1880 they agreed to find a suitable site for a school house. At the first annual meeting, March 1, 1880, the location was accepted and a committee of one appointed to secure material to build a school house. However, it was not until 1885 or 1886 that the school house was actually built. At the March, 1885 meeting, a committee was again ordered to secure material for building. At the March, 1886 meeting, a committee was appointed to rent a stove; and another committee was to secure material to seal overhead in the school house. However, school began for Cedar Creek youngsters before the school house was built. On October 24, 1884 the school board paid Olive Shortridge, a daughter of James and Amelia Shortridge of Hebron, the sum of $15. Olive was about 18 years old. On December 24, the board paid Olive $45, presumably for teaching the children. Calvin F. Davis, in an excellent, well-researched article, "The History of Cedar Creek School", said the first school may have been held in a private home, possibly the Cathcart residence. I agree with this, especially since I found that the school board made a payment to the Cathcarts in April, 1885. In the spring of 1885 Olive's sister, Alice Shortridge, took over the teaching chores. She taught until she married James Langdon June 21, 1885. Married women weren't allowed to teach. I don't believe this was true of married men. Alice was paid $24 per month. Following is a list of other teachers and their monthly salaries: The Cedar Creek (or Fern Ridge) school was probably first used in the spring of 1886 with A.S. Powell as teacher. His monthly salary was $22. Spring, 1887 through Spring, 1888 Myra Cathcart taught. Her salary began at $25, but was raised to $30. Then came: Spring, 1889 Bernice McDole $27 Spring, 1890 Lizzie Baughman 35 Fall, 1890 Ida Burch 20 Spring, 1891 Della Kingsley 35 Spring, 1892 Sarah McCoy 35 Spring, 1893 Sarah McCoy 35 Fall, 1894 Sarah McCoy 35 63
Spring, 1895 Nena Kennedy 25 Fall, 1895 Addie McDole 35 Spring, 1896 Olive Owen 26 Spring, 1897 Nellie Mulkey 25 Fall, 1897 Nellie Mulkey 27 Spring, 1898 Mollie Winecoff 25 >Attended the school as Fall, 1898 Mollie Winecoff 25 a child. Spring, 1899 Ethel Taylor 35 Fall, 1899 Ethel Taylor 30 Spring, 1900 Ethel Taylor & Carolena Blume 30 (two teachers) Spring, 1901 Carolena (Lena) Blume 30 Fall, 1901 Carolena Blume 30 In the spring of 1902 Ethel Taylor had only three students: Mabel, Myrtle, and Ada Whitlock. A special meeting of the school board was called on November 13, 1902 to decide what to do with the district property. They decided to sell the remaining wood and to board up the windows of the school house. An article written by Evelina Roby described the Cedar Creek school as a log house. That is probably correct. According to Mr. Davis, the most students ever attending the Cedar Creek school was 21 when Ethel Taylor was the teacher in the spring of 1899. The June 30, 1899 issue of the BOHEMIA NUGGET said, "A very successful term of school taught by Miss Ethel Taylor of Hebron, closed June 23. A short but interesting program was rendered by the pupils." On March 4, 1901 the school board voted to build a "water closet" (toilet) at once. In July, an order was signed for $2.50 to be paid to W.L. Edwards for lumber, nails, and hinges for a water closet. I don't know whether it was ever built. The first mention I had found of the project was about 3 1/2 years earlier when the board voted at a special meeting, "to build a water closet 5 x 6 x 8 in a box form." The school house was probably in use about 17 years, beginning with the spring of 1886 through the spring of 1902. Oh yes, I found it interesting that in 1899 and 1900 children were graded on "morals and manners". How times have changed! The county had begun allotting apportionments for district #49 in June of 1880, four years before Mr. Davis or I found mention of a school; so there must have been some kind of schooling in the area before 1884. It seems unlikely that the county would allot funds when no school existed. A list of apportionments found in the EUGENE CITY GUARD follows: Each was listed for district # 49: June 12, 1880 J.S. Douglas, clerk County $30.60 March 26, 1881 " " 28.90 March 25, 1882 (no clerk listed) 24.50 June 9, 1883 E.A. Bishop, clerk 13.92 July 28, 1883 " " 8.40 June 24, 1884 E.B. Whited, clerk 19.44 April 25, 1885 E.B. Whited, clerk # pupils 13 77.30 April 24, 1886 " " 13 65.60 April 23, 1887 " " 25 95.00 64
April 28, 1888 " " 19 91.42 Sept. 1,1888 " " 19 40.28 April 27, 1889 " " 15 86.00 April 26, 1890 " " 22 109.40 August 30, 1890 " " 22 State 31.90 15.40 May 2, 1891 H.D. Whitlock, clerk 20 84.00 March 19, 1892 (not mentioned in article) August 27, 1892 H.D. Whitlock, clerk 17 24.65 12.24 Sept. 2, 1893 " " 17 11.90 18.70 April 28, 1894 " " 14 104.18 March 16, 1895 School report-- District No. 49, for the month ending Mar. 1, 1895: Boys enrolled, 7; girls, 8; total, 15; days taught, 20; days attendance, 233; days absence, 16; average daily attendance, 11; average number belonging, 12; visitors, 7. Pupils neither absent nor tardy: Jesse Dewitt, Frank Kelly, Arthur Whitlock, Mabel Whitlock, Rena Kelly, Mary, Emma, and Jessie Winecoff, and Edell Adams. Miss Nena Kennady, Teacher. 1896 May 11, 1897 94.00 July 16, 1897 Dist. #49 Taxable property $4,760.00 I will list here most of the men who served on the Fern Ridge School Board in the years following the formation of District No. 49 in 1880. (Please note, I said "men". I found no mention of women.) Parts of records were missing for 1894 through 1897. Those names I found are: George W. Kelley, S.C. McCoy, E.B. Whited, J.S. Douglas, F.M. Kelley, C.T. Miller, E.A. Bishop, John Miller, O.A. Bemis, C.H. Winecoff, A.A. Kelley, A.A. Kerns (sp.?), B.F. Adams, H.D. Whitlock, J.P. DeWitt, J.E. Chandler, and Wm. L. Edwards. I don't have the names of all the children attending the school, but will give here the names of those I found. 1887: Alvin, Edwin, Lyman, and Dell Adams, children of B.F. Adams. Minnie, Mary, Hiram, Lewis, and Anna Whited, children of E.B. Whited. Raymond, Lizzie, Aaron, and Rena Kelley, children of G.W. Kelley. Gertie Bemis, daughter of Orville A. Bemis. Mollie Winecoff, daughter of C.H. Winecoff. 1888: These were missing: Alvin and Edwin Adams, Minnie Whited. These were added: Frankie Kelley, son of G.W. Kelley. Willie Ruscher, son of John B. Ruscher. Ida and George Cathcart, children of Edward D. Cathcart. 1889: These were missing: Mary Whited, Dell Adams, Gertie Bemis, and Ida and George Cathcart. These were added: Stella and Della (Estella and Edell) Adams, children of B.F. Adams. Laura, Martha, and Jesse DeWitt, children of J.P. DeWitt. Emma and Jessie Winecoff, daughters of C.H. Winecoff. 1890: These were missing: 65
Raymond and Aaron Kelley, and Hiram Whited. These were added: Emil Adams, son of B.F. Adams. May McCoy, daughter of S.C. McCoy (?). 1891: Arthur Whitlock, son of H.D. Whitlock, was added. 1892: Missing was: Stella Adams, Annie and Lewis Whited. Added were: Winnifred Turpin, son of Edwin K. Turpin. Mabel Whitlock (5), daughter of H.D. Whitlock. 1893: Missing were: Lyman Adams, Willie Ruscher, and Laura and Martha DeWitt. Added was: Herbert Adams (4), son of B.F. Adams. 1894: Added were: Perry and Lee Hubbard, sons of D. Hubbard. 1895: Added were: Myrtle Whitlock, daughter of H.D. Whitlock. Charlie and Grace Whitlock, children of C.S. Whitlock. Clara Geer, daughter of Levi Geer. 1896: Missing were: Rena Kelley, Perry and Lee Hubbard, Clara Geer, and Charlie and Grace Whitlock. 1897: Missing were: Amil, Herbie, and Della Adams, and Jesse DeWitt. Added were: Charlie, Guy, and Grace Whitlock. Charles and Nina Chandler (in May), and Arthur, Cora, and Ralph Chandler (in Sept.). The Chandlers were the children of Julian E. Chandler. Bessie and Mina Mulkey (in May), and Frank Mulkey (in Sept.). I believe the Mulkeys were the children of A.H. Mulkey. 1898: Missing were: Arthur Chandler, Charlie, Guy, and Grace Whitlock; and Bessie, Mina, and Frank Mulkey. Added were: Johnny, Percy, Julia, and Rose Edwards, children of Wm. L. Edwards. Walter Lacky, son of R.E. Lacky. 1899: Missing were: Jessie Winecoff and Walter Lacky. Added were: Mary Edwards Perry, Lee, Mary, and Lucy Hubbard Gertrude Davenport, daughter of A. Davenport. Pearl and Jesse Warner, children of J.B. Warner. 1900: Missing were: Johnny Edwards, Mary and Lucy Hubbard, Gertrude Davenport; and Pearl and Jesse Warner. Added were: Ada Whitlock Arthur and Earl Woodring, children of Mrs. Dan Beck. Jessie Winecoff had returned. 66
1901: Missing were: Ralph Chandler, Arthur Whitlock, Julia Edwards, Arthur and Earl Woodring. Perry and Lee Hubbard had returned. 1902: Only the Whitlocks remained. Because many of the children from Cedar Creek and all of those from Woodard's Camp A attended London School, I include here some London school news items, naming only those from the two areas: May, 1924 Passing 8th grade exams: Virginia Ada Gilham. Oct., 1924 "The London school is to be the first in this section to provide transportation to and from school for the pupils." A new bus was purchased. Mrs. Frank Thorn was hired to drive. June, 1925 "It was voted to discontinue the grades above the eighth. The school bus will be maintained another year." Sept., 1925 "Several school children narrowly escaped death Thursday evening when the automobile bus in which they were passengers left the Cedar Creek road and upset when a blowout of a front tire caused the driver, Elmer Berggren, to lose control of the machine." Several of the children were scratched. Oct., 1925 "At the London school 39 pupils are enrolled in the lower grades and 23 in the upper. Practically all these pupils are transported to and from school." Apr., 1926 Two sewing clubs organized at London school were led by Myrtle Gilham. Sept., 1926 Elmer Berggren was hired to drive school bus again. Aug., 1927 Miss Dorothy Abeene awarded contract to drive school bus for district 75. Mar., 1928 Six weeks honor students at London school included: 8th grade, Otto Perini, Elsie Perry; 6th grade, Edna Cherry, Vera Gilham; 5th grade, Clark Woodard. June, 1929 Graduate, Clinton Geer; Passed Geography, Vera Gilham; Passed Physiology, Laila Clark, Thelma Perini, Clark Woodard, Olive Doney, and James Easley. Students neither absent nor tardy during past year: Marguerite Brookhart, Vera Gilham, Howard Geer, Laila Clark, and Alvin Dugan. June, 1929 Mrs. John Martin of Camp A organized a sewing club for girls over 8. The Happy Hours 4-H club (later Jolly Workers) will meet with Mrs. Leon Morton at Camp A. Dec., 1929 Mrs. Frankie Thorn was substitute school bus driver while Mrs. Bailey's family was sick. June, 1930 Edna Cherry, Vera Gilham, and Viola Rhode were the 8th grade graduates at London. Sept.,1930 Mrs. Emma Bailes drove the school bus. May, 1932 Four graduates of London school included Asa Clark, Robert Cherry, and Marguerite Brookhart. May, 1933 There were four graduates, Christine Hooker, Arden Powell, Oswald Perini, and Roy Geer. Oswald read the class history; Roy read the class will; ;and Christine, the class prophecy. Oct., 1933 The girls of London school enrolled in 4-H cooking and sewing clubs under the direction of Miss Myrtle Gilham. Nov., 1934 A cooking club, Pantry Playmates, was led by Mrs. Morton who also instructed in home management and room improvement. June, 1935 London graduates included Jacie Morton, Frances Ellsworth, Alvin Dugan, and Esther Raisor. Jacie was valedictorian.. June, 1937 Graduation exercises included address of welcome , Lloyd Gilham; 67
Salutatorian, Maxine Ewing; Piano solo, Marjorie Woodard, who also had part of the class history; class prophecy, George Dugan; and Poem, Merwin Perini. June, 1939 Graduates included Lois Tullar, Phelan LaBlue, Raymond Perini, Armin Ward, Leonard Raisor, and Harold Geer. The school closed with a picnic at the school. June, 1940 Graduates included Eva Hopman, Bessie Raisor and Donald Ewing. Frank Geer, chairman of the school board, presented the diplomas. I may have unintentionally omitted some names who had at some time lived in Camp A or on Cedar Creek.
68
CHAPTER VIII THE HEBRON MEN AND THEIR WORK I'm not forgetting the women and their great contribution to opening the Hebron area for settlement. However, other than their work as school teachers, which has been noted, there was little public notice given to the tireless work of the women. However, I did find an article written by Lillian Taylor in September, 1934 which gave an account of some of the chores performed by the women: After the men butchered the hogs "the housewife had to muster her corps of helpers to cut and grind the sausage and cut and render the lard. To fill the new, shining lard pails with a good product for the country stores was no small responsibility for those who did the rendering, as scorched lard or a poor grade might not be salable. Large orchards were common in the 80's....The housewife had to marshal her helpers to the orchard, set them to shaking down fruit, place scaffolds properly, set up 3 or 4 peelers and keep all hands busy.....Then there was goose-picking day when the feathers had to be ripe. At a certain period of the pioneer days a feather bed was worth about $50. A cow and a bed were the same price. Wool picking demanded willing fingers and first the wool had to be washed. Spinning and knitting was still common in the 80's. Mattresses and comforts were made of wool. Some housewives dyed the wool for socks. Dyes for carpets were madder, cochineal, copperas, lichen, willow. The lichen was favored for dying yarn, and some housewives.....prized the wool of a black sheep. Cider was used in various ways, apple butter and pumpkin butter requiring cider. The winter's store of supplies in the 80's included dried pumpkin, hominy, dried corn, sealed fruit, jams, jellies, pickles, preserves, sauerkraut, dried fruits, etc." For many years paying jobs for men were very scarce in this area; and the wages were very low. When white settlers first arrived, they traded work and helped one another. Very little money changed hands as they established their homes and farms. Teams and drivers were hired to haul provisions and to build roads. Those who had enough money hired men to cut brush by hand, to clear fields, and to plow those fields. If you have not done this kind of work, you have no idea how hard it is to use the simplest of tools, one's own hands and a team of horses to clear and "break" a piece of virgin soil. Both men and horses were harshly tested. Plows caught on rocks and roots that often had to be dug out by hand before the teams could proceed. Fence posts were cut by hand, holes were dug by hand, and wire was stretched by hand. Many a hand has been horribly torn when a fence wire broke as it was being stretched. Once the fields were ready, hay and grain, orchards and gardens were planted. My re-search led to some amazing facts concerning the quantity of crops raised in the little valley of Carpus Prairie, later Hebron. Of course, the land was new and the frequent flooding of the river brought silt onto the fields creating what was spoken of as "good river-bottom soil". When Mr. and Mrs. James Shortridge arrived in the valley in the spring of 1853, they found the future sight of Cottage Grove "covered with grass higher than the backs of their horses." I found other mention of this prairie grass along with the statement that it has long been extinct. The Shortridges came south into the Hebron area, bringing with them, nothing but a yoke of oxen, a pony, and 75 cents (then called "six bits"). Of course, this was in addition to necessary food and clothing. One of their first acts that spring was to plant a garden in that rich soil. The orchard they planted evidently thrived. The October 11, 69
1890 EUGENE CITY GUARD said that the Shortridges took honors on several varieties of fruit at the Lane County fair held at Cottage Grove. In 1913 the SENTINEL announced that the fertile soil on the Mike Kebelbeck place produced four tons of oat hay to the acre. The next year C.C. Gilham got 25 bushels of wheat to the acre. The Kebelbecks were good farmers, caring for the soil. In 1921 the paper tells us they got five tons of hay per acre, 24 bushels of wheat per acre, and 54 bushels of oats per acre. By 1929 they had raised these figures to over 40 bushels of wheat and over 60 bushels of oats. A May 8, 1918 item said W.P. Huff's baler "baled hay on the George Taylor place last week. George Taylor sold 15 tons of hay last week that brought in $300." W.P. Huff was my great grandfather who resided in Cottage Grove. Because the hay was baled so early in the spring, I believe it was probably grass hay. It seems to me that $20 per ton was a huge price to pay at that time. As soon as the first crops were ready for harvest, there was need for haying and threshing crews Even then, work was often traded between farms. Neighbors also helped neighbors. In February, 1916, when John Young had been ill for six months, 14 men with teams, plows, harrows, and a drill, went to John's ranch and plowed and seeded about twelve acres. Those men included: William Mayben, J.A. Powell, Robert Herring, Norval Powell, Fred Fuhrer, and John Kebelbeck. I don't remember reading or hearing of a grist mill existing in the Hebron area, although many of the individual farmers eventually owned hammer mills used to crack grain for flour, or corn for cornmeal. A grist mill was built in Cottage Grove in 1857. About 1865 by husband's great grandfather, Samuel Geer, built a grist mill at London. Thereafter, the problem of Hebron farmers was to get their harvested grain to a grist mill. If they didn't have enough money to pay the mill owner to grind their grain, they often traded some of the grain for the grinding. The November 21, 1921 newspaper told us that Long's flour mill in Cottage Grove had "turned out its first batch of flour Saturday". Messrs. Veatch and Stone's new grist mill was under construction. The paper added, "There will be no necessity of shipping any more wheat out of this place, for two large flouring mills will turn out quite a number of barrels per day." The Veatch and Stone flour mill began operating in February, 1892. Although the settlers cut trees to build houses and barns, it doesn't appear that lumber mills were built in the area until 1867. A mill existed at Dorena as early as 1853; but it was too far to haul timber from Carpus Prairie. Then the Hazelton mill was built west of Cottage Grove. It, too, was almost out of reach for local settlers who had to travel over rough trails and ford a river to reach Cottage Grove. Finally, in 1867, Wm. M. Whitney, whose Donation Land Claim was on the east side of Carpus Prairie, built a mill on his property. In that same year another mill was built by Wm. Payne, whose Donation Land Claim was also in Carpus Prairie; but Mr. Payne's mill was located near the present-day site of the London Mini Mart. This mill would be purchased in 1872 by my mother's step-grandfather, Phillip Numbers, and would be known as the Numbers Mill. Both the Whitney and Numbers mills were within the reach of the residents of Carpus Prairie. Now logging was begun in earnest to supply these mills. My maternal grandfather, Robert Lacky, moved with his mother and step-father, to the old Numbers house near the mill in 1874. He learned to drive a logging team of oxen when he was only a boy. 70
My dad, Archie Gilham, arrived with his parents in this area in 1907 at age 14. That fall he went to work on Cedar Creek greasing skids and pulling dogs out of logs. A dog was a metal hook driven into a log so the horse team could pull the log. Dad remembered seeing a team of oxen logging not far from the present-day London school site. My mother, Clara Lacky Gilham, born in 1894 in the old Numbers house, did not remember seeing the oxen work; but she did remember watching the men and teams chute logs as I have described in my earlier book, "Four Score Years in Oregon," written about my parents. More work was now available; but wages were very, very low. Grandpa Lacky once worked for 50 cents a day--not 50 cents in cash, but 50 cents in trade at a store. The days were long and the work was hard. Some time after my parents were married in December, 1912, Dad rode horseback twice a day to the Taylor girls' home at Hebron to do their chores. The round-trip distance was six miles or more. The pay was 20 cents a day. Dad and his brother, Chet Gilham, fell big old many-limbed fir trees by hand, cut them into four foot lengths, split the chunks and corded (stacked) them. The men received $1 per cord. A cord of wood is a stack 8 foot long, 4 foot wide, and 4 foot high. The wood was sold to the Cottage Grove High School. There were many log and tie drives down the Coast Fork River through this little valley. The first newspaper reference I found to these drives was in March, 1883 when 13,000 ties were taken out of the river at Latham. The last reference I found was January, 1919. My dad, an old-time logger and "river rat", who had participated in many of the log and tie drives, guessed that the last drive was about 1920. When the men worked the river, their calked shoes never dried out. They worked in the water about 10 hours a day, let the shoes set overnight, then got up and put their feet back into those wet shoes for another day. They paid a big price for the shoes which only lasted about three months. It took about ten or twelve days' work to pay for the shoes. Since there were no clothes dryers back in those days, I imagine the men often put on wet clothes to return to work in the morning. Dad and his brother, Chet, often told of the time they helped drive half a million board feet of logs at one time. Another time they contracted a drive of 20,000 ties. In the fall of 1918 roads and trucks had improved enough that it was possible, and probably more profitable, to truck many of the logs, piling, and ties. An era had ended. In May, 1979, Jim Farnell interviewed Dad on the feasibility of moving logs, ties, etc. via the Coast Fork River. I was there with my tape recorder. Dad lived .8 mile north of the Cedar Creek road on the west side of the Cottage Grove Lake. I include here part of that interview: Jim: "How old are you?" Archie: "86" Jim: "Do you remember how old you were when you started driving logs on the Coast Fork?" Archie: "I went into the logging camp business when I was 14 years old. (1907). I went up on Cedar Creek and started logging. We were putting them in the river up here to drive. We drove lots and lots of logs, and lots of piling and ties. As near as I know now, I am the only one left who ever drove the river." Jim: "What company did you work for?" Archie: "Joshua Rouse had the logging (contract) for A.L. Woodard..... His (Woodard's) 71
mill was at Latham. We were logging up here. They had a little 7 x 9 steam donkey; and they had three four-horse teams pulling the logs down to the river and we had a rollway just about a mile above here (south). Of course, then we had sluice dams in the river. There were three or four on the river at that time. Even in the summer time when the water was low, we'd have the dams full, then we'd sluice the logs down and drive to Latham.... We worked the year around." Jim: "Did you have to use the dams all the time?" Archie: "No. In the winter time the water was high enough. Sometimes the water would be high enough that we had to have pretty good booms to hold the logs...." Jim: "Do you remember how high up on the Coast Fork did they drive from?" Archie: "Well now, this bunch of logs were going in down here at Latham. They went that way from here clear up to where we had another dam. There was another mill up above. Anything that came in (to the river) below that, we always drove to Latham. Anything put in above that, and there were lots of logs put in above, always went to the Shortridge mill." Jim: "That was this side of London, was it ?" Archie: "Yes.....Then if you go on up the river, the old Rouse mill had a dam that we couldn't run logs through; so the logs from above there came down to the Rouse mill..." Jim: "Do you know how high up they ran logs to the Rouse mill from?" Archie: "Yes, from way up in the Cougar Bend country. They drove logs from what they called the Shortridge Homestead, way up high on the Coast Fork River. They were getting pretty well back in the hills when they quit driving logs down that river." Jim: "Could they drive any of that area from Cougar Bend down with the natural flow?" Archie: "Oh yes, that river got big sometimes.....On the Little River up there was a dam.....There was a shingle mill up there and we cut shingle bolts and drove them down the river to the shingle mill (from) clear up to Black Butte......There was a mill right near where the London store used to be-- right up the hill from that. That was the Stapleton mill. It changed hands several times. There was another mill about a mile above London. They had a flume coming in to the river. From it they put ties into the river. We drove lots of their ties." Jim: "How far did the ties go?" Archie: "Down here to Latham. We loaded them there at Latham on the train." Jim: "Did any of these drives go below Latham? Did any of them go down to Cottage Grove? Archie: "Not into the town. The logs went to the Chambers Mill this side of town." Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose L. Woodard and family came to Cottage Grove from Illinois in 1900. In an interview conducted in 1955 and published in the SENTINEL, Mr. Woodard, age 97, said he built a sawmill located about eight miles up the Coast Fork about 1918 (the actual year was 1917) and sold it to his son, Walter A. Woodard, in 1920. The mill was located a short distance south of the bridge at the south end of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake, but on the west side of the river. Incidentally, both Ambrose and son, Walter, were known in the community by their initials: A.L. and W.A.. Annabelle Gilcrist Hersey said the Harvey Taylors sold the Camp A land to Mr. Woodard. The Hebron news column of the February 20, 1920 SENTINEL said, "The Woodard sawmill at London (it was located in the London district but was 2.8 miles north of the 72
London store and church) has been sold to eastern capitalists who, it is understood, intend to invest heavily in the mill business here in case this investment proves successful. Walter Woodard will have charge of the mill." An article published in 1992 said W.A. Woodard founded the mill in 1925. The first mill was known as Camp A. In March, 1925 a Camp B sawmill was put into operation. It was located on the west side of the valley in the Hebron area. A Hebron item said Mr. Woodard had intended to operate both mills but, because of market conditions, he shut down Camp A and transferred that crew to Camp B. Each of the Woodard mills had a capacity of 75,000 to 80,000 board feet. A London news item at the same time attributed the move to Camp B to the fact that Woodard had finished logging the west side of Camp A. In August, 1925 the Walter A. Woodard mill was reorganized. It became the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company, with a capital stock of a million dollars. Fred W. Bradley of Bay City, Michigan was the president. Walter A. Woodard, who had been in charge of the business since it began, was vice-president and treasurer. Roy Leonard was secretary. The Camp A mill was connected by an eight mile long flume to the railroad line at Latham. The flume, completed in January, 1923, was said to be the largest project of its kind ever attempted in this area; and probably the largest anywhere. The flume itself used a million feet of lumber, with another half million feet in its twenty bridges, and still another 100,000 feet in the docks. I wrote of the method and type of construction in my earlier book, "Four Score Years in Oregon". According to the SENTINEL, the mill at Latham with the resaws, planer, and dry kiln, had not yet been built when the flume was completed in January, 1923; but it was in use when the SENTINEL reported plans for Camp B in March, 1924. Rough lumber was being floated from Camp A to the finishing plant at Latham. The flume would serve as a lumber carrier for more than 17 years, and would provide work for several men. The flume would occasionally break down somewhere along its eight mile length. At such times the mill would have to be shut down until the flume was repaired. A few of those who worked on the flume other than Archie Gilham and Roy Geer, were Earl Murry, Allan Markham, Sam Shortridge, Bill Losee, Archie Walker (a flume boss), Albert Hull, Albert Barkemeyer, George Kebelbeck,Jr., W.L. Black, Tunis Van Prooyen, and W.C. (Billie) Johnson. Tending flume was a lonely job. Mr. Black had an unusual experience when he came upon a cougar killing a goat near the N.W. White hay barn and not far from the main Black Butte road. This was in August, 1924. A 1928 item said, "W.C. (Billie) Johnson sustained a badly broken left leg Friday when he was knocked from the W.A. Woodard Lumber company's flume by a timber that jumped out of the flume. The accident occurred near the old Alfred White place. Mr. Johnson, who is flume boss, was alone and it was several hours after the accident before his calls for help were heard by Mrs. Losee, living a distance away. Mr. Johnson had crawled a distance in an effort to summon aid. Dr. A.W. Kime was called and with the aid of neighbors Mr. Johnson was taken to the road. First aid was administered and he was taken to a Eugene hospital. Both bones of the leg were fractured, the small bone in three places, and it probably will be three months before Mr. Johnson will be able to resume his work. It was believed that the timber that struck Mr. Johnson must have been in a small 73
jam and probably was struck by another timber that forced it out of the flume. It was an accident not likely to happen again probably during the life of the flume." Young people often walked the toe board of the flume, or even hitchhiked rides on the lumber, not realizing how fast the lumber floated toward the low bridges that crossed over the flume. A man could jump off the lumber, run across the bridge, and catch a ride again on the other side; but a youngster would probably be knocked off the lumber. About 1936 Nelda Merrell, who lived in the Cedar Creek area near the flume, was one young lady who had a narrow escape. Roy Geer spotted Nelda aboard some lumber that was rapidly approaching a bridge. With no time to spare, Roy snatched her to safety. Our neighbor, George Taylor, was elderly when, in March, 1938, he slipped on the flume toe board, receiving such severe injuries from a fall that he was taken to the Eugene Hospital for treatment. He suffered a broken collar bone and three broken ribs. My own dad, Archie Gilham, was seriously injured when he fell from a high section of the flume and landed on his back across a timber. My husband, Roy Geer, went to work as a flume walker in February, 1935. He recalls a couple of his experiences on the old flume. One time the mill sawed a big timber for a walking beam for an oil derrick. The timber was too wide to float in the flume; so Roy Geer and Ed Clark turned it up on edge, held it there, then walked beside it, holding it in that position, as it floated the eight miles to the finishing mill at Latham. When the men arrived at Latham, W.A. Woodard was waiting to pick the men up and haul them home in his car. Another time when Mr. Woodard drove Roy home was when Roy had escorted the last board of lumber that floated down the flume. Roy was to make certain that all the lumber was out of the flume to a spot well below the Cottage Grove Dam construction area. The crew of flume tenders would never again "walk their beats" sending the lumber on its way to the finishing mill. I want to return briefly to the story of Camp B. A railroad was built to connect the camp of Camp B with the sawmill and logging operations. Teams of horses were used to build the railroad grade. Two local men who lived near the camp, George and John Kebelbeck, were among those who helped build the railroad and were then employed at Camp B. A 1926 item said, "What was nearly a serious accident occurred at Camp B logging camp Friday when two wild logs came down the chute. One log left the chute just as it reached one donkey engine and hit a terrific blow, causing considerable damage. George Kebelbeck and George Cook, donkey jammer and fireman, narrowly escaped serious injury by running as they saw the logs coming." The reader will remember that Woodard closed Camp A in 1925 and took that crew to Camp B. Apparently Camp B was in operation for only about two years. In the spring of 1925 Mr. Woodard moved three donkey engines from Camp A to Camp B and put on a night shift at the Camp B mill, thus working two crews; but by Thanksgiving of that year, twenty men were laid off. By April, 1927 it was reported that the last load of lumber had been brought out and the mill would be moved to Camp A. The newspaper said, " The timber available for this mill was cut out some months ago." The machinery was to be brought out and the railroad up the mountain was to be removed. However, I was told that the mill burned up instead. I didn't find such a record in the newspaper, but I did find that there was a big fire burning in Woodard's cut-over land that August, 1927. 74
Now Mill A was "almost completely rebuilt" and was said to be one of the most modern and fastest mills of south Lane County. Several miles of railroad were built to reach timber on the east side of the valley. A trestle crossed the county road. The Woodard railroad did not go to town or to the main railway. It was simply a part of Woodard's woods-mill operations, transporting whatever was needed. Branch lines took it to the loading dock at the mill, a machinery storage area, a gravel pit, and the mill pond. Ties for the railroad tracks were cut at the mill, pulled out of the flume at the loading dock, put on the train and hauled to where needed to continue new track or repair the old. Work seemed to progress smoothly with only the usual shutdowns until May of 1931 when the woods were shut down and the mill would run only long enough to clean out the pond. Several men from Camp A went to Bradwood on the Columbia River to work in the mill in which Mr. Woodard had an interest. Men named as having gone to Bradwood to work included, in 1931, Jack Cherry, Roy Ewing, Harold and Ivan Abeene, Henry Hess, and Carl Plunkett. In January, 1932 Henry moved his family to Bradwood. In March, his brother-in-law, Claude Abeene, joined him there. In March, 1933 Roy Ewing and Art Dugan were at Bradwood. Finally, in May, 1933, the SENTINEL announced " The most cheering news Cottage Grove has received in a long time is that the big plant of the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company is to soon resume operations..... The plant has been down most of the time during the past two years.......Former employees of the mill here are to be given preference in employment....." W.A. Woodard was elected president of the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. That month Woodard's men began clearing off and repairing the logging railroad and clearing right-of-way for a railroad extension on Wilson Creek. As is true with all logging operations, the weather dictated the work schedule. After on again, off again work, the cutters were laid off in October, 1937 because of a slump in the lumber market. The mill was closed in November. About 4 1/2 years had passed since the last big layoff. In June, 1938, some of the buildings were being moved from Camp A to Black Butte for the logging crew to live in. I believe these were the old bunk houses from Camp A. I think this was when the logging was moved to Black Butte. The mill at Camp A was still in use. As newlyweds, my husband and I moved into one of Woodard's little camp cabins in the fall of 1939. Roy worked on the flume. His "beat" was where the lumber first came out of the mill on its way to Latham. Here the lumber had to be distributed so it would float freely in the flume and wouldn't cause a "jam". Some lumber was too heavy or too wet to float. These "sinkers" had to be "rafted" onto boards that would float. Later, Roy would work on the mill pond. Both jobs were within easy walking distance of our little cabin on the hill above. Let me try to describe Woodard's Camp A as I remember it. I have tried to draw a little sketch, not intended to be entirely accurate, but just to give the reader an idea of an earlier day mill camp. If the reader would like to locate the site, begin at the south end of the Cottage Grove Lake. Go south from the intersection of London Road and Cottage Grove Reservoir Road. There are two houses on your right. The first is where the Albert Woodard family lived. The second was once a two-story house where the W.A. 75
Woodard family resided. Just past W.A.'s house is where the mill bridge crossed the river. Continue on the main road to the seven mile post. Look across the river to see the remains of the old mill, the concrete boiler room. A short distance south of that was where the railroad trestle crossed the road. To see the boiler room from across the river, go north on the main London road to its junction with Weyerhaeuser's road. Go south on this road about 3/10 of a mile. Across the road from the Woodard homes there are five houses. These were Woodard's best camp houses. Some of the families we remember living there were Leon Morton, Roy Ewing, Arthur Dugan, Jack Cherry, Henry Rohde, Elvis Kelly, and Glen Crabb. I don't know whether the houses were owned by Woodard Lumber Company or whether some may have purchased their homes. The valley is very narrow at this point, with hills rising abruptly on both sides. The level ground where the mill, the big bonfire of mill scraps, bunkhouses, cookhouse, etc., were located, was not very wide. After crossing this area the road climbed sharply to where four east-west rows of workers' cabins were located. The cabins, too, were on a hillside. There was a steep wooden walk between the two rows of houses on the south side of camp. Our first home was on the east corner of the southern row. An open-front multiple garage was located nearby. We walked the rest of the way home on wooden walks. There may have been ten cabins on this side of camp and five or six on the north side. Perhaps there were not that many. Our cabin was tiny, probably 18' x 20', consisting of three rooms: living room, bedroom, and kitchen. It was at least 20 years old and had never been painted. The box style house was of rough lumber with worn wooden floors. Old building paper still clung to the walls but was loose in many places. When I swept it down, mice skeletons came tumbling out on the floor. No doubt they crept in there to die of poison. A wooden drainboard had open rough lumber shelves beneath it. I hung curtains in front of those shelves. Cold water was piped in to the sink. I heated water in the reservoir of a wood range. There was electricity-- such as it was. It had been installed about 3 1/2 years earlier. The lights in our cabin consisted of bare bulbs hanging from cords in the center of each room. There was a turn switch on the bulb base. I don't remember that there were outlets; but they may have been there. It was common practice in those days to unscrew the light bulb, screw an outlet into the light socket, then screw the bulb into a place provided on the outlet. Each cabin had its own little yard. A woodshed was attached to the back of the cabin to hold the wood we used for heat and for cooking. There was an outdoor toilet. I found an interesting article in the February, 1924 London news. It must have pertained to the big camp houses on the London Road. It certainly didn't pertain to the camp houses on the hill. The article read, "Present Day Mill Camps Modern. Changes in the conditions under which men work is well indicated by the fact that bathtubs are now being installed at the Walter A. Woodard camp. Kitchen sinks and other modern conveniences had been previously installed. Middle aged persons can remember when a mill camp with bathtubs would have been so high-toned that it would have scared the old-time lumberjack away." We often spent a summer evening sitting on the hillside near the road that ran up the hill to our camp house. We would watch the great hot bonfire that burned the waste from Woodard's mill. When the wood would fall down, there would be great showers of sparks rising high into the air. It was kind of a natural fireworks. Sometimes some 76
neighbors would join us. It was warm there, even on cool evenings. Now the big open bonfires are a thing of the past. We remained in Camp A, even after the other inhabitants had moved away. We even moved from our first little cabin to a larger 24' x 24' cabin on the north side of camp. Our first little cabin was torn down. The following newspaper article explains why: "August 29, 1940. The sawmill and flume of the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company are being torn down to make room for the Coast Fork dam. The mill was built by A.L. Woodard in 1917 and was sold to the present owner in 1920. At that time the mill had a capacity of 25,000 feet per day. The present company increased the capacity from 25,000 feet to 85,000; and in 1926 enlarged the mill to 125,000 feet per day. The mill has cut approximately 1/2 billion feet of timber. The company is now erecting a modern plant at Monett (Latham) which they expect to have operating by October 15." "December 26, 1940. The first test run of the new mill of the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company located at Monett.... was made Monday.... The new mill has been under construction for the past four months. It represents consolidation of the mill finisher and replaces the Woodard Lumber Company mill at London which was razed at the beginning of the transfer operations. Removal of the London mill was made necessary by the construction of the Cottage Grove dam. Logs are being hauled by truck from the Black Butte section, but later a new railroad running to the Black Butte section will probably serve the mill." The railroad never materialized as Woodard obtained a right-of-way to build a logging road on the west side of the Cottage Grove Lake. Woodard eventually sold out to Weyerhaeuser. Today the road is known as Weyerhaeuser Road. Roy and I were very involved in the last days of Camp A. As I have said, Roy walked the last lumber down the old flume. He also helped tear the flume down; then we used some of the big 2" x 12" planks as a sub-floor in the home we built in 1941. I think we were the last ones to move from the camp houses up on the hill. We moved from Camp A into our home on the west side of the Cottage Grove Lake on October 4, 1941. That is still our home more than 54 years later. A strange incident occurred during the last days of the old mill. When part of the machinery had been moved out of the mill it was decided that they needed a night watch-man. The boss asked Roy to spend nights at the mill. Since Roy had a new bride he wasn't anxious to take the job. "Well," said the boss, "How about us moving Marie down there, too?" We needed the money, so I said, "O.K." I had no idea what I was getting into. First, they washed the big boiler room down with the fire hose. They came to our cabin and carried our bed down the hill and into that boiler room. There was no door so a quilt was hung across the doorway for privacy (?). There was no electricity so we used a flashlight. Then the rains came. It poured and poured! Soon there was a big puddle under our bed. Then the puddle spread toward the doorway. When we lifted our "door" and shined the light in, we discovered that the only way to get on the bed without wading was to jump. Roy didn't want to take me with him on his watchman's rounds as there were several dangerous places in the old structure, especially since the machinery was being removed. Of course, the bed had drawn moisture from the damp air, and the weather was cold; but that wasn't the worst of it. Roy had to take our only light with him on his rounds. As soon as I was alone in the pitch black room, the rats began moving around, making bumping noises. The longer I was alone, the louder those noises sounded. Oh, I was glad when Roy came back and called out that it was 77
he. I hadn't even known what other person might be lurking around. That old boiler room is the same concrete building that is, today, the only visible remaining remnant of Camp A except for the camp houses on London Road. My own involvement with Camp A began years ago when, as a child, I helped my dad deliver milk to the camp residents, carrying heavy wire racks of bottles up the long steep walk and picking up the empties. I was nipped on my ankles many times by customers' dogs who, their owners assured me, "wouldn't bite". A special memory I have is of Woodard's Camp A cookhouse where the men who lived in the bunkhouses ate their meals. My memory is of Harry and Nellie Stump who came to the camp in the summer of 1924. They had their own little house near the cookhouse. We delivered milk to the cookhouse. Pa and Ma Stump, as these friendly folks were affectionately known, had no children of their own, but both seemed to love children. Pa Stump had been a chef in the U.S. Army during World War I. It was fun to watch him turn out great quantities of biscuits or pastries for the workers, always using both hands with amazing speed at the same time he visited with my dad. I was often privileged to take home a box of special goodies. I heard much praise of Pa Stump's cooking, but never a word against it. I don't know when the W.A. Woodard cookhouse opened. When my parents first began selling milk, January 1, 1924, the cookhouse was one of their customers. In the September, 1929 news I found that Marvis Sutherland of London went to work as a second cook in the cookhouse at Camp A. The last record I could find of milk sales to the cookhouse was April 22, 1931. I don't believe the old building was ever used again as a cookhouse. Mr. and Mrs. Stump continued purchasing milk for their own use until June 25, 1931. I found no more references to the Stumps until June 11, 1936 when the London news said, "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Stump have returned to Camp A after an absence of several months. Mr. and Mrs. Stump spent most of the time traveling." The Stumps purchased milk for brief periods in years 1937, '38, and '39. Then, on October 19, 1939, the London news said, "Mr. and Mrs. Stump have moved to Woodard's upper camp. That was the logging camp at Black Butte. My husband said they did not set up a cookhouse there. Harry Stump worked as the company timekeeper. Others I found mentioned as moving to the Black Butte camp in 1939 were Harry Garman and Lee Jenkins. Others I knew who lived there at some time were my brotherin-law Ralph Geer and family, the Paul Sullivan family, the Clifford Picknell and John Ware families, and Mr. and Mrs. Walt Boren. Among those mentioned as having moved to the Woodard mill while it was owned by A.L. Woodard were: October, 1917, Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Gilham, and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lacky who moved to the logging camp, and Melvin McKibben who moved to the mill but soon moved on to Latham. In April, 1919 Mr. and Mrs. Joe Abeene moved to the Woodard sawmill. Of course, there were many others. Lumber companies provided only sporadic employment in those days. My parents, the Gilhams, went to Tidewater, near the coast, about July, 1918. Dad worked at a fish hatchery there for a few months, but returned to this area and would work for the Woodards many times over the years. After W.A. Woodard took over the company in 1920 there were many people employed at both Camps A and B. I recently heard of a prank that was played at Camp A way back "in the good old days". Some kids who lived in the big camp houses on the main road got a big chain 78
from the mill, carried it up the hill to one of the long, multi-car garages, and chained the cars firmly in the garage. I'll bet some tempers flared! That was an old-fashioned time when we knew our neighbors, formed life-long friend-ships, and left our doors unlocked. Camp A was like a tiny town where summer evenings found neighbors visiting on porches and where winter nights meant card games, "home-made" music, and bowls of popcorn.
79
The Wiese Mill Another prominent mill of the area was the Wiese Brothers Mill on Cedar Creek. If you were to drive up Cedar Creek road today, you would find the approximate location about 2/10 mile from London road. The site was just south of Cedar Creek on the west side of the road. There were camp houses on the east side of the road. However, the Wiese Brothers were not the first owners. On July 10, 1919 M.V. Phillips and wife, Allie, took out a chattel mortgage on a sawmill and equipment south of Cottage Grove and a mortgage on the piece of property just south of where the mill would stand: The northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 5, Township 22, Range 3 W.WM. On January 20, 1920 the Phillips filed a certificate of assumed business name; The Phillips Lumber Company. The mortgages were paid off December 2, 1920. The first newspaper reference to the mill that I found was August, 1919 when a dance was held at the new sawmill on Cedar Creek. The next was when Mr. and Mrs. Judd Doolittle moved to the Phillips' sawmill at Cedar Creek in October, 1920. On January 24, 1921 Hebron news said, "M.V. Phillips sold four of his logging horses to a man in Eugene and is going to install a donkey engine in his logging camp." In 1921 leases and agreements were recorded from J.C. Finley and wife, Sarah, to M.V. Phillips and wife, Allie, involving property in both townships 21 and 22. Thirteen years later, in 1934, I found that M.V. Phillips and wife, Allie, gave a quit claim deed to Sarah Finley for $1 for tracts in townships 21 and 22. Was that to honor the "agreement" reached all those years earlier? Earl Murry said his brother, Roy, got his first job greasing skids for Phillips' Lumber Company when Roy was 14 years old. Roy was born June 18, 1907; so he worked for Mr. Phillips in 1921 or 1922. A July, 1922 item told us, "M.V. Phillips has resumed operations at his sawmill on Cedar Creek. Mrs. James Lemon and daughter, Inez , have gone out to the mill to run the cook-house." In February, 1922 R.J. Burley took out a chattel mortgage on "sawmill, including machinery, etc. with certain lease, etc." On August 3, 1922 R.J. Burley and M.V. Phillips and wife, Allie, filed articles of incorporation of the Burley-Phillips Lumber Company. Then, in January, 1923, the Wiese Brothers, who had been in the lumber industry at Blodgett, had recently purchased the Burley-Phillips timber and mill on Cedar Creek and started operations at once. "A new logging locomotive which, it is claimed, will easily haul two carloads of logs up a 35 per cent grade is being built by the Oregon Machinery Company of Eugene for the Wiese Lumber Company.... The device has a 50 horse power automobile engine as a power unit and works on a cable that is fastened at both ends of the track. The track may be of steel, timbers or poles. A set of four drums handle the lines, and a system of complicated gears controls the speed at which it operates. It does the work of an ordinary locomotive but operates on grades where a locomotive would be powerless. In 1923 the Wiese brothers and wives were E.R. and Susie, William E. and Ella A., Louis H. and Maude, and A.L. and Lila. At later dates, A.L. and Lila's names did not appear on documents. In May, 1937 we found that they deeded property in or near section 5, township 21, range 3 to W.E. Wiese, et al. In 1923 the Wiese Brothers purchased a great deal of property, presumably for 80
timber, mostly in township 21, sec.5. Some of the sellers were W.A. Woodard, H.D. Baughman, and J.A. Abeene. The Wiese Brothers mill used the Cedar Creek bridge to carry its lumber to market. As I have told in chapter one, the Wiese mill was unable to ship from October 31 to early December, 1924 when a flood washed the bridge out. However, the mill didn't shut down. Instead, it cut the large timbers for the bridge. In January, 1925 Mr. and Mrs. Jack Lemon moved to the Wiese sawmill. He had recently been discharged from the U.S. Navy. Mrs. Lemon had been living in Springfield with her mother, Mrs. J.S. McKay. A July, 1925 article mentioned Mrs. Merle Tillotson of the Wiese mill. I believe the Tillotsons had a little son. In March, 1925 the Wiese Brothers installed a Clyde donkey engine at their sawmill. Do you remember that when the Wiese Brothers purchased the mill they ordered a new locomotive? It evidently was very satisfactory, for when the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce visited the mill in September, 1925, they gave a glowing account. First they had to travel over about a mile of plank road as the main Black Butte road was then located where the east side of the Cottage Grove lake now lies. I think that mile of plank road must have unnerved the reporter; but , of the mill and logging equipment he wrote: "This is a 30,000 capacity plant and about 30 men are employed.....Will Wiese, one of the owners, is of an inventive turn of mind and the friction kicker or "nigger" that plays with the big sticks when they are being tumbled around on the carriage was designed and constructed by him. The "galloping goose" railway that runs two miles to the timber is also the product of his genius. It has been nick-named the "galloping goose" because the motor and logging cars seem to gallop as they move along on the rails that follow the contour of the ground. The track was laid as cheaply as possible and has never been ballasted. The result is that the grade has sunk in many spots and the ties have slipped around, taking the rails with them, but this has in no way impaired the efficiency of the road and the saws never have to wait upon the railway for logs. Motive power was provided by rigging up a Peerless automobile engine to operate two drums. Upon these drums winds and unwinds the stationary cable that extends the length of the railway and thus the motive power is provided. As a matter of fact the cable does not actually wind onto the drums. It would be nearer the fact to say that the drums run on the cable. The cable is wrapped around the drums four or five times to keep the cable from slipping as the drums roll along on it in pulling the logging train back and forth and the number of times the cable is wrapped around the drum remains the same at all times." When Wieses set their slash fires in July, 1926, they let them get out of control. They had to work very hard to save John Murry's barn which caught fire several times. About August 1 a terrible fire was reported. "James Lemon was severely burned and five buildings were destroyed in a fire early Monday morning at the Wiese Brothers mill on Cedar Creek. The flames started on the rear porch of the Lemon residence. A dog was tied on the porch and its cries aroused Mr. Lemon, who was burned in an unsuccessful attempt to save the dog, which was burned to death. The flames were communicated to the Will Wiese residence, another residence, the cook house and the office, all of which were destroyed. Most of the household goods were saved from the residences and all records of value were saved from the office. The fire started about 5 o'clock from an unknown cause. 81
Mr. Lemon was burned about the face, arms, hands and legs but his condition is not serious. Had it not been for Engineer Lockwood, who lives near the mill, the mill, lumber and all the buildings probably would have been destroyed. Dressed only in his night clothes he got up a full head of steam in a few minutes for the operation of the fire fighting equipment. There were some humorous incidents in connection with the fire. Earnie Heaton fell down with a sewing machine which he had carried from the Will Wiese house and it was smashed beyond further use. A.H. Bush had a stream of water turned on him while he went back into a house to rescue a suit of clothes." A November 30, 1926 article stated "Charles White sustained a broken ankle and several bruises while working in the woods for the Wiese Brothers Lumber Company. Arthur Bailes, an employee of the same company, was hurt Saturday and was taken to a Eugene hospital for an operation." A March, 1927 article: "Engineer Lockwood at the Wiese Brothers mill probably owes his life to the fact that William Wiese, seeing that the main shaft of the engine was about to break, got the machinery shut down in time to keep the engine from flying to pieces." The end of the Wiese mill on Cedar Creek came in the summer of 1927. The paper said, "The Wiese Brothers will complete sawing out their holdings in their present location by July 2 and will be down indefinitely. The company expects to continue operations in this district but a new location has not been secured." My parents' milk deliveries to Wiese's camp ceased in August, 1928. I think Wm. Wiese had left in January; but Louis Wiese stayed on. The following tragic story was reported in the December 12, 1927 newspaper: "The mill, lumber stock and yards of Wiese Brothers were endangered by fire Saturday evening which destroyed houses occupied by Louis Wiese and O'Brien Stowe. Nothing was saved from the Wiese house, but most of the household good were taken from the Stowe house." There is much more to this article. As in the other fire at Wiese Camp, a little dog burned to death, this time in the Louis Wiese house. Did the Wiese brothers continue in the logging and sawmill business elsewhere? I don't know. In May, 1937 they sold land in section 5, township 21 to W.A. Woodard Lumber Company.
82
Other Area Mills Little mills sprang up, sawed the available timber in their area, then either moved on or sold out their machinery. Two such mills were the Fred Patten mill near Fred's home in the north end of the Hebron district; and the Perini Brothers' mill north of the Mountain Springs near the old Coast Fork road. They will be discussed briefly in the Patten and Perini family outlines. I found only one brief mention, in a July, 1929 paper, of an "old sawmill operated by J.R. Ford during the war. "The sawmill was in Hebron. The war must have been World War I. Another mill that I know nothing of was the Hickey Mill which was located on the east side of the Coast Fork River on the Buker place. A Schneider mill was also operated somewhere in the Hebron area. I will discuss in another article my meager knowledge of this mill.
83
CHAPTER IX HEBRON ORGANIZATIONS Coast Fork Local No. 187 of the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America That name is quite a mouthful, isn't it? Better known as the Farmers' Union, it was probably the most popular organization every known in this valley. The national organization was founded in Texas in 1902. The Coast Fork local of the Farmers' Union was organized May 18, 1923 by H.C. Jackson. Mr. Jackson called a meeting at the Hebron school house to which several farmers came. Eleven men signed to start a local and another date was set for the following week. George Kebelbeck was appointed temporary chairman and Mrs. George Kappauf, temporary secretary. Mr. Kebelbeck got into his car and canvassed the length of the valley, asking his neighbors to come and hear about the Farmers' Union. Imagine Mr. Jackson's surprise when the meeting night arrived and the school house would not hold all the farmers who came. 103 members added their names to the membership roll. Mr. Kebelbeck served as chairman for two years. The local soon outgrew the school house. In October, 1923, the Coast Fork local of the Farmers' Union changed its meeting place to the Hebron church which was a larger building. The SENTINEL continues the story: "When after a time it became evident that a permanent home for more varied activities was needed it was Bob Powell, who was then vice-president, who instigated activities that resulted in the building of one of the finest Farmers' Union homes in Lane County. The materials for the hall were purchased; but the labor was donated. The cedar "shakes" for the roof were borrowed from a member and many days were spent dressing and preparing them. Members loaned money and took notes and many methods were resorted to earn money for payments, all the way from food sales to fair exhibits. In some cases, notes were canceled in lieu of labor and 1928 found this local the possessor of a home and out of debt." The hall was built and put into use in May, 1925; but it was December 16, 1925 when J.N. Jepson deeded the tract in section 28, township 21s, range 3W to Coast Fork Local Union #187 Farmers' Educational Co-operative Union, Inc. of America. Electric lights were installed in the hall and were used for the first time September 26, 1926. A January 2, 1930 item said, "The Farmers' Union and the ladies' club are building a stage onto the back of the hall, with a kitchen on the south side. The work is being done by the Union and the club is financing it." There were six schools in the territory that the Coast Fork Farmers' Union covered: Black Butte, London, Hebron, Latham, Divide, and Mountain View. In October, 1929 there was a contest, sponsored by the Farmers' Union to see which school could present the best program. Latham won first prize, Hebron second, and London third. A February, 1929 article said, "The community is not especially thickly populated and while the majority of members reside within six or eight miles there are some very faithful attendants who drive 12 and 15 miles. Coast Fork is one of the heaviest contributors to the financing of the house. Members are more or less responsible for the establishment of a branch warehouse in 84
Cottage Grove which handles flour, feeds, groceries, eggs and poultry and is under the management of V.J. Gillespie, a member of this local. Three members of Coast Fork served on the warehouse board in 1928." The Farmers' Union store was an important part of Cottage Grove for many years. My husband remembers going to the store when it was located on Main Street in the 1920's when Claude Huff, a son of Union members Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Huff, clerked there. Mrs. Betty Kappauf, a Union member, was clerking at the store in 1927. My first memory of the store was when it was located at the northwest corner of 6th and Washington. At that time, I believe, Knaffle Haynes was manager. I don't know when the store ceased to exist. It was still there, at least, through March, 1948. If I remember correctly, those who traded in the store were issued certificates in the capital of the association in direct ratio to the amount of their purchases. I believe you had to be a member of the Farmers' Union to receive these certificates. My parents, Archie and Clara Gilham, had several because they bought some farm supplies there, along with groceries. I still have two small certificates issued in my husband, Roy Geer's name. They were signed by Clyde S. Wright, president, and Harold Foster, secretary. One was issued August 14, 1947 in the amount of $15.56. The other was issued March 30, 1948 in the amount of $12.47. I don't know why they weren't cashed when Lane Cooperative Ware-house ceased operations. In July, 1925 Mr. and Mrs. George Kebelbeck attended a director's meeting of the South Lane Farmers' Union Cooperative Warehouse Company. George was elected a director in 1925 or 1926. W.L. Jones was elected a director in 1927 and George Kebelbeck became president. Let us return now to the Coast Fork local of the Farmers' Union. They attended meetings at their local, as well as conventions at district, county, and state levels. They held Harvest Festivals with plays, games, and refreshments. They entered the county fair. They held many social meetings; but it was more of a working organization. The subject of roads was discussed, classes on nutrition and the relationship of food to health were held, speakers on pastures, crops, livestock feeding and marketing, hog and cattle raising, chicken brooding and feeding were heard. One speaker explored the relationship between the business man and the farmer. The Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce offered free membership in their organization. S.T. White and Oliver Nichols were chosen to attend. In October, 1925 a ladies' auxiliary to the Farmers' Union was organized. Mrs. L.H. Gilcrist was president. The auxiliary immediately sponsored a series of classes on nutrition problems in the Coast Fork community. In December the auxiliary held a big bazaar with a program of music and readings. The proceeds were used to help furnish the hall. In May, 1926 a play, "Deacon Dubbs", was given at the hall to benefit the Hebron School. A county home economics demonstrator gave sewing lessons in 1927. I checked the newspapers for the first seven years of the existence of the Coast Fork local of the Farmers' Union and found mention of the following officers, aside from George Kebelbeck and Bob Powell, mentioned earlier in this chapter: 1927 officers President- Oliver Nichols Vice-President- L.D. Huff Secretary/treasurer- Mrs. George Kappauf Conductor- Anna Jepson 85
Doorkeeper- Oscar McDole Chaplain- J.E. Banton Executive board- John Kebelbeck, F.C. Fuhrer, Otto Dobberstein Trustee- John Massey 1928 officers President- O.A. Nichols Vice-President- John Sutherland Secretary/treasurer- John Kebelbeck Conductor- Anna Jepson Doorkeeper- Bert McDole Chaplain- Mrs. L.H. Gilcrist Executive committee- Carl Small, Oscar McDole, Elmer Berggren Director- J.E. Banton 1929 officers President- O.A. Nichols Vice-president- Hugh Trunnel Secretary/treasurer- John Kebelbeck Conductor- F.C. Fuhrer Doorkeeper- Jesse Culver Chaplain- W.T. Jones Executive Board- Miss Myrtle Dobberstein, Mrs. George Kebelbeck, Wm. S. Averill Hall director- L.D. Huff 1930 officers President- O.A. Nichols Vice-president- L.D. Huff Secretary/treasurer- John Kebelbeck Conductress- Mrs. John Kebelbeck Doorkeeper- F.C. Fuhrer ChaplainTrustee- Mrs. Jessie Gilcrist to replace Mr. Banton Fair Board- F.C. Fuhrer Representative to agricultural council- Hugh Trunnel 1931 officers President- Elmer Berggren Vice-president- Bert McDole Secretary/treasurer- John Kebelbeck Conductor- F.C. Fuhrer Doorkeeper- Jesse Culver ChaplainDirectors- Oscar McDole and O.A. Nichols Chairman of the board for 2 years- Mrs. Jessie Gilcrist At the January, 1929 county Farmers' Union convention, O.A. Nichols was reelected county president and W.S. Averill was elected secretary. 86
I don't have a list of charter members of the Coast Fork Farmers' Union. However, I extracted the names of the following members from newspaper accounts of the first seven years. The first group of names were couples. There is little doubt that the husbands or wives of some of the others were also members but they didn't happen to be mentioned in a news item: Mr. and Mrs. William S. Averill, Jesse Bemis, Howard Cox, Otto Dobberstein, Fred C. Fuhrer, Vint Gillespie, L.D. Huff, George J. Kappauf, George M.. Kebelbeck, John J. Kebelbeck, Harry McDole, Ed Powell, John Robinson, George Sutherland, John Sutherland, Hugh Trunnel. J.E. Banton, Elmer Berggren, Jesse Culver, Mrs. Arthur Dugan, Walter A. Garoutte, Leonard Gilcrist, Mrs. L.H. Gilcrist (Jessie), mother of Leonard, Lester Gilcrist, C.C. Gilham, Miss Anna Jepson, W.T. Jones, Mrs. Emma Kelley, Miss Lela Kelley, W.L. Kimble, John Massey, Bert McDole, Oscar McDole, J.P. Miller, Mrs. Irene Mostachetti, Oliver A. Nichols, Mrs. Patten, Bob Powell, Carl Small, Mrs. John Small, Lincoln Taylor, Mrs. Alfred White, Mrs. Charles White, S.T. White, Miss Violet White, Mrs. O.P. Wills, Clyde Wright, and Mrs. Phoebe Young. The Coast Fork Local No. 187, Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America sold the Hebron property to the United States of America on September 30, 1941. O.A. Nichols was president of the Coast Fork local. John J. Kebelbeck was secretary/treasurer. The hall had burned in 1939. Now the property would soon disappear beneath the waters of the Cottage Grove Lake.
87
The Grange Patrons of Husbandry The Grange was founded in 1867, about two years following the end of the Civil War, to help farmers with their problems. By 1875 there were 85,000 members in more than 21,000 Granges in the United States. At Cottage Grove, Grange No.75 was organized in 1874, but probably didn't exist very long as the Oregon State Grange had no further record of it. The Coast Fork Grange No.243 was organized November 23, 1889. Lillie Taylor wrote of the Grange in an article in the SENTINEL: "September 20,1934..."it was not until a Grange was organized in the early 90's (1889) that he (Mr. Thackray) seemed to find his greatest pleasure in social affairs. Grange meetings were held in the schoolhouse (Hebron) .....He offered a site, and a Grange hall was built on his place, "On section 4 in township 22 south of range 3 west on the west coast fork of the Willamette river in Lane county, Oregon. To this I my name affix, William Thackray of Lane county, Oregon, in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-six." Mr. Thackray had given land for a Grange hall about six years after the Coast Fork Grange was organized. Another reference said lumber was donated by local sawmills for the Grange hall; and the Grange men did the building. The Modern Woodsmen of the World, organized in 1901, also used the building. Lillie Taylor also mentioned that an English friend of Mr. Thackray, James Withycombe, addressed the Grange. Mr. Withycombe became governor of Oregon in January, 1915 and died in office March, 1919. There were 42 charter members of Coast Fork Grange #243. Harry A. Canton, the National Grange secretary in 1959, deciphered the names of the charter members as well as possible. Following is that list. My corrections or additions are in parenthesis: Coast Fork Grange #243 Organized by J.C. Jennings, November 23, 1889 Officers were elected to serve through 1890: Master- D.R. Harris Lecturer- (not given) Secretary- J. Powell Charter Members: 1. Wm. Thackary (Thackray) 2. C.H. Govenette ???? 3. Jerry Taylor 4. J.P. Taylor (Joseph P. Taylor) 5. R.E. Taylor 6. Goerge Taylor (George Taylor) 7. W.H. Taylor (William Henry Taylor) 8. Belle Taylor (Mrs. W.H. Taylor) 9. W.T. Gorontte (Walter Taylor Garoutte) 10. Carlista Gorontte (Callista Garoutte) 11. Clara Numbers 12. Jane Garonette (Mrs. Howard Garoutte) 13. C.H. Winceoff (C.H. Winecoff) 14. Catherine Winceoff (Mrs. C.H. Winecoff) 15. W.H. Taylor (William Harvey Taylor) 16. H.E. Harris 88
17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42.
T. BBernstt Jacob Warner T. Massey D.R. Harris Mary F. Massey E.B. Whited D.A. Whited Hiram Whited J.L. Flowers Leva Geer Lizzie Geer Mrs. J. Warner W.H. Lackey Hattie Creall L. Powell C.J. Wills Florence Powell Grace Benghman Maud Powell Lillie Powell Minnie Harris Minerva Burnett Emma Powell A.S. Powell O.P. Wills Wm. Jones
(Burnett?)
(Levi Geer) (W.H. Lacky) (Hattie Crowell)
(Grace Baughman??)
(Mrs. Isham Burnett) (Mrs. Alfred Powell) (Alfred Sherman Powell)
By 1891 the roster had grown to 52 members. Oregon State Grange furnished lists of officers with the exception of 1897; so the following names and years exclude 1897. No lecturer was listed prior to 1898. J.G. Powell was elected master and would serve in 1891 through 1894, a total of four years. He was again elected master to serve in 1900 and through 1902, and again elected for the years 1907, 1908, and 1909. This made a total of ten years as master and one year as secretary. D.R. Harris, the first master, also served as master in 1898, 1903 through 1905, and again in 1911, a total of six years. He also served as lecturer in 1899, 1907 and 1908, and as secretary in 1900. C.H. Winecoff served as master in 1895 and in 1910. Mr. Winecoff also served as lecturer in 1898, and as secretary in 1902 through 1907 (six years). Levi Geer served as master in 1896. He also served as lecturer in 1900 through 1902. Charles Powell was master in 1899 and 1906. C.L. Bergstrom was master in 1912. Others serving as lecturer were Mrs. L.J. Kelley, Mr. ad Mrs. E.R. Thordenburg, Edwin W. Powell, and Mrs. E.A. Doolittle (Emma). I think Mrs. L.J. Kelley was probably Louisa Jane Kelley, wife of G.W. Kelley. Others serving as secretaries were Harvey Taylor, Florence Powell, Louis Gerum, Willis Nowell, A.H. Nowell, and John Massey. 89
I have no record of those serving in other offices. Some interesting newspaper articles about the Grange follow: A December 11, 1891 resolution from Coast Fork Grange No. 243 and signed by committee members, J.P. Taylor, D.R. Harris, and W.H. Small, stated that county taxes were unreasonably high and demanded that county expenses be lowered by practicing strict economy. Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Powell attended State Grange in 1895. Levi Geer was the delegate to State Grange in 1897. On the front page of January 15, 1904 BOHEMIA NUGGET: "The Coast Fork Grange held an open meeting on Saturday, the 2nd of this month at Coast Fork Hall which is located about four miles north of London, and installed the officers previously elected, Master, D.R. Harris; Overseer, J.G. Powell; Secretary, C.H. Winecoff. The plan of forming a joint stock company organized under the laws of the State of Oregon to handle farming products, and more especially the meats to be disposed of by farmers, was discussed". Because so much interest was shown, the next meeting was to be held in Cottage Grove. In the June 28, 1905 BOHEMIA NUGGET: "The Grangers will hold their next meeting the first Saturday in July. The initiations will take place in the forenoon, and in the afternoon an open meeting will be held to which everyone is invited. Several important questions will be brought up for discussion, among them the creamery, the railroad and others. A lively interest is being taken by the Coast Forkers in the railroad, as they would like to see a line run from Cottage Grove to Black Butte soon." In the November 29, 1905 BOHEMIA NUGGET a big article invited everybody to a Thanksgiving dinner at the Coast Fork Grange hall. Guests were asked to bring basket lunches. The Cottage Grove business men and the Commercial Club would be there. A program would be presented, followed by an open discussion of how to improve the economic health of the area. From the COTTAGE GROVE LEADER June 22, 1907: "The County Grange picnic at London Springs is now a thing of the past, but the speakers and program will be remembered by all present. The extremely wet weather kept many people from coming and made it necessary to assemble at the Grange hall over the London store, which was filled to over-flowing, and to say the picnic was a grand success is putting it very mild......" A November 27, 1908 article said the Grange had a nice program and a fine Thanksgiving at London Springs. An April 7, 1909 London, Oregon article said: "Coast Grange No.243 Hold a Jolly Meeting. Coast Fork Grange No.243 met last Saturday, April 3 at 2 P.M.....Worthy Lecturer, Mrs. Emma Doolittle took charge of the program which consisted of musical selections, followed by discussing the following question: Resolved, That the rapid progress of our country is beneficial, which was affirmed by Messrs. D.A.Harris, J.E. Banton, A.H. Nowell and J.H. Powell, but was stoutly denied by Messrs. Levi Geer, C.H. Winecoff, W.W. Shortridge and A. Doolittle. After a forty minutes warm debate, the decision was rendered in favor of the affirmative. The lecturer then announced that there was one more number on her program, which would be carried out immediately after leaving the hall. Then a smile passed over the faces of the "sisters", while the "brothers" stared at each other in blank amazement, for with the exception of about two, there was not a masculine in the hall that knew the ladies had secretly arranged for the use of the Oregon Mineral Springs Hotel for this 90
occasion and there was a spread awaiting them in the dining room..... The menu consisting of oyster soup, fruit cake and coffee was participated in and heartily enjoyed by every one of the forty persons present. Arrangements are being made for a Grange Rally at this place about June 4th. Mr. Levi Geer, manager of the Mineral Springs here, has offered the use of his Mineral water and bath house free for this occasion." I don't know when the Coast Fork Grange #243 stopped meeting at the Grange hall at the Thackray place and moved the meetings to "the old Odd Fellows hall above the London strore." In my Grandmother Lacky's old papers, I found receipts for Phebe Young's dues in Coast Fork Grange No.243, dating from September, 1905 to February, 1909. The receipts that were dated through January, 1908 were, with one exception, signed by C.H. Winecoff, secretary. The January, 1907 receipt was signed by Levi Geer, secretary, pro tem. The rest of the receipts were signed by A.H. Powell, secretary. The dues were paid each quarter. Since the receipts were dated at different intervals, I'm not sure of the amount of the annual dues. My grandparents, Robert and Lydia Lacky, belonged to the Coast Fork Grange. Their daughter, my mother, Clara Lacky, often told of reciting a poem at that Grange in 1900 or 1901 when she was six years old. A Grange was organized in Cottage Grove in February, 1911. By December it was named the largest in the state. By February, 1912 it was possibly the largest on the coast. Since the Coast Fork Grange had only 18 members in 1912, and surrendered its charter in 1913, I wonder whether the big new Grange in Cottage Grove might have been partly responsible for the end of Coast Fork Grange #243. The Coast Fork Grange, begun at Hebron in November, 1889 had served Hebron and London for more than 23 years. It would be approximately another 23 years before another Grange was organized at Hebron. Hebron Grange #845 On February 24, 1936 Hebron Grange #845 was organized. State deputy Harlow assisted. Allen Wheeler was the installing officer, assisted by a drill team from Willakenzie Grange. Officers installed were: MasterMurry Newton OverseerGeorge F. Kebelbeck LecturerMrs. Tom Williams StewardC.C. Gilham Asst. StewardNelson Bemis Lady Asst. Steward- Mrs. M.E. Dixon ChaplainMrs. Stuart Williams TreasurerRussell Bemis SecretaryMrs. Geo. Kebelbeck GatekeeperStuart Williams CeresMrs. Anna Nichols PomonaMrs. Nelson Bemis FloraMrs. C.K. Haynes Executive Committee- Elmer Berggren, John Kebelbeck, and Oliver Nichols. On May 5, Murry Newton resigned because of illness. He had been able to preside 91
over only one meeting before becoming ill. Oliver Nichols were elected master. At the same meeting Russell Bemis resigned as treasurer. Carl Kebelbeck was elected treasurer. Ill health continued to plague the members until the Grange was disbanded after the June 2 meeting. They had held only seven meetings. I couldn't find a list of the charter members of this first Grange; but reading the minutes gave me the following list which may be incomplete: Nelson and Juanita Bemis, Russell Bemis, Asa Clark, Mr. and Mrs. M.E. Dixon, Knaffle and Lorena Haynes, Carl Kebelbeck, George and Ila Kebelbeck, Murry and Maybelle Newton, Oliver and Anna Nichols, Stuart and Marie Williams, Tom and Phebe Williams, and Elmer Berggren. I am not certain that Elizabeth Kebelbeck and Maybelle Newton joined. I am only presuming that they did. On January 20, 1939 Hebron Grange #845 was reorganized under the original charter with the following officers in the chairs: MasterCharles Fuhrer OverseerAlfred White LecturerMrs. Alfred White StewardFred Harris Asst. StewardEarl Murry ChaplainMrs. John Murry TreasurerJ.S. Powell SecretaryMrs. Hazel Fuhrer (Mrs. Chas.) GatekeeperHarvey Clark CeresVivian White PomonaFrances Patten FloraKatherine Barkemeyer Lady Asst. Steward Dorothy Murry Executive Committee Mabel Powell, Nellie Harris, and Frank LaBlue. MusicianGrace LaBlue The membership list on January 20, 1939 gave the following members: Katherine Barkemeyer, Harvey Clark, Chas. and Hazel Fuhrer, Richard Garman, H.A. Hull, Leon and Jeanne Morton, Earl and Dorothy Murry, Mrs. John Murry, J.S. (Seldon) and Mable Powell, Sinclair Sutton, Alfred and Elsie White, and Vivian White. Frances Patten and Frank and Grace LaBlue joined on February 3. Bertha Clark (Mrs. Harvey) joined on January 20, 1940. None of the names on the 1936 list were on this 1939 list. At first the new Grange met in the Farmers' Union Hall; but all would soon change. Very soon a new problem faced the young Grange. News came that a flood control dam was to be built in the Coast Fork River. The resulting lake would flood the area where the Farmers' Union hall, Hebron School, the local store, Hebron Church, and many local homes stood. The hall was rented to the Army Corps of Engineers. Hebron Grange was without a meeting place. During the summer, meetings were held in members' homes and out-of-doors. As the weather cooled, meetings were held in the abandoned schoolhouse. Then the Farmers' Union hall burned, destroying the Grange regalia that was stored there. Meetings were still held in any available place including, 92
in August, 1940, the Fred Harris mill. Finally, the Grangers banded together with the local Ladies' club, the Jolly Workers. Together they secured permission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move the little two-room schoolhouse. An acre of land was purchased, and the school was moved to the new location below the dam. This was about June 1, 1941, six months before the start of World War II. The building was 24 x 40 feet, with a 24 foot porch across one end. Part of this porch had been enclosed and used as a cloakroom by the school. The cloakroom now became the Grange's kitchen, measuring 7 1/2 feet wide by 18 feet long. All water had to be carried in. On meeting nights it was brought in by the serving committee in fivegallon cans. The Jolly Workers discontinued their meetings and signed over their interest in the building and land to the Grange. The young men of the Grange went to war and the Grange busied itself with war-related activities. Finally, in 1952, the Grange accumulated enough money to build an addition to the hall. It included a kitchen, anteroom, and two rest rooms. The well was drilled the next spring. At last the Grange had water! Out of funds again, the Grange held many money-making affairs. The members did not want to go into debt. The make-shift stage was a curtained-off place inside the kitchen. Many members had long dreamed of a real stage with real curtains and dressing rooms. In May of 1959 work was begun on six foot extensions along both sides of the hall, as well as a 16 foot stage on one end. The stage was ready for use in January, 1960; and the hall had almost reached its present size, about 18 1/2 years after the old school building was moved to the new location. Persistence had paid off. When the United States entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Grange was on the job immediately, striving to do its part. At the December, 1941 meeting of Hebron Grange, Walter Baker asked members to co-operate in blackouts and in saving wastepaper. Jeanne Morton asked for the use of second-hand sewing machines to be used in Red Cross sewing. Later Grange projects were to save rubber products, tin cans, fats, and oils. Members were asked to save tires and gas by driving less and by doubling up for trips to town. The two meetings a month were cut to one. Members saved scrap metal. Walter Baker and Chet Gilham reported that five tons of metal were turned in at once. The Grangers planted victory gardens and held classes on canning and freezing food. They also participated in bond drives. However, the ladies did not cancel the annual Christmas treats. Each lady brought a cup of precious rationed sugar to the Home Economics Christmas meeting so they could make popcorn balls. Because of rationing, members decided that each family should bring its own sandwiches to meetings rather than to ask a committee to furnish refreshments. At the February meeting in 1943, Mrs. Morton presented the Grange with a service flag bearing four stars for members serving in the armed forces. I believe the four stars represented Marvyn Harrris, Glen Gilham, Guy Richardson, and Tommy Clark. A story about the Grange would not be complete without the mention of the Women's Home Economics Club. The name, in recent years, has been changed to G.W.A. I didn't find reference to a Grange Women's Club in early newspapers. The first mention I found of a Home Economics Club was July 13, 1939: "All sales slips of bulletin advertisers are to be saved and will be turned in to Jeanne Morton as part of the 93
Home Economics work." After the hall burned in September, the Grange met in members' homes and, for a brief time, in the old schoolhouse. The Home Economics Club met October 4, 1939 at the home of Jeanne Morton at Woodard's Camp A. The ladies decided to make a quilt to sell to earn money with which to replace Grange equipment and kitchen wares lost when the Farmers' Union hall burned. Mrs. Morton was re-elected Home Economics Club Chairwoman. Jeanne would serve the Home Economics Club for many years. When Christmas time arrived a happy tradition was established by the Grange ladies when they met to make popcorn balls and to pack bags of candy which would be given out at the Grange Christmas party. This early Christmas Home Economics meeting was held, for many years, in members' homes. It was a special meeting with a "secret sister" gift exchange. Hebron also had an active Junior Grange for several years. Now, 57 years after the reorganization of Hebron Grange #845, the present-day members are still meeting in the old Hebron school house. Those who were part of the 1939 reorganized Grange who still live in the greater Cottage Grove area are Earl Murry of Cedar Creek, a past master; Nellie Harris of Latham, a past master; Grace LaBlue of Cottage Grove, a past musician; and Hazel Fuhrer Morris of Cottage Grove, a past secretary.
94
The Coast Fork Telephone Company This rural phone service was run by local shareholders who did the work of building and repairing the line themselves or contracted the work done. The first mention I found of a local phone line was a London item in the August 2, 1905 BOHEMIA NUGGET, "The enterprising farmers have finished their telephone line to Cottage Grove and hope soon to connect with the switchboard there." My mother said there were no phones in the Coast Fork area when her family, the Robert Lackys, moved away in October, 1905. They returned five years later; but she couldn't remember whether there were phones at that time. My dad's family, the Charles Gilhams, arrived in this valley in the fall of 1907. Dad remembered that Dan and Bill Beck took a contract to put in phone poles up here about 1908. This would seem to contradict the 1905 newspaper article. I believe the explanation is one of two reasons. According to the book, "Golden Was the Past", telephone service had arrived in Cottage Grove in 1898, but it was not until 1903 that a Miners and Farmers line extended to the Bohemia area. Perhaps the switchboard facilities in Cottage Grove could not handle the extra line coming into town from the Coast Fork in 1905. Another explanation might be that the line built in 1905 was a makeshift affair and, by 1908, new poles were needed. The fact remains that hard work and volunteer labor built and maintained the telephone line. I don't know when the Coast Fork Telephone Company was formed. In November, 1927 a meeting was held. George Kappauf had moved away. Leonard Gilcrist was appointed lineman. A January, 1928 item said Elmer Berggren and Frank Geer had been using their teams of horses on telephone work. In April, 1928 it was Frank Geer and Ben Hanlin who were working with a telephone crew at London. A June, 1928 item told of the annual meeting of the Coast Fork Telephone Company. George Kebelbeck was re-elected secretary/treasurer. Alfred White, Chester Gilham, and Howard Cox were elected directors. I didn't find a record of a 1929 meeting. In June, 1930 officers were elected as follows: Geo. Kebelbeck re-elected sec./treas.; Alfred White, Chester Gilham, and Howard Cox elected directors. The June, 1930 meeting elected: President, W.C. Shortridge; Vice President, John Sutherland; Sec./treasurer, Truman Clark; Exec. Board, Jesse Bemis (4 yrs.), Fred Fuhrer (3 yrs.). J.E. Banton who had served as secretary/treasurer since 1918, and George Kebelbeck, who had served as president for 5 years, declined to serve again. In January, 1931 the directors of the telephone company met with president, W.C. Shortridge. "Mrs. F.C. Fuhrer was appointed to take the place of Truman Clark who resigned last fall." My parents owned a share in the company as did my husband's parents, the Frank Geers. Roy and I were married in 1939. I know we had an old crank-type phone by the fall of 1941, but I don't know how we managed that as we didn't own a share in the Coast Fork Telephone Company. Maybe we just "borrowed" Frank Geer's share until we purchased it June 2, 1943. When a representative of Pacific Telephone and Telegraph arrived at our house July 95
12, 1946 to buy a right-of-way for their phone lines, Roy told them we would give them the right-of-way if they would hook us on. That's the way we arrived in the modern world of phone service. For a long time our line was hooked to insulators on our fir trees as it made its way from the underground cable area to our house. There were many times during and after windstorms when our phone was out of service; but Roy no longer had to work on the old "farmers' line". We happily sold our old style wall phone that we had to crank to ring the operator or a neighbor. I think we sold it for about 50 cents. Since that time, I have often wished we hadn't sold it.
The Townsend Club The Townsend Club seems to me to have been working toward the idea that would eventually bring about Social Security. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, the Townsend Plan was an old-age pension proposed in 1934 by Dr. Francis E. Townsend of Long Beach, California. This Townsend Plan provided that all citizens of the United States over sixty years of age be paid $200 a month. The funds were to come from a 2 per cent tax on the sale of goods. The December 3, 1935 Hebron news said, "The Townsend meeting held last week was not very well advertised so there were only a few present but a club was formed with Roy Murry as president, Mrs. Means as vice president and Ed Meacham as secretary. The next meeting will be December 16 at the Farmers' Union hall." In January, 1936 Roy Murry explained "Townsendism" and the bill that was before congress. The club elected the following officers: Roy Murry, president; Mr. Means, vice president; and Melvin Kebelbeck, secretary/treasurer. The club continued to meet at the Farmers' Union hall, giving free entertainment, having pie socials, etc. to attract members. In May, 1936 the club held a successful meeting on a Sunday afternoon. There were guests from Cottage Grove, Yoncalla, and Springfield; so they decided to meet every other Sunday afternoon. Mr. Means was elected delegate to a state convention at Salem. The June 23, 1936 news said the Townsend Club would meet the next Sunday at the Farmers' Union hall "to decide whether to keep the club going or to transfer to the Cottage Grove Club." They must have decided to transfer for I could find no other mention of the local club. The World Book Encyclopedia tells us ,"The Townsend Plan was presented to the United States House of Representatives on June 1, 1939, but members of the house voted against the plan."
96
CHAPTER X MORE PIONEERS In a preceding chapter I have written about the first ten families to settle in Carpus Prairie. Now I will continue stories of other early settlers. In October, 1919 the SENTINEL published a list of the "Pioneers of the Coast Fork Valley" given to them by F.B. Shortridge. One of those mentioned in the Hebron area was Abam Sargent. I looked many places but could find no further reference to Abam Sargent. I found only two references to the name Sargent in this area. One was the marriage of D.C. Sargent and Julia Dudley June 21, 1858 listed in Lane County marriages. The other was a teen-age girl, Dora Sargent, who lived in the Hebron area about 1911 and 1912. Her father was Oscar. Could they have been descendants of Abam Sargent? Johnson Christopher C. Johnson was born in Ohio circa 1812. Lucinda Johnson was born in Indiana circa 1814. I don't know the date or place of their marriage. Their first three children were born in Missouri. They were William J., born circa 1846; David M., born circa 1848, and Emily C., born circa 1850. The Johnson family came to Oregon in 1852, arriving October 6. They settled their 318.8 acre Donation Land Claim #41, located at London, April 29, 1854. A son, John W. was born that year. A little girl, Sarah J., was born circa 1856. In October, 1858 Christopher and Lucinda sold their claim to William Small, then bought another piece of property farther to the north. I had wondered why, when my daughter's book, "Settlement Seasons", had placed them at London, both Lillian Taylor and F.B. Shortridge seemed to place them nearer Hebron. A re-reading of the book told me of this move from London toward the north. Then, I found Christopher Johnson purchased land in Sections 17 and 18, T.22S, R3W. These sections directly join Sections 7 and 8 shown on my maps of the area. The 1860 census told of another child, one year old Mary E. (known as Elizabeth). Both Lillian Taylor and F.B. Shortridge named a 7th child, Christopher C. Johnson, Jr. The oldest son, William J. was known as Jasper. Since both Lillian and F.B. named one child Newton, I believe David M . in the census should have been David N.. Both Lillian and F.B. mentioned Jane and Elizabeth (Sarah J. and Mary E.). William Jasper Johnson married Arrilda Geer Norwood December 30, 1867 in Lane County. Arrilda, the daughter of Samuel Geer, Jr., had divorced her first husband, John W. Norwood. Arrilda had three children. She and Jasper would have three more. Almost ten years later Arrilda's younger sister, Susan Geer, married Jasper's younger brother, John W. Johnson. The marriage took place May 18, 1877, also in Lane County. John and Susan had three children before her death August 11, 1891. John W. Johnson was remarried in 1894. The second wife was Susie Simons-Williams. They had a daughter. Sarah Jane Johnson married W.J. Pyburn January 10,1872 at the home of C.C. Johnson. Elizabeth Johnson married Stanley S. Splawn October 3, 1875 at the house of 97
Christopher Johnson. Her brother, Jasper, was a witness. Stanley and Elizabeth made their home in eastern Oregon where he died. Later she married Joseph Bland. A May, 1926 Hebron news item said, "Mr. and Mrs. Bland from eastern Oregon have bought the John Adams place and will occupy it." Elizabeth Johnson Splawn Bland died at her home July 12, 1927 at about the age of 68. She was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery near Cottage Grove. She was survived by her husband and two brothers, John and Christopher Johnson who lived in Washington. About 1 1/4 years after Elizabeth died, the COTTAGE GROVE SENTENEL of October 18, 1928 said, "Joseph Bland, who lived on a farm up Wilson Creek near this city, died at 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Pacific Christian hospital on College hill in Eugene. He had been a patient in the hospital a week. He was aged 68 years and was born in Missouri on January 1, 1860. A half-brother, R.W. Bland of Redmond survives him. Funeral services were held at 3:30 Wednesday afternoon at the Laurel Hill cemetery. Friends who called at the man's home several days ago found him missing and reported the case to Marshal G.B. Pitcher, who investigated. It was found that Bland was picked up ill on the highway by a passing car and taken to Eugene to a hospital." The reader will recall that two of Christopher and Lucinda Johnson's sons married Geers. In the spring of 1880 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Geer moved to Idaho where they would live for about ten years. W. Jasper and Arrilda Johnson had moved to Nez Perce County in Idaho about 1877 and decided to stay. On October 1, 1878 C. Johnson of Nez Perce County, Idaho Territory sold his 404.36 acres in this valley to William H. Small of Lane County, Oregon for $4,000. Arrilda died in Idaho July 9,1893 at the age of 44. She is buried in Buchanan Cemetery near Moscow, Idaho. I don't know when John and Susan Johnson went to Idaho Territory; but Susan had died there August 11, 1891 at the age of 32. She, too, is buried in the Buchanan Cemetery.
98
Thackray Lillian Taylor wrote that William Thackray was born near Leeds, Yorkshire, England, May 15, 1833 and came to America in 1853 at the age of 20 years. His parents were dead. William's naturalization papers, issued March 19, 1860 in Frankfort, Montgomery County, Iowa, stated that he had resided in "the United States for the past five years, and within this state for the past three years." The above didn't quite agree with Lillian's date of 1853 as the date of his arrival; but the naturalization papers may have meant "at least five years." The naturalization papers said he was in Paulding County, Ohio on May 22, 1854 which would agree with Lillie. I include here part of the wording on the naturalization papers: ".....comes William Thackery, an alien and native of England and makes application for admission as a citizen of the United States and it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court by a certificate from the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county Paulding, State of Ohio that the said William Thackery had, before the said clerk, on the 22nd day of May, A.D. 1854 declared on his solemn oath that it was his bonefide intention to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to every prince potentate State and Sovereignty whatever and particularly Victoria, Queen of Great Britton, and it appearing..... that he had resided within the United States..... and that during that time he had behaved as a man of good moral character and attached to the principals of the Constitution of the United States and well disposed good order and the happiness of the same and he having taken his solemn oath....." Lillian wrote, "He brought money to America but by the time he came west he had lost twice through swindlers." In July, 1864 Mr. Thackray bought land in Carpus Prairie, but sold it in 1865 to M.E. Anderson. This farm was later owned by H.N. Garoutte, then was sold to John Kebelbeck, according to Lillian. She also told us that Mr. Thackray "proved up on a quarter section in 1869 and another in 1875." The May, 1869 property was lots 4 and 5 in section unknown, township 22. The patent number on the December 1, 1875 homestead was 615. The location was as follows: N1/2 of S.W. 1/4 and N.W. 1/4 of S.E. 1/4 and lots No. 3, 4, & 5 of Section 4, Twsp.22S. of Range 3W contains 157.90 acres. This is near the present-day Wilson Creek Park; and the farm was known for many years as the Thackray place. Joseph P. Taylor and John O. Grubb witnessed, on October 1, 1875, that they had known William Thackray eight years, that he was a single man over 21 years of age who had resided upon the homestead "from Dec.1, 1869, and has built a house thereon "Log" 12 x 15 feet & "Box" house 15 x 20 feet having doors and windows thereto and the same is a comfortable house to live in." He had fenced, plowed and cultivated about one acre of land, cleared about nine acres, had a small orchard, "And said improvements are reasonably worth about $200.00. Lillian had high praise for this English man who remained a bachelor. She wrote in part: "Cattle raising, fruit raising and gardening did not take up all his time, so he hired out in the summer, hoeing gardens, making hay and helping thresh. As a lover of flowers, books and music (she wrote that he had brought a horn from England. He had played in a band there.), he divided his plants with children and taught some of them a rhyme about 'Daffy-down-dilly." 99
Lillian wrote that Mr. Thackray was a poet. She said, also, that "he went faithfully to the polls and school meetings as became a good citizen. Also he went to church. How-ever it was not until a Grange was organized that he seemed to find his greatest pleasure in social affairs." As I have written elsewhere, he donated the land for the Coast Fork Grange hall. Lillian wrote "The Comstock Lumber company, with mill and headquarters at Latham, established a logging camp on Mr. Thackray's place in the 70's with William Ward in charge. A drove of oxen was kept to haul the logs over the old "skid roads" so common along the Coast Fork river." On October 20, 1882, "Mr. Thackray was falling a tree on his place, being assisted by a neighbor, Mr. McCoy. The tree sprung as it fell, and struck Mr. McCoy, who expired within a few minutes with only Mr. Thackray present." The Eugene City Guard differed slightly from Lillie's account: "Two men were cutting down a tree when it fell and lodged against some other trees; when the former (McCoy) undertook to cut it loose that it might fall to the ground, when by some means it fell suddenly bringing the woodman under it crushing him to death instantly....." A wife and three children survived Mr. McCoy. This was Stephen McCoy, age 44. He was buried in Taylor-Lane. Mr. Thackray died, I believe, in January, 1904, and was buried on his homestead. I remember going to the gravesite with my dad when I was a youngster. Lillian Taylor wrote a fitting epitaph: ".....his grave will be made in a forest spot that he loves, and in accordance with his wishes. He will be mourned by his English friends and by the old timers here, and his grave will be with flowers overgrown. Over the fallen stones of his old homesite the wraiths of the past will linger and their reveries will be overheard by poets and dreamers of the future, who will weave them into beautiful patterns." I did not find an obituary for Mr. Thackray, but the following resolution from the Coast Fork Grange, printed in the BOHEMIA NUGGET January 15, 1904, must have been in his honor, even though the name was spelled differently. He would have been 70 years of age: "Death of Wm. Thackrah Hall of Coast Fork Grange No. 243 Whereas the great reaper has seen fit to thrust his sickle into our midst and to remove from among us our worthy brother, Wm. Thackrah. Therefore, be it Resolved, That we bow in submission to his will and that the Charter of the Grange be draped in mourning for 30 days. And be it further Resolved, That these resolutions be published in the Cottage Grove papers and a copy of them be sent to the relatives of the deceased. C.H. Winecoff A.H. Nowell C.L. Miller Committee
100
Anderson Milton Anderson was born in 1822 at Campbell County, Tennessee. He married Martha Ann __________ July 14, 1848 in Henry County, Missouri. Milton and Martha Ann arrived in Oregon in September, 1853 and settled a Donation Land Claim in the London area on October 20, 1853. The 1860 U.S. census shows this family: Eucilia A., 10; Sarah C., 6; Eliza E.,4; and William H., born in 1859. In the 1870 census, William's middle initial was given as "M". An article printed in the SENTINEL March 22, 1926 told a little of Mrs. Anderson's history. F.B. Shortridge explained a bible that had been found; "The bible found by Mrs. McKinney was the property of Mrs. Anderson, a niece of Aunt Kitty Cooley and Uncle John and William Currin. She was the wife of Milton Anderson who owned the farm at the foot of the mountain, what is now the Levi Geer place. Anderson sold the farm to Levi Geer in 1866, then bought the William Wilson farm. It was there that Mrs. Anderson died.....". Mrs. Anderson must have died about 1867, because I found that Milton E. Anderson married Mary J. Turpin at the home of J.T. Turpin on February 26, 1868. Milton and Mary didn't stay in the area very long. They went from here to Coos Bay to make their home. There they raised cattle. The 1870 census found them at Empire City in Coos County. Milton was 41. Mary Jane was 21. The children were William M., 11; Sydney C., 8: and Mary Ann, 6. I don't know what happened to the older children. Only William of the first marriage is listed in the 1870 census. The ages of the others would have been: Eucilia,20; Sarah, 16; and Eliza, 14. Perhaps Eucilia married and her sisters went to live with her. By 1880 the Milton Andersons were in the Enchanted Prairie Precinct about 25 miles east of Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon.
101
Ruscher John B. Ruscher was born July 25, 1838 in New York. Anna M. Ruscher was born August 9, 1834 in England. Anna gave her name as "Annie" for census records. John and Anna were married about 1863. In 1934 Lillian Taylor wrote an article about early settlers of the area. She wrote that Mr. and Mrs. John Ruscher were childless, but adopted a child. I found that child was William H. Ruscher, born in June, 1880 in Oregon. On May 10, 1866 the United States issued a certificate granting a parcel of land to John B. Ruscher. The description was: lots numbered 7 and 8 of sec. 32, twsp. 21s. of range 3w., containing 17.35 acres. The property was in Hebron. About three months later, on August 1, 1866, the U.S. granted another tract of land to John, this one lots 2 and 3 in sec.5, twsp. 22s., range 3w. on Cedar Creek. A later reference said John and Anna moved onto the Cedar Creek property in 1873. The 1900 census found the Ruschers on Cedar Creek. Son, William, was with them. A May 24, 1902 article in the BOHEMIA NUGGET said, "Neighbor Ruscher was granted a card from camp 6424. He intends joining Hebron camp. Hebron is a lively little camp with 18 members and is situated on the Coast Fork river 8 miles from Cottage Grove." A later article said this was Sirene camp of Modern Woodmen of America, a fraternal benefit society, which held its meetings in the Grange hall. The 1905 military census showed the Ruschers still living on Cedar Creek. I did not find them there in 1910. They sold their Cedar Creek property to Mrs. Alameda J. Beck on January 7, 1911. John B. Ruscher died January 20, 1911 at the home of Daniel Beck in Cottage Grove. He was aged 75 years, 5 months and 25 days. Anna M. Ruscher died a month later, on February 19, 1911, at the Beck home on 4th street in Cottage Grove. She was 76. John and Anna had been married about 47 years. They are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. The tiny notices in the newspaper seemed pitiful to me. John's told only where and when he died and that he had "settled on a Coast Fork ranch in 1873," then added, "An aged wife survives." The notice of Anna's death said, " Mrs. Ruscher died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Beck on 4th street Sunday, the old gentleman having died about a month ago." John's and Anna's adopted son, William H. Ruscher, married Lillian Hart, May 17, 1908. The census said it was the second marriage for both John and his wife, Lillie. She had a little son, Lester Hart. John and Lillie became the parents of a daughter, Daisy Ruscher. John, Lillie and the children resided at Hebron until about 1912. There had been Ruschers in this area for about 45 years.
102
Kelley - Winecoff George Washington Kelley and Louisa Jane (Walker) Kelley George Washington Kelley was born in Franklin County, Indiana May 26, 1842. He served three years during the Civil War in the Union Army as a member of Company K, First Iowa Cavalry. Miss Louisa Jane Walker, daughter of Benjamin Hinton Walker and Mary (Whitehead) Walker, was born June 20, 1848 in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa. She married George W. Kelley September 4, 1867 in Burlington. Mr. and Mrs. Kelley moved to this area in 1872, settling on a homestead on Cedar Creek. Six children were born to the couple: A boy born in Iowa, another in Illinois, two girls and two boys in Oregon. In an 1889-1890 picture of the pupils attending the Cedar Creek School, four were Kelley children: Aaron, Rena, Lizzie, and Frank. The three Winecoff girls, daughters of Charles and Kate Winecoff, were also in the picture. Many years later Aaron Kelley and Emma Winecoff married and continued to live in this area. George W. and Louisa Jane Kelley were true pioneers of the area. In October of 1892, about 20 years after they moved to their homestead, the Cedar Creek road was ordered established and opened for travel. George W. Kelley was one of the viewers for the road. During the latter part of their lives, George and Louisa Jane moved to Cottage Grove. When George died there June 30, 1916 at the age of 74 years, his obituary stated that all six of his children were dead and his wife had been in ill health for some time. Louisa Jane Kelley died June 3, 1922, also at the age of 74. She had been an invalid for six years. Three brothers and three sisters survived. A brother, Charles Walker, lived in Cottage Grove. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kelley are buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. I take the following names and dates of the six Kelley children from a family group sheet loaned to me by Juanita Hensley: 1. Henry Edward Kelley, born July 3, 1868 in Burlington, Iowa, died November 23, 1870 in Illinois. 2. Alfred Raymond Kelley, born August 20, 1870 in Hancock Co., Illinois, died April 30, 1915 (1914 on tombstone) in Moscow, Idaho. He is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Alfred never married. 3. Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" Kelley was born May 13, 1873 at Hebron. She married Henry Damewood October 17, 1894 at Creswell, Oregon. She died at the Damewood family home in Silk Creek Valley October 26, 1908 at the age of 35 years. She is buried in the Silk Creek Cemetery. She left five children, the youngest three weeks old. 4. Aaron A. Kelley, born November 16, 1875 at Hebron. He married Emma Grace Winecoff. There is a separate listing in this chapter for Aaron and Emma Kelley. 5. Eva Irena Kelley was born December 11, 1877 at Hebron. She married Morris A. 103
Mckibben October 17, 1894. She died July 19, 1902 in Portland, Oregon, and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Her widower died in 1921 and is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Cottage Grove. 6. John Frank Kelley was born at Hebron December 16, 1882 and died December 26, 1900, just ten days after his 18th birthday. He, too, is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Charles H. Winecoff and Kathryn "Kate" (Mosholder) Winecoff When my father, Archie Gilham, and his parents and family arrived in this valley in 1907 one of the first persons they met was Charles Hauser Winecoff. They soon became good friends. The gruff-appearing Charlie Winecoff was a fine neighbor. Dad never tired of telling of witnessing one of his father's encounters with Mr. Winecoff. When passing the Winecoff place, Charles Gilham called out to Charlie Winecoff, "Say, Charlie!" The quick, sharp retort was, "Say it yourself. Your mouth's open." Archie was to find that his new friend was very fair and honest, when he hired teen-aged Archie to work for him. I remember Mr. Winecoff from my own childhood. One of my earliest memories is of an old man in his 80's with a full beard and a gruff way of speaking which was belied by the warm twinkle in his eyes. I remember him going to the country dances and joining the orchestra, sitting for hours keeping time to the music with his old-fashioned triangle. I was fortunate to be a 12 year old violinist in the orchestra that played for the dance at the Hebron Farmers Union hall on October 27, 1934 when about 200 friends gathered to celebrate Mr. Winecoff's 91st birthday. He played the triangle that night, too. Then he told us a little of the story of his life. That story was recorded in the newspaper. Charles Hauser Winecoff was born October 27, 1843 in Frederic City, Maryland. The family tree shows that Charles' great grandfather, Michael Winecoff, immigrated to America from Germany in 1750. Charles' father was the Reverend Jessie Winecoff. Charles' mother's maiden name was Hauser. In those days preachers and their families moved frequently. Charles recalled that by the time he was 12 years of age his family had moved to at least four different towns in Pennsylvania and back to Maryland to the town of Frostburg. He remembered the year 1855, when a big comet crossed the sky night after night "with a tail of fire bigger than the city of Cottage Grove." He recalled 1859 when a big freeze destroyed gardens and crops and threatened to starve the settlers in Maryland. His own family survived by planting buckwheat in June for winter use. That fall, 1859, they moved to Oakland, Alleghany County, Maryland. At the time of the battle of Bull Run, the first battle of the Civil War, July 21, 1861, Charles' mother died. Charles was 17 years old. His father then married a widow with three children. Here is the rest of the story as Charles told it on his 91st. birthday: "I stood it for 15 months, then took my bundle of clothes and hit the trail, on a fourday tramp to an old friend who took me in and sent me to school that winter. In the spring I went to work for $1.25 a day. That was in Civil War times and wages were not as high as in the World War. In October, 1864, I went to Lenawe county, Mich., and hauled cord-wood at $1.25 a day and board. In 1865 I went to Saginaw, Michigan, 104
worked in a saw-mill at $2 a day until freezing weather, then went to a logging camp up the Tittabwasy River. Those times we went into the woods in the fall, stayed until spring and came out with the logs. While at Saginaw I suffered with fever and ague. In 1869 I spent the winter on my old stamping ground, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. There I met Mary E. Fisher. We were married Christmas, 1871, lived happily together for 30 months, until death separated us. To this union two sons were born, both dying in infancy. Then I went roving, but not to drinking. During this time I kept up correspondence with Kate Mosholder, Mary's bosom friend. In September, 1878, we were married in San Francisco, came to Portland, Ore., on the steamer Oregon. Lived in Douglas county six years, then in June, 1885, came to Coast Fork." The farm in Douglas county was located at the present sight of the town of Sutherlin. When they moved to the Coast Fork the Winecoffs lived south of London, then moved to the Lacky homestead near the present sight of the London Mini-Mart and finally to their homestead on Cedar Creek. Charles H. Winecoff and Katherine "Kate" (Mosholder) Winecoff were the parents of three daughters, all born in Douglas County, Oregon: 1. Mary "Mollie" Isabel Winecoff was born July 10, 1880. On July 22, 1902 she married Walter Taylor Garoutte at her parents' home on Cedar Creek. They made their home in the Latham District. She died in December, 1922. She was survived by her husband and seven children. 2. Emma Grace Winecoff was born June 17, 1881. On April 26, 1903 she married Aaron A. Kelley. There is a separate listing in this chapter for Aaron and Emma Kelley. 3..Jessie Myrtle Winecoff was born August 27, 1882. She married Walter E. Post July 13,1923. They lived at Vida, Oregon, returning to the Cottage Grove area in the mid forties. Jessie died September 12, 1969 at the age of 87. The mother of the girls, Katherine Winecoff, died July 25, 1912. Charles Winecoff, a grand old man, lived another 24 years until November 24, 1936, when he died at the age of 93 years. All five of the Winecoffs are buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery.
Aaron Anthony Kelley and Emma Grace (Winecoff) Kelley Aaron A. Kelley and Emma G. Winecoff must have been childhood sweethearts. They lived as neighbors on Cedar Creek and attended the same little country school, the Cedar Creek School. They are both in the 1889-1890 school picture. Aaron Kelley was born November 16, 1875 on Cedar Creek. Emma Grace Winecoff was born June 17, 1881 in Douglas County, Oregon and came to the Cedar Creek area with her parents. Aaron and Emma were married April 26, 1903 in Cottage Grove. Two children were born to them, a son, Elvis, and a daughter, Lela, both born on Cedar Creek. A terrible tragedy overcame the little family. The father, Aaron, traveled to Roseburg to "prove up" on their homestead. Later, he realized he had made an error in 105
answering questions there. Convinced that the error would cost him the loss of the homestead, Aaron went to Cottage Grove, transferred the ownership of his possessions to his wife, bought a bottle of strychnine, returned home and took the poison. His death on September 10, 1907 left Emma with two small children to rear. Emma was a member of the Hebron Church and was an inspiration to many young people as the years went by. I counted Emma as a close friend for all of the 38 years in which our lives touched. I never knew her to deliberately hurt anyone. Her twinkling eyes and her rolicking sense of humor enlivened many a neighborhood get-together. I visited Emma often and once, as a child, stayed overnight at the Winecoff house that was located on the east side of the river at what is now the south end of the Cottage Grove Lake. Plueards owned the home when it burned March 24, 1977. The newspaper article said the house was 67 years old. Plueards built a new house and continued to live there. Lela told me that when Mr. Winecoff built the original house, he moved a little building from my Grandpa Lacky's homestead and used it as a kitchen and bedroom for the new house. Emma worked very hard to care for her children. She was a good cook so, when offered the job of camp cook for Woodard's Camp A, she accepted. Because she lived near the camp, and because there wasn't a big crew to cook for, Emma served the meals at her own home rather than going to the cookhouse to prepare and serve the meals. Then Emma took in a boarder, a young workman named William Perini, better known as "Bill". That turned out to be the best bargain Bill ever made, for it was there that he met Emma's beautiful daughter, Lela Kelley. William Perini and Lela Kelley were married January 10, 1927. Bill and Lela resided most of their married life in the Salt Springs area near Anlauf. They were the parents of two children, Kenneth and Juanita. Both are married with families and live in the Cottage Grove area. Juanita's married name is Hensley. Bill Perini died of cancer August 17, 1961. Later, Lela married Kenneth McKay who had been a friend of Bill's. Lela and Kenneth reside near Cottage Grove. Elvis Kelley married Gladys Reeves September 25, 1928. They lived for many years at Woodard's Camp A. Their two sons, Richard and Dean, attended London School. Both boys married and had families. Another son, Mervin M. Kelley, died in 1934 at the age of six weeks. Elvis Kelley died December 17, 1958 and his son, Dean, died September 15, 1984. Richard Kelley resides at Redmond, Oregon. Elvis' widow, Gladys, married Louis Caldwell. Louis passed away May 4, 1991. Gladys resides in Redmond, Oregon. Emma Kelley, mother of Elvis and Lela, remained in the Cottage Grove area until her death at the Cottage Grove Hospital October 27, 1960 at the age of 79. She was laid to rest in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery beside her husband, Aaron. They were together again after 53 years.
106
Whited I first found Ephraim B. Whited, his wife Destimony A., and their two children, Thomas, 4, and Minnie E., 2, in the 1870 census. They were living in the Siuslaw township of Lane County, Oregon. The Siuslaw Post Office was established 82 years later five miles north of Lorane. I imagine this was where the Whiteds lived. Living with the Whiteds was Elizabeth Osborn, 64, superannuated. That word sent me to the dictionary. It means someone who has retired, especially with a pension, because of old age or an infirmity. I believe Elizabeth Osborn was Destimony Whited's mother. On January 1, 1871 E.B. Whited was a witness to the marriage of James Moore and Mrs. Elizabeth Osborn at E.B.'s home in Lane County. E.B. and D.A. Whited used their initials on official documents. I'm not sure whether Whited had one "t" or two; but official documents used one. The 1880 census said Ephraim B. was 44, a farmer born in Indiana. Ephraim's wife, Destimony, was 30, born in Iowa. Therefore, he was born circa 1836 and she circa 1850. In 1880 Ephraim and Destimony had six children, as follows: Thomas O., 14; Minnie E., 12; Mary C., 8; Hiram E., 6; Annie P., 4; and Louis E., 1. All of them were born in Oregon. Of course, there may have been more later. E.B. Whited took part in the organization and establishment of Cedar Creek School January 17, 1880. He served as clerk of the school district from spring, 1885 until spring, 1891. July 4, 1889 was the date of the wedding of E.P. Larkin and M.C. Whited at the Baker Hotel in Eugene. The witness and surety was Miss M.E. Whited. I believe the bride was Mary C. Whited, age about 17, and the witness was Mary's sister, Minnie E., age about 21. On November 29, 1891 O.L. Weddle of Marion County, Oregon and M.E. Whited (Minnie E.) were married at the house of Ephraim Whited by W.H. Baughman, Justice of the Peace. The witnesses were F.L. and Lizzie Kelley. Surety, E.B. Whited. The Kelley family were pioneer settlers on Cedar Creek and neighbors of the Whiteds. Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" Kelley was about five years older than Minnie Whited. I found no F.L. Kelley. Lizzie's little brother, age almost nine, was John Frank Kelley. On December 3, 1892 Thomas O. Whited (the oldest son) married Viola Ellmaker, over 16, at the house of a Justice of the Peace. On November 23, 1889 E.B., D.A., and Hiram Whited became charter members of the Coast Fork Grange. Hiram was about 15 years old. On August 27, 1891 E.B. and D.A. Whited sold their 160 acre ranch in secs. 5 and 6 of twsp. 22s., range 3w (on Cedar Creek) to Harry Webber. On October 14, 1891 E.B. Whited purchased 80 acres in Township 19 South, Range 2W. I believe the Whited family left Cedar Creek about that time.
107
Harris John M. Harris was born in Kentucky April 5, 1803. Jane Harris was born in Indiana November 10, 1810. They were married in Indiana, living there for 25 years before moving to Pike County, Illinois. They returned to Indiana for several years, then moved to Minnesota briefly before going back to Illinois. In 1865 the Harris family crossed the plains to Oregon, settling in Linn County and living there for several years before moving to a farm "seven miles south of Cottage Grove." Lillian Taylor wrote that Reverend J.M. Harris and his family moved to Hebron during 1871. She credited his labor with bringing about an increase in church membership. Annabel Meacham wrote that John M. Harris donated money to purchase books for the Hebron Church. I found John and Jane Harris in the 1880 U.S. census. He was listed as a 77 year old minister, she as 70 years old. Jane Harris died November 15, 1880 at the age of 70 years, 5 days. John M. Harris died September 16, 1881 at the age of 78 years, 5 months, 11 days. They are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Eleven children were born to John and Jane Harris, including Martha Harris Powell Baughman who, with her two husbands, is buried near her parents. Other children included David R. Harris, T.W., J. W., and James H. Harris. It seems that at least one married son and his family came to Oregon with John and Jane. That son was David Rice Harris, born November 15, 1840 in Putnam County, Indiana. David married Rebecca Elnora Grimes in Illinois May 22, 1862. Rebecca E. Grimes was born March 5, 1838 in Kentucky. A daughter, Ella Jane, was born in Illinois May 1, 1863. The Harris family started for Oregon April 5, 1865. A daughter, Martha Ann, was born on the wagon train. Two more daughters were born to David and Rebecca Harris, Melissa H., in Oregon in 1872, and Minnie M. in Washington in 1873. Many years later, Ella Jane's obituary told us that, after several stops, the family lived for awhile on the "Uncle Joe Powell place" east of the area now covered by the Cottage Grove Lake. The family moved to Washington for several years, then returned to Eugene, Oregon to settle down. David Harris' obituary told us that after arriving in Oregon in October, 1865, he spent the rest of his life in Oregon with the exception of two years in California and a few years in Washington in the early 1870's. David Harris served as one of the first elders in the Hebron Church in 1880. In 1884 David served as choirster of the new Sunday school at the Hebron church. D.R. Harris was elected Master of the Coast Fork Grange in 1889. He held various grange offices through 1911. David's and Rebecca's four daughters were each married at their parents' home. Martha Ann Harris married William Clarence Shortridge October 9, 1887. Melissa H. Harris married John T. Small July 4, 1888. Ella Jane Harris married O.P. Wills September 26, 1891. Minnie M. Harris married Wm. T. Jones November 6, 1892. Rebecca E. (Grimes) Harris died near London, Oregon March 11, 1914 at the age of 76. David R. Harris died November 2, 1920 about two weeks before his 80th birthday. David and Rebecca are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 108
David was survived by his four daughters; two brothers, Dr. T.W. Harris of Eugene, and James H. Harris of Washington; and a sister, Martha Baughman.
109
Alexander H. Powell Alexander Hamilton Powell was born December 8, 1834 in Illinois, the eldest son of Alfred and Sarah Bracken Powell. His mother died in January, 1837 when he was only two years old. He had one full brother, James Henry, and later had several half-brothers and sisters as his father remarried several times. Alexander came to Oregon with his father and family in 1851. Alexander drove an ox team on the trip west. He was 17 years old. He served in the military in 1856 during the Indian War. Alexander Hamilton Powell and Mary Anne McKnight were married February 25, 1864. Mary Anne was born April 4, 1844, the daughter of David and Matilda Skidmore McKnight. Her parents died when she was young. Mary Anne came to Oregon with the Bruce Wilson family in 1860 when she was sixteen. Alexander Hamilton and Mary Anne Powell came to the Hebron area in 1878, purchasing 320 acres of land in the Wilson Creek area, part of the Wm. S. Wilson D.L.C. They lived there for 29 years before moving to Cottage Grove in 1907. They donated the land where Hebron church was built. Alexander Hamilton served as an elder there for more than 29 years. Alexander Hamilton and Mary Anne had five children: Sarah Matilda Powell who married Lincoln Taylor, son of pioneers Joseph P. and Mary Small Taylor. Alfred Sherman Powell who married Emma Charlotte Taylor, daughter of pioneers Jeremiah and Rachel E. Taylor. Is this the same A.S. Powell who, it is believed, taught the first session of the Cedar Creek School which was actually held in the new school house in the spring of 1886? Alfred would have been 19 years old. Clarinda Belle Powell who married Wm. Henry Taylor. Florence Winona Powell who married George Alexander Small. Lester Winfred Alexander Powell who married Pearl Wright. Alexander Hamilton and Mary Anne Powell also took in Mary Anne's nephew and niece whose mother had died. The nephew was James McKnight who died in 1868. The niece was Jane McKnight. She was married in 1876. Mary Anne McKnight Powell died May 31, 1912. Alexander Hamilton Powell died March 13, 1915. Both are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. My father knew the Powells. He said Alexander Hamilton was commonly known as "Hamp" Powell.
110
James H. Powell James Henry Powell was born January 9, 1837 in Illinois, the second son of Alfred and Sarah Bracken Powell. James' mother died soon after his birth. He had one full brother, Alexander Hamilton Powell, and would have several half brothers and sisters as his father remarried several times. James Henry came to Oregon with his father and family in 1851. James Henry Powell married Martha Harris January 4, 1866. Martha Harris was born September 30, 1838 in Indiana to the Reverend John M. Harris and wife, Jane. Martha crossed the plains with her parents in an 1865 wagon train. The Harris family came to the Hebron area in 1871. James H. and Martha Harris Powell settled on the east side of the Hebron area. James served as a deacon in the Hebron church from the time it was organized until James died in December, 1880. James and Martha were the parents of six children: Abigail Jane Powell who married Nathaniel Wellington White and settled north of Hebron. John Alfred Powell who married Julia Ann Sweaney and settled at Hebron. Elizabeth Ann Powell who married first James Beckley, second Samuel Sweetland and left this area. Sarah Lillie Powell who married Samuel H. Callison at Hebron November 29, 1891 and left this area. Laura May Powell who married Wm. G. Massey and lived in the London District. After William died in December, 1931, Laura married his brother, John, in October, 1933. James Seldon Powell (known as Seldon) who married Estella Mable Coffman March 7, 1914 and settled at Hebron. When James Henry Powell died in December, 1880, he left his widow and six children still at home. The mother, Martha Harris Powell married D.C. Baughman January 29, 1884. Daniel C. Baughman died November 28, 1919 and Martha Harris Powell Baughman died August 17, 1929. Both are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. The two sons of James Henry Powell, John Alfred and Seldon, eventually grew up to operate their father's ranch on the east side of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake. In 1930 Seldon bought his brother, "Jack's" share of the ranch; then Seldon and Mable operated it as a dairy ranch until his failing health forced them to move to Cottage Grove. They had no children. Seldon died in 1970 and Mable in 1972. They are buried at Fir Grove Cemetery.
111
John Alfred Powell John Alfred Powell, the oldest son of James Henry and Martha (Harris) Powell, was born March 11, 1869 near Albany, Oregon. On August 28, 1895 John "Jack" Powell, 21, married Julia Ann Sweaney, 18, at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Sweaney, at the southeast end of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake. Julia Ann Sweaney was born May 17, 1877 in Missouri. The Sweaney family migration took them to Nebraska, Washington, and finally, to the London District in this valley in 1886. Julia joined the Hebron Church in 1887. Julia's father was the Reverend Andrew M. Sweaney, a pastor of the church. Julia finished the 8th grade at the Hebron School. "Jack" and Julia Powell resided on the Hebron farm that had once belonged to his parents. Jack's brother, Seldon, shared the ranch with Jack and finally bought Jack's interest in the ranch. I don't know the date. At some time Jack and Julia lived on the old A.H. Powell place at Wilson Creek. On October 6, 1920 the paper said J.A. Powell rented his place to L.D. Huff and moved to the Warner house. Jack and Julia were the parents of two children, Norval and Ruth. Both attended the old Hebron School and graduated from Cottage Grove High School. Ruth married Vinal T. Randall January 1, 1920. She was named Cottage Grove's Outstanding Woman of the Year in 1957. Ruth died August 10, 1985. Norval was a veteran of World War I. He and his wife resided in eastern Oregon. Norval died April 11, 1975. John Alfred Powell died in 1943. An article in the January 24, 1952 London News said, "Mr. and Mrs. John Sweaney who moved to Canada 54 years ago are back coming to care for a sister, Mrs. Julia Powell Sweeny (should have been, Mrs. Julia Sweany Powell), who is in poor health in Cottage Grove. The Sweeneys formerly lived on what was the Emma Kelley place." This is the present-day Plueard place at the southeast end of the Cottage Grove Lake. Julia Ann Sweaney Powell died March 21, 1956. Both she and "Jack" are buried in the I.O.O.F. (Fir Grove) Cemetery at Cottage Grove.
112
Joseph Powell Joseph Goble Powell, a son of Alfred and Hannah (Goble) Powell was born June 1, 1841 in Illinois, crossing the plains with his parents and siblings in 1851. The family settled in Albany. Melissa Ann Ramsey, a daughter of Barnett and Elizabeth Ramsey, was born in Illinois, crossing the plains with her parents in 1852. Joseph G. Powell and Melissa Ann Ramsey were married September 25, 1862. In 1889 Joe and Melissa purchased part of the old Rogers Donation Land Claim at Hebron, where they resided. Joseph was a half-brother of James H. and Alexander H. Powell, other prominent members of the Hebron community. Joseph and Melissa were the parents of eleven children, two dying in infancy: 1. Emily Jane married Stephen Overholser. They lived in Washington. 2. Nancy Anne married John Overholser and lived at Silk Creek. One of Nancy Anne's sons, Frank, was said to have lived with his grandparents for a time, attending Hebron School. 3. Samuel Marion died as a small boy. 4. Charles Leighton married Olive Warthen. Charlie and Ollie Powell resided at London,Oregon. 5. Rosella Maude married Levi Geer at Hebron June 21, 1896. She was Levi's second wife. They resided at London and were the parents of Joseph, Robert, and Cecil Geer. Maude died July 2, 1907. 6. Ida May married Ernest McReynolds and lived near Divide, Oregon. 7. George Alfred married Emma Sutherland. 8. Robert Barnett married Lena Belle Geer. Robert's story may be found in the Geer section of this book. 9. Edwin William married Daisy Hendee. Ed and Daisy resided at London for many years. 10.James Henry married Angie Garoutte and resided at London. Joseph G. Powell was a member of the Hebron Christian Church and also of the Coast Fork Grange, a generous and loyal worker in both. He was also the Justice of the Peace who performed the marriage ceremony for my parents, Archie and Clara Gilham, as well as for many others. Joe and Melissa moved to London in 1906. He died September 9, 1924 at the home of his son, Charles. He was 83 years of age. Melissa Ann died August 8, 1925 at the home of her daughter, Ida May McReynolds, at Divide, Oregon. Joseph and Melissa are buried in the Bemis Cemetery, south of London.
113
Warner and Finnen Jacob Warner was born June 1, 1863 in New York where his parents had also been born. Winnifred, Jacob's wife, was born February, 1845, also in New York, the daughter of Irish immigrants. Winnifred left New York in 1871, going first to Grass Valley, Nevada, then to California. She and Jacob were married about 1872 as the 1900 census said they had been married 28 years. Winnifred had been married before. She had borne three children, two girls and a boy, but only her son, Eugene Finnen survived her. He was born circa 1866 in New York. Winnifred's obituary said she came to the Cottage Grove area in 1882. I suppose she arrived with her husband, Jacob Warner, and her son, Eugene, who would have been about 16 years old. A February, 1884 news item said, "Mr. Eugene Finnen and Henry Taylor had a pugilistic encounter last Saturday. No arrests, hence no fines." Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Warner were charter members of the Coast Fork Grange organized November 23, 1889. Eugene Finnen married Josie Hudson in Coos County, Oregon February 5, 1898 at the house of J.D. Hudson. Josie was born in Douglas County, Oregon April 3, 1873. "Gene" and Josie had two children, Raymond, born December 17, 1898, and Mabel, born in 1900. Both children were born in Oregon. Both attended Hebron School. The family lived in a big two-story house high up in the hills above the east side of this valley near Wilson Creek. Gene Finnen's mother and step-father, Winnifred and Jacob Warner, lived near the Finnens, but in another house, according to the 1905 LaneCounty military census. By 1910 Winnie Warner lived alone. Mrs. Fred Overton, nee Ada Gilcrist, said Winnie lived in a one-room shack where Wilson Creek Park is now located. Jacob Warner, who was 65 in 1905, died in 1906 according to Lillie Taylor. His funeral was held in the Hebron church were he had been a deacon. I don't remember the little shack at Wilson Creek. It was probably gone long before I was old enough to remember. However, I do remember the old Finnen home. It was located quite a long way from my parents' home; but we hiked back to the area several times. We used to wonder why the Finnens built so far away from the valley floor. I remember something else about the place. There were some big mounds near the house. I would stand well back while my dad would go up and kick one of the mounds. Thousands of ants would come pouring out, ready to defend their homes. In my 74 years I have never seen anything like those ant hills. They must have been two feet high or more, perhaps as much as three feet. My husband also remembers seeing them. He was a logger and I spent lots of time in the great outdoors, but neither of us have seen ant hills to compare with those. It was July 1, 1912 when Eugene E. Finnen deeded to his wife, Josie, 151.37 acres of land in Sec. 2, Twsp. 22, R3W of Willamette Meridian. I have no clue as to why he deeded the property to his wife. A terrible tragedy occurred when Mabel Margaret Finnen died March 4, 1918. At the top of the front page of the March 8, 1918 SENTINEL were the headlines: "Young Girl Accidentally Drinks Acid. Mabel Finnen, aged 17, Lives but Few Minutes After Taking Fatal Draught." The old paper was impossible to read in its entirety. Following is what I could read: 114
"Mabel Finnen, 17 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Finnen, died early Monday morning as the result of accidentally drinking carbolic acid. The _____ which had been used to disinfect _____ the table. She picked up the acid and drank the contents thinking it was water, death following ______." The tragedy doubled when, just one week later, on March 11, 1918, Mabel's brother, Raymond, died. An article in the EUGENE CITY GUARD, Lane County News, Cottage Grove read, "Raymond Finnen died Monday morning at 9 o'clock of consumption. His sister, Mabel, died just a week ago. They were the only children of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Finnen. Raymond was 19 years old and attended school in this city." The March 13 paper said, "The funeral of Raymond Finnen will be at 10:30 from the Mills Chapel Wednesday morning. Reverend Callison of the Christian church officiating." The March 14 paper said, "Raymond Finnen was buried Wednesday from the Mills Chapel. The funeral was exactly the same as his sister, Mabel's, funeral one week ago today. The high school students who were in his class gave a beautiful flower design and six of the boys acted as pallbearers." Mabel and Raymond were buried in Fir Grove Cemetery. A March 22, 1918 article said, " Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Finnen of the Grove spent Monday with the George Taylors." George was a bachelor who lived at Hebron. The Finnens had moved to Cottage Grove February 25, 1918. They had lived at Hebron about 34 years. When the Finnens moved to town, Winnifred Warner was left alone in her little cabin at Wilson Creek. Then her grandchildren died in 1918. The Hebron news of March 7, 1919 tells us, "Mrs. Minnie Warner of Coast Fork, aged 77 years, was taken to the county hospital at Springfield Monday." Winnifred Warner died May 11, 1919 at the Springfield hospital at age 74. This age is correct. Winnifred and her husband, Jacob Warner, are buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. When Eugene Finnen died June 11, 1939, the paper said, "Eugene Finnen, resident of Cottage Grove for many years, died suddenly Sunday. He was found dead by a neighbor and the local physician called said the death was caused by a heart attack. No particulars are available as Mr. Finnen had no relatives in Cottage Grove and lived alone. Telegrams are being awaited from relatives." He was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery. He had been a logger. Josie had died January 30, 1939, a little more than four months before Gene died. Josie's name was Rhoda Josephine Finnen. Her father was Joseph Denmare (sp.?). Her mother's maiden name was Margaret Wheeler. Josie died at the family home in Cottage Grove. She had lived in Cottage Grove for 21 years after leaving Hebron, coming here from Coquille. She was survived by her husband and brothers and sisters. She, too, is buried at Fir Grove Cemetery.
115
Baughman Daniel C. Baughman was born October 8, 1842 in Illinois, coming with his parents to Oregon in 1851. Daniel first married April 26, 1869 Miss Catherine Braman who bore him six children. I believe they came to the London area about 1876. Of the six children: 1. Frank died at 1 1/2 years. 2. Grace (named in the Centennial History of Oregon as Wealthy N.) married John L. Sweaney, son of A.M. Sweaney October 6, 1895. 3. Elizabeth married Louis G. Gerum December 29, 1897. 4. Henry Delbert married Mary Rosette Massey January 26, 1898. 5. Belle C. married Harvey Taylor, a son of Joseph and Mary Taylor, October 15, 1899. 6. Jessie P. married John Taylor, a son of Jeremiah and Rachel Taylor. The mother, Catherine Braman Baughman, died in 1882. On January 29, 1884 Daniel C. Baughman married Mrs. Martha Powell, the widow of James Powell of Hebron and the mother of six Powell children. Daniel and Martha and, I believe, eleven children lived at Hebron. A Hebron School report, beginning April 5 and ending June 25, 1886, said Grace Baughman and Laura Powell reached 100 per cent and Bert (Henry Delbert?) Baughman had not missed a day of school. Lizzie Baughman taught the Cedar Creek School in the spring of 1890. Daniel Baughman was clerk of the Hebron school district in 1892, 1893, and 1894, and perhaps longer. Daniel was addressed as Hon. D.C. Baughman. The Centennial History of Oregon said, "The political allegiance of Mr. Baughman has always been given to the republican party. He was elected a candidate of that party to the state legislature of Oregon, serving in 1892 and 1893.....:" Mr. Baughman was a school teacher for many years during his early life. Daniel C. Baughman died November 28, 1919. Martha Harris Powell Baughman died August 17, 1929. Both are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery.
116
Langdon - Weeden In an article about James and Amelia Shortridge I gave a sketch of the life of their fifth child, Alice A. Shortridge. Here I want to write of Alice's children who were also born and reared in Hebron, attending Hebron School. James and Alice (Shortridge) Langdon were the parents of five children: 1. Leslie, born 1885. 2. M. Agnes, born 1888. 3. Clyde, born 1890. 4. Audrey B., born 1892. 5. Arrol, a daughter born 1895. Of these, only Agnes was born in another area. The 1900 census said she was born in Washington. When little Arroll was only one year old, James Langdon died of pneumonia, leaving his wife, Alice, and the five children. The date was September 1, 1896. James was a logger. The 1900 census found John J. Weeden, an employee, living and working on the Langdon ranch. John had come to Oregon about 1896. Alice's' age was given as 37, his as 24. They were married August 30, 1900. John and Alice were the parents of at least four more children: twins, Everett H. and Eva A.; Homer Dale and Gordon. Here are little sketches of some of the nine children of Alice Shortridge Langdon Weeden and her two husbands: 1. Leslie Langdon died May 28, 1910 at the age of 24. He is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. The obituary read, "Late Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock Leslie Langdon was laid to rest beside his father at the cemetery south of Cottage Grove. Many of Leslie's friends were present to manifest their sympathy and grief and to help in the last sad rites. The deceased gave up his earth life at Portland, where for some weeks he has been lingering on the verge of the "Great Divide". A mother, a brother and three sisters survive him. 2. M. Agnes Langdon. I found in the July 31, 1924 London news that Mr. and Mrs. Orville Spear of California visited. Mrs. Spear was formerly Miss Agnes Langdon. She was Agnes Wills in 1976. 3. Clyde Lorraine Langdon worked on the log drives on the Coast Fork River when he was a young man. Clyde married Jenny Melissa Chesebro of Corning, California in June, 1908 in Cottage Grove. In December, 1915 Jenny's mother visited Jenny at Hebron when a son, James Corrington Langdon, was born to Clyde and Jenny. In March, 1916 Jenny's brother, Paul Chesebro, came from Kerkwood, California to work in the logging camp for Clyde Langdon. Clyde's obituary said, "After her (Jenny's) death he married Eva B. in Yreka, California..... He worked in the Forest Service for 25 years before retiring in 1952." Clyde and Eva Langdon lived at Veneta, Oregon for several years. He died June 7, 1977 near Wilderville, Oregon near Grants Pass at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife, Eva B.; son James; two daughters, Elisabeth Doggett and Margaret Allen; one brother and two sisters. He was buried 117
in Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. 4. Audrey B. Langdon married a man named James Hayes. She lived in Eugene in 1935. 5. Arroll Langdon. I believe this girl was later known as Arlie. Annabelle Gilcrist said Arlie worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Arlie E. Langdon married Bird G. Vinson in Lane County November 10, 1917. When Arlie passed away she was Mrs. William P. Meyers. Arlie had lived in the Eugene, Elmira, and Veneta areas all of her adult life. She resided at Eugene when she passed away July 13, 1987 at the age of 91. She is entombed in the Lane Memorial Gardens mausoleum. She was survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Ruth and Gordon Bishop of Eugene. 6. Everett (also spelled Evart) H. Weeden lived in Taft, California when his father died in 1936, at Junction City when Clyde died in 1977, but was not mentioned in Arlie's obituary in 1987. Everett had a twin, Eva. 7. Eva Weeden. The Weedens moved to Cottage Grove in 1916. Eva died there in 1918 and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 8. Homer Dale Weeden was a radio operator on the U.S.S. Chicago stationed at Long Beach, California when his father died in 1936. He was not mentioned in Gordon's obituary in 1976, so must have died earlier. 9. Gordon Adair Weeden of Willow Creek Road, Eugene, died March 20, 1976 at the age of 67. He was survived by his wife, Lillian; a son, Jay G. Weeden; two sisters, Mrs. Agnes Wills and Mrs. Arlie Meyers; two brothers, Evart Weeden and Clyde Langdon and other relatives. Gordon was born May 17, 1908 at Hebron. He was buried at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. In May, 1935 I read that John Weeden of Montebello, California was ill and had come to Oregon to recuperate. In December, 1935 Mr. and Mrs. John Weeden were still in Eugene. John died in September, 1936 at the Eugene Hospital. His obituary said he was born September 30, 1875 in Fairbury, Nebraska. John and Alice had left the Cottage Grove area almost 20 years before his death. They resided in California. He was buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery beside his daughter, Eva. Alice Shortridge Langdon Weeden, the mother of the nine children, died about 1949 in California at the age of 87.
118
Joseph L. Flowers DAILY EUGENE GUARD, Saturday, Feb. 20, 1892 "Fatally Injured A Cottage Grove Farmer Fell From a Stable Loft and was not Found for Two Days Mr. Flower, a farmer living a few miles above Cottage Grove, sustained injuries Monday that caused his death. Some time during that day he fell from his stable loft and sustained such injuries he could not help himself. When found, Wednesday, by neighbors, he was unconscious but still alive. He was found with the back of his head resting on a pole. The unfortunate man lingered until Thursday morning when death intervened." When I compared the date of Mr. Flowers death, February 18, 1892, to the date on the final homestead certificate, March 1, 1892, I realized that he died just twelve days before the land that he had worked so hard for would be his. Wasn't that sad? I copied the following from Homestead Certificate No. 2919, Application 4527. The claim of Joseph Lewis Flowers has been established and duly consummated, in conformity to law, for the S 1/2 of the NW 1/4, the NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 and the lot numbered 5 of section 32 in town-ship 21s of Range 3W of Willamette Meridian in Oregon, containing 152.11 acres. March 1, 1892 It had been a struggle, as it was for every homesteader, those four years of toil and sweat. On October 31, 1891 J.L. Flowers (unmarried) gave a $110 mortgage to David Mosby on Lot 5, Sec. 32 twp. 21s., range 3W. David Mosby died; but Mr. Flowers paid off the mortgage to John B. and Robert H. Mosby. That part of the Flowers property was offered at public auction November 27, 1901. It was sold, for $8.30, to James Hemenway. At a later date, Wiese Bros. Logging owned and logged the land. Then it was purchased by Roy G. Murry in 1928 and deeded to Roy's brother, Earl, in 1934. In 1941, my husband and I bought about 17 acres of the original Joseph Lewis Flowers homestead and have made our home here for 55 years. I believe Mr. Flowers settled on the homestead in 1888. He was a charter member of the Coast Fork Grange, which was organized November 23, 1889. Mr. Flowers was buried in Block 2, Lot 1 of the Taylor-Lane Cemetery.
119
Whitlock Henry Daniel Whitlock was born October 17, 1857 in Illinois. He was the son of James Whitlock. Mary Marshby (?) was born in 1867 in Missouri. Henry and Mary were probably married in Missouri. Their oldest child, Arthur, was born circa 1885 in Missouri. The second child, Mabel, was born circa 1887 in California. Henry and Mary Whitlock and family lived on Cedar Creek in February, 1889; and in March the paper said the Henry Whitlocks visited Mary's parents on Silk Creek. Henry Whitlock was clerk of the Cedar Creek school district from May 2, 1891 until at least through 1894, and probably longer. In the fall of 1892 H.D. Whitlock was a viewer for the Cedar Creek road. I found a March 1, 1895 article listing those who were "neither absent nor tardy" in Cedar Creek School. Among those listed were Arthur and Mabel Whitlock. From the above information, I believe the Whitlocks arrived on Cedar Creek about 1888 or 1889. On March 31, 1902 a little son, Albert, died at age five. The 1905 Lane County military census added Myrtle, 14; Oela, 11; Herbert, 5; and Harold, 1. This makes a total of seven children. In the fall of 1902 an item mentioned that Mary belonged to the Coast Fork Grange. In the fall of 1911 H.D. Whitlock attended a road district meeting. The mother, Mary Whitlock, died of cancer March 25, 1916 and is buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. She was 48 years old. Henry Daniel Whitlock died May 12, 1932. He, too, is buried in Fir Grove Cemetery. He was survived by sons, Herbert, Harold, and Arthur; and by daughters, Mrs. Myrtle Ashner (?), Mrs. J.J. Gill, and Mrs. L.E. Stroud.
120
Piper Sidney Rutherford Piper was born April 21, 1844 in Jonesborough, Washington County, Tennessee where his father built the first brick residence erected in the state of Tennessee. Sidney became a Confederate soldier, serving through the entire war, 1861-1865. "He was wounded at the siege of Petersburg and was a member of the famous company which emerged from the battle of the Wilderness with four men of the original strength of 150." Eliza Hester Clark was born October 12, 1848 in Tennessee and "was a member of an old southern family." "As a girl she went through many thrilling experiences during the Civil War when Union raiders pillaged her home." S.R. Piper and Eliza Hester Clark were married July 13, 1870 in Jonesboro, Tennessee. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Piper while they lived in Tennessee: Nola China, Julia Miriam, and Archie C. The Pipers came to Oregon in 1888 or 1889. The EUGENE CITY GUARD of February 22, 1889 said Mr. Piper, partner of Mr. Halterman, moved his family to Cottage Grove from Eugene. The account of Mr. and Mrs. Piper's Golden wedding anniversary said the family lived in Tennessee before coming here. Mrs. Piper's obituary said they moved to North Dakota before coming west. Mr. Piper was in the hardware business for a number of years. In April, 1892 he was elected as a delegate to the Democratic county convention. S.R. Piper, merchant, was on the 1897 list of Circuit Court jurors. In April, 1898 S.R. Piper was a councilman in Cottage Grove. In December, 1898 the Cottage Grove firemen elected Archie Piper (son of S.R.), foreman. When Cottage Grove and Lemati reconciled their differences and re-united in January, 1899, the new officers of Cottage Grove included S.R. Piper, a council-man for the east side. Andrew Nelson, born in Minnesota in 1866, came to Cottage Grove about 1890. He obtained work as a sheet metal worker for the S.R. Piper Hardware Store. Thus he met the boss' eldest daughter, Nola China, and a romance began. Andrew Nelson, 29, and Nola China Piper, 23, were married June 4, 1896 at the home of her parents, by J.W. Baker, Justice of the Peace of Cottage Grove district. Andrew and Nola were the parents of a son, Ray. Andrew Nelson became well-known in the area as an electrician. He owned the first electric light plant in Cottage Grove, erected in 1892. He also owned the second plant in Cottage Grove, constructed the plant at the Champion Gold Mine, and the first and second plants at the Black Butte Mines. Nola China Nelson, born September 20, 1871, died May 6, 1902 at her home at the age of 30 years, 7 months and 16 days. The funeral was conducted from her home. Although Andrew was only 36 years old at the time of Nola's death, he never remarried. He died of a fall in 1935 while working as an electrician for the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. He was 69 years of age. He was buried beside Nola in Fir Grove Cemetery. Their son, Ray Nelson, also an electrician, became well-known in the Cottage Grove area as "Radio Ray" Nelson. Julia Miriam Piper, or "Miss Piper" as most neighbors and friends respectfully addressed her, was a sturdy independent little lady residing in her parents' home long after her parents were deceased. Born in Tennessee October 14, 1873, Miriam came to Hebron with her parents, sister and brother in 1889. 121
A July, 1929 Hebron news item told an interesting story about Miss Piper after she was living alone: "As Miss Piper drove her three milk cows in from a clover pasture a rattler inside the yard sounded a warning as the first cow entered the driveway through the yard. Miss Piper was armed with a hoe with which she had been killing thistles, and with this weapon she quickly dispatched the snake, taking its 10 rattles as a trophy of the battle." Rattlesnakes abounded in that area.. This brave little woman seemed to me to be quite fearless. Of course, I'm sure she was often frightened; but I never saw or heard her show fear. I often saw her walking quickly along the toeboard of the lumber flume on her way to join friends and neighbors for a meeting or a program at the Farmers' Union hall. My husband guessed the distance from her home to London road at about a mile. When the evening was over, no matter how dark the night, Miriam climbed back up on that toeboard and hurried home. I remember that my parents remarked about how sad it would be if she fell. It might have been hours, or even days, before anyone decided there was something wrong and looked for her. For a long time there was no bridge across the river near her house. In September, 1934 the paper said Mr. Means of Shoestring Road was building a bridge for Miss Piper to cross the Barkemeyer place to the main road. The bridge was finished in the spring of 1935. Then one day all of us were pleasantly surprised to read in the August 8, 1940 SENTINEL, "Miss Miriam Piper and Walter Lee Baker were married at Roseburg on Friday, July 26,..... Both Mr. and Mrs. Baker have lived here many years and are wellknown people. Mr. Baker has lived on the coast near Tillamook for several years; but returned to Cottage Grove recently. The couple have purchased the Keyes place and will make their home there." The Keyes place was in the Latham district. Of course, their friends and neighbors charivaried them. I remember that Mr. Baker called for our attention, then told us a story that I hope I can repeat accurately. He told us that he had blackmailed Miriam into marrying him. It seems that they had been sweethearts many years before. Miriam refused to marry him because of an obligation to care for her parents. Walter married someone else and, I believe, reared a family. When his wife died he returned to find Miriam still unwed. His proposal of marriage fell on deaf ears. Finally he camped out in the field near her house, reminding her that neighbors and friends would gossip about them, and telling her that he wouldn't move until she married him. Since I listened to this story about 55 years ago, I can only tell it as I remember it, without vouching for complete accuracy. It stuck in my mind because Miss Piper was a very special friend. The ladies of the community gave Miriam a shower and were happy that she was no longer alone. Mr. Baker transferred his Grange membership from Maple Creek Grange to Hebron Grange. Miriam joined as a new member. Miriam Baker lived on South 10th Street when she died at the Cottage Grove Hospital May 25, 1959. She was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery near her sister, Nola China Nelson, and Nola's husband. Walter Baker died December 19, 1965. I know very little about Archie C. Piper. He was born in 1878 in Tennessee. He was the youngest of the three Piper children. Several news items mentioned family members visiting him in Portland where he resided. One interesting June, 1925 news item said, "A.C. Piper and sons, LaMar and Bernard, of Portland motored up Saturday to Mr. Piper's bringing Miss Piper a new Chevrolet touring car. LaMar is staying this week to teach his aunt to drive." Bernard Piper, born circa 1901, and LaMar or Lemar Piper, born circa 1902, sometimes stayed with their grandparents. In November, 1912 I 122
found Lemar Piper, age 11, who was living with his grandparents, S.R. and Hester Piper, was attending Hebron School. He was still there in 1913 and 1914. In 1915 and 1916 Bernard Piper, aged 13 and 14, replaced his brother at Hebron School. In 1939 Archie Piper died and was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. The May, 1912 SENTINEL said, "S.R. Piper was in from the Coast Fork Friday." In January, 1915 the paper mentioned, "S.R. Piper's ranch at the foot of Shortridge Butte." As I remember the Piper place, it was at the northeast end of the present-day Cottage Grove Dam, just where the road turns west to cross the bridge. Sidney Rutherford Piper died of pneumonia at his home in November, 1925 at the age of 81. Eliza Hester Piper died at her home of a paralytic stroke on May 29, 1927. Her age was 79 years, 7 months and 17 days.. Both are buried at the A.F. & A.M.I.O.O.F. Cemetery (Fir Grove) in Cottage Grove.
Burnett Isham Burnett was born December 9, 1830 in Tennessee. Minerva Burnett was born January 29, 1838 in Missouri. Her father was L.G. Gerum. I found no marriage record in Lane County or in Douglas County. Isham and Minerva were married circa 1859. My dad, Archie Gilham, said the Burnetts lived on Wilson Creek. Dad said Isham had a funny way of answering when someone asked how he was feeling. He invariably replied, "I'm feeling considerably better. I don't eat very much, but what I do eat agrees with me mighty well." Reverend Isham Burnett was one of the ministers who filled the pulpit in the Hebron Church. I didn't find the Burnetts in the 1880 census; but Isham and Minerva were charter members of the Coast Fork Grange organized November 23, 1889. I found where Isham had homesteaded in 1899 and also found that Isham Burnett, minister, performed the marriage ceremony for Harvey Taylor and Belle Baughman May 20, 1899. The 1900 census found the Burnetts on Wilson Creek; but the 1905 military census placed Isham, 74, and Minerva, 67, in the Cedar Creek area next to the Louis Gerum family. Since Minerva's maiden name was Gerum, I imagine these Gerums were her relatives. Louis Gerum was a secretary of the Coast Fork Grange. Minerva Burnett died January 26, 1909, "near Hebron". She was buried in the Small Cemetery near the London School. She was 70 years old. She and Isham had been married about 50 years. The London news of September 14, 1916 told us , "Isham Burnett, a well-known resident of London for a number of years, died there September 1. The funeral was held there, Rev. Sutherland, of Lorane, officiating. Mr. Burnett came to Oregon from Tennessee and had lived at a number of different places in this state. He leaves no near relatives. The Smalls, of this vicinity, are cousins. He was past 85 years of age, and had made a trip to Tennessee after passing his eightieth birthday anniversary." Isham was buried in the Small Cemetery. 123
Beck I have a copy of a marriage license application for Daniel Beck and Almeda J. Beckley issued September 20, 1898. Both were about 37 years of age and both had been married previously, to others. Almeda lived in Lane County. The application did not say where Daniel lived. On October 30, 1899 J.B. and Anna M. Ruscher sold to Daniel Beck 1.75 acres in section 5, twsp. 22, range 3W (Cedar Creek area). I found the Becks in the 1905 military census. Daniel, age 43, was a miner, born in Pennsylvania. Amanda, 44, was born in Indiana. My dad, Archie Gilham, told me that Dan and Bill Beck took a contract about 1908 to build a phone line up the Coast Fork. The holes were dug with a shovel. A longhandled scoop was used to scoop out the dirt. The Becks put in 25 foot poles. Dad said the Becks were both big men who could pick up one of those poles, stand it on end, carry it and place it in the post hole. Dad also remembered that he had cradled three acres of fine grain on the Beck place about 1909 or 1910. Cradling was an old-fashioned method of hand cutting. On January 7, 1911 John and Anna Ruscher sold to Mrs.A.J. (Almeda J.) Beck lots 1 and 2, sec. 5, twsp. 22, range 3W; but on October 8, 1912 this property was sold by the sheriff to satisfy delinquent taxes, except 3/4 acre deeded to Daniel Beck. However, the Becks must have redeemed the property because, on December 19, 1912, they deeded lot 3 to P.A. Rogers; and on February 25, 1914, Dan and Almeda deeded lot 2, 160 acres, to W.P. Shederhelm. My husband, Roy Geer, remembered Dan Beck. When Roy was 12 years old, he lived, with his parents, at the old London Springs Hotel from October, 1929 until April, 1930. It was at that impressionable age that Roy met Dan Beck. Mr. Beck, then about 67 years of age, had skied out to London from the Bohemia Mines where he worked. Roy said Dan Beck and Roy's dad, Frank Geer, had lots of interesting stories to exchange. This was probably in January, 1930. According to the SENTINEL, the Woodard logging operations were shut down because of snow; and the young people at London were having lots of fun with toboggans, sleds and skis. The power lines to the Black Butte quicksilver mines were down "due to the ice". Roads in the area were almost impassable. The snow seemed to have lasted all month. I believe the Becks came to Cedar Creek in 1899. I don't know when they left Cedar Creek. They were living in Cottage Grove in January, 1911. I found no evidence that the Bill Beck that Dad mentioned lived in the area. There was a Beck living at Woodard's Camp A at least from August 10, 1927 until May 10,.1929. I do not know the first name. I don't know where or when Daniel Beck died. He survived his wife, Alameda Josephine when she died in Cottage Grove March 9, 1940 at the age of 79. She was survived by two daughters, two sons, and one stepson. This stepson, Daniel Beck's son, was William E. Beck. Was this the Bill Beck that Dad remembered? When Alameda died in 1940, William Beck resided in Klamath Falls. I believe Daniel Beck also had a daughter, Mary A. (Beck) Koch. She was not mentioned in Alameda's obituary, but was listed in funeral home records as Alameda's stepdaughter in Pennsylvania. The obituary said Alameda had come to the Cottage Grove area in 1890 from Drain. 124
She was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery. Although her obituary spelled her name "Alameda", official documents omitted the second "a". Alameda's four children were listed as Mrs. Josephine Phillips, Lola Link of Cottage Grove, Arthur Woodring of Pendleton, and Earl Woodring of Cottage Grove. A marriage certificate was issued to George Woodring and Mrs. Almeda Beckly August 19, 1883. Both lived in Douglas County and were married there. Almeda's father was Cain. An interesting footnote: September 11, 1937, "John Cain of Ogden, Utah, is visiting his sister, Mrs. Dan Beck. The two had not met for 45 years."
Young - Carlile John Quincy Adams Young was born near Hillsboro, Oregon, July 21, 1855. Mr. Young used the three initials, J.Q.A., when he signed his name. Phebe Evelyn Carlile was born March 31, 1870 at Hillsboro, Oregon. John Young and Phebe Carlile were married March 27, 1887 at Goldendale, Washington. John and Phebe came to the Hebron area in 1894 and settled here. The apparently made immediate arrangements to buy the 172 acres in section 34, township 21, range 3w, for I have a receipt for $8.14 taxes paid May 2, 1896. It says, "Received of W. and Ola Carey by J.Q.A. Young in full for State, County, County School, Poll, School District and City Taxes, in Lane County, for 1895....." This property was on the east side of the Hebron valley. Other tax receipts showed that the Youngs soon owned the property and were paying the taxes directly. There are also receipts in the amount of $1 for Poll taxes paid in 1898, 1899, 1900, and 1905, and for a $3 Road Poll Tax paid in 1905. There were two separate taxes for 1905, the Poll tax of $1 plus the $3 Road Poll tax. Later the amount of acreage dropped to 91 acres in the east 1/2 of the NW 1/4, lots 1 and 2, section 34, township 21, range 3w. In March, 1916 the paper said, "Mr. and Mrs. J.Q.A. Young have gone to Creswell to Mrs. Young's sister for an indefinite stay." The Young's returned home. In March, 1917 I found that J.A. Powell and Charles Allen hauled wood for them. In that month, too, "Mr. and Mrs. J.Q.A. Young celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary by having a few of their friends in to dinner with them." In the spring of 1919, "E.F. Carlile of Portland visited his sister, Mrs. Young. Little John Carlile has come to stay with his aunt." John D. Carlile, age nine, started to Hebron School that fall. In the January 15, 1920 census I found that E. Frank Carlile and son, John, were both living with Mr. and Mrs. Young. John Q.A. Young died at his home August 9, 1920 at age 65 "after a lingering illness". He and Phebe had no children; but had one adopted daughter, Mrs. E.A. Doolittle of Salem. This was Phebe Young's younger sister, Mary E. (Carlile) Doolittle, the wife of Elmer A. Doolittle. Mary E. Carlile was born in Goldendale, Washington January 19, 1889. Her obituary said she came to the Cottage Grove area as a child. I believe she came in 1894 125
with John and Phebe Young. She would have been five years old. She married Elmer A. Doolittle. April 4, 1906 at the Youngs' home. I believe there was a divorce in 1926. Later, Mary married Ross Smith and, on September 11, 1941, she married Charles Peterson. When Mary died in the Cottage Grove Hospital October 21, 1965 at the age of 76, Mr. Peterson survived her. There were no children. Both before and after John Q.A. Young died in the summer of 1920, the Carlile family reached out to help their sister, Phebe, who was only 50 years old. George and family, Frank and son John, Millard and, especially, Mary visited Phebe. In June, 1930 there was a birthday party for 11 year old Johnnie Carlile at his aunt Phebe's house. In March, 1922 the SENTINEL said, "Mrs. J.Q.A. Young has rented her ranch to Ernest Moore of Corvallis. In February, 1924 Mr. and Mrs. Garland Kimble moved into the house. Mrs. Young sold the place to Woodard. He traded it to Judd Doolittle. In June, 1926 Judd Doolittle moved to the Young place. Phebe and sister, Mary, lived at Coburg for a few months, but Phebe returned to Hebron in the fall of 1926 to reside at the home of her brother, Frank Carlile. Frank's son, John, attended Hebron School, graduating from the 8th grade in June, 1926. I found that Frank did some remodeling on the old school in the fall of 1927. Phebe Young and Frank Carlile moved several times, but always in the Hebron area. In the summer of 1930 Mary and her husband, Ross Smith, came to Hebron. A February, 1931 item said, "Bob Jenkins is hauling sawlogs for Frank Carlile and Ross Smith who are logging on the Seldon Powell place." In 1933 Ross and Mary "took up a homestead back of the W.A. Woodard mill". They moved onto their homestead in 1934. The homestead was really southwest of Woodard's mill. Phebe and Frank joined Ross and Mary on the homestead. In the fall of 1936 Phebe and Mary moved from the homestead. In March, 1938 Phebe moved to the Belle Geer house. Belle had left the old house in May, 1936. It had been rented since that time. E. Frank Carlile went to Marshfield to live with a sister, Mrs. Lillie Heron. In March, 1939 he was reported ill. On November 27, 1940 Frank died at Myrtle Point. Phebe and Mary must have returned to the homestead because a June 23, 1940 item said, "Mrs. Phebe Young and Mrs. Mary Smith gave a Sunday picnic at their mountain home, inviting a group from the church." October, 1941 found Phebe at Walden. Mary had married Charles Peterson on September 11. The dam had destroyed Hebron. Phebe Evelyn (Carlile) Young died August 14, 1954 at Cottage Grove at the age of 84. Both Phebe and her husband, J.Q.A. Young, are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Mary E. Peterson of Route 1, Cottage Grove, died October 21, 1965 at the Cottage Grove Hospital. She is buried in Fir Grove Cemetery.
Gerum I found the Gerums in the 1900 U.S. Census. Louis G. Gerum was born December, 1868 in Germany. He had come to the United States five years earlier, in 1895. He was 126
31 years old and had been married two years to Elizabeth E. Elizabeth, age 29, was born December, 1870 in Oregon. Living with Louis and Elizabeth was Louis’ father, John, who was born August, 1837 in Germany and hadn’t come to the United States until 1898. The 1905 Lane County Military Census found the Gerums still here, apparently living on Cedar Creek. John, age 68, was still with them. He was listed as a widower. No children were mentioned in either census.
127
CHAPTER XI THE FIRST DECADE OF THE 20TH CENTURY In order to get a better picture of the Hebron area during the first decade of the 20th century I cite once again the writings of Ruth Woodard McCall as she locates her neighbors of that time. Locating her parents' home first, she told us it was just northwest of the present-day Cottage Grove Dam. One mile toward town from the Wistman place, the Woodards' home, lived Willie and Abbie White and Della (Laura Adelle) Inez, Alfred and Herald. The Whites attended church at Hebron. Half-way between the Whites and the Woodards were Bill and Samantha (Shortridge) Brown, Ellen and Aimee. Bill Kimble, wife and two boys, lived 1/2 mile south of the Snyder house. (The Snyder house was near the Wistman place.) Later, the Kimbles moved near the ford in the river. "Going to church we could save one mile driving if we forded the river below the school house. The river made a big bend and the bridge was at the bottom of the bend or U-shaped curve." "Marcys lived next door to us on the north, 1/2 mile away maybe." Mrs. Langdon lived next door south with timber and brush between. She had a hired man, John Weeden, who married Mrs. Langdon. Mrs. Weeden's parents, Jim and Millie Shortridge, lived on beyond Weedens on the hill where the road curves around the west end of the Cottage Grove dam. Joseph Taylor lived beyond the school. Jerry and Rachel Taylor lived just north of the church. Hamp Powell and wife were just south of the church. Their son, Alfred, and wife, Emma, lived across the road. The Burnetts lived off the road and about a mile up the hill. To save space I have not quoted Ruth's words exactly, but only extracted the locations. In this book I will include a sketch of each family mentioned. Most were early arrivals in the Hebron and Cedar Creek area and have already been included. Now I will continue with families arriving in the early 1900's. The Whites won't be included because Hebron's north boundary was the south boundary of the Daniel B. White Donation Land Claim. Willie (Nathaniel W.) White was a son of Daniel B. White. Willie's obituary said he was born on the farm where he died.
128
Woodard The Woodard family was one of the best known and most influential families of the area. I gleaned the following information from featured stories in the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL and from a family history compiled by Susie (Woodard) Carlile Wood and another written by Ruth (Woodard) McCall. Ambrose L. Woodard was born December 22, 1857 in Cherry Grove, Illinois. He was the tenth child in a family of eleven born to Ambrose and Lovisa (Kent) Woodard. Ella Jane Young was born May 2, 1854 in Keene, New Hampshire, the daughter of Robert P. and Mary Farrar Young. Ambrose L. and Mary were married at Harmon, Illinois, March 19, 1881. Ambrose had left his parents' home at age 18 and soon migrated to Iowa. After their marriage in Illinois, Mr. and Mrs. Woodard returned to Iowa, then went to Nebraska and finally returned to Illinois. At the age of 35, and the father of seven children, Mr. Woodard felt the need of more education. He entered Wheaton College in Illinois where he studied hard for five more years. The Woodard family came to Oregon by train in March, 1900. A daughter, Ruth, wrote, "Papa had bought the Snyder place five miles south and 1 1/2 miles west near the top of the hills." At another place in her story, Ruth located the place with the Cottage Grove Dam as a reference, saying their place was northwest of the Cottage Grove Dam. I continue Ruth's story: "There was an old Dutchman, Wisman or Wistman, (Wissman in the 1900 census), and a young couple, Hector, lived at the foot of the hill. Mrs. McWilliams lived 1/2 mile or more up the hill.....Papa bought both of the above places. And about 1 or 1 1/2 years after we went to the Snyder place, we moved into the Dutchman's house. This was only a short distance from the main road. Papa then owned 1,000 acres in one location." Ruth wrote that, after the family moved into the Snyder house, "My Grandfather, Robert P. Young, and wife, Mary Asenath Farrar Young, came from near Salem and made their home with us.....Grandmother died December, 1905, Grandfather 2 or 2 1/2 years later." (March 1, 1907) The section of this book entitled, "The Hebron Men and Their Work" tells of the Woodard mill that contributed so much to the economy of this area. Ella Jane Woodard died February 20, 1937 at Cottage Grove and is buried in the Masonic Cemetery. A.L. Woodard married Mrs. Idell Ward of Cottage Grove August 4, 1939. They were divorced in 1940. On November 6, 1942 Ambrose married Mrs. Ida Savannah (Witt) Winniford of Roseburg. Ida died January 10, 1959. Ambrose Woodard, that sturdy old man, skated across the Cottage Grove Lake at the age of 91. I believe it would have been the winter of 1948-49. He passed away February 8, 1957. He was 99 years old! Ambrose and Ella Jane Woodard were the parents of nine children. A son, Arthur Robert, was born in 1894. He died of pneumonia when six weeks old. The other eight children were listed in the June 14, 1900 census as follows: NAME YEAR OF BIRTH STATE OF BIRTH Mattie B. 1882 Illinois John F. 1883 Iowa Oscar S. 1885 Iowa Susie L. 1887 Iowa 129
Walter A. 1889 Iowa Albert C. 1890 Iowa Ruth A. 1892 Nebraska Juliet E. 1895 Illinois I never knew the oldest daughter, Mattie. She left the Hebron area before I was born. I knew all of the other children of Ambrose and Ella Jane, most of whom were friends of my parents, Archie and Clara (Lacky) Gilham, who were born in 1893 and 1894, respectively. Mattie Belle Woodard changed her name to Martha when she went to college. Martha married Chester C. Horton December 8, 1905. They resided in Seattle, Washington where she died February 16, 1949. The Hortons had seven children. John Farrar Woodard. Although the census says John was born in 1883, as did the family history, his obituary said November 8, 1882. John worked for the Woodard Lumber Company. Later he was called a logging engineer. He married Geraldine Ulmer and they had four children. Geraldine died January 22, 1964. John later married Sudy Mae (Ward) McHann. Sudy Mae died April 30, 1979. John died in Cottage Grove March 21, 1980 at the age of 97. Oscar Stephen Woodard was engaged in the lumber industry for many years. During Prohibition he was "the man to know". However, he wasn't the only local man to add a few dollars to his income in a slightly illegal manner. Most local people found no fault in bootlegging. This point was borne out by this tongue-in-cheek item I found in the SENTINEL: "August 7, 1924. Still and Moonshine Taken in Cedar Creek Raid Oscar Woodard is lodged in County Jail; Companions Deny Knowledge of Operations. Oscar Woodard who had been under surveillance by officers for some time, was taken into custody early Saturday morning by Sheriff Frank Taylor and a party of deputies and lodged in the county jail charged with the manufacture of moonshine. Woodard's outfit was located at the head of Cedar Creek about nine miles south of Cottage Grove, where, with four other men, he had been cutting cedar poles. Evidence gathered by the sheriff's party, of which both G.B. Pitcher and Frank McFarland, Cottage Grove's famous defenders of the law, were members included a still, one gallon of moonshine and a quantity of mash. The still and mash were located about 300 yards from the cabin which the men occupied and a glass jug of the moonshine was found in the cabin. All of the men living with Woodard denied knowledge of his operations. The officers believe that at least one of the men was aware of what was going on." I was told, on good authority, that Oscar had small stills in at least two other locations; but the local men that knew about them weren't about to give him away. I'd guess that the men who were with him in that mountain cabin knew about them, too. Oscar had many good friends in the area. Oscar was married twice and was the father of four children, three sons and a daughter, according to a sister's family record. A first marriage ended in divorce. His second marriage was to Flora Irish in Marcola in 1927. She preceded him in death in 1946. He died March 9, 1969 at the age of 83. 130
Susie Lillian Woodard Susie would become my special friend long after my dad began working for her husband-to-be, George Carlile, about 1907. Susie and George were married November 17, 1907. They had seven children. When the youngest child was only one year old, George died, on December 14, 1922 at the age of 38 years, 8 months and 3 days. He had worked in the logging and mill business for more than 20 years. At the time of his death he was logging and mill superintendent for the Woodard Lumber Company. The article in the SENTINEL said, "About six weeks ago he sustained a severe strain while taking out the flues of the boiler at the Woodard mill. One of the flues was taken out with considerable difficulty and gave way only after an unusually vigorous pull. The weight, suddenly thrown on Mr. Carlile, caused the strain. He continued at his work for two weeks before collapsing. He was taken to the hospital four weeks before death." Susie married Charles Wm. Wood June 24, 1937. She was widowed for a second time when Mr. Wood died January 20, 1976. I came to know Susie as an outstanding artist, a poet, a historian, and a loving friend. She passed away July 9, 1987 in Cottage Grove at the age of 100 years! Walter A. Woodard Walter, known in the community as W.A., was a shrewd business man, a tough boss, and a philanthropist. Both my dad and my husband worked for Mr. Woodard; and both respected the man. Before I knew him, Mr. Woodard had been married twice to Helen Foster and Edna Ward. There were two children by Helen, Genevieve and Walter Alton. Alton worked for the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company for some time. He died in the spring of 1983. Walter Woodard married Dutee Fischer Ely about 1923. She had a son, Carlton Ely, who was adopted by Walter. Neither Walter, nor his wife, Dutee, ever met us on the streets of Cottage Grove with-out speaking or stopping to talk. When, as a 17 year old bride, I moved to a tiny camp house at Woodard's Camp A, I was somewhat in awe of Mrs. Woodard; but she was always friendly and kind. After our daughter was born, more than two years later, when Camp A was a thing of the past, I was surprised and delighted when Mrs. Woodard stopped me in Cottage Grove to see my baby and to visit for a long time. An anecdote about Walter Woodard: When I was working with the Grange selling refreshments at a regatta at the Cottage Grove Lake, Mr. Woodard, who was known to be wealthy by local standards, gave us a large order for his family and friends. When he asked how much he owed me, I'll never know what caused me to blurt out, "I should charge you double." With a big grin he answered, "O.K., How much?" Of course, I didn't. Walter A. and Dutee contributed a great deal to the betterment of Cottage Grove. The Cottage Grove Library, now the Walter A. Woodard Memorial Library, was a gift; and the Woodards founded the much-needed Cottage Grove Hospital. Walter A. Woodard died in October, 1971. Dutee passed away more than 21 years later, in June, 1993, at the age of 90. Her parents were Carl and Emily Fischer. Her father was the founder of the Fischer Lumber Company of Marcola.
131
Albert Clement Woodard Albert Woodard was a good and friendly man. He worked for the Woodard Lumber Company for years as a foreman. When my husband and I were first married, Albert took a great deal of interest in our welfare. It was Albert who sold us, for $6, our first little wood-fueled cook stove. Albert was Roy's boss and our friend. Albert had seen active service during World War I in France, Belgium and England. He served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. During that time he suffered a gun shot wound on his right ear and temple. Albert's wife, LaVella, was born at Fall City, Oregon in 1892, the daughter of Perry and Charlotta Buelo. She grew to adulthood there and became a teacher. She taught in both Fall City and Cottage Grove. Albert and LaVella were married in Fall City in 1917. When I was a child, Mrs. Woodard and I were taking violin lessons from a Mr. Roach who traveled from Eugene to instruct us. She graciously invited me to come to her home for my lessons. Later, she took me with her on several occasions when we played our violins in different Cottage Grove churches. It was when I went to the Woodard home that I became acquainted with Marjorie "Marge" Ila Woodard, the girl adopted by the Woodards when she was only six months of age. The family moved to Woodard's Camp B when Marge was still a little girl. I found the Albert Woodard family living at Hebron in October, 1925, and in a Hebron news item in April, 1926. They returned to Cottage Grove in June, 1926, and remained there for four years before moving to Camp A in the summer of 1930. They would reside at Camp A until returning to Cottage Grove when Marge was a senior in Cottage Grove Union High School. She graduated in 1941. I still count Marge as a good friend. The Woodards also had an adopted son, Darrell, but I know little of him. Marge began attending London School in the fall of 1930. She was a good student as well as being very active in 4-H Club work. I found a big article in the May 22, 1941 SENTINEL about Marjorie's achievements in 4-H. She had been selected sectional states winner in the 4-H Home Accounting contest. Her club leader, Jeanne Morton, said, "Marjorie's work in this national contest consisted of a complete record of her club work for the eight years she had been a member, and her records kept in home accounts." Marjorie's accomplishments in 4-H work were listed. She was canning champion in southern Lane, then Lane County in 1940. She was Room Improvement champion in 1940 and 1941. She represented Lane County at the Pacific International Exposition in 1940. She attended the National 4-H Club Congress and was an active exhibitor at the fairs. Marge's first marriage to Jack Murphy, ended in divorce. She married Otto Janisch September 4, 1946 in Longview, Washington. Otto and Marge were the parents of four sons and a daughter. Otto passed away September 3, 1981. Marge loved the outdoors. She worked several years at a Georgia Pacific tree nursery. Later, she worked as a camp host at Odell Lake camp grounds; then she had the terrible misfortune to suffer a stroke. She now resides in a care center in Eugene. Albert Woodard had a stroke in 1964. He died at the Cottage Grove Hospital June 5, 1973. LaVella Woodard died May 4, 1991 at the age of 98. 132
Ruth Alice Woodard I am grateful to Albert McCall, one of Ruth's sons, for giving me permission to use quotes, names, and dates from his mother's writings so that my story of the Woodard family and of the Hebron area might be more accurate and complete. Ruth Woodard was visiting her sister, Martha, in Seattle in 1910 when she met John E. McCall. John was born October 12, 1888 in North Carolina. Ruth and John were married at Martha's house July 7, 1915. Ruth accompanied her new husband to his work at the Red Mountain gold mine, north of Mt. Baker in Washington. They had to go into Canada, then back into Washington to reach the area. This inexperienced young woman was to become the cook for her husband and four other miners in an area so remote that the last 18 miles were accessible only by horseback or on foot. Later, there was a second cook and many more men to cook for. This pioneer lady must have been a sturdy and determined young woman. She wrote that there was 15 feet of snow that winter. Their cabin was located on a mountain side. A snow slide went over their cabin, taking off the stovepipe and burying the cabin. Some of the miners dug them out, the stovepipe was replaced and life went on as usual. Ruth returned to Cottage Grove in November, 1916 to wait for their first baby. John spent the winter at the mine. The baby boy was born April 5, 1917. The next summer Ruth took her baby, Ed, and returned to the mine. Of that last part of the journey that had to be made by horseback, Ruth wrote, "I made a large sling of 100lb. flour sack and put Ed in it in front." She wrote that he made the trip fine. The family came out of the mountains that fall and never returned. There were stops in Washington and North Carolina before they returned to the Cottage Grove area to make their home. John and Ruth had seven children. John Edward McCall, Sr. died February 20,.1971 at age 82. Ruth Alice Woodard McCall died January 6, 1975, also at age 82. Juliet Ellen Woodard Juliet Ellen Woodard became friends with the daughters of the Hull family of Latham. Through them she met their brother, Albert Alfonzo Hull. Albert was born June 19, 1891 in Cherry Point, Illinois, the son of John Hershell Hull and Amanda Carolyn (Alder) Hull. The Hull family came to Oregon in 1891 and settled in the Latham area near Cottage Grove. Albert A. Hull and Julliet Ellen Woodard were married June 25, 1916 at the Ambrose Woodard home on 4th Street in Cottage Grove. Albert and Juliet were the parents of five children: Lillian Alice, Homer Albert, Harold Earnest, and twins, Ronald and Donald. Baby Harold died April 19, 1929 when only nine days of age. I became acquainted with Lillian (now Mrs. George McAlpine, widow), when we both attended Hebron School 68 years ago, in the fall of 1927. She and her brother, Homer, attended the old school for three years, beginning in the fall of 1926. At that time the Hull family was "proving up" on a homestead which was located on the east side of the Hebron area near the present site of Shortridge Park. Another girl, Marguariete Burnside, went to school with Lillian and Homer for two years. She had been adopted by the Hulls when her mother died; but her natural father 133
later took her back to live with him. Lillian tells of living on a farm at Latham before moving to the 160 acre homestead. She said her father had built a nice playground for the children on the farm, and then built another when they moved to the homestead. He built a three bedroom log cabin, fenced the property and performed the other tasks required. After three years the Hulls returned to the Latham area to live. Roy Short bought the homestead and used it for a summer home. Albert Hull died May 6, 1955. Juliet E. Woodard Hull died February 25, 1964.
Brown I have written elsewhere of William Wallace Shortridge and Ellen Jane (Keyes) Shortridge. Their daughter, Samantha Jane Shortridge, born at London September 1, 1886, married William Brown at her parent's home January 13, 1889. Ruth (Woodard) McCall wrote that while her family lived at Hebron between March, 1900 and January 1, 1907 their neighbors about half a mile to the north were Bill and Samantha Brown, parents of Aimee and Ellen Brown who attended Hebron School with the Woodard children. Ruth wrote that the Browns moved to Cottage Grove before the Woodards moved there January 1, 1907. Aimee Brown married Fred McCoy at Cottage Grove December 11, 1910. Ellen (I believe the name was Mary Ellen) married Floyd Hunter at Vancouver September 4, 1920. There had been another Brown girl, Annie L., born in 1897. She had lived only about five weeks.
134
Marcy Benjamin Franklin Marcy and Elizabeth (Shaw) Marcy Benjamin Franklin Marcy was born in Illinois in 1858. Elizabeth Shaw was born in Larine, Ireland in 1859 and emigrated to the United States about 1866 at the age of 7. Benjamin and Elizabeth were married April 14, 1884 in Springfield, Illinois. They were the parents of seven children: Arthur, Nettie, Albert, Bessie, Goldie, Earl, and Marie. Benjamin also adopted Elizabeth's two children by a previous marriage. They were John and Fredia. The Marcy family resided in Oregon at Wilbur, Nonpareil, and Umpqua Ferry before coming over Shoestring Mountain into this valley. Mr. Marcy worked for awhile at the Rouse mill before moving his family to Hebron where they lived in a house located about where the Truman Clark house was later built. Mr. Marcy worked for John Young and A.L. Woodard. The Marcy family came to the Hebron district about 1900. The children attended school in the little old Hebron school that was located on the Joseph P. Taylor place. The family moved to Saginaw, then, about 1904, to Portland, Oregon. The last of the Marcy children, Bessie Marcy Becker, passed away in Portland January, 1987 at the age of 95. Benjamin Franklin Marcy died March 4, 1909 in Portland. Elizabeth Jane Shaw Marcy died December 10, 1936 at the age of 77 at Hebron at the home of a son, Albert. Benjamin and Elizabeth are buried in Rose City Cemetery, Portland, Oregon.
Earl Franklin Marcy and Lillian Leona (Smith) Marcy Earl Marcy, the son of Benjamin Franklin Marcy and Elizabeth Shaw Marcy, was born June 23, 1897 in the Nonpareil area east of Sutherlin, Oregon. When Earl was about six years old his family migrated over the Shoestring Mountain into this valley and eventually to the Hebron district where Earl and his brothers and sisters attended the old Hebron School that was located on the Joseph P. Taylor property. Ruth (Woodard) McCall who lived at Hebron from 1900 to 1907 said the Marcys lived just north of the Woodards. The family moved to Saginaw, then, in about 1907, to Portland, Oregon. It would be many years before Earl returned to the Hebron area. Elmer J. Smith was born in 1874 in Kent, Washington. Agnes Evans was born in 1888 in Wigwam Bay, Minnesota. Agnes' mother died when Agnes was only nine years old. Agnes went to live with an aunt and uncle who brought her to Wenatchee, Washington when she was about 15 years old. It was here she met and married Elmer Smith. They moved to Portland, Oregon before their third child, Lillian Leona, was born, May 27, 1910. Eventually Lillian went to work at a rooming house in Scappose, Oregon. A young man named Earl Marcy was boarding there while working nearby. Romance blossomed; and Earl and Lillian were married at Scappose July 6, 1929. Earl's home was in Canby, Oregon so Earl and Lillian lived there for about two years. Their first child, Juanita Josephine Marcy, was born in Portland while the Marcys made their home at Canby. After leaving Canby the Marcys moved to Portland 135
for awhile then, in 1933, to Culp Creek east of Cottage Grove. Earl next brought his wife, Lillian, and little daughter, Juanita, to Hebron, the little community where he had lived as a child. They first settled on Rogers Lane for about two years then, on October 10, 1936, thirteen days before Juanita's fourth birthday, they moved into the fine old house which Alexander H. Powell had built about 1880 near Wilson Creek. It was known as the Kappauf house. It was here, on January 17, 1937, that a son, Theodore "Ted" LeeRoy, was born to Earl and Lillian Marcy. The Marcy house soon became a favorite meeting place for young and old in the community. Lillian was a good cook. Earl was a fine caller for quadrilles. Both were friendly, fun to be around and good neighbors. But the Marcys could not stay long. As with the rest of the community, the news of the coming dam disrupted their lives. They moved to a little home near Cottage Grove, probably in the fall of 1941. The wonderful old Kappauf house was torn down. We were glad the Marcys didn't move far away. Earl passed away July 30, 1959 at the age of 62. He is buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Lillian later married Seldon Hoisington. They lived in Washington for some time before returning to Cottage Grove where Lillian was widowed for a second time. She continued to make her home in Cottage Grove until her death on November 29, 1993 at the age of 83. She was buried in the Fir Grove Cemetery beside her first husband, Earl Marcy. She left many descendants, including a great, great grandson. Juanita Marcy graduated from Cottage Grove High School in May, 1948 and married Charles R. "Spike" Barlow in Cottage Grove, Oregon November 3, 1948. "Spike" had served in the U.S. Navy. For a short time "Spike" and Juanita made their home on Cedar Creek. The Barlows had nine children, four boys and five girls. One little girl, Linda Louise, passed away at the age of 2 1/2 years. The father, Charles R. Barlow, died October 30, 1983 and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Juanita Barlow resides in the Latham district with a daughter, Leona. Theodore LeeRoy Marcy served in the U.S. Navy. He is now an electrician residing in Aberdeen, Washington. He first married Joan Mansfield in 1958. They were the parents of two sons and a daughter. Ted and Joan were divorced in 1975. He married his present wife, Margie Jean Guse' Nolan, in 1976.
136
Albert "Tot" Valentine Marcy and John Marcy Albert "Tot" Valentine Marcy was born on Valentine's day, February 14, 1890 at Castle Rock, Washington. His parents were Benjamin Franklin Marcy and Elizabeth Jane (Shaw) Marcy. Albert married Ivy L. Burke in Portland, Oregon about 1922. Albert and Ivy were the parents of two children, Richard and Joan. Ivy Marcy died about 1935, when her baby girl, Joan, was three days old. Albert soon left Portland and, before long, he and his children arrived in the Hebron area. Albert's half-brother, John Marcy, also came to the Hebron area. John was born in 1880 in Chandlerville, Illinois. He was the son of Elizabeth Jane Marcy by an earlier marriage to a Mr. Shaw. John was adopted by Benjamin Franklin Marcy. John never married. The July 9, 1936 Hebron news said, "John Marcy and mother of Portland moved into the old Barkemeyer house last week." In September, 1936 Albert Marcy returned to Portland to offer his old home for rent and bring back a load of furniture. Now there were three Marcy brothers, Earl, John, and Albert, who were making Hebron their home, as was their mother. The unexpected death of the mother, Elizabeth Jane Marcy, on December 10, 1936 was another severe blow to the family, but especially to Albert Marcy. Elizabeth had been keeping house for Albert, his son and baby daughter. Now the rest of the Marcy family rallied round, especially Albert's brother John and a sister, Goldie Franzen from Yreka, California. Goldie visited often and sometimes took little Joan to Yreka for a visit. Finally, in 1938, Joan went to live with her aunt; but she often visited her father. Richard attended the little Hebron School in 1936, 1937, and 1938. The family lived in at least three places in the Hebron district. In the fall of 1938 they moved to a little house just north of Archie Gilham's ranch and not far from the Earl Marcy home. In April, 1939 Albert received facial wounds inflicted by a falling limb while he was logging in the Lorane district. However, a man had to work where work was available so, in August, 1939, Albert, John, and 15 year old Richard Marcy moved to Lorane where Albert worked for the Addison Lumber Company. About 5 1/2 years later, on Mar. 25, 1945, Albert Valentine Marcy, 55, of Lorane, was killed in a woods accident when the top of a tree fell on him. He was buried in Rose City Cemetery in Portland. At the time of Albert's death, his son, Richard, was in the navy. Richard A. Marcy EM 2/C was discharged from the navy in late 1945. By May, 1946 he had completed high school graduation requirements. Richard married. He and his wife, Shirley, live in Portland, Oregon. The daughter, Joan, was making her home in California. She married Robert Heurich in 1954 and now resides in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. John Marcy died in Portland in 1966 and is buried in Rose City Cemetery.
137
Webber Harry S. Webber was born at Burlington, Iowa December 16, 1856. Nellie Aribella Morse was born in Minnesota August 17, 1866 according to one source, but her obituary said Illinois. Harry traveled extensively in South America and Alaska before coming to Portland, Oregon where he married Nellie Morse, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.M. Morse of Portland, in 1888. Harry became an engineer on the Southern Pacific Railway. On August 27, 1891 H.S. Webber purchased 160 acres on Cedar Creek from Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Whited. The property was described as follows: The NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 5. The NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 and the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of section 6 of Township 22S, range 3W. An October 29, 1892 article in the EUGENE CITY GUARD read as follows: "Cottage Grove Leader: Engineer H.S. Webber, of Roseburg, arrived in this city (Cottage Grove) the first of the week, bringing with him four Clydesdale mares, purchased at Junction City. Mr. Webber is the owner of a fine farm about 8 miles south of this city, on the Coast Fork river. The horses are to be placed on the farm in the care of his tenant. Mr. Webber is engineer on the overland train, running between Roseburg and Junction City." The October, 1894 ROSEBURG REVIEW wrote, "Harry Webber, the well-known R.R. engineer of this city, lost the house on his ranch near Cottage Grove by fire last week. It was unoccupied and goods and machinery stored in it were destroyed, entailing a loss of $800. The fire was the work of incendiaries." The home was rebuilt, for I found the Webbers in the 1900 census of this area, probably on their Cedar Creek ranch, although the census did not separate the Cedar Creek section from the rest. They were in the Cedar Creek area of the 1905 Military census and in the 1910 and 1920 Federal census. They didn't have children listed. In 1900 Harry's mother, Alice Webber, lived with them. In 1910 his sister, Clara E. Lance (sp.?), a widow, lived with them. The 1920 census told us Nellie was a piano teacher, Harry, a piano tuner. In April, 1916 the Webbers lost part of their ranch. A sheriff's sale "to satisfy judgment against Nettie A. and H.S. Webber by J.D. Kippen." NW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Sect. 5 of Twsp. 22S, R3W. The reader will note that Mrs. Webber's name was given as "Nettie". I believe it was "Nellie", but I found it spelled both ways. The May 5, 1922 Hebron news said, " Harry S. Webber, resident of this section for 15 years and for 30 years before that an engineer on the Southern Pacific railway, dropped dead at his home on Cedar Creek Friday morning. He was at home alone and was found by a neighbor, J.C. Finley. Mrs. Webber had come to this city to conduct a music class. Mr. Webber had been ill a number of years and death is thought to have resulted from heart trouble. He had been working on his car. Apparently he had felt the illness coming on and had sat down on the sunny side of the garage. A faithful airedale guarded the body of his fallen master until the arrival of the undertaker, and had to be locked up before the body could be removed." The funeral was from the Christian Church of which Mr. Webber was a member. Burial in A.F. & A.M., I.O.O.F. Cemetery (Fir Grove). The month after Harry's death, Nellie moved to Cottage Grove. 138
In July, 1924 Clyde Clark bought the Webber place. An October 27, 1922 item in the SENTINEL said, "Mrs. Nettie Webber died Monday in a Eugene hospital following a brief illness..... the funeral was held from the Christian church, of which Mrs. Webber had been a faithful member.....the members of Mrs. Webber's piano class attended in a body and marched to the cemetery." "Both Mr. and Mrs. Webber were musical artists." Nettie Webber was only 56 years old. She was survived by her parents, two brothers and two sisters.
Hubbard The June 14, 1900 U.S. census found David C. and Elizabeth C. Hubbard in this area. David was born in Wisconsin in September, 1836. He was 63 years old. Elizabeth was born in Missouri in March, 1854 and was 46 years old. D.C. Hubbard married Elizabeth Turpin March 27, 1872 at the house of Jonathan Turpin, with the consent of the parents of the bride. Witnesses were Phillip Numbers and Wm. Payne. On the same date Elizabeth Turpin's brother, Aaron W. Turpin, married Matilda J. Whitney at the Turpin home with the same witnesses. I believe it was a double wedding. The Turpins had lived in the London area as early as 1870, probably earlier. I don't know where David and Elizabeth Hubbard lived between the date of their wedding in 1872 and the time of the 1900 census. The 1900 census said Elizabeth had borne six children. Five survived. Those five, all living at home and single, were Frank A., 24; Mary A., 17; Perry W., 14; Robert L., 10; and Lucy, 7. (I believe Frank had been married.) The children were all born in Oregon. Five years later, on June 26, 1905, the Lane County, Oregon Military census said David C. Hubbard was born in Missouri. Elizabeth's age was given as 51. This was probably incorrect. Frank and Mary had left home. Lucy was now Susan L. I found that a Mary A. Hubbard had married M.F. Hodson in Lane County October 29, 1902. Perry W. Hubbard married Ivadene Magee in Lane County June 29, 1910. Ivadene had taught at the Hebron School about 1906. When Ivadene McGee Hubbard, 88, who had been in a retirement home at Tigard for some time, passed away October 30, 1973, Perry Hubbard lived at Cottage Grove. Ivadene was survived by a daughter, Mrs. K.T. Blair. A Robert L. Hubbard married Daisy D. Munro in Lane County December 24, 1923. In September, 1909 an incident occurred which could have affected my own existence. My dad, Archie Gilham, who was only 16 in 1909, had escorted Susie Hubbard to a neighborhood party. A few days later Archie's cousin, Lester Perry, who was visiting from Washington, escorted Susie to a neighborhood dance. On the day after the dance, the two boys went hunting. Both carried Winchester 25-20 rifles. After awhile they sat down to rest. Lester put his gun on the ground nearby. When he got ready to get up, he reached over, took hold of the gun barrel and pulled the gun toward him. This pulled the hammer back on the Winchester. It shot Lester, the bullet traveling through the diaphragm near his heart and out near the shoulder blade. 139
Neighbors immediately started talking about Lester taking Susie to the dance. It was decided that the boys must have quarreled over Susie. Archie must have shot Lester. Archie wasn't arrested; but he was told not to try to leave the country. It was many days before Lester was able to tell authorities that he had shot himself. If Lester had died I probably would never have existed, all because two teenage boys had dated the same young lady on different occasions. On November 15, 1909 D.C. Hubbard and wife, Lizzie, sold to Thomas Allen, Donation Land Claim #57, part of section 32, Twsp. 21s, Range 3W; and Donation Land Claim #38 part of Section 5, Twsp. 22s, Range 3W. This property was on Cedar Creek and was later deeded to Naomi E. Reynolds who, as Naomi E. Thompson, deeded part to Walter Murry in 1922. Naomi Thompson died. Her son, Frank Reynolds, administrator of the estate, sold the rest of the property to John G. Murry on December 29, 1925. Thomas Allen had apparently resided on the property for awhile. His January 3, 1910 application said Thomas was seventy years of age, was married to Elizabeth E. Allen, and resided on the property. Thomas Allen received the certificate of title on March 18, 1910. Naomi E. Reynolds Thompson apparently resided in Tillamook County. I don't know where David and Lizzie Hubbard went first after leaving here in 1909. David was 73 years of age. The OREGON STATESMAN, of Salem, dated December 14, 1920, said, "David C. Hubbard, 86 years old, died suddenly at 9:30 o'clock a.m. yesterday at the home of his son, P.W. Hubbard, 328 North Front street." The son would have been Perry W. Hubbard. David C. Hubbard was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Salem. This cemetery is now known as the Pioneer Cemetery.
140
Kitsmiller The Kitsmiller family came to Oregon between August 1, 1883 and October, 1885. I know nothing of the family except that I have heard older Hebron residents speak of them. I found the family in the 1900 U.S. census of the area, but not in the 1905 military census of Lane County, so they were probably gone by then. I couldn't read Mr. Kitsmiller's first name. He was born in May, 1848 in Ohio and was 52 years old. He and his wife, Nellie, had been married 19 years. Nellie was born in May, 1859 in Michigan and was 41 years old. She had been the mother of seven children, but only six were still living. The oldest child, a son, Archie F., was born in Washington in August, 1883 and was 16 years of age when the census was taken. The second child, a daughter, had a very long name that I hope I interpret correctly as "Leaveavion". She was born in October, 1885 in Oregon and was 14. The next three children were girls, all born in Oregon. Ethel C., born in October, 1889, was 10; Addie, born in June (?), 1891 was 8; and June, born in September, 1894, was 5. The last child, a son, Earl (?) D., was born in April, 1897 in Oregon. He was 3. All but the youngest child attended school, which would have been the Hebron School.
Thomas On November 24, 1903 James A Thomas "will make final proof" on Homestead #8942 described as the W 1/2 of the SW 1/4 of Sec. 6, twsp. 22s, range 3W. This was located on Cedar Creek. In August, 1924 "The old Thomas house on Cedar Creek above Wiese mill was destroyed by fire. The new house was threatened."
141
Hale Walter G. Hale and Azalia S. Hale; his two children by a previous marriage, daughter Carrie and son Emmett E.; and Walter and Azalia's four children, Clarence, Bernice, Ethel, and Glen must have arrived at Hebron between 1903 and 1905. The first four children were born in Kansas and the last two in Colorado. The youngest was only two years old when he was included in the 1905 Lane County, Oregon military census of the Hebron area. In the May 7, 1910 U.S. census, Walter G. Hale was 50. This was his second marriage. It was Azalia's first marriage. She was 39. Walter and Azalia had been married 19 years. W.G. Hale signed in at a Road District meeting in Hebron in November, 1911. Walter Hale died in Ashland, Oregon December 20, 1934 of heart trouble. The article said he had moved from Hebron in 1912. Annabelle Hersey said Edward Hale had lived in the house that would be known as the Clayton Simons house. I could find no record of an Edward Hale. Could this have been Walter's oldest son, Emmett E. Hale?
Gilcrist Leonard Huston Gilcrist was born Aug. 5, 1849 near Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved to Nobles County, Minnesota in 1873. Katie Gilcrist Telford, a daughter of Leonard, wrote from Spokane, Washington in 1987, telling me of her earlier years at Hebron. I found it interesting that the family name was Gilchrist, "the way it came from Scotland but Grandpa George dropped the "h" on account of his religious beliefs." Jessie Hollis was born June 25, 1867 in Sherburne, New York, the third of five children. The Hollis family moved to Rushmore, Minnesota in 1885. Jessie completed her education in Minnesota and was a school teacher until her marriage. Leonard Gilcrist and Jessie Hollis were united in marriage in Rushmore, Minnesota Jan. 15, 1891. The Gilcrist family, consisting of father, mother, and four children, George, Jane, Abner, and Ada, moved to Corning, California in 1901. There another son, Lester, was born. George, Jane and Abner attended school in Corning until the family moved to Oregon in 1903. Of the move to Oregon, Jane wrote: "Since it was before the days of many automobiles, and having seven fine horses which my father had raised in Minnesota, we drove with horses and wagons to Oregon. Although my father pleaded with mother to go on the train, she insisted on going with the horses. It was a slow, leisurely trip. We started the first of August and were on the road for a month. We camped at night and always rested on Sundays. My mother found a small rattlesnake under her pillow one morning after we were up in the mountains near Dunsmuir. Another cold morning she was getting breakfast over a campfire when her fuzzy gown caught fire and burned all the nap off........we rented a 500 acre ranch near Eugene for three years. The boys and I lived on horseback going after the cows and sheep. This was timber country." The big ranch was at Saginaw, north of Cottage Grove where a sixth child, Leonard Hiram, was born. The Gilcrists lived there for three years until the house burned down. It was then, in about 1906, that the Gilcrists came to Hebron, first renting a place 142
known as the Shield place and owned by a Mr. Hemenway. Jim Powell's parents had lived there earlier. Here Annabelle Gilcrist was born. When that place was sold, the Gilcrists bought 33 acres located just south of the north entrance to the present-day Cottage Grove Reservoir Road. There was an old house there. In 1909 Katie joined the family. The Gilcrist children attended the Hebron School. Then tragedy struck. Leonard Gilcrist, the father, died suddenly of a heart attack Oct. 18, 1913. Jane wrote: "My mother had eight children ranging from the age of 21 down to 4 years...... Although several relatives tried to adopt some of the younger children, my mother refused and with the help of my brothers and myself she kept the family together." And together the family built a new home which still stands, perhaps the oldest home remaining in the Hebron area, being first occupied in 1916. Jane remembered the log drives on the Coast Fork River. Annabelle remembered when J.H. Chambers logged the Gilcrist place. He built a log chute that went to the river at the Fred Fuhrer place. All four of the Gilcrist girls, Jane, Ada, Annabelle, and Katie, became school teachers. Annabelle taught at the London School for two years. Jane taught in the Hebron School, having 52 students in one room in the 1914-1915 term. The mother, Jessie Gilcrist, moved to Klamath Falls in 1939 to be near her sons who lived there and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. When the dam was built, the old Gilcrist house was moved back a little to its present location overlooking London Road. Jessie Gilcrist died July 30, 1952 and was brought back to Cottage Grove to be buried beside her husband, Leonard, in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Descendants of Leonard and Jessie Gilcrist include: George's six children, Jane's three, Ada's two, Annabelle's three, and Katie's one; a total of 15 grandchildren, plus Abner's two adopted children. Abner Gilcrist served his country in the Oregon National Guard in World War I. The 6th Company of the Oregon National Guard left Cottage Grove in July, 1917. After training, they were sent to England, then to France where they were issued English Howitzer 9.2 rifles and served in three Battle Fronts in five gun positions before returning home in March, 1919.
143
Gilham Charles E. Gillham, the son of John Gillham and Nancy Ann Catlin Gunion Gillham, was born March 2, 1849 in Illinois. Charles' father died when Charles was only six years old; then the little boy's mother died when he was only ten. Charles went to live with his half-brother, Isaac Gillham, in Warren County, Illinois. Anna Bell Fry was born August 2, 1853 in Peoria, Illinois, the daughter of George Henry Fry, Sr. and Elizabeth (Lee) Tallyn Fry. On August 22, 1870 Mr. Charles E. Gillham, age 21, and Miss Anna B. Fry, age 17, were married in Peoria, Illinois where both resided. The Gillham family, Charles, Anna Bell and son, William, came west in the summer of 1878, settling first in Nevada where two more children, Mary Bell and Charles Chester, were born. In 1884 the Gillham family moved to the Burns, Oregon area. There three more children were born, Emma Eugenia, Myrtle Cecilia, and Archie Leroy, my father. Then the family name was changed to Gilham, spelled with one "l". On June 25, 1892 Charles E. Gilham was granted his homestead patent for 160 acres of land located in the area now occupied by the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. In 1893 Charles and Anna Gilham sold their homestead to Peter French. It became a part of the famous P Ranch. In about 1896 the Gilhams moved to Nonpareil, east of Sutherlin, in western Oregon. In the fall of 1899 they moved to Springfield, Oregon, then, in October, 1900, to Sumas, Washington to be near Anna Bell's widowed sister. In October, 1907 the Gilhams and their two youngest children, Myrtle and Archie, returned to Oregon, first to the Thackray place at Hebron, then to settle in the south east part of the area now occupied by the Cottage Grove Lake. All four of them would spend the rest of their lives in this area. The six Gilham children were: 1. William Henry Gilham, born August 4, 1877 in Peoria, Illinois. William "Will" was with the family at Burns. He rode range for Pete French there and was with French when an irate homesteader killed French. Will testified at that trial. On November 21, 1906, near Cedarville, California, William Gilham married Miss Mary Veleria Bolin. They had both resided in Cedarville. I believe they spent most of their lives in California. A son, William Lawson Gilham, was born October 13, 1907 at Cedarville but lived only about a year. William Henry Gilham died March 17, 1946 in Modesto, California. He was 68. 2. Mary Belle Gilham was born June 13, 1880 in Mason Valley, Nevada. She accompanied her parents on their travels as they made their way to Nonpareil. On September 25, 1898, at Oakland, Oregon, Mary Belle "May" married Joseph Abeene. A son, Joseph Harold was born April 19, 1900 in Springfield, Oregon. A second son, Ivan Allen, was born March 11, 1902 in Sumas, Washington. Zelma Bell was born April 15, 1905 in Springfield, Oregon. Dortha May was born June 4, 1907 in Cottage Grove. Claude Vaughn was born August 1, 1909 at Salem, Oregon, and Claris Allen was born November 11, 1913 at Dallas, Oregon. The two oldest boys, Harold, 8, and Ivan, 7, attended Hebron School during the 1908-1909 term; but the family moved away, only to return in the fall of 1910 and remain for two years. In 1912 the family was living at London. 144
Mary Belle Abeene died April 5, 1916 at the age of 35 years. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Joseph later married Agnes Clark. They had a baby boy, Dale, who died in 1919. Later, they had twins, Marcell and Marell. Joseph A. Abeene died February 23, 1960. Josie Agnes Clark Abeene later married Axel Berggren. Agnes died July 3, 1977. 3. Charles Chester Gilham was known as Chester or "Chet". He was born February 11, 1883 in Mason Valley, Nevada. Edith Hughes was born March 11, 1890 near Castle Rock, Washington. Her parents were John Perry Hughes and Clara Jane (Marcy) Hughes. The Hughes family came to Portland, Oregon when Edith was two years old, and to the Cottage Grove area in 1905. They lived at Hebron at a sight south of the present-day dam tender's station. Chester probably met Edith there. In July, 1907 Mr. and Mrs. Hughes sold their property to Wm. L. Kimble. The property description was as follows: 106 2/3 acres in sections 28 and 29, township 21S R3W commencing at the NE corner of Philip and Catherine Numbers Donation Land Claim..... When the Hughes family moved on to Butte Falls in southern Oregon, it wasn't long before Chester and Edith were married at her home in Butte Falls. The date was June 3, 1908. They returned to the area which is now the southeast side of the Cottage Grove Lake to make their home. When that area was destroyed by the lake, the Gilhams purchased the W.A. Woodard house south of the lake, removed the second story and lived in the remodeled house the remainder of their lives together. Chet was a farmer, a logger, and a trapper and, for several years, the fire warden for the local fire district. He also served as a director of the London School Board. He took part in many of the log drives on the river. He also loved to fish. A boating accident near Reedsport, Oregon was the cause of his death on September 29, 1970. He was 87 years of age. Edith preceded Chester in death on April 9, 1961. They had been married 52 years. They are buried in the Taylor Lane-Cemetery. Chester and Edith were the parents of 12 children: Ada, Glen, Vera, Viola, Verna, Lloyd, Ralph, Clyde, Erva, Emily, and two babies who died near birth. As of this writing, there are five survivors: Mrs. Leonard (Ada) Andrews of Gold Hill, Mrs. William (Vera) Kerr and Mrs. Frank (Emily) McKinney of Ashland, Mrs. Clarence (Verna) Parr of Springfield, and Clyde who married Donna Brissette and was divorced some time after a stroke confined Donna to a rest home. Clyde remarried and lives in the Cottage Grove area. The four sisters are all widows. Glen Chester Gilham passed away in the Veteran's hospital in Portland, Oregon May 23, 1970. Glen never married. In 1933 he worked at the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) camp at Wendling, Oregon. He lived with his parents. Viola Gilham was a victim of epilepsy, dying March 2, 1925 at age 6 years, 9 months. Lloyd Gilham married Dora Clow Juelch in 1946. They resided in various locations, returning to a home south of London before he died in 1958 as the result of a logging accident. Ralph Gilham married Bessie Raisor in Cottage Grove on July 26, 1947. Ralph was a timber faller and equipment operator in the logging woods. He died of a heart attack January 13, 1996 at his home on London Road. He and 145
Bessie had celebrated 48 1/2 years of married life. They were the parents of three daughters and two sons. Erva Ruth Gilham died May 25, 1935 of an accidental gunshot wound inflicted by her brother, Lloyd. She was 3 years, 5 months old. Three of Chester and Edith's sons, Glen, Lloyd, and Ralph, served in the United States armed forces during World War II. Glen, serving with the Navy in the South Pacific, received a back injury. Lloyd, in the Army, was slightly wounded at Guadalcanal. Ralph served in the Seabees. Clyde, too young to serve in World War II, served in the Korean War. 4. Emma Eugenia (Gean) was born August 19, 1886 near Burns, Oregon. She accompanied her parents on their travels to Nonpareil, Springfield, and then to Sumas, Washington. In Washington she went with her dad and her cousins, the Perry boys, when they set up a camp on Saar Creek near Sumas. The men were getting out shake bolts; and Gean did the cooking for the crew. It was there she met her future husband, John G. Murry. John Gilbert Murry was born August 22, 1882 in Missouri, the son of Thomas Richard Murry and Frances M. (Weatherby) Murry. The Murry family came to Washington in 1902. John Gilbert Murry and Emma Eugenia Gilham were married at Sumas June 3, 1906. A son, Roy Gilbert, was born to them on June 18, 1907. When Gean's parents and younger brother and sister returned to Oregon in the fall of 1907, John, Gean and baby Roy stayed in Washington. John's obituary says they came to the Cottage Grove area in 1908. Newspaper articles mentioned them being here through August 19, 1910. John received a letter dated August 19, 1910 from Gean's cousin, Ellis Perry, offering John a mill job at Sumas for $2.50 per day. They returned to Sumas; then, in the summer of 1912, they moved to Bellingham. They returned to Oregon to stay in the fall of 1913. Roy Murry began attending Hebron School in 1913. He graduated from Hebron, then, in 1929, from Cottage Grove High School. Earl Murry graduated from Hebron School in 1931 and attended Cottage Grove High School. In 1936 Earl married Dorothy White, daughter of Alfred and Elsie White. On August 4, 1920 John Murry made an application for a homestead on Cedar Creek. The property description was: “the E 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 31, Township 21S, Range 3W.” He had until April 1, 1921 to establish residence. A March 13, 1921 news item said, “The J.C. Murrys are moving onto their homestead on Cedar Creek.” The April 10, 1924 SENTINEL read, “John G. Murry, Robert Phillips and Joseph A. Abeene have proved up on homesteads on the Coast Fork.” My dad, Archie Gilham, always spoke of his brother-in-law, John Murry, as being a hard worker. Dad and John sometimes worked together in the logging woods. Another job that Dad said John was especially good at was stacking bundles of grain for a thresher. John and Gean celebrated more than 40 years of marriage before John’s death on April 13, 1947 at the Eugene Hospital. John had been very ill for some time previous to the time of his death. Emma Eugenia Murry died June 23, 1960 at the age of 73. Both are buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 146
Roy and Earl Murry both purchased property in the Cedar Creek area. In 1928 Roy Murry purchased 155 acres of logged-over land from Weise Brothers. This land was homesteaded by Joseph L. Flowers In 1948 Earl Murry purchased the J.C. Finley home on Cedar Creek This place was homesteaded by John and Sarah Miller. I will not try to follow other property transactions here. After graduation from Oregon State College at Corvallis as a Smith-Hughes teacher, Roy taught agriculture, then was a federal agricultural agent on the Modoc Indian Reservation in northern California. Later, on March 4, 1942, he joined the U.S. Air Force and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Roy married Agnes Ault of Berkeley, California and they had two children, John and Jean. Roy died November 1, 1950 in a veteran’s hospital near Tacoma, Washington at the age of 43. Earl Murry was a logger until his retirement. Earl and Dorothy Murry reared their six children: five sons, John, Earl, Gilbert, Robert, and Roy; and one daughter, Elsie, on Cedar Creek. Earl and Dorothy divorced; and she married a Mr. Lambert and resided in California until her death June 3, 1985. Earl still resides on Cedar Creek with his second wife, Meltha. The 1920 U.S. Census told us there were six people residing in the Murry house: John, Gean, Roy, Earl, Frances, Della (21), and Walter (16). Della Murry was John’s sister. She married Walter Jepson of Marshfield on November 15, 1929. They resided in Marshfield. Walter Murry, John’s brother, was a logger. He married Margaret Angeline Lajoie in Eugene on June 30, 1926. Margaret was born at Walker, Oregon. Walter and Margaret resided on Cedar Creek for several years. He died in 1968. She died in 1982. Frances M. Murry, the mother of John, Della , and Walter, came to Cedar Creek in 1919. She resided with John and Gean several years before her death January 23, 1943. Frances was born in Kansas February 7, 1859. She married Thomas R. Murry in July, 1880. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. John and Gean also had a baby girl who died in April, 1916. 5. Myrtle Cecelia Gilham was born August 17, 1890 at Burns, Oregon. Archie told of the great sadness that befell the Gilham family when they lived near Nonpareil. Six year old Myrtle contracted polio, or infantile paralysis as it was then called. That terrible disease twisted her poor little body, stunted her growth and left her very lame. Myrtle had been the sturdiest one of the Gilham children before her illness. I don't remember Aunt Myrtle until she was about 35 years of age. As I grew older I developed a great deal of respect and admiration for that tiny woman who lived part of the time with Chester and Edith, and part of the time with Gean and John. She worked very hard, always caring for and loving every child that she was near; yet she was never to be married and have children of her own. Myrtle Gilham, a very devout woman, taught Sunday school at the little Hebron Church for years. In 1926 she was president of the Ladies' Aid Society of the church. About the time I joined the Young People's group in 1934, Aunt Myrtle was leading the group. When the 4-H clubs were organized in the London district, Myrtle Gilham was a natural choice as a leader. She led both cooking and sewing clubs with great patience and understanding. 147
Myrtle Cecelia Gilham died August 28, 1945 at the home of her sister, Gean. She is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 6. Archie Leroy Gilham was born January 23, 1893 in Burns, Oregon, the youngest of six. Archie attended school at Sumas, Washington, coming to Oregon with his parents and sister Myrtle in 1907. When he arrived at the family home on the southeast side of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake area, he was 14 years old. He said, "I went to logging that fall when I was still 14 years old.....On my first job I was working where John Murry homesteaded.......There was a skid road that came right down Cedar Creek road to the river. I hired out to George Carlile. He was logging for J.B. Rouse." When Archie was 17 or 18 he was working on a road near the present Wilson Creek picnic grounds. He saw a pretty girl riding by on horseback on the way to visit a friend. He lost no time in finding that her name was Clara Lacky, the daughter of Robert E. and Lydia Ruth Lacky who had homesteaded near the present site of the London Mini-Mart. On December 18, 1912 Archie Leroy Gilham and Clara Abigail Lacky were married at the home of the bride's parents. Clara had been born in that old house. After their marriage, Archie and Clara resided at several places in the London and Hebron areas. When I, Marie Gilham, their first child, was born on February 24, 1922, they owned a home up on the hill across from Woodard's mill. By the time my sister, Laurabel Ruth, was born on February 9, 1929, our parents had purchased a part of the Henry M. Rogers Donation Land Claim and had built a house and barn there. The old barn, built in 1926, and the house, built in 1927, are still in use. Most of Archie's working years were spent in the logging industry. He worked on many log drives on the Coast Fork River, often with his brother, Chet. He also worked for brief periods in other occupations, such as road building. As I have told in another chapter, he and Clara owned and operated a dairy for many years. Part of the farm is now covered by the waters of the east side of the Cottage Grove Lake. When the dam was built, the Gilhams moved their house and barn back out of the lake area and continued living there until the fall of 1952 when they moved to a new home on the west side of the lake where they lived next door to my husband and me. Clara Gilham was a long-time member of the Hebron women's "Jolly Workers Club". Both Archie and Clara were members of Hebron Grange No.845. Archie was a floor manager and quadrille caller for the community dances held at the old Farmers' Union hall. The marriage of Archie and Clara lasted more than 64 years until Clara's death January 25, 1977. She had lived in the London and Hebron areas all of her life, with the exception of five years of her childhood spent in eastern Oregon. Two brothers, Robert Roy Lacky and Walter Hamilton Lacky, preceded her in death. Archie died at the Cottage Grove Hospital January 15, 1986, eight days before his 93rd birthday. He is buried beside Clara in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. My sister, Laurabel Ruth Gilham, married Glen Dale Means, son of Roy and Gladys Means of the Latham district, on August 12, 1946. Glen, born at Elma, Washington, came to the London area with his family at the age of five. Laurabel was seven years younger than I, to the month; and they were married on our seventh wedding anniversary. Glen and Laurabel resided in the London, Hebron, and Latham districts for awhile, then moved to the Portland, Oregon area. They had three children, Dennis, Joyce, and Virgil. At this writing, Glen and Laura live at Troutdale, Oregon where they will celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary on 148
August 12, 1996. I married Roy Albert Geer, son of Thomas Franklin "Frank" Geer and Delpha Angeline (Bemis) Geer of Cedar Creek. There is more about us in the Geer article in this book.
149
Labsch August J. Labsch was born in Germany October 31, 1854. His wife, Henriette Augusta, was born in Oker, Germany July 26, 1854. They were married in Germany. Their son, August J. Labsch, Jr. was born there circa 1876. The Labsch family came to America in 1887, locating in Wausau, Wisconsin. Three more children were born in Wisconsin, a son, Charles, and two daughters, Anna and Minnie. The Labsch family came to Oregon in 1901, locating in Cottage Grove. I found them there in the 1905 Lane County military census. August, Jr. wasn't living with them. In 1908 the Labsch family was living in Hebron. The 1910 census said August Labsch, Sr. owned property where he was living near Jeremiah and Joseph Taylor in Hebron. August, Jr., 34 and single, was part of the household. Charles, 21, and a widower, was also at home. The hard-to-read census record seemed to say that August, Jr. was a miner, and Charles was a logger. Anna had married Earl Metz April 14, 1910. Minnie, age 16, was still at home. At a later time the Labsch family moved to a place near the present dam-tender's station. I think they left Hebron in 1912, having resided here about four years. It could have been later because his obituary said they moved to Albany, Oregon about 1915. I don’t know whether they went directly to Albany from Hebron. August J. Labsch, Sr. died of a heart attack while walking to church in Albany January 9, 1938. He was 83. Henriette died less than five months later, on May 28, 1938, of a stroke. She, too, was 83. They are buried in the Riverside Cemetery on 7th Street in Albany. They were survived by their four children: August of Rose Lodge, Oregon, Charles A. of Centralia, Washington, Mrs. Anna A. Stam or Stamon of Portland, Oregon, and Mrs. Minnie A. Harrett (Mrs. Frank) of Marshfield, Oregon. August J. Labsch, Jr. married Edna Maud Garman June 14, 1914 at his home in Cottage Grove. E. Maud was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Garman, Sr. In the 1920's I found that Mr. and Mrs. August "Gus" J. Labsch were at Blackbutte. Their children, Gustav, Henrietta, and Virgil, would attend school at Blackbutte where their mother, Maud (Garman) Labsch, and her siblings had attended school. An April 2, 1919 newspaper item told us, "August Labsch and S.J. Leonard have traded properties. Mr. Labsch gets a dairy ranch at Rose Lodge and Mr. Leonard gets the Labsch ranch." Rose Lodge was located near Lincoln City, Oregon. It was August Labsch, Jr.who traded for the Rose Lodge property. I believe August Labsch, Jr. and family moved to Rose Lodge about 1923 when they were no longer found at Blackbutte.
150
Garman Richard B. Garman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1858 according to funeral home records, in May, 1859 according to the 1900 census, or in 1861 according to the obituary. He came to Oregon from Vancouver, Washington about 1898. Emma Elizabeth "Lizzie" Garman, the daughter of Jasper Funk and Susan Matilda (Jones) Funk (later Walker), was born at Fall Creek, Oregon March 8, 1873. I did not find the date of the marriage of Richard and "Lizzie", but it was about 1891. While living in Washington state they had three children. Ella Alice, born April, 1894; John Harrison, born February 15, 1896; and Maud E., born April, 1897. There was another child which had died before the 1900 census was taken here in Oregon. The Garman family came to Oregon about 1898. In April, 1900 Mr. and Mrs. Garman had another son, Richard B. Garman, Jr. Later additions to the family included Willis and Emma. The Garmans settled at Blackbutte. Mr. Garman worked as a cook in a logging camp. Between 1908 and 1916 the family spent a good deal of time in the Hebron district. I don't know where they made their home. The children attended the Hebron School for several years. By 1916 the Garmans were back at Blackbutte. An August, 1936 paper announced that Mr. and Mrs. Richard Garman had moved to Cottage Grove to stay with a granddaughter. On November 12, "Mr. and Mrs. Richard Garman, Sr. are in their new home at Hebron." Richard didn't stay in the new home very long. By January, Lizzie had visited her husband at the Veterans' Hospital at Roseburg, Oregon. He died there February 25, 1937 at age 76. Richard was a veteran of the Apache Indian Wars. His survivors included his wife, Emma Elizabeth; daughters, Mrs. Edna Maud Labsch of Rose Lodge, Oregon and Mrs. Emma Hainey of Wendling, Oregon; and three sons, John Harrison of Cottage Grove, Richard B., Jr. and Willis of Black Butte. Less than a year after the notice of Richard Garman's death, I found this December 30, 1937 item, "Mrs. Lizzie Garman has improved until she can walk. She now has a daughter with her, Mrs. Maude Labsch." On February 3, 1938, "Mrs. Lizzie Garman has gone to the coast where she will live with a daughter, Mrs. Maude Labsch." This was at Rose Lodge. It was there that "Lizzie" died June 11, 1938 at age 65. A SENTINEL reporter from Hebron wrote this tribute: "As we write, word comes that Mrs. Lizzie Garman has passed on. A pioneer of the Black Butte district, her kind and cheery personality will cause her to be long remembered. She lived some years at Hebron." Richard and Emma Elizabeth Garman are both buried in the Bemis Cemetery south of London. Other Garmans buried in the Bemis Cemetery include: Ella Alice Garman, born April, 1894, died March 23, 1910 at the age of almost 16 years. She was the oldest living child of Richard B. and Emma Elizabeth Garman when they came to Oregon in 1898. John Harrison "Harry" Garman, born at Brush Prairie, Washington February 15, 1896, died at the Cottage Grove Hospital July 9, 1973 at age 77. Harry's obituary states that he moved to Cottage Grove in 1903 by covered wagon over the McKenzie Pass. However, the family may be found in the 1900 U.S. Census of Lane County, Oregon, Wallace Precinct, Blackbutte area. The children listed were Ella, John, Maud, and Richard. John H. Garman married Peggy D. Hart September 25, 1926. Peggy was born 151
September 27, 1907 at Wilbur, Oregon. John and Peggy Garman had two children, Belva Jean and Gary Allen. The September 7, 1937 Hebron news told us, "Mrs. Harry Garman is home from the hospital where she underwent major surgery. Her sister, Mrs. Mary Fortwell of Seattle, is caring for her." The October 21, 1937 news said, "Mrs. Mary Smith is doing housework for Mrs. Harry Garman." In November, "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Garman moved to their home near Black Butte Tuesday. They have been staying with Mrs. R. Garman, Harry's mother." On December 30, 1937 Peggy B. Garman died at her home at Black Butte. She was only 30 years of age. She was buried in Bemis Cemetery. Medora E. Garman, the daughter of James P. and Edna (Camfield) Rutor, was born December 4, 1894 in Armstrong, Iowa. She married Harry Garman June 27, 1940 in Vancouver, Washington. Medora had a son, James Arch. Medora E. Garman died at the Cottage Grove Hospital March 23, 1974 at the age of 79. I don't know a lot about Maud, Richard B. Jr., Willis U., and Emma. Emma Maud Garman married August J. Labsch, Jr. June 14, 1914. They lived at Blackbutte for several years, then moved to Rose Lodge, Oregon. Richard Bell Garman, Jr. married Geneva Belle Hopper October 27, 1928. They lived in Hebron for several years during the 1930's. The children, David and Evelyn, probably attended the Hebron School. In September, 1933 the Hebron news said, " Dick Garman bought the Alphonse LaBlue place from Mrs. McCoy." The Dick Garmans and their children were still in the news in 1937. In the fall of 1937, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Garman moved to the old schoolhouse at Blackbutte. Mrs. Garman's parents, Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Hopper of Halsey, were living on the old Garman place at Blackbutte. Willis Ursling Garman married Elva Leona Powell, daughter of Charles and Olive Powell, on May 2, 1929. Willis and Elva made their home at London where five children were born. Emma Garman married Paul O. Haney July 1, 1930. They lived at London and he worked in the quicksilver mines. I believe Emma was married several times. She was Emma Jackson when her brother, Harry, died in 1973. She, too, lived in Hebron for a short time.
152
Webb George W. and Sarah A. Webb were in the Fairmount area of Eugene in 1905, but at Hebron by 1908. The children, Ona, Floyd, and Hazel attended Hebron School in 1908, 1909, and 1910. They were still here when the census was taken May 7, 1910. I think they left during the summer of 1910. The Webbs were said to have once lived on the John Kebelbeck place. George Webb was 58 when the 1910 census was taken. He had been born in Indiana. Sadie Webb was 41 and had been born in Illinois. George and Sadie had been married 21 years. The children, ages 18, 15, and 12 were all born in Oregon. George Webb was listed at Lorane, Oregon in 1912. Sarah A. Webb died in Marion County March 29, 1912. George Washington Webb died in Lane County November 2, 1913.
Green Annabelle Gilcrist Hersey had told me that the Greens were the Gilcrist's next door neighbors for several years. The Greens were living there when the Gilcrists arrived beside them about 1908. I found the Greens there in the 1910 U.S. census. Millard F. Green, age 52, and his wife, Mary A., age 49. They had each been married only once, for 25 years. Therefore, they were married about 1875. Mary had borne six children; but only five were living. Millard and Mary and their oldest daughter, Cora, were born in Missouri. The other four children were born in Oregon. Millard was an engineer in a lumber camp. He owned his farm free of debt. The daughter, Cora, a 23 year old single lady, was a saleslady in a department store. The four younger children were Ruby E., 16; Paul, 13; Robert L., 10; and Jonathan F., 7. The Green family were in Oregon by at least 1894, as Ruby was born in Oregon. I did not find the Greens in the 1905 Lane County military census. Annabelle Hersey said she thought the Greens may have come from Drain. She also said Mrs. Green had tuberculosis and moved to California to a drier climate. Leonard Gilcrist bought the Green place about 1913 and added it to his property. However, the 1920 U.S. census found Millard F. Green, his 20 year old single son, Robert L., and a 23 year old single servant, Ruth L. Lunua, living at Hebron. There was, and is, a place known as the old Green place on the north end of the Hebron district. Perhaps that is where Millard lived at the later date. I thought that was the end of the story until I spotted a funeral record for Millard F. Green, alias Tom Watson. That sent me searching out a real mystery. The EUGENE CITY GUARD in a Cottage Grove special article, dated April 25, 1927, said, " The body of a man, who was registered as Tom Watson at the Bartell Annex Saturday, was found in his hotel room last Sunday. Death was apparently caused by a self-inflicted bullet wound from a 25-calibre automatic. The bullet had entered the right eye and penetrated the brain. The body was discovered by Tom Laffoon about four o'clock Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Hyla Laffoon, who is in charge of the Annex and had registered the man Saturday, became concerned when the man failed to appear about the hotel Sunday. She sent her brother-in-law to 153
the room to call Watson." The authorities ruled the case suicide; and the body was taken to the Mills chapel to await identification. There was no baggage and no papers were found on his person. A later article identified him as "M.F. Green, a former resident, residing south of Cottage Grove, on the Coast Fork road." However, the story did not end there. A May 2, 1927 Cottage Grove SENTINEL item told us, "The body of the mystery suicide, which has been held a week for identification, probably will be buried the first of this week. For several days it was thought that identification of the body of "Parson" Green had been made. W.A. Woodard, by whom Green was employed several years ago, and a number of those who were closely associated with him, made such identification, while others who knew Green, were in doubt. A daughter of Green's, Mrs. Cora Riddle of Monmouth, was here Friday and said the body was not that of her father. She had not seen him for 20 years." (It had certainly been no more than 17 years, and probably less, for Cora was living with her parents when the 1910 census was taken.) The SENTINEL article continues, "Green was a well-known character some years ago and a preacher of some note. After retiring from the ministry he worked in sawmills of the vicinity and several years ago disappeared and has never been heard from. John Woodard, who knew Green well, is certain that he passed on the highway coming into the city Saturday the man who committed suicide a week ago yesterday. As Woodard passed he spoke to the man, believing it to be Green, and regretted afterward that he did not stop and give him a lift to the city." The gentleman - Millard F. Green, Tom Watson, or ?, was buried in Potter's Field in the Masonic Cemetery.
154
Cooter In her book, "Settlement Seasons", my daughter, Barbara Geer Funk, writes that Dennis Cooter established a freight line from Cottage Grove to Blackbutte and Amos about the end of 1901. Barbara also tells us that in 1903 Mr. Cooter was the manager of the Blackbutte mines farm and garden, growing hay for the livestock and vegetables for the workmen and their families. Dennis Cooter's wife, May Belle Miller Cooter died in Cottage Grove May 13, 1903. She had married Dennis in 1900. May Belle was born in Boise City, Idaho in 1864. Dennis Cooter was born in England circa 1866. Dennis, a 39 year old widower, and his sons, John, 14, and Arthur, 12, were listed in the West Cottage Grove district in the 1905 Lane County military census. Both boys were born in Oregon. By the fall of 1909 the Cooter family lived on a farm on the east side of the presentday Cottage Grove Lake area. Dennis Cooter served as clerk of the Hebron School district in 1909 and 1910 and possibly longer. By the November, 1910 census Dennis Cooter's step-daughter, Mary H. Sprouse, age 23, was living in the home. Arthur's name was listed in the 1910 census as "George A.". A neighbor of the Cooters in 1910 was Delbert Leroy Fisher, age 31. My dad, Archie Gilham, who was a good friend of Arthur Cooter, said "Del" Fisher married Arthur's sister. This was probably Arthur's step-sister, Mary. In November, 1911 the Cooters still lived at Hebron, for Dennis signed at a Hebron road district meeting. According to the Lane County marriage index at the county court house, Dennis Cooter married Arabella Leonard January 22, 1912; and George A. married Bernice L. Pierce September 12, 1916. I don't know when the Cooters left Hebron. Dennis Cooter kept the farm for several years. I found that he was "up from Corvallis a few days looking after his farm" in June, 1917. He returned in March, 1918. In June, 1920 Arthur and wife, also of Corvallis, accompanied Dennis. In June, 1923 Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Cooter and daughter of Corvallis visited here. Then a January 27, 1926 item said, "Archie Gilham is moving the old Cooter building down to the road where he has his other buildings." Dennis Cooter must have lived a very long life. An August 8, 1957 article in the SENTINEL told us that Dennis Cooter of Albany, 92, spoke at the Old Schoomates' picnic in Cottage Grove.
155
Finley On October 14, 1909 Jasper Carter Finley purchased 156.26 acres of land on Cedar Creek from Robert and Josie Phillips and Earl Woodring, and moved there that fall. Jasper, the son of James and Susan Finley, was born March 24, 1851 in Virginia. Sarah Jane Finley was born in August, 1849, also in Virginia. I don't know when the Finleys were married. When they arrived on Cedar Creek in 1909, Jasper was 58, Sarah, 60. They had reared a family of at least three: a son, Delbert, and two daughters, Ina or Iva Finley Speer and Mrs. James Trollinger. The aforementioned three were noted in the Sentinel when they came to visit their parents. The Finleys had many friends. Sarah belonged to the ladies' club and attended the Hebron Church and Sunday school. In August, 1919, " Some of Mrs. Finley's friends and neighbors gave her a surprise dinner Sunday, it being her 70th birthday." The large group included the following families: Webb, G.A. Small, Wm. Ewing, Jack Hopman, Emma Kelley, J.G. Murry, C.E. Gilham, C.C. Gilham, J.A. Abeene, G.J. Kappauf, and the following: C.H. Winecoff, Will Hopman, Joe Miller, and J.B. Rouse. Six years later, in August, 1925 "The Hebron Sunday school and church and the people at Wiese's mill gave a picnic dinner in honor of Mrs. Finley's 76th birthday. Eighty people were present. The mill folks gave Mrs. Finley several pieces of fine glassware." An August, 1928 item said, " Mrs. Ina Speer returned last Wednesday to the home of her father, Jasper Finley, after a three months stay with a brother and sister in Linn county." Jasper C. Finley died in June, 1930. The body was sent for interment to Scio where a son and daughter were living. "Mrs. Finley will sell her farm here and make her home with her children at Scio." Sarah's daughter, Ina Speer, returned to Hebron with Sarah for several visits to friends she had made in 21 years of residence here. A December 2, 1937 Hebron article in the SENTINEL announced that Mrs. Sarah Finley died at her home in Shelburn on Thanks-giving day. She had been living with her children at Scio. (Shelburn must have been near Scio. I no longer find it on an Oregon map.)
156
Sloan The 1910 census tells us that William Sloan, born in Indiana circa 1880, and wife, Virginia, who was born in Oregon circa 1882, were married about 1904 and had two daughters, Mildred, born about 1906, and Frances, born about 1908. I found Mrs. Sloan mentioned as Jennie, probably a nickname for Virginia. The Sloans lived in Hebron about three years, 1910 through 1912. Mildred attended Hebron School. I don't believe Frances attended school before the Sloan family left Hebron.
Schild 1910 - 1912: In the 1910 census of Hebron I found: Schild- Joseph, 35, born Switzerland, who owned a farm; Anna Schlid, wife, 22, born in Nebraska. Joseph and Anna had been married four years. They had two children, August, a three year old son born in Kansas, and Rose, age 1 3/12 years, born in Oregon. The family was still here in late 1911 or early 1912.
157
CHAPTER XII RESIDENTS ARRIVING 1911 - 1920 Vinson The William Vinson family was part of the Hebron scene for more than 26 years, coming here from Colorado in 1912. They resided at the north end of the Hebron district. The father, mother and three children lived on their own farm in an idyllic country setting; but this beautiful dream would soon be shattered. On September 9, 1916, a little more than three years after their arrival, the father, William M. Vinson, age 63, picked up his gun, called his dog, and went hunting for "some fresh meat". He walked up the river about half a mile to a bridge and came down on the other side to a point opposite his home. Later, when Mrs. Vinson heard the dog barking, she walked down to the river to investigate. The dog would come to the river, then go back into the brush, barking. Mrs. Vinson walked more than a mile to get to where she had seen the dog. The dog met her and guided her to her husband's lifeless body. Authorities said it was evident that when Mr. Vinson "set the gun down on the ground, presumably to light his pipe, the jar caused both barrels to be discharged at the same instant, both charges of bird shot penetrating Mr. Vinson's right breast killing him almost instantly, although there was evidence that he had crawled or struggled about six feet from the spot where the gun was discharged." William Vinson was buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. I was puzzled by the obituary which told us, "Besides the widow, a small son and a daughter survive. The daughter lives in the Shoestring Valley." The family stayed on at Hebron. There were various small newspaper items about them, where they gave donations or where the children attended parties. A May, 1921 article said Elliott passed the 7th grade exams at Hebron School. A September, 1925 article said, "Ray Vinson has bought a place in town and will move his mother there soon." A March 3, 1930 item said, "Elliott, Raymond and Mary Vinson of Cottage Grove, and Leonard Gilcrist of this place (Hebron) spent Sunday evening at the F.C. Fuhrer home. Elliott left Monday for Seattle, Washington, where he will ship to Alaska as a wireless operator for a fishing company." Mrs. Sophronia N. Vinson died at her home "4 miles south on London road." November 4, 1938 at the age of 76; so she either didn't move to town or she did move, then returned to her home. Sophronia was born February 6, 1862 in Wisconsin. She married William Vinson in 1882 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Among survivors were her three children: Elliott M. Vinson of False Pass, Alaska; Raymond Vinson of San Jose, California; and Mrs. Grace L. Straussen of Cottage Grove. Sophronia Vinson was buried beside her husband in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. An unusual incident occurred 20 years, 3 months after Mr. Vinson died so tragically. Mrs. Vinson's neighbor, Fred Patten, died under amazingly similar circumstances, probably within 1/4 mile of the same spot. He, too, was found by his wife.
158
Doolittle - Mayben Elmer Lucky Doolittle was born February 3, 1868 at Gabel, Michigan. He came to the Cottage Grove area about 1886 from Colorado. He married Laura M. Teeters December 8, 1890 at the house of Jas. Teeters in Cottage Grove. Laura was born in California December 18, 1871. A son of Elmer and Laura, Judd Doolittle, visited his parents in Cottage Grove in December, 1931 as they were planning to leave Cottage Grove and make their home in Colorado. If they went to Colorado, they didn't stay long. Laura Teeters Doolittle died in Cottage Grove July 8, 1938. Elmer took a second wife, Mrs. Lillian Bush, in 1939. Elmer died in Cottage Grove March 30, 1941. He and Laura are both buried in Shields Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Elmer, a retired miner and logger, was a veteran of Co. C, Spanish-American War, Second Oregon Volunteers, in the Philippines. When he died he was survived by his widow, Lillian, and seven living children, four sons and three daughters. Mr. and Mrs. William Mayben moved to Hebron in 1912, enrolling their two daughters, Metta, 10, and Myrtle, 6, in the Hebron School. I don't know where the Maybens came from. Metta was born in Lane County, Oregon March 23, 1902. I found records of the Maybens moving, in 1918, to the J.J. Weeden, then the Clyde Langdon house in Hebron. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Mayben November 29, 1918. Myrtle still attended the Hebron School through the spring, 1920; but in August, 1920 the Maybens moved to Cottage Grove. The aforementioned son of Elmer and Laura Doolittle, Judd Doolittle, was born October 20, 1895 in Cottage Grove. He married Metta Pearl Mayben, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Mayben of Hebron, April 21, 1919 in Eugene. The SENTINEL said their friends gave them a "grand serenade". In October, 1919 Mr. and Mrs. Judd Doolittle moved into the G.O. Gilcrist house in Hebron; but in January, 1920, they went with Abner Gilcrist to Comstock to work. A Hebron news item said a son, Vernon Ardell, was born July 14 to Mr. and Mrs. Judd Doolittle. In September of that year they were on Cedar Creek. In February of 1921 they moved to Starr, Oregon, nine miles east of Cottage Grove, up Row River. Of course they were moving to places where work was available. On October 13, 1922 a son, Victor, was born to Judd and Metta when they lived at Woodard's Camp A. Now events were taking place that would bring the Doolittles to Hebron where they would remain for many years. Judd and Metta claimed a homestead in section 3, township 22 in the Wilson Creek area; but a June, 1926 SENTINEL item said, "Judd Doolittle traded his homestead to Walter Woodard for John Young's place and will move there." The official document, dated June 8, 1926, said W.A. Woodard deeded to Judd E. Doolittle and wife, Metta P. Doolittle, the east 1/2 of the NW 1/4 and lots 1 and 2 of section 34, township 21s, range 3W. Woodard reserved the right to cut the timber within 20 years and a right-of-way through which to remove the timber. This property was north of Judd's original homestead. This was a way for Woodard to acquire the timber from both properties. This property, on the east side of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake, was the home of the Doolittle family for several years. The oldest Doolittle son, Vernon, age 7, entered the Hebron School in the fall of 1926, followed in years to come by Victor, Dale, Donna, Hugh, and Clyde. Dale was born on January 16, 1925 at the Eugene Hospital. Donna, Hugh, and Clyde were born 159
while the Doolittles lived at Hebron. A younger son, Harold, was born at Cottage Grove July 9, 1947. Clyde was the last of the Doolittle children to attend Hebron School, starting school in 1936. Vernon graduated from the 8th grade in 1934 and began attending high school that fall. Victor graduated from Hebron in 1939. Judd Doolittle was elected to serve on the board of directors of Hebron School in 1929 and again in 1932. In October, 1931 the house owned by Judd and Metta burned. The family lived on the Hull homestead until they could rebuild. I don't know when the Doolittles moved into their new house; but they gave a dance there in December, 1933 and other dances from time to time. In August, 1940 Mrs. Doolittle and Donna visited Judd at Detroit, Oregon where he was employed by the government. On May 1, 1941 the Hebron news reported that "Mr. and Mrs. Judd Doolittle and family moved to Roseburg Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Barkemeyer and two sons have moved into the Doolittle house. Donna and Dale Doolittle are staying with the Barkemeyers in order to graduate with their 8th grade class." Their graduation was from Latham School. The Doolittles had been a part of Hebron life for 15 years this time, and probably for another year in the early days of Judd and Metta's marriage. I don't know when Judd and Metta moved to Springfield; but they were there in October, 1954 when he had a stroke and were still there in April, 1955. Judd Elmer Doolittle moved to Prineville, Oregon in September, 1965. He died there December 14, 1965 at the age of 70. He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He is buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Metta Doolittle later married Rudy Wertella. Metta Doolittle Wertella passed away August 24, 1987 and is also buried in Fir Grove Cemetery. Vernon A. Doolittle graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1940. He married Mary Ann Hansen December 5, 1941. He joined the marines in June, 1944 and served as a mechanic on amphibious tractors in the Pacific. Vernon and Mary Ann moved to Port Townsend, Washington in October, 1954. Vernon died at Port Townsend July 6, 1988 at the age of 67. He was survived by his widow, one son, two daughters and other relatives. Victor Doolittle entered the navy in August, 1942 and was discharged December 17, 1945. He served 14 months sea duty in the Pacific. He served aboard the U.S.S. Virgo, an amphibious ship, and also aboard the U.S.S. Sarlano Bay CVE110, a baby aircraft carrier. Victor was awarded one silver star and five bronze for having served in seven major naval battles. As a civilian Victor worked in the lumber industry. He married Bertha Adalyne Reynolds July 27, 1945. Vic and Adalyne celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1995 at Culp Creek. They had lived in the area for 50 years. Dale Wilson Doolittle entered the service in February, 1943. He served 19 months of sea duty in the Pacific. His ship was a destroyer, the U.S.S. Haley. Dale was awarded eight bronze stars for serving in eight major battles. In civilian life Dale worked as a logger. He died at Pendleton, Oregon June 20, 1993 at the age of 68. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marie. He was survived by wife Rozelle, a son, two stepsons and a stepdaughter and other relatives. He was buried in the Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Donna Mae Doolittle, the only daughter of Judd and Metta, married Alvis Lowrey 160
England December 7, 1942. They lived on the Doolittle home place for awhile. Alvis died suddenly February 28, 1953 at the age of 33. He was buried at Sears Cemetery at Cottage Grove. He was survived by his wife, Donna, a son, Virgil Lowrey England, and other relatives. Donna married Jacob Becker June 21, 1953. They had a son. Later, I found Donna was Mrs. Callahan. In 1987 Donna Callahan lived in Mexico. Later, I found she lived in California, then in Colorado, where I believe she still resides. Hugh E. Doolittle was born November 18, 1928. Hugh and his wife, Ruth, moved to Prineville, Oregon in 1957. Ruth died there in 1976. Hugh married Wanda Watson on June 18, 1978 in Prineville. Hugh E. Doolittle died at a hospital in Bend, Oregon October 16, 1991, one month before his 63rd birthday. He was survived by his widow, seven children, and other relatives. Hugh had worked in the lumber industry. Clyde E. Doolittle served with the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. At the time of his tragic death he worked as a front-end operator for Weyerhaeuser Timber Company where he had worked for 31 years. Clyde died of a gunshot wound inflicted by his wife, Carol Jean. She pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. She was placed on probation for five years and ordered to serve one year in Lane County jail and to complete 100 hours of community service. Clyde was only 57 years old when he died May 11, 1988. Clyde had been previously married to Betty Jane Highland. He was survived by two daughters, two granddaughters, two stepsons, five brothers and a sister. Harold Doolittle, the youngest of Judd and Metta's seven children, married Eunice Lee Johnson June 13, 1966 and resides at Prineville.
161
Kebelbeck Michael Kebelbeck and Caroline (Marten) Kebelbeck Michael Kebelbeck was born September 16, 1856 in Bavaria, Germany. He came to the United States at the age of 23. He married Caroline Marten in Ohio in May, 1885. Caroline was born December 2, 1856 in Ohio. Michael and Caroline resided in Glidden, Wisconsin when a son, John J., was born April 3, 1886. Michael, Caroline and two year old John came to Oregon from Wisconsin in 1888. For more than 20 years Michael was logging foreman at the old Booth-Kelly plant at Saginaw. The Kebelbecks resided west of Cottage Grove. A son, George Mitchell, was born to the Kebelbecks January 15, 1890. The Kebelbeck family moved into Cottage Grove in 1899. A daughter, Florence, died that year at three years of age. Devout Catholics, Michael and Caroline helped build the Catholic Church in Cottage Grove. The dedication ceremony was held December, 1897. Michael Kebelbeck died at his home in Cottage Grove July 12, 1937 at the age of 80. Caroline died September 22, 1940 at her home at the age of 83. They are buried in the Masonic-I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Cottage Grove.
162
John J. Kebelbeck and Elizabeth (Pieser) Kebelbeck John J. Kebelbeck, born at Glidden, Wisconsin April 30, 1886, married Elizabeth Pieser at Sublimity, Oregon April 12, 1910. Elizabeth Pieser, born August 24, 1887 at Glidden, Wisconsin, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pieser. John Kebelbeck worked for Booth-Kelly logging in the McKenzie River area for several years. A daughter, Florence, was born in 1912 at John's parents' home at 1010 Birch Avenue in Cottage Grove. John, Elizabeth, and baby Florence moved to the Hebron area in 1913, living first in the old Garoutte house. Mike Kebelbeck, father of John and George Kebelbeck, had purchased the farm a few years earlier from Walter Garoutte. On June 17, 1913 a son, Carl M. was born to John and Elizabeth at John's parents' home in Cottage Grove. John and Elizabeth built a new house on their farm in 1917. Another son, Edward Anselm, was born to the Kebelbecks in June, 1922, but died in February, 1923 after a mastoid operation. Florence Kebelbeck attended Hebron School for eight years. The January, 1927 SENTINEL said she "passed the recent 8th grade examinations." A September, 1927 article said Florence was attending Saint Mary's High School in Eugene. The next three school terms were spent at the home of her grandparents in Cottage Grove while she attended Cottage Grove High School. Florence married Sylvester Knippen of Delphos, Ohio in 1948, and made her home in Ohio with Sylvester and their family, two sons who lived nearby. Florence died in her sleep May 25, 1996. She was 84 years old. Carl M. Kebelbeck also attended Hebron School. Carl was a farmer, helping his dad on their large productive farm. About 1940 the coming of the Cottage Grove Dam forced the Kebelbecks to move the house back out of the lake area. In 1965 the old house was on the move again, this time to another part of the Kebelbeck property near Williams Road. Then Carl built a beautiful new house where the old house had sat. Carl was also a logger, owning and operating his own heavy equipment. On Sept. 24, 1960 Carl married Denise Tremblay, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elzear Tremblay of Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Carl and Denise reared two daughters, Cecile and Louise, here in this home overlooking the Cottage Grove Lake. Carl built a beautiful picnic area near a creek on the property. He generously shares this lovely spot with friends and organizations each summer. John and Elizabeth Kebelbeck were highly respected members of the Hebron community. They were good neighbors and good friends. John Kebelbeck passed away June 16, 1959 at the age of 73 years, about 10 months before he and Elizabeth would have celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. Elizabeth died June 22, 1968. Both are buried in the Oddfellows Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Carl and Denise Kebelbeck are also well liked and highly respected members of the larger Cottage Grove area. They are good neighbors and treasured friends. They are both generous with their time and effort in helping others. Carl is a veteran of World War II. He spent 39 months in the Army, with almost two years of that time on the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek, B.C., several months at 163
Fort Warren, Wyoming, and about six months at Manila on the island of Luzon in the Philippine Islands. He was discharged January 4, 1946.
George Mitchell Kebelbeck and Ila (Ream) Kebelbeck George M. Kebelbeck, born at Cottage Grove on January 15, 1890, married Ila P. Ream at Walterville, Oregon at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Enoc Ream, on January 8, 1912. The young people lived at Walterville, or Deerhorn as it was then called. George worked as a steam engineer for Booth-Kelly Lumber Company. George and Ila came to Hebron in 1913. I don't know where George and Ila lived when they arrived. A June, 1922 item in the SENTINEL said that Wm. Brown of Cottage Grove and F.C. Fuhrer of Hebron were building a new house for G.M. Kebelbeck. George and Ila Kebelbeck reared their family of two sons, George F. and Melvin J., and a daughter, Caroline, at Hebron. George M. farmed his acreage at Hebron. He also worked as a locomotive engineer for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company for 16 years. An item in the April, 1914 news said J.J. Kebelbeck and G.M. Kebelbeck were among those furnishing men and teams for work on the Coast Fork road. George and Ila were popular in the Hebron community, taking active roles in school, the Farmers' Union, the dances at the Farmers' Union hall, etc. Ila was also a 4-H club leader. George was on the Board of Directors of Hebron School in 1917, 1931, 1934, and part of 1937. He was clerk of the district in 1920 through 1923. Ila was clerk of Hebron district #50 in 1932 through 1935, and part of 1937. The George Kebelbeck family was one of the families lost to our community when the Cottage Grove Dam was built. They sold their farm in March, 1937 to Lee Jennings of Delight Valley. The Kebelbecks moved to West Main in Cottage Grove. In September, 1937, Mr. Jennings sold the Kebelbeck place to J.H. Seagoe of Santa Barbara, California. The Kebelbecks went to Grants Pass for awhile where George was engaged at gold mining. They moved to Eugene about 1950. George Mitchell Kebelbeck died at his home in Eugene February 19, 1963. Ila Kebelbeck died January 20, 1980 at the Eugene home of her daughter. George and Ila had celebrated 51 years of marriage before George's death. George and Ila's sons were to reach sad and terrible fates of a related nature. George F. Kebelbeck attended Hebron School, graduating in 1927. He attended Cottage Grove High School, staying in Cottage Grove with his grandparents during the school terms. He graduated with the class of 1931. George was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army in Africa, Italy and France. He was discharged in November, 1945. Later, while riding with his uncle, he was in an auto accident that permanently disabled this fine young man. He died March 24, 1988 in Eugene at the age of 75. Melvin John Kebelbeck also attended Hebron School. A December, 1929 news note said he was attending school in Portland; but a September, 1930 news note said he was attending Cottage Grove High School. 164
Melvin's obituary said he had been a life-long resident of Lane County except for a short time he lived in southern Oregon. A newspaper item said, "Melvin John Kebelbeck, 64, of Eugene was killed late Friday night (March 16, 1979) when his car left Highway 126 and struck a tree about three miles northwest of Veneta." He was the father of three children who survived him. Caroline Elizabeth Kebelbeck, (surely named after her grandmother) was born at Hebron and attended Hebron School until her family moved away in 1937. She married Miles F. Munson. They had three children, Stephen Miles, Douglas George, and Carolyn Sue. After Caroline' mother died, she and Miles left this area. Their daughter, Carolyn (Carole) wrote that her dad, Miles F. Munson "was a journeyman tool and die maker (machinist) and rancher. He loved ranching in our years in Central Oregon so much." Caroline Elizabeth (Kebelbeck) Munson died of a massive coronary January 17, 1992 at Apache Junction, Arizona, a month before her 66th birthday. Miles F. Munson died after surgery for a malignant brain tumor. His date of death was August 29, 1993, just 1 year, 7 mo. and 12 days after Caroline's death.
165
Fuhrer Fred C. Fuhrer was born May 12, 1867 in Switzerland, coming to the United States at the age of five. Gertrude J. Rex was born January 20, 1872 in Iowa. Fred and Gertrude were married at Cheney, Washington October 10, 1898. They had two children, Charles M. and Hazel Justin. The Fuhrer family came to Hebron from Port Angeles, Washington in the fall of 1913. Charles and Hazel were good students. Both were eligible to take part in the Lane County spelling contest in Eugene in May, 1914. I think Charles graduated from Hebron that year and went on to Cottage Grove High School. Charley Fuhrer was generally known as "Fat". In the 1917 "Cee Gee", the high school annual, the "One Line Write-ups" about the junior class said, "Fat Fuhrer, argumentative shark; takes one side of the question and proves the other." The sports section of the year-book had this to say about "Fat" Fuhrer, a "good guard" on the football team. "Nearly all those boys who are raised on the farm are husky, and good players. This is Fat's third year on the team, but everyone expects to see him on the gridiron next season." The above was written in the spring of 1917; but a lot of young lives would be changed when the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917; although it took many months to get an army in the field. In February, 1918, "Charles Fuhrer of Fort Stevens spent Saturday at the home of his parents....." In March, 1919 Charley arrived home from France where he had served with the 65th, coast artillery." An item dated January, 1920 said Hazel Justin Fuhrer passed the 8th grade exams at Hebron School. In December, 1923 Charles was living in San Pedro, California. In the fall of 1926 Hazel went to Port Angeles, Washington where some of her father's relatives lived. By Christmas, 1926 both Hazel and Charles were working in a department store in Port Angeles. By March, 1930 Charley was back at Hebron where I found an interesting story: "Charlie Fuhrer spent Tuesday morning with his post auger resetting mail box posts of his neighbors.....Mr. Fuhrer had driven his team onto the road Monday evening after a day of harrowing and had turned to shut the gate when the horses took french leave and started for home with the harrow. They made poste haste, scorning all minor obstacles such as mail boxes and small trees. They tore loose from the harrow near the Gilcrist place. Freed from the machine they made fast time to the Fred Patten place where they were stopped by a car." In January, 1931 Charley was building a road back to his homestead and clearing land for a house. In February Charley had his house nearly completed and was "baching" on his homestead. Lester Gilcrist was helping him clear fence lines. In July, 1931 the paper tells us F.C. Fuhrer, Charley's father, started his combine on his barley. Judd Doolittle and Albert Barkemeyer were helping him. They would go on to thresh vetch for Jesse Culver, then move the combine to the Taylor place. In November, 1934 Charley killed a bobcat on his way to his homestead. Charley Fuhrer married Hazel "Blossom" Howser Bloom in Albany, Oregon on May 7, 1936, the same year she had arrived in Oregon from Kingfisher, Oklahoma. In June, 1937 the Hebron news said, " Mr. and Mrs. Charley Fuhrer moved into their new house....." Blossom was active as a 4-H leader and as a member of the Hebron 166
Grange. She also served on the election board. Blossom's son, Clarence A. "Bob" Bloom, married Winona Abeene, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Abeene November 27, 1940 at Camas, Washington. Bob and Winona had three sons, Larry, Ronald, and Kevin. Charley and Blossom moved to Bremerton, Washington before moving back to Eugene where Charley died at home October 10, 1965. His remains were cremated. Hazel "Blossom" Fuhrer died January 20, 1980 at age 82. Hazel Fuhrer, Charley's sister, was attending Oregon Agricultural College in 1924. As I have said, 1926 found her in Port Angeles. A reported incident in the fall of 1933 took place in San Francisco when Hazel was narrowly missed by a heavy truck that crashed through her bedroom wall. In July, 1934 Hazel was working in San Francisco. In January, 1935 the Hebron women gave a bridal shower for Hazel, and in August, 1935, "Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Markee of San Francisco arrived to spend a vacation with Mrs. Markee's parents, Mr. and Mrs. F.C. Fuhrer." In August, 1936 Hazel Markee came alone. I don't know the events that occurred between August, 1935 and April 5, 1937 when Hazel married Ivan G. "Ike" Morris at Vancouver, Washington. Ike had come to Cottage Grove about 1925 from Newburg. Ivan G. Morris died at his home in Cottage Grove in July, 1960, leaving Hazel and two children, Fritz and Dahlia. Ivan is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. A horrible tragedy came to haunt Hazel September 29, 1985 when her fifteen year old grandson, Justin Black, son of Dahlia, was shot and killed by a friend who was playing with a rifle. The shooting occurred at Hazel's home. Hazel, now about 91, resides, I believe, in Edgewood Nursing Center in Cottage Grove. Let us return to the parents, Fred and Gertrude Fuhrer. The Fuhrers were active in Hebron affairs. He served for a long time on the Fair board and on the executive board of the Coast Fork Telephone Company. She served as secretary-treasurer of the telephone company. Gertrude J. Fuhrer died March 11, 1953. Fred died August 2, 1956. They are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery.
167
Huff Lorenzo D. Huff and Elizabeth B. Lajoie were married December 19, 1906 in Lane County, Oregon in the parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The town wasn't named on the marriage certificate. Their first child, a son, Dwight, was born at Walker, Oregon October 28, 1907. The family probably came to Hebron from Walker. I don't know where they resided when they first came to Hebron. I found the oldest child, Dwight, attended the Hebron School in the fall of 1914. Huff children attended school there for the next 15 years, through the fall of 1929. There were three other children: Claude, Hazel, and Helen. In the fall of 1920 the Huffs rented the old J.A. Powell place at Wilson Creek and moved there. On August 11, 1926 another son, Harley, was born. In April, 1929 a tragedy struck the Huff family when Dwight Elbert Huff, 21, was struck and killed by a log at the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company logging camp. "He was a chaser at the yarder pole and an obstruction caused a log to upend and hit him on the back of the head, breaking his neck." Dwight was buried in the Walker Cemetery. I found that Claude Alfred Huff passed the 8th grade exams at the Hebron School in May, 1924. He was a good student. It had been noted the previous year that Claude had made a grade average of 95. Hazel Huff graduated in 1926. I believe the Huff family left Hebron before Helen graduated. She had received a certificate for perfect attendance and punctuality in May, 1930. A note in the news in September, 1926 said Claude and Hazel were attending Cottage Grove High School. I believe the Huff family moved to Eugene in the fall of 1930. I know they lived in or near Eugene for several years. When Harley Huff, the youngest of the Huff children, died June 1, 1993 at age 68 at Florence, Oregon, he was survived by only one of his siblings, Hazel Hubbard of Springfield, Oregon. He was also survived by his wife, Betty Lou Elliott Huff, and nine children, eight grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Hazel Irene Huff married Noel O. Pirtle June 14, 1935. They resided at Coburg, at least for awhile. The father, Lorenzo Dow Huff, died March 7, 1944 at the age of 61 and is buried in Walker Cemetery. Elizabeth B. Huff was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lajoie of Walker, and a sister of Margaret Murry (Mrs. Walter Murry) of Cedar Creek. Elizabeth lived almost 38 years after Lorenzo died; but I found her grave beside his in the Walker Cemetery. She had married Ora E. Carter July 21, 1957 at her home in Springfield. Her headstone reads, "Elizabeth B. Huff Carter, July 3, 1888 - January 21, 1982." She was 93 years of age at the time of her death.
168
Herring The Robert E. Herring family lived a Hebron for at least three years, 1914, 1915, and 1916. I don't know the mother's first name. The six children were Bennie, Howard, Mary, Gertrude, and another girl, Merle. Annabel Gilcrist Hersey called one of the girls "Freda" when she gave the children's names in a 1914 school picture. There were few newspaper items about the Herrings. In May, 1915 Bennie Herring was an eligible contestant in a Lane County spelling contest. In May, 1916 Bennie took the 8th grade exams at Hebron School. In March, 1916 Mr. Herring was plowing for Mr. Huff on the J.J. Weeden place.
Bendele Frank and Anna Bendele and their daughter Verona, lived at Hebron about the same time as the Herrings- 1914, 1915, and 1916. Anna Bendele was a member of the women's club while she lived here. The Bendele family left Hebron in April, 1917 for Ohio where they would live.
169
Ewing Charles W. "Bill" Ewing and Nancy Almira Brasher were married at the Hebron Church October 25, 1891. Charles was born April 28, 1858 at Marysville, Oregon. I don't know when he came to this area. When he died on October 10, 1931 at the age of 73 his obituary stated that he had resided "for many years" at London. He owned a homestead at London. Nancy was the daughter of Thomas Redtric Brasher and Ruth Slater Brasher. Thomas was born in Ohio August 9, 1829 and crossed the plains in 1850 at the age of 20. He went to the gold fields at Placerville, California and worked in the mines until 1865. He married Ruth Slater in 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Brasher came to Oregon in 1872 and took a homestead about two miles southwest of London. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brasher, a son, Thomas, and daughter, Nancy (1874). The mother died in December, 1875. On January18, 1892 Mr. Brasher married Miss Meredith Nowell. A son, Edward Nowell Brasher, was born to this union November 1, 1892. Thomas Brasher died at his home January 16, 1911. Charles and Nancy Ewing were the parents of nine children: Earl, Roy, Ruth, James, Lydia, Lillie, Hubert, Velma, and Myrtle. I believe all were born at the Ewing homestead. Charles W. Ewing died October 10, 1931 at the age of 73 years. Nancy died May 19, 1954 at the age of 80. They are buried in the Bemis Cemetery south of London, Oregon.
Earl Ewing and Velma (Brown) Ewing Earl Ewing, the eldest child of Charles and Nancy Ewing, was born November 3, 1892. He was married April 8, 1915 in Eugene to Velma Brown. Velma, too, was born in 1892. Her birthplace was Minnesota. Velma had a son, Raymond, and a daughter, Ruby, before she married Earl. The London news, dated February 1, 1916, announced, "Born to Mr. and Mrs. Earl Ewing, an eight pound son." Although I found no mention of his death, I found no further mention of the little boy. Two other sons, Laverne Ray and Robert Glenn, were born to Earl and Velma Ewing. Earl worked as an engineer in the logging woods, operating heavy equipment. As was common practice at that time, the Ewings moved from one area to another, wherever work was available. I found they had lived at Leona, Alpine, and Stanley before returning to the London area in October, 1925. They resided in Cottage Grove during 1926, 1927, and 1928. In August, 1929 the Earl Ewings "of Westwood, California" visited relatives at London. They returned to the area to live in October, 1930. They made their home at Woodard's Camp A while Earl worked for Woodard Lumber Company. Laverne and Robert attended London School until the spring of 1932. Another move took the Ewings to a house in the Hebron area beside the London Road. Both boys attended the Hebron School until the family moved to Coburg in February, 1933. Other moves took them to Marcola, Black Butte, Deadwood and, perhaps, to other locations where Earl could find work. Both of the sons served in the armed forces during World War II. Velma Ewing died April 8, 1971 at Eugene, Oregon at the age of 78. 170
Earl Ewing died August 27, 1981 at Eugene at the age of 88. His obituary stated that he had lived in Oregon all of his life. Both Earl and Velma are buried in the Walker Cemetery.
Roy Ewing and Marie Janette (Garoutte) Ewing Roy Ewing, the second child of Charles and Nancy Ewing, was born February 4, 1895. Marie Garoutte, the daughter of Mark and Allie Garoutte, was born February 24, 1901 in Pawnee, Oklahoma. She came to Oregon at the age of three, lived at Sodaville for awhile and came to Cottage Grove as a teenager. Roy Ewing and Marie Garoutte were married September 21, 1918 at Eugene, Oregon. This was during World War I. Roy was on furlough from Camp Lewis. He returned to camp the day after the wedding. Roy and Marie Ewing were the parents of three sons, Fay, Donald, and LeRoy "Corky", and a daughter, Maxine. The Ewing family resided most of the time in the London district, residing for many years in Woodard's Camp A. The children attended London School. The era that is still known as "The Great Depression" began nationwide in 1929. It seemed to hit hardest in this area in the early 1930's. An article dated May 12, 1933 said the Woodard mill would soon re-open after being closed most of the time for about two years. Nathan Bradley of Memphis, Tennessee said he also hoped the big BradleyWoodard mill at Bradwood, Oregon on the Columbia River would be put into operation by mid-summer. That mill was about 15 miles east of Astoria at a spot now called Bradley Wayside. Roy Ewing was a heavy equipment operator in the logging woods. When he wasn't working for Woodard at Camp A logging operations, he sometimes traveled to Bradwood to work, leaving his family at Camp A and coming home for visits. The first time noted in the London news of one of his trips to Bradwood was June 12, 1931. There seems to be a discrepancy here, for a May 12, 1933 article said the mill was new and hadn't been run; while the earlier article said Roy had "left to work in the BradleyWoodard Mill." Perhaps Roy helped build the mill. Other men of Camp A also traveled to Bradwood to work. By 1935 the paper said Roy Ewing had gone to Bradwood to run steam shovel. When the three Ewing boys, Fay, Donald, and LeRoy, graduated from Cottage Grove High School they joined the armed forces to help defend their country during World War II. In fact, a May 30, 1946 SENTINEL article named LeRoy J. Ewing as one of the high school graduates who were absent in the service of their country. Fay enlisted in 1941. He was an instructor in an air corps gunnery school in Texas. A July, 1944 article said Fay was an assistant Armament Chief "somewhere in England". Donald enlisted in 1944 and served aboard the U.S.S. Mississippi in the south Pacific. When the U.S.S. Mississippi sailed up Tokyo Bay as part of Admiral Bill Halsey's 3rd occupation fleet, William Donald Ewing was aboard. Donald earned the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with four stars and the Philippine ribbon with two stars. LeRoy "Corky" enlisted in the navy January 19, 1946. Japan had surrendered on August 15, 1945, so the war was over by the time "Corky" was old enough to enlist and 171
leave for boot camp in San Diego; but there was still much to be done. Maxine Marie Ewing graduated with honors from Cottage Grove High School, class of 1941, where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She married Oliver Freeman and lived at Culp Creek for awhile. I believe her name is now Maxine Peckham, and she resides at Kennewick, Washington. Fay married Miss Helen Smith. They are widely traveled; but I believe they are presently living in Eugene following Fay's heart attack and surgery. The last I heard of Donald and LeRoy they were living at San Jose, California. Roy Ewing died of cancer at Cottage Grove November 20, 1956. Marie died August 7, 1987 in Corvallis, Oregon at the age of 86. Both are buried in Lane Memorial Gardens at Eugene, Oregon.
Other Descendants of Bill and Nancy Ewing I don't know as much about the other two sons and the five daughters of Bill and Nancy Ewing. Most of them didn't reside in the area covered by this story. I'll mention them here in order of age. Ruth Ewing and John C. Hopman Ruth Ewing married John "Jack" C. Hopman at the home of her parents on August 2, 1914. John and Ruth lived, at different times, at London, Cedar Creek, and Black Butte. They resided on Cedar Creek in November, 1915, were still there in August, 1917, moved to London, but came back to Cedar Creek in November, 1918. John worked at the Woodard mill in 1925 and 1926. John and Ruth had at least three children, Merton, Marie, and Howard, one or more attending London School in 1921 and at least until the fall of 1925. In 1927, 1928, and 1929 I found the Hopmans were living in California. Then there was a divorce. In 1954 when Ruth's mother Nancy, died, Ruth's married name was Hall. When Ruth's brother, Earl, passed away in 1981, Ruth Hall lived at Bakersfield, California.
172
James Ewing In the May, 1910 U.S. census James was listed as 10 years old. As did others of his time, he traveled to wherever he could find work, often returning to visit family members. Sometimes he remained in home territory for awhile. I found news items saying he was working at various times at Powers, Klamath Falls, Glendale, and Woodard's Camp B. In 1927 James went to Portland to become a truck driver. That fall he was working on the highway between Lebanon and Foster. An August, 1928 item said, " James Ewing was recently married at Kelso, Washington. The couple will make their home at Cascadia, where Mr. Ewing is working on a road." The next August James Ewing drove down from Estacada to visit his parents. That month he began work at the Schneider mill at Lorane. When James' father died October 10, 1935, James lived at Cottage Grove. James survived his mother who died in 1954, but did not survive his brother, Earl, who died in 1981. Roy A. Farnham and Lydia Betty Ewing Farnham In September, 1918 I found that Lydia Ewing was employed at the Robinson restaurant in Cottage Grove. In August, 1922, Mrs. Lydia Farnham of Pendleton visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Ewing. In August, 1926 Lydia lived at LaGrande. She was still there in 1931 when her father died, and in 1976 when Edward Nowell Brasher died. In 1981 her first name was given as Betty and she still resided at LaGrande.
Lillian Ewing Lillian "Lillie" Ewing was first found in the news in September, 1921 when she finished working at the Cottage Grove Cannery. I found in May, 1924 that she was a telephone operator in Portland. She apparently held that job for several years. In October, 1931 her father's obituary named Miss Lillian Ewing of Portland. Her mother's obituary in May, 1954 gave Lillian's name as Lillian Soyster.
173
Hubert Ewing Hubert Ewing, the youngest son of Charles and Nancy Ewing, was destined to live a short life. Hubert and his close friend, Elvis Kelley were avid motorcycle fans. In the spring of 1926 when Hubert was barely 20, he and Elvis purchased new motorcycles. It was a common sight to see them roaring past for years after that. Hubert R. Ewing, age 33, died in a Eugene hospital May 15, 1939 of injuries received in a motorcycle accident that occurred two weeks previously. Hubert left a wife and two daughters. Interment was in the Bemis Cemetery.
Elmer Hansen and Velma Ewing Hansen In 1926 Velma was a student at Cottage Grove High School. In the fall of 1927 she went to Cottage Grove to live with Mrs. C.H. Woods so she (Velma) could attend high school. She was a good student. In January, 1928, she was exempt from mid-term exams. At one time she went to Corvallis to take part in a typing contest. It wasn't long before a young man named Elmer Hansen accompanied Velma on her visits to her parents' home. Later, in 1930, I found items telling of visits to Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Ewing by Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Hansen of Rodeo, California. In 1976 Velma Hansen lived at El Cerrito, California.
Myrtle "Myrtie" Ewing Myrtle was the youngest of the nine Ewing children. When Myrtie was only ten years old, she received three prizes on needlework at the 1926 fair in Eugene. Active in club work, she received a $2 check for a doll she dressed. By 1930 Myrtie lived in Cottage Grove. At the time of her mother's death in 1954 Myrtie was Myrtle Hess.
174
George J. and Bettie M. Kappauf Mr. and Mrs. George J. Kappauf and little daughter, Kathleen, came to Hebron in 1915 or before. Another daughter, Georgia Madell was born December 10, 1915. The Kappaufs lived on the old Powell place near Wilson Creek. One or both of the girls attended Hebron School for ten years, from 1917 until the fall of 1927. Mrs. Kappauf was a very busy lady. In April, 1926 she ran for the Republican nomination for Lane County treasurer. She was also the county secretary of the Farmers' Union. That fall she served on the election board. The February 19, 1923 EUGENE DAILY GUARD said Mrs. George Kappauf and Mrs. George Kebelbeck were sisters. In September, 1927 the Farmers' Union gave a farewell dinner for the Kappauf family. There were 150 people present at the dinner. The Kappaufs lived near Eugene in June, 1933, but moved by December to a home near Salem, and from there, in the fall of 1940, to Newberg, Oregon. In August, 1938 Kathleen was Mrs. Leonard Mitka; but when her mother died October 15, 1954, Kathleen was Mrs. Mobbs. At that time Madell's married name was Schmidt and she lived at Newberg. George Kappauf died at Dundee, March 7, 1949. He was buried at Dufur, Oregon. Bettie (or Betty?) Kappauf died October 15, 1954 at the home of her daughter, Kathleen, in Seattle, Washington.
175
Geer The Geer family was well known in this area for many years. Thomas Jefferson Geer was born May 31, 1853 in Illinois, the son of Samuel Geer and Nancy (Hill) Geer. The Geers, father, mother and nine children came to Oregon in 1864. Mary Esther Isabelle "Belle" Carmical was born October 14, 1857 in Linn County, Oregon. She was the daughter of Phillip Grinder Carmical and Ann (Powell) Carmical. Belle's grandfather was the famous circuit rider, Joab Powell, who brought his family to Oregon in 1852. Belle's father, P.G. Carmical also came to Oregon in 1852, going first to California. Thomas Jefferson Geer and Mary Esther Isabelle "Belle" Carmical were married in Prineville November 23, 1873. P.G. and Ann Carmical moved to London, Oregon in 1906. Phillip died there in 1909. A few years later Ann went to O'Neil, Oregon to reside with a daughter; but returned to this area to make her home with a granddaughter, Lena Powell (Mrs. Robert B. Powell) of Hebron. Ann Powell Carmical died November 26, 1924 and was buried beside her husband in the Bemis Cemetery near London. Thomas J. and Belle Geer had seven children, Nancy and Annie (twins), Iva Ora, Thomas Franklin "Frank", Joseph Ernest, Lena Belle, and Vernon Ardee. All were born in eastern Oregon except the seventh, Ardee, who was born near Moscow, Idaho November 5, 1901. Tom and Belle Geer came to London from Idaho in the spring of 1906 at the same time Belle's parents, the Carmicals, came. Tom had first arrived in London with his parents and siblings in 1864 when Tom was eleven years old. Tom had grown to manhood at London, Oregon. Now he was back "home". The 1910 U.S. census found Tom and Mary (Belle); two sons, Ardee and Frank; and Belle's mother, Ann Carmical, living in the London area. The Geers were absent several times between 1910 and 1916. Also, Tom ran the Rouse mill for awhile and once had charge of the London Springs Hotel. In August, 1916, Belle Geer purchased property in the Hebron district; and Tom built a little house on the west side of Black Butte road in section 32, twsp. 21s, range 3w. On December 28, 1916 Thomas Jefferson Geer died of cancer in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He was buried in the Bemis Cemetery near London. Mary Esther Isabelle Carmical Geer stayed on in the little home at Hebron. Soon she was known as "Grandma Geer: to young and old, including this writer. I knew Grandma Geer as long ago as I can remember and called her "Grandma Geer" long before I fell in love with her grandson, Roy Geer, my future husband. Two of Belle's sons, Ernest and Ardee, stayed with her for awhile. Ardee attended Hebron School briefly. In April, 1917 he played on the Hebron basketball team. Zella Geer lived with her grandmother so she could attend Hebron School during the 1926-1927 school term. Other grandchildren lived with Grandma Geer from time to time. Ernest Geer, a bachelor, moved to California where he worked as a carpenter in the oil fields, then operated a service station for many years. His last years were spent at Tiller, Oregon near his sister, Lena Powell's children. Joseph Ernest Geer died November 2, 1957 at Roseburg, Oregon at the age of 73. He is buried in the Bemis Cemetery near London. 176
Ardee Geer's first marriage ended in divorce. He married a second time. He had a daughter by the first wife and adopted the son of his second wife. As a child Ardee's name was listed as Vernon Ardee; but he later used the name Ardee Vernon. Most of his life was spent in California where he worked many years in the oil fields. Ardee Vernon Geer died at Hermosa Beach, California January 11, 1972 at the age of 70 years. He is buried at Inglewood, California. In May, 1936, at the age of 78, our dear little Grandma Geer moved to a comfortable home in Cottage Grove, where we enjoyed her company for many more years. It was near the end of her life when she was moved to a nursing home in Eugene where she died September 14, 1948 just one month before her 91st birthday. She was buried beside her husband in the Bemis Cemetery.
Thomas Franklin Geer and Delpha Angeline (Bemis) Geer Thomas Franklin "Frank" Geer was born February 22, 1881 at Prineville, Oregon. He was the fourth child in a family of seven born to Thomas Jefferson Geer and Mary Esther Isabelle "Belle" (Carmical) Geer. Delpha Angeline Bemis was born July 16, 1887 at Knappa, Oregon, the oldest of nine children born to Jesse W. Bemis and Sarah Grace (Allen) Bemis. Frank Geer had led an interesting life before settling down to marriage and children. Most of his work in early years took place in eastern Oregon. He often told us tales of his years of herding cattle. He gave Roy a cane he had made of steer horns during that time. Russell Bemis, Frank's brother-in-law, helped us remember. He said Frank Geer once drove a stage line between Bend and Burns. He reminded us that Frank did lots of work around Enterprise and Joseph. He told us stories we had heard Frank tell of hauling turkeys, and sometimes hides, to train depots to send them on their way to Portland, eastern, and California markets. Frank was a fine camp cook; and Roy remembers him telling of cooking in a little cafe in eastern Oregon during at least one winter. Delpha Bemis' parents moved to the Woodburn, Oregon area and remained there until about 1902. Jesse W. and Sarah Bemis bought the old Allen place south of London, where Sarah had spent her childhood, and moved there. Their last three children were born there. The youngest, a little daughter named Rilla, drowned in the nearby river August 26, 1910. The poor mother who had been ill for some time, died in October, 1910 and is buried in the Bemis Cemetery. The oldest daughter, Delpha Bemis, had been taking charge of the household since her mother had been ill. She also helped her father on the ranch. Frank Geer was working at the bottling works at London Springs. Delpha Bemis lived nearby. Frank Geer and Delpha Bemis were married June 30, 1910. A daughter, Zella May, was born at London, then the Geer family went to Vale, Oregon for awhile, then traveled by train to Farmington, Washington. Tom Geer, Frank's father, still owned a farm at Genessee, Idaho. Frank, Delpha and little Zella moved to that farm. Three boys, Ralph, Clinton, and Roy, and a girl, Grace, were born there. Then the family moved to Juliaetta, Idaho where Howard was born. Now, the Geers, father, mother and six children, set out to go "back home" to London. Six year old Roy "helped" his dad as the family made the long trip using two 177
conveyances, a covered wagon pulled by one team, and a hack pulled by another. It was a wonderful adventure to be remembered for a lifetime. Grandma Geer, who owned the little house at Hebron, had gone to California to visit her son, Ernest; so her son, Frank, and his family stopped to rest at Grandma Geer's home. There, about two days later, on November 15, 1923 Delpha gave birth to a son, Harold. Then the family traveled on to Black Butte to make their home. Later, they moved to London and, finally, in 1928, to the May place on Cedar Creek but only stayed there about a year before moving to the Calapooya Hotel at London for awhile, then on to a London residence. Two more little girls, Gertrude and Elsie, were born in the London area; making a total of nine Geer children. Then disaster struck! Little five year old Gertrude was fatally burned when her clothing caught fire from a burning stump near which she was playing. Now it was time for the Geer family to make the move which would be their permanent home. Frank had his eye on a piece of property on Cedar Creek; but veterans had first homestead rights. When Frank's brother-in-law, Russell Bemis, learned of Frank's wish, Russ, a veteran of both World Wars I and II, filed on the homestead Frank wanted. Then, on the morning of the first day when non-veterans were allowed to file, Russ relinquished his claim. Frank filed on the property that afternoon. Soon Frank and his boys had built a road, a house, and a barn. The family moved to the homestead in June, 1931. The final paper on the property was issued November 8, 1937. It was called "railroad grant lands". The property description follows: W. 1/2 of SE 1/4, E 1/2 of SW 1/4, and W 1/2 of SW 1/4 of Sec. 31, twsp. 21S of Range 3W of Willamette Meridian, Oregon;, containing 247 acres and 76/100 of an acre. Of the eight remaining children: Zella May married Luther Clyde Willey in 1929. Zella and Clyde had three sons, Orville, Donald, and James, before their divorce. Zella later married Earl Tullar. They resided at Coburg, Oregon for many years and were the parents of two children, Mary and Gerald. Four of Zella's five children are living. Orville Willey died in December, 1987 when struck by a car near his home at Long Beach, California. Orville was a veteran of the Korean War. He was stationed at a U.S. Army base in Japan. After the family was grown, Earl and Zella moved into Eugene. Earl died there September 19, 1982. Zella recently moved to a foster care home in Springfield. She celebrated her 85th birthday on February 3, 1996. Ralph Geer married Melba Gates. They lived at different locations near his work, until settling in a nice home in Springfield, Oregon. Ralph and Melba were the parents of two children, Robert and Karen. Ralph died of a heart attack August 18, 1972 while at work in the logging woods. He was buried in Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. Melba later married John Pimentel. Melba died of cancer March 9, 1982. Clinton Geer was also a logger. He hadn't yet left his parents' home on Cedar Creek when he died of pneumonia March 12, 1936, just six days after his 21st birthday. Roy Geer married Marie Gilham (this writer) at Eugene, Oregon August 12, 1939. We were childhood sweethearts. We had even attended the old Hebron School together for about six weeks before he was transferred to the London School. Roy worked first on Woodard's flume, then the millpond and finally, as a timber cutter in the logging woods, first for Woodard, then after Woodard sold, for the buyer, Weyerhaeuser. In 1941, Roy and I built a little house on the old Flowers place on the west side of the Cottage Grove Lake. We brought our baby daughter, Barbara Ellen, home to that little house and watched her grow to adulthood there. She married Paul Funk, a 178
descendant of a well known Blackbutte area family. Roy retired in 1982. We still live here beside the lake very near the places where we grew up; but times have changed. We now have four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, all living near Paul and Barbara in the Eugene-Springfield area. We hope to celebrate our 57th wedding anniversary this August. Grace Geer married George Blackmore and had a daughter, Betty, before a divorce. She later married John Hamer. They resided at several places before making their permanent home on Camp Creek Road east of Springfield, Oregon. John and Grace were the parents of three children, Clinton Franklin "Frank", John Arthur, Jr., and Rena Marie. John, Sr. died May 15, 1989; then John and Grace's oldest son, Frank, died of cancer January 10, 1993. Grace died of cancer October 13, 1994, entombment in Rest Haven Memorial Park in Eugene. Howard Geer served more than three years in the U.S. Army during World War II, 2 1/2 years of that time as a hospital orderly in England. He didn't marry, but came back and lived at the home place on Cedar Creek, working on the construction crew first for Woodard Lumber Company, then for Weyerhaeuser. Howard stayed on at the home place after his parents died. Howard died March 17, 1993 and is buried in the Bemis Cemetery. Harold, the son who was born in Hebron, served almost three years in the Army Air Force, including about nine months in Natal, Brazil. Trained as an airplane and engine mechanic, Harold took up residence in Portland, Oregon and went to work as a mechanic for United Airlines where he remained until his retirement. Harold is unmarried and still resides in Portland, although he is the owner of the old Geer home on Cedar Creek. Elsie Geer married Henry "Hank" French April 24, 1951. Another war, the Korean War, dictated their lives for awhile as Hank was in Uncle Sam's Army. Elsie accompanied him to several states; but after he was discharged, they returned to Oregon. They lived at several locations before buying a home near Toledo, Oregon where they reared their sons, Thomas Clinton, Roger Allen, and Edward Neal. Hank and Elsie have just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. They have recently purchased a home at Albany, Oregon. Frank Geer, the father of the Geer children, was a hard worker, well liked in the community. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to a neighbor. For many years Frank farmed and logged with his team of horses, Prince and Pete. Although he had no training except experience, Frank was a good veterinary treating his own stock and, often, that of his neighbors. He was an expert grain stacker, much in demand by neighboring farmers. His skill in his home blacksmith shop was well known. He had also worked as a millwright. Thomas Franklin "Frank" Geer died of cancer January 3, 1950 at the age of 68. He was buried in the Bemis Cemetery. Delpha Geer was also a hard worker, caring for her large family with the old-time methods, working in the garden, canning huge quantities of food, cooking, baking, washing, ironing, mending, etc.,etc. After Frank passed away, Delpha remained in the Cedar Creek home with her son, Howard. Delpha Angeline (Bemis) Geer died in the Cottage Grove Hospital July 18, 1963, two days after her 76th birthday. She was buried beside Frank in the Bemis Cemetery. 179
Robert Barnett Powell and Lena Belle (Geer) Powell The other child of Tom and Belle Geer who spent a lot of time in Hebron was Lena Belle. Lena was born July 31, 1888 in Young Mountain, Umatilla County, Oregon. She lived with her parents and siblings in Idaho, coming to London, Oregon in 1906 at the age of about 18. Robert Barnett Powell, son of Joseph Goble Powell and Melissa Ann (Ramsey) Powell was born October 15, 1883 in Linn County, Oregon, coming to the Hebron area with his parents and siblings in June, 1889. Robert B. Powell, 23, and Lena Belle Geer, 18, were married at London, Oregon May 28, 1907. A son, Verlon, was born there in June, 1908. Son, Vernis was born at Genessee, Idaho in 1911. Back at London, Ernest Joseph "Joey" was born. Joey would serve his country during World War II. Three girls arrived while the family lived in Cottage Grove: Vonda in 1917, Lenita in 1920, and Maxine in 1922. In 1924 the Robert Powell family lived at Hebron where at least three children, Vernis, Joseph, and Vonda, attended Hebron School. Verlon was too old, Lenita and Maxine too young, to attend the school. The Powells remained in Hebron, living on the old Whitney place, through the summer of 1925. Lena's grandmother, Ann Carmical, lived with Bob and Lena for awhile. She died in November, 1924. In the fall of 1925, the Robert Powell family moved to a farm near Drain, Oregon. The children were still a part of Hebron life, visiting often with their Grandma Geer, some of them living with her from time to time. Bob and Lena also visited often. In August, 1935 the Robert Powells moved to a ranch on Row River. Lena Belle (Geer) Powell died January 3, 1953 in a tragic car accident at Saginaw, north of Cottage Grove. She was riding in a car that was driven by her husband. She was buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Lena was 64 years old. On June 25, 1956 Robert married Alice (Huff) Conner at Vida, Oregon. They resided at her home in Cottage Grove. Robert B. Powell died December 16, 1969 at Cottage Grove. He was 86 years old. He, too, was buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery.
Two more Geer men and their families resided for a time at Hebron. The men were Robert Samuel Geer and Cecil Ray Geer. They were sons of Levi and Maude (Powell) Geer. Rosella Maude Powell, daughter of Joseph G. and Melissa Ann (Ramsey) Powell, married Levi Geer at Hebron June 21, 1896. Robert Samuel Geer Robert Samuel Geer, the second son of Levi and Maude (Powell) Geer, was born November 5, 1899 in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Myrtle Gertrude Chase, daughter of Ed and Katherine Chase, was born July 29, 1906. Robert Geer and Myrtle Chase were married June 24, 1931 in Eugene, Oregon. Robert Geer, who was called "Robin" as a child, and "Rob" as he grew older, had a daughter, Mildred, by an earlier marriage, January 22, 1927, to Violet Lincoln of Gates, 180
Washington. Rob and Myrtle lived at Coburg for several years, although the January, 1934 SENTINEL said Robert Geer of Coburg was working in the Black Butte mines. A January, 1935 item mentioned the Robert Geer home at Hebron. In October, 1936 they moved from Hebron to the Lon Shortridge place near London. Later, I found them at Monroe, Oregon, at Culp Creek (east of Cottage Grove), and back at London in September, 1939. Mildred graduated from London School in 1942. Robert, Myrtle and Mildred Geer went to central Oregon where he worked as a rancher, a logger, and a millworker. The family resided in Prineville. Myrtle died in April, 1969. Cecil Ray Geer Cecil Ray Geer, the son of Levi and Maude (Powell) Geer, was born March 29, 1907 in Cottage Grove, Oregon. His mother died when Cecil was about three months old. Cecil grew up in the London community. He married Juanita Powell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Powell, about 1931. They moved to Hebron, residing about a mile north of Wilson Creek, in September, 1933. A little daughter, Belva Jean, was born December 7, 1933. In June, 1934 they moved to her family's farm at London; but by September, Levi was staying with them at Hebron. Levi returned to his son, Joe Geer's, house in June, 1935. In September, 1935 the Cecil Geer family moved to London. I don't know when their son, Donald, was born. The family spent the summer of 1936 through October near Powell Butte in central Oregon. They returned to London but were soon back in central Oregon, eventually settling in Prineville. I believe Cecil and Juanita separated. When Cecil died January 18, 1983 at the age of 75 years, his obituary told us, "Mr. Geer was a retired rancher and had worked for the Keystone Cattle Company and the Sherman Cattle Company. He had also been employed in the lumber industry and worked as a millworker for Pine Products in Prineville." Robert and Cecil Geer moved to Madras after they retired. There they lived in two mobile homes not far from the home of Robert's daughter and son-in-law, Mildred and Robert Keeton. Now, I quote from a January, 1983 newspaper article from Madras: "The bodies of Robert Samuel Geer, 83, and Cecil Ray Geer, 75, were found January 18 outside their adjacent mobile homes on Ford Lane. The bodies were discovered by a sixth grade youngster when he walked home after getting off a school bus nearby......a state medical examiner conducted several tests that disclosed 'how the men did not die,' but not what did cause their deaths. The examiner has ruled out foul play, suicide, death by carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution and excessive use of drugs. The elder Geer had only a negligible amount of alcohol in his blood, .03 percent, and Cecil Geer's blood had no alcohol. Indications are that the men may have died after dark on Monday, Jan. 17, or early the next morning. Sheriff Hamlin Perkins said a flashlight found on the ground near the bodies had burned out. Neither man was dressed to be outdoors, Perkins said. Each wore slippers, a shirt 181
and trousers. There was a heavy fog in the area that night, and Perkins surmised the brothers may have become disoriented. The temperature dropped to 30 degrees that night, and there was .05 of an inch of precipitation. Sullivan (the district attorney) said the only explanation he can offer is that one of the brothers collapsed and the other died upon finding him." Autopsies were performed in Portland. "Preliminary results indicated no foul play was involved in the deaths, Sullivan said. They also indicated that Cecil Geer had suffered from a heart ailment." No one knows what happened.
182
Markham Llewellyn G. Markham was born in Umatilla, Oregon November 3, 1870. He was the son of Samuel Llewellyn Markham. Daisy Alice Ball, the daughter of Isaac Ball and Margaret Robbins Ball, was born in Tualatin, Oregon March 25, 1871. Daisy's father was the first teacher in the Tualatin area. He served three years as Washington County Commissioner and was a volunteer Indian fighter. Llewellyn G. Markham and Daisy Alice Ball were married in Portland, Oregon November 19, 1896. They lived in Umatilla County until 1903. A son, Samuel Llewellyn, was born in Umatilla March 7, 1898. In 1903 L.G., Daisy and Samuel moved to Grant County where the parents built a general store, established the post office of Range, and operated a small ranch. The Markhams sold out in 1915 and moved to Hebron, purchasing a farm south of the Hebron bridge on the west side of the road. Samuel Llewellyn was known in the Hebron School as "Allyn". His father, Llewellyn G. was known as "Lou". In June, 1920 the Markhams sold their Hebron home to Charles White and moved to Cottage Grove. Llewellyn G. Markham died at his home January 27, 1957 after a long illness. He was 86 years of age. Cremation followed. Daisy Markham, always a lady, fun and friendly, celebrated her 100th birthday on March 25, 1971. I was privileged to attend the party for my long-time friend. Daisy laughed that day as she opened a package of lovely lingerie. She said, "You should see what I'm wearing! I stopped buying pretty things long ago, saying at my age I wouldn't wear them out." She attributed her long life to keeping active and never eating rich foods. Daisy passed away July 12, 1972. Cremation followed. The son, S.L. Markham, married Victoria Zendron on December 30, 1931 at Eugene. His obituary, when he died February 26, 1988 a few days before his 90th birthday, told of an interesting life: "He was a student of Tex Rankins, flying his World War I JN4 (Jenny) off the family cow pasture on Godard Lane (Cottage Grove) and barnstorming the state on Fourth of July celebrations in the early 1920's." He was also a gunsmith; but had made a living on the flumes, in the woods, and in the mills around the Cottage Grove area. He worked for awhile on W.A. Woodard's flume that carried the lumber from Camp A to Latham. Samuel Llewellyn Markham was survived by his wife, Victoria, three children and others.
183
Truman J. Clark Truman J. Clark was born August 16, 1887 in Illinois. Mina N. Plank was born December 7, 1890 at Red Bluff, California. Truman Clark and Mina Plank were married August 5, 1913 at Eugene, Oregon. A September, 1915 SENTINEL article told us, "T.J. Clark has built a cottage up Coast Fork." That "cottage" was a neat little home in Hebron. The Clark family was an important part of Hebron life for many years. The eldest son, Lawrence, first attended Hebron School about 1920. Then came a sister, Georgia, and two younger brothers, Frank and Charles. All four children attended the little Hebron School through all eight grades. There are few records in the papers of Lawrence and Georgia during the early school days. In the fall of 1929 Lawrence was attending Cottage Grove High School. In the 1932 Sentinels I began finding records of students who were on the honor roll. Frank and Charles Clark were consistently on the honor roll. Charles "Charlie" was well-known for his singing ability, entertaining us many times with his songs. A May, 1929 SENTINEL article said, "The audience filled the hall for the school entertainment given by Mr. Rose and Miss Mason, teachers. The hit of the evening was a song, 'Oh Susanna', sung by Charlie Clark." Frank and Charlie belonged to the Hebron Poultry 4-H Club. Charlie was elected yell and song leader. Truman Clark served as clerk of the Hebron School District in 1925 and through 1929. He served again in 1930 and 1933. He even served in 1938, long after his last child had graduated in 1934. Truman worked for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company for many years. He was a millwright. In 1930 Truman was elected secretary-treasurer of the Coast Fork Telephone Company and, in 1932, he was the president. I don't know when Truman and Mina sold their little Hebron home and moved to Cottage Grove. Lawrence resided in Portland. In February, 1940 the SENTINEL reported, "A Hebron girl, Georgia Clark, was one of five coeds in the University of Oregon to be recognized by Mortar Board, senior honorary society. The award was based on achievement and character." Georgia remained in the Cottage Grove area for some time; but at the time of her father's death in October, 1960, Georgia Clark Rogers was living in Wilbur, Washington. Frank worked as an auto mechanic in Cottage Grove. World War II changed many lives. A newspaper article said, "The three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Truman J. Clark, Cottage Grove, are all in the service. Lawrence T., 28, is a private, who signed up in February, 1942. He won a medal for marksmanship at Camp Roberts, Calif. Charles C., 21, has been in the navy since July, 1939, and is a third class signalman. He was at Pearl Harbor during the December 7 attack. Serg. Frank W., 22, has been in the army since January, 1941. He is inspector of vehicles at McChord field, Washington." In 1943 Frank went overseas for a tour of duty in Egypt, Libya, and Italy. An August, 1945 article said Sgt. Frank Clark received a bronze star medal for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service" as the department head of a transportation section of a 15th Air Force service command air 184
force squadron. This squadron serviced heavy bombers. T-4 Lawrence Clark served in Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, France, and Belgium. He returned home in the fall of 1944. In 1960 Lawrence still resided in Portland. SM 1/C Charles Clark served on the U.S.S. Breeze in the South Pacific. He returned home in October, 1945 and "accepted employment" in the Farmers' Union store in Cottage Grove. Charlie married and still resides in Cottage Grove. At the time of his father's death in 1960 Frank resided in Seattle, Washington. The father, Truman J. Clark, died October 13, 1960 at his home in Cottage Grove. The mother, Mina Clark, died August 30, 1978 at Cottage Grove. Both are buried in Sears Cemetery in Cottage Grove.
May Cottage Grove SENTINEL, Friday, Dec. 19, 1930: " May Burned to Death in Early Morning Fire. Bachelor, 82, Stone Deaf, Lived Alone on Cedar Creek, Murder Hinted. J. K. P. May, 82, stone deaf bachelor, was burned to death at his home on Cedar Creek at 1 o'clock this morning in a fire that completely destroyed the home in which he lived alone. As the old man generally had considerable money on his person, the theory was advanced that he might have been murdered and the body burned to cover up the crime. The body was almost entirely consumed; and any injuries to the body would have been obliterated, but Deputy Coroner, C.V. Simon, who held an inquest this forenoon, was of the belief that the fire was started accidentally, probably from the stove in the room in which the old man lived and slept. The body lay across the bed, but neighbors testified that this was the way the old man always slept. May came to Cottage Grove 12 years ago from Mexico, where he still had considerable property......Mrs. Francis Smith and Mrs. Mary Bowman of this city are nieces. A brother, Spence May, died in Roseburg about a year ago. A nephew, Paul May, lives in Washington. He formerly made his home with his uncle. The fire was first noticed at 1:10 by Mrs. L.O. Krewson who awakened her husband. He shot his rifle to arouse neighbors. Those who responded were John and Walter Murry, Herbert J. Aldridge, E.S. Newton, Bert Tullar and Archie Gilham; but there was nothing they could do to stop the flames and the house was completely reduced to ashes." The Frank Geer family had rented and lived in the other rooms of Mr. May's house from September, 1928 until October, 1929, moving to London a little more than a year before the fatal fire.
185
McCoy Stephen C. and Martha Ann (Mafrier) McCoy and three children, Willie T., Ella Almeda, and Cora B., arrived in the London area sometime between 1874 and 1878. On October 20, 1882 the father, 44 year old Stephen C. McCoy, was helping Mr. Thackray fall a tree on the Thackray place at Hebron when something went wrong and the tree fell on Mr. McCoy "crushing him to death instantly", leaving his wife and three small children. I don't know whether the McCoys had moved to Hebron. The article spoke of Mr. McCoy as a neighbor of Mr. Thackray but sometimes people living some distance away were called neighbors. On May 27, 1883 Mrs. Martha McCoy married J.T. Turpin. On July 13, 1890 Ella Almeda McCoy, Stephen and Martha's oldest daughter, almost 15, married William Henry Lacky at Cottage Grove. Almeda had been born in Almeda County, California and was known as "Meda". Stephen and Martha's son, William "Billy" T. McCoy, was born August 10, 1871 in Arkansas. In June, 1916 he married Nancy Small, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Small of London. Nancy was born May 12, 1866 in Oregon. The September 20, 1918 newspaper said Mr. and Mrs. Wm. T. McCoy of London were moving onto the Thackray place. However, they didn't stay there. A March, 1924 item said, "W.T. McCoy sold his London farm to Murry Newton, and Mr. and Mrs. McCoy moved to their home at Hebron." I believe that home was near the north end of the district on the east side of London Road. William T. McCoy died October 31, 1931. Nancy, or "Aunt Sis" as she was lovingly called, lived on for more than 17 years. She died at her Hebron home May 3, 1949, nine days before her 83rd birthday. Both are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. William and Almeda Lacky are also buried in Taylor-Lane.
186
Burnette 1918- February: "J. Burnette of Cottage Grove rented the farm known as the J.J. Weeden place." I did not find other mention of Mr. Burnette, nor did I find him in this area in the 1920 U.S. census. However, Lester Ray Shortridge, son of William Wallace and Ellen Jane Shortridge had married Loretta M. Burnette May 22, 1916. Was this the same family?
Patten Fred Patten was born February 28, 1889 near Cottage Grove. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Patten. Frances R. Dugan, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Dugan, was born November 21, 1884 in Brooklyn, Iowa. The Dugan family came to the Cottage Grove area when Frances was an infant. Frances taught school from 1904 until 1912. Fred Patten and Frances Dugan were married October 11, 1915. The first mention I found of Fred Patten in old land records was May 2, 1910 when he purchased property in township 21 in the Latham district. Then, in October, 1919, Fred and Frances bought the property near the north end of the Hebron district in sections 16 and 21 of township 21 where they would make their home and rear their family. They had two children, Bernice and Ivan. I believe both were born at Hebron. Both attended Hebron School. Frances "Fannie" Patten was clerk of the Hebron School Board in 1930 and 1931. A long-time member of the Hebron Jolly Workers Club, Fannie served as vicepresident of the club during 1932, 1933, and 1935. Ivan Patten took violin lessons. Bernice became an excellent pianist. Both Bernice and Ivan were active in Hebron 4-H clubs. Ivan was secretary of the Hebron Poultry Club. Bernice belonged to the Sunshine Sewing Club. When the sewing club chose the cast for the play, "The Ghost Chasers," Ivan was a member of the cast. In 1936 Bernice organized a 4-H camp cookery club, the Jolly Hikers. Ivan was the president. In the summer Bernice took the club to Rujada campground for a three-day cookout. I belonged to that club and remember that we slept out on the ground and cooked over open fires. We had lots of fun. Bernice was also treasurer of the Busy Bakers Cooking Club in 1936 when a large group of us, including Bernice and Ivan, attended 4-H summer school at Corvallis. Fred Patten established a sawmill on his property. I asked my husband to help me locate the mill site. He said there was a road leaving London Road beside the Truman Clark place. This road went east and crossed the river. The road to the mill branched off to the left from that road to the river. My father-in-law, Frank Geer, and Frank's cousin, Joe Geer, both did horse-logging for Fred Patten. In checking a map we decided the mill was in section 16 or 21 (probably 21), township 21S, Range 3W. I don't know how many men were employed, or whether there were ever bunk houses at the mill. Some newspaper items relating to the mill follow: May, 1928, John Lyons of Yoncalla worked at the Fred Patten mill. July 29, 1930, Robert S. Geer "moved to the Fred Patten mill Sunday." November 21, 1930, "Archie Powell moved from the Patten 187
mill to Roseburg." July 1, 1925, "The Fred Patten family are camping at their mill." May, 1930, "The Fred Patten mill has suspended operations for a short time." The mill re-started in June to run all summer. In 1935 Fred Patten and his Hebron neighbor, Add Heath, formed the "Patten and Heath Logging Company." They assembled a home-made yarder and did contract logging for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. Then a great tragedy befell the Patten family. It was December 7, 1936. The old newspaper item said, "Fred Patten of Hebron, life-long resident of that community, was killed instantly Monday afternoon on his farm, from an accidental gun shot." (Monday was his day off from logging.) "Mr. Patten, 47, spent much of his spare time hunting and fishing and on Monday, he took his gun and went for a stroll following lunch. His wife went to town to shop and when she returned, he was not home and she went to look for him. She found him dead in a feed barn for cattle, across the river, about 4 P.M. It is believed that Mr. Patten sought shelter in the barn from rain when returning from his walk, and that his dog came in, jumped up on him as he was leaning against a manger and tripped the gun." Both Ivan and Bernice served their country in the armed forces during World War II. Ivan Patten married Betty Jones and they resided in Cottage Grove. Ivan Patten joined Add Heath in 1946 in the Patten and Heath Logging Company. Later, Ivan was associated with Verl Thompson in Patten and Thompson Logging Company. The January 21, 1971 SENTINEL said Ivan was appointed as a Cottage Grove city councilman to fill out a two year term. He had already served as councilman 1964 1968. Ivan Eldon Patten died of diabetes May 17, 1979 at the age of 57. He was survived by wife, Betty, four daughters, sister Bernice, nine grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Bernice Patten married Vernon Thoreson. They reside in Cottage Grove. Frances R. Patten died August 5, 1973 at age 84. She was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery.
188
CHAPTER XIII THEY ARRIVED IN THE 1920'S Hickson An April 12, 1918 SENTINEL article said, "Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hickson, of Sutherlin, visited last week with Mr. Hickson's sister, Mrs. Mayben." The January 9, 1920 news said, "Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hickson have moved into the George Gilcrist home." I found them there in the January 14, 1920 U.S. census of the Hebron area: Ernest was a logger, age 32, who was born in Oregon. Ernest's wife, Ethel H., was 21, also born in Oregon. A daughter, Juanita I., was also born in Oregon. I couldn't read Juanita's age. It may have been 1 1/12. I don't know when the family left Hebron. Ten years later, a January 14, 1930 article said, "Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hickson and family have moved to the Albert Hull homestead. They lived here eleven years ago."
Charles White Charles "Charlie" White was born June 11, 1870 in Pike County, Kentucky. Ida May Simons was born March 6, 1895 near Des Moines, Iowa. They were married May 19, 1907 at Gaston, Oregon. Their oldest son, Orville, told me they came to the Hebron area from Mulino, near Oregon City when Orville was just a little boy. In the June 30, 1920 Hebron news I found, "Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Markham have sold their farm to a Mr. White of Oregon City." The children of Charles and Ida May White that entered Hebron School in the fall of 1920 were Violet, 10, and Orville, 6. Other children arriving over the years to bless the White home were Evelyn, Hubert, Raymond, Audrey, Leona, and Loretta. As was true of others who had to earn a living during the years of the Great Depression, the Whites worked at many occupations. Mr. White farmed. He also worked for the Wiese Brothers in the logging woods. In the fall of 1927 the family worked in the prune orchards in Roseburg, then left for a logging job in Coquille. Mrs. White and Violet were to cook for the loggers. Mr. and Mrs. White left their Hebron home, renting it and selling the livestock. The White home was located on the west side of London Road, just south of the Hebron bridge. The children were absent from Hebron School in 1927 and 1928. The White family returned to Hebron from Coquille in January, 1929; but in the spring Charlie returned to Coquille to work. In the fall of 1930, a lovely girl, Zyla Raye LaBlue, and her little brother, Phelan, were attending Hebron School. They had also been there at an earlier date; but this time the rest of us students realized that two of our fellow students were deeply in love. Those two were Orville White and Zyla Raye "Bea" LaBlue. They were married March 8, 1934. On March 12, 1994 those two childhood sweethearts celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Charles White died of pneumonia May 10, 1937, leaving his wife, Ida May, and eight children. He was buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. 189
Violet White married Owen Willson in Coquille on July 28, 1928. In March, 1939 Mr. and Mrs. Owen Willson and children, Maxine and Gerald, returned to Hebron from Coquille. The children entered Hebron School. The Willsons built a home on the south end of the White property. Evelyn White graduated from Hebron School in May, 1936 and attended Cottage Grove High School. She married Gerald Turpin in September, 1938. Hubert White was killed in August, 1941 at the age of nineteen when the truck he was driving was struck by a train at a crossing near the present site of Weyerhaeuser's Cottage Grove mill. Hubert was not married. Burial was in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Raymond White married Enid LaBlue. They had two sons, Dan and Jeff, and a daughter, Joni. Raymond died of cancer August 25, 1993 in Kenniwick, Washington. He was 63. Audrey White started to Hebron School in the fall of 1938. When grown she would marry Jim Hall. They had one daughter, Susan. Leona White was born at Hebron in December, 1933. A September, 1939 newspaper said Leona was one of the new pupils entering Hebron School. The school closed in May, 1940; so Leona was one of the last class to attend Hebron School. Leona White married Bernard "Bernie" Shaffner. They had three children, Doug, Kevin, and Debbie. Leona White Shaffner died in September, 1971. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Loretta White married Ray Anthony Galvin on July 1, 1954. They had two daughters, Rhonda and Raeann. The White family sold their property to the government. The old home place would soon be covered by the water of the Cottage Grove Lake. Mrs. White and the children moved to Creswell. In 1950 the three girls, Audrey, Leona, and Loretta, went to Mount Angel, Oregon and attended Mount Angel Academy until graduating from high school. Later Mrs. White sold the Creswell property and moved to Portland. Mrs. Ida May White died March, 1974 in Portland, Oregon. She is buried in Lane Memorial Gardens, Eugene, Oregon.
190
Frank LaBlue and Grace (Smith) LaBlue Frank LaBlue was born March 2, 1896 near Hillsboro, Texas. He was the son of Martin and Lucy LaBlue. He came to Oregon as a child with his parents. When World War I began, Frank joined the army, enlisting at Eugene, Oregon. He served overseas in France and Germany. When he returned to Oregon, he located on Row River at the mill camp site about three miles west of the present site of Dorena School, near the home of his brother, Alphonse, and his brother's wife, Vera, and other family members who lived there. Frank and Alphonse secured jobs at the Bohemia Lumber Company mill which was also located about three miles west of the present Dorena School site. The logging operations were at Rujada. Grace Smith was born in Oklahoma, nine miles northwest of Cheyenne, March 27, 1906. She was the daughter of William and Mary Ann Smith. The Smith family came to the Cottage Grove area from Oklahoma via the Los Angeles area in 1916, arriving in this area in July, 1917. Grace remembers that the family rode a flat car on the old "Slow and Easy" train up to the little settlement called Rujada, and settled at a logging camp called Upton, east of Rujada, where Mr. Smith and Corbett found work, Corbett as a high climber for Bohemia Lumber Company. Corbett worked for Jack Magladry, Bill Garoutte, and LaSells Stewart. Grace and her sister, Maude, attended school at the old Starr School for one week. Then the school board decided they were attending the wrong school; so they had to walk over a muddy road to the old Dorena School, three miles west of the mill camp where they lived. Frank LaBlue had a friend, Joe Premazzi, who also worked at Bohemia Lumber Company. It wasn't long before Frank and Joe spotted the two Smith girls, Grace and Maude. Soon the boys were riding their bicycles to the Smith home to court the two sisters. Frank LaBlue and Grace Smith were married in 1921 in Eugene, Oregon. Their first home was in the little settlement of Dorena. Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Corbett returned to Oklahoma, their home state. Mr. Smith died there in 1922. The mother, Mary Ann, and her son, Corbett, came back to Oregon to be near Corbett's two sisters, Grace LaBlue and Maude Premazzi. In her later years Mary Ann stayed much of the time at the homes of her daughters. She died June 15, 1937 at Grace's home in Hebron. Mary Ann was born in 1874 at Everton, Missouri. She married William Smith in 1890. She was buried at Taylor-Lane Cemetery. James Corbett Smith lived in the Cottage Grove area for many years. He passed away September 21, 1963 at a Grants Pass hospital after a long illness, leaving a son and daughter, Miller Smith and Mrs. Alfred Surran. Corbett is also buried at TaylorLane. Now let us return to the year 1924 when Frank and Grace LaBlue moved from Row River to the Wiese camp area on Cedar Creek. There were two cabins near the presentday location of the Bert Tullar place. One of those cabins was home for Frank and Grace LaBlue. Frank was employed by Wiese Brothers. Grace remembers an interesting event, a cattle drive reminiscent of the Old West. The November, 1924 SENTINEL told of the event. A neighbor, Clyde Clark, and his brothers drove thirty-five head of Red Durham cattle from eastern Oregon right past the LaBlue home. 191
When Frank and Grace left Cedar Creek, they lived for a time in a big log cabin south of Wilson Creek, across from the old Kappauf house. In November, 1927 Frank and Grace and his brother, Alphonse, purchased land on Rogers Lane which bordered the old William Rogers Donation Land Claim. They built homes there and moved there in March, 1928. In June, 1930, Alphonse sold his home; but Frank and Grace stayed. The community was much better because of these good friends and neighbors. Frank and Grace were wonderful musicians. Frank played his fiddle for many an old-time house dance; and Grace was always right beside him playing the piano. I think Frank could play almost any stringed instrument he chose; but my dearest memories are of Frank and Grace playing the fiddle and the piano. Another happy memory was of an old-time minstrel show. A 1932 item in the Hebron news announced, "There will be an entertainment at the Farmers' Union hall November 30, opening at 8:30, entitled 'The Southland Minstrel', given by the Frank and Alphonse LaBlue families and Mr. and Mrs. John Jones. Half the proceeds will go to the Farmers' Union." The LaBlues brought a lot of joy into otherwise dull lives in the dark days of the Great Depression. Later, when everyone was beginning to recover from the depression, the LaBlues still contributed a great deal to our community as well as to the whole area in and around Cottage Grove. Wherever there was old-time music, there we found the LaBlues and friends. A May, 1935 article said, "Mr. and Mrs. Frank LaBlue, Miss June Williams and brother Stuart played for the old time dances for two evenings at Bohemia Days in Cottage Grove." The LaBlue family was often absent during the summer months, going to California where they worked in the orchards and visited Frank's mother, Mrs. Lucy LaBlue. Lucy occasionally visited at Hebron. She died November 18, 1954 at the home of her son, Alphonse, at Live Oak, California. She was 95 years of age. Frank and Grace LaBlue were the parents of three little girls: Shirley Jean, Enid Ann, and Judith Nadine. Only Shirley was old enough to attend the old Hebron School before it closed forever. Shirley married Howard Raymond August 3, 1946. They had two children; a daughter, Sherry Susanne, and a son, Stephen Frank. Enid married Raymond White. They had two sons, Dan and Jeff. Enid later married Clement A. "Kemmie" Townsend. Mr. Townsend died October 20, 1991. Judith "Judy" married Robert Zuvich. They had three sons; Ryan Eric, Ricky Michael, and Scott Bradley. Judy later married Gorman R. "Bud" Wright. Frank and Grace LaBlue stayed in their home in the Cottage Grove Lake area until almost the last minute, not moving to Cottage Grove until August, 1941. Grace said the huge lights used by the engineers to light the dam construction areas at night made the night almost as light as day. The rumble of the construction machinery went on 24 hours a day. The LaBlues moved to the eastern edge of Cottage Grove where Frank set up a car repair shop and proved himself to be one of the best mechanics in the area. Frank LaBlue died June 21, 1961. He is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Grace still resides in east Cottage Grove where she is blessed by the love and attention of her three lovely daughters and their families.
192
Joseph George Premazzi and Maude (Smith) Premazzi Joseph "Joe" Premazzi was born near Milan, Italy August 15, 1890. He served in the Italian army; but later came to America and joined the U.S. Army. He was sent overseas where he met Frank LaBlue. The two men formed a friendship that would last a lifetime. Maude Smith was born January 5, 1899 in Oklahoma. She came to Oregon with her parents as a young woman. I have told in the preceding article how Frank LaBlue and Joe Premazzi courted the Smith girls, Grace and Maude. Joseph George Premazzi and Maude Smith were married June 25, 1921 in Eugene, Oregon. Like the LaBlues, Joe and Maude came to Cedar Creek where Joe worked for Wiese Brothers. Joe and Maude lived on East Main Street in Cottage Grove for many years. Joe was employed as a tree faller for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. Joe and Maude were the parents of one child, a daughter, JoAnne. She married Donald Eickhoff. JoAnne and Don had four children: Dawna, Dianna, Deona, and Joseph. Joseph George Premazzi died April 10, 1982 at age 91. Maude Premazzi died March 20, 1985 at age 86. They are buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. JoAnne Premazzi Eickhoff died January 28, 1987, and is also buried in Taylor-Lane.
Alphonse LaBlue and Vera Louise (Prior) LaBlue Alphonse LaBlue was born November 27, 1898 in Shackelford County, Texas near the town of Albany. He was the son of Martin and Lucy LaBlue. He came to Oregon as a child with his parents. Vera Louise Prior was born near Oakland, Oregon December 14, 1903, the daughter of George Franklin Prior and Rose Andersen Prior. After two moves, the Prior family moved to Franklin Boulevard in Eugene, Oregon. Vera attended the old Condon School. Alphonse LaBlue and Vera Prior were married in Eugene, Oregon, May 12, 1918. They moved to the first settlement established on Row River, east of Cottage Grove. A sister-in-law, Grace LaBlue, said it was about three miles west of the present-day site of Dorena School. Bohemia Lumber Company sent trucks to move families there. Alphonse and Vera moved back to Eugene during her first pregnancy. The baby girl, Zyla Raye "Bea" arrived safely, although a deadly influenza epidemic was raging. After the birth of the baby, the family returned to the logging camp. Two other children were born to Alphonse and Vera LaBlue: a boy, Phelan Alphonse "Buddy", and a girl, Joyce Lawanna. I believe the Alphonse LaBlue family moved to Cedar Creek in 1926. An October, 1927 news item said, "A. LaBlue has purchased a ranch on Coast Fork near Hebron....." In November, 1927 Hebron news reported that Frank LaBlue and brother had bought land and were going to build soon. That brother was Alphonse. Both families did build homes. The March 28, 1928 Hebron news said, "Frank and Alphonse LaBlue moved last week onto the places they bought last winter from the Taylors and Lockwood." In June, 1929, "the LaBlue brothers hauled gravel for their road in the lane." This was Rogers Lane which bordered the old Rogers Donation Land Claim. 193
In June, 1930 Alphonse LaBlue sold his home to Mr. and Mrs. Plunkett of Springfield. Alphonse bought ten acres from Billy McCoy and built a house there, moving his family there in April. This was also in the Hebron district. Alphonse and Vera LaBlue were divorced in 1931. In August, 1933 Vera LaBlue and children moved to London. In September, 1933, Mrs. McCoy resold the Alphonse LaBlue place. Alphonse LaBlue married the former Mrs. John Thorn. They resided for awhile in the area before moving to California. Later they separated; and Alphonse married Helen Puz March 4, 1936. They had two sons, Leon and Otto. Vera LaBlue married John Willard "Bud" Thorn July 3, 1936 at Roseburg, Oregon. Mr. Thorn was a logger for Woodard Lumber Company. Vera and John had two sons, John Willard, Jr. and William Neil. John had two daughters by his previous marriage, Mary Hazel Thorn Eddy Wendling and Bernice Thorn Perini, wife of Otto Perini. Bernice and Otto are both deceased. On January 1, 1943 John Thorn was killed in a logging accident while working for the Booth Kelly Lumber Company at a logging camp five miles above Wendling, Oregon. He and another man were buried by a slide of mud and rocks. Vera and John had previously purchased a place on Cedar Creek; but they had not drilled a well or built a fence; so Vera sold the place and moved to Cottage Grove. The children of Alphonse and Vera LaBlue were, as I have stated, Zyla Raye "Bea", Phelan "Buddy", and Joyce. Bea married Orville White on March 8, 1934. They have three sons: Richard of Portland, Oregon, Darrell of Carlotta, California, and Keith of Elkton, Oregon. A daughter, LaWana, died November 18, 1943 at the age of seven. Orville and Bea made their home in Coquille, Oregon for a time before returning to the Hebron district in October, 1934 to reside here. They would live other places before making their home in Cottage Grove where they still reside. Phelan A. LaBlue married Helen Smith in 1942. Phelan died June 5, 1969. He and Helen were the parents of a son, Randy, and a daughter, Ann. Randy died May 27, 1985 leaving two sons, Mike and Ronnie. Ann LaBlue Farley has a son, Scott, and a daughter, Tracy. Phelan's widow, Helen, later married Doug Wertz. Joyce LaBlue married LeRoy Atwood and resides in Cottage Grove. She has four children: Deanna, LeRoy Jr. "Speed", Nicky Ray, and Marsha. Vera Prior LaBlue Thorn died at Cottage Grove, Oregon January 1, 1990. She is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery beside her second husband, John Thorn. Alphonse LaBlue died October 31, 1989 at a Chico hospital. He is buried in the Orland Odd Fellows Cemetery in Orland, California.
194
Joseph P. Miller Joseph P. Miller, born March 28, 1882 in Ohio, was a resident of Lane County for about 50 years. I don't know when he came to Hebron. The first time I found Joe mentioned in the newspaper was in the August, 1920 London news. It said S.P. Shortridge sold his ranch on the Coast Fork to Joe Miller. Joe received his patent on a homestead claim in Hebron on November 10, 1925. He had "established and duly consumated" the claim for lot 2, SW 1/4 of NE 1/4 and NE 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Sec. 29, T 21S, r.3W consisting of 97.61 acres. This was on the west side of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake. A May, 1926 article said Joe Miller had traded his place near the O.P. Wills place for the Thackray place. This was near the present-day Wilson Creek Park. Joe Miller moved to the Thackray place about the time my parents and I moved to part of the Rogers Donation Land Claim. We were neighbors. I don't believe Joe ever married; but he wasn't a recluse. He invited his neighbors to several house dances at his home. I have happy memories of those times. A common sight in those days was Joe Miller walking to and from Cottage Grove. He owned a car for awhile. A July, 1926 item said he purchased a new Ford roadster; but he seemed to enjoy walking, always greeting friends and neighbors with big friendly smiles. Joe was a very hard worker. When he became older, Joe moved away from his long-time home to a little home near Cheshire near Junction City, Oregon. I don't know when he moved there, but he was living there in March, 1955 at the age of 73. Joseph P. Miller died May 11, 1972 at the age of 90.
Jepson A December, 1920 SENTINEL item said Mr. Jans N. Jepson of Mulino (south of Oregon City) bought the DeWolf farm at Hebron. I believe the Jepson family moved here in early 1921. There was a son, James "Jim"; a daughter, Anna, and a son, Walter. Walter moved to Cottage Grove. Huna Jepson gave a Halloween party at Hebron in 1925. I found no other mention of this name. A brother, whose name I did not find; his wife, Vivian Jepson, and son, lived at San Jose, California. Anna Jepson married George Zapp in 1928. They lived first at Marshfield, Oregon, then moved to California. Walter Jepson of Cottage Grove married Della Murry of Cedar Creek November 15, 1929. They resided at Marshfield. A grandson of Jans Jepson, Harry Moore of San Jose, California, spent a lot of time at his grandfather's home in Hebron between the fall of 1924 and the summer of 1928. He attended Hebron School, although he apparently spent the 1926 - 1927 school term at his father's home in San Jose.
Elias E. Henshaw or Hinshaw 195
In May, 1921 the newspaper reported that Mr. Henshaw of Albany bought the George Gilcrist place at Hebron. In November, 1921 Mr. Hinshaw was building a playshed on the Hebron School grounds. Mrs. Henshaw's two youngest children, Ivan and Mabel Bush, attended the school. The older daughter, Elvira Bush, may have been too old to attend the school. The younger children attended Hebron School for about three years. Elvira Bush married Abner Gilcrist in Eugene in November, 1923. The newlyweds were given a charivari and a kitchen shower. They lived in Hebron for awhile, then moved to Dunsmuir, California where Abner had work. In January, 1924 Mr. Henshaw sold his place to E.J. Edwards. The next reference I found to the Henshaws was at Christmas when Abner Gilcrist visited his mother-in-law, Mrs. E.E. Hinshaw, somewhere in this area. Mrs. Merle Tillotson, a sister of the Bush children, who had lived at Albany in 1922, lived at Wiese's mill on Cedar Creek in the summer of 1925. By the fall of 1925 the Henshaws lived somewhere in the London district, and were living at Wiese's mill when Mabel Bush, a fifth grade pupil at London School, died very suddenly at her home in April, 1926. Mabel was 12 years, 8 months of age. Sisters, Mrs. Abner Gilcrist of Dunsmuir, California, and Mrs. Murl Tillotson of Washington, came to the funeral. The body was taken to Independence, Oregon for interment. In May, 1926 the Henshaw family moved to Albany, Oregon; but in July, 1926 the newspaper told us E.E. Hinshaw moved to the Thackrah place here. I don't know when they left. I found that Mr. Hinshaw, "formerly of Hebron, step-father of Mrs. Abner Gilcrist, died at PeeDee, Oregon April 20, 1940." This place was Pedee in Polk County.
196
Hopman William Louis Hopman William Louis Hopman was born January 29, 1872 in Holland, coming to the Cottage Grove area from Chicago in 1902. William "Bill" married Katherine "Katie" Willis January 7, 1921 in Eugene, Oregon.' My dad and mother recalled the charivari with which the neighborhood welcomed the Hopmans to Cedar Creek. The men hung sticks of dynamite in several trees. When the usual bedlam broke loose with shotguns blasting, tin pans pounding, horns honking, etc., someone (Dad?) set off the dynamite charges, one after another. I guess that was one of the noisiest charivaris ever held in this part of the country. The Hopmans resided in Cottage Grove and their three children, William F., Ada, and Eva attended school there; but the family had returned to Cedar Creek to live when "Billy" was attending high school. During World War II William F. Hopman joined the Army Air Force. The November 9, 1944 SENTINEL reported, "A search is being continued over Yugoslavia for Lt. William F. Hopman, a pilot on a P38 lightning fighter, missing in action since September 2. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. William L. Hopman of Black Butte route. Hope has been expressed that he is in the hands of friendly Partisans. He was on a strafing mission from Italy to Yugoslavia when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire." Our prayers were answered when a page one SENTINEL article on November 16, 1944 announced that William F. Hopman reached home base October 22. Ada Hopman served as mail carrier on Black Butte route for several years, later moving to the Portland area. Eva Hopman married a man named Wornstaff. William Louis Hopman died at his home on Black Butte route October 12, 1955 at the age of 85. I believe Katie went to Portland, remarried (a man named W.W. Hawley) and died in the Portland area. John C. "Jack " Hopman John C. "Jack" Hopman was born in Daggett, Michigan June 30, 1884, moving to Chicago, Illinois before coming to Cottage Grove. Here John met Ruth Ewing, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ewing. They were married August 2, 1914. An account of John and Ruth Hopmans' years in the area may be found in the Ewing article. John married Susan Bruzas in Albany, Oregon in 1940. At the time of John's death, January 23, 1952 at his home in Cottage Grove, he was survived by his wife, a son, Mertin; a daughter, Mrs. Marie Phillips; a brother, William, of London; and a brother, Henry, of Seattle, Washington. John is buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove.
197
Clark - Tullar George Frazer Clark was born in Oregon May 29, 1871. Icephen Fueston was born May 12, 1877 at Colfax, Washington. George and Icephen were married in October, 1900 at Drain, Oregon. They resided in the Curtin area for many years, moving to Oakridge, Oregon about 1914. They lived on the Old Military Road when the 1920 census was taken. The Clark family moved to Cedar Creek in 1922. Nine children were born to George and Icephen: 1. Iver Clark was born about 1901. He never married. He spent several years on Cedar Creek before moving to California to make his home. He died there. 2. Golda Clark was born April 15, 1905 at Curtin, Oregon. She married Bert Tullar September 8, 1922 in Eugene. They moved to Cedar Creek soon after their marriage, residing there until her death November 26, 1986. Bert worked for Woodards, then Heaths, and finally, Bohemia Lumber companies in the logging woods. Golda was a fine homemaker. Both were well-loved by family and friends. Bert and Golda were mainstays of the Hebron Church and later, the London Church. He served for many years as an elder. Bert and Golda celebrated more than 64 years of marriage and were the parents of eight children, listed here: 1. Berta married Corporal Willis Davis, Jr. and resides at Sparta, Michigan. 2. Lois married a neighbor boy, Clarence Simons. Lois died in 1973, Clarence in 1995. They are buried in Bemis Cemetery. 3. Ellsworth M. married Olive E. Pruitt. They had a daughter, Gladys Ann. In a terrible accident, Ellsworth shot and killed his 20 year old wife. Ellsworth married Noreen Wetzler and had two more children, Sandy Lou and Jay Dee. Another tragedy would sadden the family. Ellsworth committed suicide May 22, 1959 at the age of 33. His tombstone in Comstock Cemetery reads, "FI-USNR World War II. 4. Gene married Lois Jean Dage in 1956. They resided on Cedar Creek. Lois died of cancer December 7, 1995. She was only 55. 5. Paul married Joy Heyen. They live at London and have taken a very active role in both the Hebron and London churches. 6. Golda B. married Michael Pooler. They reside at Black Butte, south of London. 7. and 8. Two baby girls, Betty and Agnes Jewel died. Bert Tullar spent his last years at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Joy. Bert died November 5, 1995 at the age of 93. He and Golda are buried at Comstock Cemetery south of Cottage Grove. 3. Edith Marie was born at Curtin on March 3, 1907. She married Fred Tullar August 22, 1924 in Eugene. They resided in Eugene, then in California before making their home on Cedar Creek about 1947. Fred and Edith had a son, Fred Morgan, who died as an infant. Fred served his country during World War I as a Wisconsin private in Co. K, 14 Infantry. He died May 25, 1971. He and Edith had been married 46 years. Edith died 198
May 27, 1982. Both are buried in Comstock Cemetery. 4. and 5. Thomas Douglas was born November 3, 1908 in Curtin, Oregon. Tommy often spoke of having a twin which died at birth. We helped our dear old friend celebrate his 70th birthday on November 3, 1978. He died June 18, 1979 and is buried in Comstock Cemetery. Tommy came to Cedar Creek with his parents in 1922 at the age of 14. He attended the London School. Tommy was married briefly. There were no children. Always willing to lend a helping hand, and always ready with a cheerful smile, Tommy was a treasured friend. He was a logger and a very good mechanic, able to repair almost anything. Tommy served in the Army during World War II. 6. Forest was born February 4, 1911 at Curtin. He also attended London School. Forest served two years as a private first class in the Pacific theatre during World War II. He married Frances Tullar Cox on November 17, 1945. Frances had a daughter, Gayle Cox, by a first marriage. Forest and Frances had a son, Forest L., and two daughters, Sharon and Ruth. The family lived on Cedar Creek. Forest died in 1985 at the age of 74. Frances died July 7, 1995 at the age of 82. 7. Laila Jewel, affectionately known as "Susie", was born in January, 1914 at Curtin. She married Ralph Alfred Gay on June 12, 1936. They resided off Highway 36 not far from Alderwood State Park. Ralph passed away and Laila stayed on at their home. Ralph and Laila had five children. 8. Asa Alman Clark, born February 16, 1915 in Oakridge, was also a dear friend of my husband and myself from the time we were children. I took violin lessons and agreed to teach Asa to play a violin. He became a very good violinist. Roy, who would later be my husband, learned to play a guitar. The three of us enjoyed many happy music sessions. Asa was a veteran of World War II, his rank Sgt. 669 Bomb Sq. A.A.F.. On August 22, 1967 we received devastating news. Asa Clark had been struck by a car and killed. Asa worked as a night watchman at the Cottage Grove Weyerhaeuser mill. He was riding his bicycle from the parking lot to the main plant across the street when he was struck and thrown 194 feet. He died at the scene, and was buried in Comstock Cemetery. He was only 52 at the time of his death. Asa had never married. He was a dedicated member of the Hebron Church of Christ. 9. There was another Clark child, a little girl named Agnes, who was listed at nine months of age in the 1920 Lane County census at Oakridge. I believe she died at Oakridge before the family moved to Cedar Creek. The Clark family were neighbors of my husband's family when the Geers first came to Cedar Creek. My husband recalls that, in early days, George Clark didn't drive a car; but he built his own wagon. When Roy's brother, Clinton, broke his leg, Mr. Clark took Clinton home on a sled. A May 6, 1932 article in the London news said George Clark had killed a 6 1/2 foot long wolf on Cedar Creek. Icephen F. Clark died May 28, 1947. George F. Clark died December 16, 1948. They are buried at Comstock Cemetery. There was a good reason why I titled this article, "Clark and Tullar". The two families were very closely tied together. Three Clark youths married three Tullar youths: Golda Clark married Bert Tullar, 199
Edith Marie Clark married Fred Tullar, and Forest Clark married Frances Tullar Cox. Elmer E. Tullar was born in Wisconsin in 1862. Nettie May Loutzenhiser was born in Iowa in 1869. Elmer and Nettie May were married in South Dakota in 1888. They came to Oregon from Wisconsin in 1907, settling north of Coburg about 1928. Elmer and Nettie May were the parents of four sons: Earl, Louis, Fred, and Bert, and three daughters, Laura, Mira, and Frances. Earl C. Tullar was born March 19, 1896 in North Dakota. On April 12, 1917 he married Bernice Layton in Eugene, Oregon. They were the parents of one son, Wayne. Bernice died in 1937 at the age of 44 years. Earl married Zella Geer Willey January 17, 1939 in Vancouver, Washington. Zella was the daughter of Frank and Delpha Geer of Cedar Creek. She had three sons by her former marriage to Clyde Willey. The boys were Orville (now deceased), Donald, and James. Earl and Zella resided on the old Tullar place at Coburg. They were the parents of two children, Mary and Gerald. Earl worked as a streetcar motorman, a farmer, and a logger. He died September 19, 1982 at the age of 86. Zella celebrated her 85th birthday at Springfield, Oregon February 3, 1996. Of the other six children of Elmer and Nettie Tullar, three were, as I have mentioned, involved in the history of Cedar Creek. The following stories are told in the first section: Fred Ernest Tullar was born in Evansville, Wisconsin June 16, 1898. He married Edith Marie Clark. Bert M. Tullar was born August 31, 1902 in Evansville, Wisconsin. He married Golda Clark. Frances Tullar was born April 7, 1913 in Deer Island. She married Forest Clark. Louis, Laura, and Mira didn't live in this area. Laura Tullar Riggs lived at Coburg. Frances Tullar Clark's obituary did not note the state of her birth; but the 1920 census said Oregon. There is a Deer Island in Columbia County, Oregon.
200
Harvey Lloyd Clark Harvey Lloyd Clark was born March 12, 1896 in Wisconsin. He came to Oregon with his parents, Clarence Clark and Sarah Hill Clark, when he was only a small boy. When Harvey's father died, Harvey and his mother went east by train to take the body home. Later, the mother re-married and returned to Oregon as Mrs. Penselin, bringing Harvey with her. Bertha Plunkett was born at Eddyville, Oregon March 20, 1897. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Lucious Plunkett. During World War I Harvey served with the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. His rank was Private First Class. While he was on leave from the army, he married Bertha Plunkett, July 3, 1918 in Albany, Oregon. Bertha remained at her parents' home until Harvey returned from the army. Then they moved to Springfield, Oregon where a daughter, Leveita, and a son, Robert, were born. From Springfield, the Clark family moved to the southern end of the Coast Fork valley, first renting the old C.C. Gilham house located near the present-day southern end of the Cottage Grove Lake. Later, they moved to the Wiese camp on Cedar Creek where Harvey was employed at the mill. In September, 1926 Harvey and Bertha purchased a piece of the old Wm. Rogers Donation Land Claim with the house in which pioneer, James Henry Powell had lived. The Clarks moved there in 1926. My parents, Archie and Clara Gilham, bought a piece of the Wm. Rogers D.L.C., built a house and moved there in the fall of 1927. Leveita Clark and I started school together in the fall of 1927 in the little one-room Hebron School that we would attend for eight years, then we'd go on to Cottage Grove High School together. We are still good friends more than 68 years after starting to school together. Leveita May Clark married Howard Floyd June 17, 1939. I married Roy Geer about two months later. She lived on the east side of the Cottage Grove Lake. I live on the west side. Howard and Leveita Floyd were the parents of two sons, Charles Edwin "Chuck" and Gerald Lee "Jerry". Howard Floyd passed away May 17, 1961. Leveita married Donald V. Menegat on August 18, 1968. She was widowed a second time when Donald died February 8, 1980. Leveita' brother, Robert L. Clark, born June 27, 1923, was a timber faller for Row River Lumber Company. Robert was married July 3, 1942 to Edith Job of Yoncalla. Robert died November 22, 1942 of injuries received when he was struck on the head by a falling limb while at work. He was 19 years old. The following May 21, his widow gave birth to Robert's son, Robert Leroy Clark. Harvey and Bertha Clark operated a Grade A dairy for several years. Bertha died April 28, 1960 at a Eugene hospital. Harvey died January 20, 1962 in the Cottage Grove Hospital. Both Harvey and Bertha were buried at West Lawn Cemetery in Eugene, Oregon. Robert Clark was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Springfield.
201
James Douglas Clark James Douglas Clark was born December 29, 1862 at Iron Hill, Jackson County, Iowa, one of eleven children born to Daniel and Mary Ann Priaulx Clark. When he left home Mr. Clark worked at many jobs, including railroad construction in Sioux City, Iowa, then in Sioux City, South Dakota. He hauled rock to help build the town of Lamar, Colorado, went to Oklahoma and to the Texas Panhandle. He drove longhorn cattle to Wyoming for shipment. In 1889, at the age of 27, Mr. Clark arrived at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, then went to Colorado Springs where he worked for a lumber company. It was there, in April, 1891, that he met Hattie Akers. Three months later James Douglas Clark and Hattie Akers were married. Hattie Akers Clark was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1872. She was one of eight children born to James O. and Amelia Humiston Akers. In 1873 the Akers family moved to Colorado. Mr. Clark worked as a streetcar motorman in ColoradoSprings, then loaded ties for a railroad in Divide, Colorado. The Clarks' first baby, Hazel Delight Clark, was born at Divide. The little girl would die tragically, by drowning, 8 1/2 months later, in 1893. Four other children were born to the Clarks in Colorado: Nelda Irene in 1895 in Ouray and the next three in Colorado Springs: Charles Douglas in 1897, Clyde Priaulx in 1900, and Orville Akers in 1904. Hattie wrote, "Work was scarce and wages were small." Mr. Clark worked as a diamond drill man in a mine, worked in lumber yards, and for an ice and coal company. In her memoirs Mrs. Clark wrote, "Before we went to Colorado Springs, we went to Saw Pitt, Colorado, a new silver mining town. We built a 16 room hotel, and did a good business until silver went down. In a week's time the town was nearly a ghost town. Very few people were left. We burned out. Not much insurance. Had had a $1,000 insurance, but had had to come down to $600. We lost all our clothing and fixtures, most of our silverware, and bedroom suite: marble top dresser and commode-our wedding present. It was quite the thing those days." After the fire the family moved to Newport, Washington where Mr. Clark worked in the mines. In 1907 the family moved again, first to Silver Lake, then to Summer Lake in eastern Oregon. They took up a homestead in the Summer Lake area. Their sixth child, Georgia Amelia, was born there in 1911. She died at an early age and is buried in the Summer Lake Cemetery. In July, 1924, Clyde Clark came to the Cottage Grove area and bought the old Webber place on Cedar Creek. His two brothers accompanied him. In August the parents drove a team over the mountains and joined their boys. Orville and Charlie left in about a year; but Clyde and his parents stayed. Years later Orville moved back to Cedar Creek with his wife, Lucille, and resided there for a time. Nelda Clark Woodard had a son, Clark Woodard, born in Silver Lake. Clark lived with his grandparents on Cedar Creek for several years. Nelda then married a man named Negelspach. They had two sons. Nelda died in the spring of 1983. Charles (Charlie) Clark married Barbara Jacobs and resided in Summer Lake. He died in 1970. Clyde Clark married Elizabeth Morrison and they reared two children, Kathryn Elizabeth and Malcolm Neil, on Cedar Creek. Clyde died January 18, 1957. Orville Clark made his home in Klamath Falls where he died about 1982. James Douglas Clark was called "Doug" by his wife and "J.D." by his friends and 202
neighbors. He and his wife, Hattie, were well-known and well-liked in the community. The house dances were a special delight to J.D. As a child I often had this grand old man for a dance partner. I marveled at the energy with which this man of seventy-plus years danced the night away. Mr. Clark died February 19, 1949 at the age of 86 years. Hattie passed away in 1969 at the venerable age of 97 years. Clyde Priaulx Clark and Elizabeth Morrison Clark Clyde Priaulx Clark was born August 7, 1900 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the son of James Douglas Clark and Hattie Akers Clark. Elizabeth Morrison was born September 18, 1903 in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of Ira Hyman Morrison and Ora Bonwell Morrison. Mrs. Morrison was a school teacher. All eight of her children graduated from Jefferson High School in Portland. Clyde Clark moved with his family to Newport, Washington, then to a homestead in the Summer Lake area of eastern Oregon where he grew to manhood. During World War I, on April 11, 1918, about four months before his eighteenth birthday, Clyde enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He trained in San Francisco and Bremerton, then served on troopships plying between New York and LaHavre--Boston to Bordeaux. He attained the rank of Pharmacist First Mate. He served 17 months and was discharged September 12, 1919. In 1921 Elizabeth Morrison travelled to Summer Lake over unbelievably poor roads. She would teach school there for two years, boarding the second year with the James Douglas Clark family. She found there a young man who caught her eye. That young man was Clyde Clark, son of James Douglas Clark. When Elizabeth left Summer Lake, she and Clyde agreed that both of them had some living to do before they were ready for marriage. They promised to meet again in about five years. Desiring more schooling, Elizabeth attended the Western Washington College of Education at Bellingham for one year, then was unable to return to school because of the lack of funds. In July, 1924, Clyde Clark bought the old Webber place on Cedar Creek. He would live out his life here in this pleasant little valley. Clyde's two brothers, Orville and Charlie, helped him drive 35 head of Red Durham cattle over the mountains from Summer Lake over the old Rigdon Road, through the area east of Cottage Grove about where Sears Road is now located, and up the Coast Fork to his new home. In August the parents drove a team over the mountains and joined their sons. The three young men got jobs working for Woodard Lumber Company. When Orville and Charlie left Cedar Creek in about a year, Clyde and his parents remained. On July 3, 1928 Clyde Clark and Elizabeth Morrison eloped and were married in Salem, Oregon, about six years after the two first met at the home of his parents when the young school teacher had boarded there. A July 17, 1928 London news article said, "A number of Londonites met at the Walter Murry home Monday evening at 8:30 o'clock and went in a body to the Clyde Clark home where an old fashioned charivari was staged. Twelve sticks of TNT were effective in awakening the bride and groom as well as the rest of the neighborhood. The crowd was invited in and treated to cigars, candy, coffee and sandwiches. The young 203
people danced until about midnight." Charivari is a French word. The spelling was later changed to Shivaree, the way the word sounds. I asked Elizabeth what the old house was like when she arrived on Cedar Creek as a bride. "I was just appalled." she answered. "The kitchen had a bare wooden floor. Apparently the windows had all been broken out while the house had stood vacant. Some of them had been replaced; but at least two were still missing." I asked Elizabeth if they had the same kind of running water we had for awhile, the kind that kept you always "running" after another bucketful from the spring. She replied that they didn't have to run too far because Grandpa Clark flumed the water in to a spot near the house from a little creek back on the hill. There was a log storehouse nearby. She remembered the Cedar Creek road as being built of two planks laid parallel at a distance apart to accommodate the auto wheels. Clyde and Elizabeth worked hard at repairing the old house. It was soon a snug haven for their family. Elizabeth's marriage temporarily put a stop to her teaching career. Clyde was employed by Woodard and also served as clerk for the London School Board. Clyde and Elizabeth had two children: Kathryn Elizabeth, born April 30, 1933 at home, and Malcolm Neil, born February 16, 1938 in Cottage Grove. The children were reared on Cedar Creek and attended London School. During World War II there was a scarcity of teachers. Elizabeth took a refresher course and taught seven years in the London School. Before that time, she had served as clerk of the London district for three years. Clyde Clark died January 18, 1957 and was buried near his parents in the Taylor Lane Cemetery. Elizabeth continued to live in the family home until 1977 when she moved to a lovely home in Cottage Grove. Daughter, Kathy Clark Robinson, lives at McMinnville, Oregon. She is the mother of three girls and three boys. Son, Malcolm Neil Clark, lives in Grants Pass, Oregon where he uses the name of "Neil Clark". He is the father of two children.
Perini Four Perini brothers, whose ancestral roots were in Tremosine in the province of Brescia in Northern Italy, left their foot prints in the Hebron and London areas. The brothers were the sons of Angelo and Catherine Perini. There was also a sister, Angelina. Logging was the business of the Perini men. John Batista Perini owned several sawmills in the area, including one near the Mountain Springs which is now in the Cottage Grove Lake area. I found the John Perini family listed in the 1924 Hebron area; but by fall, 1925, they were in London. There were three girls: Thelma, Lorene, and Catherine; and a boy, John Dale. Dale would later serve in the U.S. Navy. The mother of the children was Ina Perini. In 1926 Mr. and Mrs. Massimo Joe "Mox" Perini lived at the John Perini mill site at Mountain Springs. I remember my dad speaking of Mox at work. Mox was the youngest of the Perini brothers. He was said to be very strong. Milk route records say the John and Angele Perini families purchased milk in the spring of 1927 at the mill at Mountain Springs. The Angele Perinis moved there in 1927. Angele went to work firing boilers for the mill. In July, 1929 the SENTINEL 204
said John Perini moved his family to his new mill at Black Butte. Bernardo Neno Perini was a neighbor who lived on Rogers Lane in the early 1930's. He married Mrs. Clara Taplin. She had purchased her place from E.C. Lockwood in 1926. The Neno Perinis moved to Yoncalla for awhile about 1937, but returned to Hebron in 1939. Two of Mrs. Taplin's granddaughters, Lamoyne and Madelle McKee, often stayed with her on Rogers Lane. Now, Lamoyne McKee married W.P. Burch and the newlyweds moved into the Perini house on Rogers Lane. The parents of the girls were Mr. and Mrs. Ben Finseth. 1926 through 1928 found them in the London district. In November, 1933 Mrs. Taplin's daughter, Mrs. Benn Finseth lived in Cottage Grove. In 1935 and 1936 the Benn Finseths lived at Dexter. Angele Merigo Perini was born July 31, 1889 in Tremosine, Italy. He came to the United States with his parents as an infant. He married Laura Belle Larsen in 1912 at Cottage Grove. Laura Belle was born December 9, 1890 in Wolf Creek, Wisconsin. Her father was born in Jutland, Denmark. Angele and Laura Belle lived at Divide, south of Cottage Grove, moving to North Bend in 1924. As I have written, they moved to the John Perini mill at Hebron in 1927. Later, they moved several times, but stayed in the general area. They lived in Woodard's Camp A when Angele worked for Woodard, at London, in the Cottage Grove area, in the old Powell house by Wilson Creek and, finally, on the May place on Cedar Creek in about 1936. It was when the family lived on the Powell place as neighbors of my parents that I became acquainted with them, although my dad had known the Perini men for several years; and my husband-to-be and Oswald Perini had become friends when they both attended London School. Roy was about ten and Oswald 1 1/2 years younger when Oswald entered the school. That began a friendship that would last a lifetime. The children of Angele and Laura Belle Perini were: Otto James (Pappy), Herman Vernon (Doc), Oswald West (Ozzie), Donald (born and deceased in 1920 or 1921), Arden Merwin (Slim), Raymond Larsen, Delbert Earle, Lucille Ann, and Franklin D. Otto James "Pappy" Perini was born July 19, 1913 in Cottage Grove. The March, 1928 SENTINEL said Otto was an honor student at London. He was in the National Guard in 1931. In June, 1932 he left with Battery E. for Camp Stevens. I believe he returned home in 1933. He married a local girl, Bernice Thorn, June 26, 1934 at Roseburg. They had three daughters. Otto and Bernice resided at Camp A for a few months before moving to a house in the London area in August, 1938. Otto became a log truck driver. He and Bernice moved to Trinidad, California in 1951. Bernice died there January 7, 1987. Otto died October 12, 1991 at the age of 78. Herman Vernon "Doc" Perini was born at Divide, Oregon on February 12, 1915. "Doc" worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) at Wendling, Oregon in 1933 and 1934. Herman V. Perini married Roberta King. They resided at Sweet Home, Oregon and were later divorced. Herman remarried. His wife's name was Merle. He passed away May 8, 1968 at the age of 53. Oswald West "Ozzie" Perini was born October 5, 1918 at Divide, Oregon. Oswald joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) for awhile and later joined the U.S. Army infantry, serving during World War II. He was stationed in Monterey, San Diego, and Santa Monica before being sent to the Aleutian Islands. He served ten months at Cold Bay, Alaska and 17 months on Amchitka Island. Oswald married Patricia Ruth Steele on June 30, 1979 in Carson City, Nevada. Patricia was reared at Oakridge, Oregon, graduating from high school there; but she and 205
Oswald met when she lived in California. Oswald and Patricia resided in Cottage Grove where he worked for Weyerhaeuser as a fireboiler operator until his retirement in 1983. Oswald was a talented banjo and guitar player. Music was a large part of his life. The three of us, Oswald, my husband and myself, spent many happy hours with our music. Oswald died January 12, 1995 at his home in Cottage Grove. He is buried in the Comstock Cemetery at Curtin, Oregon. He was 76 years old. Arden Merwin Perini was born at Divide, Oregon on August 15, 1923. He married Gracia Anderson at Tacoma, Washington on July 26, 1948. They reside at Medford, Oregon. They are the parents of three children: Laura, David, and Steve, --also Paul, Mervin's son by a previous marriage. Merwin served in the U.S. Air Corps during World War II. Raymond Larsen "Ray" Perini was born at North Bend, Oregon April 26, 1926. He married Vivian Hill at North Bend on September 19, 1947. They reside at North Bend and are the parents of three sons: Larry, Darrold, and Ronald. Ray served on Guam with the Seabees during World War II. Delbert Earle Perini was born in the Cottage Grove area April 22, 1929. He married Gwen Simmons at Vancouver, Washington on March 28, 1948. They were the parents of two children: Donald and Dixie. Delbert and Gwen were divorced in 1972. He married Yvonne Cooper in 1977. Lucille Ann Perini Wolf Erwin Hooker resides at Roseburg, Oregon. She is the mother of one child, Charles "Chuck". Lucille was born at London in 1930. Franklin D. Perini was born at London, Oregon May 26, 1933. He married Donna Kennedy at Coos Bay, Oregon on August 31, 1951. They were the parents of two daughters, Karen and Deanna. Frank and Donna reside on London Road, south of Cottage Grove. The parents, Angele and Laura Belle Perini, moved to Yoncalla, then to North Bend, Oregon. Angele died at Salem, Oregon September 2, 1953. Laura Belle died at her home in North Bend April 5, 1961. They are buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove.
206
Edwards The first mention I found of the E.J. Edwards family in Hebron news items was when Professor Edwards and family of Cottage Grove visited the Fuhrers at Hebron. Elias J. Edwards was an agriculture instructor in Cottage Grove High School. The January, 1924 Hebron news reported that Mr. Henshaw sold his place to E.J. Edwards of Cottage Grove; but in July, 1925 the Edwards family moved to Grants Pass where Mr. Edwards was to teach. Hervey Aldrich moved to the Edwards house to care for it. The Edwards familys' return home was reported in the January, 1927 news. The Edwards children: Lucy, Eunice, and Nathan attended Hebron School. In October, 1928, 13 year old Wells DeWells, who had come from the children's farm home near Corvallis to make his home with the Edwards, joined the Edwards children at school. Mr. Edwards remained at Grants Pass to teach. When he visited his home at Hebron in May, 1928, he brought with him Philip Hersey who stayed at the Edwards ranch to help with the farm work and attend Cottage Grove High School. Mrs. N.P. (Clara) Edwards, the mother of E.J., alternated her living arrangements between the homes of E.J. at Hebron and another son, Perry, of Canyonville. She passed away in February, 1952. In January, 1929 the Edwards family again moved to Grants Pass. Harry Mason, a brother of Rosalie Mason, a Hebron teacher, ran the Edwards chicken ranch. Rosalie lived at the ranch until school was out. Wells DeWells lived with the Jess Culvers while the Edwards were away. Wells took the eighth grade exams at Hebron School. A July, 1929 Hebron item in the SENTINEL said, "E.J. Edwards, who has maintained a home here for five years while teaching in the Smith-Hughes departments of the Cottage Grove and Grants Pass schools, has been elected to teach at Fowler, California, near Fresno. His family will dispose of a large flock of Leghorn chickens preparatory to joining Mr. Edwards. A splendid well-equipped poultry plant has been built up on the Edwards place." In August, 1929 the family left Hebron. In April, 1930 the paper reported that the Edwards family would again return to Hebron. Mr. Edwards would remain in California until school was out, at which time he would join the family. Mrs. Edwards would again raise chickens. The children returned to Hebron School. A son, Ernest, was born at the ranch June 15, 1931. In 1931 Mr. Edwards led a 4-H poultry club at Hebron. Lucy, Eunice, and Nathan all belonged to it. In January, 1932 the Edwards family moved to Creswell as Mr. Edwards would teach at Camas Swale. They moved back to the ranch when school was out. The fall of 1932 took the family away again, this time to McKenzie Bridge where the father would teach. The Hervey Aldrich family returned to care for the Edwards home. However, although Mr. Edwards still taught at McKenzie Bridge, the rest of the family moved home to Hebron in the fall of 1933 so Lucy and Eunice could attend Cottage Grove High School. Nathan attended Hebron School in 1933, 1934, and 1935. The children were very active in 4-H club work. Eunice was the leader of "The New Deal 4-H Poultry Club". Lucy raised goats. In July 1936, Lucy sold her goats and the family moved to Musselshell, Montana where Mr. Edwards taught in high school. 207
In February, 1937 a news item said Mr. Edwards had been appointed to a government job on an Indian reservation in South Dakota where he would have charge of 50 cows. In April, 1937 it was reported that the Edwards had sold their Hebron home to Mrs. Becky Smith of Cottage Grove. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards and son, Ernie, went on to North Dakota while the three older children returned to Eugene, Oregon to attend school. From North Dakota the parents and Ernie went to San Francisco. After Pearl Harbor Mr. Edwards went to the Navy shipyard in Honolulu while Mrs. Edwards and Ernie joined the other family in Eugene. Eunice married a Mr. Mickel in 1941, Nathan joined the Navy in 1942, and Lucy was in the Waves. Eunice Edwards Mickel moved to Sweet Home in 1957 where she retired from being the high school librarian in 1981. She still resides at Sweet Home. Elias Jackson Edwards ("Jack") was born June 24, 1892 in Decatur, Nebraska. Jessie Eunice Telford was born August 16, 1889 in Ellensburg, Washington. Jack and Jessie were married July 14, 1916 in Klamath Falls. He died September 5, 1968 at Sweet Home, Oregon and is buried at Creswell. Jessie died May 8, 1989 at Creswell at the age of 99. She spent her last years with her daughter, Lucy Clara Jenkins (Mrs. Brooks Jenkins) near Creswell. Jessie is also buried in the Creswell Cemetery.
Thackrah The spelling of the name is very confusing. This man and wife, W.W. and Martha Barnecutt Thackrah, came to the area much later than William Thackray. The latter arrived here by 1864. According to Martha Thackrah's obituary, they did not arrive until October,1891. Mr. Thackray died in 1904. Mrs. Thackrah died in 1925 and her husband survived. To make the names even more confusing, the death resolution for Mr. Thackray spelled the name "Thackrah". Both Mr. Thackray and Mr. and Mrs. Thackrah came from England. Perhaps one or the other changed the spelling of the name. Maybe they were even relatives. I don't know the answer. Mrs. Martha Barnecutt Thackrah's obituary in the May 21, 1925 Hebron news tells us she was born March 21, 1849 at Liskeard, Cornwall, England. She was married June 6, 1876 to W.W. Thackrah. They came to Cottage Grove in 1891, residing there until moving to Roseburg in March, 1894. They returned here in September, 1924 and "made their home on the London road". Martha suffered a stroke of paralysis on April 9, 1925 and died in May after a second stroke. The body was taken to Portland for cremation. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Her husband survived. Although the name is spelled differently, I believe the following item was written about W.W. Thackrah while Mr. and Mrs. Thackrah lived in Cottage Grove: EUGENE CITY GUARD, C.G. Leader item, October 8, 1892: "The school in this town opened Monday with 150 pupils. The teachers are J.P. Holland, principal, W.W. Thackery and Dora Dickenson, assistants." The Thackrahs had owned property at Hebron for some time. In October, 1916 "Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Thackrah of Roseburg, visited their Coast Fork farm at Hebron." They spent their vacations at their farm. After Martha died in May, 1925, William sold the Hebron property and, in February, 1926, moved to Lookinglass, Oregon west of Roseburg. 208
In May, 1926 Joe Miller traded "for the old Thackrah place." This was the same place that was owned at an earlier date by William Thackray.
Nestle - Ward Clayton Henry Nestle, the son of Henry and Julia Nestle, was born September 5, 1898 at Alma, Michigan. He married Mabel Ward June 19, 1918 in Eugene, Oregon. Mabel, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Ward, was born and reared in Eugene. Clayton and Mabel Nestle were the parents of four children: Elbert, Ennis, Elvin, and Ellen. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Ward lived at the Green place at the north end of the Hebron district for about a year before moving to a campsite near the Coast Fork River, just south-east of the Hebron bridge, in the spring of 1926. There they built a house. The newspaper told us they moved into the new house that fall. I believe one or more of the four Nestle children attended the Hebron School from fall, 1925 through 1930. I seem to remember that the children sometimes stayed with their grandparents while their parents were away. In 1931 the paper told us C.H. Nestle moved his family to Mapleton where he worked. I don't believe they returned to Hebron except for visits to the grandparents. The January 2, 1936 news told us that Albert Ward had moved to Leaburg, Oregon; and the Add Heaths had moved into the home near the bridge. Elbert E. Nestle lived at Kent, Washington when his father passed away in 1981. I know nothing more of Elbert. Cpl. Ennis H. Nestle of Vida, Oregon, was on the list of those "wounded in action in the Mediterranean" during World War II. He returned to Vida to make his home. Ennis and Betty Nestle are still listed in the Leaburg area. Elvin W. Nestle also served his country during World War II. The paper told us Elvin W. Nestle was the only boy from Oregon to graduate from the Army Air Force 37th college training detachment at Clemson College, South Carolina. Elvin married a girl named Janice in Vancouver, Washington. They resided in California until retirement. When Janice died, October 11, 1991, she was survived by husband, Elvin, of Vida, and three children. Elvin is also listed in the Leaburg area. Ellen L. Nestle married a Mr. Fischl. At the time of her father's death in 1981, she lived at Milwaukie, Oregon. The father, Clayton H. Nestle of Vida, died June 23, 1981 at a Eugene retirement center at the age of 82.
209
Simpson Mr. and Mrs. John Simpson and their sons, Theodore and William (Ted and Bill), lived at Hebron about five years, 1925 through 1929. Both boys attended Hebron School. In January, 1929 the house on the Martin Anderson place, that was occupied by the Simpson family, burned. No one was at home at the time and it wasn't known how the fire started. The family lost all their possessions. The ladies' club tied a comforter for them and I'm sure there was other help from neighbors. The family stayed on at Hebron for awhile. In April it was reported that John Simpson bought a span of large horses; and Mrs. John Simpson purchased a "bunch" of sheep from Mr. Clark of Cedar Creek. I don't know when the Simpsons left Hebron.
210
Hersey Philip Hersey, the son of George and Clara Hersey, was born in Pasadena, California in 1911. When he was young his parents moved to Grants Pass, Oregon where he attended school. A teacher at Grants Pass, E.J. Edwards, owned a chicken ranch at Hebron. Mr. Edwards invited Philip to move to Hebron and attend Cottage Grove High School. Philip did so, living with the Edwards family until they returned to Grants Pass in the fall of 1928. The Gilcrist family, who lived near the Edwards family at Hebron, needed some help with the work at their home, so Philip boarded with them and continued his schooling. On June 21, 1937 Philip Hersey married Annabelle Gilcrist at a minister's home in Eugene. They made their home in Dunsmuir, California for about four months; then Annabelle returned to Hebron to live in her mother's home until after her first child was born. Philip worked at different places and jobs, including working for Bonneville Power Administration and for the Army Engineers. In 1938 and 1939 he worked on the survey crew that located the first powerline substation from Vancouver, Washington to Eugene, Oregon. While working for the Army Engineers Philip ran the contour line around part of the Cottage Grove Dam. He also worked on the Fern Ridge Dam. Philip worked for the Woodard Lumber Company for awhile. He remembered falling timber with Ivan Abeene as his partner. Philip also worked on the Woodard mill pond. Annabelle also attended Cottage Grove High School, graduated, then graduated from Southern Oregon Normal School in 1929. She taught school in Lane County for nine years. About 1939 Philip and Annabelle moved to Klamath Falls, later living in Dunsmuir and Eugene before returning to Klamath Falls to make their permanent home. They had three children: Marilyn Redick (Mrs. Bert), Ruth Smith (Mrs. Roland), and Larry Hersey, as well as seven grandchildren. Annabelle died November 1, 1992 in Klamath Falls. She was 84 years old.
211
Losee - Kimble Fred John Losee and Hazel Gladys (Wagner) Klausegger McIntire Losee Fred John Losee was born April 19, 1892 at Elm Creek, Nebraska. Hazel Gladys Wagner, the daughter of James Wagner and Adeline (Shelton) Wagner, was born December 12, 1889 in Afton, Iowa. Hazel married Fred Klausegger October 6, 1904 in Creston, Iowa. They had three daughters: Gladys, Edna, and Freda, in Iowa and Kansas. Hazel was married a second time, to Frank McIntire, November 10, 1909, probably in Kansas, because their son, Frank Alonzo McIntire, was born there on June 30, 1910. Hazel was married a third time, to Fred John Losee, on August 8, 1924 in Hardin, Montana. Fred and Hazel Losee came to Oregon about 1925. I first found the family in the Hebron area in the fall of 1926. We would know Frank McIntire as Bill Losee. In the summer of 1931 Hazel Losee spent about six weeks in Portland, Oregon caring for a sister, Mrs. Vera (Wagner) Owens Mann, who died August 10, 1931. The SENTINEL said, "She brought with her three of her sister's children whom they are planning to adopt." They did adopt the children, Geraldine, Elinor, and Fred. An older sister, Maxine Clara (Owens) Akeson was already married and the mother of two. My husband and I both remember Bill, Geraldine, Elinor, and Fred. They began attending Hebron School in the fall of 1931. I remember Fred showing me a picture of his mother that he carried with him. He was only 12 and the death of his mother only about a month earlier was a terrible blow to him. I feel sure his Aunt Hazel had given him the picture to comfort him. Hazel Losee was a motherly woman who would make every effort to ease a child's loneliness. She regularly attended the Hebron church services and Sunday school. I can still close my eyes and see and hear her singing for us at church. In the fall of 1932, Gerry, Elinor , and Fred still attended Hebron School; but in the fall of 1933 Gerry and Fred were missing. On June 19, 1934 Geraldine married Claude Price in Portland. Freddie had left home in early October, 1932 after school started. He was 13 years old. A June 12, 1934 Hebron news column said, "Freddy Losee returned last week from wandering over the United States for 18 months." He was 15 when he returned. I have wished so many times over the years that I might have had the right words to comfort that lonely 12 year old boy; but I was only nine years old; and all I knew to do was look at his mother's picture and tell him she was pretty and that I was sorry. I should have told the teacher; but I had promised not to tell as Fred was afraid the other children might get the cherished picture away from him. In the fall of 1934 Bill and Fred Losee went to Washington to look for work but returned home in September. In May, 1935 Fred joined the Army. He was 16. He re-enlisted in September, 1937. The paper said P.F.C. Fred C. Losee was discharged from the service October 8, 1945. He had served in World War II. An interesting article, dated June 28, 1945 follows: Tank Harbors Nazis Until Yank Arrives With the 84th Infantry Division in Germany -- Underneath a railroad bridge in the path of the advancing 334th infantry was a German tank. Leading columns of a battalion approached it warily. Receiving no fire, they continued toward the city. 212
Another battalion was half way past it when a dough (boy) said: "You know, we ought to drop a grenade into that tank." Immediately the hatch banged down. Pvt. Fred Losee, Company L, 334th Infantry and Black Butte route, Cottage Grove, Oregon, leaped onto the tank and pulled the hatch open. It was dark inside and he couldn't see anything." "Staff Sergeant Charles Collings, Scobey, Montana, handed him a grenade which Losee dropped inside. Instantly a German popped out, fired a shot and dropped down behind a tread on the opposite side of the tank. Private Elmer Day, Cincinnati, Ohio, fired and wounded him. Four Germans came out of the turret with their hands up. They said they had not fired their 88 because the tank engine was stalled and a suicide mission didn't appeal to them." Fred's sister, Elinor, wrote, "After he (Fred) was discharged he moved up to Cascadia where I lived, until the Korean War came along and they called him back into the service. He stayed in the Army then until he died in the Veteran's Hospital in Oakland, California in April, 1959." Sergeant Losee is buried in the National Cemetery in San Francisco. My husband says the Losee family once lived near the present site of the Hebron Grange hall. The December 30, 1930 news said, "Mr. Losee moved his family to the Martin Anderson place last week." In August, 1937 the Losee home and contents burned. Mrs. Losee had been canning beans when she discovered the fire, too late to stop it. There was no telephone and none nearby. The Losees' neighbors, the Alfred White family, took them into their home until other arrangements could be made. The Losees bought a home north of Hebron. I didn't know Mr. Losee very well; but I think he must have been a good man to take in his wife's son, nieces and nephew. My husband says Fred worked at the Black Butte quicksilver mines. Fred John Losee died May 13, 1946 at his home at the age of 54 and is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. He was a veteran of World War I. Frank A McIntire (Bill Losee), born in Elgin, Kansas on June 30, 1910, came to Hebron in 1925 with his mother and stepfather. He spent the rest of his life in the Cottage Grove area. Bill married Edna Porter in Eugene in 1940. He died July 3, 1972 at the age of 62. He is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Hazel Gladys Losee died August 3, 1974 at Sweet Home, Oregon at the home of her foster daughter and niece, Elinor Losee Keeney Allison. Hazel was 84 years old. She is buried in Gilliland Cemetery in Sweet Home. Geraldine (Losee) Price Chamberlin Rubby lived at Sweet Home. She suffered a stroke and a massive heart attack which left her paralyzed on the left side. Geraldine later died at Sweet Home. She had two daughters. One lives in Sweet Home, the other in Springfield, Oregon. Some of Geraldine's grandchildren also live in Sweet Home. Elinor still resides at Sweet Home. Her two sons live in Cascadia, 14 miles east of Sweet Home. Of her six grandchildren, five live in Cascadia and one in Sweet Home. Elinor has been a widow for many years; but she is not alone. She is surrounded by "family".
213
Philip Voyal Price and Gladys (Klausegger) Price Philip Price was born June 26, 1888 in Michigan, the son of Frank S. and May (Dillon) Price. Gladys April Klausegger was born October, 1905 in Iowa, the daughter of Fred and Hazel Gladys (Wagner) Klausegger. Hazel would marry twice more, to Frank McIntire, then to Fred Losee. Gladys Klausegger had first married Garland Kimble. They had two children, Freda and Marshall. Freda died as an infant in Portland, Oregon in 1925. Marshall was born at Hebron April 13, 1927. He drowned in Dorena Lake September 1, 1953 at the age of 26,while trying to save an eight year old who was drowning. He is buried in TaylorLane Cemetery. Gladys and Garland Kimble divorced. On March 17, 1936 Gladys married Philip V. Price. They resided in Portland. Two children: Donald and Roselyn Marie, were born in Portland. A middle child, Philip Junior Price, Sr. was born at Hebron in January, 1933. Roselyn Price Peters is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Philip V. Price died in 1949 and Gladys moved back to Cottage Grove. She died August 16, 1971 and is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. William Kimble and Maria Kimble On April 20, 1907 William L. Kimble received Homestead patent #5518 for 160 acres of land, as follows: E 1/2 of NE 1/4, SW 1/4 of NE 1/4 and NE 1/4 of SE 1/4 of section 30, township 21S, R3W. In July of that year, Wm. L. Kimble purchased from Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Hughes an additional 106 2/3 acres in sections 28 and 29, township 21S, Range 3W. In the fall of 1907 two little boys, Murl, 10, and Garland, 7, sons of William and Maria Kimble, entered Hebron School. They were still there through November, 1912; but were gone in the fall of 1913. In April, 1918 W.L. Kimble, who had lived in Dinuba, California, came back to his farm at Hebron. Garland Kimble, who was about 18, apparently accompanied his father. There had been a divorce. William was listed as "unmarried" in 1921. In 1925 Mr. and Mrs. Alex Ingle of Dinuba, California, came to Hebron to visit her son, Garland Kimble. In January, 1919 those from Hebron who contributed to the United War Work Fund included Wm. and Garland Kimble. In August, 1921 Mr. Kimble granted a right-of-way to Walter A. Woodard for a lumber flume. In December he sold more right-of-way to Mr. Woodard. In February, 1924 W.L. Kimble granted a right-of-way to the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. In August, 1940 and May, 1941, Wm. L. Kimble sold 34.17 acres in section 28, twsp. 21S, R3W and 538 acres in sections 28 and 29 to the United States of America for the Cottage Grove Dam construction. He also sold 55 acres in sections 28 and 29 to John Seagoe in 1941. The September 22, 1926 SENTINEL told us that Garland Kimble and Mr. Ireland were building a small service station across the road from the school house. In October, 1922 Garland Kimble married Gladys Klausegger, Mrs. Fred Losee's daughter by her first marriage. Garland and Gladys lived in Montana; but they soon came back to Hebron. 214
A December, 1926 article said Garland had built a living room on his store and oil station, and had moved there with his wife, Gladys. In the spring of 1927 a son, Marshall Leone, was born to Garland and Gladys. A girl, born earlier, had died. Marshall was to die in 1953 at the age of 26. Garland and Gladys were divorced, followed by Garland's marriage to Gladys' sister, Freda Klausegger, in September, 1928. In March, 1931 Gladys Kimble married Philip Price of Eugene and they resided in Portland. Then, in June, 1934, another of Mrs. Losee's family, a foster daughter and niece, Geraldine Losee, married Claude Price of Portland. Garland and Freda Kimble had at least five children. Four attended Hebron School: Geraldine, Wilma, Bert, and Roberta. Another little girl, Lillian, born in 1937, died on May 8, about a month after her birth. She is buried in Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Another brother, Jimmy, was listed in Marshall Kimble's obituary. Garland and Freda moved to Lorane for awhile. They were there in 1932; but they returned to his father's ranch in 1935. They moved at least twice within the Hebron district before the dam was built. In March, 1942 Garland M. and Freda G. Kimble bought ten acres in section 4, twsp. 21S, R3W from Robert Lincoln Henry and ten acres in section 4, twsp. 21S, R3W from John and Irene Jeppson. In February and June, 1944 they sold parts of section 3. The little store and service station built by Garland Kimble and Mr. Ireland existed for only about eleven years. I didn't find the date that Garland sold. A July, 1928 article named an Irvin Smoot as having sold his store and oil station to Mr. Willey of Leona who took possession. I don't believe Mr. Smoot ever lived there. On January 8, 1929 W.J. and Mary J. Willey granted a lease and agreement to Standard Oil Company of California in Section 28, township 21, Range 3W where the store and service station were located. By March 10, 1930 Wayne Kirk of Dorena had purchased the service station and store near the bridge. "He will reopen the store as soon as he stocks it." (Mrs. Kirk was a sister of Alphonse and Frank LaBlue.) A May 1, 1930 ad for the Coast Fork Service Station said, "We sell for less. We deliver." Prices quoted were: One tire and tube $12.95 (for 18 mo. wear - not commercial) Oleomargarine (my own brand) 3 lbs./45 cents Feather Flake Flour 49 lb. sack $1.35 Polka Dot flour 49 lb. sack 1.75 Soft shell walnuts, lb. .25 Coconut, bulk, lb. .30 A May 6, 1930 article said Wayne Kirk was building a garage adjoining his store, The Coast Fork Cash Grocery. Wayne's mother, Mrs. Clara Kirk of Dorena, visited her son at the service station in June, 1930. A December 26, 1930 item said Alphonse LaBlue rented the service station from Wayne Kirk and moved in. However, Alphonse moved away in April, 1931. The next residents of the little store and service station were Albert and Alice Barkemeyer who moved there in April, 1931. Miss Katie Barkemeyer, Albert's sister, bought the store and station. Katie, and Katie's and Albert's mother, Gertrude, would live there. I have written of those good people in another article. 215
In February, 1938, Alice, Albert, and Gertrude, sold 90.78 acres in Section 28, twsp. 21, range 3W to the Federal Land Bank. Uncle Sam would soon flood the area.
Heaton Earnest H. Heaton was born November 14, 1894 at Leona, Oregon near Drain. He was the son of Harry and Mary Elizabeth Heaton. Rose S. Stirling, the daughter of Walter and Ola May Belcher Stirling, was born August 17, 1896 in Boulder Creek, California, coming to Oregon in 1901. Earnest and Rose were married December, 1919 at Eugene, Oregon. A daughter, Earnestine, was born while the Heatons lived at Wildwood. Later, the Heatons moved to Cedar Creek. They lived at the Wiese Brothers logging camp. "Earnie" worked for Wiese Brothers. Two more children were born while the family lived on Cedar Creek: a son, Walter, and another daughter, Mary Elizabeth. The Heatons moved from Cedar Creek to the Hebron area. They purchased 28 acres on Rogers Lane from E.C. Lockwood in April, 1928, built a house and drilled a well there, making it their home. Another daughter, June, was born there. In April, 1932 Earnest Heaton filed on a homestead on Cedar Creek. Another son, James, was born on the Cedar Creek homestead. In 1939 the Heatons moved to Cottage Grove, then moved to Creswell in 1942. Earnestine Heaton became Creswell's first entry into the WAC (Women's Army Corps) on October 5, 1943. Earnestine served her country for 22 years at New Guinea, the Philippines, Tokyo, Paris, Munich, the Pentagon, Seattle, and the Presidio of San Francisco. She retired January 1, 1967 and now resides near Drain, Oregon, near the place where her father was reared. She works part time at the Oregon State Forest Nursery at Elkton, and is a volunteer at the military Retired Affairs office in Eugene. Walter Heaton also served in the military, entering the U.S. Navy in 1943, serving twice, 1943 to 1946, and again, 1951 to 1954. He married Barbara Stolzig at Eugene. They reside at Lakeside, Oregon where he worked as a logger. Mary Elizabeth Heaton married Artes Rhama in Arkansas. Mary died there in 1974. James Heaton also served in the U.S. Navy. He retired from the navy June 1, 1970. He married Maxine Jukson and resides in Creswell. June Heaton married Lee Kruse and lives at Sutherlin, Oregon. The father, Earnest H. Heaton died at Drain, January 30, 1969 and is buried in Leona Cemetery. Rose S. Heaton was a member of the first licensing group of Licensed Practical Nurses in the state of Oregon. She worked at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene for 20 years prior to retirement. Rose died March 12, 1989 at the age of 92. She is buried in Sunset Hills Memorial Gardens in Eugene.
David L. Miller David L. Miller was born in Yoncalla, Oregon September 9, 1880. 216
Sophia Ann Lake was born in Wisconsin October 12, 1881, coming to Oregon at an early age. David and Sophia were married December 6, 1906 in Roseburg, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Miller had two children, Dortha (Lois) born in Yoncalla September 24, 1910; and Raymond, born July 19, 1915 in Lorane, Oregon. David was known by his friends and neighbors as "Bud" Miller. The Millers only lived at Hebron for about three years. In November, 1927 they rented the old Powell place on Wilson Creek that had recently been vacated by the Kappauf family. Bud raised sheep on the old place. Dortha (Lois) married Louis Layng December 17, 1927. Raymond began attending Hebron School in the fall of 1927. In September, 1930 the Miller family moved to a farm on Row River. Louis and Dortha Layng lived near Cottage Grove until about 1958 when they moved to Redmond, Oregon. Dortha died at Redmond July 13, 1971 at the age of 60. Raymond Miller married Emalene Sehlin in 1937 in Roseburg. They lived in the Cottage Grove area until 1942 when they moved to Scotts Valley near Yoncalla where he was a rancher. Raymond and Emalene had a son, David. Emalene died December 2, 1993. Raymond died October 26, 1994 from a stroke and pneumonia. He was 79. David "Bud" and Sophia returned to Yoncalla to live. David died at the Cottage Grove Hospital April 1, 1964 at the age of 81. Sophia died December 29, 1971 at age 90 at her home in Yoncalla. David and Sophia Miller and Dortha Miller Layng are buried in Brumbaugh Cemetery at Blue Mountain east of Cottage Grove. Raymond Miller is in the Miller Cemetery at Yoncalla.
217
Lacky - Morris Lydia Ruth Huff was born February 28, 1872 near Butler, in Bates County, Missouri, the daughter of Walter Perry Huff and Louisa Abigail (Harvey) Huff. The Huffs crossed the plains in 1876 when Lydia was four years old. They settled first in Stockton, California, coming to Lakeview, Lake County, Oregon in 1878. Lydia Huff married Robert Lacky at Lakeview, April 3, 1889. Robert Edmund Lacky, the son of Hamilton Lacky and Clarissa Harper Lacky, was born November 23, 1866 in Jackson County, Oregon. Hamilton Lacky died June 25, 1873 in Douglas County, Oregon. Clarissa Lacky remarried about six months later. Her husband was Philip Numbers, a widower. Mr. Numbers had settled a donation land claim in Hebron, then owned and operated the Numbers mill at London. Robert Lacky, one of Clarissa Lacky Numbers' six children, was reared at a home near that mill. After Robert Edmund Lacky and Lydia Ruth Huff were married, they lived in Cottage Grove, briefly in Washington, then returned to London. A son, Walter Hamilton Lacky, had been born May 15, 1891 in Cottage Grove. Two other sons died as infants. Now, on November 19, 1894, a daughter, Clara Abigail Lacky, was born in the old Numbers house. Robert Lacky proved up on a homestead near the Numbers mill but on the west side of the river. On May 3, 1900 he became the legal owner. Robert and Lydia Lacky belonged to the Grange and spent happy years at London until about 1903 when they moved to the Latham district, then on to Lake County in 1905, and back to London about 1910. Walter Lacky married Mabel Wilson September 1, 1912 and Clara Lacky married Archie Gilham December 18, 1912. Walter and Archie sometimes both worked for A.L. Woodard and both couples sometimes lived in the Woodard mill area. Robert Lacky worked in the logging woods and sometimes cooked in the portable cookhouse that accompanied the log drives down the Coast Fork River. Lydia sometimes cooked in the logging camps. Robert and Lydia and Walter and Mabel later moved to homes on South River Road in Cottage Grove. Robert died there October 1, 1927. He is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery. Lydia Ruth Lacky came to Hebron to live with my parents, Archie and Clara Gilham. Yes, Lydia was Clara's mother, my grandmother. She worked as a practical nurse and mother's helper in many area homes. She joined the Hebron Jolly Worker's Club where her expertise in quilting and sewing was a welcome addition. We missed her greatly when, on November 7, 1931, she married James Morris and went to live at Noti. James Morris was born August 28, 1868 in Livingston County, Missouri. The family resided in Texas for a time before coming to Oregon in 1882. The 1900 census found the Morris family, father, William, mother, Nancy, and sons James, 32, and Joseph E., 28, at Florence, Oregon. Both of the sons were single. James Morris owned and operated a blacksmith shop at Florence for many years. He belonged to the Christian Church and was a member of the I.O.O.F. and Masonic lodges in Florence. I believe he also once operated a blacksmithing shop at Shedd, Oregon. In June, 1923, James Morris married his brother's widow, Mrs. Josie L. Morris, who died in 1929. When James and Lydia Morris came back to Hebron to visit at our house almost a 218
month after their marriage, about 30 of their friends gave them an old-time charivari. James "Jim" Morris worked at a mill at Noti for many years before retiring in 1937 at the age of 68. Then "Grandpa Jim" and my grandmother purchased property near my parents' home. The Morris property was located between the Hebron Church and the river. A house was built and they moved to Hebron in the summer of 1937. When the Cottage Grove Dam was built, both the Gilham and Morris houses had to be moved back out of the lake area. James Morris died at his home at Hebron on December 22, 1945. Grandma Lydia Huff Lacky Morris died there October 26, 1950. She is buried in the Taylor-Lane Cemetery between the two fine men who were her husbands.
Lounsbury or Lounsburg In 1927, 1928 and, perhaps, 1929, Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Lounsbury lived at Hebron. Their son, Ervin or Irwin, attended Hebron School. An August 14, 1929 news item said, "Guests of Mrs. Eva Young were Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Lounsburg and son Ervin, formerly of Hebron, Mr. and Mrs. William Chase and son Bunn of Yakima, Washington. Mr. Chase is a brother of Mrs. Lounsburg.”
219
Culver I don't know when Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Culver moved to Hebron. The first mention I found in the SENTINEL was in November, 1928 when the news said Jesse Culver rented the Jans Jepson farm land. The Culvers were living in Hebron in January, 1929 when they took in Wells DeWells so he could continue attending school at Hebron when the family he had been staying with, the E.J. Edwards family, moved to Grants Pass. The December, 1929 news announced: "Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Culver have taken two orphan children from the boys' and girls' aid society in Portland. The two, a boy and girl, brother and sister, aged 5 and 6 years, arrived last week. Mr. and Mrs. Culver, who have no children of their own, are much pleased with them and intend to adopt them." "Jesse Culver plans to get out pole and mining timbers from his ranch this coming year." The children the Culvers took in were Loris or Delores, and Robert. They attended Hebron School from fall, 1930 through 1934. In March, 1932 Mr. Culver planted six acres of Marshall strawberries. In the summer of 1932 the Culvers gave a dinner for Bobby. In November of 1933 the SENTINEL said Mr. Culver was raising chickens. The May 8, 1934 Hebron news said, "Mrs. Jesse Culver celebrated her fifty-second birthday anniversary Sunday with a chicken dinner." Loris Culver spent the summer of 1934 in Portland with relatives. An item said Lester Pierce of Klamath Falls was a brother of Mrs. Culver. In December, 1934 it was announced that Jesse Culver had traded his 156 acre hill ranch at Hebron to John Richardson for 20 acres of valley land at Canby, Oregon. The January 8, Hebron news said, "The John Richardson family of Canby took possession of the Jesse Culver place Monday of last week. The Culvers left Wednesday for their new home at Canby. The last I know of the Culvers was a May, 1935 item saying Jesse Culver was sick in a Portland hospital.
Clayton Simons Clayton Simons resided in Coquille, Oregon, coming to Hebron when his brother-inlaw and sister, Charles and Ida May White, returned from Coquille to their home at Hebron in January, 1929. In the fall of 1933 Miss Grace Beatty of Brownsville, Oregon came to Hebron to teach at the little Hebron School. There were only 15 children in the school, but Grace still had to teach all subjects in all eight grades. As the school year began, we pupils gradually came to realize that our teacher was interested in our neighborhood bachelor, Clayton Simons. Furthermore, Clayton was interested in Grace. After school was out, in August, 1934, there was a surprise announcement in the SENTINEL. Clayton and Grace had been married March 10, 1934, but kept their marriage a secret until August when he brought his bride home to live at Hebron. She had spent the summer with her parents at Brownsville. Annabelle Gilcrist Hersey, who was born at Hebron in 1908 and spent her youth here, said Edward Hale had lived in the house that would be known as the Clayton 220
Simons house. Mr. Hale sold to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Tharp. (Please see Walter G. Hale article in another chapter.) When Mrs. Tharp died here in May, 1921 her obituary said she, Margarette L. Tharp, had lived here for seven years, which put the approximate date of the purchase of the house at 1914. I found the Tharps mentioned at Hebron in April, 1914 and again in February 1917. Mrs. Tharp, born in Kansas August 29, 1859, married William Tharp June 3, 1909 in Idaho. They resided in Idaho until coming to Hebron. Annabelle Hersey said Clayton Simons took care of Mr. Tharp as Mr. Tharp aged. In return, Mr. Tharp willed the home to Clayton. William J. Tharp died March 16, 1937 in the Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene. In March, 1937 the news said Clayton and Grace Simons moved to the Tharp place. The Tharp-Simons place would later have to be moved back out of the lake area. Clayton and Grace were the parents of four sons: Robert, Richard, Donald, and Willard Everett. Willard "Billy" died in June, 1937 at the age of two years. The death was said to be caused by encephalitis; but a daughter-in-law of Clayton and Grace, Mrs. Don Simons, said Clayton believed the death was caused by the bite of a brown spider. Clayton became an assistant dam tender at the Cottage Grove Dam. Grace died December 19, 1976 in a Portland hospital at the age of 70. Clayton died September 4, 1979 at the age of 75. They are buried at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene, Oregon. Robert and Richard Simons remained in the Cottage Grove area, marrying and rearing families here. Donald resided in Los Angeles, California and Spokane, Washington before returning here in December, 1991. Donald Ray Simons is the oldest of the three living sons of Clayton and Grace. Donald was born September 11, 1936. He married Judy Ellen Barmore July 4, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have two sons, Larry and Todd, and a daughter, Julie Dawn. "Don", Judy, and family live in the old Tharp house. Robert "Bob" Norman Simons was born May 4, 1939. He married Cheryl June Rodin October 7, 1967 at Cottage Grove, Oregon. They also reside on London Road. They have two sons, Cary and Michael. Richard "Dick" Leroy Simons was born May 16, 1943. He married Cheryl Ann Meyers November 18, 1967 in Reno, Nevada. They have an adopted daughter, Debbie Ann.
221
Barkemeyer Herman F. Barkemeyer was born in Oldenburg, Germany April 6, 1867. Gertrude Luthe was born January 5, 1870 in Germany. Herman and Gertrude were married March 1, 1894. They resided in Lake Andes, South Dakota for twenty years before coming to Hebron in February, 1929. In March, 1929 the SENTINEL said, "Herman Barkemeyer and son and family bought the Jepson place and will live there." This was Albert Barkemeyer, his wife, Alice, and son, Leonard. A September, 1929 Hebron news item said Herman and Gertrude's daughter, Katie, had gone to Myrtle Creek to pick prunes. A November article said Mr. and Mrs. Herman Barkemeyer, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Barkemeyer and little son, and Miss Katie Barkemeyer were guests of Miss Piper. That same month Mrs. Herman Barkemeyer and Mrs. Albert Barkemeyer visited son and brother-in-law, Laurence, in Marshfield, Oregon. This accounts for two sons and a daughter of Herman and Gertrude Barkemeyer who came to Oregon. Another son, Herman, remained in Lake Andes, South Dakota. On December 11, 1934 Herman F. Barkemeyer, 67, died at his home at Hebron. He had suffered a heart attack in November. Herman had lived at Hebron almost six years. He was buried in the I.O.O.F.-A.F.&A.M. (Fir Grove) Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Laurence and Lucy Barkemeyer moved in with Laurence's mother after Laurence's father died. In 1937 Gertrude's daughter, Katie, purchased the Coast Fork store and station. Gertrude sold her home to John Richey and moved in with Katie. As operator of the store and service station Katie was well-liked, especially by the Hebron School children. Juanita Marcy Barlow told me a little story of one of Katie's acts of kindness. Juanita waited at the store for the school bus. Katie offered to teach Juanita to crochet. Juanita's dad, Earl Marcy, whittled a crochet hook, her mother, Lillian, gave her a ball of string and Katie taught Juanita to crochet, a gift which would last a lifetime. The Cottage Grove Dam disrupted the lives of these good people. The store was sold and they moved away. Gertrude Barkemeyer died January 7, 1953, at age 83, and is buried beside her husband at Fir Grove Cemetery. Katherine "Katie" Barkemeyer settled in Salem, Oregon where she worked as a licensed practical nurse for the state hospital for 28 years. She returned to Cottage Grove about 1979 where she died in August, 1982 at the age of 87. Albert Paul Barkemeyer was born August 21, 1900 in Albion, Nebraska. He married Alice Radway in July, 1926. Albert and Alice came to Cottage Grove in 1928. About that time they had a little son, Leonard. Albert, Alice, and Leonard lived with his parents on the old Jepson place. In 1931 Albert and Alice moved to the little Coast Fork store and service station across the road from the Hebron School. Alice planned to run the business while Albert worked at another job. One of those jobs was a flume walker on Woodard's lumber flume. A July, 1933 SENTINEL article said Albert Barkemeyer killed a rattlesnake at his service station. Little Leonard had been throwing stones at it. In June, 1935 Alice Barkemeyer's brother, Harold Radway, his wife, Goldie, and family, and Harold and Alice's mother came to Oregon from South Dakota. The July, 222
1935 paper said they rented a farm and service station at Roseburg, Oregon. An August article said the Albert Barkemeyers visited the Radways at Myrtle Creek. However, the Radways and little son, Earl, were at Hebron in 1936 and 1937. Harold Radway died March 25, 1964 at Cottage Grove at the age of 62. He was buried at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. He had been born August 3, 1901 in Springfield, South Dakota. He was married November 30, 1929 at Rapid City, South Dakota to Goldie Hawkey who survived him. He was also survived by two sons, Earl and Lowell, and a daughter, Elaine Davis. Goldie Radway, a long-time employee of the Cottage Grove Sentinel, resides in Eugene. In March, 1937 Albert Barkemeyer's sister, Katie, had purchased the store and service station so Albert could go to California for his health; but in June, 1937, Albert and Alice returned to Hebron from California and Arizona. They left soon after to make their home in Cottage Grove. In 1980 they moved to Ridgecrest, California to be near their son and wife, Leonard and Cleo Barkemeyer. Albert died there August 12, 1992. He and Alice had been married for 66 years. I don't know the date of her death. Laurence and Lucy Barkemeyer Laurence D. Barkemeyer was born October 31, 1903 in Albion, Nebraska. Lucy Irene Pease was born May 9, 1907 in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Laurence and Lucy were married in Lake Andes, South Dakota on August 1, 1926. They came to Oregon on their honeymoon in a 1921 Model T. Ford. They lived in Marshfield, Oregon and worked at Rogers Dairy on Coos River. A son, Paul, was born July 27, 1927 and another son, Lloyd "Bill", was born September 7, 1929. The Barkemeyer family moved to Springfield, Oregon where Laurence worked at Hanson Dairy on River Road and where Paul started to school. When the family moved to Irving to work at the Fish Dairy, Paul attended school there. In December, 1934, when Laurence's father died, Laurence, Lucy, and the two boys came to Hebron to live with his mother. In the summer of 1935 the family moved to the Seldon Powell dairy on the east side of the present Cottage Grove Lake. That fall two little boys, Paul and Lloyd "Bill", attended Hebron School. The Barkemeyers lived at the Powell dairy for six years, then moved to the Judd Doolittle place in 1941, although Laurence still worked at the Powell place. The Doolittles moved to Roseburg, leaving two children, Donna and Dale, with the Barkemeyers so the children could finish school with their class. Other moves took the Barkemeyers to Latham, London, and Cottage Grove. Laurence worked on a road construction crew for a short time, then worked for W.A. Woodard, then for Weyerhaeuser. A tragedy struck the Laurence Barkemeyer family when their eldest son, Paul Leroy, died of pneumonia December 18, 1945 at Sheppard Field, Texas at the age of 18. He was training with the Army Air Force. He was buried in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Laurence Barkemeyer died, December 20, 1982 at the Cottage Grove Hospital at age 79. He was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. He and Lucy had been married more than 56 years. Lucy Barkemeyer, son "Bill" and his wife, Fayrene, resided at Cottage Grove until Lucy passed away December 9, 1995 at the age of 88. She, too, is buried at Fir Grove Cemetery. 223
Bill and Fayrene Barkemeyer Lloyd "Bill" Barkemeyer married Fayrene Green January 19, 1950 at Klamath Falls, Oregon. They are the parents of four children: Larry, Paul, Steven, and an adopted daughter, Denise. Bill and Fayrene remain in Cottage Grove.
Reeve July, 1929- Mr. and Mrs. Clarence M. Reeve and son, Calvin, formerly of Hebron. Mr. Reeve and son were with a bridge-building crew at Roseburg. There was also a girl, Marjorie. She and Calvin attended Hebron School in 1921.
224
CHAPTER XIV RESIDENTS of WIESE and WOODARD MILLS in the 1920's and 1930's Milk Route to Camp A and Weise Mills My parents, Archie and Clara Gilham, owned a dairy and sold milk in this area for many years. I have the old record books that my mother kept from January 1, 1924 through August 4, 1941, with the exception of the period between December 24, 1932 and July 1, 1933, a period of about six months. I think they used that time to install new equipment at the dairy in order to qualify as a Grade A Dairy under Oregon law. The end of their dairy business of about 17 years coincided with the end of W.A. Woodard's Camp A where most of their customers lived until the Cottage Grove Dam brought about the end of the sawmill. My parents also sold milk at Weise Camp on Cedar Creek for approximately 2 1/2 years. I'm glad my mother kept separate records for the two camps; for now we can say with assurance, "Yes, this family was in this area on this date." I hope that putting this record in this book will help those who are seeking family history. Please bear in mind that these dates don't reflect absolute dates of residency, but only the dates when these families purchased milk from my parents. There were many reasons why people stopped buying milk. Sometimes the man of the family was laid off and had to cut back on purchases until work resumed. Sometimes he lost his job or just thought he could do better elsewhere. Perhaps a guest arrived and someone who ordinarily wasn't buying milk would do so while the guest remained. Sometimes the family left on vacation, usually a trip to visit relatives. The milk route began in 1924 with milk priced at 10 cents per quart, delivered to the doorstep. Prices dropped to 9 c per quart on July 1, 1931 and to 7 c on July 1, 1933; but on February 1, 1934 there was a big increase in prices, to 10 c per quart and 32 c per gallon. On July 1, 1936 the price rose again, to 11 c per quart and, on August 1, 1937, to 12 c per quart, but dropped back to 11 c per quart on May 1, 1938. Therefore, the highest price in 17 years was 12 c per quart, delivered to the doorstep. That price held for only nine months. The lowest price of 7 c per quart lasted only seven months. Even at those low prices, many families couldn't pay their milk bills for many months. Most eventually paid, either by cash or by labor on my parents' ranch. My parents were also struggling through the depression. Dad often worked at other jobs while he and my mother operated the dairy. It was a real struggle to keep the taxes paid. Sometimes when a new customer arrived, Dad would say, "Those folks aren't going to be able to pay for the milk; but they have little kids, Clara." She always agreed that the children must have the milk. The main purpose of this record is to document the presence of these families in the area. Not all of those listed under Woodard's Camp A lived in the camp. Lillie Taylor was our neighbor to the north. I don't remember that the Ivan Abeene family lived at Camp A. I do remember that they lived for a time at the John Perini mill near the Mountain Springs. This was on our route to Camp A and was included on that page in the record book. The Earl Marcys were our neighbors to the south. The Clyde and J.D. Clarks lived on Cedar Creek but not at Weise's camp. I don't remember Clifford Williams living in Camp A. As you can see, the record may be misleading; but all lived in the general area covered in this book. Another uncertain factor is the spelling of some of the names. Since I helped Dad 225
deliver the milk for many years, I know how this came about. My mother usually remained in the car while Dad and I took our wire carriers containing the bottles of milk and walked up the long wooden walk to make the deliveries. Dad would stop to visit with anyone who wanted to talk for a few minutes. He never carried a paper and pencil. He had great confidence in Mom's ability to interpret the information he brought back or, as often as not, didn't bring back. He'd tell her there was a new customer in No. 13. She'd ask the name. He either wouldn't remember after all the visiting, or he hadn't asked the name. Another time he'd say it was another customer's sister and husband but he didn't remember the name. If Mom learned the correct spelling of a name, she spelled it correctly in future entries. This record does not include those men living in the bunkhouses at both camps where the men often ordered milk in addition to that served at the mess hall. An old friend, Tommy Clark, had bunked at the Camp A bunk houses and told many tales of the yarns spun and the card games played, of wet clothes drying by the wood stoves and the wonderful meals prepared by "Pa" Stump at the cookhouse. My parents also delivered milk at both camps' cook houses, at Weise's commissary or store, and at W.A. Woodard's home. Bailey, A.H. Berry, Roy Busch, A.H. Ellsworth, Frank Feuston, P. Fisher Hatfield, J. Heaton, E. Huff, Sophia Krewson LaBlue Lafoon, C.V. Lemons, Jack Lewis Lockwood Moore Morris, Geo. C. Murry, Della Murry, Walter Peckham, Ed Stewart, J.W. Stowe,Bryan Tomdolley Weise, Louis Weise, Wm. Welsheimer
Deliveries at Weise's Camp May 9, 1927 to July 2, 1927 Mar. 6, 1926 to June 30, 1927 Sept. 1, 1927 to Apr. 30, 1928 Mar. 6, 1926 to Sept. 1, 1927 Mar. 6, 1926 to Dec. 24, 1927 Dec. 9, 1926 to Dec. 21, 1926 Mar. 6, 1927 to Apr. 4, 1927 May 24, 1926 to June 8, 1926 Aug. 7, 1926 to July 15, 1927 Mar. 6, 1926 to Apr. 19, 1926 May 20, 1926 to Apr. 30, 1928 Jan. 17, 1927 to Aug. 2, 1927 Jan. 16, 1928 to last Weise listing Aug., 1928 July 2, 1927 to July 16, 1927 Mar. 11, 1927 to July 14, 1927 May 20, 1926 to Aug. 16, 1927 Mar. 6, 1926 to Aug. 31, 1926 Mar. 6, 1926 to July 25, 1926 Mar. 6, 1926 to Dec. 2, 1926 Apr. 22, 1926 to Sept. 1, 1926 Mar. 6, 1926 to about June 1, 1927 June 1, 1927 to Sept. 11, 1927 Nov.10, 1926 to Nov. 24, 1926 Oct. 1, 1926 to Oct. 16, 1926 May 20, 1926 to Aug. 1, 1928 May 20, 1926 to Oct. 2, 1926 May 20, 1926 until last listing Aug.,1928 May 20, 1926 to Jan. 8, 1928 Mar. 6, 1926 to Apr. 23, 1926 226
Wisert, Bob Abeene, Claris Abeene, Ivan
Alldredge, Hervey Alldredge, Jim Armstrong, George Bailes, Sidney (U.S.) Baker, Glenn Banton, Glen
Barth, C.A. Bartholomy, C. Batty, Bauke, Beck, Beebe, Berry, Biggs, Blue, Boke or Boak, Geo. Booth, George Bradley, H. Briggs, P.A. Brookhart, Joe
Brookhart, Phil Brown, C. Byerlin, B. Cartwright Chaffee, A.L. Chaffee, Floyd Chaffee, L.G. Chapman, Frank Cherry, M.J.
Jan. 28, 1927
to
Woodard's Camp A Sept. 1, 1936 Feb. 11, 1930 to July 6, 1930 to Dec. 16, 1931 to July 21, 1932 to Aug. 13, 1924 to Oct. 3, 1924 Jan. 1, 1924 to Aug. 22, 1927 to Jan. 8, 1938 to Mar. 1, 1938 to Jan. 26, 1930 to July 7, 1930 to Aug. 4, 1931 to July 25, 1932 to Aug. 25, 1929 to Oct. 13, 1938 to Dec. 1, 1928 to Sept. 7, 1934 to Aug. 10, 1927 to Oct. 14, 1924 to May 1, 1929 to Sept. 8, 1940 to Nov. 18, 1936 to Jan. 1, 1924 to July 3, 1933 to Feb. 1, 1936 to Sept. 17, 1935 to Nov. 3, 1924 to Oct. 6, 1926 to Mar. 1, 1934 to Mar. 1, 1935 to Jan. 1, 1936 to May 16, 1936 to Dec. 4, 1936 to July 16, 1930 to Jan. 28, 1930 to Sept. 29, 1935 to Aug. 18, 1927 to Apr. 26, 1927 Aug. 3, 1926 to Jan. 7, 1936 to Sept. 1, 1925 to July 8, 1928 to Oct. 13, 1929 to 227
Sept. 1, 1927 to Feb. 9, 1937 Apr. 22, 1930 Sept. 1, 1931 Mar. 1, 1932 Aug. 1, 1932 June 6, 1925 to Oct. 27, 1924 Mar. 10, 1924 Sept. 10, 1927 Feb. 1, 1938 Nov. 1, 1939 May 21, 1930 Apr. 21, 1931 May 18, 1932 Sept. 11, 1932 Dec. 3, 1929 Aug. 24, 1940 Apr. 2, 1929 May 17, 1935 May 10, 1929 Apr. 30, 1925 Oct. 18, 1929 Dec. 1, 1940 Dec. 4, 1936 Mar. 27, 1926 Sept. 9, 1933 Sept. 15, 1940 Mar. 2, 1936 Mar. 12, 1925 Aug. 28, 1927 June 1, 1934 June 1, 1935 Mar. 26, 1939 Sept. 25, 1936 May 3, 1939 Sept. 7, 1930 Apr. 30, 1931 Nov. 3, 1935 Sept. 10, 1927 to Apr. 9, 1930 Aug. 26, 1929 Apr. 11, 1936 May 29, 1928 Aug. 1, 1928 Nov. 1, 1932
Clark, Clyde Clark, E.E. Clark, J.D. Clark, Orval Clover, Coates, J.C. Cole, C.A. Cole Colton, Wm. Combs, Arthur Cook, J.B. Cook Coons, Lloyd L. Corton, Crabb, Glen Cristie, Cruzan, Damewood, S. *Decker, R. Dement, H. Dement, L.E. Dial, V. Doney, Fred Dugan, Art Dugan, Harold Dugan, John Dyer, Dyer, V. *DeBell, P. Easley Edwards, Mrs. Edwards, Elliot, Ellsworth Estepp, Carl Ewing, Earl
July 19, 1933 to Mar. 27, 1929 to Apr. 14, 1937 to June 19, 1929 to Sept. 21, 1929 to Apr. 3, 1925 to Sept. 29, 1927 to Sept. 6, 1933 to Sept. 29, 1925 to Mar. 29, 1926 to Aug. 13, 1936 to Aug. 28, 1937 to Jan. 31, 1927 to Aug. 13, 1926 to Oct. 4, 1925 to Jan. 1, 1930 to July 16, 1930 to Mar. 11, 1935 to Sept. 10, 1925 to Jan. 1, 1934 to Sept. 15, 1934 to May 1, 1939 to Apr. 27, 1924 to Mar. 30, 1927 to June 12, 1928 to Apr. 9, 1928 to Oct. 1, 1929 to July 6, 1930 to Nov. 1, 1929 to Mar. 17, 1931 to Oct. 15, 1927 to Jan.1, 1924 to June 9, 1930 to Jan. 1, 1924 Oct. 20, 1926 to July 5, 1930 to Jan. 1, 1930 to July 8, 1932 to July 1, 1933 to Jan. 26, 1930 to July 13, 1930 to Aug. 1, 1927 to Jan. 1, 1924 June 1, 1941 to Aug. 18, 1929 to Oct. 18, 1930 to Jan. 1, 1924 to Oct. 6, 1930 to 228
Mar. 4, 1934 May 22, 1930 July 10, 1938 July 17, 1929 May 22, 1930 July 19, 1925 Nov. 11, 1927 Apr. 11, 1934 Apr. 10, 1926 May 3, 1926 Nov. 11, 1936 Sept. 5, 1937 Feb. 15, 1927 Mar. 29, 1927 Aug. 14, 1926 May 23, 1930 Apr. 21, 1932 Sept. 1, 1935 Apr. 30, 1926 Feb. 28, 1934 Mar. 30, 1939 Aug. 4, 1941 May 21, 1924 July 19, 1927 Aug. 27, 1928 June 8, 1929 May 9, 1930 Oct. 1, 1930 May 25, 1930 Apr. 30, 1931 Sept. 29, 1929 Apr. 14, 1930 Dec. 18, 1932 to Nov. 30, 1924 Aug. 8, 1930 June 1, 1932 June 1, 1930 Dec. 19, 1932 Aug. 1, 1935 May 21, 1930 Oct. 7, 1930 May 10, 1929 to Aug. 12, 1924 Aug. 4, 1941 June 11, 1930 July 6, 1931 Mar. 12, 1925 Mar. 19, 1932
Ewing, Roy Finseth, Ben Feuston, Feuston, P. Garoutte, Joe Garoutte, Roy Geary, Geer, Mrs. Gibbs, Clyde Gilcrist Graham Graham, Frank Grasher, Guy Gregory, Chas. Hanson, Elmer Harrington Harrington, C. Harris, W. Hartzell, A. Hastings, Heacock, Heath, A. Heaton, E. Henderson Hess, Henry Hickenbotham, O. Hickenbottom, "Frog" Hood Hooker, J. Holloway Howard, Wm. Hull, A. Hustead, Ray Jacobs Johnson, W.C. Kennedy, J.J. Kilgore
Jan. 1, 1924 to June 28, 1930 to July 1, 1933 to July 27, 1926 to July 7, 1926 to Jan. 30, 1928 to May 10, 1926 to Sept. 10, 1928 to Mar. 1, 1930 to Sept. 16, 1928 to Nov. 4, 1924 to Dec. 7, 1934 to Apr. 22, 1936 to Jan. 9, 1926 to Mar. 28, 1936 to Sept. 7, 1934 to Apr. 28, 1935 to Oct. 1, 1935 to Sept. 30, 1925 to Nov. 1, 1938 to Oct. 26, 1938 to June 8 to 16, 1940 Sept. 1, 1936 to Sept. 4, 1929 to Jan. 1, 1924 to July 7, 1929 to Jan. 14, 1924 to Apr. 23, 1941 to Sept. 10, 1931 to Nov. 1, 1926 to Sept. 27, 1929 to Aug. 1, 1933 to June 29, 1938 Jan. 1, 1930 to Mar. 25, 1939 to Oct. 5, 1930 to Aug. 3, 1931 to July 25, 1933 to Dec. 2, 1925 to May 30, 1928 to Sept. 11, 1928 to Aug. 1 to 14, 1927 Apr. 8, 1928 to Sept. 28, 1927 to Jan. 1, 1924 to Oct. 5, 1927 to Mar. 28, 1935 to Sept. 1, 1925 to 229
June 21, 1925 Mar. 19, 1932 Aug. 4, 1941 Dec. 1, 1928 Nov. 30, 1926 Sept. 29, 1929 Mar. 6, 1928 Mar. 31, 1929 Mar. 16, 1930 Apr. 2, 1929 Feb. 11, 1925 Feb. 3, 1935 May 4, 1936 Feb. 19, 1926 Apr. 7, 1936 Oct. 8, 1934 Aug. 1, 1935 Apr. 21, 1937 Nov. 23, 1925 Aug. 1, 1939 Dec. 13, 1939 July 13, 1937 Jan. 5, 1930 Apr. 24, 1924 Feb. 9, 1930 Feb. 1, 1925 May 23, 1941 Jan. 10, 1932 Jan. 1, 1927 June 6, 1930 July 1, 1934 to Sept. 4, 1938 Feb. 10, 1930 Dec. 1, 1939 June 1, 1931 Sept. 1, 1931 Feb. 17, 1934 Feb. 26, 1927 Mar. 16, 1930 Nov. 2, 1928 June 12, 1928 Oct. 5, 1927 Jan. 27, 1925 Aug. 1, 1928 May 15, 1935 Mar. 13, 1928
King, Dwight Kirk Krewson Lane, A.H.
Laswell, Jas. Lauritzen, C. Lewis Levins, Grant Mael Marcy, Earl Martin, J.E. Mason Matoon, Pete May, Mr. Mayner Maze, Mrs. McCue, H. McGarvin, Alvin McGuire, H. McGuire, O. McKay Miller, Frank Miller, Louis Morris, Walt Morton, Leon
Murry, Walter Myers, H.L. Nevins, K. Newton, Bert Newton, Murry Norton Overton, C.C. Owens Patchen, Roy
June 6, 1925 to July 28, 1925 Dec. 1 to 21, 1930 Jan. 4, 1930 to Jan. 24, 1930 July 15, 1930 to May 28, 1931 July 1, 1931 to Jan. 11, 1932 July 19, 1933 to June 21, 1934 Sept. 8, 1934 to Mar. 8, 1936 Feb. 26, 1924 to July 21, 1924 Aug. 11, 1931 to May 12, 1932 Jan. 11, 1934 to Feb. 1, 1934 July 8, 1937 to Sept. 8, 1940 Aug. 11, 1929 to Oct. 21, 1929 June 14, 1937 to Apr. 16, 1939 July 6 to 27, 1940 Aug. 29, 1940 to Aug. 4, 1941 Jan. 1, 1924 to Mar. 13, 1924 Feb. 9, 1925 to Apr. 3, 1925 Nov. 1, 1924 to Apr. 3, 1925 Mar. 10, 1926 to May 22, 1926 Sept. 15, 1925 to Feb. 2, 1927 Oct. 20, 1925 to Mar. 13, 1926 May 12, 1930 to May 27, 1930 July 9, 1933 to May 10, 1935 Sept. 8, 1934 to Oct. 11, 1934 Dec. 2, 1934 to June 17, 1940 July 1, 1935 to Aug. 8, 1936 July 17, 1933 to May 1, 1937 Jan. 22, 1938 to Nov. 10, 1938 Nov. 12, 1935 to Dec. 7, 1935 May 10, 1939 to Feb. 28, 1940 Sept. 29, 1937 to Mar. 23, 1938 Oct. 20, 1938 to Nov. 6, 1939 Apr. 16, 1926 to July 30, 1926 Nov. 3, 1926 to Feb. 15, 1927 May 18, 1927 to Aug. 25, 1927 Nov. 1, 1927 to June 1, 1930 July 26, 1933 to Mar. 9, 1934 May 13, 1938 to Aug. 4, 1941 Jan. 14, 1940 to Mar. 2, 1940 Oct. 9, 1930 to Aug. 27, 1931 Oct. 21, 1939 to May 3, 1940 Jan. 1, 1924 to Feb. 5, 1925 Aug. 2, 1926 to Feb. 18, 1927 Jan. 1, 1924 to Mar. 30, 1924 Sept. 10, 1933 to May 16, 1934 Jan. 1, 1924 to Mar. 30, 1924 Oct. 11, 1933 to Dec. 19, 1933 July 26, 1930 to June 25, 1931 230
Perini, Angelo Perini, A.M. Perini, Bill Perini, John Perini, Otto Perry, Ellis Plunkett, Carl Powell, J.H. "Jim" Preston Radway, R. Raisor, Jake Raisor, L. Reynolds, Harold Riggs, Ray
Ritter, C.C. Ritter, G.W. Robbins Rohde, H. Rouse, L.N. Ryan Saunier, E. Schneider, O.F. Seegoe Simian, V. Simmons Simpson *Smith, G. Smith, Mrs. Smith, Waynne *Skiliske Stirewalt, Cy. Stump, Harry
Sugg, A.B.
Taylor, Lilly
Mar. 1, 1927 to Mar. 4 to 25, 1936 Jan. 30, 1927 to Mar. 1, 1927 to Apr. 1, 1938 to Sept. 9, 1925 to Nov. 1, 1929 to Jan. 1, 1924 to Dec. 1, 1929 to Mar. 22, 1936 to Sept. 17, 1933 to Sept. 28, 1935 to Apr. 25, 1936 to Aug. 12, 1937 to Feb. 14, 1939 to Sept. 2, 1928 to Mar. 27, 1930 to May 1, 1930 to Sept. 30, 1931 to Aug. 10, 1933 to Sept. 1, 1933 to Jan. 28, 1936 to Sept. 6, 1929 to Oct. 4, 1925 to Sept. 22, 1925 to Nov. 1, 1927 to Aug. 5, 1931 to Mar. 26, 1938 to Feb. 28, 1932 to Aug. 12, 1929 to Apr. 4, 1931 to Oct. 13, 1924 to Jan. 6, 1936 to Oct. 16, 1927 to July 25, 1929 to Jan. 30, 1925 to Jan. 20, 1936 to July 17, 1924 to May 24, 1930 to May 1, 1931 to Feb. 1, 1937 to May 1, 1938 to Feb. 9, 1939 to Sept. 11, 1927 to Dec. 14, 1928 to Oct. 1, 1930 to July 1, 1933 to Mar. 20, 1934 to 231
May 14, 1927 Feb. 24, 1927 May 14, 1927 Aug. 21, 1938 Oct. 8, 1926 June 26, 1930 Aug. 1, 1925 Oct. 1, 1930 Apr. 8, 1936 Nov. 8, 1933 Feb. 1, 1936 Dec. 29, 1936 Jan. 13, 1938 Apr. 1, 1940 Apr. 2, 1929 Mar. 31, 1930 May 26, 1931 Nov. 11, 1931 Mar. 26, 1939 Apr. 19, 1939 Apr. 7, 1936 Sept. 1, 1931 Feb. 26, 1926 May 7, 1926 May 29, 1931 Nov. 1, 1931 Mar. 17, 1939 Apr. 19, 1932 Sept. 23, 1930 Apr. 30, 1931 Mar. 12, 1925 Apr. 21, 1937 Nov. 20, 1927 Aug. 2, 1929 Apr. 23, 1925 Mar. 20, 1937 Oct. 29, 1924 July 1, 1930 June 25, 1931 Mar. 3, 1937 June 6, 1938 Apr. 7, 1939 July 25, 1928 Jan. 27, 1929 Dec. 25, 1932 May 11, 1937 July 1, 1934
Thorn, Bill Thorn, Bud (J.) Toleman Tracy, H. Tunnison, Fred Turpin, Dan Van Schoiack Vinson Walker, J. Ward, Chal Wheeler, James White, Clyde Wilkison, C. Williams, Clifford Williams, Tom Willoughby, Geo. Witcher, Ivan Woodard, Albert Woodard, Oscar Yates, C.C. Zink
Sept. 1, 1934 Jan. 11, 1936 Jan. 9, 1924 Sept. 13, 1937 Aug. 2, 1939 Sept. 1, 1930 May 2, 1927 Oct. 14, 1924 June 8, 1937 Nov. 12, 1925 Sept. 9, 1930 Sept. 6, 1932 Dec. 6, 1932 Mar. 1, 1941 Oct. 21, 1926 Aug. 6, 1927 Feb. 12, 1928 Mar. 30, 1926 Sept. 10, 1928 Apr. 2, 1929 May 22, 1930 Apr. 11, 1937 Sept. 14, 1927 July 29, 1930 Feb. 17, 1931 July 24, 1931 Sept. 1, 1930 Jan. 1, 1939 Mar. 30, 1929 Mar. 8, 1924 Sept. 14, 1926
to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
232
Dec. 24, 1934 Oct. 17, 1937 Apr. 5, 1924 Nov. 9, 1937 June 18, 1940 Apr. 30, 1931 June 1, 1929 Mar. 11, 1925 Dec. 19, 1937 Feb. 26, 1926 April 24, 1931 Sept. 18, 1932 Dec. 23, 1932 June 27, 1941 Apr. 10, 1927 Sept. 4, 1927 Mar. 4, 1928 Aug. 18, 1930 Apr. 2, 1929 Apr. 19, 1930 May 28, 1930 May 1, 1937 Oct. 1, 1927 Oct. 19, 1931 Apr. 30, 1931 Jan. 5, 1932 Aug. 1, 1931 Sept. 19, 1939 Mar. 13, 1930 Mar. 31, 1926 June 8, 1927
Camp A Residents As I read the Hebron and London news items in the old COTTAGE GROVE SENTINELS, I extracted the names of those who were said to be working for the Woodard Lumber Company, those who were living in Camp A or Camp B, and those who were moving to and from one of those camps. As before, this is not a complete list, but only those whose names were in the local news. Many who worked for Woodard did not live at one of the camps. Those listed by name only were said to have worked at Woodards. The reader should not assume that, because the name is not listed in this book, that person did not live here. A comparison with the milk route records may help establish dates. Also, many names were misspelled by reporters who got most of their news over the old farmer's line phones. Sometimes the error was made at the SENTINEL office. Oct., 1921- Mr. and Mrs. Bert Newton moved to Camp A. The Newtons resided at both camps at different times: to Camp B in October, 1925. Bert was injured at Camp B in April, 1926 when he was knocked from the trestle by a wild log coming down the chute. Returned to Camp A in August, 1926 where Bert had charge of the pile driver on the railroad, in Camp B again by February, 1927; then moved to a private home in the London area in March. February 21, 1923 EUGENE DAILY GUARD said, "Murry Newton moved his family to Woodard sawmill." An April, 1924 SENTINEL item said, "Mr. and Mrs. Murry Newton moved from Woodard's mill to a London farm." June, 1923- Fred Overton and Ada Gilcrist married and moved to Camp A, but had moved to Dunsmuir, California by August. May, 1924- Mr. and Mrs. James "Jim" H. Powell of Camp A. Jim was a son of Joseph G. and Melissa Ann Powell. He married Angie Garoutte in 1913. She was a daughter of Mark and Allie Garoutte. I don't know when the Powells moved to Camp A. They were there when the milk route began January 1, 1924. In June, 1925 Jim "narrowly escaped serious injury when he was hit on the head by a swinging cable while logging at Camp B." On August 1, 1925 the Powells moved to a private rental house; and in 1928 they built a home at Lorane. They had three children who attended London School; Norland, Winona, and Georgette. James H. Powell died February, 1950. Angie Powell died March, 1974. July, 1924- James Laswell moved his family from Camp A to Wilson Creek, "in order to be near his work." I found only one other reference to the Laswells- in the milk route records. Oct., 1924- Herman Bachelder was taken to Eugene hospital when infection set in a head wound he sustained when a ladder on which he was standing while at work at Woodard's mill, fell with him. He recovered and returned home. The next mention I found of him was news of his death in a Eugene hospital October 16, 1927. A nephew, Bill Bachelder, accompanied the body to Maine where Herman was buried beside his wife. January, 1925- "Shirley Dresser was seriously injured Friday morning at the Woodard mill while working on a logging car. He was riding on the rear bunk when a log on top of the load rolled off while crossing a trestle. The log struck him and threw him to the ground some 10 ft. below, breaking four ribs and nearly tearing one ear off." He was taken to a hospital in Eugene. About a month later Woodard began moving his equipment to Camp B. The March 17, 1925 London news said, "Shirley Dresser moved 233
his family Sunday to Camp B. In fording the river, they lost a valuable suitcase which has not been recovered." The Dresser's sons, Cecil and Meril, attended Hebron School. In December, 1926 Shirley Dresser ran a saw tooth into his leg while he was bucking logs for a donkey. May, 1925- Norman Bachelder, April, 1926 Norman was injured while working at Camp B. In January, 1927 he was moving a donkey engine at Camp B. In October, 1935 I found that "the Norman Bachelder family moved Saturday to the house recently vacated by the Fred Doney family." During that same month, Norman's foot was injured while he worked for Woodard. I found Norman and Clara Bachelder's children, Lois and Harold, attended the London School. Norman, a son of Leroy Bachelder of Cottage Grove, died in 1975. Clara, the former Clara Willis, died in 1986. They are buried in the Fir Grove Cemetery at Cottage Grove. Their son, Harold Bachelder, would work for many years for Woodard, then for Weyerhaeuser, in construction and on the cutting crew. Harold and family lived in one of the big houses at Camp A. They now live in Cottage Grove. September, 1925 and December, 1926- Mr. and Mrs. Ira May of Camp A. March, 1926- The William Buffington family moved to Camp A from the London Hotel cottages. March, 1926- Roy and Joe Garoutte arrived from Pendleton and got jobs with the Woodard Lumber Company. They were brothers of Mrs. James Powell and Mrs. Roy Ewing. The brothers moved to Camp A in September, 1928. Joe had previously lived there, at least from May, 1926 to March, 1928. Both brothers left Camp A about April 1, 1929. The Joe Garouttes moved to a privately owned rental, then briefly back to Camp A before moving to Eugene. March, 1926- B.N. Brown from Harrisburg, brother-in-law of Earl Ewing. April, 1926- Mr. and Mrs. C. Ward of Camp A. I found the first name spelled four ways. I'll use Challis. My dad called him "Chal". Mrs. Ward was the former Alice Bradford of Cottage Grove. They were married December, 1923. I believe the Wards lived at Camp A for most of 1926, 1927, and 1928. In December, 1933 the news spoke of the Chalice Wards of Latham. In October, 1934 the Ward's sons, Armin and Charles, were attending Hebron School; but in October, 1935, they moved from Hebron to London. In October, 1937 I found that "Challis Ward and Paul Andrews, employed on the woods crew of the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company, were seriously injured Tuesday when struck by a log that broke loose during logging operations....Mr. Ward suffered a broken shoulder and it is thought that Mr. Andrews sustained internal injuries." I discovered Armin Ward's obituary. He died at the Veterans' Hospital in Portland August 27, 1984 at the age of 58. Born in Cottage Grove, Armin had been a logger. He served with the Marines during World War II and was on Iwo Jima when the flag was raised there. Armin's survivors included a brother, Charles, and another brother, Millard. April, 1926- The Wheeler family of Camp B. The Children, Wilma and William were listed in the 1926 London School records, so they had moved from Camp B by fall. In March, 1928 Mr. and Mrs. James "Jim" Wheeler were at Camp A., where they apparently remained until August 18, 1930. Newspaper references were to Miss Velma Wheeler. Were there two daughters, Wilma and Velma; or was Wilma and Velma the 234
same girl, just misspelled? July, 1926 through December 1, 1928- The Ben Finseth family at Camp A. They moved from Camp A in December, 1928. In 1933 they were in Cottage Grove. Aug. 1926- Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Combs. Arthur Combs, the son of Henry and Sarah Combs, had been reared in the Black Butte area. An obituary said Henry Combs' childhood home was in North Carolina. In April, 1925 Arthur was appointed by the forestry department as field inspector for Lane County. In July, 1925 he left for Carson Valley, Nevada where he was to be a professor of agriculture. An October, 1925 item said he was teaching at Gardinerville, Nevada. He had married before returning to this area, and settling at Woodard's Camp A in July, 1926. Mrs. Combs, the former Winnifred Grannis, accompanied her husband. Her parents lived at Portland. Winnifred had taught in the London School during the 1925-1926 school term. The young people of the London community gave the newlyweds a charivari. By April, 1927 they had moved to Eugene. In 1929 Arthur was mentioned as "Fire Warden Arthur Combs of Eugene". Sept., 1926- Mr. and Mrs. Zink, recently of Weiser, Idaho, reside at Camp A. April, 1927- Miss Blossom McCoy of Camp A, a teen-age girl attending London School. Her mother or guardian was Mrs. Sophia Huff. Mrs. Huff purchased milk from my parents from January to August, 1927, most of the time at Wieses' camp. May, 1927- Mr. and Mrs. Howard Tracy. I believe the Tracy family lived in Camp A most of 1927, 1928, and about half of 1929. In June, 1929 an item said the Howard Tracy family was moving to Cottage Grove. Howard Tracy married Opal Iva Krewson October 18, 1916 in Eugene. They lived at Drain until coming to Cottage Grove in 1925. Howard and Opal were the parents of two children, Fern and Herschel. Herschel Howard Tracy, 42, Lorane route, was killed in a logging accident while working on the south side of Dorena Reservoir January 15, 1960. He was struck by a cable that broke while he was working as head loader for Carlile Logging Company. Howard Tracy died in 1973. Later, Opal moved to Albany, where she died May 23, 1995 at the age of 96. Fern Tracy Dixon lives at Albany. October, 1927- The Fred Doney family of Leona moved to Camp A. The children: Olive, Albert, and Jimmy, attended the London School. I believe the Doneys moved to the London area in the fall of 1929. Olive Doney, age about 16, married Howard Cox July 25, 1932. Howard was the father of at least five children, the oldest only about three years younger than Olive. The Fred Doney family lived for awhile near the Latham School. They were living at Creswell when Fred died March 22, 1956. March, 1928- Mr. and Mrs. Clifford L. Savage had lived at Camp A about six months when Mrs. Savage died. She was buried at Walker Cemetery. April, 1928- Mr. and Mrs. Joe Craig of Camp A. They had lived in Camp B in October, 1927. July, 1928- The W.H. "Bill" Bachelder family moved from Cottage Grove to the Bachelder ranch north of London. There was a son, Neil. In March, 1930 I found that, "W.H. Bachelder is running the goose for Camp A." I believe this was the power for the logging train. In September, 1931 the W.H. Bachelder family moved to Cottage Grove. W.H. Bachelder was a son of Leroy Bachelder of Cottage Grove. August, 1928- Mr. and Mrs. Leonard "Len" Krewson. The family had previously resided at Weises' mill on Cedar Creek. I found they had returned to Cedar Creek in 235
October. In November, 1930 Mr. Krewson was working at Scottsburg; but the family still lived here. Mrs. Krewson, the former Edna Burnell, died July 21, 1933 at her home on Cedar Creek. She was buried at the A.F. and A.M-I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Edna was born March 6, 1897 at Miranda, California. She married Lenny Krewson at North Bend, Oregon March 9, 1920. The Krewsons came here from Chico, California six years before her death. Her mother, Mrs. M.E. Woodard, resided at Chico. By September, 1933 the family had moved to Scottsburg. The children were: Lola, Leonard, Clarence, and Dorothy. The three oldest had attended London School. After their mother's death, the girls made their home with an aunt, Mrs. William Mattoon, of Drain. Lola was my classmate at Cottage Grove High School where she was an honor student, graduating as co-valedictorian of her class in 1939. Yes, I said co-valedictorian. I believe that was the only time there were two valedictorians and two salutatorians with identical grade averages for each. I remember, because I was a co-salutatorian. I found records stating that Len Krewson remarried. Wife, Mella, died in Josephine County in August, 1964. I found no further record of Len. August, 1928- Stanley Damewood, 34, was killed instantly at the W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. He was survived by his widow, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kelly; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Damewood; and other relatives. The remainder of this article may be found in the August 30, 1928 issue of the SENTINEL. October, 1928- The William Thorn family moved to Camp A. They had lived in Camp A briefly in 1924. Now, they were back, but only for about six weeks before being off to Drain. They soon returned to this area, and were living in Camp B in May, 1926, and in Camp A in June, 1929, but moved to Cottage Grove in August October, 1928- Seth Fueston of Camp A. My dad called him "Pick" Fueston. There were two little boys, Vernon and Kenneth. Seth lived at Curtin when his sister, Icephen Clark, died at Cedar Creek May 28, 1947. Seth P. Fueston's obituary said he moved to Sweet Home, Oregon in 1970 to live with his son, Kenneth. Mr. Fueston died August 31, 1970 at Lebanon Nursing Home. He was survived by son, Kenneth; daughter, Lois Carlson of Ukiah, California, and others. Seth P. Fueston is buried at Comstock Cemetery near Curtin. October, 1928- Hebron news, "Hervey Aldridge recently returned from California where he has resided for 18 months." He was staying in Hebron at the Gilcrist home while awaiting the arrival of his wife who had been visiting her sister. Mr. Aldridge began work at Camp A as a carpenter. The Aldridge family had previously purchased milk at Camp A from August, 1924 to June, 1925 and, in December, 1926, lived at Hebron. Now, they were back. They first rented a home in the Hebron district for one year, beginning November, 1928. They moved to London, but returned to Hebron in 1929 for about a year. In July, 1930 they rented the Finley place on Cedar Creek for three years and moved there in August. At various times the Aldridges moved to the Edwards place at Hebron to act as caretakers while the Edwards were away. In February, 1938 the paper said Mrs. H.D. Aldridge, a former resident of Hebron, died in Roseburg several months ago. Was this the same family? November, 1928- William "Bill" Howard. I found this man's name listed only once, in this London news item, "Bill Howard of Camp A bought a new Willys-Knight automobile Saturday." However, I found that he had purchased milk at Camp A at times from December 2, 1925 until March 16, 1930. April, 1929- The Crockett family moved from the Nowell place (London district) to 236
Camp A. No other record. April, 1929- Mrs. Clyde White of Camp A. Clyde White purchased milk at Camp A in 1928 and 1929. April, 1929- Mrs. Chaffee of Camp A. There were three Chaffees listed in the milk records of Camp A: A.L., Floyd, and L.G. A.L. was listed for less than a month in 1927; Floyd for about three years in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930; and L.G. for three years in 1927, 1928, and 1929. Floyd Chaffee, born in Iowa, came to Oregon from Colorado in 1927 at about the age of 18. An April 12, 1945 item told us the Floyd Chaffee family bought a home and moved to Dorena. He worked in the woods as a timber contractor, then moved to the Oakridge area in 1951. Floyd Grant Chaffee died August 10, 1986 at a Springfield hospital. He was 77. I believe A.L. and L.G. were probably Alvin and Lawrence, brothers of Floyd. May, 1929- Carl Plunkett moved from Cottage Grove to Camp A. Carl Plunkett, his wife and two little girls, Irene and Lucille, were listed on the Camp A milk route from November 1, 1929 to June 26, 1930 when they purchased property in the Hebron district and moved there. In 1931 Carl traveled to Bradwood, Oregon to become foreman of a construction crew at the big Bradwood mill. The Plunkett family moved to Cottage Grove about 1933. May, 1929- The John Dugan family of Camp A. John D. Dugan was born in Iowa March 8, 1891, coming to Cottage Grove in 1905. He married Margaret Anderson June 7, 1916. Two of John's siblings were Arthur Dugan and Frances (Dugan) Patten whose stories appear in this book. The Dugans purchased milk at Camp A from October, 1926 until August, 1930 when they moved to the Latham district. The children were: Norma, John Jr., Donald, Robert, and Larry. The three older boys served their country during World War II. John entered the service in March 1943 and was sent overseas in April, 1944. He served as a turret gunner on an attack bomber. His plane was shot down over enemy territory and he parachuted to safety. Sergeant Dugan escaped from France and was awarded the Silver Boot, given to those who escaped from conquered territory. Cpl. Donald Dugan served overseas in the army. He was wounded in action and received the Purple Heart. Robert Dugan served in the navy. I know nothing about Larry. Norma married a man named Daily. John D. Dugan was a superintendent at Woodard Lumber Company until 1939. John died July 9, 1972 at age 81. May, 1929- Lloyd Hubbard quit his job at Woodards to move to a ranch near Eugene. The Hubbard family puzzles me. The J.V. Hubbards must have come to Hebron about 1923. Lloyd Hubbard was their son. The J.V. Hubbards lived in Hebron for several years. I believe Lloyd attended Hebron School. The family was still here in the fall of 1927, then I found no further mention of them. However, I did find that Hazel Huff, a daughter of Lorenzo and Elizabeth Huff, married Lloyd Orville Hubbard, son of John and Emma Hubbard December 1, 1933 at Wendling, Oregon. Was this the Lloyd Hubbard who was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.V. Hubbard of Hebron? The Huffs had lived at Hebron while the Hubbards were here. Also, in November, 1927, Lloyd Hubbard of Hebron, visited his brother Lowell, at Coburg. When reading the "old news", I first assumed that J.V. might stand for J. Vernon. Then the London news of November, 1926 said Vernon H. Hubbard bought the William Thorne place and moved there. This was in the London district. They were still there in June, 1928. In March, 1927 the Hebron news said a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Verne Hubbard. 237
May, 1929- The Bill Humperty home at Camp A. June, 1929- The Charles Easley family moved from Camp A to Blackbutte where he would work in the quicksilver mines. They had purchased milk at Camp A from August 1, 1927 to May 10, 1929. June, 1929- Mrs. John Martin of Camp A. J.E. Martin had purchased milk at Camp A on two prior occasions: January to March, 1924 and February to April, 1925. Was it the same family? June, 1929- The Lee Black family left Camp A. June, 1929- The Bob Decker family left Camp A for Cottage Grove. October and November, 1929- Mrs. Retta Hastings of Camp A was mentioned. The milk delivery records show a Hastings (no first name) at Camp A from July, 1929 to February, 1930. April, May, and June- Mrs. Simmson of Camp A, Mrs. Sims of Camp A, and the Simmeon home at Camp A. Were these references to the same family? In the milk route records I found a V. Simian, August, 1929 to September, 1930; a Simmons in April, 1931; and Simpson in 1924 and 1925. Mr. and Mrs. James Simpson were in the London news in 1925 and 1926. They had a daughter, Ethel. Mrs. Simpson's mother was Mrs. Eves of Sunnyside, Washington. April, 1930- Mr. and Mrs. Fred Arnold of Camp A. I had found, "Mr. and Mrs. Fred Arnold of Camp B." in December, 1929, and found the Fred Arnold family back at Camp B in June, 1931. The Arnolds had a little boy attending Hebron School when they lived at Camp B. His name was Harvey Luttes. Then, in October, 1932 I found, "Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Allen and Mr. and Mrs. George Kahl of Sonora, California, who had been visiting Mr. and Mrs. Arnold for a week, returned to their home. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold went with them and will reside there." September, 1930- Harvey Taylor of Camp A. His sons, Clifford and Joe of Cottage Grove, came to visit him there. More about Harvey may be found in the section on the Joseph Taylor family. January, 1931- Mrs. Cooke of Camp A. June, 1932: Mr. and Mrs. James Cook moved from Camp A to the Taylor place. November, 1932: George Cook moved from Mrs. Tillie Taylor's place to Camp B. May, 1933: Mrs. Cook at Camp B. April, 1935: Mr. and Mrs. George Cook of Camp B. August, 1935: The Arthur Brown family from Bohemia visited with Mr. Brown's sister, Mrs. Cook, at Camp B. November, 1935: Miss Myrtle Gilham returned to her home from Elkhead where she had taken care of Mrs. Cook for a week. On July 30, 1936 Georgia Elmore Cook died at a Eugene hospital. The Cooks had been married at St. George, Idaho in 1927. The Cooks had moved from Camp B last spring and resided at Silk Creek. Other than the above, and the milk delivery records for Camp A, I have no information about the James and George Cook families. January 2, 1931- "Mrs. Thomas Foster and sons, Gordon and Billie, spent Monday with Mr. Foster at his work firing donkey at the Woodard camp." January 30, "Mrs. Thomas Foster and children spent Thursday night with Mr. Foster at the camp where he is firing donkey for the Woodard Logging camp." I found the above items interesting. Tom Foster had at least five children: four boys, Gordon, Billy, Keith, and Richard; and one girl, Shirley. I asked my husband how Mrs. Foster got to the logging site with her children. He said someone would take them up on the speeder that ran on the railroad tracks and was used to haul workmen. When I asked why Tom spent the night at the logging camp, Roy answered that since he fired the steam donkey, he probably got up 238
very early to get the boiler fired up and have it ready to go when the loggers arrived at their usual early hour. A story in the May 1, 1931 issue of the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL gave an interesting account of 14 year old Gordon Foster being robbed. An October 16, 1931 item said the Tom Foster family moved to Latham. October, 1931- Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Sugg of Camp A. In March, 1927 I found Mr. and Mrs. Sugg (no initials) of Camp B. I found them mentioned at Camp A at various times in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936. In the milk delivery records A.B. Sugg purchased milk at times from September 11, 1927 until May 11, 1937. In April, 1938 Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Sugg were building a log house a little way south of Woodard's mill. A December 14, 1939 item named Mrs. Alonzo Sugg of Camp A. October, 1931- Mrs. Romp of Camp A. Also mentioned in November. January, 1932- The Ace Lane family moved from Camp A into a rental house. A November, 1932 item said Mr. and Mrs. Lane, who left Camp A some time ago, returned to place their small daughter under a physician's care for her eyes. A July, 1933 item said Mr. and Mrs. Ace Lane and children came to join Mr. Lane who had been working at Woodard's camp for some time. Mr. Lane continued working for Woodard because an item in the October, 1936 paper said the Woodard logging train jumped the track when coming in with a load. Ace Lane, brakeman, was injured, sustaining broken ribs. The Lanes purchased milk at Camp A much of the time from July 15, 1930 until March 8, 1936 when they moved to Row River. The children's names were, Donald and Kathleen. Most records gave Mr. Lane's first name as "Ace"; but one record said "Asa H." A November, 1944 article said S/Sgt. Don Lane, son of Mr. and Mrs. Asa H. Lane, Disston Route, was selected for O.C.S. He was at Fort Benning, Georgia. April, 1932- William Seger moved his family from Camp A to the Tillie Taylor place. August, 1934- Miss Olive League of Camp A. September, 1934- Mrs. Chet Vinson of Camp A. Mr. and Mrs. Chet Vincent were at Camp A in March, 1935, Mrs. J.E. Vinson of Camp A in September, 1935, and Mrs. Chet Vinson of Camp A in March, 1936. A Vinson was listed in the milk records most of the time from September 9, 1930 until December 23, 1932. I don't know the correct spelling of the name. I believe they lived on London Road. September, 1934- Mrs. Oakley McGuire (Margaret) of Camp A. October, 1935 Mrs. Hallie McGuire mentioned twice. A son was born May 24, 1936 to Mr. and Mrs. Hallie McGuire. In the milk route books for Camp A, H. McGuire was listed from July, 1935 to August, 1936. O. McGuire was listed from July, 1933 to May, 1937, but was back again from January, 1938 to November, 1938. September, 1934- Mrs. Harold McCue. On December 4 a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold McCue of Camp A. The milk route records list them at Camp A from July 9, 1933 to May 10, 1935. June, 1935- Mrs. Alvin McGarvin of Camp A. The milk route records show the McGarvins at Camp A from September 8 to October 11, 1934, and again from December 2, 1934 to June 17, 1940. July, 1935- A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Baker of Camp A. The July, 1936 paper said the Roy Bakers had moved to Seattle. July, 1935- Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Jones and son, Jean, of Camp A. No record of milk delivery. My husband tells me Art was a woods boss for Woodard. 239
July, 1935- Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Clover, formerly residents of Camp A, visited friends there. I believe Mrs. Clover's name was Rachel. The Clovers had purchased milk from September 6, 1933 to April 11, 1934. July, 1935- The Vic and Martha Dyer family, who have lived at Camp A several years, are moving this week to a farm on Myrtle Creek. The first milk route deliveries shown were January 1, 1930. October, 1935- Mr. and Mrs. Willard McKay of Camp A. They purchased milk there from November 12 to December 7, 1935. April, 1936- Mrs. Frank Graham of Camp A. This family had purchased milk from time to time from Sept. 7, 1934 until April 21, 1937. May, 1936- The Frank Chapman family moved from Camp A to Eugene. They had purchased milk from Jan. 7 to April 11, 1936. June, 1936- Alvin McGarvin went to California to bring Mr. and Mrs. Stairwait back to Camp A. They had left here about six weeks earlier. I think this must have been the same people as those listed in the milk delivery records as Cy Stirewalt from Jan. 20, 1936 to Mar. 20, 1937. A later newspaper item gave the name as Si Stairwalt. Mrs. Stairwalt's parents were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Coffman. January, 1937- Mr. and Mrs. Harold Abeene and family moved to Camp A. Harold and Garland Abeene had three daughters: Lovelle Abeene Stimmel, Lucille Abeene Lusk Smith, and Loveta Abeene Hughes. Harold was a woods boss for Woodards. Harold spent his life, until retirement, in the logging industry. He began working for his father, Joseph Abeene, when Harold was only a boy. He had worked for both A.L. and W.A. Woodard. He later joined his brothers, Ivan, Claude, and Claris, in Abeene Brothers Logging Company which sold out to Weyerhaeuser in 1958. The Abeenes soon moved from Camp A to their own home in the London district where they would spend the rest of his life and most of hers. Harold passed away July 13, 1987. He and Garland had been married 67 years. Garland passed away November 13, 1994. April, 1937- The Dick Radways moved to Camp A, but I believe they only stayed a short time. They also resided in the Hebron district for a time. December, `937- Mrs. Dan Turpin of Camp A. June, 1938- F. Hobwood, a timber faller for Woodards was injured. June, 1939- Claris and Herma (Gertje) Abeene moved from Camp A to a house in the London area. At one time they owned a lovely home near Cedar Creek Road and raised miniature horses. Later they resided in Cottage Grove. Claris worked in the logging industry. He worked at Woodards, and later became a partner in the Abeene Brothers Logging Company, as well as in the Abeene-Cutts Car Dealership, and other businesses. In the meantime he worked in the construction of the Cottage Grove Dam. Claris and Herma had two children, a daughter, Donna, and a son, Dale. Claris Allen Abeene died April 7, 1981 at the age of 67. He is buried in the Shields Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Herma remarried and was widowed a second time. December, 1939- The George Hopper family moved from Hebron to Camp A; but they purchased milk from October 21, 1939 until May 3, 1940, when they moved to Washington. 1936- Emery Dailey. I believe Mr. Dailey lived in Cottage Grove but drove log trucks, first for his brother-in-law, W.W. Hileman, later for W.A. Woodard. Mr. Dailey 240
died March 4, 1989 at Cottage Grove at the age of 86. Roy Geer and Buck Ritter mentioned some names I had left out of the Camp A record. These people didn't seem to get their names in the paper, so I'll just list them here: Chet Robbins, Fox Smith, Cliff Smith. My husband thought he remembered that Cliff received a back injury when W.A. Woodard was lowering a smoke stack on an old steam donkey.
241
Residents of Camp B In this section I will endeavor to place those names mentioned in the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL as living and/or working at Camp B, which have not already been mentioned in the Camp A section. October, 1925- "Mr. Perry, a timber faller at Camp B, split his knee cap with an axe Tuesday." This was a nephew of Mrs. Charles E. Gilham, Ellis L. Perry. He and his wife, Clara (Vail) Perry came from Mapleton, Oregon in August, 1925. Ellis was born in Whatcom County, Washington in 1885. Clara was born in 1887 in Elk, Kansas. They had five children when they came here, moving into a little house north of Woodard's Camp A. Two daughters, Carol, 12, and Elsie, 11; and a son, James, 7, were of school age and attended London School. Two little boys, Vernon and Vail, were at home. Clara Perry wrote me that her youngest child, a son, Everett, was born here in 1925. A little girl, Esther, had died. The Perry family resided here two or more years. In January, 1929, the Ellis Perrys were living in Eugene. Ellis died near Roseburg in February, 1959 and is buried in the Civil Bend Cemetery in Winston, Oregon. Clara lived with her son, Everett, at Pleasant Hill; but she died at Hermiston, where Carol and Elsie lived. Clara passed away January 18, 1978 and is buried beside Ellis at Winston. March, 1926- Roy Hubbard, a chaser at Camp B, was hit in the face by a line and quite badly injured. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hubbard lived at Camp B. In May, 1926 a dayold daughter born to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hubbard of Camp B died. In October, 1927 Roy Hubbard moved to his father's place. "The father will move to Cottage Grove." In June, 1928 Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hubbard and daughter, Virginia, visited the Vernon Hubbard family at London. In September, 1928 the Roy Hubbard family moved to London where Mrs. Hubbard would drive the school bus. When Hilah Hubbard died in 1973 she was survived by brother, Roy and Lloyd of Springfield, and a sister, Zena Morgan. Could these have been Roy and Lloyd Hubbard who lived at Camp B and A? July, 1926 "Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hubbard of Camp B will move to a farm at Sutherland." Was this a mistake made by the reporter? Should this have been Roy, or was there also a William Hubbard living at Camp B? March, 1926- Mrs. Joe Pickett of Camp B. May, 1926- Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pickett have returned to their former home in eastern Oregon. December, 1926- George Jacobsen worked at Camp B. November, 1924- Mr. and Mrs. A. Mechler of Camp B moved into a private rental. August 11, 1925- W.A. Eves, a choker setter at Camp B, was injured when a line slipped over a stump and hit him in the stomach. August 18, 1925 Mrs. W.A. Eves and children who have been visiting at Ashland returned home. September, 1925- The Francis Wicks family moved from Camp A to Camp B. October, 1925- Frank Schneider and George Lynch moved from the Schneider mill to Camp B. I found no Frank Schneider children. George Schneider's children were: Pauline, Camille, Marjorie, Welby, Katherine, and Stewart. I'm not sure whether the two older girls, Pauline and Camille, attended Hebron School. The other children did so in 1923, 1924, and 1925. 242
George and Frank Schneider were brothers. A June, 1925 Hebron item said, "Grandpa Schneider is visiting at his sons, George and Frank Schneider." The Schneider Brothers owned and operated a sawmill in Hebron in the mid 1920's. The George Schneiders later lived at Lorane. I don't know about the Frank Schneiders. There was a Schneider mill at Lorane. Mr. and Mrs. George Lynch had two children, Pearl and Clark, attending Hebron School in 1925. March, 1926- Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey Overton moved from Camp A to Camp B, then to the Jepson house in October, 1927. In November, 1929 they were in Cottage Grove. March, 1926- The Billy Jackson family moved from Camp B to Latham. April, 1926- Ray Sears had his foot injured at a Camp B mill. June, 1926- The John Ross family of Camp B. The older Ross children, Leonard and Helen, attended Hebron School. March, 1928 John Ross moved his family from Camp B to the Jans Jepson house on London Road, also in the Hebron district. I don't know when the Ross family moved to Cottage Grove, where they resided for many years. John W. Ross died there March 23, 1982 at the age of 87. Among the survivors were his wife, Mary, and five children, Leonard, Ray, and Mary Jane, all of Cottage Grove; Helen Ross Haynes of Springfield; and Harold John Ross of Gresham. John Ross was born July 5, 1894 in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. His oldest son, Leonard, was born in the same county in 1918. Leonard died in Cottage Grove December 16, 1983 at the age of 65. John Ross was buried in Fir Grove Cemetery at Cottage Grove. Leonard W. Ross was buried at Lane Memorial Gardens at Eugene. July, 1926- George Boaker, a fireman at Camp B, sustained a broken rib when he fell across a log. August, 1926- Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Welch moved to Camp B. They were still there in March, 1927. November, 1926- Claude Abeene was working at Camp B. He cut a foot severely while working in the timber. Claude Abeene, the son of Joseph and Mary Belle Abeene, was born in 1909. He married Uleta (Edie) Miller at Cottage Grove on May 14, 1929. For many years Claude was a logger. He became a partner in Abeene Brothers Logging Company. In 1958 Claude and Edie moved to Eugene where they owned and operated a service station. They moved back to Cottage Grove in 1958. They had two children, Thena and Marvin. Uleta Abeene died in Cottage Grove on June 3, 1993 at the age of 83. Claude died November 5, 1995 at Roseburg. November, 1926- The J.A. Deeder family moved to Camp B. In April, 1927 they moved to the Joe Miller place. Mr. Deeder and John Murry were falling timber for W.A. Woodard. In September, 1927 the Deeders moved to Cottage Grove. December, 1926- "Mill engineer suffers stroke. Oscar Smith, engineer at Camp B, suffered a stroke of paralysis Monday while at work. Evidently Mr. Smith felt the stroke coming on for he managed to get to the whistle to summon help. George Jacobsen went to the engine room and found Mr. Smith lying on the floor. Mr. Smith is reported as in critical condition". There was a Mr. and Mrs. O.L. Smith who had three children: Mary, Oscar, and Thomas who attended Hebron School. I believe this was Oscar. January, 1927- Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Ocumpaugh returned last week from their honeymoon trip to California and will live at Camp B. February 17, 1927- A number 243
of young people charivaried the Ocumpaughs. October, 1927- Mr. and Mrs. Leamon Ream of Camp B. In May, 1928 Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Ream of Camp B. There was also a little son. By May, 1929 they lived at Drain. February, 1928- A.A. Slagle moved to Camp B. April, 1928- Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Gee of Camp B. May, 1928- The H.V. Paulson family of Camp B. February, 1929- Mr. and Mrs. Howard Paulson of Camp B. August, 1929- H.V. Paulson left for Utah where he will work at mining. A little boy, Wayne Paulson, attended Hebron School. July 30, 1928- A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Bert Willey at Camp B. August, 1928- Will Hammersley of Camp B went to Chiloquin, California for his household goods. In October, 1928 sent a little boy, Bertrum Caster or Carter, to Hebron School. In March, 1930 Mrs. Hammersley, was still mentioned at Camp B. May, 1929- Carl Reed moved from Camp B to Latham. Mr. and Mrs. Norman E. Ream moved to Camp B. September, 1929- Mr. and Mrs. Roy Taylor of Springfield moved to Camp B and were still there in December, 1930, probably until spring, 1931. Mrs. Taylor taught at Hebron School. September, 1929- The Buell W. Beyerlin family moved from Camp B to the Powell house. They had a little son, Bruce. B.Byerlin purchased milk at Woodard's Camp A from January, 1930 to April, 1931. July, 1930- Mr. and Mrs. Fisher of Camp B. "The Oliver Fifcher family have returned to their home at Camp B from Sutherlin where they had been while the mill was closed." A son, Glen Fisher, attended Hebron School. In February, 1931 the Fisher family of Camp B moved to Sutherlin. Clark Bartholomy worked at Woodard's mill, purchasing milk at Camp A from October 13, 1938 to August 24, 1940. The March 31, 1949 newspaper told us, "Clark Bartholomy, 41, and wife, June, 33, died from injuries in a train wreck accident March 19 at Drain. Surviving are two children, Myron Fay and David Lester. They are buried in the Drain I.O.O.F. Cemetery. The tombstones read: Bartholomy, Clark F. March 16, 1908-March 19, 1949; Bartholomy, June Lucille January 29, 1916 - March 24, 1949. The Harold Hursts lived on Cedar Creek September 29, 1937 when a son was born to them. About November 1, they moved to a house near London. In December, 1938 the London news said the Harold Hursts had returned to Arkansas to live. I don't know when they returned to this area. Harold and Ruth Hurst were late arrivals at Woodard's Camp A. They were our neighbors when we moved to the "big" cabins on the north side of camp so the little houses on the south side could be torn down, probably in the winter or spring of 1941. Ruth was a good neighbor, fun to talk to. I believe they only had one son at that time. Another son was still to join the family. Harold Hurst, born in Arkansas, died December 23, 1983 at the age of 70. He was buried at Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. 1938- "Mickey" Clark was in both the 1938 and 1940 pictures of the Camp A crew. I don't know when he came here to work. When Irwin Talbert "Mickey" Clark died November 8, 1995 at Springfield at age 92, his obituary said he had been a resident of Lane County since 1905. His wife, Helen, had died in 1986. He was survived by two sons and other relatives. He had worked for 244
Chamber, Woodard, and Weyerhaeuser lumber companies.
245
Cherry October, 1924- The mother of Grover and Jack Cherry, Mrs. A.M. Cherry, came from California to visit her sons who were employed at Woodards. I found Grover mentioned only one more time, when he went to California for relief of his rheumatism in March, 1928. John Manley Cherry, "Jack", was for many years, logging superintendent for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. The family came to Woodard's Camp A from Ashland, Oregon in 1921. "Jack" was born February 9, 1882 in St. Joseph, Missouri. He married Bertha Bailey December 30, 1914 in Ashland. He died June 22, 1934 in a Eugene hospital after a three month long illness. He was buried at Ashland. Mrs. Cherry and the children: Edna Mae, Robert, Jr., Marjorie, and Richard, moved to Cottage Grove in July, 1934. Bertha Cherry died November 10, 1969. The oldest daughter, Edna Mae Snell, died September 19, 1973. Robert resides at The Dalles, Oregon. Richard lives at Georgetown, California. Marjorie Smith makes her home in Cottage Grove, where three of her four children also reside. The two Cherry boys served their country during World War II. In July, 1944 Robert, a skilled radio technician, was attending radar school. Corporal Robert Cherry served both in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) and in the Pacific. He was discharged in December, 1945. In August, 1944, Richard Cherry was attending Naval electrical training school in Missouri. He became an E.M. 3/C (Electricians mate third class). In January, 1946 Dick was home on leave before assignment to an aircraft carrier. He was discharged in April, 1946.
Dugan Arthur D. Dugan was born November 1, 1895 in Brooklyn, Iowa. Ruth Leona Mackey was born June 15, 1900 at Cottage Grove. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Mackey. Arthur D. Dugan, "Art", and Ruth Leona Mackey were married December 24, 1919 at Vancouver, Washington. I don't know when the Dugans moved to Camp A. They lived there when my parents started the milk route to Camp A on January 1, 1924. Art Dugan worked as head sawyer for the Woodard mill, then for Weyerhaeuser's, making a total of about 50 years. When my husband worked on the mill pond sending the logs into the mill, he often said there was never a finer fellow to work around than Art Dugan. He said Art was an expert sawyer. I counted Ruth as a friend. Art and Ruth had two sons, Alvin and George, who attended London School. The April 18, 1938 London news said, "The Art Dugan family have moved to the new home in Cottage Grove which they recently purchased." Ruth Leona Dugan died at her home on South 6th Street in Cottage Grove February 18, 1953 at the age of 52 years. Art married Norma Mackey July 7, 1967. They continued to live at the home on South 6th. Arthur D. Dugan died November 18, 1977 at the age of 82. After Art's death, Norma continued to make her home on South 6th Street in Cottage Grove until her death May 15, 1995 at the age of 87. 246
Norma had taught school in Reedsport, then in Cottage Grove, until her retirement. She was a past recipient of the "Woman of the Year" award in Cottage Grove. Alvin D. Dugan graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1939 as president of the student body. He married Anna Marie Peterson. He worked as a lumber trader in Cottage Grove for several years before moving to Portland where he died on September 29, 1988 at the age of 67. Alvin had served his country in World War II, enlisting in August, 1942. He served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets on two aircraft carriers. Alvin D. Dugan, SKD 1/C was awarded a purple heart for a wound received in action March 19, 1945 in the South Pacific. On July 12, 1945, a page one story in the SENTINEL said Alvin Dugan, storekeeper first class on the U.S.S. Franklin, survived when the ship burned. I don't know when Alvin was discharged. George V. Dugan also served his country during the war. He graduated from flight training school in 1944, completed aviation cadet training and graduated from LaJunta Air Field in Colorado. 2nd Lt. George V. Dugan was discharged in December, 1945. George is a successful businessman in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Brookhart - Ritter Joe and Lucy Brookhart The first mention I found of Joe and Lucy Brookhart was in the milk delivery records of Camp A. They purchased milk from October 6, 1926 until August 28, 1927. The 1926 London School records listed Phillip Brookhart, 18; Dorman Brookhart, 15; and Marguerite Brookhart, 8. In 1927 the family moved to a rental house near London. Dorman stayed with relatives at Drain to attend high school, finishing in May, 1929. Phillip worked on the Scottsburg bridge in 1928. In 1929 Phillip and Dorman worked in the mines at Burke, Idaho where Dorman's hand was badly injured. Back home, Phillip worked in the Bohemia Mines, then for John Perini at Black Butte before returning to Burke, Idaho to work. Dorman found work at Drain. In November, 1931 the Joe Brookhart family moved to the Winecoff rental just north of Camp A. The December 1, 1931 London news said, "Dorman Brookhart of this place and Bertha Walker of Walden were married Tuesday in Eugene." In March Mr. and Mrs. Dorman Brookhart moved to London. In May, 1932 Marguerite Brookhart was one of four graduates of London School. She gave the class prophecy at the graduation exercises. On September 8, 1934 Miss Clara Ritchey, daughter of Lewis Ritchey of Drain, and Phillip Brookhart were married in Albany. In November, 1934 a bridal shower was given for Marguerite Brookhart who would marry Ivan Wertz. Marguerite and "Ike" made their home in California. In October, 1935 Dorman W. Brookhart of Woodard's Camp and Mildred Quimby of Cottage Grove were married in Eugene. This was Dorman's second marriage. The couple made their home at Black Butte. In May, 1936 they moved to Camp A. In March, 1936 the Joe Brookharts moved to a Camp A house; and in May Mr. and Mrs. Phil Brookhart moved to Camp A. In September, 1936 Phil Brookhart was the victim of a terrible logging accident at Woodards. After being carried to the railroad tracks and while riding out of the woods on the logging train, Phil was in so much pain that he begged the men to kill him to stop 247
his suffering. Of course there was no hospital at Cottage Grove then; so he had to be transported to the Eugene Hospital. He was in the hospital more than four months, home two weeks and returned to the hospital for surgery on one leg in February, 1937. He was able to be home for two weeks before returning to the hospital in April for surgery on the other leg. This time he was in the hospital for a month, coming home in August, 1937, almost a year after the accident. In the meantime, in April, 1937, Phil's father, Joe Brookhart, suffered a severe injury to his back and one hip when he was hit by a falling snag while working for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. If that wasn't enough, on the same day that Joe was injured, his son-in-law, Ike Wertz, went to the hospital at Redding, California with a broken foot. When Woodard's mill began moving, Joe and Lucy Brookhart moved to Black Butte, then, in September, 1941, they moved to Drain. Mr. and Mrs. Dorman "Duke" Brookhart moved to California. Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Brookhart moved to Drain. Gerald Doren "Buck" Ritter and Margaret (Wetzler) Ritter Gerald Doren Ritter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Ritter, and Margaret Wetzler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wetzler, were married in Buckeye, Arizona November 29, 1929. As of now, spring of 1996, the Ritters have celebrated more than 66 years of marriage. "Buck" and Margaret Ritter arrived in this area from Arizona in the spring of 1932. The family--"Buck", Margaret and their two children, Viola Jean and Gerald Doren Jr. "Pete"-- came here in the company of "Buck's" parents. The group settled first in the London area at the home of Mrs. Claude Ritter's brother-in-law and sister, Joseph "Joe" and Lucy Brookhart. The Great Depression that had begun in 1929 had just begun to release its fierce grip on the country. W.A. Woodard decided to start up his logging operations again; but the logging railroad had to be repaired first. "Buck" and Claude Ritter both got jobs with the section crew. The wage was 22 1/2 cents per hour! Soon "Buck" was falling timber with Joseph Premazzi as his partner. Later, "Buck's" falling partner was Jesse Blue. One day the boss came out in the woods where "Buck" and Jesse were falling timber with an old "misery whip". He brought with him one of those new-fangled gadgets, a power saw called a "Timber Hog". He was accompanied by a factory representative who was to show "Buck" and Jesse how to start and run the saw. The chain hadn't been properly filed. "Buck" said he had never worked as hard as he did trying to cut timber with that saw. Later "Buck" was asked to start work on the green chains at the sawmill. That was the first step toward eventually becoming a mill foreman. The Ritters moved to Woodard's Camp A in the fall of 1933. They shared some memories of their years in their little rough-lumber cabin. First and foremost was their battle with the local rats which would gnaw through the walls to gain entrance to the cabin. They told of the time when Margaret left two freshly-baked pies on the kitchen counter for a few minutes. When she returned, she found that the rats had discovered the pies. That was quite a loss in those hard times. Then there was the night when Margaret waked "Buck" with a scream. About that time he screamed, too, as a big rat ran across their faces. When Margaret complained about the rats, she was told to put out a mixture of corn meal and Plaster of Paris. That 248
stopped the rats; and it made it easier for those of us who moved into camp a little later. My husband, Roy, and I moved there in the fall of 1939. We found no rats; but there were lots of mice. In another chapter I have told of the cabins in Camp A. As we talked to "Buck" and Margaret about the Great Depression, we agreed that we certainly had no luxuries. We had good lives, though, with our families and our friends. Music was the basis for many a happy get-together. Claude Ritter played the violin, saxophone, and clarinet. "Buck" played the banjo. He could really make that old banjo talk. An upheaval was about to take place in a lot of lives. Uncle Sam brought in the Cottage Grove flood control dam. Woodard had the old lumber flume torn out; and he moved his mill to the Latham operation. "Buck", Margaret, and family moved to the London area in September, 1940. Later they would make their home in Cottage Grove where they now reside. Their daughter, Jean Hulett, lives in Portland with her husband. They have six children. Son, "Pete", lives in Cottage Grove. "Pete" and his wife are the parents of four children. When Woodard Lumber Company sold to Weyerhaeuser, "Buck" continued to work for Weyerhaeuser until his retirement in 1973. Margaret worked for J.C. Penney Company for seventeen years. Claude Cleveland Ritter and Bessie (Krewson) Ritter Claude Ritter, born in Yakima, Washington September 4, 1888, married Bessie Krewson at Grand Forks, B.C., February 22, 1910. Bessie was born October 2, 1891 near Cottage Grove, Oregon. Coming to the London area from Arizona in the spring of 1932 with son and daughter-in-law, "Buck" and Margaret Ritter, the senior Ritters soon settled in Woodard's Camp A where Claude went to work for Woodard Lumber Company. Claude and Bessie moved to Drain in March, 1942. There they purchased and operated a meat market. Claude served on the Drain city council for five years and was active in the Drain Chamber of Commerce. Claude Ritter died at his home February 19, 1955 at the age of 66. His death came just three days before he and Bessie would have celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Bessie died June 18, 1964 at the Cottage Grove Hospital at age 72. She was buried beside Claude in the Drain Cemetery.
249
Morton The milk delivery records showed that the Morton family: Leon, Jeanne and daughter, Jacquelyn "Jacie", lived at Camp A as early as April, 1926. I believe they resided at Camp A for at least twenty years. Jeanne was a sister of Mrs. Walter Woodard. Leon "Mort" worked for Woodard as a woods boss and, later, a construction boss. Jeanne Morton and Jacie both were outstanding in their work in the 4-H clubs. In fact, on March 1, 1945, Jeanne was honored by the Cottage Grove Lions Club as the outstanding citizen of the month. Following is a list of some of her accomplishments before that date: Started as 4-H Club leader in 1948; elected president of Lane County Leaders' Association and, in December, 1944 was re-elected for the 6th consecutive time; went to the first 4-H Summer School at OSC in 1934 as chaperone and served as instructor every year after that; attended the first conference for leaders at OSC in 1937 and every year since; started the Fall Creek summer 4-H camp in 1939 and served as manager since; judged club and open class fairs in Lane, Josephine, Klamath, and Malheur counties; trained state championship judging teams three years; trained western state champion one year; trained championship dairy demonstration team, the second best at the World's Fair; and trained the household accounting champ in 1940. Jeanne also organized the London 4-H Mothers in 1940 and was the leader and national winner for three years. She was also extremely active in American Legion auxiliary affairs, as well as serving as chairman of the board of directors of Cottage Grove Union High School. By the time Jacqueline Morton was a senior at Cottage Grove High School in 1938, she, too, had an impressive record in 4-H work. She had completed thirty projects; entered 56 competitive exhibits, winning many prizes; was voted the most outstanding club girl in 1937; was voted one of two most outstanding girls in Oregon in 1938; in 1937 placed third in the nation in girls' record contest and won a trip to the national 4-H congress in Chicago and a college scholarship and, in 1938, won a second Chicago trip with her home beautification project. Jacie twice won state judging contests and won a trophy for demonstration work at the Pacific International Exposition at Portland. She had also been a club leader for three years. Jacie married a Mr. Johnson and resided in Fowler, California. Upon their retirement, Leon and Jeanne Morton moved to Fowler, where Leon died August 24, 1979. Jeanne Morton died there in March, 1975.
250
Thomas Williams Thomas Williams was born in Wales August 27, 1879. Mr. Williams traveled, at the age of 17, around the Cape of Good Hope and lived in Africa for several years. In 1909 he was one of the pioneers who traveled over the old Edson Trail to the Peace River Country of Canada, settling near Great Slave Lake. Thomas Williams and Phebe Julia Fowler, daughter of James and Sarah Clarinda Fowler, were married in Calgary, Canada August 17, 1909. Four children: Stuart, Harvey Lewellyn, Clifford, and June, were born to this union. Harvey Lewellyn died in Canada of complications of appendicitis. In 1920 the Williams family left the Peace River area, making stopovers at Vancouver, B.C., Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon before coming to the London area south of Cottage Grove where Clifford and June attended school in 1927. Tom Williams went to work helping construct about seven miles of railway for W.A. Woodard Lumber Company. The railroad crossed the county road and ran east of the mill at Camp A. Phebe Williams worked at the Woodard cook house. In December, 1927 Mr. and Mrs. Williams bought a section of logged-off land from the Woodard Lumber Company. The land was the old Joseph Taylor homestead. The Williams family moved to Woodard's Camp B where they lived while they built their home near the site of the Camp B sawmill. Clifford and June started to school at the nearby Hebron School. There was little work in the Hebron area so Mr. Williams and his oldest son, Stuart, traveled to other areas to work, much of the time to Vancouver, Washington where Tom's brother-in-law lived. Both men could operate steam shovels. One summer they worked at Dufur. Another summer Tom worked on the Bonneville Dam. Phebe Williams stayed at home to look after the ranch and keep the children in school. She loved entertaining in her home. Neighbors and friends were often invited to parties and dances. All three of Tom and Phebe Williams' children had musical talent. Stuart played several musical instruments. I believe they included the violin, guitar, and piano. Clifford made beautiful music on a harmonica. June was an accomplished pianist. All of them played for country dances. Their mother often called for quadrilles at the dances. One of my pleasant childhood memories was of Phebe Williams singing the calls for the "Waltz Quadrille". In February, 1931, Thomas Williams became a naturalized American citizen. His witnesses were John Kebelbeck and Oliver Nichols. When Stuart married in 1935, and moved into the Williams family home, Phebe joined Tom at his work. After that all of the family used the ranch as headquarters when they weren't busy elsewhere. When Clifford married, he and his bride lived in the Belle Geer house for several months while they built a home near his parent's ranch. The Williams' homes were located west of the present-day Cottage Grove Lake and high above the water line. They were on the Williams Creek Road. June Williams graduated from the Hebron School in 1932 and from Cottage Grove High School in 1936. On November 29, 1936 June Williams and Elmer Hubbell were married in a lovely home wedding at the ranch. This marriage was to end in tragedy when, 4 1/2 years later, Elmer was killed when a truck bed fell on him as he was 251
assisting in repair work at his place of employment on highway construction on Sexton Mountain near Grants Pass. He left his wife and two children, Phebe Ann and Wilson. June married George Johnson May 23, 1942. They resided in Cottage Grove. Tragedy continued to stalk June's family. Her seven year old son, Wilson T. Hubbell, drowned July 4, 1947 while wading with his sister, "Dottie", and some other children in an arm of the Cottage Grove Lake at Williams Road. This was one of several victims that have been claimed by the lake. George and June Johnson and son, Grant, still resided in Cottage Grove when June died of cancer March 27, 1992, less than two months before George and June's 50th wedding anniversary. Among other places, June had worked for several years in the First National Bank of Cottage Grove, and was very active in organizations promoting her home town. Phebe Ann "Dotti" Hubbell Johnson Raasch resides in Wisconsin. June's adopted daughter, Harriet Roe, lives at LaPine. Stuart Williams was interested in gold mining in the Central Point area near Medford, Oregon. By the spring of 1940 he had mining equipment in operation there. He employed several men. His father, Tom Williams, was working with him. Stuart resides at Tiller, Oregon. Stuart's son, Gary, lives in Nevada and his daughter, Yvonne Marie Kirk, in Portland, Oregon. Clifford Williams was a logger, a high climber, an amateur boxer who won many bouts at local events, and a hunter. Then, on June 18, 1951, at the age of only 35, he met with a horrible accident. The announcement on the front page of the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL read as follows: "A logging accident at Cougar Bend Monday evening at 7 resulted in the injury of Clifford Williams. Williams' leg was crushed when he tried to get clear of a falling tree and got in the way of the caterpillar. Doctors amputated his leg at Cottage Grove Hospital Monday night." Clifford didn't give up and quit. He mastered the use of his artificial leg and began again to work. He now lives on a ranch near Redmond, Oregon where he has spent many hours on horseback, sometimes on long trail rides. His wife, Irene died there of cancer in March, 1993. Clifford's daughter, by an earlier marriage, Vivian Louise Williams McElmurry, lives at Myrtle Point, Oregon. His son, George Clifford Williams, died at Tiller, Oregon January 29, 1987. The parents, Tom and Phebe Williams drifted apart and were divorced in 1939. Phebe owned and operated the Cottage Grove Hotel and Restaurant for many years. June worked with her mother at the hotel. Tom remarried in 1940 at Medford to Margaret B. Watson. He died August 24, 1957 in Cottage Grove. Phebe became Mrs. John F. Rutter. She died in 1951 in an auto-train accident.
252
Ellsworth Henry Adelbert Ellsworth was born January 31, 1874 in Delmond, Iowa. He married Fannie Burdick at Britt, Iowa on May 29, 1898. A son, Frank B., was born to them on May 8, 1899. Henry, Fannie, and son came to Cottage Grove about 1916. Henry died at his home in Cottage Grove November 21, 1946 at the age of 73. He was survived by his wife of 48 years, his son Frank, and others. Frank's first wife, Clara, was born June 12, 1901 in Ola, Idaho. Frank and Clara were the parents of a daughter, Frances Marie, who was born at Cottage Grove, July 28, 1921. Frances attended London School. The Ellsworths resided at Weise's Camp in 1926 and 1927, in Woodard's Camp A in 1930 and 1931, and at various other locations in the London and Hebron districts, before moving back to Cottage Grove in July, 1935. Frances attended Cottage Grove High School where she and I graduated with the class of 1939. In our senior class day program we played one of many duets we had played on our violins, Dancla's Little Symphony No. 1. We never guessed it would be our last. Frances married LaVern Ewing, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Ewing, on January 7, 1940 in Vancouver, Washington. In December, 1941 LaVern and Frances were living at Culp Creek. Frances died of cancer September 13, 1943 in Cottage Grove at the age of 22. She was survived by her husband, a 19 month old daughter, Francalia K., and her father, Frank Ellsworth. Frances' mother, Clara Ellsworth, had preceded her in death on January 13, 1938 at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon at the age of 36. Frances and her mother are both buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove. Frank Ellsworth was married a second time. He wed Lucille Kivett in Myrtle Point, Oregon, September 2, 1956. They resided at Winston, Oregon. They later returned to Cottage Grove, residing on North 10th Street. Frank passed away at the Cottage Grove Hospital September 9, 1964 at the age of 65. Lucille died March 20, 1965. They are buried at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene.
Rohde Henry Rohde was born October 23, 1886 in Bennington, Nebraska. Elizabeth R. Fahrenwald was born September 27, 1884 in South Dakota. Henry and Elizabeth were married in Cottage Grove, Oregon May 17, 1911. The Rohdes had two daughters, Elizabeth and Viola, when the family moved to Camp A in the fall of 1929 and stayed two years, living in one of the big camp houses on London Road. When Henry Rohde died at his Cottage Grove home of a heart attack January 16, 1950, his obituary said he had been a resident of the Cottage Grove area for 40 years. He had owned a mechanic shop in Cottage Grove. When Elizabeth Rohde died in Seattle, Washington March 11, 1972 at the age of 77, she was survived by her two daughters, Elizabeth Harris of Canby, Oregon and Viola Baker of Seattle. 253
Banton January 26, 1930 Mr. and Mrs. Glen Banton moved from Cottage Grove to Camp A. Glen and Esther Banton were local people as seen by this newspaper item about their July 4, 1926 wedding: "Miss Mary Esther Longfellow became the bride of R. Glen Banton at a pretty wedding held Sunday at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Longfellow......." Glen was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Banton. Glen worked as a timber faller and bucker for Woodards, and later as a bullbuck or boss of the timber cutters. Glen and Esther had five children: Jimmy, Mary Ann, Barbara, Donald, and Tommy. Esther wrote, "We moved from Camp A to a house above London.....I believe it was before Jimmy started to school in the first grade, approximately 1933. We moved to Cottage Grove, I think in 1959, and lived there until moving to Lakeside in 1966." Barbara Banton Garrelts of Springfield, Oregon died February 3, 1970 at the age of 39. She had five children. Raymond Glen Banton of Lakeside, Oregon died at Coos Bay April 29, 1994 at the age of 89. He was born November 20, 1904 at Alsea, Oregon. The oldest son, James "Jimmy", died in Wichita, Kansas January 29, 1995 at the age of 67. Esther wrote that Glen, Barbara, and Jimmy all died of cancer. Esther moved from Lakeside to Lakeview, Oregon in 1996. She died October 14, 1996 at the age of 87.
E. Williams Ellis I. Williams, son of Sid and Kate Williams, was born in Wharton, Pennsylvania. He came to Oregon as a child, with his parents. The family first lived at Curtin. The parents later bought part of the Cooley place south of Cottage Grove. They moved several times. Ellis attended school at Latham, Dorena, Mt. View, Waldon, and Wildwood. He remembered the Mt. View School as a one-room log cabin that was set back farther on the hill than was the later school. Ellis' mother, Kate, died in 1913. At the age of 15 Ellis got his first job firing a donkey at a logging site at Rujada. During World War I Ellis served his country in the United States Army as a cook, joining the Army March 18, 1918 and being honorably discharged July 5, 1919. During World War II he served in the Cottage Grove Militia under Captain LaSalle Stewart. In 1923 Ellis purchased a house at 1409 Washington, Cottage Grove, Oregon from his uncle, Frank Secrist. He thought the house was built about 1900. When Ellis went to work for Fischer Lumber Company in Marcola, he met a pretty young lady named Florence Ruby Spicer Condos. Florence's parents, Earnest and Glena Spicer, born in South Carolina and Indiana, had come to Marcola at an earlier date. Florence was born at Marcola. Ellis and Florence were married by a Cottage Grove judge on July 17, 1933. The newlyweds moved into one of Woodard's little Camp A cabins. They didn't remember that they had electricity at that time. Ellis, more commonly known as "Chink", worked on the rigging in Woodard's logging. When I asked Ellis about the nickname, thinking it had probably been given to him by other loggers, he replied that he had been called "Chink" since childhood, probably because he liked rice so much. 254
The young couple only lived in the camp about six months before moving to his house in Cottage Grove. They said the Cottage Grove house had electricity when they moved there. It consisted of a bare bulb suspended on a long cord in the center of each room. Florence was the mother of three children by a previous marriage: Vangie (Mrs. Richard Thies) of Enterprise, Oregon; Lavonne Condos of Lebanon, Oregon; and Gene Williams, a son who died of cancer leaving a family of four children. Ellis Williams worked in the logging woods for 48 years before retiring. He felt very lucky never to have received a serious, disabling injury. Ellis and Florence celebrated 61 years of married life on July 17, 1994. Ellis Williams died November 17, 1994 from cancer. He was 93. Florence Williams died less than six months later, on May 6, 1995 of heart failure. She was 87. They are buried in Fir Grove Cemetery in Cottage Grove.
Levins Grant Levins was born in Drain, Oregon on March 29, 1910. He attended Elkton schools and studied at the U. of O.. He married Maurine Mattoon in Drain on March 22, 1936. In July, 1937 Mr. and Mrs. Levins moved to Camp A from Drain. He worked at Woodard's mill. According to the milk delivery records, they would stay about three years and two months before returning to Drain. During World War II Grant worked in the Portland shipyards. After the war the family lived in Springfield, Oregon for several years. In 1952 they returned to Drain where Grant worked as a mill worker and logger for Woolley Enterprises, Inc. until his retirement in 1974. Grant helped found the Umpqua Community College in 1961 and served 19 years on the board of directors and seven years on its budget committee. He was first elected Mayor of Drain in 1980 and served in that capacity until his death November 9, 1992 at the age of 82. He received many honors for his community service. Three days before his death, he celebrated the city of Drain's first "Grant Levins Day." A lovely little park in Drain is named in his honor. He was survived by his wife, Maurine, and a daughter, Judy.
255
Crabb Glenn and Bernice Crabb were married April 3, 1939 in Eugene, Oregon. They were residents of Camp A for some time, being among the last to leave. I believe they moved from Camp A to Woodard's Latham camp houses during the summer of 1941. Glenn worked for Woodards as a log scaler and he ran the unloading donkey. While at Camp A, Bernice was active in the Friendly Neighbors Club and in the P.T.A.. Glenn was an excellent photographer. He did his own developing and printing. He took some treasured pictures of our baby daughter. Glenn and Bernice had two children, a daughter, Shari, and a son, Gary. The Crabbs moved to Roseburg in 1952. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there in April, 1989. Their daughter Shari, married Henry D. Hayes on January 10, 1954.
256
CHAPTER XV OTHERS OF THE 1930's Tison The Tisons lived at Thornton Corners when I first read of them visiting often at the Fuhrer home at Hebron. Perhaps they were relatives; but I think just good friends. Virginia Belle Tison died September 25, 1930 and was buried at Roseburg. A May 13, 1931 item told us that M.M. Tison was moving his household goods to the F.C. Fuhrer place where he would make his home. That same month, we read that M.M. Tison and crew were clearing right-of-way for Copco (California-Oregon Power Company) high power lines from Roseburg and Myrtle Creek. Lester and Leonard Gilcrist and Philip Hersey were on the crew. In the summer of 1931 M.M. Tison and a crew of six men were working on the power line in Shoestring Valley. Not only was Mose Tison an expert electrician, he also created many beautiful objects in his woodworking shop. Many fortunate neighbors could attest to that fact. Mose M. Tison, age 75, a late resident of Lakeside, Oregon was buried in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery at Roseburg July 31, 1957.
Earl Johnson The Archie Gilham family had some fine neighbors for about four years when the Earl Johnson family lived in the old Powell house, sometimes referred to as the Kappauf place, on Wilson Creek. The Johnsons came from Sutherlin, Oregon in October, 1931, and immediately began taking part in neighborhood affairs. Their four girls were: Lucille, 14; Edna, 10; Shirley, 6; and Earline, 2. Edna and Shirley attended Hebron School. I think Lucille was in high school. The entire family was well-liked. In the fall of 1934 Mrs. Johnson's father, Mr. Girch, came to make his home with her. That fall, Earl Johnson purchased the old Lorane school bus and began transporting high school pupils between Black Butte and the Cottage Grove High School. However, a November, 1934 item said, " Mr. Johnson has given up driving the high school bus and some of the pupils have had to leave school because of no way to get there. In October, 1935 Earl Johnson moved his family to Donna to make their home. Edna, who had started attending Cottage Grove High School before the family moved away, graduated from Mohawk High School at Marcola in May, 1939. Edna later married Martin A. Tengs in Alaska. Lucille Johnson married Loren Andrew McPherson October 25, 1936 in Eugene. When Loran passed away he was survived by Lucille and two children. I know nothing of the other two Johnson girls.
257
Raisor Jacob W. Raisor was born in Longridge, Kentucky February 19, 1891. Mary Alice Barrett was born June 3, 1895 in Randolph, Nebraska. Jacob and Mary were married June 15, 1915 at Randolph, Nebraska. Their oldest child, a girl, died when only a week old. Three more children, Gerald, Esther, and Erma, were born in Iowa. Then the family moved to Nebraska where seven more children were born: Leonard, Ralph, Bessie, James "Jimmy", Elsie, Robert, and Doris. "Jake" and Mary Raisor then accomplished a feat that I would have thought was impossible. They loaded their ten children into a Reo touring car and headed west to Oregon. They arrived at Woodard's Camp A mill May 6, 1932. Here they met Alonzo Sugg, the night watchman. Jake's brother, Robert, had made arrangements for Chet Gilham to meet Jake and his family and guide them to Robert's homestead in the London district. Although she couldn't guess it then, Bessie Raisor met her future father-in-law when she met Chet Gilham. The long trip to Oregon was over; but when little Elsie first saw her uncle's house, she exclaimed, "This isn't Oregon. It's just a house!" Jake and Mary's son, Gerald, died in the London area in February, 1933; and a daughter was born there in June. The Raisor family moved to the area now covered by the Cottage Grove Lake, but still in the London district, about September, 1933. The children attended London School. Another little girl was born here. The family later moved to Cottage Grove where another girl was born; then returned to the London district where the 15th and last child, a girl, was born. A son, Leonard, died in California in 1956. A daughter, Mrs. Esther Sharrah, died in Washington in 1990. The eleven surviving children are three boys: Ralph, Jimmy, and Robert; and eight girls: Erma (Mrs. Robert Collins), Bessie (Mrs. Ralph Gilham), Elsie (Mrs. Donald Massey), Doris (Mrs. Don Magnusson), Ruth (Mrs. Norman Brown), Leota (Mrs. Lloyd Stumbo), Bonnie (Mrs. James Pynch), and Rita (Mrs. Jackie Ladd). This is an unusually close-knit family in which the brothers and sisters are truly friends, sharing lots of happy times as well as being there for one another in times of trouble. One of the sisters remarked, "Some of my best friends are my sisters." I think Jake and Mary Raisor did a fine job rearing their large family. Jake Raisor died December 23, 1976 at Cottage Grove, Oregon. He was 85. Mary Raisor died July 18, 1988 at the age of 93. They are buried in Fir Grove Cemetery near Cottage Grove.
Bacchus 1934 and 1935- Mr. and Mrs. Leslie J. Bacchus lived on Cedar Creek. They had at least five children: Nancy, Myra Belle, Leslie, Dolores, and Jimmy. Mr. and Mrs. Herschel Bacchus also lived on Cedar Creek sometime in the 1930's.
258
Heath Judah Addison Heath was born in Cottage Grove September 14, 1899, the son of William and Alice Heath. Mabel Wright, daughter of John and Catharine Wright, was born April 18, 1905. Add Heath and Mabel Wright were married November 18, 1924 at Eugene. They moved to Hebron in the spring of 1934. A son, Addison Heath, Jr. was born March 6, 1927 at Goshen, Oregon. The first mention I found of the Heath family in the Hebron news was an item announcing the birth of a son, Wilbur, September 27, 1928. In May, 1931 mention was made of Mrs. Add Heath's father, John Wright of Phoenix; but in November, 1935 Mr. Wright was in Walker, Oregon. A July, 1933 item said Add Heath had killed a rattlesnake in the N.W. White pasture. In February, 1934, Add was in the news for killing a cougar back of the Piper barn. In May, 1935 Add's dogs chased a bear across the river at the Alfred White place. A September, 1933 item said Add and Mabel would move into the old Whitney house soon. On November 24, 1934 a daughter, Catharine, was born to the Addison Heaths. September 9, 1936 brought the addition of a son, Richard Harold. In December of that year, the paper announced that the Heaths had moved from the old Whitney house to the Albert Ward house near the southeast corner of the Hebron bridge. The two older Heath boys, Addison and Wilbur, attended Hebron School until it was closed because of the dam. Catherine and Richard were too young to attend the old school. Mabel Heath was a tireless worker for her family and for the good of the Hebron community. She was on the board of directors of the last year of Hebron School and helped with 4-H clubs. She was also a long-time member of the Hebron Jolly Workers Club, serving as secretary-treasurer in 1932 and 1933, and again in 1939, 1940, and 1941. She was in the cast of at least two plays presented by the Jolly Workers. In 1930 the play was "Always in Trouble", and in 1932, "The Poor Married Man." Mabel also served as secretary-treasurer for the Coast Fork Telephone Company. In 1935 Add Heath formed a small business with Fred Patten called the Patten and Heath Logging Company. They had a single home-made yarder built from a converted Sterling truck. They logged for W.A. Woodard. In December, 1936 Fred Patten died of an accidental gunshot wound, leaving Add Heath to carry on with the Lumber Company. Fred's son, Ivan, joined the company in 1946, later finding employment elsewhere. Addison Heath, Jr. joined the business in 1948 and the business became the Heath Logging Company. Another son, Wilbur, joined the business in 1950; son-in-law, Milton Levings, joined in 1955; and the third son, Richard Heath, joined in 1972. Add and Mabel Heath built a pretty home near London Road north of the Cottage Grove Dam. Before Add retired in 1974, the Heath Logging Company had become a very successful business, which his three sons and his son-in-law still maintain. Add and Mabel sold their home to their son-in-law and daughter and moved to Sisters, Oregon where they lived for eight years before returning to London Road south of Cottage Grove. Judah Addison "Pappy" Heath died March 12, 1984 at the age of 84. He and Mabel had been married more than 59 years. Mabel stayed on in their home. She celebrated her 91st birthday on April 18, 1996. 259
Addison Heath, Jr. married Dorothy Speck. They reside near Reservoir Road north of the Cottage Grove Dam. Wilbur Heath married Catherine Getty. They reside in Cottage Grove. Catharine Heath married Milton Levings. They reside in the pretty home built by her parents. Dick Heath purchased the old Clyde Clark home on Cedar Creek and makes his home there.
Abeene Ivan Allen Abeene was born March 11, 1902 in Sumas, Washington. He was the son of Joseph and Mary Belle "May" (Gilham) Abeene. Coming to the Cottage Grove area in the early 1900's, the Abeene family moved around a lot; but they were in Hebron most of the time from the fall of 1908 until the spring of 1911. Ivan and his siblings attended the old Hebron School. Mary Lois Small was born November 17, 1901 in the London area. She was a descendant of two of the area's pioneer families, the Smalls who settled a little way south of Hebron in the London district, and the Powells who were early settlers in the Hebron area. Lois' paternal grandparents were William and Ann (Cooley) Small. Her maternal grandparents were Alexander H. and Mary Anne (McKnight) Powell. Her parents were George Alexander Small and Florence (Powell) Small. Ivan and Lois were married July 22, 1920 in Eugene, Oregon. They were the parents of six children: Winona May, Evelyn Irene, Ivan Allen, Jr., Marianne, Gary D., and Norman. The July 6, 1930 news told us the Ivan Abeene family had moved to Camp A. They had purchased milk earlier that year. I remember that they once lived at the old Perini mill site which was located on the milk route to Camp A. Perhaps that is where they were living when they made the first milk purchases. The Abeenes lived mainly in the London district until 1934 when the news told us that Ivan Abeene was building an addition to the house he recently purchased from Mrs. Nancy McCoy. In June, 1934 the Ivan Abeene family became valuable members of the Hebron community. Ivan served at least four years on the Hebron school board. Lois, with her beautiful singing voice, was welcomed at many local functions. She also sang at many funerals. Later, in 1962, Lois was named Woman of the Year in Cottage Grove. The Abeene children were active in Hebron School and 4-H clubs. All of the children were born in the Cottage Grove area. Winona May Abeene graduated from the 8th grade at Hebron School; then graduated from Cottage Grove High School with the class of 1939. Winona married Clarence A. (Bob) Bloom November 27, 1940 at Vancouver, Washington. They lived in the Hebron and Cottage Grove areas until moving to Eugene in the 1950's. Winona died at Eugene July 11, 1986 at the age of 65. She and Bob had been married 44 years. They had three sons. Bob died June 13, 1988 at Eugene at the age of 71. Evelyn Irene Abeene married Fred L. Darby on August 7, 1944 at Vancouver, Washington. The couple lived in Portland, Cottage Grove, and Roseburg, before 260
settling in Corvallis in 1953. Evelyn died at her Corvallis home September 27, 1995 at the age of 73. Ivan Allen Abeene, Jr., enlisted with the U.S. Marines March 1, 1944, serving his country in the South Pacific during World War II. The news said he was with the Marines at Iwo Jima. A March 9, 1946 item said, " Corporal Ivan A. Abeene, Jr. was discharged after 26 months in the Marine Corps, 21 of those months in the South Pacific." Ivan Allen Abeene, Jr. married Jennie Maxine Allen October 11, 1947 at Vancouver, Washington. They reside in Cottage Grove. Marianne Lee Abeene married Ora Dean Addington April 21, 1946 at Cottage Grove. Dean had just been discharged from the service after three years spent in the navy. Dean and Marianne have recently celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary with a lovely reception hosted by their three children. Gary Dennis Abeene died February 28, 1960 at the Cottage Grove Hospital. He was only 26 years old. Norman Harold Abeene married Claudette Az at Reno, Nevada October 16, 1954. They were later divorced. Norman died April 1, 1993 at the age of 56. Ivan Allen Abeene, Sr. died October 20, 1978 at the age of 76. Mary Lois Abeene died February 12, 1983 at the age of 81. Both were lifelong residents of the Cottage Grove area. They had celebrated more than 58 years of marriage before his death. They are buried in the Small Cemetery south of London.
Doran I remember a Doran family who lived somewhere in Hebron the term I was in the 8th grade, 1934 - 1935. There were two boys, Paul and Joe, and, I believe, an older sister, Dorothy. The father's name was Ed. I either made an error in the Doran daughter's name, or there were two girls, or the following item applied to a different Doran family, which I doubt: The COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL, Hebron, December 4, 1934- "Mr. and Mrs. Doran gave a wedding dinner Thanksgiving day honoring their daughter, Veronica and Armand Riggs, who were married November 28." The Dorans moved from Hebron to the Finley place on Cedar Creek. An October, 1936 item said the Doran family moved from the Finley place to near Walker. Years later I found that Pvt. Paul A. Doran was discharged from the service. He had served his country during World War II. I imagine Paul's younger brother, Joe, may have been too young to go to war.
261
Richardson John Richardson of Canby traded his Canby property to Jesse Culver for the Culver property in Hebron, which was located near the present dam tender's station. The John Richardson family arrived at Hebron in January, 1935. The children were: Effie, Guss, Ira, and Guy. Beth Richardson, of Portland, visited her parents that year. Effie Richardson began riding her bicycle to high school in town but, in October, she was staying in town to attend school. That month John Richardson rented the Barkemeyer place. In August and September, 1936, Beth Richardson spent a month at Hebron visiting her parents before returning to her work at Portland. In July, 1937 John Richardson sold his place and, in August, the paper said John had bought lots in Springfield and would build there. In September, 1937 the house was built and the Richardsons moved to Springfield. They had lived at Hebron a little less than two years; but they had made quite an impression on the young people of the community. The Richardson boys served their country during World War II. The paper said Guss graduated from Springfield High School in 1941. He enlisted in 1941. Ira, employed by Willamette Iron and Steel in Portland, joined the merchant marines in August, 1943. Guy S. Richardson joined the service in February, 1942.
Merrell The Merrell family: father Glenn; mother Lura; two sons, Keith and Ovid; and two daughters, Thelma and Nelda, arrived on Cedar Creek in 1936. They resided on the old May place. The young people were soon to be a vital part of the community. We were sorry to see them go when the paper announced, in May, 1937, that Mr. and Mrs. Glenn R. Merrell had purchased a house on South River Road in Cottage Grove. Mr. Merrell was Chief of Police in Cottage Grove; so the new location was much more convenient. The young people kept in touch with their friends at Cedar Creek and Hebron. A great tragedy befell the family when Ovid was killed. The newspaper article said, "Ovid Merrell of Cottage Grove, 23 year old Booth-Kelly logger, was crushed to death October 10, 1938 at Camp No. 5, 14 miles east of Wendling when a log broke loose on a hillside and rolled into one of two timbers between which Merrell was working. Ovid Glenwood Merrell, born November 9, 1915 at Lake Odessa, Michigan, spent most of his life in California, graduating from Glendale high school...." Thelma Merrell married Wayne Gates February 5, 1939 at Cottage Grove. Wayne worked with his father, George Gates, owner of Gates Meat Market. Wayne and Thelma lived on Gowdyville Road. By 1951 they owned and operated the Wayne Gates Meat Company. Wayne Gates died April 9, 1984 at the age of 66. Thelma still resides in Cottage Grove. In July, 1944 Keith Merrell was training at Yale University to be a second lieutenant in the Army Air Force. He remained in the Air Force until retirement. He now resides in Florida. Nelda Merrell married Stanley Daugherty and resides east of Goshen, Oregon. 262
Blue A November, 1936 SENTINEL said, "Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Blue, recently from Oklahoma, moved to the Lockwood house vacated by Harold Radway." This was in Hebron. In the spring of 1937 the Blues purchased the Stein place on Cedar Creek and moved there. They owned a dairy ranch. This began several years of residency on Cedar Creek. The children: Maxine, Bryan, and Charles, attended London School. The SENTINEL said, "The Jesse Blue family gave a Halloween party at their home on Cedar Creek." That was in 1940. In April, 1942 the Blues sold their cows and milk route to Willis Garman. The London news in a May, 1942 SENTINEL said Maxine led the 4-H motto and pledge on 4-H Achievement Day. She also had exhibits in homemaking and clothing. In November, 1942 Maxine was elected secretary of a 4-H clothing club at London. Jessie B. Blue died in Cottage Grove December 29, 1991 at the age of 83. He was survived by his wife and three children, Maxine Blue Reeve, Bryan, and Charles Blue.
Ritchey 1937 - 1940 Mr. and Mrs. A.H. "Ab" Ritchey and children, Viola and Chester Harriman, lived at Hebron.
William Simons William E. "Bill" Simons was born January 1, 1893 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Mary M. White was born December 27, 1898 in Oregon City, Oregon. Bill and Mary were married October 8, 1915 in Oregon City. The Simons family: mother, father, and seven children: Walter, Edgar, Clarence, Gladys, John, Betty June, and Howard were at Hebron in 1938. A newspaper article said Howard was a new pupil at Hebron School in September, 1939. The August 15, 1940 SENTINEL said, "The William Simons family moved to the Earnest Heaton homestead on Cedar Creek recently.: This move transferred the children to the London School. 1. Walter Simons married Mabel Fontaine in Eugene, Oregon January 25, 1941. We helped charivari them at his parent's home on Cedar Creek. Together they reared a family before Mabel died of cancer. Walter resides at Winchester Bay. 2. Pvt. William Edgar Simons was killed November 15, 1943 during World War II. 3. Clarence Simons married a neighbor girl, Lois Tullar, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Tullar, on May 13, 1942. They reared a family of four, two boys and two girls, before Lois' untimely death in 1973. Clarence passed away March 24, 1995 of heart failure. Lois and Clarence are buried in the Bemis Cemetery near London, south of 263
Cottage Grove. Clarence had worked on the Cottage Grove Dam as it was being constructed. 4. Gladys Simons married Ele Thornbrough. She resides in Eugene. 5. John Simons resided at Post, Oregon in July, 1980; at Eugene in December, 1986. His name was not listed in Clarence's obituary in March, 1995. 6. Betty June Simons married James Henry Humphrey, and later, a Mr. Painter. She also resides in Eugene. 7. Howard Simons married first Marlys Pruitt "Molly", and second, Marjorie Williams Lansing. Howard and Marjorie live in Springfield. The father, William E. Simons, died at his home in Cottage Grove July 26, 1980 at the age of 87. Mary Simons died December 23, 1986, also at the age of 87. Both are buried in Fir Grove Cemetery at Cottage Grove. Denney One of the most unusual ways of obtaining property in the Hebron area was related to me by Grace Denney Harlow. The Denney family was renting a home at Latham south of Cottage Grove when they attended family night at the Arcade Theater in Cottage Grove. One of the door prizes given away that night was $100 cash. Grace was the lucky winner. The next day an ad appeared in the Sentinel offering a country home for sale with only $100 down plus monthly payments. The Denneys had a new home! The December, 1938 SENTINEL said the Denney family owned the E.J. Edwards place. Later, when William Denney developed heart trouble, the family moved to Cottage Grove. A daughter, Irene Humphrey, was registered in the Hebron School district in October, 1939. She attended Latham School, then Cottage Grove High School. Grace was a well-liked member of the Hebron Jolly Workers Club. She still resides in Cottage Grove at the age of 94. Grace and her husband, Kenneth Harlow, worked for years with the floral division of the Western Oregon Exposition at Cottage Grove. Makinson 1938 - 1939- The October, 1938 London news said the Oral Makinson family moved to a home near Hebron. Oral and Nolan Makinson transferred to the Hebron School.
264
CHAPTER XVI HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED When I look back on the 1920's and 1930's I realize how much times have changed, and not always for the better. There was a lot more trust. We didn't lock our doors. In fact, many of us didn't even have locks on our doors. If someone needed to use our phone while we were away from home, they just walked in and used it. The COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL often told when people would be away on trips. There was little chance of a burglary. If a neighbor got a new car, it was announced in the newspaper. We were all glad. If, on the other hand, a neighbor's child was sick or another neighbor's horse died, we offered sympathy and, if possible, help. We knew our neighbors. They were our friends. We shared our happiness, our good times, our worldly goods, our work, our worries, our sorrows and our fears. When a neighbor died, the neighborhood men dug the grave, carried the casket, then filled the grave. If a dead man left a widow and children, there would be help. Crops would be harvested and wood gathered for winter fires. Women would bring food and be sure the children were warmly clothed. All of this in spite of a schedule of work that almost seemed overwhelming. We celebrated the birth of Christ at Christmas time and the Resurrection at Easter. No one told us we couldn't or shouldn't. We saluted the flag in school and studied the meaning of patriotism. We were taught the Golden Rule. If only the whole world would follow the Golden Rule today, how much better the world would be! Everything moved at a slower pace, even though the people worked very hard. People didn't "drive" to Cottage Grove in those days. Each week the newspaper reported who had "motored to the Grove" the previous week. When a horse or cow died or a hunting dog was lost, it was reported in the newspaper. Almost every week as the Kebelbeck families attended Catholic Church in Cottage Grove, it was noted in the paper. All visitors to the Hebron Church were duly reported even though they attended week after week. When a neighborhood man killed a wild animal it was noted in the SENTINEL. Within a period of about 1 1/2 years, it was reported that J.A. Powell had killed two porcupines, a bobcat, a bear, and two coyotes. Every rattlesnake killed, and there were several, was duly reported. Unusual produce such as the 32 inch mushroom in Emma Kelley's yard, or Mrs. Fuhrer's hen laying double-yoked eggs, was sure to be found in the SENTINEL. Even the first ladyslipper found in the area each spring was reported. At least three men who broke their arms while cranking the old-time cars got their names in the paper. They were Archie Gilham, Chester Gilham, and Fred Overton. My mother, Mrs. Archie Gilham, even was mentioned for having "burned a bearing out of her new Chrysler." Each sickness or injury was reported. Every new baby was announced. Every death of a community member or of a person who had once been a member of the community was noted. When someone moved, a young person went away to college or a visitor came to the area, we read about it in the SENTINEL 265
Nosey? Well, maybe; but it generated a feeling of closeness, of community spirit, that most people don't share in this day and age. After all, if you have nothing shameful to hide, why worry about who knows where you were or what you were doing? Do you ever wonder about the past weather conditions in our area? For instance, a December 22, 1924 article said, " The extreme cold of the past week has caused the Coast Fork to freeze over for the first time in many years. In the cold snap five years ago when the temperature was down to three degrees below zero, the same as the low mark established last week, other streams in the vicinity froze over but the Coast Fork did not." A June, 1938 Hebron article told us, "On the morning of June 9 ice was found at two homes and garden plants were frozen." Then, on July 19, 1938, "At Hebron the temperature reached 100 degrees on Thursday of last week." Never say, "That kind of weather can't happen here"; because it usually already has, and some alert reporter made a note of it. Is it any wonder that people who left the community still subscribed to the Sentinel? It was like a letter from home. Most of the time in the early days the reporters didn't even have their own by-line. There was little pay, often just a subscription to the Sentinel. At this point I would like to return to the time of World War I to see what the reporters had to tell us of Hebron's involvement in the war. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, although the United States declared war on Germany April 6, 1917, it took many months for the United States to get an army in the field. However, the good folks of Hebron immediately got busy. By June, 1917, "Several were out from Cottage Grove to attend the Red Cross lecture at the Hebron church." Hebron residents donated to the Red Cross, worked hard on membership drives and did sewing or whatever needed to be done. Local young men began enlisting in the service. Most were sent to Fort Stevens, Oregon. Soon, "The Ladies' club sent a box of dainties to our soldier boys at Fort Stevens." The following item told a tale of the difference between "then" and "now": "A coop of chickens, a big cake, a box of cookies and grapes were shipped from here Friday to our boys at Fort Stevens." Some of the "boys" who were mentioned as being in the service were Vinal Randall, Norval Powell, Abner Gilcrist, Charles Fuhrer, and Mrs. Kappauf's brother, Edward McLean. I don't think Edward lived at Hebron. The Red Cross met regularly at the home of Mrs. Jessie Gilcrist. In April, 1919 the Hebron School was presented with a service flag bearing nine blue stars and one gold star. I didn't find a list of the names represented by the stars. That is one of the few times a reporter has failed to give me the information I needed. They did tell me that a banquet was held in May, 1919 to celebrate the homecoming of the "soldier boys". I cannot close this chapter without once again paying tribute to those good people who "wrote the news" each week, bringing neighbors together and leaving a record for future generations. I miss the old-time local news columns in the newspaper. Yes, times have certainly changed.
266
CHAPTER XVII THE DAM The Cottage Grove Dam When word came to the residents of Hebron that a flood control dam might be constructed in the area, that dam became the main topic of conversation. Gradually the people realized what a terrible upheaval would take place in the lives of the residents if the dam was built. They didn't realize then that the government would even wipe the name, "Hebron", off the maps. The first mention I found in the COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL of a dam in the Cottage Grove area was in July of 1935. It said, "The efforts of the chamber of commerce to bring about flood control of the Coast Fork with federal funds probably will be advanced by the appropriation Wednesday by Congress of $200,000 for a survey of the Willamette and all its tributaries for the purpose of flood control." In February of 1936 it was announced that the Cottage Grove area was being considered for two of seven flood control dams of the Willamette, one on the Coast Fork and one on Row River. A year later, in February, 1937, meetings were held in Salem and Eugene to discuss the dam projects that were receiving consideration in Washington. The dams were expected to serve four purposes: flood control, power, irrigation, and drainage. It was said that Army engineers had spent more than a half million dollars on a survey of flood conditions in the valley. The Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce had been asking for flood control. When they discovered that the flood control plan for the area would require the expenditure of huge sums of money, they favored the project more than ever. By December of 1937, the Oregon State Planning Board decided the proposed flood control dams were justified, especially in view of the fact that there had been a population explosion in the valley since 1930. By December, 1938, people were getting impatient at the "seeming inaction"; but they were told that the project was five years ahead of schedule. It was predicted that actual construction would begin by September, 1939. The two dams of the upper basin, known as the Dorena and Cottage Grove Reservoirs, were regarded as the most important of the series of proposed dams as they were located in the head waters of the basin. They were also the smallest of the seven dams. In March, 1939, testing of the soil at the damsites was continuing. Hearings were to be held in Washington, D.C. on appropriations for rivers, harbors, and flood control. A shot-drilling machine was moved to the Cottage Grove dam site to further test the soil. It drilled nine three-inch holes twenty-five feet through solid rock. When the district engineer visited Hebron Grange to talk about the proposed dams, he reminded his listeners that if there should be another flood like that which occurred in 1861, Cottage Grove would be under 8 to 13 feet of water. When the "go ahead" signal was issued by the congressional conference committee, Lane County celebrated with a big banquet at the Osborne Hotel in Eugene. Thirty engineers began surveying the shore line of the proposed Cottage Grove Reservoir. The highway had to be rerouted before the actual construction of the dam could be started. By August three tunnels into the hillside at the Cottage Grove site had been completed. Testing was going forward. More men had been hired. Offers had been 267
made for the land in the area of the dam and future lake. Offers were said to range in the neighborhood of $50 per acre. The Hebron Grange protested the amount being offered, as did some residents. Finally, in January, 1941, jurors came by bus from Portland to view several tracts of land. They would settle the matter once and for all. The May 8, 1941 issue of the SENTINEL said, "Here's Where to Invest That Dam Money", and gave a list of properties available. The Army engineers rented the Hebron Grange hall from the Coast Fork local of the Farmers' Union and set up a small soil-testing laboratory there. In mid-September, 1939, the hall was destroyed by fire. Miss Kathryn Barkemeyer, proprietor of the nearby service station, called the Cottage Grove fire truck. It arrived only in time to save the Hebron school house which was located next door to the Grange hall. The value of lost government equipment and soil samples was estimated at $75,000. Testing continued on the damsite until about October 1, 1939. By the end of January, 1940, word leaked out that the engineers were investigating a site near London, approximately six miles south of the dam site tested at Hebron. For a few weeks there was a chance that the dam site would be moved to the new location. If that had happened, many lives would have been changed from the course which they would eventually take. In March, 1940 drilling operations were resumed at the original site. Plans were made to begin actual construction on July 1, 1940. The dam was to be completed by January 1, 1942. It was stated that the only thing that might stop the project would be for the United States to be suddenly plunged into war. In July Congress made the first plans for peacetime military conscription. A Portland firm was the low bidder on the project and work began July 31, 1940. The actual work of diverting the course of the river from its original channel through a field to the west would begin August 21, at which time the dismantling of the Woodard lumber flume was to be completed. In August flood lights were installed and three shifts of men extended the work around the clock. The lights apparently confused a flock of migrating wild geese. They circled the area for some time at a low level. An interesting sidelight of the dam building era occurred when some of the engineers went into area orchards to pick apples for the needy. A group of W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) workers cleared the basin of brush and trees. Many, many trees, some of them quite large, were cut and burned. Gravel was transported from a pit east of Cottage Grove. The old Black Butte Road that ran through the basin area was closed forever about May 1, 1941; but remnants of it may still be seen when the level of the lake is low. In July, 1941, the newspaper said bridge and culvert work on the road on the west side of the basin was finished, a steel bridge on the south end of the lake completed and actual roadwork was begun. It was being graveled in August. Another road would be built on the east side of the lake. Grading was being done in August. Both highways had been graded and graveled by mid-October, with the exception of the stretch of road from the dam north to the new bridge they had constructed there. An extremely bad rainstorm struck during the first half of November, 1941, at which time this writer was in a Cottage Grove maternity home with a new baby. For awhile, there was some doubt as to whether my husband would be able to reach us to take us home November 14 because of the high water. We did make it O.K. We weren't the only people who were nervous that day. The newspaper said, "Of the total three day 268
rainfall amounting to 5.90 inches, most of the water fell within a twelve hour period near the date of the 14th." There were rumors that flood waters behind the unfinished Cottage Grove Dam posed a threat to residents below the dam. Water covered about one fourth of the basin, "but the dam itself was never in danger." Instead of endangering Cottage Grove, the dam had, in reality, saved the town from serious flooding. This was the first of many times when it would prevent flooding. The Dorena Dam wasn't as far along as was the Cottage Grove Dam; so it didn't protect the area below it as it would in future years. The greatest damage occurred from Goshen to Springfield Junction where highway traffic was stopped for several hours. Northbound traffic from Cottage Grove was routed over the Lorane Mountain. Homes were flooded, pastures were badly damaged and water cut a fifty foot strip through the dump ground east of Cottage Grove, thus causing sanitary problems down river, especially in the Goshen-West Springfield area. A warning was issued regarding the water supply. Rain at Black Butte had totaled more than seven inches on November 14, 15, and 16, 1941, more than an inch above the total reported at Cottage Grove. This seven inches made its way down the Coast Fork. The unfinished Cottage Grove Dam had proven its worth. Construction of the dam almost came to a standstill, first because of the rain, then, in January, a silver thaw, followed by more rain. Finally, in May, 1942, work sped up and the final phase of the dam building began in earnest. In July, the road on the west side of the lake was given a coat of oil which cut down on the dust. The road was completed in the fall. Once again the dam saved Cottage Grove from serious flooding(although some basements flooded) when 20 to 21 inches of rain fell between November 1 and December 9, 1942. The rains continued. On December 31 traffic was virtually at a standstill from Roseburg to Albany but, according to the SENTINEL, "the Coast Fork running through town (Cottage Grove) has been controlled by the Hebron Dam." Most of the local flooding was caused by surface water. On January 7, 1943, headlines stated, "Valley Counts Cost of Worst Flood in 50 Years. City Saved by Cottage Grove Dam, but Row River on Rampage. 45,000 Acres Farm Land Damaged." The article stated that elsewhere traffic was halted, livestock drowned, bridges and fences washed out and railroads were damaged. The hardest hit community was the Glenwood-Springfield area where areas were "inundated to a depth of four to six feet. Small houses were floated away, streets and roadways were washed out and debris scattered over several hundred acres. Traffic on Highway 99 from Roseburg to Portland was stopped for two days by high water.....Eight feet of water was reported over the highway at Judkins point, just south of Eugene city limit." Wasn't it too bad that the rest of the flood control dams had not been completed? Although several men were injured while working on the dam, I never heard of one being killed here. However, a 19 year old local man and a good friend, Hubert White, died when the gravel truck he was driving to haul gravel to the dam construction site was struck by a train at the railroad crossing south of Cottage Grove. Our country's participation in World War II had begun on December 7, 1941 with the bombing of Pearl Harbor; but in spite of earlier predictions, the dam was completed. More than seven years after the first mention in the newspapers, the first water 269
flowed over the spillway in May, 1943. It had been seven years of uncertainty and turmoil for the local citizens. Old friends had moved away. Familiar landmarks were destroyed. All traces of the valley's early settlers had been eradicated. As I think of familiar landmarks, I remember the beautiful neighborhood picnic grounds under the great old maples at the southwest corner of the Cedar Creek bridge. There, too, was the old swimming hole. I remember using a windlass that drew a bucket of cool, clear water from the old moss-covered well in our neighbor's back yard. I remember accompanying that same old neighbor each spring to pick some big red peonies that his pioneer mother had planted in her yard many years before, when she was a bride. I remember the long rows of apple trees that had been planted by one of the valley's earliest settlers, Joseph Taylor. I remember my husband's grandmother's tiny home where I visited her so many times. There I sat on a little stool by her old rocking chair as she talked of days gone by. I remember the huge clematis vine winding along the porch of another old home. I remember playing with neighborhood kids in the old covered bridge near the school. More memories than I can count surround the little old Hebron schoolhouse. All of that, and so much more, was gone forever when the dam was built. At least four very special and very old houses were razed: the Taylor Girls', George Taylor's, Seldon Powell's, and Kappauf's, all built by pioneers. Many other houses were also destroyed. Lumber from some homes was used to build others. Among the latter were the old John Murry and the May houses on Cedar Creek. A few local residents moved their houses and barns back out of the dam area. Among those were my parents, Archie and Clara Gilham; my grandmother and stepgrandfather, Lydia and James Morris; the George and John Kebelbeck families, and the Clayton Simons. In the past, the dam and lake area had been variously known as Hebron, Coast Fork, or Cottage Grove. In June, 1943 suggestions for naming the lake were requested, to be submitted to the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce or to the Cottage Grove Sentinel. Of course, the name Cottage Grove prevailed. The community of Hebron was gone forever, without even a commemorative name. Kind of sad, isn't it?
270
Bibliography 1. 2 3. 4. 5. 6. use
A record of Hebron Church history by Annabel Small Meacham, given to me by Annabel's brother, Wendell Small. A story of the Woodard and McCall families by Ruth A. Woodard McCall, given to me by Ruth's son, Albert McCall. Woodard and Young family history, given to me by Susie Woodard Carlile Wood. Copies of Winecoff and Kelley family records given to me by Lela Kelley Perini McKay. Family records given to me by Annabelle Gilcrist Hersey Copies of the records in the Joseph Taylor family Bible, as well as permission to old photos and letters given to me by Howard Taylor's daughter, Nancy Bergerson,
a 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
great granddaughter of Joseph Taylor. Copies of old land claims and deeds given to me by Earl Murry. Help with the history of the Cedar Creek School given to me by Calvin Davis and Lela Kelley Perini McKay. Hebron, London, and Cedar Creek schools photos with children's names. Permission to use old maps of the area, granted by Metsker Map Company. Numerous copies of old Donation Land Claims and homestead records which I have purchased. Records at Lane County and Douglas County courthouses. Census records: 1880, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1920. Old newspapers: EUGENE CITY GUARD 1869 - 1899 BOHEMIA NUGGET & COTTAGE GROVE LEADER 1899 - 1912 COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL 1914 - 1950 Numerous friends who gave family information. Lane County, Oregon Marriage Records compiled and edited by Jane Myers and Arlene Smith. Register of Funerals in Cottage Grove, Oregon and Vicinity, 1906 through 1977, compiled by Carole Chapman, researched by Phillis Pruitt, Jane Myers, Arlene Smith, Gene Savage, and Joan Goossens. Old Grange records. Nos. 16 and 17 were published by the Cottage Grove Genealogical Society.
271
In this index I did not add the names in the Woodard - Weise milk routes as they are already indexed. I also omitted names printed in the picture captions, as well as names of ministers who came from Eugene each week. INDEX A
Blue 42, 227, 248, 263 Blume 64 Boaker 243 Bolin 144 Boone 20, 21, 22, 23 Boren 78 Bosley 44 Boyd 45 Bradley 73, 171, 192, 227 Braman 15, 26, 116 Brasher 170, 173 Brissette 145 Brookhart 42, 67, 227, 247, 248 Brown 7, 15, 44, 128, 134, 164, 170, 227, 234, 238, 258 Bruzas 197 Buelo 132 Buffington 234 Buker 42, 43, 46, 48, 83 Burch 63, 205 Burdick 253 Burke 137, 247 Burley 80 Burnell 236 Burnett 15, 45, 89, 123 Burnette 187 Burnside 133 Burrows 56 Bush 82, 159, 196 Bushell 53
Abeene 42, 43, 47, 48, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 67, 75, 78, 81, 144, 145, 146, 156, 167, 211, 225, 227, 240, 243, 260, 261 Adams 20, 65, 66, 98 Addington 261 Akers 202, 203 Alder 133 Aldridge 56, 57, 185, 236 Allen 117, 125, 140, 152, 177, 179, 238, 260 Alley 45, 52 Allison 213 Anderson 99, 101, 206, 210, 213, 237 Andrews 48, 145, 234 Arch 152 Arnold 238 Ashner 120 Atwood 194 Ault 147 Averill 86, 87
B Bacchus 42, 258 Bachelder 233, 234, 235 Bailes 67, 82, 227 Bailey 67, 226, 246 Baker 43, 93, 107, 121, 122, 133, 227, 239, 253 Bales 45 Ball 183 Banton 86, 87, 90, 95, 227, 254 Barkemeyer 41, 42, 43, 48, 57, 58, 62, 73, 92, 122, 137, 160, 166, 215, 222, 223, 224, 262, 268 Barlow 136, 222 Barmore 221 Barrett 258 Bartel 38 Bartholomy 227, 244 Baughman 15, 16, 26, 45, 51, 52, 63, 81, 89, 107, 108, 109, 111, 116, 123 Beatty 53, 220 Bechtel 24 Beck 66, 95, 102, 124, 125, 227 Becker 135, 161 Beckley 111, 124 Belcher 216 Bemis 65, 87, 91, 92, 95, 149, 151, 152, 170, 176, 177, 178, 179, 198, 261 Bendele 40, 169 Berggren 67, 86, 87, 91, 92, 95, 145 Bergstrom 89 Beyerlin 244 Bishop 64, 65, 118 Black 73, 167, 238 Blackmore 179 Bland 98 Bloom 166, 167, 260
C Cain 125 Callahan 161 Callison 45, 111, 115 Camfield 152 Campbell 48, 101 Carey 125 Carlile 38, 55, 56, 125, 126, 129, 131, 148, 235, 271 Carmical 176, 177, 180 Carter 50, 168, 244 Casler 47 Caster 244 Cathcart 36, 63, 65 Catlin 144 Chaffee 227, 237 Chandler 65, 66, 67 Chapman 227, 240, 271 Chase 180, 219 Cherry 41, 42, 67, 75, 76, 129, 133, 227, 246 Chesebro 117 Clark 34, 41, 42, 43, 46, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 67, 74, 92, 93, 95, 121, 135, 139, 145, 184, 185, 187, 191, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 226, 228, 236, 244, 260 Clinesmith 44
272
Clow Coffman Collins Combs Comegys Condos Conner Cook Cooley Cooter Cox Crabb Craig Crockett Crow Crowell Culver Currin
37, 145 41, 111, 240 258 228, 235 51 254, 255 180 74, 228, 238 44, 101, 254, 260 54, 155 49, 87, 95, 199, 200, 235 76, 228, 256 235 236 17 89 40, 56, 57, 61, 86, 87, 166, 220, 262 41, 42, 101
173, 174, 197, 228, 229, 234, 253
F Fahrenwald 253 Farnham 173 Finley 40, 80, 138, 147, 156, 236, 261 Finnen 114, 115 Finseth 56, 205, 229, 235 Fischl 209 Fisher 105, 155, 226, 244 Flowers 89, 119, 147, 178 Floyd 34, 43, 201 Fontaine 263 Ford 83 Foster 85, 131, 238, 239 Fowler 251 Franzen 137 Freeman 172 French 144, 179, 204 Fry 144 Fueston 198, 236 Fuhrer 41, 42, 43, 55, 59, 70, 86, 87, 92, 94, 95, 143, 158, 164, 166, 167, 257, 265, 266 Funk 1, 6, 27, 151, 155, 178
D Dage 198 Dailey 240 Damewood 103, 228, 236 Daniels 57 Darby 260 Daugherty 262 Davenport 66 Davis 46, 63, 64, 198, 223, 271 Davisson 7, 30 Decker 228, 238 Deeder 243 Denmare 115 Denney 42, 264 Dewald 21 DeWells 56, 207, 220 DeWitt 65, 66 Dillard 23 Dixon 91, 92, 235 Dobberstein 86, 87 Doggett 117 Doney 67, 228, 234, 235 Doolittle40, 42, 43, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 80, 89, 90, 125, 126, 159, 160, 161, 166, 223 Doran 58, 61, 261 Douglas 45, 63, 64, 65, 199, 202, 203 Dresser 233, 234 Dudley 97 Dugan 41, 42, 43, 62, 67, 68, 75, 76, 87, 187, 228, 237, 246, 247 Dyer 228, 240
G Galvin 190 Ganet 42, 43 Garman 42, 43, 59, 78, 92, 150, 151, 152, 263 Garoutte 5, 6, 7, 87, 88, 99, 105, 113, 163, 171, 191, 229, 233, 234 Garrelts 254 Gates 178, 180, 262 Gay 199 Gee 244 Geer 1, 6, 27, 28, 36, 38, 39, 42, 43, 47, 55, 56, 66, 67, 68, 70, 73, 74, 78, 85, 89, 90, 91, 95, 97, 98, 101, 113, 124, 126, 149, 155, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 185, 187, 200, 201, 229, 241, 251 Gerum 89, 116, 123 Getty 260 Gilbert 44 Gilcrist 26, 38, 40, 41, 46, 50, 52, 55, 56, 72, 85, 86, 87, 95, 114, 118, 142, 143, 153, 158, 159, 166, 169, 189, 196, 211, 220, 229, 233, 236, 257, 266, 271 Gilham 35, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 48, 55, 57, 59, 61, 62, 67, 70, 71, 73, 74, 78, 85, 87, 91, 93, 95, 104, 113, 123, 124, 130, 137, 139, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 155, 156, 178, 185, 201, 218, 219, 225, 238, 242, 257, 258, 260, 265, 270 Gill 120 Gillespie 85, 87 Girch 257 Graham 229, 240 Grannis 235 Green 153, 154, 209, 224 Grey 37 Grimes 108 Grubb 52, 99 Gunion 144
E Easley 67, 228, 238 Edwards 46, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 196, 207, 208, 211, 220, 228, 236, 264 Eickhoff 193 Ellenburg 37 Ellmaker 107 Ellsworth 67, 226, 228, 253 Ely 131 Emmons 23 England 161 Evans 135 Eves 238, 242 Ewing 42, 46, 47, 61, 68, 75, 76, 156, 170, 171, 172,
H Haden Hainey Hale
273
42 151 142, 220
I
Hall 86, 172, 190 Hamer 179 Hamlin 181 Hammersley 244 Haney 152 Hankins 53 Hansen 160, 174 Harlow 91, 264 Harper 30, 218 Harriman 263 Harris 6, 12, 21, 44, 45, 51, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 108, 109, 111, 112, 116, 229, 253 Hart 102, 151 Hastings 229, 238 Hauser 104 Hawkey 223 Hawley 18, 27, 197 Hayes 118, 256 Haynes 41, 85, 91, 92, 243 Hazelton 5, 6, 10, 12, 24, 29, 70 Heath 20, 22, 23, 41, 42, 43, 48, 53, 55, 59, 62, 188, 229, 259, 260 Heaton 42, 82, 216, 226, 229, 263 Hector 129 Hendee 113 Henry 215 Henshaw 195, 196, 207 Hensley 103, 106 Heron 126 Herring 55, 70, 169 Hersey 26, 42, 50, 56, 72, 142, 153, 169, 207, 211, 220, 221, 257, 271 Hess 75, 174, 229 Heurich 137 Heyen 198 Hickethier 42, 43 Hickey 83 Hickson 189 Highland 161 Hill 176, 201, 206 Hinkle 20 Hinshaw 195, 196 Hiss 48 Hobwood 240 Hodson 139 Hoisington 136 Hollis 142 Hooker 67, 206, 229 Hopman 40, 43, 68, 156, 172, 197 Hopper 59, 62, 152, 240 Horton 130 Howard 7, 21, 30, 31, 229, 236 Howe 52 Hubbard 52, 66, 67, 139, 140, 168, 237, 242 Hubbell 251, 252 Huff 41, 54, 55, 56, 70, 85, 86, 87, 112, 168, 169, 180, 218, 219, 226, 235, 237 Hughes 145, 207, 214, 240 Hull 41, 56, 73, 92, 133, 134, 160, 189, 229 Humperty 238 Humphrey 264 Hunter 134 Hurst 42, 43, 244
Ireland Irish
135, 214, 215 114, 130
J Jackson 84, 152, 243 Jacobs 202, 229 Jacobsen 242, 243 Janisch 132 Jenkins 78, 126, 208 Jepson 84, 85, 86, 87, 147, 195, 220, 222, 243 Job 201 Johnson 12, 21, 24, 32, 42, 56, 57, 59, 61, 73, 97, 98, 161, 229, 250, 252, 257 Johnston 8, 32, 45, 52 Jones 6, 21, 24, 85, 86, 87, 89, 108, 151, 188, 192, 239 Juelch 145 Jukson 216
K Kappauf 40, 55, 56, 84, 85, 87, 95, 136, 156, 175, 192, 217, 257, 266, 270 Kebelbeck 30, 40, 41, 42, 43, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 62, 70, 73, 74, 84, 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 95, 96, 99, 153, 162, 163, 164, 165, 175, 251, 265, 270 Kelley 46, 63, 65, 66, 87, 89, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 112, 156, 174, 265, 271 Kemp 45 Kennedy 64, 206, 229 Kerns 65 Kerr 145 Keyes 22, 49, 122, 134 Kimble 30, 87, 126, 128, 145, 212, 214, 215 Kime 73, 261 King 52, 205, 230 Kingsley 63 Kirk 215, 230, 252 Kitsmiller 141 Kivett 253 Klausegger 212, 214, 215 Knippen 163 Kramer 42 Krewson 185, 226, 230, 235, 236, 249 Kruse 216 Kurre 37
L LaBlue 42, 43, 47, 57, 59, 61, 62, 68, 92, 94, 152, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 215, 226 Labsch 150, 151, 152 Lacey 21 Lacky 2, 30, 35, 38, 40, 66, 70, 71, 78, 89, 91, 105, 106, 130, 148, 186, 218, 219 Laffoon 153 Lajoie 147, 168 Lake 217 Lamb 53 Lambert 147 Lance 138 Lane 6, 14, 29, 37, 230, 239 Langdon 21, 53, 63, 117, 118, 128, 159 Lansing 264 Larkin 107 Larsen 205, 206
274
Laswell Layng Layton League Lee Lemon Leonard Lestoe Levings Levins Link Lockwood Long Longfellow Losee Lounsburg Lounsbury Lunua Luthe Lynch Lyons
230, 233 217 200 239 144 80, 81, 82 73, 150, 155 24, 40 259, 260 230, 255 125 82, 193, 205, 216, 226, 263 3, 24, 48, 70, 118, 178 254 36, 43, 46, 61, 73, 212, 213, 214, 215 219 219 153 222 42, 242, 243 187
Merrell 74, 262 Messick 45 Metz 150 Meyers 118, 221 Mickel 208 Miller 14, 26, 44, 56, 65, 87, 100, 147, 155, 156, 191, 195, 209, 216, 217, 230, 243 Mitka 175 Mobbs 175 Moore 107, 126, 195, 226 Morris 42, 43, 94, 103, 167, 218, 219, 226, 230, 270 Morrison 202, 203 Morrow 53, 54 Morse 45, 138 Morton 67, 76, 92, 93, 94, 132, 230, 250 Mosholder 104, 105 Mostachetti 87 Moxley 27, 28 Mulkey 45, 46, 64, 66 Munson 165 Murphy 38, 132 Murry 3, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 54, 55, 56, 73, 80, 81, 92, 94, 96, 119, 140, 146, 147, 148, 156, 168, 185, 195, 203, 226, 230, 243, 270, 271
M Mackey 246 Mafrier 186 Magnusson 258 Makinson 264 Mansfield 136 Marcy 40, 42, 43, 47, 52, 59, 62, 135, 136, 137, 145, 222, 230 Markham 17, 42, 43, 73, 183, 189 Marshby 120 Marten 162 Martin 27, 50, 67, 230, 238 Mason 53, 144, 184, 207, 230 Massey 27, 86, 87, 89, 111, 116, 258 Mattoon 236, 255 May 178, 185, 205, 230, 234, 262, 270 Mayben 55, 70, 159, 189 McAlpine 133 McBride 44 McCall 2, 128, 129, 133, 134, 135, 271 McCoy 50, 63, 65, 66, 100, 134, 152, 186, 194, 235, 260 McCue 230, 239 McDole 63, 64, 86, 87 McFarland 34, 44, 130 McGarvin 42, 230, 239, 240 McGee 52, 139 McGuire 230, 239 McHann 130 McIntire 212, 213, 214 McKay 63, 81, 106, 230, 240, 271 McKee 205 McKibben 78 McKinney 101, 145 McKnight 110, 260 McLean 266 McNutt 32 McReynolds 113 Meacham 44, 45, 48, 96, 108, 271 Means 96, 122, 148 Mechler 242 Menegat 34, 201
N Nation 42, 43 Negelspach 202 Nelson 51, 121, 122 Nestle 56, 209 Nevins 230 Newton 6, 47, 53, 56, 57, 58, 61, 91, 92, 185, 186, 230, 233 Nichols 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 251 Nixon 37 Nolan 136 Norwood 97 Nowell 89, 90, 100, 170, 173, 236 Numbers 2, 9, 19, 21, 27, 29, 30, 31, 45, 70, 71, 88, 139, 145, 218
O Oatman Ocumpaugh Opperman Osborn Overholser Overton Owen
53 243 16 107 50, 51, 113 114, 230, 233, 243, 265 64
P Paine 5, 9, 10, 24, 29 Painter 264 Pangburn 52 Parker 37, 49 Parr 145 Patten 39, 40, 41, 43, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 62, 83, 87, 92, 158, 166, 187, 188, 237, 259 Patterson 46 Paulson 244 Payne 19, 29, 70, 139 Pease 223 Peckham 172, 226 Penselin 201 Perini 63, 67, 68, 83, 106, 194, 204, 205, 206, 225, 231, 247, 260, 271
275
Perry 67, 139, 146, 231, 242 Peterson 5, 6, 10, 16, 126, 247 Phillips 80, 125, 146, 156, 197 Pickett 242 Picknell 78 Pierce 155, 220 Pieser 163 Pimentel 178 Piper 38, 41, 42, 43, 121, 122, 123, 222, 259 Pirtle 168 Pitcher 50, 98, 130 Pitzer 41 Plank 184 Plunkett 57, 75, 194, 201, 231, 237 Pooler 198 Post 22, 105, 264 Powell 14, 25, 34, 37, 40, 44, 45, 48, 49, 51, 52, 54, 56, 60, 63, 67, 70, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116, 125, 126, 128, 136, 143, 152, 168, 175, 176, 180, 181, 187, 201, 205, 217, 223, 231, 233, 234, 244, 257, 260, 265, 266, 270 Premazzi 191, 193, 248 Priaulx 202, 203 Price 57, 212, 213, 214, 215 Prior 193, 194 Pruitt 198, 264, 271 Pyburn 97 Pynch 258
Rubby Ruscher Rutor
213 65, 66, 102, 124 152
S Sams 45 Sargent 97 Savage 235, 271 Schatz 24 Schild 157 Schmidt 175 Schneider 55, 56, 57, 83, 173, 231, 242, 243 Scholl 23 Seagoe 43, 164, 214 Sears 161, 185, 243 Seger 239 Sehlin 217 Shaffner 190 Sharp 45 Shaw 30, 42, 135, 137 Shelburn 53, 156 Shortridge 9, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 32, 47, 48, 49, 51, 63, 69, 72, 73, 90, 95, 97, 101, 108, 117, 118, 128, 134, 181, 187, 195 Sillings 37 Simian 231, 238 Simmeon 238 Simmons 206, 231, 238 Simons 42, 55, 59, 62, 97, 142, 189, 198, 220, 221, 263, 264, 270 Simpson 56, 210, 231, 238 Skaggs 45 Skipworth 44 Slagle 244 Slater 170 Sloan 157 Small 3, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 27, 40, 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 86, 87, 90, 97, 98, 108, 110, 123, 156, 186, 260, 269, 271 Smith 11, 41, 43, 45, 53, 126, 135, 152, 172, 185, 191, 193, 194, 207, 208, 211, 231, 240, 241, 243, 246, 271 Snyder 128, 129 Soyster 173 Spare 24 Spear 117 Speck 260 Spicer 254 Splawn 97, 98 Sprinkle 15 Sprouse 155 Stairwalt 240 Steele 205 Stein 263 Stewart 23, 191, 226, 254 Stirewalt 231, 240 Stirling 216 Stolzig 216 Storms 17 Stowe 82, 226 Straussen 158 Stroud 120 Stumbo 258 Stump 78, 226, 231
R Radway 222, 223, 231, 263 Raisor 67, 68, 145, 231, 258 Ramsey 113, 180 Randall 60, 112, 266 Raymond 192 Ream 53, 164, 244 Redick 211 Reed 244 Reeve 224, 263 Reichel 43 Rex 166 Reynolds 140, 160, 231 Rhama 216 Richardson 42, 59, 61, 62, 93, 220, 262 Riddle 56, 154 Rigdon 45, 203 Riggs 200, 231, 261 Rinehart 7 Ritchey 247, 263 Ritchie 42 Ritter 48, 231, 241, 247, 248, 249 Robbins 183, 231, 241 Robinson 87, 173, 204 Roby 64 Rodin 221 Rogers 2, 9, 14, 27, 28, 32, 33, 51, 113, 124, 148, 184, 195, 201, 223 Rohde 41, 76, 231, 253 Rollier 25 Romp 239 Rose 53, 184 Ross 243 Rouse 71, 72, 135, 148, 156, 176, 231
276
Suchanek Sugg Sullivan Summers Sutherland Sutton Sweaney Sweetland
55 231, 239, 258 78, 182 52 45, 78, 86, 87, 95, 113, 123, 242 92 41, 45, 111, 112, 116 111
Webber 107, 138, 139, 202, 203 Weddle 107 Weeden 21, 54, 55, 117, 118, 128, 159, 169, 187 Weise 3, 36, 225, 226, 253 Welch 243 Wendling 145, 151, 194, 205, 237 Wertella 160 Wetzler 198, 248 Wheeler 91, 115, 232, 234 White 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 27, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 52, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 73, 82, 85, 87, 92, 95, 111, 128, 146, 183, 189, 190, 192, 194, 213, 220, 232, 237, 259, 263, 269 Whited 63, 64, 65, 66, 89, 107, 138 Whitehead 103 Whitlock 64, 65, 66, 67, 120 Whitney 6, 9, 14, 17, 18, 19, 27, 29, 34, 45, 50, 70, 139, 180, 259 Wicks 242 Willey 178, 200, 215, 244 Williams 40, 42, 56, 91, 92, 97, 163, 192, 225, 232, 251, 252, 254, 255, 264 Willis 197, 234 Wills 40, 41, 42, 87, 89, 108, 117, 118, 195 Willson 190 Wilson 9, 27, 32, 43, 62, 101, 110, 218 Wiltse 45 Winecoff 64, 65, 66, 88, 89, 90, 91, 100, 103, 104, 105, 106, 156, 247, 271 Winniford 129 Wire 45 Wissman 129 Withycombe 88 Witt 129 Wolfard 53 Wood 129, 131, 271 Woodard 2, 3, 35, 39, 43, 45, 46, 52, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 81, 82, 94, 106, 121, 124, 126, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 145, 148, 154, 159, 164, 168, 170, 171, 172, 178, 179, 184, 188, 193, 194, 202, 203, 204, 205, 211, 214, 218, 222, 223, 225, 226, 227, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 253, 254, 255, 256, 259, 268, 271 Woodring 66, 67, 125, 156 Wornstaff 197 Wright 85, 87, 110, 192, 259
T Tallyn 144 Taplin 205 Taylor 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34, 36, 44, 45, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 64, 69, 70, 71, 74, 87, 88, 89, 90, 97, 99, 100, 102, 105, 108, 110, 114, 116, 119, 123, 128, 130, 135, 150, 166, 225, 231, 238, 239, 244, 251, 270, 271 Teeters 53, 159 Telford 52, 142, 208 Tengs 257 Thackrah 100, 196, 208, 209 Thackray 88, 91, 99, 100, 144, 186, 195, 208, 209 Tharp 50, 221 Thies 255 Thomas 141 Thompson 140, 188 Thordenburg 89 Thoreson 188 Thorn 67, 194, 205, 232, 236 Thornbrough 264 Tillotson 81, 196 Tison 257 Todd 45, 51, 221 Townsend 96, 160, 192 Tracy 194, 232, 235 Tremblay 163 Trollinger 156 Trunnel 86, 87 Tull 42, 43 Tullar 42, 43, 48, 68, 178, 185, 191, 198, 199, 200, 263 Turpin 15, 17, 29, 66, 101, 139, 186, 190, 232, 240
U Ulmer
130
V Van Prooyen Vinson
73 41, 42, 55, 118, 158, 232, 239
Y
W
Yand 25 Young 40, 41, 43, 47, 70, 87, 91, 114, 125, 126, 129, 135, 147, 159, 180, 219, 271
Wagner 212, 214 Walker 73, 103, 151, 232, 247 Ward41, 53, 57, 59, 68, 100, 129, 130, 131, 209, 232, 234, 259 Ware 78 Warner 40, 41, 66, 89, 112, 114, 115 Warthen 113 Watson 62, 153, 154, 161, 252 Weatherby 146 Webb 153, 156
Z Zapp Zehrung Zendron Zink Zuvich
277
195 46 183 232, 235 192
278
279