Douglas County, Oregon

“ The vote on the constitution resulted in a majority of 3,980 in favor of its adoption. There was a majority against slavery of 5,082; and against free negroes of 7,559. The counties which gave the largest vote in favor of slavery were Lane and Jackson. Douglas gave a majority of 29 for slavery, while only 23 votes were recorded in the county for free negroes. Indeed, the result of the election demonstrated the fact that the southern sentiment concerning the black race had emigated to Oregon along with her sturdy pioneers. Enslaved, the negro might be endured ”

“ This was as near as Bush came in 1858 to supporting Douglas with whom he was in sympathy. Having summed up the situation diplomatically, he added the words of paternal admonition, "We cannot encourage our (Oregon) Democracy to turn much attention to this subject until it shall assume more tan- gible shape or involve some more important principle." The Linn county Democrats, whose declarations in conven- tions were generally those of the Democratic orator and leader, Delazon Smith, asserted that the Kansas difficulty could never rise to the dignity of a national issue ”

“ Jackson County. "Beginning at the southwest corner of Umpqua county; thence running due east to the northwest corner of Douglas county ; thence southerly along the western boundary line of Douglas county to the southwest corner of said county ; thence easterly along the southern boundary of said Douglas county, to the southeast corner thereof ; thence in a southeast direction to the eastern extremity of Rogue river valley; thence due south to the boundary line between Oregon and California; thence due west along said boundary line to the Pacific coast ”

“ This valley, or Douglas County, covers an area of 4,950 square miles. Unlike the Wallamet, it has no great extent of level prairie-land bordering on the river from which it derives its name, but is a rolling country, a perfect jumble of small valleys and ridges; the valleys prairies, and the hills wooded with fir on top, but generally bare, or dotted with oak, on their long, sloping ridges. It is a sort of country where a man may seem to have a little world all to himself; owning mountains, hills, plains, and streams, or at least a stream ”

“ A column at Albany ran regularly once a week for 35 years and intermittently for another eight years, and is still going. A column from a small town in Eastern Oregon has been quoted more than 500 weeks over a period of years by a national eclectic magazine that features a department of such shorts. In the Rogue River Valley "Ye Smudge Pot" of Arthur Perry reaches more eager readers than many a magazine, and, at Yoncalla and down at Elkton and far and wide in Douglas County, "Prune Picking" used to give the population of the Umpqua Valley a feeling of companionable unity. ”

“ The valuation of its farms, buildings, and live-stock is nearly five million dollars. A large portion of its wealth comes from sheep-raising and wool-growing. In 1880 Douglas county shipped a million pounds of wool, worth three to four cents more per pound than Willamette Valley wool, and sold 27,000 head of sheep to Nevada farmers. The valuation of assessable real and personal property is between two and three millions. In that part of the county which touches the sea-coast lumbering and fishing are important industries. Gold-mining is still followed in some localities with moderate profits. ”

“ DODSON, Multnomah County. Dodson is a railroad station just west of the post office of Warrendale. The name of the station comes from Ira Dodson, an early settler in that part of the county. Dodson station has been moved several times and was once near the present location of Warrendale.
DODSON MOUNTAIN, Douglas County. Dodson Mountain is an important peak east of Dillard, with an elevation of about 3200 feet. It was named for Samuel Dodson, a pioneer stockman who settled nearby. His land was still owned in 1926 intact by his son, Samuel Dodson, Jr. Dog LAKE, Lake County. ”

“ As the campaign progressed the support of President Buchanan became more and more cordial and pronounced. Douglas was completely deserted. The Lane county Democrats, not content with a general hearty endorse- ment of the administration of "our present patriotic and dis- tinguished Chief Magistrate," singled out for special com- mendation, "that policy pertaining to the admission of Kansas." But before the end of the year Oregon Democracy began to experience a change of heart. ”

“ The agricultural counties of the Willamette Valley rank, Linn first, Yamhill second, Lane third, and Marion fourth, Clackamas ranking least. The coast and Columbia-River counties fall below the interior ones. In the southern part of western Oregon there is also much less wealth than in the W 7 illamette Valley, Douglas county, how ever, leading Jackson. In eastern Oregon, Umatilla leads the other counties in per capita wealth, Grant, Union, W r asco, Lake, and Baker following in the order named. ”

“ Crook County had the largest average in the size of farms, reaching the enormous area of 1,360.2 acres to the farm. Morrow, Harney, Gilliam, Wheeler, Lake, and Sherman, all of which are in eastern Oregon, each had farms with an average size of over 500 acres. Three more eastern counties, Klamath, Grant, and Umatilla, each averaged be- tween 400 and 500 acres to the farm ; and Malheur, the large southeastern county, only slightly less than 400 acres. The average acreage in Curry, Douglas, and Wasco was over 300 acres. ”

“ M representative MEN OF OREGON.
believing that brevity is the soul of wit, and that a man who can condense his thoughts into a succinct and concise statement will produce the most lasting effect upon his hearers. He is a medium-sized, full-bearded gentle- man, with a clear eye, and a kind expression. He represents Douglas county and deserves the highest credit from his constituents for the able manner in which he advocates their interests. ”

“ Kribs that we go up to Mr. Heney's office, and this he consented to do.
Arriving there, I introduced Kribs to Burns, who took him in hand, and succeeded in forcing an admission from him that the claims in Township 14 South, Ranges 3 and 4 East, Linn County, Oregon, besides certain claims in Douglas county, had been taken up for the benefit of C. A. Smith, of Minneapolis. Minn., through the Mealey brothers, of Sweet Home, John Givens and others of R.oseburg, and S. A. D. Puter, who had located the entrymen on the lands. ”

“ The water power furnished by the Albany and Santiam Water, ditch, or canal com pany, with a capacity of 20,000 running feet per minute, invites industries of every kind depending upon geared machinery.
Roseburg in Douglas county took a fresh impetus from the completion of the Oregon and California R. R. The county of Douglas, with a popu lation of 14,000 and a large area, shipped in the year ending August, 1887, 269 tons of wool, 5,073 tons of wheat, 436 tons of oats and other grains, 288 tons of flour, 8 tons of green fruit, 61 tons of dried fruit. ”

“ Logging Train in Humboldt County, California 301
Sample of Redwood Timber in Humboldt County, California 303
C. A. Smith 307
"Bull Donkey" in Operation Among the Redwoods 309
The Sequoia's Last Stand 312
The Happy Family 314
Ex-United States Senator George W. McBride, of Oregon 318
T. W. Davenport 323
Ex-United States Senator Joseph Simon, of Oregon 326
Ex-Governor T. T. G-eer, of Oregon 331
Official Pet of Gibsonville, California 333
Governor George E. Chamberlain, of Oregon 335
Railroad Commissioner Oswald West, of Oregon 337
Dr. ”

“ Yamhill County was in- cluded in the first named, which also embraced Washing- ton, Multnomah, Columbia, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Polk, as now described. Champoeg district embraced what is 358 W. D. FENTON. now Linn, Marion, Lane, Josephine, Coos, Curry, Benton, Douglas, and Jackson counties; the Clackamas district included what is now Clackamas County, eastern Oregon, a portion of Montana, and all of Idaho, and Washington. At this election 15 to 22 votes were cast in the entire Tualatin district, and 140 to '244 in the entire country for candidates. ”

“ Immediately south of the Umpqua River, gold diggings begin and that portion of the mines between this and! the Chasty (Shasta) 257 Mountains, a distance of 140 to 150 miles from north to south, is included in the Oregon field. Here thousands of our countrymen are constantly engaged in digging gold, with no one to minister to them the excellencies of that gos- pel which is incomparably more valuable than gold. With
255 Douglas and Umpqua Counties, the former of which had just been or- ganized, and Jackson County, which was also organized in January, 1852, comprised the Rogue River Valley. ”

“ Among the early students attending at the old building were many names later and even now familiar on this coast. It is to be regretted that the complete enrollment of the first year cannot be given. Here are some of them: Dr. Geo. B. Kuykendall, now of Pomeroy, Wn. Rev. John Wesley Kuykendall, who died many years ago in California. '! 3 1 Hon. Geo. W. Riddle, former County Judge of Douglas 6 R. A. BOOTH County and Receiver of Public Moneys at the Roseburg Land Office. Helen Flint and C. S. Grubbe, later becoming assistants. Geo. W. Grubbe, pioneer merchant of Wilbur. ”

“ There was also the factor of personal interest and ambition, always quick to make capital out of an appeal to patriotism. The Douglas County Union convention condemned the practice "prevalent in this state" of men who held offices, actively engaging in political meetings and influencing men by promise of patronage, as a practice cal- culated to corrupt conventions and legislatures. 2 ? Further- more, there was political jealousy between different sections of the state. Southern Oregon demanded political recognition. ”

“ There is no doubt that gold and silver will at some period of the fu ture be reckoned among the chief resources of Douglas county, but the rough and densely timbered mountains in which lie the quartz veins present obsta cles so serious, that until the population is much increased, and until it is less easy to create wealth in other pursuits, the mineral riches of this part of the country will remain undeveloped. ”

“ Counties Rye. Rank Counties. Rye. Rank 109,234 5,240 7 23,190 1 4,900 8 18,030 2 3,710 9 Morrow 11,070 3 3,300 10 • 10,830 4 2,998 11 6,300 5 2,960 12 5,840 6 A/r • 2,380 13 2,200 14 680 24 1,840 15 620 25 1,660 16 460 26 Washington 1,430 17 Douglas 420 27 Harney 1,200 18 400 28 1,100 19 Tillamook 180 29 970 20 110 30 810 21 50 31 Polk..... 780 22 40 32 Wasco 750 23 Curry 36 33 Umatilla in 1900 produced 3,212,120 bushels of wheat, or two and one-half times as much as any other county in the State. Linn, Marion, Yamhill, and Sherman each raised over 1,000,000 bushels ”

“ Dr. Harry Lane, Mayor of Portland, Oregon 457
Enormous Timber Growth in the Siletz Country 463
James Rudolph Garfield, Secretary of the Interior 465
Scene in the Sunset Oil Fields, Kern County, California 468
An Humble Home in the Siletz Country 470
Palatial Residence of a Siletz Homesteader 471
Ira Wade, Clerk of Lincoln County, Oregon: 472
United States Senator Charles W. Fulton, of Oregon 475
Sample Residence of a Siletz Homesteader 476
R. A. Ballinger, Ex-Commissioner General Land Office 478
Thad. ”

“ Its area is greater than that of Coos, the two counties comprising 3,331 square miles, not much of which belonging to Curry has been surveyed. The value of farm property is estimated at between five and six hundred thousand dollars. The assessed valuation for 1879 was about $220,000. The territorial act establishing the county provided for the selection of a county seat by votes at the next general election, which was prevented by the Rogue River Indian war. ”

“ A considerable portion of the northern part of Washington county is heavily timbered and moun tainous, but its plains are famed for their productiveness, and the face of the country is beautifully diversified. Hillsboro, founded by David Hill, one of the executive committee of Oregon in 1843, is the county seat. It was incor porated in 1876. The population is about five hundred. Forest Grove, the seat of Pacific University, has 600 inhabitants. ”

“ To recognize the dis- tinguished Chief the settlers in the valley have named their principal town "Joseph" in honor of the Indian; the only town or county named in honor of an Indian on the Pacific Coast.
The census reports of the county show population as follows: For 1890 — 3,661 ; 1900—5,538 ; 1910—8,364 ; Enterprise is the county seat.
Malheur county was organized by the legislature February 17, 1887. It occupies the southeastern corner of the State. It gets the name from the prin- cipal river in the county ”

“ Even in the legislative body itself there was a certain minority who protested against the acts of the majority, not on the subject of the location act alone, or the change in the judicial districts, leaving the chief justice one county only for his district, but also on account of the memorial to congress, prepared by the joint committee from both houses, setting forth the condition of affairs in the territory, and asking that the people of Oregon might be permitted to elect their governor, secretary, and judges. ”

“ Eastern Oregon has a population of about 13,000, and is divided into five counties, which serve for judicial purposes; but is more often spoken of by valleys than by counties. In one case, as in that of Umatilla, they are identical, where the county embraces this one valley. The reservation of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla Indians occupies a considerable portion of this county, which altogether has an area of about six thousand square miles—probably one-third. ”