USA > Oregon > Benton County > History of Benton County, Oregon > Part 46
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GUESS' MINUTE COMPANY .- Mustered at Fort Hay, Illinois valley, May 1, 1856; discharged June 20, 1856-Captain, John Guess; First Lieutenant, Asher Moore; Second Lieutenant, Stephen Coleman; Sergeants, B. Kinchloe, W. J. Cross, W. S. Gibbs, John McCord; Corporals, Peter McClinchy, F. Sebastian, E. S. Fite, Alfred Dousitt, Thomas Arnett, Edward Evans, F. H. Freeman, A. J. Henderson, C. R. Hanaford, James Hope, John Heron, Charles Hook, J. A. M. Harned, J. Hamilton, U. C. Knight, B. Newman, W. Patterson, N. Pennaman, D. Post, J. D. Post, H. A. Plummer, W. Plummer, E. Mulkey, J. Miller, Charles Martin, J. Mendenhall, S. Mooney, P. Mulkey, John McDowd, J. Kirby, J. R. Reves, Lenoir Reves, G. L. Reed, W. Ross, M. Rothchild, Harvey Shaw, George Sing, E. Z. Taner, A. P. Turner, F. M. Vliet, G. M. White, J. G. Wood.
LOOKING-GLASS GUARDS .- Organized April 12, 1856-Captain, Daniel Williams; First Lieutentant, William K. Stark; Second Lieutenant, William Cochran; Privates, James M. Arrington, Samuel W. K. Applegate, Willis Alden, John P. Boyer, Levi Ballard, William Cochran, Roland Flournoy, Jr., Jones Flournoy, Samuel S. Halpain, John H. Hartin, Nathaniel Huntley, Joseph Huntley, Daniel Huntley, Alexander M. Johnson, Frederick Mitchell, Hilry A. Mitchell, Franklin Mitchell, Edmund F. McNall, Ambrose Newton, Abbot L. Todd, Franklin White, George W. Williams, Jefferson Williams, Milton W. Williams, Peter W. Williams.
GOLD BEACH GUARDS .- Mustered March 13, 1856; discharged - - , 1856- Captain, Elisha H. Meservey; First Lieutenant, Joseph McVey; Second Lieutenant, Joseph Griffith; Privates, W. Allen Thomas Baker, Frank Bugy, Joseph Cruse, C. Claser, D. R. S. Daley, J. L. Garrett, E. A. Lane, Simon Lundy, S. Monte, John O'Regan, August Richards, J. W. Sykes, W. Smith, John Thomas, J. K. Vincent, O. W. W.eam, Fred Weller, John Wilson.
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ROLL OF THE NINTH REGIMENT, OREGON MILITIA .- Colonel, John E. Ross; Lieutenant-Colonel, - - - Major, -- -; Adjutant, Charles S. Drew.
COMPANY A .- Mustered October 10, 1855; discharged November 26, 1855- Captain, T. S. Harris; First Lieutenant, A. M. Berry; Second Lieutenant, G. W. Manvill; Sergeants, J. M. Sutton, J. L. Ware, John Shooman, Thomas Hall; Corporals, W. C. Butler, O. F. Sanford, William Ornduff, O. P. Brumby; Privates, L. F. Allen, R. S. Allen, Charles Armstrong, B. Burruss, James Bourk, A. Bethel, M. C. Barkwell, A. A. Buzzell, J. B. Coats, J. H. Deadmond, William Daflin, William Dorn, J. R. Enos, A. C. Funkhouser, Louis Furgason, John Gunn, John Goldsby, Thomas Gill, C. B. Hinton, William Hamilton, William Hay, B. G. Henry, D. W. Helm, A. Helms, William Hand, John Johnson, J. M. Johns, Charles F. Kroft, Charles Kimball, L. G. Linvill, Eli Ledford, J. B. Little, F. F. Loche, W. I. Mayfield, A. J. Nalin, G. S. Nichols, Robert Opp, Thomas Ord, William Pernell, J. A. Pedigo, Benjamin Person, William Penington, S. Rathburn, J. M. Raburn, W. C. Riggs, William Smith, S. B. Sorles, Peter Saling, Samuel Smith, William White, John Winingham, Martin Wingood, E. Yager.
COMPANY C .- Mustered October 10, 1855; discharged November 21, 1855- Captain, Jacob S. Rinearson; First Lieutenant, William P. Wing; Second Lieutenant, U. L. Woodford; Sergeants, Thomas R. Evens, Daniel Boone, Elisha M. Reavis; Privates, James A. Abbutt, John W. Bucklis, George Brown, Isaac Bentley, Peter Brown, Rufus H. Bernan, John Billings, William Ballard, John Bankenship, E. C. Bray, John Casner, John Creighton, Wm. H. Crouch, Job Denning, Ichobod Dodson, James C. Dickey, F. Duniway, Tomas East, John Fortune, William Geiney, Clement S. Glasgow, R. W. Henry, A. G. Henry, David W. Inman, Charles Johnson, John Junker, William S. King, Martin C. Leslie, Robert Lang, James W. Lanber, William Lear, John G. Minot, Carick G. Minot, Enoch Miller, George B. Miller, Jacob W. Miller, John McCasy, Levi Notte, James Pearcy, John V. Pinkerton, Robert C. Percival, William B. Phillips, Jackson Reynolds, F. M. Roman, John Redfield, Samuel P. Strange, B. Sargeant, Labin Saunders, Henry Smith, Charles B. Tooth- acher, Francis M. Thibbits, E. N. Thomas, Samuel Tillard, William F. Woodford, Henry Wisbrook, George Wood, John D. Wright, Ephram Yager, Henry Yocum.
COMPANY D .- Mustered October 12, 1855; discharged November 9, 1855-Cap- tain, R. L. Williams ; First Lieutenant, E. B. Stone; Second Lieutenant, H. O'Neal ; Sergeants, G. A. Edes, W. J. Mathews, G. Blake, R. Moore; Corporals, R. C. Brewer, A. Morse, J. Lee, S. Cornelius; Privates, B. Armstrong, M. C. Barkwell, H. H. Bar- rett, M. Baughman, B. B. Brockway, D. Briggs, J. Cristy, H. K. Covert, J. Cheney, N. Courter, J. Curtain, G. Delaney, A. J. Driskell, J. C. S. Davis, J. Dickerson, G. Dinsmore, J. Dugdale, J. P. Davidson, M. Emerich, J. J. Elliotte, H. H. Epps, G. R. Elliott, A. Fuller, L. Felton, J. P. Frizzell, R. Gammill, R. Gaddis, J. C. Graves, L. Gates, J. Howell, G. Holten, J. R. Hale, S. Hawkins, J. B. Hutton, S. S. Inman, J. Jones, J. Kent, C. Lovel, V. Mullen, John Miller, T. Martin, S. R. Myres, S. Mooney, M. M. Melvin, T. E. McKoin, V. Neil, J. Parder, M. Parsley, W. B. Previtt, W. Pen- ington, J. Russel, T. Ryan, W. Showdy, L. Scoller, G. W. Sloan, W. Stannus, H. W. Stainton, J. Slates, J. Schermerhorn, W. Toney, J. C. Ward, J. Wilson, J. Winter, C. Walker, H. Wilson, J. Woolen, R. Woods, D. M. Yates.
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COMPANY E .- Mustered October 12, 1855; discharged - - Captain, William B. Lewis ; First Lieutenant, William A. J. Moore; Second Lieutenant, William White; Sergeants, John G. Adams, Alex. D. McJess, William Gibson ; Privates, Israel D. Adams, George W. Bramlet, Milton Blacklidge, William P. Chesher, John Cooper W. G. Crandall, J. Collins, John G. Dutcher, Allen Evans, I. Elliott, Harvey Evans, John Erixson, John W. Gannaway, John Grosbois, Joseph McGahan, Josephus Hosier, Jacob Hershberger, Henry S. Jones, Joseph Umpqua, Louis Dunois, Timoleon Love, Edward Neely, James Neely, William Pruitt, J. W. Pickett, John Roberts, E. D. Smith, Adam Shough, Christolier Samuel, Samuel Sanders, Benjamin Tufts, J. L. Thompson, Evans Taylor, Thomas Wilson, J. E. White, George Weeks, Anderson Williams, W. R. Walker, A. S. Walker.
COMPANY F .- Mustered October 13, 1855; discharged November 13, 1855- Captain, A. S. Welton ; First Lieutenant, Angus Brown ; Second Lieutenant, V. H. Davis ; Sergeants, J. C. London, John Hultz, David Rathborn ; Privates, George W. Anderson, M. D. Ballard, Wm. Barton, J. D. Bennett, S. Butcher, W. N. Ballard, Joseph Copeland, Joseph Carter, George Cherry, J. J. Charlton, C. A. Charlton, J. T. Farley, John Finnin, James Hawkins, J. H. Hasper, John Kennedy, Richard Kelly, Mellis Kelly, F. F. Locher, J. B. Layton, A. J. Long, Isaac Miller, N. N. Matlock, W. K. Minot, Edmund Magruder, J. B. Nichols, J. F. Noland, Henry Pearl, John Richards, George Ross, Clinton Schieffelin, E. Sharp, John Smith, James Stewart, David Tompson, Z. Van Orman, Thomas Warmon, Charles Williams, Stephen Watson.
COMPANY G .- Mustered into service October 11, 1855; mustered out November 10, 1855-Captain, Miles F. Alcorn ; First Lieutenant, James M. Matney ; Second Lieutenant, John Osborn ; Sergeants, S. J. Day, Thos. Bailey, Thos. Walker, Thos. Mc- Lain; Corporals, A. W. A. McConnell, Edwd. Cose, Saml. C. Nicholson, Jas. Tucker ; Privates, Thomas L. Arnot, Levy Allison, Caleb Bailey, Washington Bailey, David Butterfield, Luzern Bradley, Squire Bucher, D. N. Birdseye, F. G. Birdseye, William Brockus, Newman Bartlett, George Black, Henry B. Conroy, Champion Collier, William Collier, Wiley Cash, J. K. Colwell, George W. Cherry, John Cose, Thomas Coates, Andrew J. Cooper, Peter Cook, Freeman Chandler, George E. Chapel, David Clemens, Granderson Curtis, James W. Collins, Edward W. Day, William Decker, James F. Davis, Allen Evans, Menry P. Gordon, Philip Griff, Owen Hopkins, Demp- sey Hamilton, Simeon Hardin, O. D. Hoxie, Moses Hopwood, Miller Judd, Richard Jones, Isaac B. Kauffman, George Long, Jacob Lewellen, William Lane, Allen B. Moser, James Miller, David Mall, Constantine Magruder, Edmond Magruder, Benja- min McKeen, Simeon McFall, Tomas McBurney, William McClain, Daniel Newcomb, William T. Newcomb, Martin C. Newcomb, Ortegrel C. Newcomb, Felix O'Neal. William Patterson, James M. Patterson, W. B. Philips, Calvin Paris, A. Jackson Rader, Samuel Reeder, David Ruminer, Joseph Swingle, Benjamin Snipes, James Savage, Clinton Schieffelin, P. R. Sanderson, Hiram Taylor, Isaac Vanderhorn, John Wineland.
COMPANY J .- Mustered October 20, 1855; discharged November 16, 1855-Cap- tain, Thomas Smith ; First Lieutenant, John R. Helman ; Second Lieutenant, Turney G. Condrie; Sergeants, Bennet Million, Robert Hargadine, Samuel Clayton ; Privates, William Alevand, John Buckingham, William Bunyard, Thomas Barrett, James Bar
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rett, John A. Bachman, A. Barr, B. F. Davis, Richard Evens, Eber Emery, J. Emery Asa Fordise, L. C. Geary, J. A. Harvey, Jacob Huffman, A. D. Helman, Sol. Holman, J. M. Johnson, James Kilgore, Sard. Knutzson, W. E. Laynes, William Miller, Jack- son Million, - Masters, Michael Michealson, W. L. Morris, J. M. McCall, William McCommon, M. Newhouse, William Pitinger, John Roberts, Ferdinand Stiners, Wil- liam F. Songer, David Smith, James Toland, John Tucker, William Train, Giles Wells, John Wise, Isaac Woolen, John Walker, John Watson.
COMPANY K .- Mustered October 16, 1855; discharged November 21, 1855- Captain, S. A. Frye; First Lieutenant, James Hornbuckle; Second Lieutenant, Thomas Moore; Sergeants, Charles Abraham, John Guess, Christian Tuttle; Privates, James Ailsher, Urban E. Bozarth, Christian Billafelt, Joseph :Barker, Michael Boon, T. Bozarth, Abraham Cole, T. DeHaven, Charles M. Dwelley, John L. Frye, William Finch, A. W. Foggy, John Gould, J. W. Galbraith, H. Henspeter, William Heaverloe, Patrick Haloran, John McGrew, John Meter, Samuel Parks, Frank Pierson, Napoleon Ramsey, James M. Roberts, David Sexton, Peter Snellback, Seth Smith, Henry Tomp- son, A. J. Whitsette, Charles Ward, Alex. Watts, J. J. Witter.
COMPANY L .- Mustered October 18, 1855; discharged November 21, 1855-Cap- tain, Abel George; First Lieutenant, Thomas Hays ; Second Lieutenant, Stephen Betts; Sergeants, J. M. Cranmer, J. H. Kirkpatrick, W. H. Case, T. N. Ballard ; Privates, N. B. Bond, J. W. Chaffee, William Cogle, G. H. Church, A. J. Case, A. J. Doty, Wil- liam Elworth, W. L. Freemon, D. Fousley, A. Gage, A. M. Graham, Thomas Green- field, W. Gerick, C. R. Hicks, Edwin Heffs, H. Hawes, F. J. Higginson, A. S. Isaacs, R. H. Johnson, J. II. Lamand, Victor Lychlinski, Alexander Lee. James Ogg, J. W. Pate, Henry H. Richardson, E. H. Richardson John Ragsdell, Clinton Stetson, J. M. Shaw, George Stout, R. L. Smith, J. W. Selby, D. W. Van Martin, George C. Van Landingham, William Warden.
COMPANY N .- Mustered October 26, 1855; discharged November 21, 1855-Cap- tain, Orise F. Root ; First Lieutenant, J. W. Scott; Second Lieutenant, Burde P. Pott ; Sergeants, C. P. Sprague, Isaac N. Knight, J. W. Pinnell, J. W. Donning ; Privates, John Axtell, Thomas Arnett, D. W. Beckley, J. G. Brious, William Brockus, A. J. Cutberth, W. W. Cox, James W. Doning, J. F. Davis, Robert Duck worth, H. DeGraff, Bernard Fisher, John Goings, Z. M. Goodale, J. M. Hay, Jarvis J. Hay, W. M. Hyde, A. J. Henderson, William Jump, Isaac N. Knight, James Kelly, T. R. Lawson, Jacob Lewellen J. W. Pattrich, J. W. Pinnell, W. M. Pollock, Burd Pott, Calvin Parris, Alexander M. Rainey, G. H. Reeves, J. R. Reeves, John Sargent, Charles F. Sharp, C. P. Sprague, J. W. Scott, John Twentyman, A. J. Vincent.
COMPANY -. - Mustered October 27; discharged November 16, 1855-Captain, M. P. Howard; First Lieutenant, Daniel Richardson ; Second Lieutenant, H. M. Conroy ; Sergeants, Israel T. Mann, G. A. Thomas, John Cathey, Lycurgus Bozarth ; Corporals, N. J. Walker, Nicholas H. Martin, John Cathey, N. R. Mulvaney; Privates, John Bowers, James Black, John Burns, Elzey Bird, William Clemens, Lozenzo Coppers, Pulaski Hall, P. H. Harper, Gill Hultz, Eli Judd, John H. Johnson, Thomas Lake, William Lamson, Joseph Miles, John Mayfield, James McClenney, David , Phillips, John Price, D. F. Perkins, Jakob Rounderbush, Joseph Steel, Goldsmith Tear, George Tear.
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COMPANY -.- Mustered October 10, 1855; discharged November 9,-1855- Captain, James Bruce; First Lieutenant, E. A. Rice; Second Lieutenant, Joseph F. Anderson; Sergeants, Ebenezer Pinkham, R. R. Gates, Francis Pickle, John Haley; Corporals, George W. Collins, Elijah Williams, James C. Dickey, John S. McBride; Privates, Oliver P. Corbett, Dennis Crowley, John Coleman, Lewis Calhoun, D. R. Crocker, John C. Cottrell, Garret Fitzgerald, Charles L. Fee, Daniel F. Fisher, C. C. Goodwin, Aaron Greenbaum, James Hayes, E. Hereford, James Hereford, J. F. Hamilton, Alexander Harris , William A .Hall, Moses H. Hopwood, John N. Lewis, R. S. Munn, A. H. Matthew, Nathan Milton, Chauncey Nye, Sylvester Pease, William Pasley, William Pengra, Nathaniel Rice, August Rumbel, George Stapper, Samuel H. Smith, A. R. Smith, John W. Short, Bluford Stanton, Lewis Sagers, Alexander Thompson, John W. Wood, J. H. Wassum.
PORT ORFORD MINUTE MEN .- Mustered March 26; discharged June 25, 1856- Captain, John Creighton; First Lieutenant, George Yount; Second Lieutenant, William Rollard; Sergeants, Nelson Stevens, Alexander Jones, Samuel Yount, Thompson Lowe; Corporals, Peter Ruffner, John Herring, George White, Thomas Jamison; Privates, E. Bray, George Barber, Edward Burrows, Preston Caldwell, E. Cutching, E. Cunningham, John T. Dickson, George Dyer, Aaron Dyer, H. M. Davidson, George Dean, Warren Fuller, Joseph Goutrain, Andrew Hubert, D W. Haywood, Joseph Hall, Thomas Johnson, Richard Johnson, T. G. Kirkpatrick, William Taylor, James Malcolm, L. Parker, James Saunders, Charles Setler, George P. Sullivan, Louis Turner, W. W. Waters, Charles Winslow, William White, John Wilson.
COQUILLE GUARDS .- In service from November 6, 1855, to December 28, 1855; mustered at Fort Catching-Captain, W. H. Packwood; First Lieutenant, J. B. Hill; Sergeants, J. G. Malcolm, Evan Cunningham; Corporals, Charles W. Wood, A. W. Davis; Privates, George Barber, Isaac Bingham, William Bagley, J. Bray, E. Catching, G. J. Cooper, J. J. Cooper, Preston Caldwell, William Cooley, F. McCue, J. B. Dulley, William Duke, Samuel Darlington, John B. David, J. A. Harry, Abram Huffman, David Hull, Alex. Jones, W. H. Jackson, Benjamin Tarrigan, Henry Miller, Lewellyn Oliver, A. Pence, R. G. Phillips, William Roland, James W. Rooks, John S. Sweet, Charles Settle, W. Waters.
In this enumeration the companies of Buoy, Keeney, Bledsoe, Robertson, Blakely and Barnes of the second regiment, and of Thomas J. Gardner, M. M. Williams, W. A. Wilkinson, W. H. Harris, Stephen Coffin, J. G. Powell and W. S. Buckley of the ninth regiment are omitted because of the loss of their muster-rolls. The total strength of the two regiments is shown in the following table, which sets forth the number of officers and men in service on the twentieth of each month during the war of 1855-6:
October,
November,
1855.
1855.
January,
1856.
February,
1856.
March,
1856.
April,
1856.
May,
1856.
June,
1856.
July,
1856.
Ninth Regiment.
545
217
7 901
4 1 912 | 518
4
3 807
2 913 :
2 663
2 326
2
Second Regiment
880
Total Force
545
1,097
908
916
522
810
915 |
665
328
2
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December,
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PHILOMWN, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON.
RESIDENCE OF L. N. PRICE.
A. Q. WALLING LITH., PORTLAND.
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CHAPTER XXXV.
BENTON COUNTY.
Geography -- Topography-Geology.
BENTON COUNTY, although comparatively small in point of numbers and wealth contains some of the finest agricultural land in Oregon, and is well watered and tim- bered; the hills adjacent to the valleys are not only favorable for grazing purposes but also produce abundantly, especially of the cereals. Its eastern portion is situated in the heart of the Willamette valley, described by old voyagers as one of the most charm- ing and fertile valleys of the world, the scenery not being excelled by any, while its western border is indented with bays and inlets.
The county is bounded on the north by Polk, east by the Willamette river, which separates it from Linn, south by Lane, and west by the Pacific ocean. It embraces an area of about seven hundred and thirty-five thousand acres, while it has been estimated that only seventeen per cent. of this vast extent is wood land, other counties in the State running as high as seventy per cent., there being only five counties that show a smaller average and all of these, except Yamhill, are to the east of the Cascade Range and are almost treeless. With its excellent prairie, grass and grain lands in the eastern portion, with valuable forests of timber, good bays and harbors, fertile valleys and valuable banks for fisheries along its entire western boundary, with good mill sites and water power for all kinds of manufactories, Benton has natural sources of unbounded wealth still undeveloped, and in soil, price, climate or adaptation to any department of industry, or any avocation in life, cannot fail to furnish the most fastidious with a satisfactory location and a desirable home.
The division of the county lying along the Willamette river is admirably adapted to the production of grain of every description, as well as all kinds of fruit and vege- tables. More to the west are the foot-hills, not only susceptible of cultivation, but covered with abundant grass affording pasture for countless numbers of live stock, still further west arise in their splendor the coast mountains, whose peaks, piercing the fleecy clouds, catch the first and reflect the last rays of the rising and setting sun, and against whose western base the mad waves of the Pacific dash in ceaseless thunder. Although this range of mountains extends across the county from north to south, yet near the center they are so low as not to deserve the name of mountains, being only low hills, thus leaving a gap forming a natural and easy pass to the ocean. Through this a wagon road is kept up by the county and through this is the line of the Oregon Pacific Railroad.
From the central ridge the county presents two distinct water-sheds gradually 3C+
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BENTON COUNTY.
sloping each way, east and west, affording passage for the three principal rivers that water it, the Yaquina and Alsea on the west and Mary's river on the east.
The Yaquina rises in the middle portion of the county, about twenty-five miles from the ocean, in an air line, and flowing west empties into Yaquina bay, with a wind- ing course of about forty-five miles through a number of fertile valleys and an abundant stock-range. This charming stream, however, is for twenty-five miles above the bay, more properly speaking a tidal estuary. Five miles or more above the harbor it has an average width of eleven hundred feet, with a rise and fall of tide of from seven to eight feet. It narrows to about two hundred feet, twenty-five miles above. Eight sloughs, varying in length from two to six miles, branch off from the main river, five on one side and three on the other, and are navigable to their heads for batteaux, upon which farmers can take their produce to port on two tides, if not one, with but slight assistance from sail or oar.
Forty years ago, the country conterminous to the Yaquina river was densely wooded A fierce and devouring forest fire in a dry season (1844) we are informed, swept over hundreds of square miles of territory, leaving only bare trunks where there stood a thicket of pine, spruce and fir. Since then an annual growth of fern and brush has clothed these rolling hills with matted verdure. A thrifty population, yet sparse in numbers, but hopeful of the future, have made homes there, but there is room for many more.
The Alsea river rises in the Coast Range about thirty miles in adirect line from the sea and flowing first south and then west falls into Alsea bay about twelve miles south of Yaquina bay. From its source to a point about fifteen miles from its mouth it is described as a mountain stream full of rapids and bowlders, with abrupt falls at various places of from three to five feet, obstructed by rocks and with very little water. Here the stream is eighty feet wide and from three to six feet deep at low tide, and gradually widens and deepens until the mouth of Drift creek, nine miles below, is reached, where it is three hundred feet in width; the depth in this section varies from three to twenty feet, with an uneven, and occasionally, rocky bottom. The stream is inclosed on both sides by hills ranging from three hundred to six hundred feet high, covered with grass, fern and young thickets. On the left bank the hills slope to the water's edge; on the right bank a strip of level bottom, land, several feet above high tide, and from two hundred to six hundred feet wide extends along the river, broken occasionally by pro- jecting spurs along the ridge.
About three miles and a half from its mouth the river spreads out into Alsea bay which is from three thousand to seven thousand feet wide at high tide, covered with mud flats bare at low water and through which are numerous narrow channels. For a mile inside the mouth there is a channel and a perfectly protected anchorage with a depth of from twelve to twenty feet; immediately inside the bar is a hole two thousand feet long and three hundred feet wide, to which no bottom has been found at six fathoms. Near its mouth the bay is separated from the ocean by a sandspit about two- thirds of a mile long and one-third of a mile wide, which narrows at the outer end, the external one hundred feet being covered at high tide; the channel at the mouth of the bay is about three hundred feet wide, with the depth as indicated in the deep hole above described.
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Immediately in front of the mouth of the river, extending about two thousand feet into the ocean, is a sand bar, over which the least depth at low water is about eight feet, the distance across it being in the vicinity of eighteen hundred feet, and the fair- way twelve hundred feet wide. The tide rises about eight feet at the mouth, and there is a rise of about six feet, eight miles above, the tidal influence being felt up to the foot of a line of rapids fifteen miles away.
Mary's river has its birth near the source of the Yaquina and after flowing in a southeasterly direction joins the Willamette at the city of Corvallis.
The cradles of these two streams are but a few feet apart. A drop of water falling straight from the clouds may descend on one side and soon find its way to the ocean in the rushing current of the Yaquina; but, should a west wind blow it but a little in the other direction, it will pass many weary days ere it can reach its home in the Pacific by way of Mary's river, the Willamette and the Columbia.
But the subject of the topography of the county needs more than a passing notice. We have stated that the eastern portion of the county lies in the Willamette valley, with its generally level or slightly rolling prairie, becoming more broken as it approaches the base of the mountains, comprising the finest agricultural lands to be found any where; let it now be our duty to touch upon that part of Benton lying west of the summit ridge and embraced in the district now widely known as Yaquina Bay.
West of the Summit ridge the hills are generally bold and precipituous, the valley of the Yaquina narrow, but of superior soil and the side hills exceedingly rich. The timber has been for the most part killed by fire, as noted above, while here and there evidences of sandstone and marl are to be detected, with now and again a ledge of iron ore. The underbrush is salmon berry, cherry, vine maple, elder and filbert. At the tide limit on the Yaquina the river bottoms become broader and the hills less lofty, the undergrowth being, however, of the same nature, while, the land is rich, clear of rocks, moist and mellow. The country is well watered. The hills at the head of Yaquina bay are from two hundred to five hundred feet in height and clear of surface rock, and with a gentle slope, but towards its mouth the hills become lower, with more timber and various localities designated. At nine miles, and on the south side of the bay the waters of Mill creek mix with those of the bay where there is an excellent water power, while, on the east bank, at the mouth of Oolilla slough, is a good landing for vessels, the banks of the stream being covered with a luxuriant vegetation. Here the bay is about three hundred yards wide, the hills become much lower and tide grasses extend nearly to the oyster beds. At twenty miles by water is Oysterville, a hamlet on the north side of the bay, along a steep bold bluff. The oyster fishery here gives employment to several people while schooners load and carry off the produce to market. The bay at this point is about nine hundred yards wide, the channel twenty-four feet deep at low tide, the oyster beds two miles and a half long and from four to eight hundred yards wide, and the tide eight feet high. About one mile south- west from the village an island of about twenty acres in extent rises from the tidewater -here the dead of the district sleep their last slumber.
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