USA > Oregon > Benton County > History of Benton County, Oregon > Part 71
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In a little while those from the Willamette valley commenced to arrive ; all became mad with excitement ; claims changed hands rapidly ; money was plentiful ; specula- tors ran riot.
The first school-house was built on the land of William Graham ; while the initial house of learning at the bay was located on South Beach and taught by T. J. Griggs. The first schooner was built by Peck & Co., and named the Flora Maybell ; the first steamer constructed was the Oneatta, by Kellogg Brothers ; but the first steamer to
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ply on the bay was the Pioneer, in charge of Dr. George Kellogg. The first sermon was preached by Elder Gilmore Callison, of Lane county, his audience being seated on the drift-wood opposite the present site of Newport. Here was held the first grand celebration of the Fourth of July (of which more anon) in Benton county. The Declaration of Independence was read by Hon. Richard Williams ; Judges Chenoweth and Kelsay each delivered an oration. These gentlemen were very anxious to please the " sovereigns" of the bay, who, in those day, held the balance of political power .- The people and the time had arrived, and Judge Kelsay, it is said, was nervous and and anxious to begin the exercises, but wished some one to call the assembly to order :- " Full of youthful conceit," says Rialto, "I had taken a position to be admired by the populace, when Judge Kelsay came up excitedly, and said, ' Man, Jerusalem, get your bell or drum, and make a noise, don't you see !' It was evident that some practical joker had informed the learned judge it was my business to post bills and ring bells on all public occasions."
The first actual settler in the present Yaquina precinct was Captain Spencer, who, about the year of 1861, came to the coast with an Indian guide and discovered the oyster-beds which have since made Yaquina Bay famous. In 1863 Captain Solomon Dodge located in what is now Oysterville, as the agent of Winant & Co .; in 1864 came William Hammond and others; and in 1866, under the provisions of the Act of Con- gress mentioned above, R. A. Bensell took up his claim on Depot Slough, others being taken by R. P. Earhart, George R. Megginson, Samuel Case and Captain Hill, the two last being on the land now occupied by the city of Newport. About the same time Captain Kellogg located on the site of the former town of Pioneer, and put the first steamboat on the bay ; while in 1866 there were residing in the precinct a Mr. Livingston with his daughter and two sons ; Messrs. Post, Carter, Rufus McLean, Fred. Olsen, Captain Russell and Mr. McClellan. In 1867 Peter Abbey and family, Joseph Polley, William Cox and family, Charles Day, William Dunn, William Anderson, Robert Winell, Mr. Norton, Thomas Fir and Mr. Butler, the last mentioned gentleman being the first to commence plowing near Pioneer. The first merchandise store on Yaquina Bay, was opened at Oysterville in 1864 by Winant & Co., while the first school was opened in 1867 under the tuition of J. T. Gregg.
On Jannary 5, 1866, there was introduced into the Senate by J. W. Nesmith, the bill granting to the State of Oregon, to aid in the construction of a Military Road from Corvallis to Yaquina bay, alternate sections of non-occupied public lands, desig- nated by odd numbers, for three sections in width on each side of the highway. This work was to be undertaken by the Corvallis and Yaquina Bay Wagon Road Com- pany, incroporated in the year 1864, but that they had not made any very great pro- gress in the work is evident from the fact that at a meeting held at Monroe's Landing, Yaquina bay, April 16, 1870, to take into consideration the matter of the road then being built to the seaside, it was unanimously resolved that a committee of two from each voting precinct be appointed to solicit aid from any citizen in the county in pref- erence to employing Indians from Siletz Agency on the work and providing them with food while so employed, it being deemed by the settlers along the route that it was not in their power to comply with the stipulations agreed to in respect to the employing of Indians. The company continued their labors until May 25, 1871, when it sold its
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land and franchise to Col. T. Egerton Hogg, of San Francisco, and transferred its effects May the thirtieth. The first meeting of the new company was held on the fifth of June, when the choice was made of J. C. Avery, President and Treasurer ; T. Eger- ton Hogg, Superintendent; Pun. Avery, Secretary, at which time orders for the con- tinuance and repair of the road were given, and the levy of tolls stopped. In June, 1873, the entire distance between Corvallis and the beach at Yaquina Bay was com- pleted after five years being expended upon the construction of the road, the section between Elk City and the shore, being done by the county and private subscription. But this was not effected without considerable difficulties of various kinds. During the month of September, 1873, the corporation figured in two appeal cases, viz: The Corvallis and Yaquina Bay Wagon Road Company versus Christopher Rogers, and the same against Elijah Mulkey, which was taken before the Secretary of the Interior, Hon. C. Delano, from the decision of the commissioner of the General Land Office, at Washington, in relation to certain lands between Corvallis and Yaquina bay, which the former officer reversed. This was considered an important decision, not only on account of the two cases on appeal being settled, but also because it quieted title to other lands claimed by the road company under their grant for the construction of a military road. But the company served its purpose. In the case The State of Oregon versus The Corvallis and Yaquina Bay Wagon Road Company, which was taken to Linn county on a change of venue and tried there in March, 1875, Judge Bonham rendered a verdict annulling the charter and dissolving the corporation.
We have been informed that the first stage line from Corvallis was run by E. A. Abbey. On May 19, 1866, a stage was put on the route by Simeon Bethers, which left Corvallis every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while in the month of July a four-horse vehicle was run by Lytle & Bethers, making the trip each way in twelve hours. Frank Stanton's express was in full blast also at this time, but so ruinous was the opposition of the rival lines that they wisely consolidated their powers, August 27, 1866.
Notwithstanding the many comparative dangers on the road, but one serious acci- dent has occurred that we have been able to learn.
On September 6, 1874, as the stage, containing Mrs. P. M. Abbey, Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Head, their three children, and Cyrus Powers, the driver, was passing a point known as the " Devil's Well," on the summit of Elk Mountains, owing to the narrow- ness of the road, it careened, and before the team could be stopped, went over into the fearful abyss, down the almost vertical mountain side, the vehicle striking completely bottom upwards, Mrs. Head, her three children and her husband being inside. The cover was forcibly detached by the concussion and left lying where it struck, but the conveyance and horses pitched down the mountain side about one hundred feet, finally lodging on some underbrush. Mrs. Abbey and the driver were on the " box, " the former being thrown violently to the ground. The driver became entangled with the team, and was carried down the hill. Mrs. Head and her youngest child were hurled down the mountain, tumbling over and over, as far as the wagon went, where they were overtaken by the husband and father, who escaped uninjured, and immediately rushed to their assistance. The other two children were rescued by Mrs. Abbey, and pre- vented from going down the fearful chasm. The horses were extricated from the har- 6:2+
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ness, when the hack, being forced from them, continued its downward flight and plunged fully a hundred feet farther into the gorge. Darkness overtaking the party they walked to Elk City, offering up thanks to the Almighty that no life was lost nor bones broken. It is hard to conceive a more miraculous escape.
In those days the residents at Yaquina bay paid ten cents for each letter received and sent by the stage; but through the exertions of Senator H. W. Corbett, a mail route was established between Corvallis and Newport in June, 1868, when post-offices were located by Hon. Quincy A. Brooks, Postal Agent, at the following places: Phil- omath, Summit (Heptonstalls), Little Elk (Tollgate), Yaquina (Pioneer), Newton (Elk City), Toledo (Mackey's Point), and Newport.
We have elsewhere mentioned the discovery of coal in the Yaquina bay district. In the month of August, 1867, the Yaquina Coal Company was organized by electing Dr. Sharples, President; Dr. Lee, Secretary; Mr. Jones, Superintendent, who at once commenced a vigorous prosecution of the work necessary to develop the richness of their possessions. Another company was also incorporated about the same period under the name of the Elk River Coal Company by W. F Dixon, W. W. Oglesby and J. J. Oglesby, but unhappily, so far, the work of bringing the black diamonds from the bowels of the earth has not been prosecuted with any success. On February 29, 1868, Messrs. Bensell and Megginson became proprietors of the Premier saw mills, with the purpose of shipping lumber direct to San Francisco.
We have already stated that the first sailing craft built at Yaquina bay was the Flora Maybell. In 1868, Messrs. Hillyer and Monroe commenced the construction of the Louisa Simpson, which was successfully launched January 17, 1869, and on the sixteenth of February following, sailed for San Francisco with a hundred thousand feet of lumber and other freight, besides a number of passengers. In the year 1870, the three-masted schooner Elnorah, of two hundred tons, was built by Ben. Simpson and in 1874, was sold to parties in San Francisco for ten thousand dollars, while at the same time there was another vessel nearly completed. In 1879, Captain Lutjens finished a schooner at the Oneatta mills, to be put on the lumber trade, while as has been mentioned two small steamers have been constructed at the bay, all of which goes to prove that here is an industry capable of the widest extension.
The first vessel to be lost at Yaquina bay was the Larry Doyle in the year 18 -. Late in 1873, the John Hunter became a total wreck on the beach ; on February 16, 1876, the Lizzie, a small schooner built at Alsea bay by Titus and Lee, was wrecked on South Beach, while attempting to put to sea with a cargo of oysters, in command of Captain Winant, to whom no blame was attached. On April the fifth of the same year the Caroline Medau was lost; while in the early portion of the same month the Uncle Sam was cast ashore among the rocks and breakers a few miles north of Cape Foulweather.
By the wreck of the schooner Champion in Shoalwater bay, Washington Territory, on the evening of April 14, 1870, when all on board, save an Indian boy, perished, the district around Yaquina bay lost one of its most prominent citizens in the person of Captain Dodge, who with his son perished on the occasion.
Captain Solomon Dodge was a native of Maine. He commanded several vessels at different times on the Atlantic side, and, some twelve years before he met his death,
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left his family to try his fortune on the Pacific coast. He was at Shoalwater bay engaged in the oyster trade for several years, but adversity seemed to follow him. In 1864 he came to Yaquina bay where he became connected in business with Winant & Co., and for three years was successful. Those who visited the bay at that time will remember the hospitality of Captain Dodge; full of information concerning the "hollow sounding and mysterious main ;" ever ready with his boat; he was always acceptable company, and no assemblage was considered complete without his presence. His extreme generosity went far to create the necessity for following the sea, a .calling he never liked, and one he tried hard to avoid. He carried with him on that perilous voyage, Willie Carson, a manly little fellow, the Captain's adopted child ; they loved each other and none but the Almighty knows how nobly the Captain struggled to save that widow's son. Dodge, like every truly brave man, was not inclined to speak of his exploits; usually taciturn on such subjects, he left others to tell of his calmness in the presence of danger. It is related of him that on one occasion, on a vessel off this coast, when the water was gaining on the pumps and the passengers panic stricken, he, by example, coolness and threats encouraged the use of buckets and by this means the ship was worked safely to port, and thus a number of valuable lives were saved. Many men for less courageous services have been rewarded with goodly-sized volumes descriptive of their valor,-let this record be our simple tribute to his memory. His noble qualities sank down into the bosom of the mighty deep along with him as he passed from this world of trouble to that of peace eternal, leaving an estimable widow to whom the most heartfelt condolence was offered by an entire community.
During the early part of the month of September, 1868, an extensive forest fire raged in the mountains around Yaquina bay, the smoke of which was so intensely dense that the residents were compelled to light candles in order to facilitate the taking of food at noon-day. A large amount of damage was sustained. The dwellings of B. T. Jones, I. C. Espey, W. J. Dennis, E. Stone, H. C. Nutes, as well as Long's Landing were consumed, while fences, hay and rails were destroyed in vast quantities. The Premier mill was at one time completely surrounded by the devouring element, while great pieces of lighted bark were carried fully three-quarters of a mile, igniting the lumber yard and setting fire to anything and everything that was combustible. Day and night were of equal darkness ; the steamer Pioneer was unable to navigate her way through the dense smoke ; while, probably, at no time since the " great fire " had there been so extensive destruction as was then caused.
The night of September 11, 1868, is one long to be remembered by the inhabitants of the Yaquina Bay country, being that of a supposed great Indian massacre at the . Siletz Reservation, when all of the employés were to be murdered in cold blood and the agency buildings burned to the ground.
The people at the Premier mill were awakened from their peaceful slumbers in the dead of night and an express messenger started to alarm all settlers along the bay. The house of Mr. Mackey presenting the most favorable locality for defense, the women and children along the Depot Slough and in the immediate neighborhood were taken to that place for protection, while the men stood guard around the house to protect them from the merciless foe.
The express continued on its mission down the bay, to Newport, alarming every-
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body on its way, arriving at the town at break of day and ringing the note of danger. Men, women and children flocked to the Ocean House prepared to meet the painted savage in all the horrors of Indian warfare. Day at length dawned upon the scene, as the orb of day advanced and showed with resplendent beauty upon-what? The bloodthirsty warriors from the Siletz ? No! But upon the placid waters of the Yaquina winding peacefully to the ever-heaving bosom of the ocean.
Some of the most daring of the men now started for the Reservation where they arrived at four o'clock in the afternoon, to find-not as they had supposed, all the whites murdered, their homes plundered and their dwellings in smoldering ruins-but all in good health, yet somewhat crest-fallen ; some old squaws, with their baskets gathering firewood ; and a few of the supposed warriors sitting in groups, talking over the events of the day and wondering what could have brought so many " Bostons " to the agency.
The whole of this sensation arose from the killing of an Indian near Corvallis by a Mr. Ballard, for which he was arrested and tried.
It is interesting to watch the effect this act had upon the Indians.
In a letter to the Corvallis Gazette, dated September 29, 1868, Mr. Ben. Simpson, the Indian Agent, explains his action, which appears to have been conducted with much skill and ability. He says :
" When I found the Indians very much excited both in consequence of the Indian that had been killed and in seeing so many white men around, I proceeded immediately to explain the whole affair to them. I told them that the man who had killed the Indian, Frank, was in the skukum house in Corvallis and that he would remain there until he could be tried by the law. They seemed to think that I should have killed him at once, as General Palmer told them, when he made the treaty with them, that after that time, if a white man killed an Indian, that he would be killed immediately. I told them that was true, that if a white man killed an Indian without cause that he would be hanged. They of course then wanted to know why I did not hang him. I explained to them that the man had to be tried before the great Tyee of the law and if he found that he should be hanged, that he would have it done. They seemed to doubt this, as they said that several of their Tilecums had been killed by white men, and that none of them had been hanged, nor even tried. I let them know that this was before I had charge, and that now they would find I would have the man tried and that if he had killed the Indian without cause, that my opinion was, that he would be sent to the penitentiary for life. This seemed to satisfy them, and they then wanted to know if I would let them go and see him tried and hanged, if he was hanged. I told them the chiefs might go with me and see all that was done. I then told them to go to their houses and say no more about it until I informed them of the trial, and if they wanted to fight at any time, to let me know and I would take a hand in it. They promised to obey my orders strictly, which I am happy to say they have done."
But this was not the only " Indian scare " experienced by the residents of the dis- trict now under consideration, indeed they were of very frequent occurrence dating back from the establishment of Reservations at Siletz and Alsea.
Early in the year 1873, there was another of these, fomented, it is said, in the fol- lowing manner : Several months previous to the time mentioned, a prophet came
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among the Indians at Siletz and stated that if they would dance long and strong, the great Siwash of many years past would return to life and friends, a war would be made upon the whites and a short, successful struggle would terminate in a repossession of their old homes and hunting grounds. For a while this seer labored, dancing and telling of the good time coming, without obtaining any converts ; but gradually his teachings gained ground and believers, until scarcely an Indian on the Siletz or Alsea agencies could be found who did not express perfect confidence in the prophecies of this " Mahdi."
Dancing among Indians has been carried to that extravagant extent that the able- bodied have been compelled to desist from sheer exhaustion; some of the most fanatical, dancing for several days and nights continuously-this in direct opposition to the advice or wishes of the agent.
Every effort was made to prove the sayings of the prophet unreasonable, but to no purpose. Wildly the dance went on, while settlers looked on with bated breath under- standing well that their safety had hitherto been in the divided sentiment and feeling of that people, for with them no unanimity existed; old feuds had separated tribes into factions. However, the prophet-who had disappeared as suddenly as he had come --- succeeded in uniting all parties with one idea, and that boding no good to the whites.
As if to add to the general alarm, at this juncture the residence of Mr. Sawtell was burned, as many believed by Indians, causing a general panic among the residents, who all commenced fortifying at different points. In the meantime Superintendent Odeneal visited the agency at Siletz and found the Indians greatly excited over the hostile demonstrations of the citizens, as they considered them. The Indians strongly protested that they did not contemplate making war upon the whites; that they could not afford to do so; and that they well understood that such an act would be the height of foolishness on their part, and that the residents need have no fear. The proposition was then made to them to give up their arms, so as to dispel the fears of the whites. Upon this matter being put to the vote, they, with unanimous consent agreed to it. They said they would also give up their knives and every other article with which men could be killed, if required, in order to preserve peaceful relations with the Americans -and thus ended the much dreaded war.
With this state of affairs before them, and consequent upon the rising of the Modocs, it was found necessary by the residents of Yaquina to organize themselves into a permanent company of the State Militia, which was done, April 12, 1873, and the following officers chosen : Hon. D. Carlisle, Captain ; William Mackie, First Lieuten- ant; J. H. Blair, Second Lieutenant ; Joseph Thompson, First Orderly ; John Butler, Second Orderly ; John Willis, Third Orderly ; who, with their companions in arms felt themselves prepared for the worst, but happily no necessity arose for them to " flesh their maiden swords."
The value of the oyster trade at Yaquina bay has been already adverted to, but as it was suffering from a depletion of the beds it became necessary in the month of March, 1869, for the oystermen to form themselves into a protective association for the better preservation of the beds. As a means to securing greater benefits to the public the following officers and members were enrolled to carry out the purposes of the association : Newton Pool, President ; Joseph B. Lewis, Secretary ; William Caffery,
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Treasurer ; Norman McClellan, Charles G. Hagmer, William H. Anderson, Christian Haker, John E. Ford, W. Baker, Celestin Jagnan, R. Starkey, James Brown, Thomas Ferr.
We now have to record the sad occurrence of the drowning, at Oysterville, by the capsizing of his boat, February 18, 1878, of Captain Charles M. Nisson, master of the schooner Lizzie Madison. Only a few days before he had come into the harbor with his ship in distress, full of gratitude for his providential safety. He was but twenty- six years of age and a native of Denmark.
Another of these melancholy catastrophies that makes the sea so dreaded occurred at Yaquina bay, April 7, 1881. While attempting to enter the harbor Captain J. A. Pennell, commanding the government tug General A. G. Wright, with two seamen, was drowned under the following painful circumstances, as related by the Corvallis Gazette of the fifteenth of that month :
Early on Thursday a vessel was seen off Foulweather, which at first was supposed to be the schooner Kate & Ann. She came down passing between the outer and shore line of breakers, whistled for a pilot, from which she was believed to be the Govern- ment tug General Wright, as Captain Lutjens would not need a pilot : the vessel passed south, opposite the entrance, to a drifted buoy, about three-fourths of a mile south of the bay, one that had been reported to the lighthouse inspector as being in a dangerous position. By this movement it became plain the captain of the vessel was unacquainted with the place and its surroundings. After escaping destruction in the vicinity of that snare buoy, the steamer headed north, seemingly to examine the bar, which, from the land showed a wide, unbroken space of smooth water in the middle or old channel; I say old, for it is the channel that has been used for the past twenty years; it was well defined by breakers to the south and heavy breakers on the middle ground, with smaller breakers to the north and over the ground buoyed for the Shu- brick last year. The steamer continued north to a point three-quarters of a mile north of Yaquina Station and came to an anchor between the outer reef and shore line of breakers-not a safe place to stay. As the tide ebbed but little, the bar was smooth, and by reference to a tide gauge at least seventeen feet on the bar, everybody was much surprised that she did not enter the bay. Engineer Polhemus at once sent up the river for a suitable boat to cross the bar and pilot the stranger safely in, and proceeded to put up some beacons on South Beach to guide the captain, should he attempt to enter before a boat arrived. About this time a small boat was seen to leave the steamer and row towards the bar. Only a few people remained on the point after the steamer anchored and they saw a sight never to be forgotten. The boat contained four men, who pulled to a spot opposite the route buoyed by the Shubrick. Here the boat attempted to enter-the climax of rashness followed. The first breaker lifted the frail boat like a top ; the next turned her completely over, three men were now seen cling- ing to her ; soon one man was missing ! This was the unfortunate captain ! Now the spectators on shore see breaker after breaker roll with merciless force over the tiny bark, while at one time two men could be seen holding to her ; at another, both were missing, and again but one. It was a terrible sight; women wept and strong men became paralyzed. Nothing but a life boat could do any good in such a sea. Two Indians, however, stimulated by a reward, tried to get out, and they did well-but all
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