USA > Oregon > Douglas County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 66
USA > Oregon > Jackson County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 66
USA > Oregon > Josephine County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 66
USA > Oregon > Coos County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 66
USA > Oregon > Curry County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 66
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CAPT. WM . TICHENOR.
WALLING -LITH PORTLAND -OR
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backs to get them to ferry us over the river. When we crossed the stream, thinking it was the Umpqua, we continued up it ten miles, when we found our error. We then struck across the sand hills, waded a swamp and got to the coast. Next day we made the mouth of the Umpqua-it being the eighth day from camp-where we were warmly greeted and entertained by the settlers at Umpqua City and Gardiner."
Captain Tichenor returned, it appears, but one day after the departure of the nine men, and was surprised and shocked to behold only such evidences of bloodshed and violence as left no doubt but that the unfortunate colonists had all been murdered by the natives. He returned to San Francisco firm in the belief that they were dead, but nevertheless, proceeded actively to colonize the place witn a strong force of men. He had no trouble to procure adventurers who were willing to undertake anything that promised excitement, and sixty-five volunteers presenting themselves, he embarked in the Sea Gull with those, and six persons who had more or less pecuniary interest in the venture, as well as several " agents," speculators, etc. They had an armament of
a half-dozen field pieces, six-pounders, and a good assortment of small arms, and were capitally provided for an offensive or defensive war on a pretty large scale. James Gamble was commander of the colonists, in Captain Tichenor's absence, for the latter did not cease his voyages and become a regular inhabitant of his new town until about two years later. Fort Point was surrounded by pickets, and two block houses were erected of heavy logs, whereby the defense of the place was secured. Some of the vol- unteers proved insubordinate and had to be sent back to San Francisco, but beyond this no trouble occurred at Port Orford in the subsequent year or two.
After landing the men and stores, the ship proceeded on her voyage to Portland, and there Captain Tichenor secured the services of Colonel T'Vault, so well known in the Rogue river valley in subsequent years. The Colonel had just returned from guid- ing Phil Kearney's force of regulars from Vancouver to their station in California, and being familiar with the Oregon trail, was thought a suitable individual for the work that Captain Tichenor had for him, which was to explore the country lying between the coast and that famous trail, and ascertain and locate a practicable route by which the people of Port Orford could communicate with the interior. He was accordingly engaged and brought to the port on the next voyage, and his subsequent adventures form a chapter not less thrilling than the siege of Battle Rock. Horses were shipped for use in the exploring expedition, and the new colony being well under way, T"Vault and his men started eastward about August 20. The sufferings and adventures of the little party were extraordinary, considering the short distance they penetrated and the amount they effected. They were excellently armed, each of the ten explorers having a rifle, and there were four pistols and sundry knives in the crowd. Nevertheless, they allowed themselves to go hungry in a land where game and fish of many sorts abound to this day. They arrived at a point some twenty-five miles due east of Port Orford, and being bewildered and desperate, abandoned their horses and started on foot toward the north, living on berries and roots. Their object was to reach the settlements on the Umpqua. Reaching the south fork of the Coquille, they followed that stream to its confluence with the middle fork, near the present town of Norway, and here en- gaged an Indiau to take them down the river in his canoe. Arriving within two miles of the mouth of the river the explorers proposed to land at a large Indian village to 61
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procure food. Some objected, fearful of the consequences, but the boat drifting into shallow water near the shore, the natives waded out, seized it and dragged it to the bank and entering the canoe, began an attack on the whites. This is best told in Colonel T'Vault's own words : "The Indians boarded the canoes and seized the arms, and the whites simultaneously made a rush for the shore. Brush fired a shot-the only one heard-and in less than fifteen seconds, the whites were completely disarmed, there being at least three Indians to one white man. I sprang into the water while Brush, who was held by the Indians, was endeavoring to follow, while they were beating him over the head with a paddle. I saw a canoe with a boy in it. The boy helped me in, put a paddle in my hand and pointed down the river. He helped Brush also in, and then immediately jumped overboard. We paddled to the southern bank, and landing, stripped ourselves of our clothing and crawled into the swamp. We traveled through briery chaparral most of the day and took to the beach at night. With the help of Indians we reached Port Orford. Mr. Brush had several inches of his scalp torn away. The names of our companions were A. S. Dougherty, Patrick Murphy, Thomas J. Davenport, L. L. Williams, John P. Holland, Jeremiah Ryan, Cyrus Hid- den and J. P. Pepper."
Williams and Hidden reached the shore, fighting as they went, the former being engaged by a large Indian who threw him, but Williams' knife did good work, and the two whites ran for the woods, Williams with an arrow shot into his body, entering his liver and emerging at the opposite groin. Hidden drew out the shaft, leaving the head and a three-inch socket in the wound. The two made their way along, holding their pursuers at bay with their rifles, and eventually escaping them. The wounded man soon began to suffer the most acute pains and begged to be allowed to lie down and die; but his faithful companion stayed by him, bringing water, and supplying his wants as best he could. Hidden, it will be remembered, was one of the nine who left Battle Rock, and being somewhat acquainted with the country, they eventually succeeded, after eight terrible days of exertion and exposure, in reaching the Umpqua river and there found friends and assistance. For three years Williams lay helpless from his wounds and suffering intensely, while Hidden, with almost unparalleled devotion, nursed him, labored for the support of both, and eventually brought him through his troubles. The arrow head was extracted in 1854, and Williams, as is well known, lived a useful, active and valuable life for the remainder of his days. Hidden is now an honored and respected merchant of Scottsburg.
In August, 1851, Doctor Anson Dart, superintendent of Indian affairs for Ore- gon, and Reverends Spalding and Parrish, two missionaries, friends of Dr. Whitman, . of Waiilatpu, came to Port Orford on the Sea Gull, in order to investigate the Indian question and pacify the natives if possible. On the same steamer came a detachinent of troops of Major Hathaway's command, at Fort George (Astoria), under Lieutenant Whyman. A little later in the year Samuel Culver, Indian agent, arrived and took charge of Indian affairs at and near Port Orford, Dart and the two missionaries leav- ing on his arrival. More troops having been found desirable, General Hitchcock, in command of the department of the Pacific, ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Silas Casey, with a force of regulars, to Port Orford to investigate the condition of affairs and over- awe the natives by a show of force, and to proceed to hostilities, if necessary.
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Reaching that place with ninety men, Casey detailed a portion of his force to pro- ceed to the Coquille, as the story of the attack on T'Vanlt's exploring party had become known. Lieutenant Stoneman, now governor of California, was an officer of the force, and to him fell the duty of driving the Indians from their principal village. This he effected by the fire of shells from a howitzer planted above the village. A large num- ber of natives were killed on this expedition and the moral effect of the operations was very great. In the same year the troops built the military post called Fort Orford, which remained occupied until the removal of the Indians in 1856 rendered it value- less, and it was abandoned.
The beach mines along the coast of Curry county were discovered in 1853, and began immediately to be worked. Several hundred men were employed there in the following year, and the golden harvest continued for many years, but gradually fell off. The miners came mostly from San Francisco, landing at Port Orford or Crescent City, and business found its outlet by the same route. The county has always retained its connection with the California metropolis, and seems rather a colony of that place than a portion of Oregon. When the Indian war began, the mining interests, and in fact everything in the way of business was prostrated in Curry county, every inhabited place outside of Port Orford being devastated. Since then the county has maintained a slight but healthy rate of growth, and has now a population of abont 1,300, who are all permanent settlers, whereas the mining population of the early years, while their numbers were probably greater, were only a floating populace, whose influence was not so valuable as that of a fixed community.
Curry county, originally a part of Jackson and later of Coos, was set off from the latter county by an act of the legislature which took effect on December 18, 1855. This bill was introduced by Captain Tichenor, then a member of the legislature and in whose honor it was proposed to name the new county Tichenor ; but the captain modestly objecting, the present name was adopted instead. The name of Orford county had been previously suggested. The boundaries of Curry county were changed some- what in 1872 by legislative enactment amending the original act, and at present they are as follows : Beginning at the south line of section 21, township 30, range 15, west, the line proceeds eastward to the dividing ridge of Horse creek and Coquille river ; thence east along said ridge to the divide which forms the water-shed to the east of the tributaries of John Mule creek ; thence south to the parallel of forty-two degrees ; thence west to the Pacific ocean; thence northward along the shore to the point of beginning.
CHAPTER LIX.
THE PRINCIPAL INHABITED LOCALITIES.
The Northern Boundary-Denmark-Floras Flat-Sixes River-Port Orford-Its Harbor-Proposed Breakwater and Railway-Saw Mill-Ellensburg-First Arrivals-Affairs in early years-The Massacre of 1856-The Geisel Tragedy-The Whites besieged-Battle at Skookum House-Ellensburg at Present-Hume's Cannery- Pistol River-Chetco-Winchuck.
New river is generally regarded as forming the dividing line between Curry and Coos counties. It is a small stream, some forty yards wide in the lower part of its course, but spreading out at its mouth to several times that breadth. The next stream to the south is Floras creek, a name of doubtful etymology. This water-course drains quite an extensive region of rich farms, whose residents form the most important agri- cultural community in the northern part of the county. Denmark post office and store kept by N. C. Lorentzen, is the center or rallying point for the people of Floras creek, and although no town exists at present no doubt the material growth of the com- munity will soon build one up. There are more signs of enterprise and well-directed energy about Denmark than in any other small locality in the whole region. It is a striking example of the extraordinary vigor and foresight of the inhabitants of the place that a newspaper has already been established. This is the Curry County Recorder, a weekly paper, edited and published by J. H. Upton, an experienced journalist. The Recorder deals mainly with local affairs, and is apparently well supported. The publication office is in Mr. Upton's residence, one and a half miles from the post office.
The Floras creek flats, so-called, which constitute the greater part of the agricult- ural land of this rich section, form a triangular tract of land, extending along the ocean beach for twelve miles, and having a width of about half that. The stream itself is small in summer, scarcely ankle deep, but wide and swift in winter. In its vicinity are the thriving dairies of Thrift, Long, Langlois, and others, some of whom milk a hundred cows, and make tons of excellent butter. The facilities for dairying in this vicinity are very great. Floras lake, a body of clear fresh water, only 300 yards or so from the ocean verge, is a peculiarity of this region and is one of the three small lakes of the county. It is stocked with trout.
Sixes river enters the ocean some six miles south of Floras creek ; its course is nearly west from its head in the mountains where rise the south fork of the Coquille river and Russell and Catching creeks. Sixes is the transformed Indian word Shix. The stream does not flow through a great area of tillable land, but has extensive resources in lumber, placer and quartz mines, salmon fisheries, and stock grazing lands of great importance. None of these sources of wealth have yet been fully utilized or even examined; but the influx of population expected in the immediate future may remedy the neglect. About the head of Sixes river several quartz claims have been
WALLING-LITH-PORTLAND-OR.
RESIDENCE OF J.W. WRIGHT, FRENCH SETTLEMNT, DOUGLAS CO.
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prospected, and along the stream some gold-bearing gravel has been washed. Here, and on Elk creek also, immense quantities of the finest cedar, fir, spruce, hemlock, and laurel (mis-called myrtle), are standing, sufficient to feed the mill saws for years. On the latter stream is the Elk creek mill, owned by Joseph Nay, which saws 10,000 feet of white cedar daily, the lumber being hauled to Port Orford, over a wagon road, and then loaded upon vessels and sent to San Francisco. Mr. Nay owns 1,000 acres of land, mostly covered with a fine growth of timber. The mill is four miles inland, and the logs are rafted to it by the current of Elk creek. The mill and machinery cost $15,000, and commenced sawing in July, 1883. Its product of white cedar brings usually thirty-five, twenty-five, and sixteen dollars per thousand feet, according to class. It costs five dollars per thousand to transport to the shipping point.
Port Orford is situated in township 33, range 15, west, in forty-two degrees, forty- four minutes, north latitude, and one hundred and twenty-four degrees, thirty minutes longitude west of Greenwich. The name refers indifferently to the harbor and to the small, but important town which has grown up on the shore. The name Orford was bestowed on Cape Blanco, by Vancouver, whence it was transferred to this shel- tered haven. Sometimes the bay has been called Ewing harbor, and is so marked on certain maps. The haven, writes Captain Tichenor, is a deep and capacious roadstead, abundantly sheltered from all winds except the southwesters, having in the northwest a headland 150 feet high, which is perpendicular on the side toward the anchorage. The bottom is reckoned first-class holding ground for anchors, and there is a minimum depth of from seven to ten fathoms of water in the channel. The engineers of the governmental coast survey have pronounced this the finest and most accessible summer harbor on the coast between San Francisco and Puget Sound, and a movement has been set on foot to construct at Port Orford a stone breakwater, which is much needed for complete immunity against the storms of winter. This would necessarily be a gov- ernment work, requiring money appropriations and official supervision. With the com- pletion of the work the port would undoubtedly become of vast importance, second to few other towns on the coast. In addition to this it has been proposed, and urged to some extent, to connect Port Orford by rail with some point on the Oregon and Cali- fornia railroad, preferably Roseburg. Two easy and practicable routes are said to exist, the one leading north to the Coquille river, thence up that stream to the junction of the south and middle fork, and then by way of Camas valley to the south Umpqua ; the other from the coast up Sixes river and by way of Salmon creek to the south fork. A pass only 1,200 feet above sea-level has been found on the latter route and will doubtless be utilized. The road would pass through a finely-timbered and well-watered country, abounding in minerals, such as coal, which is found in quantity, iron, chrome and copper ores, and with immense bodies of yellow pine and white cedar. The routes have been surveyed and pronounced practicable.
Port Orford is the most important shipping point for lumber, the supply being furnished by two of the three sawmills in Curry county, namely, the Elk creek mill of Joseph Nay, and the Hubbard creek mill, located a mile south of town. The lat- ter's capacity[is 17,000 feet per day. Its beginning was a small concern built in 1874, by E. J. Gould and Company. In 1876 the mill was enlarged by the Port Orford Cedar Company, N. C. Lorentzen, manager, and a wharf was built, 500 feet long, reach-
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ing to a rock that extends 160 feet further. The total cost of the mill, wharf, timber and dam was $62,000. Some ten or fifteen million feet of first-class timber yet re- mains on Hubbard creek, after the immense quantity cut by the mill.
On the discovery of gold along the ocean beach, Port Orford became a shipping point for the miners who flocked in, and achieved a high degree of prosperity. It had hotels, stores, billiard parlors, and all the concomitants of a mining camp, and its mer- chants-of whom the firm of Tichenor and Company were the most influential-did a large wholesale and retail business. There were at one time, says Mr. Riley, a pio- neer of Ellensburg, who once lived at Port Orford, six hotels, nine stores, and a cor- responding number of saloons and dwellings. These were but temporary, and on the decay of mining they mostly went out of existence. In 1853 H. Tichenor built a saw mill two miles north of town and cut a great deal of lumber, but shut down after a few years. A serious fire occurred about twenty years since, which swept away nearly the whole town, since which it has never regained its former size.
Ellensburg, the county seat and place of the most importance in the county, is located on the south side of the embouchure of Rogue river. When the beach mines were first worked that point became a center of population, and on or near Gold Beach, as the locality was called, there sprung up the villages or camps known as Hogtown, Elizabethtown and Ellensburg, whereof the latter has outlived her rivals. Captain Tichenor's daughter was the original of this pretty name. There were few families in the early years, the miners making up the great bulk of the population ; but later on permanent settlers began to arrive and women and children were more fre- quently met with. The Waddell family is thought to have come first, followed by the Geisels, Thorps, Holtons (now of Josephine county) and Rileys, the latter being still residents of Ellensburg.
The pioneer merchants of Ellensburg were the two firms of Augustus and Jolin Upton, and Huntley and O'Brien. They brought their goods at first from Crescent City, in the "Gold Beach," a small sloop which made frequent trips along the coast and furnished means of communication for a considerable time. Afterwards the firm of Pratt and Blake was established, and owned or chartered a schooner, the Rambler, which traded with San Francisco. F. H. Pratt, now of Ellensburg, organized and con- ducted the first pack-train between Crescent City and Gold Beach. In the subsequent Indian troubles the natives destroyed his establishment, burning the store and carrying off the most of the goods. The same fate befell the remainder of the little settlement, and it is reckoned that forty-one white persons lost their lives near the mouth of the river during those perilous times. The names of twenty-six victims are given in another place-they who perished in the massacre of the twenty-second of February, 1856. To these we must add the names of E. Huntley and John Clevenger, who were betrayed by Enos and murdered near the mouth of the Illinois river, a few days before, the greater calamity. The most celebrated incident in the tragedy was the murder of John Geisel. The Geisels, father, mother and five children dwelt about five miles north of the river. The Indians entered the house while the inmates were in bed and instantly attacked them. Mrs. Geisel, in endeavoring to defend herself, was cut with a knife, and her husband was stabbed to death instantly. The three boys, aged nine, seven, and five years, respectively, were also butchered, and the female members of the
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family, comprising Mrs. Geisel, her daughter Mary, aged thirteen, and an infant, were made prisoners and compelled to remain with the savages for eighteen days, when they were surrendered to the whites. Negotiations were entered into for their recovery when it was discovered that they were living and were captives, and after considerable diplomacy, they were exchanged for a squaw held by the whites, with some blankets and money in addition. Mrs. Geisel, now Mrs. Edson, is a resident of Ellensburg, and her infant companion in captivity has grown to womanhood and also resides in that town. The eldest daughter, Mary, now Mrs. H. G. Blake, lives in Chetco.
The whites fortified themselves on the north side of the river, opposite Sebastopol, as Ellensburg was then called, and all the surrounding settlers drew into the protection of the fort. The structure was of logs, and stood in a well selected site, a mile and a half from the river, and within gunshot of the ocean. Around it a ditch was dug, which was filled with water and crossed by a draw-bridge. It proved an efficient pro- tection, and when, after a few days, the natives assaulted it, they were able to make no impression, and soon withdrew. Shortly after, a party of fifteen white men from the fort were ambushed by the Indians while endeavoring to get a lot of potatoes that had been cached near the mouth of the river. Six of the whites were killed, the names of four of them being Oliver, Richardson, Schmoldt, and Bullem. Four more whites were soon after drowned in the breakers opposite the fort, while attempting to beach a boat loaded with supplies from Port Orford. When the regular troops arrived, the settlers mostly took up arms to clear the country of Indians, while the non-combatants, the women and children, went to Port Orford for safety. The savages withdrew to a fortification of their own, fifteen miles up the river, and on the south bank. This fort, called "Skookum house," was perhaps the most carefully prepared defensive work ever undertaken by the Indians, and probably owed its design to the notorious Enos, the moving spirit among the Indians, and the person to whom the sanguinary acts of the time were directly due. This fortress was taken by a combined force of regulars and volunteers, the former under Captains Ord and Augur, the civilians com- manded by E. H. Meservey and Ralph Bledsoe. Surprising the savages by the unex- pectedness of their attack, the volunteers drove them from "Skookum house," and the fleeing Indians became targets for the regulars, who were posted in the bushes on the river. Many were shot and drowned, and altogether the natives sustained quite a defeat. This action occurred a few days after Smith's fight at Big Meadows.
On the conclusion of hostilities, all the Indians in Southern Oregon, save a few scattering individuals, were removed to the Coast reservation. The few who were left were near Pistol river, and held out against the whites and committed various acts of violence. They besieged Robert Smith's cabin, on Pistol river, but were kept off by three miners inside. A company of miners was then formed to hunt these savages, and Lieutenant Eyre, of the regular army, with a detachment, came to assist. The Indians attacked and captured the military pack train, killed one man, Haybacher, by name, hamstringed the mules, and escaped. Two of them were finally captured, and being taken to Ellensburg, were despatched by the miners, and the other males were killed, it is said, by the Smith river Indians, in consideration of a price of one hun- dred dollars set upon the head of each. This was probably in 1858. Other accounts are to the effect that these Indians, instead of being killed, were taken to the reservation.
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The present aspect of Ellensburg is moderately lively and flourishing. There is a very good weekly newspaper, edited and published by Walter Sutton, a journalist of discrimination and judgment. This is the Curry County Post, which was established at Port Orford, in May, 1880, by J. H. Upton and son, but being purchased by the present proprietor, was removed to Ellensburg in July, 1880. On the following six- teenth of September, the first number printed at this place appeared, and since that time it has continued to be published regularly. The Post is an indispensable institu- tion in the county, and fills an important position in the public estimation.
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