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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1886)
THE WEST SHORE. 238 MARION COUNTY, OREGON. OUR Willamette valley is one of the ganlon 8xt8 ou the Burfaoe of the great green earth. The fabled "Gardon of the Gods" oould have boon planted here in many plaoes. If the long ooast line could pas before us iu panorama, so we oould see the Faoific shores from far Alaska to southernmost Califor nia, from the northern seas to the southern gulf, from the glaciers of Stiokeen to soiui-tropio orange groves of Los Angeles, there is no region in it all to equal, much loss eclipse, this, in tho beauty and harmony of sur roundings. Thore are nitiny rivers, hills and plains that vie with earth's fairest soones, but not one of them can bear away the palm from the lovoly Willnmotto. It is no mere spot in miniature; it is as broad as a degree of longitude, and its waters flow hundreds of miles from where the fountains rise to where the broad rivor blonds with the Columbia. Shrinod by mountain rangos whoso fountains furnish living streams, the rivor gathers from ciroling hills and rugged heights the streams that vivify and beautify those hills and valos to swell tho How that seeks the sea. Multnomah is but the gatoway, and not the valley; Clackamas, with its woodod hills, guards tho lower vale; there are broad prairies in "Old Linn," and Lane is charmingly diversified; west of the life-dealing river are tho fields of Folk, and the graces and glorin of Yamhill; but we stand where Howl takes its first view of cultured valos. Whore the beautiful hills minglo so doftly with the fruitful plains, is Marion, the quoon of counties, if not the queen of Oregon. Here all that is admirable and fruitful and bountiful in tho groat valley finds expression, for it has hills and valos and forests and streams which represent the Willamotto at its lioaL One-half a contury ago the groat rendezvous of tho mid-continent was Groon rivor. There huutors and trappers, traders and travolers, mountainmon and plain men, met at midsummer and canvassed everything of interest to all. Thoso who came from the far West com pared tho parched mid-continent, and all tho region oast of the Cascades the plains where no troo gave shade and where no rivulets strayed with tho valleys of West ern Oregon, whore foliage of richest green and densest shado, bordered streams that were fed by innumemble fountains. This region, thoy said, knew neither sum. liter's fervent heat nor winter's Arctic frost Their titles were carried back and told to the frontiersmen oast of the Missouri, and made a deep impression. Tho time came when Americans looked to Oregon for homes, and these " travelers' tales," more than twice told, beguiled the winter firesides of those destined to become pioneers of Oregon. The earliest of thotu, having traversal two thousand miles of shadeless plains, fragrant with sage brush and alkali; having crossed the Cascade mountains as their last endeavor, came to the long-songht-for Wil lamette valley. They came down out of the trackless mountains to a land that seemed Eden, to fluids that in deed were elysian. The meadows and pastures were rich and luxuriant; they waved before the fresh sea- winds like billows of emerald. Thore were then no flocks and herds as wo have them now, but tho " native races" peopled this wilderness. What we cull savage trilies ruled nature; planted their lodges by tho streams and had their canoes on all the rivers; hunted and fished and lived by simple laws; the wild door and elk, the black and brown lxar shared dominion with them, and with tho fish in tho streams gave them their winter's food. Forty years ago the antlorod oik rnugod free anil numerous on all thoso valleys, prairies and hill ranges. Nature was supremo and tho native races, savage and wild, shared the land among them. It Is related that as early as 1812 there wero huutors who killed game along tho river, west of French prairie, to send elk meat for tho food supply at Astoria. Aged men of the Cali pooiiis toll how they laid in their winter's moat Their villages wero along the Willamette, the Hentiam and Molalln, and also along tho foothill. The day was set and early in tho morning conch shells were blowu to call men out for the great hunt of tho year. A great cordon of hunters reached around what Is now Marion county, who set fire to the autumn grass, driving all the game lo fore it to a oommon oenter. When the space was nar rowed enough the lioat men went in and killed sullleient game to answer their purpose, being careful not to weaken tho herds by diminishing their productive ca pacity. They lived this unfettered life Wore tho white men came among them. There was at Halem, a winter village of immemorial usage, called Chemeketa, where tho Calipooias brought their stores of camas, berries, cured meats and fish. The measles Waino a Mstilonoe, half a century ago in this, their " old home," as Che meketa has meaning. They followed their old way of sweltering in their sweat houses and then plunging into tho river, and many times deaths were sudden. From a prosperous nation these Indians Ixmamo only a few scores. Chemeketa saw Ihem oomo no more to winter on the shore where Haleiu now has ossosion. While one ooplo inhabited this valley there wero many tribes, and those living on different sides of the Willamette quarreled at times. When tho old men met ou the river and talked matters over unsvailiugly, and when diplo macy win exhausted, they went to war. When tired of war, the young men turned the matter over again to their elders and so peace would I mi made. The name of the river has full significance of this old custom, for the meaning of tho word Willamette Is " Tho Water of Peace." The time oame when ooustant trapping and hunting lessened tho number of fur-Uaring animals, and the beaver Iswamo son roe in nil the country west of the llouky mountains. Tlien it was necessary for the Hud son's liny Coin p my to make business for its employees. There were no settlers and only very few missionaries, but the company made a contract to supply the ttus siaua of Alaska with bread, and to send timber and lum lxr to China ami the Kandwich islands. This necessi tated wheat growing, ami a number of half-breed moun taineers settled In the valley and became farmers. They