Image provided by: Crook County Historical Society/Bowman Museum; Prineville, OR
About Crook County journal. (Prineville, Or.) 189?-1921 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 1901)
H istorical Sketch OF THE TERRITORY NOW FORMING CROOK COUNTY FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT UP TO J 884. The first white men who ever came to live in that part of Oregon known now as Crook County, were Felix and .Marion Scott, who crossed the Cascade mountains over the McKenzie Pass in 1803, bringing witn them their teams, wagons and a drove of cattle. They located on I fay Creek, and, it is said, lived in a cave in the cliffs of the Hay Creek canyon for a time, while they herded their cattle on the surround ing hills. A short time afterward, Howard Maupin. of Lane County, settled on Trout Creek, where he lived until his death, a few years since. Maupin e:iiounte:ed many perils ture, he lost his once princely fortune, and afterward went back to his old home near Eugene, where he still lives. In 1808 the first settlement in the Ochoco Valley was made by' Wayne Claypool, William Smith, Ewen Johnson and Lou Daugherty, near the mouth of Mill Creek, and by Elisha liarnes, Thomas B. James and Abraham Zell, Ochoco Creek. Barney I'rine also settled on the Ochoco in 1808, on the present site of Brine ville, and after him the town took its name. In 1809, .John Luckey, John M. Toms, Anthony B. Webdell. Edward G. Conant, J. W. .McDowell and J. H. Snoderly settled Brineville became a thriving business town, and increased rapidly in population. It was then, as now, the center of trade for almost a hundred miles around, and in fact, was the only business point south of The Dalles in what was then Wasco County. Among the earliest settlers of this county may also be named Jerome La Follette and Samuel M. W. Hind.man, who took up a claim on Squaw Creek in about 1809. Hindman kept a station for several years, and still lives on the tract of land upon which he settled over 30 years ago. Willow Creek was one of the earliest settled portions of Crook County. James 1 ; I t J - from the Piute Indians in those early days, hut he was a man of great personal cour age, and held his ground against the thieving anil murderous savages. He was not, however, permitted to enjoy his wilder ness home in peace until he slew Paulina, the war chief of the Piutes. He was a vet eran of the Mexican war, and served under General Zachary Taylor. He was at the storming of .Monterey and the battle of Buena Vista. Maupin was a typical West ern pioneer, brave as a lion and the soul of gentlemanly honor. Some time in the latter part of the six lies, Henry Coleman, also of Lane County, established himself on Hay Creek, near its junction with Trout Creek, and engaged in the cattle business. He acquired title to quite a large tract of land, and for several years followed the very profitable business of cattle raising. After many years of prosperity, through an unfortunate ven- o:i the Ochoco. They were followed in 1870 by Alexander Hodges, James P. Combs. S. R. Slayton, William Heisler and Lark Vanderpool, all of whom, with the ex ception of Combs and Slayton, located on the present site of Prineville. With the advent of these people began the exist ence of Prineville. William Heisler was the pioneer mer chant of the Ochoco Valley, and Barney I'rine the first saloon keeper. Heisler es tablished his store in Prineville in 1S71, and continued in business for seven or eight years. In the fall of 1S71 Monroe Hodges re moved his family from Benton County, and laid off the present townsite of Prine ville. He also built a hotel, and engaged in that business for five years. About 1873 a post office was established in Prineville, and Daniel E. Thomas was appointed postmaster. Within a few years Blakely, Perry Read. Can. Montgomery and S. G. Wood were among the first settlers there. Blakely was the first elected sheriff of Crook County, and served in that capacity two years. He is now a resident of Wallowa County. Williamson G. Allen, formerly of Lane County, settled on Hay Creek, on a tract of land which he afterward sold to Dr. D. M. Baldwin, of Oakland, Cal., who en gaged in the sheep business on a large scale. Dr. Baldwin sold his interests to the Cartwrights and Van Houtens, who or ganized the Baldwin Sheep and Land Com pany, now the most extensive concern of its kind in the state. Among other early settlers on Hay Creek were S. G. Thomp son, the first judge of Crook County, and his two brothers, William and Duprey Thompson. William, or "Bud," as he was better known, was once editor of the Rose burg Plaindealer and afterwards editor of