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