12
OREGON CITY COURIER-HERALD NEW YEAR NUMBER.
Early History of Oregon City.
Oregon City is not really old, but around
it clusters the halo of antiquity because it
was the first permanently settled town of
Oregon. Here Dr. McLoughlin took up a
claim in 1829. Here the first immigrants
paused beside the falls. With the train of
1842 came S. W. Moss, who, at the request
of Dr. McLoughlin, laid out the future city
with a pocket compass he had brought
across the plains. In 1840 Jason Lee es
tablished a mission station here, with Alvin
W. Waller in charge. In 1843 that mission
dedicated the First Protestant Church west
of the Rock Mountains.
The immigrants of 1843 were a progres
sive people. Many of them spent the Winter
in Oregon City, founded a lyceum and col
lected all their books together for a cir
culating library. Here the first Legislature
home of Dr. Barclay still stands with its
brass door-knobs, and window panes and
firse place mantle brought from England:
the old Catholic Church that was attended
by Dr. McLoughlin; the old Legislative hall,
now used as a hotel; the old Whitlock place,
with its shading elms brought from Ver
mont and all around the adjacent country are
the claims of the old homesteaders, rich with
historic association Rose Farm, the Rine
arson place, the Walling place and others,
the scenes of old-time Indian fights and holi
day feasting.
In Oregon City the first newspaper west
of the Rocky Mountains saw the light, the
Oregon Spectator, whose pages, yellowed
with time, are packed with history; the first
lawyers opened their offices here, the first
judges held their courts. From Oregon City
tow ; ill rrul'V4 -
ROSE FARM
met, and for some years Oregon City was
the Colonial Capital. In 1844-5 Dr. Mc
Loughlin moved to Oregon City and built
the best house in the Valley, now the old
Phoenix Hotel. Soon after George Aber
neihy was elected Governor and erected
Oregon's first gubernatorial mansion at
Green Point. This notable landmark of the
early time was swept awav in the flood of
1861.
Almost every man of note that ever came
to Oregon stopped first at Oregon City. The
name was as well known all over the United
States as Dawson and Nome are today.
Here the first stores were built by the Hud
son's Bay Company, and Couch and Petty
grove, who afterward became the founders
of Portland. In this capital seat and center
the old beaver money was coined, armies
were raised to fight in the Indian wars, and
to Oregon City the captives were brought
when rescued after the Whitman massacre.
Whitman himself was often here as a guest
of Dr. McLoughlin, Governor Aberenethy
and other notables of that day. From Ore
gon City John Quinn Thornton and Joe
Meek, Oregon's first delegates, left for Con
gress, in 1848. Meek went overland, Thorn
ton went by sea. To Oregon City came the
first Territorial Governor, General Joe Lane,
the "Marion of the Mexican War," who left
a good work behind him in his treaties with
the Indians.
Oregon City is full of old landmarks, the
the first argonauts started for the land of
gold, led by Peter H. Burnett, the Supreme
Judge of the state, who became the first
Governor of California. Back to Oregon
City they came, bringing pockets full, tea
canisters full, bags full of the shining gold
dust. Here it was used for money and
weighed at the stores like wheat or bran
.it $16 an ounce in trade.
Harriett Prescott Spofford, the noted
writer, is the daughter of Oregon City's
first Mayor; Edwin Markham, who wrote
"The Man With the Hoe," was born in Ore
gon City in 1852. Parker, Wilkes, Farnham,
Hines, authors of histories, books of travel
and Government reports all visited and de
scribed the site of the future City bv the
Falls.
"ROSE FARM."
Situated one and a half miles southeast of
Oregon City, is a part of the D. L. C. (640
acres originally) of William Livingston
Holmes.
Mr. Holmes, with his wife and three chil
dren, left Missouri on May 10, 1843, and ar
rived in Oregon City Nov. 17 of the same
year. After a long and wearisome trip with
an ox-team across the plains. Some time
in December, a month after his arrival, he
located the farm now known as "Rose
Farm."
In February of 1844 he brought his fam
ily to the two-roomed log cabin which he
had built, with its outside stick chimneys and
mud-chinked walls. Here they made their
home until the completion of the main part
of the house shown in the above cut, which
was in October. 1848, and here he and his
wife lived and died.
The front, or main part of the house, is
as it was originally built.
With its strong fir timbers, mortised and
fastened with large wooden pins, it has stood
the storms of 53 years and is still strong and
sound. Every timber, beam and sill in the
main building was hewed and sawed by hand
and much of the lumber and work was of
the rottghtest and most primitive kind. As
the carpenters were paid from $7 to $10 per
day, it is needless to say that the work was
not pushed very rapidly. Mr. and Mrs.
Holmes were both of Southern birth and
parentage and were ever full of hospitality,
and the old house has been the scene of
many barbecues, dinners and balls. Here
the ""youth and beauty" from far and near
could meet "to chase the glowing hours
with flying feet," and here, too, came the
different Governors and high "Tilakums" of
the stale were ''wined and dined." In the
large room on the second floor, used in the
early days for a ball-room, one of the first
schools of Mount Pleasant was held, in '48
or '49. the log cabin which was built for a
schoolhouse having been burned down. Here
each day were gathered the few children of
the neighborhood, to be taught the studies
then considered necessary.
Much more might be said of this old,
historic house did space permit". .
Mr. and Mrs. Holmes and five of their
children have passed away from tliis home,
and of the merry family that' once filled the
rooms with life and joy, but two are left to
the old home.
-v v ft , T'
NUTSIDE FRUIT GARDEN.
C. W. Swallow, proprietor, is experiment
ing with the different kinds of nuts with good
success. He has over a hundred varieties of
fruits and nuts. He makes a specialty of
choice berries and table fruits. Postoffice ad
dress, Oregon City.