UGHT, SECTION ONE-Wednesday, Sept 30,1992-THE SENTINEL
Front Street, Coquille City, about 1907
Bits and Pieces of Coquille History
By CURT BECKHAM
The exact date of Evan Cunningham’s arrival in the
Coquille Valley is not known. He took up a land claim
where Coquille now stands. He proceeded to‘ build a
cabin and do thè necessary work to satisfy the govern
ment of his good faith in improving the place. On June
15, 1864 a patent was granted by the United States
government to Evan Cunningham for 149 acres and
70/100 of an acre. Cunningham did not live to know
that his patent had been approved for he died on July
6,1864 and with the slowness of mail to this wilderness
area several months went by before the papers arrived.
He was the first white man to erect a residence within
or even near Coquille;
Cunningham was in debt in excess of $5,000 at the
time of his death. The petition of his administrator filed
May 23, 1865 showed his personal effects brought
something over $2300, leaving his homestead, ap
praised at $400 to satisfy the remaining indebtedness.
The homestead was conveyed to Elizabeth Leneve, wife
of Dr. S.L. Leneve. The Leneves had arrived in the
Coquille Valley in 1864. Elizabeth Leneve, better
known as Gramma Leneve conveyed the land to Titus
B. Willard on Oct. 9,1866. On April 14,1873 Unclè
Tite Willard laid out the first townsite, a row of lots along
the bank of the Coquille River.
The place began to grow into a village with the arrival
of the following families: The Vowells, Noslers, Moultons,
Lorenzes, Messers, Bunchs, Deans, Sherwoods, Lyons,
and Mehls. Dr. Leneve moved to Bear Creek but in a short
time moved back to open the first drugstore in Coquille.
Joseph Collier had a farm adjoining the town part of
which was made an addition to the original five blocks that
Willard had platted.
A Mr. Notley homesteaded 160 acres lying just east of
the Cunningham claim and later his son, John, platted a
portion of it into what became known as the Notley
addition.
The first school was a log structure erected in the
northerly part of town. As families moved into the
growing village the log school house was outgrown and a
larger and better building was made out of lumber cut from
a new sawmill.
The first church was erected in 1887 by the Universalist
Society.
The first newspaper was established in 1882 by John
Dean who operated under the title of “Herald” until 1913
when he sold to the “Sentinel.”