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OREGON & CALIFORNIA ft.ft1 Co. NO. 14. TIMESCIIEDUL1C. NO. Ii. r O TAKE EFIrEcTSUNDAY, OCT')BEIt 15Th. 187, tt(I O'Clock A. M . for the govuri.inuiit end in- forriia lou of u.Iployed only; the Conu ,a,iy reei,rve the right to vtry tiucrofroni sn circuuieteiicre may require. Daily Tralne will run betwecu PORTLAND AND EUCENE CITY AS FOLLOWS: LLV1 ARRIVI Portland 6:30 AM. ICuigeun City 7:30 P.M. 1:00 P.M.Eugene City 8:00 P.M. Eugene CIty 6:00 A.M.Portland 1:00 P.M. Eugene City 6:4 AM. " .. 8:00 P.M. Tho 1:00 P M Train from Portland, and the 6:00 A. M. Train from Eugene City are Paseouger Trains and run Daily. The 6:30 A. M. Train from Portland ad the 6:45 A. M. Train from Eugene City are Freight Trains (with Passenger Care attached) and run Daily (except Sunday). Oregon & California B. K. Ferry makes connection with all Regular Traine. Trains No. 6 and 0 are freight Train., and do not carry passengers. Clo.e connections are made at UGENE CITV with the Stage. 01 the Oregon and California Stage Company. - Tickets for sale over the Stage Line to the below given points: Its OaaeoteOaklaod, Boeebnrg, JaobsonviUe. Its CtuoateiYroka, Buttevihie, Soda Springe, Sac. rameuto Ferry, Pitt Biver, Bed Dm8, Tehama, Shasta, Caltahan'. Ranch, Fort Jones. Storage will be charged on all freight remaining in Warehouse ovor 24 hour,, except when through Bills of Lading are given. Freight will not be Received for Ship- ment after 5 o'clock P. M, Tickets for sale at Company'. Office, Cor. F aad Front ate., at the Ferry Land.. tug, Portland. U. TRHCLSEN, Gen'i Supt. J. C. IIILDRETH, Lest. Rapt. B. P. ROGERS .29dtf Gen'l Freight and Passenger Agent. The first railroad schedule showing service to Eugene City, effective October 15, 1871. Copied from an advertisement in the "Oregonian."

LANE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Vol. XVII, No. 1 Eugene, Oregon Spring, 1972 LANE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Mrs. C. A. Huntington, 740 West 13th Street, Eugene, Oregon 97402 President Stuart W. Hurd, Rt. 2, Box 345, Eugene, Oregon 97401 Membership Secretary LANE COUNTY HISTORIAN Inez Long Fortt (Mrs. James G. Fortt) ------Editor 3870 Watkins Lane, Eugene, Oregon 97405 The Lane County Historian is a quarterly publication of the Lane County Historical Society, a non-profit organization. Membership in the Lane County Historical Society includes subscription to the Lane County Historian. Annual dues: $3.00; family membership: $5.00.

CONTENTS ALL ABOARD FOR EUGENE CITY By Gilbert Hulin, Secretary of the Willamette Pacific Chapter, National Railway Historical Society; Editor of Willamette Pacific Chapter Newsletter

EARLY DAYS ON LOWER LAKE CREEK 13 By Dale Steinhauer, Graduate student, University of Oregon; Grandson of Herman Steinhauer, great-grandson of Thomas Pope, Lower Lake Creek pioneers, 1877

An Oregon & California Railroad passenger train waits at New Era in 1870, a year before tracks extended south to Eugene City. Southern Pacific Collection

2 AfL4oarcI/or Cuene (i * By Gilbert Hulin "From Sacramento to Portland posed locations on opposite sides in Seven Days" by Inez Fortt, pub- of the Willamette River. lished in the Spring Issue, 1971 of the Lane County Historian is a Throughout the mid-1860's the story of the stagecoach e r a i n two Oregon Centrals were in com- Western Oregon. "All Aboard for petition for the federal land grant Eugene City" continues the story to build the railroad to California, of early transportation in Oregon and it was up to the Oregon legis- with the arrival and the expansion lature to make the choice. Gaston's of the railroads. "West Side" company was awarded the franchise at first, but the "East The driving of the Golden Spike Siders" contested the decision, con- at Promonotory Point, Utah, on tending that the "West Side" com- May 10, 1869, theoretically linked pany was not legally organized at the East and West by rail. A size- the time. able railroad network was develop- ing east of the Mississippi River to While surveyors trod both sides funnel travelers and immigrants of the valley, the battle continued to the new transcontinental line, in the legislature. The struggle for but west of Omaha the Union Pa- supremacy was won by the "East cific and Central Pacific t rae ks Side" company in October, 1868, were an isolated projection across after Ben Holladay, fresh from fin- the frontier. Other trackage did ancially successful exploits with the exist here and there, but connec- Pony Express and Overland Stage, tions w i t h the transcontinental cast his lot with the "East Siders." route were nonexistent and pas- Gaston, meanwhile, was without sengers who wished to continue substantial finances and much of their journey beyond Sacramento the support promised him failed to had no choice but to return to high- materialize. way or water transportation. A provision of the land grant Oregon, on its tenth birthday in called for the completion of 20 to 25 1869, knew of railroads primarily miles of track by the end of 1869. as promoters' dreams. The only Despite a struggle against Clacka- tracks which had been in practical mas River floodwaters that washed operation were a trio of portage out the railroad's first bridge, a lines shuttling river traffic around train was operated on Christmas falls and cascades at Celilo, Bonne- Day, 1869, to save the land grant ville and Oregon City. and definitely establish the "East T w o promoters dreamed of a Side" Oregon Central as the win- railroad which would extend south ner in the state's first great rail- from Portland through the Willam- road battle. ette Valley and California to make Before construction was resumed a connection with the Central Pa- in 1870, Ben Holladay had forced cific's transcontinental line. Joseph Elliot out of the organization, ar- Gaston and S im o n E 11 i ot each ranged for the sale of mortgage formed companies bearing the Ore- bonds to German and English cap- gon Central Railroad name, but italists, acquired control of Gas- they were better known as the ton's "West Side" Oregon Central, "West Side" and "East Side" lines, and reorganized the company as respectively, because of their pro- the Oregon & California Railroad. 3 The pace of construction quick- in the fall of 1870 usually remained ened in 1870 and on September 5 in effect only a few days, rarely of that year the Oregon & Califor- more than two or three weeks, be- nia Railroad publishedi t sfirst fore a new schedule boasting a schedule in a front page advertise- new railhead superseded the old ment in the Portland Oregonian. table. "Two daily trains" were listed in The rails reached the State Fair- each direction between East Port- grounds at Salem on September 29, land and Waconda (about a mile 1870 and were in downtown Salem from Gervais), where the stages a week later. Trains were running of the 0. & C. Stage Company of- to Jefferson by late November and fered close connections to and from into Albany on Christmas Day. Southern 0 r e g on and California In early 1871, construction south points. of Albany slowed briefly w h i 1 e A s t h e railhead continued to the opening of a Willamette River push south through Salem, Albany, bridge at the north end of the line Eugene, Roseburg and A s h 1 an d moved the terminal f r o m E a st over the ensuing 17 years, the stage Portland to Portland proper. By transfer points accommodated the May the daily express trains were extension. delivering California-bound passen- Prior to the start of scheduled gers to the waiting stages at Hal- service on the railroad on Septem- sey. ber 5, 1870, the 0. & C. stages had On June 25, 1871, schedule No. advertised a schedule of 24 hours 13 of the Oregon & California Rail- from Portland to Eugene City, a road advertised through trains to five day service to the California Harrisburg. The tracks were now railhead at Chico and five and one- on Lane County's doorstep and the half day service to San Francisco. local railroad era was about to be- Within 13 months, the trip to Eu- gin. gene City would be r e d u c e d to Construction halted on the east "only" seven hours on the train. bank of the Willamette River at The 0. & C. Railroad schedules Harrisburg for over three months

Locomotive No. 3 of the Oregon & California Railroad poses with its three car train near New Era in 1870. Southern Pocific Collection 4 while a m a o r drawbridge was a.m. and arrive in Salem at 10 built. The structure was ready for a.m.; leaving Salem on the return use as October arrived, but by then trip at 5 p.m. and arriving at Eu- the tracklayers were compelled to gene at 8:40 p.m. This will give lay 17 miles of track in five days our citizens an opportunity to visit in order to reach Eugene City by the State Fair and return the same the promised date of Sunday, Oc- day, having seven hours in which tober 8, 1871. to see the sights." Eugene City had two newspapers The railroad reached E u g en e at the time, the Oregon State Jour- City the day after the publication nal and the Eugene City Guard, of these stories, but as no local both weeklies, each published on newspaper would be printed again Saturday. Neither of the papers' for six days, the first accounts of October 7th edition mentioned the the event appeared in the daily likelihood of the rails reaching the newspapers of Portland and Salem. city the following day, but while One detailed record is this account the Guard f a i 1 e d completely to in The Daily Oregon Statesman of mention the railroad construction, Salem for Wednesday, October 11, the Journal did publish two seem- 1871: ingly incompatable stories. One con- "We take f r o m the Portland cerned the site for the station: Bulletin the following account of "THE DEPOTIt was reported the construction of the 0. & C. during the week that the Railroad Railroad to Eugene and the great Company was going to locate the feat performed by (Supt. John L.) passenger depot on Oak instead of Hallet and his hands. Willamette Street. This c a us e d "The bridge over the Willamette some dissatisfaction am o n g t h e River at Harrisburg, built by the businessmen on Willamette Street, Railroad Company for the railroad, who have shown a commendable is one of the finest in America, and degree of enterprise and liberality we unhesitatingly pronounce it su- in making improvements. We be- perior to any other bridge on the lieve the matter has been satisfac- Pacific Coast. It is built with a torily arranged, however, and the turn-table for the purpose of per- depot will be at the north end of mitting steamboats navigating the Willamette." upper Willamette River to pass it. While this story does not convey "The bridge is constructed on the feeling of the immediate arri- what is known as the Howe Truss val of the railroad, another story plan, upon which all good railroad in the same newspaper gives the bridges are now built. There are opposite impression that trains may three spans of two hundred feet already be running. T h e second each; the abutments are of solid story announced the operation of masonry, and above the bridge has passenger trains between Eugene been built a breakwater in such City and the Oregon State Fair manner as to prevent the possibil- without any mention of the neces- ity of the banks washing away, no sary completion of the railroad into matter how high the water may Eu g en e between the publication get. Crossing the bridge we came date and the beginning of the Fair upon the new road. service. "One week ago this morning this "RAILROAD TIME TABLE bridge was completed and Mr. Hal- The Portland papers publish a time- let commenced laying track on the table showing that the cars of the west side of the river. He had sev- 0. & C. Railroad will leave this enty-two men employed h-i assist- place during next week at 6:30 ing him in this work, and as he had declared that he would have it position on the ties; eighteen men laid into Eugene so that a train did the spiking, and the remainder could go into that place on Sun- distributed the ties, chair etc. day, October 8th, he was compelled "During the latter part of the to push along and keep moving. day, when the task was nearly fin- "These men had to distribute the ished, the men carrying the iron ties, carry the rails to their position became so faint and tired that they and spike them down. If Mr. H. would stagger like drunken men kept his Word, they would have to under their load, but Mr. Hallet lay seventeen miles of track in five was 'here, there and everywhere' days. The men jumpedi n and cheering them on and encouraging worked with a will and would have them to renewed exertion. accomplished the task without any "When Saturday night arrived he great exertion, had not a delay of was yet two miles and a half from several hours occurred, owing to Eugene, and no one supposed the some mistake in sending forward trains would be able to go into town some of the material necessary. before Monday evening, except Mr. "This delay caused the men to Hallet. He knew his men and of- have a big day's work to perform, fered to bet any amount that he and on Saturday they performed would have the track in readiness a feat in track-laying t h at h a s by the time the train arrived. never been equaled. They laid down "On S u n d a y morning a tele- and put in good conditiondrove graphic dispatch was sent from this the spikes etc., and made the road city (Portland), asking if a train ready for the trainsfive miles could go to Eugene, and Mr. Hallet and three hundred feet. Eight men telegraphed back for a reply, 'Yes, handled every bar of iron and car- sir.' He was out and at work as ried them from the car to their soon as it was light enough to see,

The Oregon & California locomotive "J. B. Stevens," power for the construction train that completed tracklaying into Eugene City on October 8, 1871, is pictured on the Clackamas River bridge near Portland. Southern Pacific Collection 6 and the men worked with a vim, were it not to speak in this con- being constantly stimulated by the nection of the wonderful exertions cheers of those directing the work, of Mr. Hallet, the contractor, in and by the plaudits of the citizens finishing the road to this city in who had collected from all sides the time mentioned. He and his anxious to see the last rail laid. men worked almost day and night "By noon five hundred persons for several days, with a will that were on hand, and when at one was akin to madness, and laid more o'clock the depot foundation was miles of track than has probably reached, a cheer went up from the ever been laid before by the same throats of the five hundred pleased number of men in the same number and happy Lane Countyites." of hours. W h e n the Eugene newspapers "The railroad has been completed finally printed their accounts of the to this city much sooner than the events of the 8th a week later, the most s a n g u i n e anticipated two coverage was brief, but a few addi- years ago, and we feel that the tional facts were revealed. The Oc- people of this county are indebted tober 14th Guard reported: to Mr. Holladay for the great de- "THE RAILROADTracklaying gree of enterprise a n d en erg y was completed and the locomotive which has characterized his efforts J. B. Stevens was at the depot at in this magnificent work." one o'clock on Sunday last. Many The same issue of the Journal of our citizens turned out to ob- also mentioned what undoubtedly serve the process of tracklaying, was the first train derailment in and to witness the arrival of the the county. Coming only three days first train of cars, which made its after the "last spike" ceremony, it appearance at a late hour in the apparently involved a train which afternoon, after a large portion of was returning from the State Fair. the people had 'froze out' and gone "TRAIN OFF THE T R A C K home." The passenger train ran off the The Oregon State Journal also track last Wednesday night about reported the activities of the pre- a mile and a half north of town. vious week, and like the Eugene No serious damage was done, and City Guard, relegated the story to passengers arrived after a delay an inside page beneath the fea- of an hour." tured news of the week, the first The October 14th Journal in- reports of the Chicago fire. The cluded two other references to the Journal's story: new railroad in Eugene: "THE LAST SPIKEThe 'last "STREET LAMPSWe under- spike' was driven on the 0. & C. stand itis the intention of the Railroad between this c i t y a n d Council to order a few street lamps Portland about 1 o'clock last Sun- at the north end of Willamette day. A vast crowd of citizens gath- Street, near the depot grounds." ered at the depot grounds to see "SLOW TIMEA letter was re- the first train of cars. About 7 ceived here last Wednesday which o'clock in the evening a palace car was mailed at Salem on the 26th arrived,bringing Mr.Holladay, of June. We can expect to get mail President, Mr. Halsey, Vice Presi- a little ciuicker now the railroad is dent, and several other gentlemen in operation." connected with the railroad com- Although the first train arrived pany, who remained till Monday in E u g e n e on October 8th and evening. roundtrips to the State Fair were "We would be unmindful of that operated the following week, it was w h 1 c h deserves especial mention Sunday, October 15, 1871, before a scheduled passenger service was Construction south of town con- started between Eugene and Port- tinued in 1872 and soon Eugene land. Again, t h e daily Portland City was no longer the southern newspapers carried the announce- terminal of the 0. & C. On Febru- ment of the scheduled service early ary 3, 1872, the Oregon State Jour- in the week, while the Saturday- nal reported the latest shift of the only Eugene newspapers were not railroad-stagecoach transfer point: able to print the new schedule "NO MORE STAGESThe Ore- until the 21st. On that date the gon & California Stages now stop Guard reported: at Creswell, and passengers and "NEW TIME SCHEDULE- A mail are brought from that point new time schedule for the Oregon by the cars. It will seem strange & California Railroad went into ef- never to have any more staging ect1 a s t Sunday. The passenger through our city, after having been train leaves here at 6 a.m. and ar- accustomed to it for over ten years; rives in Portland at 1 p.m. Leaves but we have perhaps had the last. Portland at 1 p.m. arriving here at "Many of the marks of early 8 p.m. Freight trains with passen- days in Oregon are giving way to ger cars attached leave here at the progress and advancement of 6:45 a.m. arriving at Portland at a more perfect civilization. Horse 8 p.m. Leave Portland at 6:30 a.m. power is giving way to steam, and arriving here at 7:30 p.m. Passen- the toot of the stage horn is super- ger trains run every day and freight ceded by the shriek of the engine." trains every day except Sunday." The Journal's editor failed to The new time schedule of No. 14 forsee that stages would continue of the 0. & C. Railroad, reduced to link Eugene with Siuslaw Valley the stage journey to the California and McKenzie River communities railhead, then at Red Bluff, to 345 for several decades, but was correct miles in five days. The schedule ad- in reporting progress for the Port- vertised c los e connections w i t h land to California route. By mid- stages of the Oregon & California July trains were running to Oak- Stage Company at Eugene City, land, and on December 3, 1872, the and indicated that tickets would be railroad was completed to Rose- sold to 0 a klan d, Roseburg and burg. There, the Oregon & Cali- Jacksonville, Oregon. fornia Company ran into trouble. California destinations reached According to a Historical Out- by the stages were Yreka, Butte- line published by the Southern Pa- ville, S o d a Springs, Sacramento cific Company in 1933, "Holladay Ferry, Pitt River, Red Bluff, Te- failed financially. Money acquired hama, Shasta, Callahan's Ranch by the sale of bonds in advance of and Fort Jones. construction was spent with reck- Two months later the railroad less abandon. Traffic revenue from schedules were again revised, per- sparsely settled regions was not haps for the improvement of stage sufficient to meet the expenses of connections, but obviously not for operation." t h e benefit of Eugene travelers. When bond interest could not be Table No. 15, effective December met in 1873, Ben Holladay was 13, 1871, called for the departure of forced out and the property was Eugene's two passenger trains at taken over by the German bond- 4:30 and 4:40 a.m. The daily ex- holders, who sent Henry Villard to press, leaving first, reached Port- Oregon in July, 1874 to manage land at 11:45 a.m., while the daily- the 0. & C. Railroad. except-Sunday mixed was on the Un d e r Villard's reorganization, road until 4:50 p.m. the company's construction efforts were centered in the Willamette south of Ashland and on December Valley through the late 1870's, 17, 1887, Charles Crocker, one ot while t h e southern terminal re- the participantsi n the original mained at Roseburg. The "West Golden Spike ceremony 18 years Side" line had reached St. Joseph before, drove another "last spike" on the Yamhill River at the time at the south end of the Ashland of Holladay's collapse, but by Jan- yard. Regular passenger service be- uary, 1880, it was completed tween Portland and San Francisco through McMinnville to Corvallis. began immediately. Later in 1880 a branch line from Eugene was now on a through Albany to Lebanon was opened. railroad between Portland and Cali- Construction south from Rose- fornia, 16 years and two months burg was resumed in June, 1881, after the first train had puffed its after a pause of more than eight way into town. The first chapter years. Trackage was completed to in Eugene's railroad story was at Glendale in May, 1883; to Grants a close, but the "second coming" Pass in December, 1883; through was yet to follow. Medford to Phoenix in February, As the Twentieth Century opened, 1884; and into Ashland on May 4, steam railroads were already be- 1884. coming outmoded. The e 1 e c t r i c In Ashland, Villard's r e g i me railway, particularly in interurban crashed, due principally to his Nor- passenger trains, was the modern thern Pacific Railway and Oregon way to travel and the Willamette Railway and Navigation Company Valley was not to be left out of the exploits, an d Henry Villard fol- fad. lowed Ben Holladay's path of de- The Oregon Electric Railway was parture from the 0. & C. Railroad. in operation between Portland and The 0. & C. was forced into re- Salem by 1908 and four years later, ceivership in January, 1885, and on after becoming part of the James July 1, 1887, the properties were J.Hill railroad interests(Great acquired under lease by the South- Northern Railway etc.), it reached ern Pacific. its southern extreme at Eugene. MeanwhileinCalifornia,the The final construction into town in railroad was gradually pushing to- October, 1912, was not as frantic ward Oregon. Branching north as the Oregon & California Rail- from the Central Pacific mainline road's had been exactly 41 years at Roseville, the rails reached Chico earlier, but the celebration that in 1870, Red Bluff in 1871 and Red- followed far outdid anything that ding in 1872. There, the terminal had been seen before in the city. remained for a decade while the Fifty people reveled in the arrival Oregon builders struggled out of of the Oregon Electric for each financial difficulties w hi c h h ad one of the 500 who had cheered halted construction at Roseburg. the 0. & C.'s first train in 1871. Tracklaying north from Redding The Eugene Morning Register for was resumed in 1883 and reached Wednesday, October 16, 1912, re- Delta in 1884, Dunsmuir in 1886 ported the previous day's celebra- and Montague on February 8,1887. tion of the completion of the Ore- Crossing t h e Siskiyous provided gon Electric in great detail: the biggest challenge, 16 tunnels "Twenty-five t h o us and people were required and trackage curva- who thronged the streets of Eugene ture totaled 88 complete circles in yesterday broke all records in the the 171 miles between Redding and history of this city.... From early Ashland. Southern Pacific com- in the morning the streets were pleted the 0 r e g o n construction crowded....Everybody was happy. 49 I

ALAN S

A gateway arch across Willamette Street just north of Sixth Avenue was part of the $1,700 celebration organized by Eugene for the arrival of the Oregon Electric Railway in October, 1912. Oregon Collection, University of Oregon Everybody rejoyced with Eugene em Pacific, bringing 502 in five in the coming of the new railroad. cars and picking up two additional "Never has Eugene experienced cars from Cottage Grove with 100 such a general excursion. The first from that city. Creswell, with its train to arrive over the Oregon delegation of 200 upon No. 18, was Electric was the Albany10c a 1, due to arrive at 10:55, but came in jammed to the doors and windows, 10 minutes after the Roseburg every available inch of space used, train. This train also brought bringing 500. This train carried crowds from Drain, Yoncalla and 250 from CorvallisIt undertook a half dozen other way points. to pick up all those waiting at the "The Oregon Electric train that small way stations, b u t be fo r e set the bells ringing and whistles reaching here had to pass them by. blowing was the Portland special at Even the baggage car was filled, 12:30. It came in two sections, the by converting it into a coach and first of four cars carrying 181, Ros- supplying it with depot benches. arians, Ad Club men and railroad "The second train was the Al- officials. The second of three cars bany special, with 12 cars pulled brought 193 Portland businessmen. by an electric locomotive. On this "The 2 o'clock Southern Pacific train were 876 guests from Albany. train also brought a few of those It was a delegation that made Eu- who were left, but otherwise the gene open its eyes. They were load- old road's business from the north ed with noise making devices, fog- was remarkably light. horns to hundreds of packages of "In addition to these thousands firecrackers. that came in upon the trains were "The Salem special brought 500 hundreds, in fact thousands, of in seven cars. The next train was others ...coming up the valley in the Roseburg special on the South- automobiles. Even circus day was 10 put in the shade in this respect. available to the Portland-Eugene "The remarkable feature of this passenger: enormous crowd in Eugene yester- "It takes four hours on the Ore- day was its order. The police report gon Electric and three hours and no trouble anywhere. At noon every fifty minutes on the Southern Pa- eating house in the city was filled, cific. It costs $3.70 on the Southern but there seemed to be no overflow. Pacific and $3.60 on the Oregon The hotels were crowded and had Electric. Itall depends whether to distribute some of the guests to your time is worth more than a nearby rooms, but few, if any, were cent a minute. turned away. "The Southern Pacific endeavors "The crowning feature of the big to slip one over on the Oregon celebration was the monster street Electric by having a superb 'dining pageant which required a period of car service' on one of its trains. 50 minutes to pass a given point. The Hill trolley line comes right "The huge crowd left last eve- back and says that it has observa- ning, still happy and enthusiastic, tion parlor cars on limited trains. for the half day's program did not "Its a question of whether you'd tire nor did the flurry of rain damp- rather have a square meal or a en. The first train to leave was the view of t h e Willamette Valley's Albany special with the Corvallis gorgeous, transcendental and pan- delegation at 5:30. oramic beauty." "The Portland special bearing Although no new railroad com- day coaches and sleeping cars left panies followed the Oregon Electric at 6:30. This train carried pianos into Eugene, construction of addi- and was equipped in true excursion tional trackage did not stop. South- style. The Salem special left at 7 ern Pacific opened a direct line to and the Albany train half an hour Corvallis by way of Alvadore and later, marking the close of the Monroe in 1913, and three years greatest day in the history of Eu- later the long-awaited Coos Bay gene." branch extending as far as Powers Cost of the Oregon Electric cele- opened. bration was later announced as $1,- Southern Pacific tracks extended 701.28, but the amount had been east from Eugene to Wendling and fully subscribed in advance by Eu- Oakridge, but the latter community gene merchants. Regular passen- was at the end of the line only ger service began over the new from 1912 until 1926, when the railway on Thursday, October 17, Natron Cut-off" linking the Wil- with five trains daily in each direc- lamette Valley with Central Ore- tion between Eugene and Portland. gon was completed. With the Southern Pacific also On April 17, 1927, the new "Cas- operating five trains between the cade line" by way of Kiamath Falls two cities, the companies were became the main Oregon-Calif or- ready to enter a battle for the nia railroad and the original 0. & C. traveler's dollar. The Portland Tele- "Siskiyou ii n e" through Ashland gram commented upon the choices fell into secondary usage.

11 The Lake Creek Read east of Deadwood

Road construction at Cape Horn, about 1905 12 Ca,4 2aooncEower c!aie Creeh,1880-1910 By Dale Steinhauer Lower Lake Creek in the Coast eight hundred dollars worth of Range of Western Lane County ex- gold on Deadwood before he was tends for over fifteen miles from driven away by the Indians. Near Triangle Lake close to Swisshome Blachly in the neighboring Upper on the Siuslaw River. The rich but Lake Creek country, an early set- narrow bottom-lands along L a k e tler found an old, rusty beaver trap Creek and its principal tributaries, believed to be a relic from the Nelson and Deadwood Creeks, at- days of the Hudson's Bay Company tracted settlers in the early 1880's when trappers ventured into the and by 1890 over eighty were living Lower Lake Creek region. in the area. In 1880 Lower Lake Creek was Lake Creek surrounded by moun- reached from the east by Nelson's tains was isolated from neighbor- Trail which left the surveyed but ing communities. Its isolation de- uncompleted Siuslaw River road manded a self-sufficiency and at Elk Prairie and 1 a b o r i o u s 1 y toughness from the thinly dispersed crossed Chickahominy and Nelson population. Its geography prede- Mountain before it descended to termined the locale to remain a Nelson Creek and then to Lake hinterland, one which could never Creek. It is unknown how much develop a town. But in 1900 when the trail was used at the time nor almost all the bottom-lands had is there any information of Nelson been c 1 a i m e d by homesteaders after whom the trail was named. t h e r e w e r e three communities, As early as 1880, a year before Deadwood, Alpha an d Greenleaf, the first survey was made of the with their own farmhouse post of- country, Joseph Whisman, thirty- fices and schools which served the one years old, built a cabin near one hundred fifty residents. the south end of Nelson Creek but Very little is known of Lower did not remain for the winter. It Lake Creek's history prior to its is doubtful there were any perman- settlement. Several Indian tribes ent settlers in the area before 1882; hunted and fished in the mountains at that time about a dozen home- and along the streams. At the steaders arrived who t o ok o u t mouth of Deadwood Creek, a fav- claims between the m0Ut h s of orite fishing spot for the Indians, Deadwood and Nelson Creeks on settlers found evidence of a sweat Lake Creek. At the end of 1883 house and scores of arrowheads. possibly forty people were living at Eels had been trapped by the In- Nelson Creek who soon drew up a dians at the mouth of Lake Creek. petition to have Nelson's Trail The area was part of the Siletz- made into a public wagon road. Alsea Reservation until 1875 when On the petition were the names the land was returned to the public of the earliest settlers on Lower domain and open for settlement. La k e Creek; Louis Atherton, a Though there were visitors at carpenter from New York; Peter Lower Lake Creek when it was a Holle, emigrant from Norway and trackless wilderness little is known Emile Robert from Switzerland; Ed of their impressions and activities. and Charles Potterf, brothers and One story remains of a prospector Thomas Pope and his sons, John who around 1870 sluiced about and Howard, all from Ohio; John *A1l photographs used in story, "Early Days on Lower Lake Creek, 1880-1910," are from collection of Dale B. Steinhauer, with exception of the Charles A. Potterf photos. 13 and Joseph Whisman from Cali- his son, Howard, the constable. fornia. In addition t h e r e were When the Siuslaw River road others who did not remain long was surveyed in 1879, optimists ex- enough to "prove up" on their pected the road would be completed homesteads. shortly. But in the mid-1880's when In the early years the Lower the Whisman brothers became the Lake Creek area was a melting pot. Eugene-Florence mail carriers, the Almost half of the settlers were Siuslaw route was still impassable from the midwest, some were from for wagons. T h e Whismans im- California and New England, others proved the Lake Creek road which emigrants from foreign countries. was more mountainous than the In contrast with Western Lane Siuslaw road though several miles County's first pioneers, those on shorter and began to operate a the Old Territorial Road, there stage line. The brothers operated were few from the southand only the stage line until about 1894 a handful of Democrats. Voters on when Eli Bangs of Eugene became Lake Creek almost always handed the proprietor and changed t h e landslide victories to Republican route to the Siuslaw road. By the candidates. end of 1895, the new "low pass" Though only a quarter of the road was completed which con- early settlers were foreign born, nected Lower Lake Creek with Up- they set their roots down much per Lake Creek and provided a deeper than the usually restless better route to the Willamette Val- native Americans. Emigrants who leyroughly the same as Highway had known h a r s h, impoverished 36. conditions on small farms, usually Roads were a constant problem. rented or leased, in their native Slides, fallen trees and mud often countries were grateful for the free made roads impassable while floods, land and opportunity to establish especially the disastrous one of a permanent home. 1890, washed away bridges, created One of the most important fig- havoc and destruction in its wake. ures in Lake Creek's early days It was difficult and dangerous to was Thomas Pope who settled at ford swollen creeks in winter time.* the mouth of Deadwood Creek, a Roads were also hazardous in good most central location. He was a weather. At each end of the Lower civil war veteran and the head of Lake C r e e k Valley a ledge-like a large family, several of whom road had been blasted from the took out nearby claims on Dead- rock itself. The narrow traverses wood Creek. In 1884 when Dead- known as Cape Jennie and Cape wood Post Office was established, Horn were as perilous as similar the first in Lane County between spots on the Siuslaw road. Cheser (near present-day Noti) and In 1890 Alpha Post Office named Florence, he became the first post- for the young daughter of the postmaster. Pope along with Louis Ath- mistress, Flora Lundy, was set up erton and Joseph Whisman set up five miles n o r t h on Deadwood the first school on Lower Lake Creek. At the same time a school Creek which was located near the was started which had five stu- mouth of Hollo (now Huks) Creek. dents. Two years later when Lake Creek After 1890 other homesteaders precinct was established which en- arrived. Deadwood and its neigh- compassed all but the eastern ex- bors offered the best bottom lands treme of Lower Lake Creek, Pope in the Lower Lake Creek country. became the justice of the peace and By 1898 Deadwood was "settled *"Lane County Historian," Vol. XIII, No. 3 14 Charles A. Potterf Charles A. Potterf and family, about 1892 Courtesy of Charles 1. Potterf Courtesy of Mrs. Frank Townsend for 11 miles from its mouth" and were established at Greenleaf in contained "103 persons, 16 wagons 1892 w it h Irish-born Catherine and 31 horses.* Downing, a widow, as the post- The central figure on early Dead- mistress. Of the three post offices wood Creek was Charles Potterf mentioned, only Greenleaf, now lo- who soon replaced his sister, Mrs. cated four miles down stream from Lundy, as postmistress at Alpha. A its original position at the mouth Democrat in one of the three or of Greenleaf Creek, has maintained four most strongly Republican pre- an unbroken existence to the pres- cincts in the county, Potterf con- ent. Alpha was discontinued in 1940 tinued to serve as its justice of the after several changes in location. peace for almost the entire decade Deadwood was discontinued in 1914 of the 1890's. In 1898 he was within but was re-established in 1950. a hair of election to the state legis- For man y ye a r s William H. lature. Potterf was also a volunteer Wheeler and his son Marion were weather observer for the Depart- regular newspaper correspondents ment of Agriculture. The weather for the Greenleaf area. The elder station which was established in Wheeler was a veteran journalist July, 1899 at Alpha was one of only who had served as a member of the two in Lane County (the other was editorial staff of the San Francisco located at Eugene). At the time of Chronicle before he moved to Ore- his death in 1904, Potterf had "the gon. "Glenarbor," his farm on Nel- best farm and prettiest home" in son Creek was the first dairy farm Deadwood."t in the Lower Lake Creek country In the eastern portion of Lower and was described by Joaquin Mil- Lake Creek a school and post office ler as "the prettiest place in the *"Alpha Clippings," "The West," Florence: October 14, 1898 t"Greenleaf," "Eugene Register": June 23, 1904 15 Marion F. Wheeler, about 1906 world.* In August, 1910, only a ilies we r e forced to supplement few months after Wheeler sold his their income by other work, such farm, a forest fire left the Nelson as peeling Chittum bark. Creek valley a charred ruin. Forest fires destroyed much of Marion Wheeler, postmaster of the timber in the country, espe- Greenleaf from 1908 to 1947 be- cially along Deadwood Creek. As came well k n o w n as a photog- early as the 1880's the fern-cov- rapher. He obtained his first cam- ered hills attracted cattlemen from era in 1903 and his pictures, many neighboring communities. One of which were made into postcards, cattleman, Joel Mays, had a stock are the best pictorial record of the ranch on the once barren hills near early days on Lower Lake Creek. Windy Creek, an area still known Lake Creek west of Deadwood as the "Mays cabin country." But and settled in the late 1880's was the shortage of wintertime feed virtually uninhabited within a few eventually forced the cattle ranch- years. Settlers on Indian Creek ers to move away. near Reed and Hermann reached Dairy farming was introduced in their homes from the Siuslaw by the area in 1893. It soon rose to way of Thompson Creek, thus predominance. C r e a m e r i e s sent avoiding Lake Creek and the lower their wagons to Lake Creek for section of Indian Creek. the dairy products famed for their General farming was the prin- excellent quality. cipal activity of the first settlers. Many of the unmarried men left The rich soil produced large har- their farms at intervals to prospect vests of vegetables and the small or work in the mines. German-born orchards prospered. However, fam- Herman Steinhauer was perhaps *"From Glenarbor," "The West," Florence: July 27, 1906 16 Herman Steinhauer, on Lake Creek the only settler who became a reg- Wheeler used water wheels to op- ular prospector on Lake Creek. He erate his mill. It was the most im- plated his spoons with silver which portant mill on Cherry Creek, now he found in the area. In 1900, he Wheeler Creek. None of these mills claimed he had discovered "a ledge or logging operations were of much of rock as rich in gold as any in consequence or to be compared the Bohemia mines.* However, an with the larger ones on the Siuslaw analysis of the ore revealed it had or in the Triangle Lake area. been greatly over-estimated. There There was not an adequate num- was no bonanza mine. ber of people on Lake Creek to at- About 1890 the Whisman broth- tract a general store. Early settlers ers began to log their claims and had to travel to Mapleton, Blachly floated the logs down stream to or even further to trade. When a mills on the Siuslaw. Other settlers railroad was built along the Sius- on Lake Creek also logged in the law about 1915, a store, the first, 1890's but it was not until after was established at Swisshome. For 1900 that small logging camp s many years, the store was operated which used oxen or steam-operated by Charles Atherton and his sons, donkeys first appeared. George and Joe, emigrants from Small steam-engine mills were Ireland, who settled in Alpha in usually family operations. M ill s 1890. were run by Frank Potterf, young- In February, 1893, a group of er brother of Charles and Ed, Levi Presbyterians incorporated a Berkshire and Byron Hutchins on church at Deadwood with Albert Deadwood Creek and by Seth Sim- Robinson as moderator. All of the mons near Greenleaf. Marion twelve original members were emi- *Green1eaf Items," "The West," Florence: October 12, 1900 17 Picnic at the State Salmon Hatchery, June 10, 1910 grants. In early 1894, a church vived the great fire fo u r years building was constructed on the later. About five miles north on hill just east of Deadwood. How- Deadwood Creek is the abandoned ever, settlers who lived near Alpha Alpha school-house which f a c eS or Greenleaf used their respective away from the road. It dates from school-houses for church services 1912. The quaint covered bridge and only traveled the longer dis- which is visible from Highway 36 tance to Deadwood for special serv- is on the Nelson Creek road and ices. the weathered church east of Dead- Construction was begun in 1905 wood are more recent. The ceme- on a salmon hatchery at the mouth tery behind the church has markers of Middle Creek, now Green Creek, which date as early as 1889 and in- with Joseph Slemmons as the dir- clude graves of many of L a k e ector. For many years the hatchery Creek's pioneers. buildings and grounds served as a community center and a site for On Deadwood Creek, many once- picnics, dances and political meet- cleared areas are now grown over ings with speeches. with brush and tall timber. A 11 Today, few vestiges remain of traces of early farms are gone. The the early days on Lower L a k e only reminders of the early days Creek. The old Cszro Wilcut house are the old, forgotten orchards and located on Highway 36 just west the tombstone-like snags together of the Nelson Creek road inter- with evidences of early and recent section, built in 1906, barely sur- fires.

18 (C JANE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 740 West 13th Ave., Eugene, Oregon Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 96 Eugene, Oregon

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TOE GREAT OVERLAND MAIL ROUTE ?0 San 1'rancisco. TU COACHZd or TIIZ OBBOOB and Calitorcils stage ()aipa.y I..,. PORTLAND daily r SAid ILAN. C1CO ad NkW YUU. I.SA VI £13.1 VI At Pwtiand at , A. 11. X%IgisLi SlUt day at S A. K. I..'arsyou,lUe 4 C'iuyvuyille 4 Yrika 1134 Treks St 1. )f. 2 P. 31. BhaataM 3 P. 31. Chico ' 3 A. Id. Chico at 3A. 31. &u.'nsento.un. dsyU Sacranseukial L1 A. 31. 8aaYcsucsc" 5P.M. TbeStsguftbeO.&C 8.Co. cousseet with theOni. 0. R. Road at Chicu,3t) mitt. North ol San Vrsncl.eo ahio at the JUDcUJU with th. OreSt Qt.rIand Railrrsd to N.w Y.jrk. through to Eats Vr*ncl,c., ...... 534 days NewYvik P&i.eni, iilo.d to t.y ovir,ng the root.. Tbo..hu tra.1 by thurcotetod tId&ngrr of th. a &ad thst dreid.dod t.nthl. t..lioK actuei..fl.fIJ picthrr.qo. .eo.ry, buUfnI .-vl. eye and .00 capped uontiJna, alone, doubly y the I&*rfsI (r a trip over tht. rout.. Tb. routi p.ei (hr ub lb. prineipal aiicuitur. di.trkI.. uI Otsutj, be Y&1ryI of lb. WIliamette, trnp- 1a* and Pou Ive.To tle hotutrwnt c)ta b.c. I. .rch of a bu O( IQYeL.Ot, thurt'ute.tronjly rowueesl .J. B. 0. wflrrBuoUSB, AIPflI 0. £ C. S. On. A.o, Agent 5r Chicago, Bnrlhngton and Miesonri River ltasrua1.Ofl1. with the Portland Gas Ugtst & Wa1,r Co..Lsrk itreet. }'rand, Oregocs. June 14, 1S70. jeiSdif

The last Portland to San Francisco stagecoach schedule prior to the opening of the railroad south from Portland. Copied from an advertisement in the "Oregonian."