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Redacted for privacy Redacted for privacy Redacted for privacy Redacted for privacy Redacted for privacy Redacted for privacy Redacted for privacy ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In May of 1992 Billee Hoornbeek, then the Siuslaw National Forest Archaeologist, approached me with the idea of doing my master's thesis on the Siuslaw's homesteads. Billee was about to retire, and recognizing the information potential of the 34 boxes of homestead records on loan from the Federal Records Center, she was looking for someone to illuminate the information in those valuable documents. When she first showed me the 34 boxes of case files, I was overwhelmed and a little bewildered about what research possibilities those boxes contained. Billee then rattled off numerous research topics that she felt the homestead records could address, and so I told her I would think about it. Well, obviously I said yes, and I am so grateful to Billee for introducing me to homestead research that has developed into a favorite subject area for me. Many other people lent their assistance on this thesis and I would like to thank them. Ken McCall, Alsea Ranger District Cultural Resource Technician, was familiar with the study area and the concentration of homesteads it contained and recommended it for my research. He also referred me to Evelyn Payne Parry, a local historian who had lived in the area. Ken also organized the three Passport in Time volunteer projects that I used for field research on the homesteads. Whenever I was looking for information on the homesteads, or needing another copy of a homestead record, Ken was always willing to help fmd it. Carl Davis, Billee Hoornbeek's successor, gave me knowledgeable advice and guidance when I was floundering with how to proceed. Thanks also to the other Siuslaw cultural resource technicians, John Kwait, Dave Beck and Dwayne Guthrie, who also share an interest in the homesteads. They are great stewards of these important resources. Phyllis Steeves, the Siuslaw's current Forest Archaeologist, has enthusiastically supported this endeavor. She also assisted with the Passport in Time (PIT) field projects and made very useful suggestions for the field work and other aspects of my research. I know she will put the information I gathered to good use. I also want to mention Scotty Steeves, Phyllis' husband who is also a historical archaeologist. In our few brief visits, including one of the PIT projects, Scotty gave me so much encouragement and inspiration, I felt like I was writing the most important thesis in historical archaeology. I wish I could remember the names of all the PIT volunteers who helped on the three projects in 1993 - 1995; their help was invaluable. A few of them helped on two of the projects or helped me in other ways and deserve mentioning here. Pam Owen took on the task of fmishing the cataloguing of artifacts from the 1993 PIT project. She and Doug Christianson, an experienced metal detectorist, also helped on at least one other field project. John Rice, Peggy Vanderkin, and Larry Summers are veteran PIT volunteers who have helped me on other projects as well. Jane Scease went home after the 1994 project and did some research on a few of the homesteaders for me. Peg Kenaga transcribed the interview tapes from the 1995 project. Others who contributed to the content of this thesis include Judy Rycraft Juntunen, Betty Vogel and Catherine Roberts of the Benton County Historical Society & Museum. They reviewed all the records in the boxes from the Federal Records Center at the Siuslaw and created a database. This database greatly expedited my search of the records to ensure I found all the files for T12S, R9W. Steve Wyatt, at the Oregon Coast History Center (formerly Lincoln County Historical Society) went beyond my expectations and found useful documents and maps, and a photo and newspaper clippings that he kindly sent me, even when he thought they might be too late for my thesis (fortunately they were not). I also want to thank the staffs at the Lincoln County Courthouse, and the Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for their assistance in locating and researching their respective historic documents. Thanks also to Mary Howard of Frontier Genealogy Resources who taught me how to do genealogical research, and led me to the source for the homestead entry registers that gave me the names of the pre-1907 homesteaders. The support staff of the Recreation, Lands, and Minerals Section, Regional Office of the USDA Forest Service, Region Six (in Portland, Oregon), spent many hours copying the historic homestead records for me. The originals could then be kept at the Siuslaw National Forest, and I would not have to make countless trips to Corvallis. These people are Sylvia Whitney, Ken Edwards, and Elizabeth Juker. Elizabeth also hand-colored the copies of the colored maps so I did not have to have color copies made. Over the past six years that I have been working on this project several friends and colleagues lent moral support, visited the homesteads with me, or read various drafts of my thesis and provided constructive criticism. They include David Voss, Robbin Johnston, John Wells, Sheila Forster, Rick McClure and Chloe Hughes. I especially want to thank my dear friend and fellow historical archaeologist, Jorie Clark. Jorie helped me research the records at the Lincoln County Courthouse and Oregon History Center (and kept me from getting carried away with my research). She also accompanied me on two field trips to the homesteads, reviewed a couple drafts ofmy thesis, and provided suggestions and enormous moral support. I would not have completed this without her help. I also received invaluable support and ideas from my thesis committee members, David Brauner, Philip Dole, and George Stankey. My only regret is that I did not take better advantage of their incredible knowledge and expertise by consulting with them more frequently. Throughout my career with the Forest Service, and especially during my years in graduate school, Jim Keyser, Regional Archaeologist, provided encouragement, support and guidance. He encouraged me to get my master's degree and founda way for me to go back to school and stay employed by the Forest Service. I appreciate how he pushed me to take on new challenges and develop underutilized skills. Jim's belief in my abilities is one of the main reasons I have advancedso far in my Forest Service career. He also had a hand in the direction I took with my thesis,as he reviewed many early drafts. I am grateful to all my family for their love, support and patience throughout this endeavor. Visits were postponed or canceled because I was workingon my thesis. Even though they wondered why I wanted to be an archaeologist, they were supportive of the choices I made. I am completely indebted to the many people who lived on or near the homesteads and graciously answered questions about their past, either inperson or over the phone. These people include Sherrill Dodson, Ray Martin, Kent and Celia Stevenson, June Grant Gray and Melvin Grant. In addition, I want to thank Eileen (Wilhoit) Wilcox and Keith Wilhoit for sending this complete stranger wonderful photographs and genealogical material about their ancestors. I hope that someday we can meet in person. Now, I would like to thank the four women who gave me the most valuable information in this thesis - their personal stories and historic photographs. The late Evelyn Payne Pany introduced me to the homesteaders through her numerous letters and books. Thanks go to her daughter, Margaret Attridge, for donating her records to the Oregon Coast History Center and local library. Effie (Moore) Dodson provided many important details and photographs of her family's homestead and her grandparent's ranch. May (Davenport) Chatfield, who still owns her parent's homestead land, identified several homestead building locations, and supplied detailed information about the early residents. And fmally, Hazel (Crooks) Shelby, who has been such an immense help by sharing her family history and numerous notes she and her mother had on the homesteaders, as well as a collection of photographs. She and her husband, Walter, also traveled out to the homesteads on three different occasions to help me gather information. These wonderful peoples' great interest and support of my research encouraged me to keep working on it and fmally bring it to completion. Because this is about their history, I dedicate this thesis to all of them. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Problem Defmition 1 Statement of Purpose 8 Study Area Location 11 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 14 Records Research 18 Field Surveys 19 Oral History 21 CHAPTER 3: LAWS AFFECTING SETTLEMENT 27 Early Willamette Valley Settlement 27 Donation Land Claim Act 28 The General Preemption Act 30 The General Homestead Act of 1862 31 The Timber and Stone Act of 1878 33 Establishing the Forest Reserves and National Forests 35 The Forest Homestead Act of 1906 37 The Three-Year Homestead Law 40 Forest-wide Land Classification 43 CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL H1STORY 45 Fire History 46 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Early Land Surveys 48 Homestead Records 52 Resettlement Administration Records 61 CHAPTER 5: SETTLEMENT HISTORY 66 Settlement of the Coast Range 66 The First Settlers of Township 12 South, Range 9 West 67 Early Transportation Routes 70 CHAPTER 6: SETTLEMENT DATA 77 CHAPTER 7: KiNSHIP AND BACKGROUND OF THE HOMESTEADERS 91 Kinship/Friendship Ties 91 The ArnoldlBanks/WilhoitlMargison Family Group 92 Birthplace Data 108 Residence Background 111 Occupation 115 Bogus Entries 116 Later Residents 119 CHAPTER 8: CASE STUDIES 121 The WilhoitlMoore Homestead 122 The Albert/Elmer Watkins Homestead 156 Discussion 181 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION 189 BIBLIOGRAPHY 196 APPENDICES 202 APPENDIX A SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST HISTORIC LAND RECORDS 203 APPENDIX B HOMESTEAD ENTRIES LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER 208 APPENDIX C HOMESTEAD ENTRIES GROUPED BY CLAIM .

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