The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-04-20
BENTON COUNTY.
Description Of It's Appearance and Present
Condition BY Voting Precincts.
Written Expressly for the Gazette by a
Thirty Years Resident Of
the County.
MONROE PRECINCT

Is situated in the southeast portion
of the county and extends s miles
from north to south and from the
Willamette river west to the summit
of the coast range distance of about
II miles. It is bounded on the north
by Willamette precinct, on the east by
the Willamette river, on the south by
the county line, and on the west by
Alsea precinct. The Long Tom runs
through from south to north about 3
miles from the Willamette and emp
ties into the latter stream. The south
fork of Muddy rises in the coast range,
in the southwest corner of the pre-
cinct, and runs northeast about 3 or
4 miles, where it is joined by the
north fork from the northeast. From
this point it runs through an open
level plain, sfirted by narrow belt Of
ash and maple timber and a thick un-
dergrowth of vine maple and hazle
brush. This stream from where it
emerees from the hills to it's mouth is
very sluggish being interrupted by num-
erous beaver dams. This beaver dam
land when cleared and drained is the
most productive of any in the country.
That portion of the precinct be-
tween the Long Tom and the Will
annette is level plain with prairie and
pine openings interspersed. The soil
is a rich sandy joan, warm and dry
nearly every portion thereof being
available for cultivation; here have
always been the best wheat fields in
the county There is chain of mar
row lakes extending through this belt
which are supplied by springs which
are of much benefit for stock water etc.
The southern portion of that part of
the precinct lying between Long Tom
and Muddy consists of a series of low
oak hills with pleasant fertile valleys
between. Towards the north these
hills gradually drop off to the level
plane that marks the Muddy country.
This land does not contain sand like
that portion east of Long Tom, nor is
it SO dry but is very productive, hold
ing moisture well, and consisting of a
deep black loan underneath which is
a clay bed. Along the two forks OF
Muddy which in places widen into
beaver dams. From these bottoms
rise low hills, which are more or less
covered with oak timber which hills
rise and extend into the fir
clad hills of the coast range where is
found fir and cedar timber of excellent
quality and in great abundance.
L. D. Gilbert about the year 1850
erected small saw mill on Muddy,
but being in the valley and away from
the principal timber supply the means
of getting logs was exhausted and the
mill was after few years torn down.
Joseph White the same or the follow
ing year built saw mill on Long Tom
where now stands the town of Monroe.
This mill made, great deal of lumber
for few years and was the principal
for lumber for all the sur.
country, but by the time the
mill needed repairs the timber was
exhausted and it was allowed to. go
into decay In the year 1857 the
writer made business venture in a
saw mill on the north fork of Muddy
the outcome of which there is no pleas
ire ir writing. There is nov. no saw
mill in the precinct, but there are two
mills two OF three miles west on the
lead of Alsea river where an abun-
lance of excellent lumber is to be had,
md from whence the supply is drawn.
In the year 1857 what was then
known as the old Foster -four mill on
Beaver creek was removed to Mon
roe.
The road leading south from Cor
-allis passes through Monroe and up