The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-02-02
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.
LOWER ALSEA PRECINCT

LOWER ALSEA PRECINCT
Is situated in the southwest por-
ton of Benton county and extends
along the coast from Beaver creek
some six or eight miles north of the
bay to the south line of the county
some ten miles south, being about
sixteen miles along the beach and
about six miles from east to west
1t embraces the Alsea bay and its
surroundings. The bay is formed by
gradual widening of the Alsea river
so that it is rather difficult. to deter
mine just where the river terminates
and the bay properly commences.
The bay may be considered as ex-
tending inland about eight miles, of
an average width of about an half
mile. Near the mouth the bay turns
abruptly to the south, and passes out
over sandy bar about five hundred
yards wide, and a depth of eight or
nine feet at low water. On the south
is an abrupt sandy bluff and to the
north low sandy beach. Skirting
the bay are narrow bottoms which
frequently widen into tide lands of
the best quality, yielding good crops
where cultivated. On the south are
two creeks or sloughs entering the bay,
on which is much good land, and on
the heads much good fir, spruce and
cedar timber; and on the north and
heading near table mountain is Drift
Creek, on which are number of set
tiers and room for several more. Sur
rounding the bay are low hills in
many places extending nearly to the
waters edge, these are mostly covered
with fir and spruce timber of the best
quality. Extending down the ocean
beach from the Alsea is range of low
hills more Or less covered with scrub
pines near the ocean, but a little dis
tance back with fir and spruce tim
Der. About three miles down the
beach Big creek enters into the ocean,
on this creek and for a distance of
three or four miles further south and
little distance from the beach is some
good land, still subject to homestead.
At about seven miles from the bay is
the old agency farm, now owned by
Geo. M. Starr and his son Edwin.
This consists of prairie about, one
and one fourth miles on the ocean
and about one-half miles in width.
This slopes from the base of timber
covered hill to the beach, and is open
to the ocean storms. Immediately be-
low this the Yahuts, stream about
200 feet in width empties into the
ocean. For about two miles up this
stream the bottoms are narrow and
covered with thick growth of spruce
timber. There it widens out, and ex
tending up the different forks which
constitute the main stream is an ex-
tensive spread of level land, much of
which is clean prairie, the bottom is
covered with buck brush or fern. In
this valley is room for about twenty
settlers, the greater portion of which
is not yet occupied. Still below
the Yahuts is belt of prairie on which
are numerous shell mounds, some of
them two to three hundred feet across
the base and forty or fifty feet in
heighth, marking the location of In
dian camps, for perhaps hundreds of
years past.
About two miles below Yahuts Cape
Perpetua, bold promontory puts out
into the ocean forming prominent
land mark at sea, and marking the
extreme southwest corner of the