The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-04-06
BENTON COUNTY.
Description Of It's Appearance aaA 7-esszt
Condition by Voting Precincts.
Written Expressly for the Gazette By a
Thirty Years Resident ef y
the County.
SOAP CREEK. PRECINCT

of the county and extends from tn
north line of the county to Corvalli
preciuct, a distance of 4 miles from
north to south; and from the William
ette river on the east to the divide to
wards Kings valley being - mile
from cast to west. Along the VIII
annette river which runs on the cas-
OF the precinct is a strip of timber con
sisting of cottonwood, fir, ash ant
maple timber with an underground o
hazle and vine maple. brush. The sol
along this hill is Il rich alluvial ane
wherever brought into cultivation
yields abundant crops. Away from
the river the precinct consists of roll
ing hills interspersed with valleys ant
level plains.
Soap creek rises in the chain of hill:
on the west near the southwest corner
of the precinct and flows in a north
easterly direction and empties into the
willamette river near the northeas!
corner, at first the bottoms are narrow
and timber covered hills rise on each
side but at the distance of or 4 miles
it temerges from the hills and then
flows through level plane skirted
with narrow belt of timber.
The land along the Soap creek is OF
the black sticky nature difficult to
cultivate but yielding excellent crops
when we'll put in. The precinct
throughout is well adapted to grain
growing. The native grasses have al
ways yielded abundant feed SO that
stock raising has been an important
item with the farmer, but not so much
now as formerly, as much Of the grass
lands have been broken up and sowed
in wheat. Land rates from $1,000 to
$4,000 per acre. Fir timber is abund-
ant on the head of Soap creek and
along the Willamette river and also on
some of the hill sides. Oak timber OF
excellent quality is found on most of
the hill lands. There is we believe at
this time no saw mills in the precinct,
the supply Of timber being mostly de-
rived from Kings valley mills. There
is good mill site near the head of
Soap creek with a good supply of good
timber near at hand, and certainly a
good market for timber.
The road from Corvallis to Albany
runs down the river and a like road
extends on through the precinct. A
road branches from Corvallis and AL
bany road ami runs to Independence.
A road runs from Corvallis to Mon
mouth along tile foot hills with a
branch to Lewisville. The general
course of these is north and south.
There are numerous cross roads run.
ming east and west leading in the di-
rection OF Albany. The Western Ore
gon railroad runs through the precinct
with a station at Wells II miles from
Corvallis where is the post Office, /
general store, | warehouse for the
storage of grain, blacksmith shop,
and church house belonging to the
Evangeiicals. There is no saloon and
no Intoxicating liquors sold, the sale
Of such being prohibited by stipula-
tion in all the original deeds.
There is still an opportunity for
takinga a few Homesteads in the hills
along the western portion of the pre-
cinct. The Baptists have fine
building situated ON slightly emineace
about miles east of Wells station.
Among the substantial men are James
Gingles and Tolbert Carter who have
each represented the county in the
State Legislature. These men have
been "a powerin the community, always
taking high grounds, and being fore
most in every good work for the i'm
provement OF society; but in mention.
ing these We would not detract from
many OF their neighbors such as John
Wiles, the late Francis Wrighsman, D.
III. Vanderpool, Drury Hodges and
many others; these are all prominent
and substantial farmers.
Many old timers will remember
Tampico, situated on the old pack trail
of the olden time, just south of the
crossing of Soap creek. This Is years
ago was a place of considerable i'm.
portance, and noted for the high earn
ivals held within its bar rooms. Blu,
the glory Of Tampico has departed and
for years past it has been turned inte