The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-03-04
"REMINISCENCES OF /, PIONEER.
PAPER NUMBER EIGHT.

PAPER NUMBER EIGHT.
The section Of country lying hortl,
OF the Long Tom for about six miles
is an open prairie and river bottom
farming section, which is principally
In the possession of the original set.
tiers. In this belt are some of the best
farms in the Willamette valley, notably
the places belonging to Mrs. Coil,
George Coffee, William Gird, the Irish
Bend, Wrinkles, and Richard Irwin,
who, by the way, is the man VI ho was
running little merchandise establish-
ment in Portland in the fifties, and was
the first employer of the wealthiest
man in the Northwest of this day. This
section is well fixed in that the farms
are we'll. titled, we'll fenced, buildings
are substantial The quality of the
land being so good, the settlers have
been able to give their offspring the
best educational facilities, regardless of
cost, and as is usual in such cases, the
bulk OF the rising generation have left
the home nest, leaving the old people
to run the ranch alone. While this
section is held generally in one-section
tracts, the land is used for What there
is in it, not allowed to lie idle and un-
productive. From Mr.. Twins place
at the Buttes, north, to within three
miles of Corvallis, a distance of about
eight miles, the land is principally
owned by four or Eve men and families,
along the state road, and is used
largely for grazing purposes. West,
next to the foot hills, is a very thrifty
settlement of Englishmen, who came
to this country some thirty years ago,
and bought out the original settlers,
and have greatly improved their hold
ings. Still further West, in the center
of the valley portion of the Benton
county, Is large settlement of people,
immigrants of IN older date, largely
composed of men with families, who
came to this country financially poor,
and strnck this immediate section for
the reason that the land could be
bought at terms and prices not come
atable in other parts of the country at
that time. The present condition of
this section, is that of we'll do,
law-abiding, Godfearing community,
who attend strictly to their own busl-
uess, make farming a profession, in
stead of a task, and who are gradually
accumulating independence, if not
great wealth. One man in particular,
arrived there about twenty-five yeals
ago, went up on what was then known
as the red hills, in the Henkle settle
ment, bought IA farm on iaw-bone prin-
cipally, and commenced to grow up
with the country. In going to town
and market, it was necessary for him
to pass in front of the home of one
of the oldest settlers, who had what
at that date was supposed to be one Of
the banner ranches Of the county. The
old man in commiserating with the
immigrant, suggested to him that if he
had used good judgment and bought
a small tract of "our good land, such
as part of my farm, for instance, you
might have some show to pull through,
but to go up on the squirrel hills with
your small family and large debt, you
are just wasting your time" The i'm
migrant has succeeded in increasing
his squirrel ranch into some 1000
acres of good farming land, while the
other man had the misfortune to die,
and his farm is in the hands of many
people. A little farther north in this
same section is located thrifty settle
ment of young men, the sons of SET
tiers of thirty years standing, who, by
strict attention to their business as
farmers, have earned the reputation of
being the most thrifty farmers in the
This brings us down to the county
seat, Corvallis. This town, which in
the memory of the writer thirty years
since, was small village with but very
few business houses, and sparse and
scattering settlement Of permanent
has developed into thrifty
county town, covering an area of about
four miles in circumference, with
numerous outlying additions. While
there has been no great rush of immi-
grafton, nor any quick strides in appre-
of values in property, still the
town has grown to such an extent that
property lying back seven or eight
streets from the main thoroushfare,
which ten years ago went begging in
the market for six or seven hundred
dollars block cannot be purchased
for fen fIp,oc the o,,,o,,-< r.