The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-02-05
"REMINISCENCES OF A PIONEER.
PAPER NUMBER SIX.

on e"S Sottse pioP0i Ihc Ody WiuSuS
out, there being anchorage for large
feet of vessels Of any description,
land locked hartor in which any YES
sci can lie in the heaviest storms AS
steady as church. AT the terminus
Of the railroad there is quite village,
known as Yaquina City, at which
place there is no speculation, for the
reason that there is no property in the
immediate vicinity for sale. Four
miles further down the bay, imme-
diately on the coast, and half mile
from the bar of the Yaquina bay,
where it empties into the Pacific ocean,
is the town of Newport. Properties
in this town, which could have been
bought twenty years since for $25 per
lot are now worth and are selling for
$lO0 per foot front. This being a sea
side resort, of course It is quite popu-
lar in the summer months, as the ma
jority of the people coming into this
section of the country congregate at
this particular place, where they can
get the most satisfaction and enjoy
ment for the least amount of money.
My experience Of over twenty years
has been, that no matter in what
locality man may place himself, he
may err in judgment as 10 prospective
values. For instance, in 1875, I had
offered to me, acreage property within
a radius of three miles of this place;
the purchase price was to be about
$25, and land right for one hundred
and sixty acres of land. The same land
within the thirty days last past, has
been held against bona 6de offer OF
$3.50 cash, per acre. Two men in
particular have realized comfortable
fortunes off of very small investment.
For instance, one party bought 200
acres of land Or thereabouts, ten years
since,. Of improved land, good title,
etc., for which he paid the the sum Of
$1,000. Nine years later he sold the
same for spot cash for the considera-
ton of $4,000. His neighbor ad-
joining, had a body of land comprising
about 400 acres with but little frontage
on anything, beach hills, ETC., for
which he realized $4,000. The last
named party was not out on said pro-
perty in actual money to exceed the
sum of $500. The present valuations
Of property are not as high compara-
lively speaking, as they were two years
since.
I'm olden times when man went to
the coast with his entire family, in two
wagons, with few head of stock, they
would pitch their tent wherever night
overlook them, lie around in the sand,
bathe in the surf. 60 fishing every day,
get sunburned, well tired out, ETC., and
return we'll regulated for another sea-
sons hard work on their. ranches. /
have seen at one tiines!slO00 wagons
camped in this vicinitys. " hicis with an
average of five people ito the wagon,
making a population of over 5000.
Of course, this State Of things is done
away with now, as person can get on
the train any place in the Willamette
valley any morning, arrive at the coast
at night, and return the next day, if
they wish to, for less ontlay of actual
cash than was necessary in those days.
At that time, say ten years since, had
person suggested that within a decade
there would be no lot in the town Of
Newport purchasable for less than
800, he would have been laughed at
and apostrophized as visionary or in
same. That state of affairs exists to-
day.
The extreme northwest corner Of
Benton county is occupied by an In
dian reservation, which is being opened
for public settlement. While it is
largely mountainous region, there
arc many good homes in this section,
there is also some money to be made
in placer mining along the ocean beach
at the small streams which put into
the ocean in this vicinity. The forest
fires which destroyed the timber,
spoken Of heretofore, did not prevail
so extensively in this section, and there
still remains large quantities of good
saw timber, old growth of spruce, fir,
hemlock and cedar, which, while it is
practically inaccessible at present, can
not fail in very short time to come to
market, the only alternative being to
ship the same material there i 90 miles
by Fail or 300 by water. This north
west corner of the county, although it
is practically unexplored, is favorite
resort for tourists, pleasure seekers,
ETC., On account Of the natural eur1os-
tiles such as shell beachs mineral