Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-02-07
WILL HONOR APPLEGATE
FAMOUS PIONEER WAS BORN ONE
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Settled On Salt Creek, Now in Polk
County, in Early
Days.

Among all of that sturdy band of
pioneers who have at one time or an
| other been residents of Polk County,
none is more noted or more worthy of
note than Jesse Applegate. His name is
closely interviewer with the early his
tory of the State, and attention is once
more drawn to it by the fact that July
of this year is the one hundredth am
niversary of his birth. Suitable recog-
milton of the event will doubtless be
taken in one form or another.
The first move in that direction has
been announced by the Department of
History of the State University of Eu-
monograph which will contain: First,
"a unique portrait of the pioneer states
man; second, a biographical sketch of
his life and services; third, Apple
gates Views of Oregon History" an
extended commentary on affairs in the
early days of Oregon, written by Mr..
Applegate late in life, for the benefit
of those who should write the history
of Oregon.
IlOneef IJhWuldkef.
! Recent researches in the manuscript
archives at Salem have shown that APP
plegate was the real founder of the re-
organized provisional government
adopted in 1845, that he drew most of
the important laws passed by the Leg
islative Committee of that year, as well
as the memorial to the United States
al in persuading the Hudson's Bay
Company to take shelter under the
provisional government. Some of the
documents revealing his agency in
these significant matters have recently
been unearthed in the Public Record
Office of Great Britain, at London, by
professor of the Oregon State Uni
versty
Mr.. Applegate was born July 5, 1911,
In Henry County, Missouri, and was
the son of Daniel and Rachael Apple
gate, his father having been soldier
in the Revolutionary war. The family
settled near st. Louis in 1922, and
Jesse was sent to school in that city.
Later he learned surveying, and for a
surveyor general there. In 1881 he
married Cynthia Parker, and took up
a land claim in ST. Clair County, Mis-
souri,, and he farmed, surveyed, and
kept a country store in that vicinity
until 1913, when he crossed the plains
to Oregon, in company with his two
older brothers, Charles and Lindsey.
Settled on Salt Creek.
The first winter in this state was
spent in the old Mission buildings, fol-
lowing which he settled on Salt Creek,
in Polk County, which was at that
time in Yamhill County. He made his
home there until 1S49, when he re-
moved to Yoncalla Valley. in Douglas
County, where he founded and named
the town of Yoncalla, and lived there
the greater part of the time until his
death, April 90, 1888. which occurred ),
at the home of his son, Alexander. His
remains. with those of his wife, are
buried on the old donation land claim,
where he died.
Applegate had no difficulty in re-
ceiving the appointment as surveyor of
donation land claims throughout
Southern Oregon, and he assisted In
locating the oregon Military Road
owing to his energy and resource
fulness, he soon became identified with
every movement intended for the pub
lie good and from that time on the
name of Applegate appears upon the
most important pages recording the
early development of the Willamette
Valley.
Oregon Pathfinder.
He was leader of the first party
that in 1916, reached Fort Hall by way
of the southern route through the
Humboldt Basin, which soon became
an established trail, and he piloted the
first immigrants over 1t to oregon.
This trail has since become known as
the Applegate Cutoff. Among the party
which came with Captain Applegate
on this trip were Judge ]. L. Collins.
f. NJ. Collins, and their sister, Mrs.
Eliza Dornsife. of this city.
Applegate is noteworthy as one of
the ablest men oregon has ever had,
and as a disinterested. public-spirited
whose influence upon public
affairs was frequently very great. He
was a man whom the people Of Ore
gon delighted to honor as one of the
noblest of pioneers" says one histo-
rian. HE is remembered as a states
man, a surveyor, a pathfinder
through the southern mountains. and
in general a leader in all the varied
activities OF frontier life in the North
west"