The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-02-08
LIFE SKETCH OF
EARLY PIONEERS
By Rev. C. W. Kennedy.

iidu VI obcNNilb1s Yet cHS wiz AlA q
great pioneer work for Eastern Ore
gon. | introduce Mr.. David Littleield.
Some men are known for what they
are; others for what they do. The
subject of this sketch is of the latter
class. Mr.. Littlefeld did a pioneer
work for which neither the Oregonians
of his time or of later times have re-
warded him.
In 1861 the maryelously rich mines
of Idaho were discovered. At Orotno
and over on Salmon river men got rich
of one seasons work. From $50 to
500 were sometimes washed from one
pan of dirt. MIR. Littlefield, with many
others. took the gold fever. He
started, intending to outfit at Portland
While there he and his companion, MIR
Griffin, while on the streets Of the city
one day saw quite a company of men
gathered about a certain gentleman
whose name | believe was Allen. lie
was telling them in the most anthusi-
astc manner of his having found in
the year before somewhere in the now
Harney valley the famous Blue
Bucket Nine" the long lost mine of
Emigrant story. He wanted 10 get a
company of men TO go with him and
mine the country there for the Indians
had run him out the year before He
then within a few days completed
the organization of company Of about
100 men; with all the equipments for
the trip. Dave Littlefield and his
friend, Mr.. Griffin, joined that com
pany. They shipped by the Columbia
river boats toiThe Dalles. Thence they
pursued the old Emgrant road to Iygh
Valley, crossed the Deschutes, on over
the high plateau on to Ochoco; thence
on to Crooked river and on to Harney
lake. All seemed in high hopes of
coming fortune for all had confidence
in what the guide had told them They
believed that he had found the famous
mine.
But Mr.. Allen soon became bewil-
dered. He would retrace his course
then go too far south; then north.
Several times he got the company
nearly famished for water. The men
| finally lost confidence and threatened
| the life of the guide. They finally
gave him one more day and then if he
| found not the mine they would surely
hang him. The day came to an end
with no success. The miners held a
meeting and determined to hang him
at sunrise next day
Littlefield and about half the bunch
determined to rescue the man and dur
| ing the night concealed him In cave
| in the mountains.
Next morning, seeing the late guide
had escaped. about so of the men
started back to get to the Columbia
again and thence to the Orofinu But
in their journey they detoured north
ward of their old trail; struck the
headwaters of the John Day river and
on Canyon creek struck it rich. Out
of that find came the wonderfully rich
John Day mine of the early Sos. The
half of the company, guided now by
| Littefield, started as directly as possi-
BILE for the old Emigrant road, expect
| ing to strike 1t somewhere in the
Powder River valley. Crossing the
divide at the head of Powder River
| they prospected the streams and soon
found gold. Coming on down to near
the valley. Mr.. Griftir, one day while
incoming, shoveled some dirt into his
pan and washed out a large amount
Of coarse placer gold
OF course the company went no fur
ther. Mr.. Griffin had first claim and
Mr.. Littlefield next, and so the whole
creek was located. There on Griffin
creek it bears his name still-was
thus discovered the first of the great
| Powder river gold fields so marvel
ously rich. This was late in the fall
of 1861. Early next spring the still
richer Auburn camp was discovered,
six miles south of the Powder camp,
and in '62 Oregon went wild over the
loads of gold being washed from the
| famous Blue Canyon, French gulch
and Baker Flat. Two Frenchmen took
out over 500, 600 in placer gold that
fall, washed from the Auburn camp in
a few weeks.
After the locations were made on
Griffin creek late in '6l, the most of
the party went on to the Willamette
valley to winter. Dave Lttlefield and
Griffin built cabin to winter in and
continued mining. They were the only
white men in the whole of Eastern
Oregon beyond near aLOlt The Dalles
Soon the deep snow came and pro-
visions were low. With the gold dust
they had taken out they made the
journey for supplies and gum boots
over the Blue mountains to Walia
Walla. nearly 200 miles away. While
there they displayed the splendid pIa-
Ger gold they had taken out and the
whole country went wild. Mr.. Ruckles
of early Dalles fame. told the news all
lup and down the Columbia and very
early in the spring there was the wild
est rush to the Powder river country
that Oregon ever saw, and such as will
never be again.
| | we'll knew Dave Littefield Knew
MIN first in the summer Of 1868, at
Auburn. He stayed by that camp and
saw it to its desertion when washed
out. He then took land near that
pioneer log cabin, the 'Elorado' of
Oregon gold fields, and there made his
permanent home. | have set by his
fireside when winter evenings were on
and heard him tell the marvellous story
of 1861 and the peris of that winter.
How much the state owes to such pio.
neering how much this age owes to
that age of heroism. will never be
estimated in commerce nor told in
story. Dave Littlefeld is one of Baker
eounty's most honored citlzens--now
80 years old active and lively as a
boy. Recently he attended the cen
tennial of the coming of the first white
men to Eastern Oregon the Hunt
expedition of John Jacob Astor- 1871
and was greatly honored for his
work, his heroic pioneer work as a
discoverer and builder. His name is
written high among Oregon's heroic
names.