Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1921-12-21
RECOUNTS
EARLY EXPERIENCE
IN SOUTHERN ORE.

Fred Lockley, of the Portland Jour
nal. E. G. Kilgore, former Ashland
resident and Southern Oregon pio'
neer, proved to be the source OF
historical accounts pertaining TO
this city and the southern end of the
state. Mr.. Kilgore and family for
merly lived on North Pioneer ave-
nue. here and had large livestock In
terests in both Jackson and klamath
counties. Following is the interview
as written by Mr.. Lockley:
"Yes, I'm a Bunchgrasser," said
E. G. Kilgore. 81 was born Buck
eve and later became Webfoot. l
was boarn in Ohio August 10, 1852
and I was one of eleven children.
Mrs. Josie Squires, my sister, lives
here in Portland My people came
across the plains when was baby
so | don't remember thing about
It. When we got to Ashland the
Rogue River war had started, and
the people were 'forted up In the
grist mill. The first settlers to make
permanent homes in Jackson coun-
ty were the men who established
ferries there-at Longs Ferry, Per-
kin's Ferry and Evans Ferry. This
was in 1851, the same year In which
Judge A. A. Skinner, Indian agent
of the Rogue River Indians, took up
the first claim In the county, south
east OF Table Rock. He built a log
cabin on Bear creek. The govern
ment Interpreter, Chesley Gray, took
claim next to Judge SINNERS. Late
in December, 1851, Moses Hopwood
took a claim on Bear creek. Jack
son county was organized by an act
of the territorial legislature passed
January IL, 1852. In 1854 two
grist mills were built on Bear creek
one, the Eagle mills, by Ton
! Brothers, the other the Ashland
mills by Hellman, Emery and Nor
ris on the present site of Ashland
The first sawmill was put up in 1885,
by A. V. Gillet. In 1855 Jackson
county had more population ant
more wealth than any other count!
in Oregon. Jacksonville was flour
ishing and was the metropolis o
Southern Oregon. After living wv
years at Ashland our family move'
to Central Point.
"The first settlement at Ashlan'
was made January 6, 1852, by r. E
Hargadine and a man named Pease
About a week later A. d. Hellman
Dowd Farley, E. Emery, ]. B. Elm
cry, ]. A. Cardwell, and A. M. Roc
ers took up places there. The firs
log house was that of Hargadint
Then came the sawmill built by Ell
en- and ]. B. Emery, D. Hurley an
]. A. Cardwell. 1t was begun
February and was ready to saw b
June. It was named the Ashlan
sawmill in honor of the home tow
of Ashland, Ohio, Of A. d. Hellmai
The third building was A. d. Hell
mans house. Then came Eben En-
ery's. The building of the big girls
mill, the Ashland mills, really d.
termined the fact that the site
the mills would become permaner
city.
Central Point, to which place "
moved from Jacksonville, took i
name from being in the center
the county. Later we bought II
John T. Miller farm and ! went
school at Jacksonville. Ben Beel
man, Robert A. Miller, Bill and To
Kinney, Alvin and Dave Cardwel
Florence, May, Mike, Bill and Z
/ Hanley were schoolmates of min
Ed Hanley lives in Alaska and Sea
tie. Bill Hanley lives at Burns. Be
Miller lives in Portland and is a po
itician and lawyer. Ben Beekma
also lives in Portland. The rd
have scattered hlther and yon.
"In the early '7Oc I took band
cattle over the Green Spring ira
to klamath county and we took |
a place in Langells valley, not Il
from Linkville. Linkyille - nc
klamath Falls-at that time had b
one store and hotel run by Unc
George Nurse. Mat Langell was
shoemaker at Jacksonville. H
brother Arthur was stOckman. II
VALLEY was named for these brother
rMy son, Ivan E. Kilgore, bought Il
$500 acre ranch owned by Arth
gLangell. Langell was killed in
Hdispute over a pasture boundary.
married Nettie Heron Of Ashlan
Her brother Dave lives here in Pol
land and her brother Fred in AS
land. Her brother viii is the hei
of the legal department Of the Sout
lern Pacific and lives In San Fra
Acisco.
II was in the Modoc war. ma
two trips to the mouth Of Lost rive
. drove the rig in which we broug
out Meacham, the peace cmommi
" sioner. He had been knocked
. the head and partially scalped. Lat
y he, with an associate, got up a ]
dian show and took 1t east. Sor
OF his Indians couldn't stand t
east, so they got away and ma