Archive for the ‘Family Historic Sites’ Category

FAMILY HISTORIC SITES: The Town of Wheatland (Atchison) and the 1890 Flood

Sunday, July 4th, 2021


James O’Neil, J.P. sold Daniel and Mary Matheny his claim to the future site of Wheatland.

When Walter Becker was fifteen years old in 1890, a great flood came to the Willamette Valley, the one that destroyed Champoeg for the last time and also left Wheatland moribund, the town founded by Daniel and Mary Cooper Matheny. Although Walter hadn’t yet joined the family, his account of that flood in Wheatland is of interest to us:
Flood of 1890 at Wheatland
During the freshet of 1890, I was at home with my father in the village of Wheatland, which is situated on low ground on the west bank of and near the Willamette River about twelve miles below Salem. The village has a store, post office, blacksmith shop, and warehouse. It was the misfortune of some farmers to have held their grain, which was stored in the warehouse, expecting to get a higher price for it in the spring of 1890 than had been offered in the fall of 1889. In the latter part of January, 1890, the water began to rise and by February first, lacked but little more than three feet of being on the lower floor of the warehouse. By this time those having grain in the warehouse were very much alarmed and came down to move the same to the upper floor. Up to this time no one else seemed to be uneasy, but Sunday, February second, the water was in nearly every house in town and the men began taking their families in small boats to the high ground where they lived in a church until the waters subsided. The water had been so swift up to twelve o’clock Sunday night that it was not considered safe to bring the ferry boat up from where it was tied near the river channel. However, at that time the water did not seem so swift and we began ferrying. The first load consisted of five horses, a cow, and a calf; with these we landed safely and went back after a flock of sheep. On landing the sheep, we started out on a third trip. It was now so dark that we could not see where to go, and before reaching town, we first ran onto the top of a small ash tree that stood in a hollow, and by much hard pulling got loose from it. The next bad luck we had was to strike a stump that held us fast. With a great deal of difficulty we succeeded in freeing ourselves for the second time. It was 5 a.m. when we got back to town, where we waited for dawn. In the morning of February 3, the water was in both stores; in one it was so deep that we brought the goods out of the store in a small boat, the other one being on higher ground we could wade in and carry the goods out to the door until about 11a.m., that being the last trip in which I assisted as there were a great many people there from the country who were willing to help. At 11a.m. while we were at the store putting on the last load of goods, the warehouse went down the river and as it turned over, the sacks of wheat could be seen plunging out into the water in such a manner as to remind us of a flock of sheep. At 12 a.m. February 3, I started out into the country, where I stayed with a farmer until the water went down. The water raised until Wednesday, February 5, to the height of 12 feet above the ground where our house stood and about 10 feet where the store stood. It fell rapidly, leaving Wheatland with no fences but with mud to the depth of about one inch in every house. [Published in Genealogytrails.com in Family Records – Hewitt Family; Manuscript was in the possession of Meda Becker Johnson, Portland, OR; Contributed by Don Rivara]

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FAMILY HISTORIC SITE: Antrim’s grove

Sunday, July 4th, 2021

Antrim’s Grove

Excerpt from “The Reunion” by Elma Hewitt, President Emeritus

“When I was a child in the thirties, the reunion was held in what was referred to as the Antrim’s Grove, across the Grand Island Road from George and Rada Antrim’s house (but was actually LaDru Thornton’s land).  It had tall fir trees and picnic tables.  It must also have had an outhouse someplace, but I don’t remember where it was.”

The Reunions were held there in 1932 -1938.

LADRU THORNTON’S HOUSE AND ANTRIM’S GROVE
“Ladru Thornton’s house and grove was across the road from George Antrim’s house (not a relative) right before you go down to Grand Island. The grove of fir trees was referred to as Antrim’s Grove even though it was on Thornton’s land.

Ladru Thornton was a Hewitt cousin. Sarah Jane Matheny (b.1847), daughter of Adam and Sarah Jane Layson Matheny married Samuel Smith Thornton, brother of John Thorton, who married Ann Eliza Hewitt.

LaDru Thornton made his living selling used cars. He invested wisely and bought up a lot of land around there.”

ANN ELIZA HEWITT THORNTON
1841-1883
Ann Eliza was born 19 December 1841, in Platte County, Missouri, the first child of Henry and Elizabeth Matheny Hewitt, the only daughter of ten children, the only child born in Missouri, the only one to die under seventy years of age, and the only one of the Hewitt children to make the epic journey of 1843 across the plains to Oregon; all the sons were born in Oregon. On January 28, 1864, she married John L. Thornton. The Thornton’s belonged to the United Brethren Church and had six children before both parents died in the prime of life. Ann Eliza was forty-one when she died 12 August 1883. John survived her by only three years, dying 17 May 1887. Both are buried in the cemetery at Hopewell, Oregon. Ann Eliza’s much younger brother, Jasper L. Hewitt, in his later years, wrote a memoir of his family. He described his sister caringly: “Ann Eliza Hewitt, my only sister, was married when I was yet in my fourth year so can not remember but one event before her marriage of her home life. One of our cousins a very large girl Elizabeth (Lizzie) Matheny who was much larger than brother Mathew, backed him against the wall and bit his arm leaving the marks of her teeth as you would suppose Mathew’s howl raised Ann Eliza quick and as Mother was not at home that day the sight of the bitten arm caused Ann Eliza to throw Lizzie on the floor and administer a spanking that, with the seen [sic] just before it, made an impression [that is] yet is quite vivid in my memory. As a little boy I loved to spend the day with my married sister whom I loved for she was so good to me and as her family grew up, I spent many happy days in her home. She had a good husband a thorough Christian man member of the “United Brethren Church.” They had a lovely family of children . . .

DESCENDANTS: Ann Eliza’s children were as follows: (1) Mary Elizabeth Thornton, born 23 October 1864, Yamhill County, OR., married 31 May 1885 to Charles Dayton Ott (1858-1936), had one child, Otto Thornton Ott (1886-1956), who has many living descendants; Mary died 18 May 1891 at the age of twenty-six. Like her mother, Mary was the oldest child, the only surviving daughter among several siblings, and, like her mother, died an untimely death. (2) Edgar Henry Thornton, born 7 March 1866, married 21 April 1891 to Lea Emma “Libby” Ott, (sister to Charles D. Ott, who married Edgar’s sister Mary), one daughter, Florence Thornton Phelan (1895-?); Edgar practiced medicine in Portland, died from hydrophobia (rabies) on 21 June 1915, buried at Hopewell (3) Olive Thornton, born 30 June 1869, died 10 September 1869. (4) Linzy Matheny Thornton, born 11 December 1870, Yamhill County, OR., married 6 April 1901 to Lily Pearl Hill (1872-1907) and in 1913 to Mayme Le May (1876-1958); he had no children, died 2 May 1936, buried Hopewell, OR. (5) Olin Dow Thornton [again, the vestige of Lorenzo Dow’s influence] born 20 April 1873, practiced dentistry, married 24 November 1897 to Mary Elizabeth “Lady” Hill (1876-1936), died 27 February 1938, buried at Hopewell, no children. (6) Ruth Thornton, born and died on September 7, 1875, buried at Hopewell. (7) Carl Doan Thornton born 9 December 1876. Married 22 August 1913 to Mrs. Mattie (Squire) Smith (1882-?), one son, Edgar Hewitt Thornton (1917-1989), died 9 May 1935, buried Hopewell, OR. (8) Jasper Thornton, born 19 April 1879, died 1 May 1879, buried Hopewell, OR. (9) Ladrue Leslie Thornton, born 1 November 1880, Married 22 September 1918 to Rada F. Antrim (1895-1962), died 20 June 1950, buried at Hopewell, children: Leo Maze Thornton (1922-), John Antrim Thornton (1925-1925, and Myron Thornton (1926-1926).” [Contributed by Don Rivara]

LOCATION: Antrim’s Grove was on the Southeast corner of Henry and Elizabeth Hewitt’s Donation Land Claim. Ladru Thornton’s house and grove was across the road from George Antrim’s house (not a relative) right before you go down to Grand Island.

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FAMILY HISTORIC SITE: Monument at Champoeg

Sunday, July 4th, 2021

Melissa Jones-Clark Gomez is at Champoeg State Park, Oregon

In May of 1843, the Oregon Provisional Government was established here at Champoeg. Our HMC Family member Adam Hewitt was one of the signers. This area meant a lot to my mom Julie Warmington Jones. Every time we are there I think about her alot. I would also like to acknowledge those whose land this was. The Ahantchuyuk, Atfalati, and Kalapuya peoples. 

The Hewitt family association (before becoming the Hewitt, Matheny, Cooper Family Association) voted to put Adam Hewitt’s name on the monument in 1925 and Jasper Hewitt was entrusted to accomplish the task in 1929.  Adam Hewitt, a mountain man fur trapper, was the brother of Henry Hewitt, who married Elizabeth Matheny.  Adam convinced Henry and Elizabeth to join him in the Oregon Territory. Their trip was delayed a year so that Elizabeth’s family could accompany them.

 Adam Hewitt at the monument in 2021.