The R. C. Finley family ". . . crossed the plains to Oregon in 1846 with Jonathan and Elias Keeney, the Blakely's, Browns and Kirks. These families all settled at Brownsville, Oregon. But Mr. Blakely rode out on horseback, and having found a falls in the Calapooia River about seven or eight miles above Brownsville, persuaded R. C. Finley to build a flour mill there. Up to which time one went to Oregon City by ox-team for flour. {Linn County Historical Museum in Brownsville, Finley file}

Hugh Dunlap continued, "My family being closely related to the Courtneys, I have, naturally, heard the Courtney side of certain incidents which took place, such as neighborhood feuds. [Hugh's mother, Jane (Findley) Dunlap, was the sister of Agnes 'Nancy' Bolton (Richey) (Findley) Courtney. Nancy's father was 1845 pioneer John Richey. Her first marriage was to James Lindsey Findley and second marriage was to John B. Courtney, father of John R. and Isaac B. Courtney and six others. Jane was also the aunt of Margaret (Findley) Osborn, daughter of Alexander Findley and wife of Josiah Osborn.] One of these was the matter of ownership of a certain claim near Crawfordsville. This claim was first taken by a relative of the Courtney's [John R. Courtney]. After he staked his claim, this man went away to work and earn money, leaving his claim unimproved. [The Provisional Land Claim for John R. Courtney states that it is , "On Calapoigah River [north side] above the Santyam. Includes the falls of the Calapoiah. Personal occupancy, 15 Aug 1846." [Two spellings for Calapooia.] John B. Courtney and his son, Isaac, each took claims about two miles south of the Calapooia River settling on them in the spring of 1846. Just west of John B.'s claim was Elias Keeney. As Clerk of Session of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at Union Point, south of Brownsville, Josiah Osborn noted the formation of the church in the church records for June 18, 1849. "In the spring of forty-six John B. Courtney emigrated to this neighbrhood." and ". . . during the summer, Isaac B. Courtney and Mary Jane Courtney came into the neighbrhood, which made five members of the church [counting Josiah and Margaret Osborn]."

An 1853 affidavit by Agnes 'Nancy' B. Courtney on file in the Roseburg land office told of her husband's death. She stated that, ". . . John B. Courtney was killed by the falling of a tree on the 12th day of September, 1847, while absent from home for provisions; and she further says that she has continued to reside upon and cultivated said claim continuously from the seventh day of July, 1847, to November, 1848, and from February, 1852, to the seventeenth day of January, 1853." In his July 20, 1924, "Old Stuff and New" article in the Albany Sunday Democrat, Everett Earle Stanard added some details. "Mr. Courtney's death occurred in a peculiar manner. While at Oregon City for provisions he went into the woods to assist in the falling of some timber. The circumstance was related to me by Mrs. Nancy Jacobs, a daughter of Josiah Osborn; She said that hot rocks [placed in bore holes] were used to fall the tree, and that when the time came for the men to run, Mr. Courtney became confused and ran in the in the wrong direction. As a consequence he was struck by the falling giant of the forest and instantly killed. This took place on the Rinearson Claim, near Oregon City."

Isaac B. Courtney and his wife Elizabeth Courtney moved to Umatilla City near the confluence of the Umatilla River with the Columbia. On April 9, 1866, they sold their three lots. John R. Courtney and his wife Caroline B. Courtney moved to Walla Walla County in the Washington Territory then to a farm south of Echo, which they sold on July 31, 1867. {Umatilla County Deed Records, Book A, p 342 & 489 and "History of Umatilla County" in Reminiscences of Oregon Pioneers, p 11}

The Provisional Land Claim for Josiah Osborn stated, "On Calapoigah River [south side] above Santyam, Beeler on SW; claim includes Falls of the Calapoigah River. Personal occupancy, 12 May 1847." Osborn went to Salem to build the Mission MilI. "The Osborn family had wintered with the Whitmans during the winter of 1845-46, and Whitman had a high opinion of Osborn as a mill-wright and mechanic. When Whitman was in the Wiillamette Valley in August, 1847 he called on Osborn at Salem and persuaded him to return to Waiilatpu that fall to build two mills which Whitman needed. Whitman agreed to pay him three hundred dollars a year, and Osborn went for a two-year period. . . {Marcus Whitman, M. D. by Clifford M. Drury, p 386} Marcus Whitman and the Osborn family traveled up the Columbia River in a Hudson's Bay batteau and landed at Fort Walla Walla, now Wallula. Josiah, a millwright, mechanic, carpenter and wagon maker, arrived with his family at the Whitman Mission on October 18. [They escaped the Whitman Incident six weeks later and returned to the Calapooia River.]

Hugh Dunlap stated, "Richard C. Finley, looking for a site to build a mill, decided that this claim was the only available site. There was a small waterfall there, and the possibilities for power were good. He, therefore, settled on the claim [on the north side of the river]. I believe that there was an agreement between Finley and the other early settlers, the Kirks, Browns and Blakelys, to back him in the posession. It Is a fact that the first claimant had not fulfilled the letter of the law; perhaps in a strict legal sense he had forfeited his claim, but in those days the letter of the Iaw was not too strictly enforced and a man who had to earn money before building on his claim was usually allowed to do so and hold his land uncontested. However, Finley jumped the claim and prepared to hold it. The first claimant returned and protested, but Finley held him off with an ax. The Browns, Blakelys, and others came to back Finley and the first owner withdrew. Finley built his mill, which was probably the first flour mill south of Oregon City. John Courtney was very angry about the whole affair and was going to kill Finley, but my father persuaded him to drop the matter. Father said, 'Finley is all right and he will build a mill here long before you could ever do it.' Father felt, as did the Browns and Blakeys, that a mill was badly needed in the settlement and that the man who would do it first had some rights to the power site. That old mill is now owned by John McKercher. The present building is not so old as it is sometimes said to be. Probably it was built about 1856 [1853]." {PS, Vol 1, p 110-111} [That mill collapsed in May 1948. Brownsville was named by Captain James Blakely in honor of his uncle, Hugh Leeper Brown. Isaac Courtney sold his original squatters rights to Captain Blakely and moved to his new claim where he built a sawmlll on Courtney Creek.]

Born in 1854, Andrew J. Kirk, son of William R. 'Riley' and his second wife Julia A. (Burden) Kirk and the grandson of Alexander and Sarah (Sweeten) Kirk, gave a lengthy interview. ". . . When the Kirk family came to Oregon [in 1846], they were accompanied by Mr. R. C. Finley (Dick Finley). He spent the winter with my grandfather in Polk County. Sometime soon after they reached Oregon, 'Dick' Finley and my father's sister, Polly Ann Kirk, were married. At that time, Dick Finley was a man of perhaps thirty years, while Polly Ann was but thirteen. On the night of her marriage she cried because she had to sleep with a strange man.

"Grandfather Kirk and Dick Finley came on to Brownsville in the spring of 1847. [Alexander Kirk's Donation Land Claim stated that they settled on their claim on October 15, 1846. Richard Chism Finley arrived in 1846, but his DLC claim stated that he settled on the claim on May 27, 1849.] . . . Grandfather took up land in what is now the town of Brownsville [which was called Kirk's Ferry], but Dick Finley, who was a miller, was encouraged by the early settlers to look out for a place where he might build a mill. The best spot found for a mill was on the Calapooia about one mile west of the present town of Crawfordsville. There was a small waterfall there, and a fine site for water power. This site, however, had already been taken up by another man, a relative of the Courtneys who settled on Courtney Creek in 1845. This first claimant had staked out his land but had made few or no improvements. Under the encouragement of the Browns, Blakelys and others, Dick Finley settled on this claim. Soon after that the first owner returned and tried to drive Finley off, but after some strong talk but without actual physical fighting, Finley was left in possession.

(Note. Although the common version of this claim jumping incident is favorable to the Finleys and their helpers, other versions are quite the contrary. Apparently, according to John McKercher, present owner of the mill, it was as rank an incident of claim jumping as could well have happened. Because the Browns, Blakelys, and Finleys wanted a mill, they were willing to go to any lengths. They agreed beforehand that they would back Finley up in his claim at any cost. The first owner found Finley at work starting his cabin. He ordered Finley off. Finley threatened him with an ax. The first claimant left to get reinforcements from his relatives, the Courtneys. Finley also sent word to the settlers at Brownsville who came fully armed, prepared to fight it out to the end. Soon two armed bands were gathered at the mill. The Courtney contingent, however, seeing that bloodshed was inevitable, and not wishing to sacrifice human life, finally withdrew. [-L. H.]) [According to Peter G. Boag, the claim was taken by John R. Courtney. Finley recorded the Provisional Land Claim in Oregon City on April 22, 1847, and returned. He chopped down a tree to cross the river just as John R. Courtney arrived. Courtney ordered Finley off his land, but that didn't work since Finley was still holding the ax. Both sides sought reinforcements. The Finley supporters were Hugh L. Brown, James Blakely, Alexander Kirk and possibly William Riley Kirk. On the Courtney side was John B. Courtney, John R. Courtney, John Dunlap, brother-in-law of Agnes Courtney, and possibly Isaac Courtney. Bloodshed was avoided when Courtney was assured that the mill was needed and that Finley could build one faster than Courtney. Alexander Kirk had purchased the claim of John's brother, Isaac Courtney, for one yoke of oxen to hold both sides of the Calapooia River and establish a toll ferry. {Environment and Experience, p 101-102}]

"In this controversy there were undoubtedly two sides, and legally the Finleys were in the right, but morally, perhaps, utterly wrong. It is true that the first owner had staked out a claim and gone away without making
improvements, thus forfeiting his claim. However, it was the custom, and a well-known and recognized custom, to
allow the first claimant a whole year to make actual settlement. In many cases, claims were staked out and held without settlement while the owner went back to the Mississippi Valley to bring this family on. In the meantime all other settlers carefully respected his claim. This was done by the Hackleman family, first settlers at Albany, and when the elder Hackleman [Abner] died on his eastern trip and his son [Abraham] came in his stead, no one questioned his right to the land which his father had staked out.

"The only real excuse for the Finley's action, and for the backing of his action by the other Brownsville settlers, was the fact that the settlers needed a mill, and needed it badly. This public need might be a partial excuse. Finley could give them a mill. The site was favorable, and Finley wanted it. The others wanted to see the mill built, and were determined that it should be. They came to Finley's aid against the Courtney clan with the intent to have their mill in the face of all odds and at the expense of life, if necessary.

"(Mr. John McKercher, present owner of the mill, told the writer the above facts which he learned from his father. McKercher's opinion was that the taking of the site was an outrage--an unmitigated steal. Mrs. Eliza Brandon, daughter of R. C. Finley has told the writer that for many years the Courtney tribe would have no dealings with the Finleys, but finally forgot the feud and were willing to become friendly. [-Leslie L. Haskin])

"Because the Courtney family soon left the region, almost all versions of this feud have been told by their enemies who remained and became very influential in the region. [-L. H.])

"Dick Finley, who married Aunt Polly Ann Kirk, was lame. His legs had been broken while working in the lead mines of southern Wisconsin. As he grew older, his crippled condition was complicated by rheumatism.

"When my father first settled at Brownsville, he had one yoke of oxen and practically no other resources. (His first home was made merely by building a rail pen underneath a wide-spreading white fir tree. Beneath this sheltering tree, they lived all of the first summer far into the beginning of winter. Such a shelter was common in those days. [-L. H.]) Besides using fir trees for houses, it was still more common to use them for barns. Up to very recent years an Oregon sheep barn, if visited, might often be found to be nothing but such a fence encircled tree. . .

"My father's first house after the fir tree shelter was a tiny shanty. Father got a froe and rived out boards to cover it. [Froe or frow is a cleaving tool with a handle at right angles to the blade used for splitting shingles from a block. Rive means to tear apart, split or cleave.] Later, of course, we had a roof frame house. The old barn on that place was built by my father about the year 1853. The heavy hand-hewn beams in that barn are still sound and in good condition. When they built barns in those days, they built them to last. Some of the great beams in barns that I have known were 12 x 12 inches. {PS, Vol 3, p 8-14}