WPA Interviews

Earl, Dora (Boggs)

INTERVIEW, Leslie Haskin, 9 May 1940

DORA BOGGS EARL

(On making a survey of the "Eby", or, as it is sometimes called the "Purdy" Cemetery which is situated about three miles east of Harrisburg, a wooden marker was discovered, very indistinctly marked, which seemed to read- "In memory of L. Boggs, Born 25 April 1775. Aged 78 (?) years." This inscription if rightly read would indicate that L. Boggs died in 1853. The early birth and death date caused this worker to think that members of Mr. Bogg's family might be good subjects for pioneer interviews. He therefore took pains to inquire and found a granddaughter of L. Boggs still living in Harrisburg. The following interview is the result. Though not a very satisfactory family history it was thought best to record it.)

Interview with Mrs. Dora Boggs Earl of Harrisburg, Oregon, granddaughter of L. Boggs.

My name is Dora (Boggs) Earl. I was born at Harrisburg, Oregon on December 30, 1874. My daughter always laughs at me because she said I was born at the Harrisburg City Dump. This is quite true for the land where I was born, down near the river, is now the dump, but it was formerly a part of my father's farm.

My father's name was William Boggs. "Uncle Billy" Boggs was what he was called here in Harrisburg for many years. My mother was Mary Ann Hickman. She was born in West Virginia not far from Parkersburg. Mother and Father came to Oregon in 1863. They came by ox team and first settled in Lane County on the Mohawk. They lived there for about two years and then sold out and moved to a river bottom farm about three miles south of Harrisburg. There my oldest sister was drowned. Her name was Missouri Boggs and she was born 29 Dec 1828. She was drowned on 6 Aug 1860. (Note: Throughout all this interview there are serious discrepancies. The above birth date and death date are instances. They are so clearly given in the "Eby" cemetery inscriptions-the death in 1860, yet according to other data given the family did not reach Oregon until 1864.)

My grandfather, Lawrence Boggs came to Oregon from Missouri in the year 1864. With my grandfather came two of my uncles, David and Thomas Boggs. Grandfather did not live long in Oregon, for he died in 1866 at the age of almost 80 years. Grandmother's name was Elizabeth Boggs but she never came to Oregon. She died and was buried at Omaha, Missouri in 1861, being at that time about 60 years old. The place of her death, Omaha, Missouri, was formerly known as Cross Roads, Missouri, Putnam County.

The children of Lawrence Boggs and Elizabeth Neuson Boggs were, according to age.

1. John Boggs

2. Thomas Boggs. Came to Oregon 1864. Wife was Rachel.

3. David Boggs. Came to Oregon in 1864. Born 29 May 1836. Died near Harrisburg, Oregon 3 Aug 1885. His wife was named Catherine. She was born 9 Nov 1836 and died 24 Nov 1878. (See Eby cemetery survey) They had a daughter Alice who died October, 1864.

4. Ruth Boggs. She married James Cochran and bore 6 children. She was born in Virginia and came to Oregon.

5. Caroline Boggs. Married Charles Cochran.

6. Sally Boggs. Lived in Missouri. Never came to Oregon.

7. Peggy Boggs. Lived in Missouri

8. Infant

9. Infant

10. Eliza Boggs. She never married.

11. William Boggs. Father of the informant.

After the death of his first wife Lawrence Boggs married a second time, a Mrs. Scott.

John Boggs, the oldest son, went to Pikes Peak at an early day and was the father of four children.

My husband's name was H.C. Earl. His people were pioneers but I have nothing on their history. His father ran a sawmill near Corvallis in the 1850's and 1860's and when the great flood of 1861 and 1862 came the mill was washed away. (Note: There was a Simeon D. Earl and a P.G. Earl who both took claims in Linn County, directly opposite Corvallis. This is the region in which it is presumed that the sawmill stood since it was on the Linn County side, the land being lowest that the full force of the flood was felt. This was near the old town of Orleans on the east bank of the river opposite Corvallis. Orleans was also destroyed by the flood.

My husband's father was a veteran of the Indian Wars. My grandfather was a veteran of the Mexican War.

My people came to the west with ox team, a very slow and tedious method yet a safe one. As an illustration they told how, as they neared the Rocky Mountains, they were overtaken by a family driving a wonderful team of sorrel horses. All the slow moving train envied the easy, fast method of travel but the very next day they overtook the owner of the fine team plodding along on foot. The Indians had seen the horses and coveted them. In the night they had stolen the team and left the owners entirely destitute.

Many curious things happened on the long trip to Oregon, some of them funny and some of them tragic. People became weary and irritable and there were quarrels and disputes. One family by the name of Hayes, who later settled near Coburg, were traveling with two wagons. They came to a bad hill and hitched all of their oxen to one wagon to reach the top. Having completed this first half of their task the husband wished to stop and have dinner before returning for the second wagon; the wife wished to get the second wagon before the meal. This disagreement grew to a dispute. The man started a fire for cooking but the wife scattered the fuel with a kick. The husband tried again with no better result. Finally the man declared that if he could not eat before getting the second wagon he would never return for it. The wife was equally stubborn. As a result they finally traveled on with but one wagon, leaving the other deserted at the foot of the hill.

A ridiculous sequel to that story happened many years later. The incident had become a family legend among our people. One day my mother chanced to meet a couple of old friends and to relate incidents of the trip to Oregon. One of mother's grandsons was present and much interested. Finally he cried out, "Grandma tell about the hill and the woman who would not get dinner. Tell about the woman who would not get dinner." Mother tried in vain to quiet him-One of the women to whom she was talking was that woman, Mrs. Hayes.

Another similarly embarrassing incident took place when mother met some old friends. There had been an old man in the train who had a stepdaughter who was not too industrious. The old man often complained of this, saying, "I begged Maud for ------ sake to wash the dishes and she just mocked me."One day mother stopped at a house where, by chance, this same Maud was also visiting. She left a young boy of the family sitting in a buggy outside. Having many old friends in the house mother began to exchange reminiscences with them. Their words carried clearly to the boy out in the buggy and he knew they were talking of emigrant days and it brought to his mind the old family story. Suddenly he bawled out -" I begged Maudie for -----sake to wash the dishes, but she just mocked me."

Among those who came to Oregon in the same train with my people was James Ayers. He died at Lebanon a few months ago at the advanced age of almost 84 years. He was a mail carrier between Salem and Pleasant Hill in Lane County at a very early date. Note: Short interview with Mr. Ayers has been sent in. L.H.

Copyright © 2000 Patricia Dunn. All rights reserved. This transcription may not be reproduced in any media without the express written permission by the author. Permission has been given by the Transcriber to publish on the LGS web site.