WPA Interviews

INTERVIEW.

Interview with James Worth Morgan. Albany, Oregon, March 20, 1940.

My name is James Worth Morgan. I was born February 25, 1859.

My father was Thomas Morgan. He was born in the eastern states, but just where I can not tell, in 1822. (Note: Born in Ohio.) He came to Oregon in 1845. With him came one brother, William Morgan, and one sister, Margaret Morgan. Margaret Morgan married William Gore who was one of the very early settlers in the Lebanon region. The Gore claim was situated about a mile north of the present town of Lebanon.

Father first settled near the foothills a few miles above the present town of Brownsville. His claim adjoined those of James McHargue and William T. Templeton. A little way to the south were the claims of Agnes Courtney and James B. Courtney. These were my mother's people. My mother was Lydia Courtney, daughter of John and Agnes Courtney. The reason that the Courtney claim stands in the name of Agnes Courtney, my grandmother, is that grandfather was killed by a falling tree before the claim was proved up. The widowed mother continued to live there with her family after her husband's death.

It is hard to give these facts in anything like good narrative order so you may jot them down just as they come to my memory. I presume the facts, not the order, is the most important thing.

Lydia Courtney, my mother, was born in Clark County, Indiana on January 12, 1824. She moved with her parents first to Fulton County, Illinois in 1828, later to Warren County in the same state. The Courtney family crossed the plains to Eastern Oregon in 1845. Moved again, and settled on a small creek southeast of present Brownsville in Linn County, in 1846. The little creek where her family settled is now known as Courtney Creek. Mother and father were married on December 1, 1847.

Now having told of my mother's start in life I will return and give a few facts about her parents. Her mother, my grandmother, was Agnes Courtney. (Maiden name not learned) (Note: it was Ritchey) She was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1795. She died September 28, 1880 at the age of 86 years, at the home of her daughter Mrs. Thomas Morgan at Halsey. When seventeen years of age she was married to Alexander Finley who died about five years later. Thus she was a widow at the age of only twenty-two years and with the responsibility of rearing three small children. Two years later, or about 1847 she was again married, this time to John B. Courtney. With her husband she came to Oregon in 1845. They settled in Linn County in 1846.

My grandmother, Agnes Courtney was a widow again in a short time after reaching Oregon. Grandfather, John Courtney, after building a cabin on his claim, and spending one winter in it, started on a trip to Oregon City for supplies in the early summer of 1847. On reaching Oregon City he found that he could not immediately get the goods which he needed. Just the reason for this delay is not known but probably an expected boat had not yet arrived. While awaiting the arrival of the goods Grandfather took a job of cutting wood so as not to waste time. While this working in the timber, on July 12, 1847 he was killed by a falling tree.

Grandmother Agnes Courtney continued to live on the claim until it was proved up. Later she sold it and from that time she lived at various places. She died Sept. 28, 1880, at Halsey, Oregon, aged 86 years.

Since I am now telling of the Courtney side of the family I may as well give the facts concerning other members of the family. J.B. Courtney was my mother's brother, named after his father. His claim was next to that of his mother. He ran a sawmill at that place at a very early date. (Note: There was a handwritten note that stated that this paragraph was questionable.)

Another Courtney, Mary Jane, was my mother's sister. She was born October 24, 1819. Came to Oregon with her parents in 1845. First married Caleb Rodgers, Jan. 5, 1848. Was soon widowed. Married a second time to Elmer Kees on November 6, 1851. Was widowed a second time. Married the Rev. S.D. Gager on Dec. 18, 1872. This old couple, Mr. & Mrs. Gager were like two loving children in their old age. They were described by their neighbors as being inseparable. They were both buried in the same grave, one having died on April 4th, the other on April 6th, 1892. Their home was at Waterloo, Linn County.

Rev. S.D. Gager was born October 2, 1813 and died April 4, 1894. His age at the time of his death was 81 years. He was a son of David and Polina Gager and came to Oregon via Cape Horn in 1851.

A third member of the Courtney family was Isabell Courtney. This sister of my mother was born in Clark County, Indiana, on May 22, 1828. Removed to Henderson County, Ill. At an early age. Crossed the plains to Oregon in 1845. Settled in Linn County in 1846. Remained in Linn County the rest of her life except during the year 1889 when she, with her husband, lived at Toledo, Lincoln County, on Yaquina Bay. A part of that time was spent at Yaquina City.

She married John McNeil in Linn County on July 11, 1850. She died at Halsey, Oregon, October 11, 1897.

Now having related what I can of the Courtney side of the family I will return to the Morgan History. If I repeat you can assort facts when you rewrite this.

My father, Thomas Morgan, was born in Ohio about ----? He died at the age of 71 years, 10 months and 28 days.

My father moved from Ohio to Indiana, then to Illinois and finally to Iowa. He crossed the plains in 1845, and in 1846 he settled in Linn County. Married Lydia Courtney in Linn (Marion?) County, Oregon on December 1, 1847. They were the parents of ten children. Following are the names and such dates as I can remember:

Mary Ann Courtney. Married Frank Gray. She was born on October 2, 1848.

Joseph Morgan. Born southeast of Brownsville and near the old town of Union Point. Died at the age of two years and was among the early burials at the McHargue Cemetery there. (Date is Dec. 4, 1853.)

Elizabeth Agnes Morgan. Born Feb. 16, 1850. Married John T. McNeil. Died October (?). (Oldest child)

Joseph Morgan. -------?

William Gore Morgan. Named for the brother-in-law of his father, William Gore of Lebanon.

James Worth Morgan. (The narrator.) Born Feb. 25, 1859. I was named for Rev. James Worth, a prominent Presbyterian preacher who often held services at Union Point.

Jane Morgan. She married Owen (or Oren) Bond who still lives at Halsey, Linn County, Oregon.

Isabell Cordelia Morgan. Born March 3, 1852. Died Sept. 22, 1863.

Joseph Morgan. Born November 20, 1853.

John Newton Morgan. Born Dec. 12, 1854. Died March, 1939.

Dorlene Jane Morgan. Born June 11, 1861.

Margaret Nessa Morgan. Born Mar. 4, 1865. Now lives at Portland.

Edwin Alvin Morgan. Born June 15, 1867. (This man still lives at Halsey Oregon and a few facts given in this interview were later obtained from him.) Edwin Alvin was given his name by his older sisters Mary Ann and Agnes.

After my father and mother had lived near Union Point for a year or two they sold that claim and bought 370 acres of land west of Muddy Creek near Halsey. For that tract he paid only $1700. Of course at that time there was no town of Halsey. I, myself, can remember what all that neighborhood was a wheat field. Peoria, to the west of the farm, was the only market place for their wheat. From there it was shipped by boat down the river.

In those days taxes were considered exorbitant. On my father's 370 acres he had to pay as much as $40.00 a year??? That was terrible!

The standard price for chickens then, big fat hens, was $2.50 per dozen. Sheep sold for $1.25 per head.

It was on the Muddy Creek farm, near Halsey, that most of father's children were born and there I was raised. I know nothing about father's Union Point claim except as I have been told. I have never been there and do not know its exact location. (Note: Located in Section 16, Township 14 South Range 2 West. L. Haskin).

Even though boats soon began to come to Peoria, the settlers still took annual trips to Oregon City. Later, when Portland became a town they went to Portland also. The trip never took less than two weeks, and often as many months. The first time that my father saw Portland there was just one house there, or cabin. I remember one trip that my father took to Portland. It was in September and they were troubled for fear that the rains would become heavy and the roads impassible. However, the weather was beautiful and not even a sprinkle of rain fell while they were away.

On one of father's trips to Oregon City he brought mother a clock. It was one of the first shipments of clocks ever brought to Oregon. There were a dozen clocks in that lot and father bought one of them. My oldest sister came home carrying it in her arms. That clock is still running. It is now owned by Owen Bond of Halsey. He was the husband of my sister Jane Morgan Bond. I believe it to be the oldest clock in the state, at least the oldest as to its Oregon history.

The grass grew tall over all the open prairie then. In February it would be knee high. In summer it grew up to the back of a good horse.

When the settlers began to break up the sod and plant wheat the ducks would come in great flocks and strip whole fields in a night. We called them "wheat ducks" and had to guard the fields to save the crop. One winter my father had thirty acres of wheat growing beautifully. Then the wheat ducks came and in three nights the field was black and bare as though never sowed. However, the damage by ducks was not as serious as it looked. Usually the roots remained alive and would sprout again. That same field I mentioned came up again and father harvested 964 acres of grain. That was at the rate of a little better than 32 bushels per acre.

The first settlers planted only the "old white winter wheat" so that the grain, during mild winters, was an appetizing treat for geese and ducks.

After a settler had built his cabin and cleared and broken up a few acres for garden and wheat field his next want was usually an orchard. The old orchards had a great many varieties in them which are never grown now. There were the great big Gloria Mundis which looked good but did not have a teaspoon full of juice in all their size. Then there were the Romanites which were chuck full of juice. The Rocksbury Russets were considered very fine.

When I was older my father took a trip back east. When he returned he told us that the apples there had worms in them-something that we had never heard of before. I imagined what those worms were like-I thought of them as like our big Oregon angleworms!

In the fall the Indians would set fire to the grass and to the trees in the mountains and the whole country would be covered with a pall of smoke. The worst that I remember was one autumn when it was very dry. We were harvesting wheat with a four-horse team but we had to stop because the smoke was so thick that we could not even see out leaders.

My mother belonged to the United Presbyterian Church at Union Point; my father was a Baptist. However, we went to various religious meetings, whatever the sect. The Methodists had a big camp meeting which was held at "Robert's Bridge" northeast of present Shedd and on the Calapooia River. Preacher Driver was very prominent at those meetings. His home was not far away. Rev. Driver was a widower and a charming man, or so women seemed to think. At those old Methodist meetings there was a great deal of "falling". There was one woman who, most peculiarly, would always manage to be near Elder Driver when she fell so that he could catch her. At one time I climbed into a big tree so that I could get a good view of "the lady falling into the preacher's arms". I lost my balance and nearly fell down on the rostrum.

When the big camp meetings ended there was always an interesting time for at the breakup they would have an informal celebration called "Marching 'Round Jerusalem" with everyone joining hands and forming a great parade with singing.

Another old preacher whom I remember was Rev. Kendall from Oakville United Presbyterian church. He was sometimes quite outspoken and frank in his speech. One time when there was considerable disturbance among the young mothers of his congregation, Preacher Kendall stood up and said, "When the baby show is over I will begin to preach."

Mother belonged to the United Presbyterian Churches both at Union Point and at Harmony. Harmony church was northwest of Halsey. Both of these churches are now gone but at both places there are school districts which still go under the old names.

I can remember well attending the Old Union Point Church. At that place the United Presbyterian Church was first organized. The first United Presbyterian Church in the world. At the old Union Point we would go for Communion services. People came from many miles apart and spent the whole day. There would be two sermons, a dinner and the Communion.

There was a Methodist Chapel a little northeast of Halsey. It was called Wesley Chapel. It was situated about three miles east and one mile north, about a mile north of the present Halsey-Brownsville road. The Van Winkle family, early Methodists, had their claim near there. This is the family from which came our present Oregon Attorney General. Another prominent Methodist family was the Pearls. I knew them all. A number of them were preachers. Joseph Pearl's house is still standing on the north side of the road about half ways between Brownsville and Halsey, very old. James Pearl lived several miles further south.

Among other member at Wesley Chapel was Sidney Smith and his wife. Both were murdered by Sidney's brother at an early date. It was a particularly bloody killing. The father was shot and the mother stabbed and slashed. The brother who did it, I think his name was Tom Smith, claimed that Sidney had first killed his wife and then himself. The murderer might have escaped except that Sidney's daughter, a tiny baby, spoke up in court and said, "How could pappa kill mamma when pappa was already dead?" That all happened before I can remember, but I heard the whole tale again and again when I was small.

Another murder at Halsey was that of a Mr. Hayes by K. Neil. Hayes was really the founder of Halsey. He was a great temperance man and in deeding his land for a townsite he included the stipulation that none of it was ever to be used for the sale or manufacture of liquor. K. Neil was a saloonkeeper who wished to do business in Halsey. Wipple blocked his plans and in a rage Neil stabbed Hayes. I saw Hayes' body soon after he was stabbed. There was no wound on it more than an inch in length. The knife, a narrow one, was thrust straight in and out. Later I witnessed the hanging of Neil.

There is a wide creek to the west of Halsey which most people call "Spoon River". It started as a mere drainage furrow of a settler there. Now it is both wide and deep. Note: Good fishing there.

Speaking of local names, there is a double Butte to the north of Brownsville. In early days it was called "Cochran Butte", because William Cochran took up his claim there. Later it was called "Washburn Butte" from a man of that name. Still later, and at the present time, it is "Lone Pine Butte." The reason for this latter name is that there was formerly a single tall pine tree very strikingly visible from the surrounding country. This tree was situated on the southwest promontory of the taller or eastern summit of the Butte. That tree finally fell. It's fall, it was stated, was actually seen by a man residing near Brownsville.

This is about all that I can tell you except a few detached incidents of my boyhood. I often used to visit at the Courtney home. It was a freer time than now and people would take time off to visit much, often spending several days at some friend's house. At the Courtney's friends would come by the wagonload.

Fruit at first was lacking and even many years later the families depended greatly on wild strawberries and blackberries. We would sometimes go over the ridge to the Mohawk (Lane County) Valley for blackberries. One time I went over there with my father. We met an old Negro whom we knew. He said, "If you will not tell I will show you where there are lots of berries." He took me to a place where they grew in great masses. No one else knew of that patch yet. It was so near a public road that it would have been possible to throw a rock into passing wagons.

Negroes were not common in this country then. However, there was another that I knew near Brownsville. This man was one day walking along the road, going a long distance. Another settler overtook him and he asked to ride. When he reached his destination the black man got out and said "Thank you, thank you". The reply was, "Thank you don't feed my horses. It will be 50 cents." That was most unusual so it was long remembered. Mostly the settlers were liberal and free with aid.

My father went back to visit in the east about the year 1871. I think it was that year. At any rate it was the year of the great Chicago fire. Father and William Gore made the trip together. They planned to go to San Francisco by boat but were too late and missed the boat. Then they took a train to Roseburg. From Roseburg on they had to travel by stage. On the trip the stage was held up and about $30,000 dollars in gold taken from the express carrier. Father had just time to slip his purse into the top of his boot but after all the bandits didn't bother any of the passengers except one Chinaman. All of the passengers had a good scare and there was one Jew so frightened that he kept his arms in the air for an hour after the bandits were gone.

When I was grown up I worked for various settlers and then set up in farming for myself. I was working for Caleb Gray at the time that the Linn County Pioneer Association was organized at Crawfordsville about 52 years ago.

After I had worked for myself for a few years I purchased a farm for myself. I was pretty hard up at times, trying to make payments on the place. At one time I had all the money necessary to make a payment but not a cent over. Mr. Doug. Taylor of the Halsey Bank loaned me a stamp so that I could send the money.

I believe that I have not yet mentioned Isaac Courtney. He was my mother's brother. Most of the Courtneys I only knew by occasional visits, but Isaac Courtney ran a small sawmill on Courtney Creek at a very early day. I knew him better than the rest of the family.

In his later years my father lived in Halsey a short distance west of the railroad. One day he was carrying a bundle of straw on his back and crossing the track. He was hit by a train and so injured that his leg had to be amputated. He died soon after. He was hurt on the 28th of June, 1894. He died on August 8th of the same year. After my father's death my mother simply faded away. She also died on September 27th of the same season.

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.