WPA Interviews

Miller, Hetty (Allen)

INTERVIEW, Mark Phinney, Benton County, Miller, Hetty (Allen)

(Mrs. Miller lives on the outskirts of Albany. Her address is Route 3.

She was interviewed as a member of the Allen family, pioneers of Kings Valley in Benton County. She had no records, but from her memory was able to add a little to what had already been learned.)

My grandfather, Charles Allen, was the first of the familial to come to the Northwest. He came to Kings Valley about the same time as the King party. His claim lay on both sides of the Luckiamute River about a mile east of Fort Hoskins. The west end of the farm was really much closer to the fort than that. The Kings Valley Cemetery was on grandfather's place.

My father, Joseph Allen, was born in 1846. My mother, Julia Ann Ritner.

Her father, John Ritner, died as a result of an accident on the plains and grandmother later married her brother-in-law, Sebastian Ritner.

My parents were married in 1864. Their children were Tom, myself, Lincoln, Sarah, Ollie, Lucy, Lilly, and Reatha. Tom is in business in Corvallis and Lincoln is farming the old Isaac King donation land claim in Kings Valley. Ollie is the wife of W.S. Alcorn and is living in Corvallis.

Sarah and her husband, Howard Bush, farm part of the old Allen claim.

My folks lived in Kings Valley to the end of their lives and I attended the Kings Valley School. I remember Henry Randall was my first Teacher.

Others were Rachel Fuller, Charles Crosno, Jim Chambers, and Miss Pittman.

Times were hard at our house and we girls had to work out as soon as we were old enough. About the only good times we had were at the dances and play parties, and at an occasional picnic. Mother did not want us to dance but father said we could and so we did. While I don't think I was harmed by dancing I later came to see that much evil and no good sometimes comes from the practice.

In 1883 I married Arthur C. Miller who had come not long before from New York. Our children, Curtis, Peter, and Paul, all live in Benton County.

I think things are getting into a terrible state and will not get any better until the Lord comes to put an end to man's evil doings.

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.