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Accession no,.
Date received
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Consignment no.
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Label
Amount
WPA' L. C. Pit(TJECIlintin I UNIT
Form -3
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Place of origin.1.9.A.12.r..62rt.Date..., _al 39.
Project worker _4(241.:3/- i, 211.1).A2.111.alr
Project editor
Remarks
W 1213
Form A
Circumstances of Interview Works Progress Administratiaft
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker Sara B. Wrenn
Address
Subject
Federal Witersi Projeot
505 Elks Building, Portland. Oregon
Date January 31. 1939
Overland Trail Lore and Early Life in Oregon.
=1.0
Name and address of informant Mrs. J. R. Bean
Twin Fir Road, Lake Grove, Oswego, Oregon.
Date and time of interview January 31, 1939 11:00 to 12:00 A.M.
Place of interview
Home of informant.
Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant
Neighbor of interviewer.
Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.'Comfortahle_roam. rather crawriwt,
with the ordinary over -stuffed furniture, with "tidies" and "fancy -work" pillows
much in evidence. Many pictures of various sorts, including a number of photographs.
The roam was heated with a circulating heater. Neat, five -room cottage, surrounded
by a garden of the convential sort small lawn, shrubbery, and off at one side
a trellised pergola, with vines growing over it, and evidence of use as a lounging
and eating place in summer months. The neighborhood is of the usual surburban type
small houses, not too close together, surrounded by flowers, shrubbery, and trees.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, eaoh bearing the proper heading
and the nother to which the material refers).
Form B Federal Writers' Project
Personal History of Informant Works Progreso Administration
OREGON FOLX4ORE STUDIES
Name of worker
Address
Subject
Sara B. Wrenn
505 Elks Buildinz, Portland., Oregon
Date January 31, 1939
Overland Trail Lore and Early Life in Orezon.
Name and address of informant Mrs. J. R. Bean
Twin Fir Road. Lake grove. 9swego. Oregon.
Information obtained should supply the following facts:
1. Aftcestry 6. Occupations and accomplishments with dates
2. Place and date of birth 7. Special kills and interests
3. Family 8. Community and religious activities
4. Places lived in, with dates 9. Description of informant
5. Education, with dates 10. Other points gained in interview
1. Scotch -Welsh -English.
2. Lebanon, Linn. Co., Oregon, January 1, 1866.
3. James Gore, father; Henrietta Berthenia Settle Gore, mother. One daughter.
4. Lebanon, Oregon; Corvallis, Oregon; Portland, Oregon; Oswego (Lake Grove).
5. Public schools only.
6. Housewife, no accomplishments.
7. Special interest and some skill in music piano. General interest in
social and political matters.
6. General community activities. Member of Episcopalian church. Charter member
Royal Neighbors of America.
9. An attractive, white-haired and brown -eyed woman of something more than medium
height, inclined to plumpness, with the social grace of one who has lived much
of her life in a. family hotel as Mrs. Been has.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to which the material refers).
Form C Federal Writers' Project
Text of Interview (Unedited) Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker Sara B. Wrenn Date Jonuary Al 1-9X11,
Address
Subject Overland Iz
Name and address of informant
Text:
I'm afraid I can't tell you much. If only my mother were living, she
could tell you everything about early days in Oregon: but I was the youngest of
the family, and some way I have never been interested, until now it is too late.
Yes, of course, I went to camp and revival meetings when I was a girl.
They used to have great times down at what was known as Harrisburg Bridge. The
people would come from all over the country and camp for days at a time. The
Methodists had it in charge. There would be services both in the afternoon and
at night. The night services were the ones we young folks, who were not Metho-
dists, would attend, for that was when there was excitement and halleluiahs and
amens. Those converting and those being converted would get in a high state of
emotion, and we youngsters would go home half soared to death, thinking the world
was coming to an end without delay.
I went to camp meetings and picnics in the summer, and to dances and
spelling schools in the winter. Then there were church and other socials, with
lunch baskets, where the gentlemen bought or drew chances by some device for a
basket, and the lady who brought it would be his partner when it came to eating.
505 Elks Building.. Portlan41-gregon.
Mrp• R.
Twin Fir Road, Lake Grove. Oswego. Orgeepn.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, eaoh bearing the heading given
above).
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 2.
I was pretty small when I went to these, going with my father and mother, and I
don't remember very much about them, but I do remember one. I WAS sitting with
my mother on the stage or rostrum of the hall where the party was, when suddenly
a bullet whizzed over our heads. A man there stole somebody else's girl, by
getting her basket through some unfair means, and that led to further trouble
between the men, which ended in the shooting of the man whose girl was stolen
from him. I don't think he was killed, but his assailant, if I recall correctly,
was imprisoned for life.
If Mr. Bean were here I expect he could tell you considerable about his
people and their early pioneer life. About the best I can do is to lot you take
this reminiscence of Mr. J. M. Sharp, a family connection of Mr. Bean, who, at
the age of 87 visited his old home in Oregon, and then flew down to see the
Boulder Dam site.
EXCERPTS FROM PUBLISHED REMINISCENCES
OF JAMES MEIKLE SHARP, WHO, AT THE AGE
OF EIGHT, CROSSED THE PLAINS WITH HIS
FATHER AND MOTHER IN 1852.
In the course of four years, from 1848 to 1852, my father suc-
ceeded in gathering a small number of oxen and caws, and was enabled to make
preparations to carry out his long cherished intentions of crossing the plains
with an ox team, purposing to make his future home in the territory of Oregon.
It was planned to start on the trip in the spring of 1852. My
father at this time was fifty-five years of age. Law of stature, stout build, he
was in the prime of life My mother was forty-four years of age, and the
mother of seven children.... We children helped whenever we could in the preparations
for the journey across the plains. Among other things, we cut wheat straw, soak-
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 3.
ed it in water until it became soft and pliable, and then we braided it in such
a way that our mother was able to sew it into hats for us. These hats served us
as head covering on the journey to Oregon.
There was much to be done to prepare for the long trail across the
continent. It was necessary to have a good wagon to begin with, and a good deal
was done to make it as comfortable as possible. There were yokes with bows for
the oxen. These yokes were mostly made from wood called Linn, which was some-
what like cottonwood, light but strong. The bows were made of hickory, very
strong and enduring. Indeed the yokes, together with the bows, were used many
years after we lived in Oregon. There were also substantial chains, each long
enough to connect from the rear yoke of oxen to the next in front. There was a
tent and bedding, together with limited supplies of clothing and food, and sundry
othet needful articles. It will be readily seen that when, in addition to the
necessary supplies indicated, the living part of the outfit was loaded in the
wagon, roam was at a premium. As a matter of fact a vast amount of walking was
done by members of the family.
We started with six yoke of oxen, each having his personal name in this
order, Bill and Berry, leaders; Broad and Darby, Buck and Bright, Joe and Lion,
Sam and Pomp, Jack and Charley. We also had a few cows and young cattle, one or
two mares and two dogs.
From a diary kept by mother, I note that we hitched up our motive
power and made our start for the far west at two P. M., May 5th, '52. Traveled
about ten miles and camped. During the night a hailstorm came up, which blew
down our tents and saturated everything.... The cattle were corralled during the
night, but having been turned out to graze in the morning, became separated, and,
in consequence, we proceeded on the 7th with a portion of the team, while father
went in search of the lost stock. He came up with us on the 8th, bringing the
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 4.
lost stock, The diary showed daily mileage of 4 to 25 miles... the mileage was
largely a matter of guess work... In the event of a scarcity of wood, resort
was had to "Buffalo Chips", sometimes known as "Bois de Vachon or "Wood of the Caw."
The rough roads served us well when it came to the matter of churning
the cream for butter. The cream was put in a receptacle and placed in the wagon in
the morning. When evening came we were sure to have butter.
We were now in the beginning of August, the days were growing shorter,
feed was dry in many places, and the stock were losing their strength. The road was
poor and difficult and progress much slower. We travelled some distance along the
Snake river, a tributary of the Columbia, which had cut its way through a high
plateau, making it necessary frequently to take the stock down the steep bank for
a distance of three-quarters of a mile to get water. Often when we were stooping
to drink, if we chanced to look upstream, our eyes would encounter the carcase of
some domestic animal lying in the edge of the stream. It was no use to try to pass
above the decaying animal for there was a continuous deposit of them. We were
obliged to drink the water "as is", but apparently we were not the worse for it
immediately. There was practically no wood on this plateau, but in many places
there was abundance of bunchgrass, at this time quite dry. While travelling along
the Snake river, father secured a fine, large salmon from an Indian, and we looked
forward to a good feast at supper time. There being no wood, the salmon was cut up
and put in a pot hung over a fire of bunchgrass, and it kept four or five boys busy
to supply the required fuel. ,It WAS the first salmon we had ever tasted, and there
is no doubt it was highly relished.
By the beginning of September, we began to emerge from the indifferent
region through which we had come, and on September 1st, we drove into Grande Ronde
Valley, a very beautiful place. The valley is circular, walled in by hills and
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 5.
mountains, while a stream, lined by brush and trees, flows thru it. The grass was
good, and the Indian population, with plenty of horses, was active and friendly.
Leaving the beautiful valley of the Grande Ronde we passed over the Blue
Mountains. On the 6th of September, after travelling twelve miles, we entered
the Umatilla Valley, a fair and promising region, but with no white settlers. The
next day is noteworthy for its entry in mother's diary: "This day we travelled
twelve miles and encamped at the crossing of the river out of provisions and
family sick." Up to the 11th of September my uncle Turner had travelled with us,
but on this day he and his family remained in camp while our outfit pushed on.
There MRS a good deal of sickness in our family, but because of shoi-t food supply,
nearness of minter and lack of funds, we were obliged to go forward.
Those who were still supplied with funds could plan to load their out-
fits on a steamer at The Dalles, and by going down the Columbia River, would reach
Portland in three or four days. Those without funds, and in many cases short of
food supplies, were confronted with the necessity of driving an eighty mile trip
across the Cascade Mountains, south of Mount Hood, at a time when winter storms
would be prevalent.
We crossed a number of streams between the Blue Mountains and the
point where we reached the Columbia River. One of these streams was John Day's
River. A party we had occasionally met while travelling, arrived at the cross-
ing about the same time we did. By some chance, a mother, daughter and grand-
daughter belonging to this party, had, while walking, fallen behind quite a bit.
So when the men arrived with the wagons they proceeded to ford the river. The
stream was some three hundred feet in width; the water, flowing over a gravelly
bottom, was cold and practically waist deep, tho' not dangerously swift. We
children watched with interest to see what the women would do. They first tried
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 6.
to call to their men folks, but got no encouragement. Finally, the grandmother
waded in, followed later by her daughter, reluctantly also by the grand -daughter.
We boys stood by and looked on. After a while we heard them say, "I'd give five
dollars if I Was where grandma is" and the grand -daughter was of a similar mind.
They all got across without anything worse than a cold bath, however.
On the 25th of September are arrived at Indian Creek....I believe the
place is now known as laupenitia (ffapinitia)....We were now about to begin our
trip through the Cascade Mountains, the distance to Foster's being about eighty
miles.
Quoting from Mother's diary: "Friday, 8th, (October). Drove to Foster's
and encamped, where we remained four days.... The roads just passed over were of
the worst, the unsatisfactory condition being exaggerated by the rain and snow,
which prevailed a good deal of the time. There were swampy sections, almost
impassable. Some places had been improved with a corduroy of small poles.
Some of the hills were so steep that wagons were let down by using a long rope
circled around a standing tree trunk. In other cases a small tree would be out
dawn and fastened to the rear axle is a drag. The emigrants were leaving whatever
they could spare to lighten their loads. I recall seeing a good looking wagon
standing a little out of the road with a -sign "Hands off", which seemed quite
unnecessary.
During the night at one of the worst camps, a woman, wham we knew slightly,
passed away, and in the morning her children hitched up and drove away, leaving the
husband and father behind. The husband, assisted by my mother, scooped out a little
depression, and succeeded in covering the body before departing. Before we were out
Form C Mrs. J. Bean 7.
of the mountains, we met a relief train from the Willamette Valley, bringing
supplies for the belated arrivals. As flour was being offered at $1.00 per
pound, and as we were on the bankrupt list, our folks didn't buy any. Some kind-
hearted person, better off than ourselves, generously gave us a small supply.
There being an abundance of huckleberries at hand, we gorged ourselves on huckle-
berry pie, which proved a life-saver.
During the succeeding days, up to October 16th, we crossed the Clackamas
River, arrived at Oregon City, and crossed the Willamette River, thence continued
westerly into the Chehalem Valley, and arrived at Mi. George Nelson's place on
the 16th....
In Oregon City father secured a loan or donation of five dollars from
a worthy gentleman by the name of R. R. Thompson, which must have been another
life saver.
Mi. Nelson's house was built on a gently rising ground, and as we drove
so slowly up the hill, the sun was about to sink behind the western mountains.
Mother, and most of us children were walking. Father had not been feeling well
for some days, and was riding in the wagon. As we pulled up alongside the front
gateway, a woman came out and asked "Isn't there: a sick man in the wagon?" and
learning there WAS had us come into the house. She put father into bed, where
they kept him for about two weeks. We think now he must have had typhoid fever.
"Uncle George" and "Aunt Peggy", as the Nelsons were known far and wide, were well
advanced in years, and had been living in Oregon since 1848. Their house was a
large double affair, with a roofed -over open section between.
As soon as father was able to move, we secured a house not far from Mi.
Nelson's, from a Mi. Morris, into which we moved November 2, 1853. It was a
structure built of small logs, about twelve by sixteen feet. I believe it had a
fireplace, because we could hardly have survived a cold minter otherwise. There
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 8.
was a loft or attic, reached by a ladder, and here WAS the boys' dormitory
during the winter. In this small building the nine of us spent the time fram
November 2, 53 to February 21, '54. There was a snowfall of about two feet
during most of this period. Our food was a steady diet of boiled -wheat, which
was bought at 45.00 per bushel, or about 8/ per pound. Strong and wholesome
food, but rather monotonous.
Along in the fall father went south...and filed on a donation land
claim of 320 acres in Lane County, about seven miles northwest from what is
now known as Eugene.
During the summer of 1854 my sister Julia and her husband, O. R. Bean,
who had been living in Yamhill County, came to Lane County to visit her parents,
and in returning by some chance took me with them. I WAS past eleven then and
had not attended school since leaving Missouri. Arrangements were made for me
to attend the Panther Creek School, a walk of about two and one-half miles. It
WAS a pay school, but the tuition was not large. I had to furnish books, slates,
pencils, ink, pens, penholders and writing paper. Second-hand books, such as
McGuffy's and Sander's Readers, Webster's Elementary Speller and Arithmetics
were available to a large extent. My first copybook was a number of sheets of
foolscap, sewed together as a folio, which had previously been used by an older
pupil, and which I interlined with my practice work.
There was no grading, each pupil being advanced according to his aptness.
Thus, beginning in July, in a little more than one year, I had run the gauntlet
from the first reader to the fifth, and had made fair progress in writing, arith-
metic, and geography. The school house were made of boards, with rough benches
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 9.
to sit on, some long, rough desks for writing, and a blackboard or two on the
wall.
When quite a youngster, I was determined to be a consumer of tobacco.
My parents were equally determined I should not, and, after discovering that I
was using the weed, promised me a book at Christmas if I would refrain. I promised
and kept my word. But, in the stress of making a living, they forgot, and no
book appeared at Christmas, so, in a spirit of disappointment and self-assertion,
I made a stable broom out of a stick of hazelwood. I then walked seven miles
to Eugene and sold the broom for twenty-five cents, investing the entire pro-
ceeds in a plug of tobacco. I chewed tobacco for tout seven years, then wrote
out a pledge, saying I would never chew tobacco again, and game it to my mother.
I have always kept this pledge.
Money was very scarce in these days, but father was of a mechanical turn
of mind and was able to make our furniture as well as many small articles such as
stirrups, etc., for sale.
As a means of adding to our funds, our entire family gathered wild straw-
berries in season. These we capped and carried them on horseback to Eugene and sold
them for a law price. As I remember, it was ten cents a quart. We did not have
much in the way of luxuries in these days. I recall once being given an orange
by a man in whose store I clerked. I gave the orange to a young girl in wham I had
some interest, and she in turn passed it on to her grandmother, much to my dis-
comfort. Part of my duties in this store was to mould candles, weigh in slaughter-
ed hogs, butchered by people about the neighborhood, try out the lard and salt the
meat down. I was required to sleep in the store as a means of protecting it. Far
all this service I received the sum of $20.00 a month, which sum I passed on to my
father.
Form C Mrs. J. R. Bean 10.
Once, when it rained for seven days and nights continuously, I made a
raft and travelled on it from Eugene to our ranch, a distance of seven miles.
During this time when I was clerking in Eugene, I was standing in front
of the stage depot one day when the stage came in from the south, and the driver
throw down his reins, and told us of a most unusual experience. Down on the
Umpqua the water was up two or three feet around the houses, and in one yard he
saw a woman with a long pole fishing around. "Anything I can do for you?" the
driver, asked the woman. "No, I guess not", the woman replied, "The children are
crying for a drink, and I'm just trying to find the well."
One winter, shortly after my return, the teacher who had been engaged
to conduct a school close to our home, boarded with us, and by his help and
by firelight, I made some progress in arithmetic. A year or so later I attend-
ed school for three months, taught by a man who had been educated for an attorney,
and who was unusually competent as a teacher. I think it was about the close of
my nineteenth year that I attended a three months' school, conducted by a very
fine teacher, and made some educational progress. This was the last of my train-
ing in the public schools of Oregon. Sometime later I went to Eugene to take an
examination for a certificate to teach in the public schools of Lane county. The
county superintendent of schools VAS a merchant wham I knew quite well, and when I
told him what I wanted, he took MB out to an open platform in the rear of his store,
where each of us occupied a convenient drygoods case, and he proceeded with the
examination by asking me a few simple questions, requiring me to read a selection
or two, and ending up by giving me a certificate inside of half an hour. A year
or two later, wishing to teach in Mrasco County, I underwent a very similar examina-
tion and received a certificate to teach in that county.a
Form D Federal Writers' Project
Extra Comment Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker
Address 505 Elks Building, Portland, Oregon.
Subject Overland Trail Lore and Early Life in Oregon.
Sara B. Wrenn
Name and address of informant Mrs. J. R.Bean
,Date January 31, 1939
Twin Fir Road. Lake Grove. Oswego. Oregon.
Comment:
In the recollections of James Meikle Sharp, I have endeavored to use
only what seemed of a folklore nature. While the covered -wagon entry into
Oregon is somewhat similar to that of other pioneers, the efforts of the family
to live, after arriving here, and particularly Mr. Sharp's details of his meagre
education, his securing of a teacher's certificate, etc., gives something of
which comparatively little has been recited by the various pioneers.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing.the heading given
above).