Ray County, Missouri - Letters from Oregon Source: The following is the transcription from The Richmond Herald (Richmond, Missouri) June 11, 1852 Greetings: I am sending this article to several persons hoping that I reach someone who is interested in this newspaper rendition of a letter written from one Vanderpool brother to another. Since newspapers are not indexed, the family might not ever find it. I am granting reprint rights to any and all who wish to use it for non commercial publication as long as credit is given to me as the transcriber. I am granting publication rights to the Ray County Genealogical Association for their quarterly, the Ray County Reflections. (Ray County Genealogical Association, 901 W Royle Street, Richmond, Missouri 64085). I tried very hard to accurately transcribe the letter. The microfilm reader/printer at the Ray County Library is poor so my copy was very difficult to read. I hope someone finds the information in this article interesting and useful. Shirley Brungardt Rayville, Ray County, MO THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPTION FROM The Richmond Herald (Richmond, Missouri) June 11, 1852 Through the kindness of Mr. H. Vanderpool, we have the pleasure of laying before our readers the following intersting LETTER FROM OREGON Dear Brother;---I lately received a letter from you, dated last April; we were glad to hear from you all. It is the first we have received from you, and we wish you to write to us yearly. We resive a mail from the U. S. now every two months, so that the opportunity is convenient. The reason I have not written to you since 1848 is, that there has been no good opportunity. We are all well at present, and in one of the finest countries on earth, according to my opinion. I was born, (as you know;) in N. Carolina, and brought up in Tennessee, and have passed through Kentucky and Illinois, and lived 30 years of my life in Missouri. I have been in the Mexican country and also in California, but have seen no place that half compares with this for pleasant climate and easy living. The prairies are now all covered over with excellent grass 6 inches high, and as green as ever you saw wheat. The fall of '47 and last fall and both winters were about the same. In the fall of '48 the rainy season set in late, and consequently the grass was short and a very cold winter followed; but our horses, cattle and hogs kept in fine order the whole winter. The rains were earlier this season than common; we had considerable of rain in August, which started nearly everything to growing anew; many of the old weeds that I thought were dead, budded out new leaves and are now in full bloom. The potatoes blossomed anew, and are now full of young potatoes. The strawberries are now in as fine bloom as I ever saw them. In a word, the whole landscape looks as if it were the middle of spring, with the exception of the fading and falling of the leaves of the oak and ash and a few others that are not evergreens. It would be a sight of great curiosity, could you now see our herds, how uncommonly large and fat they are. Two year old cattle I think are twice as large here as they are in Missouri, being always fat, they grow very fast; more than half the cows have calves every ten months; heifers are sure to bring calves at the age of 18 months and two years. All the pork that I have had since here, has been fattened entirely from acorns and roots. This year, there being no acorns, I feed my pork hogs for the first time. ( next part only partially legible from my copy) Wheat is an excellent grain for hogs when fed in a ??? I am now feeding wheat that I raised in '47. I have not sown any wheat since the spring of '47; every crop since has been volunteer; the last two crops were not ploughed in. This year I could have saved about 800 bushels, but having my granary full of old wheat and having a good many hogs I let them take it, which was the fifth crop from the one sowing; it is growing again for the sixth crop, and looks better this fall than it did the fall before; the early rain gave it an early start. It is my opinion that this country would produce wheat a hundred years in succession from one sowing were it kept fenced all the time. It is the case with many vegetables. One time planting potatoes will do for many years; if the ground be well ploughed ever spring. All that I do in raising potatoes is, break up the old patch early in the spring, then hoe them once or twice. I have about nine acres of the richest of my land fenced to itself, for corn, cabbages, turnips, potatoes &e. Volunteer turnips radishes, beets, parsnips, mustard and lettuce are all over the garden, of the finest quality; but this is not the case in a dry fall. We have no trouble putting up our cabbage, turnips, or beets, and sometimes don't put up our potatoes, but dig them as we use them. The gophers and squirrels destroy a great many when they are not dug, and are very troublesome; they and blackbirds and crows are about all that trouble us here. Farming is much neglected in Oregon since the gold mines have been discovered; yet bread and meat are very plenty, because the meat is produced without grain and the most of the bread is from volunteer wheat. However a considerale part of the bread used in this country, as far up as ships ascend the rivers, is produced in other countries; this makes wheat and flour much cheaper here than it would be at this time. Wheat averages about $1 per bushel, flour $5 per hundred, pork 8 cents per lb.; a good cow and calf are current at $60; well trained oxen 4100 per yoke; likely American mares are worth from 150 to $200; they have been as high as $309; they are on the fall because the last emigration brought in a great many. Oxen have been much higher then than they are now. The price of property here will be governed by the population of the gold mines ; if it increases, the price of our property will increase, if it decreases, the price of our property will also decrease. Last winter and spring when the Charter gold mines were discovered, nearly everybody was running mad to go; consequently everything was very high, particularly pack animals; Indian poneys were worth $100 each; mules $150. But the wire edge is a little worn off now and they are not so high. I expect you have heard great accounts of the California gold mines, and truly they are vastly rich and extensive, yet more than one half that go to the mines make nothing. However, at their first discovery, before they were crowded, nearly every one made considerably who was not sick; most of the mining regions of Sacramento valley are the hottest and most sickly I have ever been in. For about eighteen months after the first discovery of the mines they have been too much crowded for many to make. I and one of my boys took a trip of five months to the mines before they were much crowded; we were 20 days going and 20 returning; we both kept well while in the mines; we cleared a little upwards of $2000; I was sick some as I returned home. We too a tour last spring of about two months in the Chasty diggins; but made nothing, as the crowd was too great; we only worked 3 or 4 days. It is about 12 days travel from where I live to Chasty mines; it is healthy there. The principal diggins are in the edge of a beautiful valley , surrounded by snow peaks, white all summer. This region of country has several very rich places of gold. Several thousand men are there all the time; they consume a great deal of our products, and are continually winter and summer, packing and hauling provisions from here there and driving pork and beef. There are now settlements beginning in all the valleys from here to Chasty. I think it will not be long until all the inhabitable parts of the whole Pacific coast will be settled. The most of the Indians have been treated with All of Wallamet Valley is purchased. It is nearly all settled now and held by donation. I am still living on the place I first settled; I hold a donation of a whole section, one among the best in the valley. It is more than probable with me at this time, that I shall remain on this place as long as I live. We have our health better here than we did in Missouri, and as respects a living, we are getting along about four times as easy. If stock should remain at the price they are now, I shall be able to sell 4 or $500 worth every year; my expenses are about half that much yearly. We buy all our clothing now--don't even make our own stockings. Goods are some higher here than there, yet they are very low considering the prices of everything else and the plentifulness of money. The steamboats have been running up the Wallamett ever since last August above the falls; they go some distance above where I live. It is thought they will be able to run all summer, with a very little improvement; the river has no ice to obstruct in the winter. Towns are beginning to spring up all along the river. Since the donation law passed, people have commenced building considerable nearly all frame houses; lumber is plenty and not very high. There is some improvement going on in the way of orchards. The apple and peach bear very young. I had peach trees that bore this season, which last spring were two years old from the seed; next year we shall have peaches enough if they hit, and I believe they never fail here. I am now about setting out 100 apple trees; I have a seedling nursery. Grafts are worth from 50 cents to a dollar; seedlings 10 cts. 100 of the apple and 100 of the peach are as many trees as I want for my family. * * * * * * * * * * ? are some few cases of diseased liver, and along the rivers a few cases of ague, but it is not like the ague of the Valley of the Mississippi; it is of short duration and very light.****Children are remarkably healthy here as well as grown people. Several of the Oregonians have died in the California mines. California I think is ? sickly, compared to Oregon. When an Oregonian first arrives in California, he is known by his red face, and when a Californian first arrives in Oregon, he is known by his pale face. The emigration from the States got in earlier this year than it ever did before, they suffered very little on the way, with sickness. They were pretty nearly all through the mountains before there was much rain or snow. Nearly every one in Oregon is now well pleased with it. It is a little inconvenient ? for schools, each family holding a mile square. The Legislature of 1850 passed a law imposing a very high tax; nearly one half of it for school purposes; my tax year before last was $24.05. Last year $12.00. If they keep an/on curtailing it will do after a while. The Legislature sits on the east bank of the Walamet river, 18 miles below where I live. It is thought that the seat of Government will be there. About the time the above and opposite pages were written the Post Office was moved as inconvenient to me that I quit writing until we could get another in my settlement. We have a new office now near me. Time has elapsed and it is now the first of February. Nothing uncommon has occurred since the first of December. We have had a very fine winter so far; the grass is yet green as wheat; many flowers are yet to be seen on the prairies--cattle and horses very fat--people generally healthy. The principal religious denominations here are the Regular and Mission Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Campbellite and Roman Catholic, but I do not know which has the largest number at present. In the county in which I live there is on Regular Baptist church one Mission, one Presbyterian, one Methodist and two Campbellite churches***** My advice is if any of you come to Oregon, to be sure and start early and come in the foremost crowd. The foremost companies have never yet suffered much with sickness, and always end the Journey long before the rainy season. I never shall see any of you while on earth unless you come out here. We now receve a mail from the U. S. every two weeks by the steamships. I wish some of you to write, at least once a year. Direct all letters written to me to Independence, Polk Co., Oregon. I must close now; I expect to write to you again before next fall. I am your Brother, MADDERS VANDERPOOL TRANSCRIBED BY SHIRLEY BRUNGARDT FROM MICROFILM ON APRIL 12, 2005 Notes: Other spellings of name found. Medders/Meadows/Meadors & in 1870 mistranscribed from poor image as Mathew Medders and Margaret Linville Vanderpool (1846). Medders and Margaret are buried at the Rock Hill Cemetery in Linn County. The letter was written to H. Vanderpool (?Holland) shown in the 1860 census: 1860 > MISSOURI > RAY > RICHMOND TWP Series: M653 Roll: 643 Page: 279 Surname GivenName Age Sex Race Birthplace State County Location Year VANDERPOOL H 55 M W TN MO RAY RICHMOND TWP 1860 The census image found at Heritage Quest shows the others in the household as wife, Leah, 51, born in Tennessee, Francis M. 31, ?Andrew? 25, James 22, George W, 21, Rachel 14, And Angeline, 9. All children shown were born in Missouri. CENSUS YR: 1850 TERRITORY: Oregon COUNTY: Polk PAGE NO: 224 REFERENCE: Enum. on the 14th day of Octr 1850 by D ONeill. Sht #113a. ========================================================================================================================= LN HN FN LAST NAME FIRST NAME AGE SEX RACE OCCUP. VAL. BIRTHPLACE MRD. SCH. R/W DDB ========================================================================================================================= 13 71 71 Vanderpool Meadows 45 M Farmer Tenn. 14 71 71 Vanderpool Margt 32 F Mo. 15 71 71 Vanderpool David 17 M Mo. X 16 71 71 Vanderpool James 14 M Mo. X 17 71 71 Vanderpool Susan 5 F Mo. 18 71 71 Vanderpool Mary 2 F O.T. The letter was written by 1860 > OREGON > POLK > LANE PCT Series: M653 Roll: 1056 Page: 556 Surname GivenName Age Sex Race Birthplace State County Location Year VANDERPOOL M 62 M W NC OR POLK LANE PCT 1860 The census image found at Heritage Quest shows the others in the household as wife, M. E. age 41, born in Missouri, Jas. 24, susan 14, all born in MO and the other children, Minera or Minerva 11, Elizabeth 8, Julia 6, born in Oregon. Another individual is also shown: Campbell 26 a Laborer. Campbell appears to be the given name with Vanderpool being the last name. He was born in MO. 1870 > OREGON > POLK > MONMOUTH P Series: M593 Roll: 1287 Page: 333 Surname GivenName Age Sex Race Birthplace State County Location Year VANDERPOOL MATHEW 75 M W NC OR POLK MONMOUTH P 1870 Wife, Margaret & children James, Elizabeth, & Julia. The town of Independence Oregon mentioned in the letter was named for Independence, Missouri. Polk County was officially created from Yamhill District of the Oregon Territory on December 22, 1845. On August 13, 1848, President James K. Polk signed a bill approving the boundaries of the Oregon territory, which officially separated the territory from England. Thus came the name Polk County. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Shirley Brungardt Rayville, Ray County, MO USGENWEB NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities, when written permission is obtained from the contributor, so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. 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