Spores, Jacob C., b. l795 Early pioneer, first settler in McKenzie River area, ran early ferry across McKenzie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacob C. Spores was one of Lane County's first settlers, having arrived on September 5, 1847, taking up his donation land claim of 640 acres near the present town of Coburg on the McKenzie River. The only other white residents of the future Lane County were the Eugene Skinner family living six or seven miles away at the west end of Skinner's Butte and Elijah Bristow and a couple of his neighbors at Pleasant Hill who were awaiting the arrival of their families in the year to come. It is said that Spores was not aware of the presence of Skinner and it was by chance that they met for the first time during the following year (1848).
The Spores party consisted of his wife Nancy Orndorf Trimmer and their children: Eliza [Eliza E. Thomas, a daughter with his first wife, Eliza Hand], Esther, Nancy, Martha Jane, James Madison, Lewis and Henry; also a son of Nancy by a previous marriage - William Frederic Trimmer. Jacob was captain of his wagon train, which had a successful journey across the plains via the Oregon Trail and the Barlow toll Road. They had no trouble with the Indians en route, for a Flathead Indian acted as guide and interpreter for the company.
Jacob Collyar Spores was born in Montgomery County, New York, in 1795 and fought in the defense of his state against the British in the war of 1812. In 1816 he married Eliza Hand.
The couple lived near the main wagon route to the west in New York State and Jacob was inspired to join the pioneers who were moving westward to conquer a new continent. Stopping briefly in Ohio, then a virgin wilderness, the family journeyed on to Winnebago County, Ill. Here his wife Eliza died in 1838, and in 1842 Jacob married a widow, Nancy Orndorf Trimmer, and three years later the family moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he organized a wagon train.
Because of his military and wartime experiences, Jacob was considered qualified to serve as captain of the wagon train. Upon arrival in Oregon and staking out his claim, with the help of his eldest son, James Madison Spores, he erected a log cabin near the site of the present Armitage bridge and Coburg. Regarding the river from the standpoint of utility, Jacob planned and operated the first ferry across the McKenzie and operated it for years.*
The origin of the names of two of Lane County's valleys, Mohawk and Camp Creek, is an interesting chapter in the early Spores history:
A band of Indians rode down Into the valley of Coburg one night and stole a herd of Jacob's horses, then disappeared eastward over the mountains. As soon as Jacob discovered the loss of his horses, he and a posse set out in pursuit. It was while trailing the Indians down out of the mountains, that the settlers discovered below them a beautiful valley, before this time unknown. Because of its similarity to the Mohawk, he had known as a boy, Jacob named it the Mohawk Valley.
Further pursuing the stolen horses, Jacob and the posse finally overtook the Indians, who were camped on a creek, and recovered the horses. To this day the area is known as Camp Creek, deriving its name from the Indian encampment.
Son, James Madison Spores, helped his father build the first family cabin, break the sod, herd the stock and operate the ferry. Neighbors of the Spores family were Jonathan and Jeanette Thomas, who had been their adjoining neighbors in Illinois and who came west in 1852. In that same year James Madison Spores and the Thomas' daughter, Mary Catherine, were married.
In 1857 James moved to a farm in the lower Mohawk Valley where he spent the rest of his life. The house is still standing and the couple has 48 living descendants (Nov. 1959). The farm, five miles northeast of Springfield on the McKenzie and Mohawk rivers, was unrivaled for location. The soil produced excellent crops of hops, grain and hay, while a large area was devoted to raising cattle and horses. James was so successful that he accumulated additional land until he owned and operated over a thousand acres.
Interested in good government for Lane County, James served as a county commissioner for several terms. He served on the jury continuously for 16 years.
A sister of James, daughter of Jacob, Mrs. Martha Jane Spores Mulligan, did much toward the founding of the county seat in Eugene City, after the creation of Lane County by the Territorial Legislature in January of 1851. Charnel and his wife donated 40 acres of their donation land claim to the county along with a like amount by Eugene Skinner. The present park blocks of the Courthouse Square are a memorial to the Mulligans, who gave the land for that purpose. Charnelton Street is named for Charnel Mulligan.
The home of Jacob Spores is still standing just across the present Armitage Bridge near Coburg. Behind it is Spores Butte, around which the new freeway cuts before crossing the McKenzie on two one-way concrete bridges. As a feature of the Oregon Centennial of statehood this year a large wooden marker was put up at the site of the old Spores Ferry.
After 102 years the James Madison Spores home on the Mohawk River is still kept in the Spores' name, Manlee A. Spores operates one of Lane County's Century Farms. The large barn, still standing, was constructed in 1880 and served as a hub of community square dances and parties.
The pioneers recalled years later the barn-warming celebration at the completion of the barn, when the dancing and celebrating lasted three days and nights.
*According to Frank L. Armitage, ferry boat was used at the "Spores" site (other than the improvised type of Indian canoes lashed together) was constructed of planks sawed at the whip-saw mill that was run by water power, on his father's claim at the site of the present Game Bird Village suburb. George H. Armitage, Lane Co. pioneer of 1849 and his brother in law, Harrison Stevens, floated their 12 by 25 foot. scow down to the crossing, where they operated the ferry using a rawhide rope stretched from bank to bank. When Joseph Lane took over as Governor of the newly organized Territory of Oregon, ferry operators were required to qualify and obtain a license. Jacob Spores obtained the license at Oregon City because Armitage and Stevens were unable to cross the river to apply due to high water. Spores then bought the ferry from its builders and former operators.~~~~
THE EUGENE DAILY GUARD 1-23-1912
THE EARLY HISTORY OF SPRINGFIELD (Springfield News)
The article appearing in the Register on Jan. 11, and dealing with the old cemetery in south Springfield, is wrong in several respects, and we were asked by Mayor Welby Stevens to make the necessary corrections. In an interview with Isaac Stevens who was visiting the Welby Stevens home, the Springfield news correspondent secured the following data:
In the summer of 1847, W. M. Stevens and Jacob Spores, accompanied by their families, crossed the plains and arrived at a small settlement near Salem about the middle of October. Mr. Spores did not remain there long, but came up the river and located on a claim north of what is now known as the Coburg bridge. Mr. Stevens left his family at the settlement near Salem and came on horseback to where Spores was located. He rode to the top of the butte overlooking the part of the valley now occupied by Springfield, and was so favorably impressed by its appearance that he returned to Salem for his three oldest sons, and with their help built a house and fenced three acres of ground. This house was built during the winter of 1847, and was the first one constructed on that side of the river, its exact location being two miles north of
Springfield, and his claim proved to be a veritable garden spot. It took Mr. Stevens and his sons the greater part of the winter to finish the above mentioned task, and as soon as spring opened the rest of the family was brought down from the settlement. There were ten children in the family, three girls, and seven boys, at the time of the arrival, but early in 1849 a daughter, Mandelia, was born, and she was the first white child to be born in Lane County. The children were Harrison, Ashley, Bee, Isaac, James, father of mayor Stevens, William,, and Charles; Mrs. S. J. Armitage, Mrs. George Thompson, Green Linville and Mandelia, who died at the age of five. Uncle Isaac is the only son living, and Mrs. S. J. Armitage of Eugene, Mrs. Geo. Thompson of San Francisco, and Mrs. Green Linville of Lakeview, Ore. are the surviving daughters. William M. Stevens was accidently killed by a horse May 25, 1860. He was in a corral trying to catch the horse and was struck in the breast by a rail which was dislocated by the horse in his efforts to get away. Mrs. Stevens death occurred in September 1879. During the famous gold strike in California in 49, Mr, Stevens Sr. operated a ferry at the foot of the butte near the present location of the Charles Rivett residence, and it was made of two canoes lashed together. At the same time the two older sons operated a ferry on the McKenzie, near where the Coburg bridge now is. Their boat was made of boards cut by the old whipsaw method. In order to span the river they were forced to make a rope of rawhide, which took five large hides in its construction. During the first year the family were so unfortunate as to lose their entire bunch of hogs. Feed was scarceand the porkers were turned loose to feed on camas that grew in abundance over the ground upon which the town of Springfield now stands. It was thought that they became the prey of wolves and cougars.
Antedating the arrival of W. M. Stevens in this vicinity was the location at Pleasant Hill by Elijah Bristow and Billy Dodson. These two men came to that vicinity in 1846, but the Bristow family did not arrive until 1848, the
same year that Elias Briggs and T. J. Hendricks came. The Briggs family resided at Pleasant Hill until the next year, when they cane here and took up claims. Elias took up the present town site and Isaac took the one adjoining it on the east. Elias was the donor of the cemetery site which the News reported incorrectly last week. The old grist mill which was operated by Messrs Briggs, was built in 1854. These men also constructed the mill race. The lumber used in the construction of the mill was sawed at a mill located near what is now called the Hayden Bridge. This mill was built in 1853 and was owned by Felix Scott, father of Rodney Scott, ex-county judge. It was the first sawmill in Lane County. To Felix Scott Jr. must be given the credit for opening the McKenzie road, now leading to Eastern Oregon. The first grist mill was located over in the Cloverdale country and was owned by Billy Jones. It also, was built in 1853. Mr. Scott Sr. came to California in 1845, and the next year, he came through this locality, accompanied by Eugene Skinner. They were on their way to Yamhill county, but in going through, Mr. Skinner staked out his claim which the city of Eugene now occupies.
While Briggs was the man who owned the land upon which Springfield now stands, he was not the first to locate upon this side of the river, as can be determined by the foregoing statements, which are sufficiently conclusive in themselves, but they may be corroborated by a perusal of any authentic record of early history dealing with this part of the state. We fear that our worthy contemporary's rhetorical outburst relative to Uncle Isaac's pursuit of a wisp of smoke was either a phantom, or the result of one of those often indulged pipe dreams. Isaac Briggs was a blacksmith, and at one time had a shop, which was located in the vicinity of the spring, near Mill and B Streets. The first store was conducted by a man named J. N. Donald, and the building, occupied a site near the corner of Mill and Main Street. Mr. Donald owned what is now known as Douglas Gardens, having purchased it from a man named Harper.
On the old plot of our city, first filed in 1856, can be found descriptions of distances and locations as being so many chains, links etc. from Donald's store. From Donald the mercantile business passed to Dunn and from him to Stewarts and Rosenblatt and on down to H. M. Stewart, who still conducts a similar business. ~~~END~~~
"Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon." Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling,
publisher, 1884. pg. 481.
JACOB C. SPORES
This veteran and pioneer of Oregon was born in Montgomery county, New York, July 23, 1795, and arrived in Oregon September 5, 1847, coming that fall to Lane county, being the first settler in the portion of the county which we have denominated the McKenzie River Settlements, and where he still resides. At an early day Uncle Jake Spores and her ferry was known far and wide, while it is said of him that he had a peculiar faculty of carrying on satisfactory negotiations with the Indians in the neighborhood. Age is now naturally telling upon the good old man, but we see in him the remnants of a robust constitution and magnificent physique. He has been twice married; in the first instance to Miss Eliza Hand, August 11, 1816, and secondly to Mrs. Nancy Trimmer, June 20, 1842, by whom he has had a large family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacob C. Spores was one of Lane County's first settlers, having arrived on September 5, 1847, taking up his donation land claim of 640 acres near the present town of Coburg on the McKenzie River. The only other white residents of the future Lane County were the Eugene Skinner family living six or seven miles away at the west end of Skinner's Butte and Elijah Bristow and a couple of his neighbors at Pleasant Hill who were awaiting the arrival of their families in the year to come. It is said that Spores was not aware of the presence of Skinner and it was by chance that they met for the first time during the following year (1848).
The Spores party consisted of his wife Nancy Orndorf Trimmer and their children: Eliza [Eliza E. Thomas, a daughter with his first wife, Eliza Hand], Esther, Nancy, Martha Jane, James Madison, Lewis and Henry; also a son of Nancy by a previous marriage - William Frederic Trimmer. Jacob was captain of his wagon train, which had a successful journey across the plains via the Oregon Trail and the Barlow toll Road. They had no trouble with the Indians en route, for a Flathead Indian acted as guide and interpreter for the company.
Jacob Collyar Spores was born in Montgomery County, New York, in 1795 and fought in the defense of his state against the British in the war of 1812. In 1816 he married Eliza Hand.
The couple lived near the main wagon route to the west in New York State and Jacob was inspired to join the pioneers who were moving westward to conquer a new continent. Stopping briefly in Ohio, then a virgin wilderness, the family journeyed on to Winnebago County, Ill. Here his wife Eliza died in 1838, and in 1842 Jacob married a widow, Nancy Orndorf Trimmer, and three years later the family moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he organized a wagon train.
Because of his military and wartime experiences, Jacob was considered qualified to serve as captain of the wagon train. Upon arrival in Oregon and staking out his claim, with the help of his eldest son, James Madison Spores, he erected a log cabin near the site of the present Armitage bridge and Coburg. Regarding the river from the standpoint of utility, Jacob planned and operated the first ferry across the McKenzie and operated it for years.*
The origin of the names of two of Lane County's valleys, Mohawk and Camp Creek, is an interesting chapter in the early Spores history:
A band of Indians rode down Into the valley of Coburg one night and stole a herd of Jacob's horses, then disappeared eastward over the mountains. As soon as Jacob discovered the loss of his horses, he and a posse set out in pursuit. It was while trailing the Indians down out of the mountains, that the settlers discovered below them a beautiful valley, before this time unknown. Because of its similarity to the Mohawk, he had known as a boy, Jacob named it the Mohawk Valley.
Further pursuing the stolen horses, Jacob and the posse finally overtook the Indians, who were camped on a creek, and recovered the horses. To this day the area is known as Camp Creek, deriving its name from the Indian encampment.
Son, James Madison Spores, helped his father build the first family cabin, break the sod, herd the stock and operate the ferry. Neighbors of the Spores family were Jonathan and Jeanette Thomas, who had been their adjoining neighbors in Illinois and who came west in 1852. In that same year James Madison Spores and the Thomas' daughter, Mary Catherine, were married.
In 1857 James moved to a farm in the lower Mohawk Valley where he spent the rest of his life. The house is still standing and the couple has 48 living descendants (Nov. 1959). The farm, five miles northeast of Springfield on the McKenzie and Mohawk rivers, was unrivaled for location. The soil produced excellent crops of hops, grain and hay, while a large area was devoted to raising cattle and horses. James was so successful that he accumulated additional land until he owned and operated over a thousand acres.
Interested in good government for Lane County, James served as a county commissioner for several terms. He served on the jury continuously for 16 years.
A sister of James, daughter of Jacob, Mrs. Martha Jane Spores Mulligan, did much toward the founding of the county seat in Eugene City, after the creation of Lane County by the Territorial Legislature in January of 1851. Charnel and his wife donated 40 acres of their donation land claim to the county along with a like amount by Eugene Skinner. The present park blocks of the Courthouse Square are a memorial to the Mulligans, who gave the land for that purpose. Charnelton Street is named for Charnel Mulligan.
The home of Jacob Spores is still standing just across the present Armitage Bridge near Coburg. Behind it is Spores Butte, around which the new freeway cuts before crossing the McKenzie on two one-way concrete bridges. As a feature of the Oregon Centennial of statehood this year a large wooden marker was put up at the site of the old Spores Ferry.
After 102 years the James Madison Spores home on the Mohawk River is still kept in the Spores' name, Manlee A. Spores operates one of Lane County's Century Farms. The large barn, still standing, was constructed in 1880 and served as a hub of community square dances and parties.
The pioneers recalled years later the barn-warming celebration at the completion of the barn, when the dancing and celebrating lasted three days and nights.
*According to Frank L. Armitage, ferry boat was used at the "Spores" site (other than the improvised type of Indian canoes lashed together) was constructed of planks sawed at the whip-saw mill that was run by water power, on his father's claim at the site of the present Game Bird Village suburb. George H. Armitage, Lane Co. pioneer of 1849 and his brother in law, Harrison Stevens, floated their 12 by 25 foot. scow down to the crossing, where they operated the ferry using a rawhide rope stretched from bank to bank. When Joseph Lane took over as Governor of the newly organized Territory of Oregon, ferry operators were required to qualify and obtain a license. Jacob Spores obtained the license at Oregon City because Armitage and Stevens were unable to cross the river to apply due to high water. Spores then bought the ferry from its builders and former operators.~~~~
THE EUGENE DAILY GUARD 1-23-1912
THE EARLY HISTORY OF SPRINGFIELD (Springfield News)
The article appearing in the Register on Jan. 11, and dealing with the old cemetery in south Springfield, is wrong in several respects, and we were asked by Mayor Welby Stevens to make the necessary corrections. In an interview with Isaac Stevens who was visiting the Welby Stevens home, the Springfield news correspondent secured the following data:
In the summer of 1847, W. M. Stevens and Jacob Spores, accompanied by their families, crossed the plains and arrived at a small settlement near Salem about the middle of October. Mr. Spores did not remain there long, but came up the river and located on a claim north of what is now known as the Coburg bridge. Mr. Stevens left his family at the settlement near Salem and came on horseback to where Spores was located. He rode to the top of the butte overlooking the part of the valley now occupied by Springfield, and was so favorably impressed by its appearance that he returned to Salem for his three oldest sons, and with their help built a house and fenced three acres of ground. This house was built during the winter of 1847, and was the first one constructed on that side of the river, its exact location being two miles north of
Springfield, and his claim proved to be a veritable garden spot. It took Mr. Stevens and his sons the greater part of the winter to finish the above mentioned task, and as soon as spring opened the rest of the family was brought down from the settlement. There were ten children in the family, three girls, and seven boys, at the time of the arrival, but early in 1849 a daughter, Mandelia, was born, and she was the first white child to be born in Lane County. The children were Harrison, Ashley, Bee, Isaac, James, father of mayor Stevens, William,, and Charles; Mrs. S. J. Armitage, Mrs. George Thompson, Green Linville and Mandelia, who died at the age of five. Uncle Isaac is the only son living, and Mrs. S. J. Armitage of Eugene, Mrs. Geo. Thompson of San Francisco, and Mrs. Green Linville of Lakeview, Ore. are the surviving daughters. William M. Stevens was accidently killed by a horse May 25, 1860. He was in a corral trying to catch the horse and was struck in the breast by a rail which was dislocated by the horse in his efforts to get away. Mrs. Stevens death occurred in September 1879. During the famous gold strike in California in 49, Mr, Stevens Sr. operated a ferry at the foot of the butte near the present location of the Charles Rivett residence, and it was made of two canoes lashed together. At the same time the two older sons operated a ferry on the McKenzie, near where the Coburg bridge now is. Their boat was made of boards cut by the old whipsaw method. In order to span the river they were forced to make a rope of rawhide, which took five large hides in its construction. During the first year the family were so unfortunate as to lose their entire bunch of hogs. Feed was scarceand the porkers were turned loose to feed on camas that grew in abundance over the ground upon which the town of Springfield now stands. It was thought that they became the prey of wolves and cougars.
Antedating the arrival of W. M. Stevens in this vicinity was the location at Pleasant Hill by Elijah Bristow and Billy Dodson. These two men came to that vicinity in 1846, but the Bristow family did not arrive until 1848, the
same year that Elias Briggs and T. J. Hendricks came. The Briggs family resided at Pleasant Hill until the next year, when they cane here and took up claims. Elias took up the present town site and Isaac took the one adjoining it on the east. Elias was the donor of the cemetery site which the News reported incorrectly last week. The old grist mill which was operated by Messrs Briggs, was built in 1854. These men also constructed the mill race. The lumber used in the construction of the mill was sawed at a mill located near what is now called the Hayden Bridge. This mill was built in 1853 and was owned by Felix Scott, father of Rodney Scott, ex-county judge. It was the first sawmill in Lane County. To Felix Scott Jr. must be given the credit for opening the McKenzie road, now leading to Eastern Oregon. The first grist mill was located over in the Cloverdale country and was owned by Billy Jones. It also, was built in 1853. Mr. Scott Sr. came to California in 1845, and the next year, he came through this locality, accompanied by Eugene Skinner. They were on their way to Yamhill county, but in going through, Mr. Skinner staked out his claim which the city of Eugene now occupies.
While Briggs was the man who owned the land upon which Springfield now stands, he was not the first to locate upon this side of the river, as can be determined by the foregoing statements, which are sufficiently conclusive in themselves, but they may be corroborated by a perusal of any authentic record of early history dealing with this part of the state. We fear that our worthy contemporary's rhetorical outburst relative to Uncle Isaac's pursuit of a wisp of smoke was either a phantom, or the result of one of those often indulged pipe dreams. Isaac Briggs was a blacksmith, and at one time had a shop, which was located in the vicinity of the spring, near Mill and B Streets. The first store was conducted by a man named J. N. Donald, and the building, occupied a site near the corner of Mill and Main Street. Mr. Donald owned what is now known as Douglas Gardens, having purchased it from a man named Harper.
On the old plot of our city, first filed in 1856, can be found descriptions of distances and locations as being so many chains, links etc. from Donald's store. From Donald the mercantile business passed to Dunn and from him to Stewarts and Rosenblatt and on down to H. M. Stewart, who still conducts a similar business. ~~~END~~~
"Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon." Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling,
publisher, 1884. pg. 481.
JACOB C. SPORES
This veteran and pioneer of Oregon was born in Montgomery county, New York, July 23, 1795, and arrived in Oregon September 5, 1847, coming that fall to Lane county, being the first settler in the portion of the county which we have denominated the McKenzie River Settlements, and where he still resides. At an early day Uncle Jake Spores and her ferry was known far and wide, while it is said of him that he had a peculiar faculty of carrying on satisfactory negotiations with the Indians in the neighborhood. Age is now naturally telling upon the good old man, but we see in him the remnants of a robust constitution and magnificent physique. He has been twice married; in the first instance to Miss Eliza Hand, August 11, 1816, and secondly to Mrs. Nancy Trimmer, June 20, 1842, by whom he has had a large family.
Spores, Jacob C., b. l795 Early pioneer, first settler in McKenzie River area, ran early ferry across McKenzie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacob C. Spores was one of Lane County's first settlers, having arrived on September 5, 1847, taking up his donation land claim of 640 acres near the present town of Coburg on the McKenzie River. The only other white residents of the future Lane County were the Eugene Skinner family living six or seven miles away at the west end of Skinner's Butte and Elijah Bristow and a couple of his neighbors at Pleasant Hill who were awaiting the arrival of their families in the year to come. It is said that Spores was not aware of the presence of Skinner and it was by chance that they met for the first time during the following year (1848).
The Spores party consisted of his wife Nancy Orndorf Trimmer and their children: Eliza [Eliza E. Thomas, a daughter with his first wife, Eliza Hand], Esther, Nancy, Martha Jane, James Madison, Lewis and Henry; also a son of Nancy by a previous marriage - William Frederic Trimmer. Jacob was captain of his wagon train, which had a successful journey across the plains via the Oregon Trail and the Barlow toll Road. They had no trouble with the Indians en route, for a Flathead Indian acted as guide and interpreter for the company.
Jacob Collyar Spores was born in Montgomery County, New York, in 1795 and fought in the defense of his state against the British in the war of 1812. In 1816 he married Eliza Hand.
The couple lived near the main wagon route to the west in New York State and Jacob was inspired to join the pioneers who were moving westward to conquer a new continent. Stopping briefly in Ohio, then a virgin wilderness, the family journeyed on to Winnebago County, Ill. Here his wife Eliza died in 1838, and in 1842 Jacob married a widow, Nancy Orndorf Trimmer, and three years later the family moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he organized a wagon train.
Because of his military and wartime experiences, Jacob was considered qualified to serve as captain of the wagon train. Upon arrival in Oregon and staking out his claim, with the help of his eldest son, James Madison Spores, he erected a log cabin near the site of the present Armitage bridge and Coburg. Regarding the river from the standpoint of utility, Jacob planned and operated the first ferry across the McKenzie and operated it for years.*
The origin of the names of two of Lane County's valleys, Mohawk and Camp Creek, is an interesting chapter in the early Spores history:
A band of Indians rode down Into the valley of Coburg one night and stole a herd of Jacob's horses, then disappeared eastward over the mountains. As soon as Jacob discovered the loss of his horses, he and a posse set out in pursuit. It was while trailing the Indians down out of the mountains, that the settlers discovered below them a beautiful valley, before this time unknown. Because of its similarity to the Mohawk, he had known as a boy, Jacob named it the Mohawk Valley.
Further pursuing the stolen horses, Jacob and the posse finally overtook the Indians, who were camped on a creek, and recovered the horses. To this day the area is known as Camp Creek, deriving its name from the Indian encampment.
Son, James Madison Spores, helped his father build the first family cabin, break the sod, herd the stock and operate the ferry. Neighbors of the Spores family were Jonathan and Jeanette Thomas, who had been their adjoining neighbors in Illinois and who came west in 1852. In that same year James Madison Spores and the Thomas' daughter, Mary Catherine, were married.
In 1857 James moved to a farm in the lower Mohawk Valley where he spent the rest of his life. The house is still standing and the couple has 48 living descendants (Nov. 1959). The farm, five miles northeast of Springfield on the McKenzie and Mohawk rivers, was unrivaled for location. The soil produced excellent crops of hops, grain and hay, while a large area was devoted to raising cattle and horses. James was so successful that he accumulated additional land until he owned and operated over a thousand acres.
Interested in good government for Lane County, James served as a county commissioner for several terms. He served on the jury continuously for 16 years.
A sister of James, daughter of Jacob, Mrs. Martha Jane Spores Mulligan, did much toward the founding of the county seat in Eugene City, after the creation of Lane County by the Territorial Legislature in January of 1851. Charnel and his wife donated 40 acres of their donation land claim to the county along with a like amount by Eugene Skinner. The present park blocks of the Courthouse Square are a memorial to the Mulligans, who gave the land for that purpose. Charnelton Street is named for Charnel Mulligan.
The home of Jacob Spores is still standing just across the present Armitage Bridge near Coburg. Behind it is Spores Butte, around which the new freeway cuts before crossing the McKenzie on two one-way concrete bridges. As a feature of the Oregon Centennial of statehood this year a large wooden marker was put up at the site of the old Spores Ferry.
After 102 years the James Madison Spores home on the Mohawk River is still kept in the Spores' name, Manlee A. Spores operates one of Lane County's Century Farms. The large barn, still standing, was constructed in 1880 and served as a hub of community square dances and parties.
The pioneers recalled years later the barn-warming celebration at the completion of the barn, when the dancing and celebrating lasted three days and nights.
*According to Frank L. Armitage, ferry boat was used at the "Spores" site (other than the improvised type of Indian canoes lashed together) was constructed of planks sawed at the whip-saw mill that was run by water power, on his father's claim at the site of the present Game Bird Village suburb. George H. Armitage, Lane Co. pioneer of 1849 and his brother in law, Harrison Stevens, floated their 12 by 25 foot. scow down to the crossing, where they operated the ferry using a rawhide rope stretched from bank to bank. When Joseph Lane took over as Governor of the newly organized Territory of Oregon, ferry operators were required to qualify and obtain a license. Jacob Spores obtained the license at Oregon City because Armitage and Stevens were unable to cross the river to apply due to high water. Spores then bought the ferry from its builders and former operators.~~~~
THE EUGENE DAILY GUARD 1-23-1912
THE EARLY HISTORY OF SPRINGFIELD (Springfield News)
The article appearing in the Register on Jan. 11, and dealing with the old cemetery in south Springfield, is wrong in several respects, and we were asked by Mayor Welby Stevens to make the necessary corrections. In an interview with Isaac Stevens who was visiting the Welby Stevens home, the Springfield news correspondent secured the following data:
In the summer of 1847, W. M. Stevens and Jacob Spores, accompanied by their families, crossed the plains and arrived at a small settlement near Salem about the middle of October. Mr. Spores did not remain there long, but came up the river and located on a claim north of what is now known as the Coburg bridge. Mr. Stevens left his family at the settlement near Salem and came on horseback to where Spores was located. He rode to the top of the butte overlooking the part of the valley now occupied by Springfield, and was so favorably impressed by its appearance that he returned to Salem for his three oldest sons, and with their help built a house and fenced three acres of ground. This house was built during the winter of 1847, and was the first one constructed on that side of the river, its exact location being two miles north of
Springfield, and his claim proved to be a veritable garden spot. It took Mr. Stevens and his sons the greater part of the winter to finish the above mentioned task, and as soon as spring opened the rest of the family was brought down from the settlement. There were ten children in the family, three girls, and seven boys, at the time of the arrival, but early in 1849 a daughter, Mandelia, was born, and she was the first white child to be born in Lane County. The children were Harrison, Ashley, Bee, Isaac, James, father of mayor Stevens, William,, and Charles; Mrs. S. J. Armitage, Mrs. George Thompson, Green Linville and Mandelia, who died at the age of five. Uncle Isaac is the only son living, and Mrs. S. J. Armitage of Eugene, Mrs. Geo. Thompson of San Francisco, and Mrs. Green Linville of Lakeview, Ore. are the surviving daughters. William M. Stevens was accidently killed by a horse May 25, 1860. He was in a corral trying to catch the horse and was struck in the breast by a rail which was dislocated by the horse in his efforts to get away. Mrs. Stevens death occurred in September 1879. During the famous gold strike in California in 49, Mr, Stevens Sr. operated a ferry at the foot of the butte near the present location of the Charles Rivett residence, and it was made of two canoes lashed together. At the same time the two older sons operated a ferry on the McKenzie, near where the Coburg bridge now is. Their boat was made of boards cut by the old whipsaw method. In order to span the river they were forced to make a rope of rawhide, which took five large hides in its construction. During the first year the family were so unfortunate as to lose their entire bunch of hogs. Feed was scarceand the porkers were turned loose to feed on camas that grew in abundance over the ground upon which the town of Springfield now stands. It was thought that they became the prey of wolves and cougars.
Antedating the arrival of W. M. Stevens in this vicinity was the location at Pleasant Hill by Elijah Bristow and Billy Dodson. These two men came to that vicinity in 1846, but the Bristow family did not arrive until 1848, the
same year that Elias Briggs and T. J. Hendricks came. The Briggs family resided at Pleasant Hill until the next year, when they cane here and took up claims. Elias took up the present town site and Isaac took the one adjoining it on the east. Elias was the donor of the cemetery site which the News reported incorrectly last week. The old grist mill which was operated by Messrs Briggs, was built in 1854. These men also constructed the mill race. The lumber used in the construction of the mill was sawed at a mill located near what is now called the Hayden Bridge. This mill was built in 1853 and was owned by Felix Scott, father of Rodney Scott, ex-county judge. It was the first sawmill in Lane County. To Felix Scott Jr. must be given the credit for opening the McKenzie road, now leading to Eastern Oregon. The first grist mill was located over in the Cloverdale country and was owned by Billy Jones. It also, was built in 1853. Mr. Scott Sr. came to California in 1845, and the next year, he came through this locality, accompanied by Eugene Skinner. They were on their way to Yamhill county, but in going through, Mr. Skinner staked out his claim which the city of Eugene now occupies.
While Briggs was the man who owned the land upon which Springfield now stands, he was not the first to locate upon this side of the river, as can be determined by the foregoing statements, which are sufficiently conclusive in themselves, but they may be corroborated by a perusal of any authentic record of early history dealing with this part of the state. We fear that our worthy contemporary's rhetorical outburst relative to Uncle Isaac's pursuit of a wisp of smoke was either a phantom, or the result of one of those often indulged pipe dreams. Isaac Briggs was a blacksmith, and at one time had a shop, which was located in the vicinity of the spring, near Mill and B Streets. The first store was conducted by a man named J. N. Donald, and the building, occupied a site near the corner of Mill and Main Street. Mr. Donald owned what is now known as Douglas Gardens, having purchased it from a man named Harper.
On the old plot of our city, first filed in 1856, can be found descriptions of distances and locations as being so many chains, links etc. from Donald's store. From Donald the mercantile business passed to Dunn and from him to Stewarts and Rosenblatt and on down to H. M. Stewart, who still conducts a similar business. ~~~END~~~
"Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon." Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling,
publisher, 1884. pg. 481.
JACOB C. SPORES
This veteran and pioneer of Oregon was born in Montgomery county, New York, July 23, 1795, and arrived in Oregon September 5, 1847, coming that fall to Lane county, being the first settler in the portion of the county which we have denominated the McKenzie River Settlements, and where he still resides. At an early day Uncle Jake Spores and her ferry was known far and wide, while it is said of him that he had a peculiar faculty of carrying on satisfactory negotiations with the Indians in the neighborhood. Age is now naturally telling upon the good old man, but we see in him the remnants of a robust constitution and magnificent physique. He has been twice married; in the first instance to Miss Eliza Hand, August 11, 1816, and secondly to Mrs. Nancy Trimmer, June 20, 1842, by whom he has had a large family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacob C. Spores was one of Lane County's first settlers, having arrived on September 5, 1847, taking up his donation land claim of 640 acres near the present town of Coburg on the McKenzie River. The only other white residents of the future Lane County were the Eugene Skinner family living six or seven miles away at the west end of Skinner's Butte and Elijah Bristow and a couple of his neighbors at Pleasant Hill who were awaiting the arrival of their families in the year to come. It is said that Spores was not aware of the presence of Skinner and it was by chance that they met for the first time during the following year (1848).
The Spores party consisted of his wife Nancy Orndorf Trimmer and their children: Eliza [Eliza E. Thomas, a daughter with his first wife, Eliza Hand], Esther, Nancy, Martha Jane, James Madison, Lewis and Henry; also a son of Nancy by a previous marriage - William Frederic Trimmer. Jacob was captain of his wagon train, which had a successful journey across the plains via the Oregon Trail and the Barlow toll Road. They had no trouble with the Indians en route, for a Flathead Indian acted as guide and interpreter for the company.
Jacob Collyar Spores was born in Montgomery County, New York, in 1795 and fought in the defense of his state against the British in the war of 1812. In 1816 he married Eliza Hand.
The couple lived near the main wagon route to the west in New York State and Jacob was inspired to join the pioneers who were moving westward to conquer a new continent. Stopping briefly in Ohio, then a virgin wilderness, the family journeyed on to Winnebago County, Ill. Here his wife Eliza died in 1838, and in 1842 Jacob married a widow, Nancy Orndorf Trimmer, and three years later the family moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he organized a wagon train.
Because of his military and wartime experiences, Jacob was considered qualified to serve as captain of the wagon train. Upon arrival in Oregon and staking out his claim, with the help of his eldest son, James Madison Spores, he erected a log cabin near the site of the present Armitage bridge and Coburg. Regarding the river from the standpoint of utility, Jacob planned and operated the first ferry across the McKenzie and operated it for years.*
The origin of the names of two of Lane County's valleys, Mohawk and Camp Creek, is an interesting chapter in the early Spores history:
A band of Indians rode down Into the valley of Coburg one night and stole a herd of Jacob's horses, then disappeared eastward over the mountains. As soon as Jacob discovered the loss of his horses, he and a posse set out in pursuit. It was while trailing the Indians down out of the mountains, that the settlers discovered below them a beautiful valley, before this time unknown. Because of its similarity to the Mohawk, he had known as a boy, Jacob named it the Mohawk Valley.
Further pursuing the stolen horses, Jacob and the posse finally overtook the Indians, who were camped on a creek, and recovered the horses. To this day the area is known as Camp Creek, deriving its name from the Indian encampment.
Son, James Madison Spores, helped his father build the first family cabin, break the sod, herd the stock and operate the ferry. Neighbors of the Spores family were Jonathan and Jeanette Thomas, who had been their adjoining neighbors in Illinois and who came west in 1852. In that same year James Madison Spores and the Thomas' daughter, Mary Catherine, were married.
In 1857 James moved to a farm in the lower Mohawk Valley where he spent the rest of his life. The house is still standing and the couple has 48 living descendants (Nov. 1959). The farm, five miles northeast of Springfield on the McKenzie and Mohawk rivers, was unrivaled for location. The soil produced excellent crops of hops, grain and hay, while a large area was devoted to raising cattle and horses. James was so successful that he accumulated additional land until he owned and operated over a thousand acres.
Interested in good government for Lane County, James served as a county commissioner for several terms. He served on the jury continuously for 16 years.
A sister of James, daughter of Jacob, Mrs. Martha Jane Spores Mulligan, did much toward the founding of the county seat in Eugene City, after the creation of Lane County by the Territorial Legislature in January of 1851. Charnel and his wife donated 40 acres of their donation land claim to the county along with a like amount by Eugene Skinner. The present park blocks of the Courthouse Square are a memorial to the Mulligans, who gave the land for that purpose. Charnelton Street is named for Charnel Mulligan.
The home of Jacob Spores is still standing just across the present Armitage Bridge near Coburg. Behind it is Spores Butte, around which the new freeway cuts before crossing the McKenzie on two one-way concrete bridges. As a feature of the Oregon Centennial of statehood this year a large wooden marker was put up at the site of the old Spores Ferry.
After 102 years the James Madison Spores home on the Mohawk River is still kept in the Spores' name, Manlee A. Spores operates one of Lane County's Century Farms. The large barn, still standing, was constructed in 1880 and served as a hub of community square dances and parties.
The pioneers recalled years later the barn-warming celebration at the completion of the barn, when the dancing and celebrating lasted three days and nights.
*According to Frank L. Armitage, ferry boat was used at the "Spores" site (other than the improvised type of Indian canoes lashed together) was constructed of planks sawed at the whip-saw mill that was run by water power, on his father's claim at the site of the present Game Bird Village suburb. George H. Armitage, Lane Co. pioneer of 1849 and his brother in law, Harrison Stevens, floated their 12 by 25 foot. scow down to the crossing, where they operated the ferry using a rawhide rope stretched from bank to bank. When Joseph Lane took over as Governor of the newly organized Territory of Oregon, ferry operators were required to qualify and obtain a license. Jacob Spores obtained the license at Oregon City because Armitage and Stevens were unable to cross the river to apply due to high water. Spores then bought the ferry from its builders and former operators.~~~~
THE EUGENE DAILY GUARD 1-23-1912
THE EARLY HISTORY OF SPRINGFIELD (Springfield News)
The article appearing in the Register on Jan. 11, and dealing with the old cemetery in south Springfield, is wrong in several respects, and we were asked by Mayor Welby Stevens to make the necessary corrections. In an interview with Isaac Stevens who was visiting the Welby Stevens home, the Springfield news correspondent secured the following data:
In the summer of 1847, W. M. Stevens and Jacob Spores, accompanied by their families, crossed the plains and arrived at a small settlement near Salem about the middle of October. Mr. Spores did not remain there long, but came up the river and located on a claim north of what is now known as the Coburg bridge. Mr. Stevens left his family at the settlement near Salem and came on horseback to where Spores was located. He rode to the top of the butte overlooking the part of the valley now occupied by Springfield, and was so favorably impressed by its appearance that he returned to Salem for his three oldest sons, and with their help built a house and fenced three acres of ground. This house was built during the winter of 1847, and was the first one constructed on that side of the river, its exact location being two miles north of
Springfield, and his claim proved to be a veritable garden spot. It took Mr. Stevens and his sons the greater part of the winter to finish the above mentioned task, and as soon as spring opened the rest of the family was brought down from the settlement. There were ten children in the family, three girls, and seven boys, at the time of the arrival, but early in 1849 a daughter, Mandelia, was born, and she was the first white child to be born in Lane County. The children were Harrison, Ashley, Bee, Isaac, James, father of mayor Stevens, William,, and Charles; Mrs. S. J. Armitage, Mrs. George Thompson, Green Linville and Mandelia, who died at the age of five. Uncle Isaac is the only son living, and Mrs. S. J. Armitage of Eugene, Mrs. Geo. Thompson of San Francisco, and Mrs. Green Linville of Lakeview, Ore. are the surviving daughters. William M. Stevens was accidently killed by a horse May 25, 1860. He was in a corral trying to catch the horse and was struck in the breast by a rail which was dislocated by the horse in his efforts to get away. Mrs. Stevens death occurred in September 1879. During the famous gold strike in California in 49, Mr, Stevens Sr. operated a ferry at the foot of the butte near the present location of the Charles Rivett residence, and it was made of two canoes lashed together. At the same time the two older sons operated a ferry on the McKenzie, near where the Coburg bridge now is. Their boat was made of boards cut by the old whipsaw method. In order to span the river they were forced to make a rope of rawhide, which took five large hides in its construction. During the first year the family were so unfortunate as to lose their entire bunch of hogs. Feed was scarceand the porkers were turned loose to feed on camas that grew in abundance over the ground upon which the town of Springfield now stands. It was thought that they became the prey of wolves and cougars.
Antedating the arrival of W. M. Stevens in this vicinity was the location at Pleasant Hill by Elijah Bristow and Billy Dodson. These two men came to that vicinity in 1846, but the Bristow family did not arrive until 1848, the
same year that Elias Briggs and T. J. Hendricks came. The Briggs family resided at Pleasant Hill until the next year, when they cane here and took up claims. Elias took up the present town site and Isaac took the one adjoining it on the east. Elias was the donor of the cemetery site which the News reported incorrectly last week. The old grist mill which was operated by Messrs Briggs, was built in 1854. These men also constructed the mill race. The lumber used in the construction of the mill was sawed at a mill located near what is now called the Hayden Bridge. This mill was built in 1853 and was owned by Felix Scott, father of Rodney Scott, ex-county judge. It was the first sawmill in Lane County. To Felix Scott Jr. must be given the credit for opening the McKenzie road, now leading to Eastern Oregon. The first grist mill was located over in the Cloverdale country and was owned by Billy Jones. It also, was built in 1853. Mr. Scott Sr. came to California in 1845, and the next year, he came through this locality, accompanied by Eugene Skinner. They were on their way to Yamhill county, but in going through, Mr. Skinner staked out his claim which the city of Eugene now occupies.
While Briggs was the man who owned the land upon which Springfield now stands, he was not the first to locate upon this side of the river, as can be determined by the foregoing statements, which are sufficiently conclusive in themselves, but they may be corroborated by a perusal of any authentic record of early history dealing with this part of the state. We fear that our worthy contemporary's rhetorical outburst relative to Uncle Isaac's pursuit of a wisp of smoke was either a phantom, or the result of one of those often indulged pipe dreams. Isaac Briggs was a blacksmith, and at one time had a shop, which was located in the vicinity of the spring, near Mill and B Streets. The first store was conducted by a man named J. N. Donald, and the building, occupied a site near the corner of Mill and Main Street. Mr. Donald owned what is now known as Douglas Gardens, having purchased it from a man named Harper.
On the old plot of our city, first filed in 1856, can be found descriptions of distances and locations as being so many chains, links etc. from Donald's store. From Donald the mercantile business passed to Dunn and from him to Stewarts and Rosenblatt and on down to H. M. Stewart, who still conducts a similar business. ~~~END~~~
"Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon." Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling,
publisher, 1884. pg. 481.
JACOB C. SPORES
This veteran and pioneer of Oregon was born in Montgomery county, New York, July 23, 1795, and arrived in Oregon September 5, 1847, coming that fall to Lane county, being the first settler in the portion of the county which we have denominated the McKenzie River Settlements, and where he still resides. At an early day Uncle Jake Spores and her ferry was known far and wide, while it is said of him that he had a peculiar faculty of carrying on satisfactory negotiations with the Indians in the neighborhood. Age is now naturally telling upon the good old man, but we see in him the remnants of a robust constitution and magnificent physique. He has been twice married; in the first instance to Miss Eliza Hand, August 11, 1816, and secondly to Mrs. Nancy Trimmer, June 20, 1842, by whom he has had a large family.
Family Members
Siblings
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