It's genetic
Jan. 19th, 2004 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
twilight33I've been having fun this afternoon reading through an old family journal written in 1942. This part is regarding my great-great-great grandfather's journey from Ohio to Washington to California by my great-great grandfather, born in Skookum Church [actually Skookumchuck since I just found other members of the family on the 1870 Lewis Co. census] (near Centralia), Washington Territory in 1861.
"Wm. D. [ggg-gpa] and his train were influenced by tales of the fertile lands at Walla Walla, so instead of going on to western Oregon, as many did, they went to Walla Walla. It was about the middle of September [1859] when the reached Walla Walla. The train disbanded and the families located on vacant land proceeded to establish homes, which Wm. D. intended to do also.
"Wm. D. was not so well pleased with Walla Walla as he had expected. He remained there for the winter but his mind was fixed on further adventure... [blah blah, sold everything, screw you Eastern Washington].
"In this case, the glowing tales he had heard of western Washington were fairly accurate, such as mild winter climate, rich soil, fine timber for building homes and fences, and a regular rain supply that would keep the country free from drought; surely he was a very lucky man."
[They camped at The Dalles long enough to build a massive raft with another family, loaded it up and floated about a hundred miles 'to a point near the mouth of the Cowlitz River' before going north to Skookum Church] "Wm. D learned of a piece of land with full title that could be purchased for $500, so he bought it. There was a good log house on the place, also a barn and some of the prairie land had been planted to timothy hay. He filed a homestead on a vacant piece of land that joined the place he had purchased. On the two properties was 120 acres of timber and 200 acres of prairie land."
The family moved to California in 1870 because a try at running a lumber mill for 3 years didn't turn a profit when, 'The settlers could have used lumber, but money was very scarce and they could build log houses and do without the lumber'. Another situation where I'd cry if I thought of the dollar value of that investment today.
I have got to put together more of my family history. I'm about all that's left of it on this branch, and my guess is there are many people who would LOVE a copy of this journal if I could find them.
"Wm. D. [ggg-gpa] and his train were influenced by tales of the fertile lands at Walla Walla, so instead of going on to western Oregon, as many did, they went to Walla Walla. It was about the middle of September [1859] when the reached Walla Walla. The train disbanded and the families located on vacant land proceeded to establish homes, which Wm. D. intended to do also.
"Wm. D. was not so well pleased with Walla Walla as he had expected. He remained there for the winter but his mind was fixed on further adventure... [blah blah, sold everything, screw you Eastern Washington].
"In this case, the glowing tales he had heard of western Washington were fairly accurate, such as mild winter climate, rich soil, fine timber for building homes and fences, and a regular rain supply that would keep the country free from drought; surely he was a very lucky man."
[They camped at The Dalles long enough to build a massive raft with another family, loaded it up and floated about a hundred miles 'to a point near the mouth of the Cowlitz River' before going north to Skookum Church] "Wm. D learned of a piece of land with full title that could be purchased for $500, so he bought it. There was a good log house on the place, also a barn and some of the prairie land had been planted to timothy hay. He filed a homestead on a vacant piece of land that joined the place he had purchased. On the two properties was 120 acres of timber and 200 acres of prairie land."
The family moved to California in 1870 because a try at running a lumber mill for 3 years didn't turn a profit when, 'The settlers could have used lumber, but money was very scarce and they could build log houses and do without the lumber'. Another situation where I'd cry if I thought of the dollar value of that investment today.
I have got to put together more of my family history. I'm about all that's left of it on this branch, and my guess is there are many people who would LOVE a copy of this journal if I could find them.
