WPA Interviews

Bishop, Mary Susan (Wigle) -- Zachery, Margaret May (Wigle)

May 18, 1939

An Interview with Mrs. Mary Susan (Susie) Wigle Bishop and Her Sister Mrs. Margaret May Wigle Zachery, Daughters of Jacob Wigle who was a Pioneer of 1852.

(Since these sisters were interviewed together their information is joined in one narrative and the answers of the two sisters are not given separately. Leslie L. Haskin, Field Worker.)

"Our father's name was Jacob Wigle and he was born in the state of Illinois in the year 1849. (Jacob D.) He came to Oregon with his parents in the year 1852, when but three years of age. Our mother's name was Sarah Elizabeth Goodman Wigle. She was born in 1854.

Since the Wigle family contains many Jacobs in its roster it might be well to distinguish our father from the other 'Jakes' at once. Father was generally know as "Little Jake", to distinguish him from "Big Jake", a cousin of father's, who was a son of John Wigle. The third Jacob Wigle, commonly called "Uncle Jake" was a brother of the above mentioned John.

Our grandfather's name was Abraham Wigle. He was born in Adams County, Ill. In 1830. He was married in 1848 to Miss Marry M. Dougherty of Jonesburo, Ill. Our father was their oldest child. A complete list of grandfather's family and their dates of birth is as follows-

Jacob D. Born in Illinois 1848 (Father).

Lorenzo G. Born in Oregon 1855. Died in 1866.

An infant. Born 1857.

Margaret May, (for whom one of the informants was named.) Born in 1859.

Ralph Guy. Born in 1860.

Grandfather was a minister of the Universalists Faith and in 1869 organized the first church of that faith west of the Rocky Mountains. The church was organized in the Abraham Wigle claim cabin north and west from the present Diamond Hill School Grandfather and a man named McAllister (Rev. E.A. McAllister) were the preachers there. Later they held meetings for some time in what is still known as the Central School House, to the north of Grandfather's claim. They also held meetings in Ettleman's Grove near by the Central School.

The children of the Pioneer Wigle families attended school in the Diamond Hill Schoolhouse in the district still called by that name. The first schoolhouse there was of logs and was built in 1855. Our grandfather, A. J. Wigle, taught the first school there. He was then a young man of perhaps twenty-five. A great many Wigles have taught school there since that time, among them our great uncles Peter and John L. Wigle, our great-aunt Catharine Wigle, and our father who taught there sometime before 1870. The great-aunt Catherine mentioned above was one of the very early teachers. She was the girl spoken of in George Wagoner's book on pioneer days-the sweetheart to whom Wagoner said farewell to on the day when he left Oregon for the good mines and whom he never saw again. She later married a man named Jack Tharp but died at the birth of her first child.

One of the pupils who attended school at Diamond Hill under our father's teaching was our mother. She went to school to father for a year or two before they were married.

Our grandfather's brothers and sisters were the Peter and John and Catharine already mentioned as teaching at Diamond Hill School, and two sisters, Mary and Ann. Mary was later married to Francis Marion Kizer Sr.

Her children, Charles, and Francis Marion Jr. now live at Rowland and at Harrisburg respectively. Another son, Otis Kizer lives at Coburg in Lane County.

One of grandfather's cousins, William Wigle, married a daughter of the Nez Perce pioneer Missionary, Rev. H.H. Spalding. The daughter's name was Martha Spalding and the marriage is reputed to have been a rather thrilling elopement with the Rev. Spalding hotly in pursuit.

(Up to this place the sisters referred frequently to certain family manuscripts and records. Since these records seemed very complete the worker finally persuaded them to give them as a loan for copying, rather than continuing the interview orally. The records proved to be so interesting that they have been copied and are sent herewith. They were in the form or typed manuscripts and also many clippings from certain unknown newspapers-probably the Coburg Journal. Much of the matter was immaterial historically, but a great mass seemed so interesting that it is herewith included. Only parts where the writers digresses and philosophized or moralized were deleted.

The Catharine Wigle mentioned throughout these accounts is the girl who was the sweetheart of George Wagoner and who is mentioned in his Pioneer Book.)

(Note: the following doesn't make much sense but I have included them anyway.

Was closely identified through my father's ownership and operation of the old Finley mill at Crawfordsville, Oregon.

Believe in the inspiration of the Bible and take it as a safe and sure guide to all affairs of life.

(Since the material at hand was of a rather miscellaneous sort-some typed manuscript and some clippings and hand written family records it was deemed best to send them in as a part of the personal interview rather than with "Individual Record" or "Individual Manuscript Forms.")

Copyright © 2000 Patricia Dunn. All rights reserved. This transcription may not be reproduced in any media without the express written permission by the author. Permission has been given by the Transcriber to publish on the LGS web site.