WPA Interviews

INTERVIEW, May 23, 1940.

Interview with Mrs. Georgia (Settle) Mitchell. (Mrs. Charles Mitchell), who lives on a farm about two miles north of Lebanon. This interview principally concerns her maternal grandfather, John Settle, commonly known in pioneer narrative as "Uncle Jack Settle."

My name is Georgia (Settle) Mitchell. I was born here near Lebanon on my grandfather's claim. My father's name was James Settle. He came to Oregon from Illinois by way of the Isthmus of Panama in 1858. He was born Nov. 1, 1846 so at the time of his arrival in Oregon he was a boy of some thirteen years. Father came to Oregon with his widowed mother and her family of three children-two boys and one girl. The names of the children were James Settle (My father), George Settle, my uncle, and one daughter (Name not learned.)

My grandfather's name (Paternal grandfather) was Milton Settle. He was a native of Illinois and also lived in Missouri. He was born and died in the East, probably in Illinois for that is the place from which the family came. He never came to Oregon. He was born in 1825 and died in 1849. My paternal grandmother, the widow who came with her children in 1859, was Julia Johnson Settle. She was born Nov. 13, 1823 and died in 1903.

When Grandmother Julia Settle came to Oregon they traveled by boat and railroad from Illinois to New York. There they took boat to the Isthmus. They then crossed the Isthmus on mule-back and again took boat for the Columbia and from there by wagon to Linn County. The whole trip took about three months. They were nine days in crossing the Isthmus. At that time Uncle George was very sick with Typhoid Fever. They carried him on a litter swung between two mules.

After my grandmother Julia Settle reached Oregon she married John Settle, brother of her former husband, Milton Settle. By this marriage I became the step-granddaughter of John Settle and the granddaughter of his brother Milton Settle. However, the relationship is not so simple as this for my father, James Settle, son of Milton Settle, married his cousin the daughter of John Settle by a first marriage. Thus I am a granddaughter of both brothers.

My mother's name was Harriett (Settle) Settle. Her father was John Settle, commonly known in pioneer days as "Uncle Jack". He was born on Nov. 25, 1808 and died on Feb. 5, 1895. He first married Martha (Hudson) Settle who was born Apr. 1, 18008 and died April 11, 1858. These were the parents of my mother. The family relationships are very intricate and easily confused.

This farm on which I now live is a part of grandfather "Jack's" Donation Land Claim. It is of him that I can principally tell in this interview.

John Settle came to Oregon in 1846. He reached the Whitman mission late in the fall of 1846 and his cattle being in poor shape, and Dr. Whitman urging him to stay, he spent the winter there. At that time his family consisted of six boys and six girls. During the winter spent at the Whitman Station grandfather built a sawmill about twenty miles from the Mission. While staying at the Whitman Mission he also helped to erect certain cabins. He learned from the Indians that they were very much dissatisfied with Whitman'' ways. He decided that trouble was soon coming so he left there as early as possible in the spring of 1847. The Whitman massacre took place just three days after he started. Some of the hostile Indians followed him for three days on his way.

On reaching Linn County grandfather Jack settled on the land where I now live. His nearest neighbors were the Gores, the Kees, the Wassoms, and the Ralstons who lived where Lebanon now is.

Grandfather was very active in the work of establishing the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road across the mountains by way of the South Santiam Pass. For over ten years he was more or less engaged in that work. He was one of those who laid out the road and blazed the way. It was while he was blazing the route for that road that he discovered the beautiful lake on the eastern slopes now called Suttle Lake. The name was given in grandfather's honor but the spelling is now corrupted.

My grandfather and John Isom operated the Red Crown Mill at Albany for a time. Grandfather was a silent partner. Later the mill was operated by Isom and Lanning. Before that grandfather had built a mill at Waterloo but I cannot tell you anything about the exact date. It was while running the mill at Waterloo that grandfather discovered the soda spring there. He was sitting in his mill one day and looking out of an upper window when he saw a group of deer out on the rocks across the river. He took his gun and went across and shot one of the deer. He then noticed that the deer had been licking the rocks and drinking the water there. He tasted of the water and so discovered the spring. Some claim that another man had previously found the spring but if so grandfather had never heard of it.

Grandfather also bought the Lebanon warehouse about the year 1883. He was the owner of the present Lebanon First Nation Bank Building and was interested in a great many other progressive activities. Among his non-profit activities was the promotion of the old Santiam Academy, the second institution of higher education in the valley. The school at Yoncolla was undoubtedly the first. He helped to build a flour mill here in Lebanon which was situated near where the Paper Mill now stands. The flour from that mill was shipped to Albany via the Albany-Santiam Canal. The loaded flatboats were floated with the current and the empty boats were drawn back by mule teams. Some traces of the old towpaths still remain. It is an important means of transportation in the early days. Now it is only used for Albany drinking water and for power.

Concerning the train with which grandfather came to Oregon, there were fourteen friends and relatives. Among them were the Smith families, some of whom still live across the Santiam from Lebanon. There were also the Wassoms and the Kees. Mrs. Parker who lived near Sand Ridge in this County, Mrs. Etna Cooper, and Mrs. Polly Hudson, were all grandfather's sisters.

My uncle William and my grandfather were coffin makers before coming to Oregon.

My father, James Settle, ran a pack train from Portland to Boise, Idaho in the early 1860's. Uncle George and William Skinner worked for him. At that time bacon and flour both sold at $1.00 per pound at the Idaho mines. There was an old lady at the mine who made pies and sold them at one dollar each. Father said that they were well worth the price. The best pies he ever tasted. Father and Uncle George worked in the mines for a time but not having any success they gave it up.

(Continued by unpublished manuscript copy.)

UNPUBLISHED HISTORY.
of
John Settle Wagon Train.

by
Hilman F. Jones.

Uncle John (Jack) Settle was one of the youngest of a family of thirteen (nine boys and four girls).

Born in Marion Co. Indiana, and consequently he had nephews and nieces nearly if not quite as old as himself.

Uncle Jack was a brother-in-law of Henry Clay and had all the early published records and writings regarding the Oregon country.

In 1846 with his wife and family and other relatives, fourteen in all, driving a large amount of stock, he headed overland for the Oregon country. Among those with him was his nephew, Capt. John Settle and wife Mary Ann. Captain John then about 35 years old had been with the militia in the Indian wars along the Ohio. Uncle Jack's five boys ranging from 22 to 16 years of age were horseback. The younger members of the family rode in a covered wagon with Mrs. Settle. They reached the Whitman Mission late in the fall of 1846.

I became related to Uncle Jack in 1879 (by marriage) and in Jan. 1880 spent two weeks with him on his Donation Land Claim near Lebanon. His stay at the Whitman Mission was in the winter of 1846-1847.

The following is what he told me relative to Dr. Whitman, the mission work and his conduct towards the Indians.

It was late in the fall of 1846 when we reached the Mission and Dr. Whitman was endeavoring to induce the emigrants to settle at or near the Mission. I had a large band of stock not in very good condition and as food seemed plentiful I concluded to winter in the valley, to observe conditions and later determine the best course to pursue.

During the winter of '46 and '47 and with the help of Captain John and my boys, we completed a saw mill some 20 miles from the station on Mill Creek, and also some buildings at the Mission.

During this time I became quite friendly with many of the Indians at the Mission and found that many of them were unfriendly to Dr. Whitman. Some of the Indians came to me and asked me to induce Dr. Whitman to leave the Mission. They gave me as their reason that the Doctor had taken their land, their timber and was driving the game from the country. That he had promised to pay them, and had not done so, had made many promises and had not kept them. They particularly objected to the new sawmill. They stated that he whipped their children and was very abusive.

I had many talks with the Indians during my eleven months stay and I became satisfied that the Indians intended to harm Dr. Whitman. I told Doctor of these talks with the Indians and used every argument possible to get him to leave, but Dr. Whitman would hardly listen to me, in fact redoubled my fears. When I found he could not be induced to leave, I with my party and stock left the Mission on the 26th of November, heading down the river, (just three days before the attack.)

When I reached the Umatilla River we were attacked by the Indians. I, with the men, had to drive the stock to the river to drink. When the Indians came to the wagons and attempted to steal the girls, Mrs. Settle held them off with an ax. Other Indians who were friendly to me came up and ended the attack. While this was going on an Indian not knowing it was my train attempted to shoot me but a friendly Indian struck up his gun and the shot went wild.

The friendly Indian furnished me with an escort and I had no further trouble reaching The Dalles.

He also said regarding the story of Dr. Whitman's ride to save Oregon:

During my eleven months stay I never heard such a thing mentioned and never heard of it until it was published in an Albany, Oregon paper in 1857. I have since been informed the story was published in Sacramento, California, in 1865.

In 1880 when Uncle Jack told me the above story there were many of the Settle party still living. I talked with them and their statements concurred.

Captain John Settle and wife located near Lebanon, Ore., but later they moved to Steilacoom, Wash. In 1862 Captain John with a nephew, James Settle, came to Walla Walla and outfitted for the Idaho mines. Before leaving Steilacoom Captain John had a dog which he considered valuable and left the same with the father of W. P. Bonny asking him to care for it until he returned and if he did not return Mr. Bonny was to own the dog. Capt. John was in Walla Walla several days and went from there via Lewiston to the mines. Captian John and his nephew became separated and no trace of Captain John could ever be found. There were many Indians in the country at this time. Question: Was Captain John Settle recognized by them and followed and killed? No one knows.

Uncle Jack Settle took an active part in the building of Oregon and was past ninety when he died.

In 1920 I visited Mrs. Libby Wiley at Sweet Home. (Note: Mrs. Wiley was a daughter of "Uncle Jack" Settle and the wife of Andrew Wiley who first explored the Santiam Pass Route.) She was the last living member of the Settle Party. She, although in 1847 was but four years old, had a vivid recollection of the attack on the wagon.

Mary Ann Settle, wife of Captain John, lived to a ripe old age in Holister, California."

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.