WPA Interviews

INTERVIEW, July 8, 1937

ROBNETT, Luella S. Colbert

Interview concerning her parents, given by Mrs. Luella S. Colbert Robnett, of Crawfordsville, Oregon. Interview given at the 5oth Annual Reunion of the Linn County Pioneer Association at Brownsville, Oregon, June 25, 1937.

My father was George W. Colbert; my mother was Edna Whipple Colbert. They were married in 1853 at Brownsville, Oregon, in a double wedding ceremony. The other contracting parties were my father's friend, Mr. Z. F. Moody, and my mother's school teacher friend, Miss Mary Stevens. Mr. Moody was later Governor of Oregon.

My mother, Edna Whipple, and Miss Stevens were both teachers. My mother was the second teacher at Brownsville. She taught in the old Spaulding Schoolhouse on the Calapooia, following Mr. Spaulding. At the end of the school year there was a school fair or exhibition held at the McKinney Meeting House near Brownsville. Mr. or "Father John McKinney", the builder of the meetinghouse was there and took part. At the close of the program the two young couples requested Father McKinney to make a speech on matrimony. He complied, and at the end of the speech my father and mother, and Mr. Moody and Miss Stevens stepped forward and were married. It was a great surprise to all of the people.

The McKinney Meeting House where the marriage took place was the first Methodist Episcopal Church at Brownsville. It was built by Father John McKinney on his claim just west of the present town. (Here Mrs. Robnett described the location of the old church which seems to have been in Section 2, Township 14 South, Range 3 West of the Willamette Meridian, in Linn County, Oregon.)

After my mother's marriage she still continued to teach school at Brownsville. Her later school was in South Brownsville somewhere west of the present Main Street, probably on what was then called Lane Street (Map of 1878). The school there was held in a private house which had at one time been a boarding house. (Mr. Andrew Kirk, native son of 1854 confirmed this, and stated that his first teacher at that locality was a Mrs. Colbert.) Later my mother taught in the McHargue neighborhood (on upper Courtney Creek) and still later near Crawfordsville.

For a time after their marriage my father and mother boarded at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Walters. (Pioneers of 1845).

My father was the first president of the Linn County Pioneer Association. The Association was organized at Crawfordsville in 1887. We still have in the family the red scarf which he wore while presiding at that picnic.

My mother was my first, and almost my only teacher, though when I was older I did attend school at The Dalles for a time. When I sent to school at The Dalles I boarded at the home of Z.F. Moody and his wife, so that I knew them well. That was long before he became Governor of the State.

No, I do not remember the old Spaulding Schoolhouse, although I have often heard my parents describe it. I do not suppose there is anyone living who remembers it. My parents have often shown me where it stood. It was almost exactly in the middle of the present Brownsville-Crawfordsville road, south of the Calapooia, and about one hundred yards west of the present Samuelson House.

Yes, I remember the Spaulding family, especially the girls. Amelia married John Brown, a son of Hugh L. Brown after whom Brownsville was named. She was an invalid for a great many years.

When asked whether she knew of the incident told concerning the elopement of Martha Spaulding, Mrs. Robnett laughed and said "No", she didn't know about that, but continued: "She was a very good rider though. She always used to ride in the parades at the County Fairs." (The incident related that Martha Spaulding eloped with a youth named Wigle and fled away through the Big Gap to be married at Eugene City. Looking back at each rise the fleeing couple could see the Rev. Spaulding, Martha's peppery father, in hot pursuit, angrily whipping up his spotted cayuse.)

My mother was a great needle worker, and made many fancy articles from various other materials. She took periwinkle shells and boiled them in lye to clean the iridescent shell and made frames and "pictures" from them. We have many such pieces of her work. (See Miscellaneous Items forms enclosed herewith for descriptions of this work.)

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.