WPA Interviews for Linn County Oregon

Smith, Angus

INTERVIEW, May 22, 1940

Interview with Mr. Angus Smith, grandson of Dr. W. B. Maley, pioneer of 1845. Mr. Smith lives on the Corvallis-Peoria road in Linn County and about five miles north of Peoria.

My name is Angus Smith. I was born in the Maley Donation Land Claim near Oakville, on March 10th, 1872. My father was Robert Smith who was of Scotch birth, born in Glasgow. He came to America and was in California during the gold rush days, finally coming to Oregon in the 1860's. Just the year when he came to Oregon I cannot tell but I know that he was in California during the Civil War for he was a member of the militia there in 1864. When my father came to Oregon it was of course too late to take a Donation Claim so he purchased the Stephen Deckard Claim on the Calapooia.

My mother was Irene Maley. She was born in Oregon in 1847. We claim that mother was the first white child born in Linn County although her cousin, Andrew McCoy was born almost the same time. Mother died in 1889. My father, by the way, was born in 1830 and died in 1911.

My mother's life was that of all very early pioneer children. The country was then wild and the family cattle ranged far and near over the unfenced lands and had to be herded and brought home for milking every night, often from many miles away. This was usually done by the boys of the family but sometimes even the girls had to play herdsman. Indians were common and not always too friendly. Bears and even cougars were not uncommon. Bears, especially, were frequently seen close at hand. Mother has often told me how one day while picking blackberries on the Muddy creek, near where the Oakville cemetery is situated, a large and ugly looking Indian suddenly came upon her and how she ran home "like a frightened rabbit." A big bear also scared her in the berry patch one day. At the time all of the men were away hunting. They came home late that night and set their dogs on the bear's tracks. The dogs treed him over east on the Calapooia River.

My grandfather, my mother's father, was Washington B. Maley. He was a practicing physician, one of the first in Linn County (Probably the very first.) He was born on November 13, 1803. He crossed the plains to Oregon in 1844 and with his brother-in-law, John McCoy he established the Muddy Creek Settlement, now known as Oakville, in 1845. (Note-Other informants say they came in 1845, not 1844. It does not seem clear whether the Oakville settlement was established in 1845 or 1846. L.H.) Dr. Maley originally came from Ireland but the start for Oregon was made from Virginia.

Grandmother Maley was by birth, Margaret McCoy. She was a sister of the above mentioned John McCoy. She was born in 1821. She died in 1868. When grandfather and grandmother first came to Oregon they were already married and were the parents of a considerable family. The names of their children were:

Mary Maley.

Samuel Maley.

Agnes Maley.

Irene Maley. (Born in Oregon. The mother of the informant).

Lydia Maley.

William Maley. Born in Oregon in 1848. Died in 1853.

Washington Blain Maley. Born in Oregon. Died in 1853. He received his name from his father and from Rev. Wilson Blain, an early Presbyterian minister.

The Maleys reached Oregon in the late autumn. A child was born at The Dalles. The trip across the mountains was considered too severe to be undertaken by the mother and child so they were sent down the Columbia in the care of an Indian boatman while the rest of the train crossed the range. The family spent its first winter at Tualatin and continued up the valley with the coming of spring.

Grandfather Maley practiced medicine all over this valley and was often away from home for long periods. During that time my grandmother was often left alone. One night she heard a disturbance among the pigs outside and went out to listen. As she leaned over the rail fence surrounding the cabin a bear ran past so closely that its fur brushed her hand. She went inside hastily, leaving the pigs to survive if they could. After reaching Oregon my grandfather took a trip on horseback to the East principally (?) to replenish his exhausted supply of quinine. Quinine was very essential in the practice of medicine then as the whole valley was infested with malaria.

When the Maleys and McCoys settled on Muddy creek they paid the Indians a sack of lour and an ox for their campground there. The ox tasted so good to the Indians that they wanted more and killed another one. Sam Maley heard a great commotion down at the creek and went to see what was happening. He found the ox at the creek bristling full of arrows. To protect their property he shot an Indian and broke his arm. Dr. Maley treated the wound but the Indians said, "If he die mem-a-loose white man."

The Indians were a dirty, pilfering lot, stealing every thing that they could get away with. They were a poor lot. The Cayuse (handwritten-Klickitat) Indians kept coming over the mountains and robbing the Calapooias and thus kept them poor. When the Indian troubles broke out Dr. Maley went to Walla Walla to help in subduing the natives. At that time there were only eleven men and one boy left in our settlement. A raiding party of Cayuse (Klickitat) Indians came over then and those eleven men and the boy whipped them and drove them back.

The Maley Cabin was first built on the east side of the road and about one fourth (or perhaps more) mile north of the present Oakville Church. A big oak tree now marks the place.

The settlers here were out of lour for over three months the first season until they could thresh their grain and get flour made. My impression was that the first flour was ground somewhere on Pudding River but it may have been at Oregon City. At any rate they were stuck with their load on Pudding River on that first trip. It took three weeks to go and return from the mill. During that scanty first season the family lived on camas, venison, boiled wheat and hominy. The camas was ground up and cooked into a mush or baked into loaves.

The first school in the neighborhood was on the Maley Claim and just where the cemetery is now located. In that school cabin was also organized the first church in the region. That church, the Oakville United Presbyterian is still an active organization. Grandfather, John McCoy and Rev. Thomas S. Kendall were the chief organizers. Rev. Kendall's grave in the cemetery marks the exact spot where his first pulpit stood. (Note-It is reported that Rev. Kendall was buried there in a sitting position. This the informant could not verify.)

The first members of that church were Washington B. Maley and wife, John McCoy and wife and William McCoy. At the first communion Washington Coon and Mrs. Caroline Hamilton were received. Cassimer Wallowich an exiled Polish soldier and Thomas Anderson a Scotch sailor were also received at the same time. This Cassimer Wallowich was the first person to be buried at the Oakville Cemetery. He died in 1853. That same year, but later in the season, two small Maley children died and also my grandfather, their father.

After my grandfather's death my grandmother was married a second time. Grandmother's second husband was Frances B. Stockton. He was born in 1817. He died in 1898. There were four children born to that second marriage. They were:

Anna Stockton, born in 1857. She married a man named Millhollen who was also a pioneer. She still lives in Linn County about four miles southeast of Corvallis. (This woman has already been interviewed. L.H.)

Luella Stockton, twin sister of the above. Deceased.

Clarence Stockton. Born 1862.

George Stockton. Born 1860.

The Presbyterian Church at Oakville was organized in July, 1850. Dr. Thomas Kendall officiating. The first ruling elders were Dr. Maley and John McCoy. It was called "The Congregation of the Willamette." Later this congregation united with the Associate Reform Church of Union Point to organize the United Presbyterian Church of Oregon. That was on October 20, 1852. Like my grandfather, my grandmother's second husband was a Presbyterian Ruling Elder at Oakville at an early day.

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.