WPA Interviews

Sommerville, Thomas

INTERVIEW, Feb 17, 1939

Interview with Mr. Thomas Sommerville, Harrisburg, Oregon.

My name is Thomas Sommerville. I was born on the Sommerville Donation Land Claim about six miles due east of Harrisburg, Linn County, Oregon, in the year 1881. My father's name was John Sommerville and he was born Feb. 26, 1841 and came to Oregon with his parents in 1853 at the age of twelve years. He was really the cause of his parents coming to Oregon for he had been suffering from Asthma for some time and it was finally decided to bring him to the Pacific Coast in the hopes that the change of climate might be beneficial. This hope proved justified, for after the very first day on the cross-continental trip his asthma left him and never bothered him again during his life.

My grandfather's name was Joseph Sommerville. He was born in 1819. Grandmother Sommerville was Mary Clark before her marriage. Their home was in Illinois.

My mother's name was Eleanor J. Brasfield. She was born at Smithville, Missouri, Dec. 12, 1844. She did not come to Oregon until 1865. She came by way of San Francisco and then north to Oregon by boat. The boat on which she traveled was the Brother Jonathan and the next trip which it took after my mother's arrival this ship was wrecked.

My mother went to school with Jesse and Frank James. She also knew the Daltons and the Youngers. She once saw them kill a man in a hold-up. At that time they were living in the upper story of a house and during the fracas one man started to run up the stairway to their apartments to escape the outlaws but was shot in the back and killed. My mother also attended school in Missouri under the teachings of Rev. Luther White who later was an early immigrant to the Willamette Valley and who settled in the region about ten miles south of Brownsville. Luther White besides being a Presbyterian preacher was an early surveyor in the Willamette Valley. He surveyed the town site of the beginning settlement of Eugene City, Lane County. Mother was also acquainted with George Ward who settled near Coburg, that is, she knew him in Missouri before coming to Oregon.

The Sommerville family suffered many hardships while crossing the plains. The Indians were bothersome, but mostly troubled by stealing rather than by outright attacks. One of the adventures was brought on by the foolhardy action of my great-grandfather who was a member of the train. His name also was John Sommerville, the same as my father's. Great-grandad had killed a buffalo and fixed it up very finely as a robe, trimming and lining it with bright red cloth. The Indians coveted this robe and finally stole it. Great-grandad was a redheaded little fellow only about five feet tall but he followed the Indians to get his robe back. He came to their camp and found them with the robe. There were a number of them and they had several guns among them but great-grandad marched right into the camp, took away three of their guns and broke them, took his robe and rode off. The people of the train were very much concerned about the effects of this bold action and kept close watch for a number of nights but nothing really came of it. Great-grandad was born in Ireland.

My grandfather's family consisted of the following children of whom my father was the oldest.

John Sommerville, Born before coming to Oregon.

Winfield Sommerville.

Harvey Sommerville.

Emma Sommerville, twin sister of Harvey.

Mark Sommerville.

Mary Sommerville.

Nancy Sommerville.

Ann Sommerville.

Mandy Sommerville.

When my grandfather reached Oregon he found the land where he wished to settle pretty well taken so he bought out another settler who was about ready to prove up on his claim. The man whose name I never heard was sick and sold his rights for $80.00. Dad's uncle also bought a claim just next south of Grandfather's place but later sold it out to the Grimes family. This uncle was named Alex. Sommerville. The early neighbors in this region were Paul Belts, Paul Clover, the Rampeys, the Wigles, the Whites, the Waggoners, and others. It was in school district No. 47, known then as Sommerville district.

Some of the early pioneer history, though interesting, might best be forgotten. For instance, "Pete" Clover of the Clover clan is said to have killed a neighbor's cow and was about to dress it for meat when he fell dead. Other stories are even worse than that and some very respectable people would be shocked if told how some of their ancestors played hob in one way or another.

When the first settlers came they took up their claims hit-and-miss. When the land was finally surveyed there were some bad jogs and crooks revealed in the adjoining claim lines. In the Sommerville neighborhood there was found to be one strip unclaimed which was only two rods wide and nearly two miles long. Another unclaimed hit was only a few rods wide at one end and tapered down to nothing at the other and over a mile long. The early settlers, with neighbors few and far between often resorted to various schemes to live close together. One house built in the early days stood with its four corners on four different land sections. The house was divided into four rooms and four different men lived in it, each upon his own land. Two of the men were Paul Belts and Bob Rampy, but I have forgotten who the others were.

By the way, you have probably heard of the celebrated Methodist preacher, I. D. Driver. I have heard my father and grandfather say that I. D. Driver "was a young punk of a kid" who came out in the same train with them. Others who came at the same time were Enoch Hoult and Russ Wyatt, who both settled in Linn County.

Concerning our family relationship, I have heard dad say that his granddad and Peter Cartwright's dad were brothers. Peter Cartwright was the famous pioneer preacher. Another relation of our family was a cousin, (of dad's) named Edd. Somerville. For many years he was Indian Agent at Pendleton. He was quite a character. Was about six feet four inches tall and wore his red curly hair long, clear down to his shoulders.

That is about all I can tell you of my family history. Concerning my dad's family there is little to tell. I am the only one living although I did have one brother who died at the age of sixteen years. He was four and one half years older than I.

The town of Halsey where we did our trading in early days was quite a steamboat center at one time. The McCully family who lived here were pioneers in upper-river steamboating. Harrisburg was first called "Crows Nest" and later Thurston. I can remember when the steamboats were running and at times there would be three commercial boats and a government snag boat tied up here all at one time. In the early days the boats coming to this part of the river did not usually stop at Harrisburg proper but at the old town of Lancaster just across on the Lane County side.

Some of the boats which used to come to the upper river were the Elmore, Hogue, Gypsy, Isabell, and City of Eugene. One of the last boats to come up the river was the Mathaloma with Captain Hatch in command.

In early days there was a flour mill on a slough near the Willamette about one and one half mile south of Harrisburg. Jim Brasfield, Cal. Briggs and a man named Waters worked there at different times. Some of the mill stones were still on the ground there until recent years. The millers kept a great many hogs to feed and the place was called "Hogem". Some of the old water-wheels were moved from that old mill to McCreadie Springs. There was also another flour mill in Harrisburg. Part of that mill still stands. It was remodeled into a dwelling house by Art Tandy. It stood north of the present schoolhouse.

The town of Irving formerly went under the name of "Wellow Dog", and the McCreadie Springs under the unsavory name of "La Bische". (Spelling uncertain. A bitch.)

A small place which used to be quite a center of commerce was the town of Liverpool. It stood north of the town of Monroe in Benton County just where the road turns towards Alpine. At one time there was a grist mill at that place also. When it was dismantled a part of the mill was brought to build the mill in Harrisburg.

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.