WPA Interviews

Githens, George E.

INTERVIEW

Interview with George E. Githens of Peoria, Oregon.

(This interview deals principally with the James Garrett family, pioneers of 1849 to California and 1852 to Oregon. Geo. Githens is a grandson of the above. He is also a son of William E. Githens also a pioneer of 1852. To this are appended certain facts concerning the pioneer Morgan family of Linn County, (Mrs. Githens grandfather being Miller Morgan.)

My grandfather, James Garrett was born in Missouri in 1822. He grew up in that state and was a veteran of the Mexican War. In 1849, when he was twenty seven years of age he joined the gold rush to California and spent some time in that state. He did quite well as a miner and then returned to Missouri where he farmed for a time. I can well remember when he still had some of the pure nuggets of gold which he had mined in the California gold fields.

My grandfather was married twice. He married Mrs. Sarah Willoughby, a widow. They had four children. Their names were -

William Garrett, born in Missouri in 1842. He came to Oregon with his father.

Mary Garrett. Born in 1844. Died the same year.

John Garrett. Born in Missouri in 1846. He died of cholera on the way to Oregon in 1852 and was buried on the Platte River.

James H. Garrett. Born in Missouri in 1848. Came to Oregon with his father. Later settled in Wasco County.

My grandfather was married first in 1842. His first wife died in Missouri in 1850 before the family moved to Oregon.

My grandfather started for Oregon in the early spring of 1852. As has been stated, there was much cholera in the train and a great many people died before reaching Oregon. He started for Oregon with a family of three motherless children, the oldest ten years of age, the youngest only four. He arrived in Oregon with only two children.

Upon arriving in Oregon Grandfather took up a Donation Land Claim in Section 21, Tp. 13 S., R. 4 W., about three miles southeast of Peoria, in Linn County. He first built a log cabin on his claim. The old cabin stood for many years, in fact, was only torn down by the present owner of the place a few years ago. In 1855 grandfather built a large barn which is still standing and in use.

In 1852 my grandfather married a second time, this time Miss Frances Welch. To this marriage the following children were born -

Mary Ellen Garrett. Born in 1853 in Oregon. She died in 1867.

Nancy Jane Garrett. (This is the narrator's mother) She was born in Oregon in 1855. Died- She married William E. Githens. Throughout their life this couple made their home near Peoria, Linn County.

Matilda M. Garrett. Born August 22, 1857. She married a man named D. H.

Wagoner. They made their home near Salem.

Anna B. Garrett. Born Feb. 5, 1859. Died 1877.

Joseph D. Garrett. Born July 8, 1860. Died 1861.

My grandfather built a fine large house in the year 1868 and it is still standing out on his old place, still in use and in good condition. When it was new it was considered one of the finest houses in all Oregon. The walls were decorated in fine hand-painted frescoes, and there were scenes painted on the walls depicting some of the adventures which he experienced on his trips through the west. Some of these are now covered by coats of calcimine applied over them at a later date, some are just as they were at first. I can remember just what a few of them looked like when I was small. One of them especially impressed me. It was of a man in the woods and a herd of deer. The man had his gun to his shoulder and was about to shoot. There were four pictures on the ceiling of the front room but these were not scenes from his own travels. When the painter was at work one of grandfather's daughters came to him with her old fourth reader and asked him to paint some of the illustrations on the wall. He did so, and those four pictures till remain untouched, just as he painted them.

(The writer could not learn just what reader was used as a source of these pictures, neither could he learn which daughter suggested them. However, he is now searching for old fourth readers in order to compare the illustrations with the pictures as he later saw them. L. Haskin, field worker.)

The old clock in grandfather's house was set in the wall, built in, just above the fireplace.

There was a tradition in our family that-for years after that old clock ceased to run-it would still strike whenever there was a death in the family. There are many of grandfathers old things still out on the farm. When I was last there I saw old ox yokes, saddles, and grandmother's sidesaddle still under the barn.

My father's name was William E. Githens. He was an Oregon pioneer of 1852. He first settled in Clackamas Co. Upon his arrival (living with his parents) until he had grown up. He then came down to Linn County and secured employment with James Garrett, my grandfather. He worked for a time and finally married my mother, Nancy Jane Garrett, his employee's daughter.

He was born July 14, 1849 and died in 1925, at the age of 75 years. They were married in 1870.

To my parents were born the following children-

James Githens. Born Feb. 1873.

Ann Githens, now Mrs. F.L.Bayne, she lives here in Peoria. (Her full name is Anna Bell, so named after her paternal aunt.) Born Feb. 26, 1878.

Nellie Githens. (Married name not learned)

Grandmother Garrett died December 4, 1895. Grandfather Garrett died March 5, 1888.

In the early days Peoria was an important wheat shipping point for all this section of the Willamette Valley. Port and produce of all kinds was packed here and shipped by boat to the lower valley. For a great many years my father ran a pork packing plant at Peoria. It is hard to realize what changes have taken place since those busy days for this town. Now it is almost dead,- an out of the way spot which few persons visit. Then it was an important place for there was no railroad, no town of Halsey, Shedd, or Tangent. Then it was a busy town but we slept on rope beds with Tule' mattresses. Now cars go past on the pavement; then people worked with oxen.

Then Indians used to come past in long trains, going from the Calapooia Valley over to the coast for fish. I can well remember how they looked as they came through here. Now you never see an Indian.

My grandfather Garrett had a large ten acre orchard on his place. The trees grew close to the road and lots of windfalls fell over into the road. When the Indians came through they wanted those apples badly but they would never touch one until they had gone up to the house and asked grandfather's permission to pick them up.

In my grandfather's house we had music made by an old Dulcimer which grandfather had brought across the plains. Grandfather Garrett also had a banjo which he had made himself, and a violin which he brought across the plains.

My grandfather Githens first settled in Clackamas County. His name was George Githens. Their place was near Estacada, and he remained there until he died. He was one of the best riflemen that I ever knew. There is in the family an old powder horn which he made while crossing the plains. It is made from a buffalo horn. He killed the animal for meat on their way to Oregon. Among their neighbors at Estacada there was a family of Currins.

George Currin, who ran the store there, and my father were very great friends. Some of that family removed to Linn County. Currin Cooley, the storekeeper at Brownsville is related to that family. My Father was twelve years old when he left that part of the country. Dad bought a farm between Peoria and Shedd about 1880.

Although I am not old enough to be called a pioneer myself, still I have belonged to pioneer families and have heard much of the old times. In the early days people took more time to visit and to talk things over together, and I would always listen. The Brownsville Pioneer picnic was always a great occasion for our family. It was held on the south side of the river, just opposite the park where it is now held. Our people would go over there and camp in the grove for all the three days of the picnic.

Before there was any Peoria the settlement here was known as Burlington. It was started about one mile south of present Peoria. It finally was abandoned because there was no suitable boat landing there. At Burlington there was a brick yard, run by Tom Blevins. "Deaf Tom" they always called him. The old pits and the refuse bricks can still be found there.

Burlington never was very much-merely a building with a store in it. Harry Rudd ran a store there.

At Peoria, as far back as I know about it, there was a blacksmith shop, 2 stores, a drug store, a tin store, and such like. (The writer visited the old James Garrett Donation Land Claim and looked over the old buildings. The barn, built in 1855 is still in a quite good state of preservation. There are still ox yokes, sidesaddles, very old men' s saddles, and bullet moulds, the old "round" style for muzzle loading rifles. The house is still in fine preservation. It has been slightly remodeled, but not greatly changed. Some of the shaved cedar shingles remain on the roof. (Handmade). In the dining room, where the scenes depicting James Garrett's life history were painted the walls have been completely covered by recent coats of calcimine. In the parlor the walls are in their original state. All four walls are nearly frescoed and paneled in vine, flower and leaf designs. The ceiling is painted in a conventional border design while on each side of the rectangle there are oval paintings. These, according to family information, are the scenes copied from the "old fourth reader."Though darkened by age they seem to represent the following subjects-

1. A canal or stream with an ox upon the bank. May be intended as a canal scene with the ox on the towpath.

2. A hill, a field of grain, and a man reaping with a cradle.

3. A house, grove, and what appear to be a number of deer in the foreground.

4. Difficult to describe but may be a brick kiln or lime kiln in operation.

There seems to be some sort of a stone kiln, or furnace, in operation, with much smoke pouring from the summit and a man at work in the foreground.

(Sketch of ceiling design was attached.)

Over the fireplace, set in the stone front, are two scenic painted panels about 8X18 inches each in

dimensions. In the masonry of the mantle there is a gray painted plaque done in tones of light and dark gray, and bearing the following inscription-

"Residence of James Garrett.
Erected A.D. 1858.
J. Conor, Builder.
Frescoed and repainted Alfred Hume, Painter.
A. Fletcher, 1874."

Over the mantle there is a large old clock-or at least the case of a clock. The present owner and occupant of the house, a Mr. Schmitt, gave the following story which he claims to have learned from many neighborhood sources.-

The old clock eased to run many years ago, but at the death of any member of the family it was reputed to strike out loudly and clearly. The last member of the family to live in the house, a great-grandson of James Garrett, believed this family tradition so thoroughly that he removed the works of the clock, leaving only the case, saying-"The old clock is never going to strike for me." (This man's name was Russell Githers.) (Note. Virtually this same incident was given to me by a number of other persons in the community. L. Haskin, field worker.) "Between the house and the old barn there is another building of some interest. Just when it was built is not known but for many years it was used as the neighborhood dance hall. Here, it is said, was held a great ball to celebrate the inauguration of President Grover Cleveland.

At the back of the farmstead, as is the case with many old Willamette Valley places, there is a grove of very old black walnut trees."

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.