WPA Interviews

Glass, Nettie (Gibbard) Bruce

Interviews Vol. III

INTERVIEW, August 9, 1937

Interview with Mrs. Nettie R. Glass (formerly Mrs. Chas. Bruce) of Waterloo, Oregon.

My name is Mrs. Nettie Gibbard Glass. I was born at River Falls, Wisconsin, in March 1870. I came to Waterloo when I was fourteen years of age, that is, in 1884. When I first came here there were many of the old pioneers still living and from them I have learned a great deal about early days at Waterloo.

My first husband's name was Charles Bruce, and many people still call me "Mrs. Bruce" but my present husband's name is Glass. He is a grandson of Mrs. Elmore Kees who later after Kees death, married a retired Baptist preacher by the name of S.D. Gager; and from my husband and his people I have learned a great deal more concerning Waterloo history.

My mother's name was Hannah C. Gibbard and when Grandma Kees was very old, and during her last sickness my mother took care of her, so that I remember the old lady very well. Grandma Kees died forty-three years ago last month (July 1894)

Grandma Kees' name was Mary J. Kees. Her husband was Elmore Kees who took up the first land here at Waterloo. In 1847 Elmore Kees left his home in the east. He was then a single man for he was not married until after he reached Oregon. Elmore Kees was the captain of the emigrant train with which he came to Oregon. They were six months in crossing the plains.

Elmore Kees first stopped over winter at Oregon City, but the next spring he came on to Linn County and located about five miles above the present town of Brownsville. After a short time, however, he left that place and took up a claim of 637.12 acres of land here at Waterloo. This claim included the falls and waterpower and the soda spring, with land on either side of the Santiam River. He platted a town site of six blocks on the South side of the river. The place was at first called Kees Mills, from the flouring mill and the sawmill built here. The mils were built by Elmore Kees in partnership with his brother, J. Kees. J. Kees, while a partner in the mills, never owned any part of the land.

In the town that sprung up about these mills there was a wagon shop, one blacksmith shop, three dwelling houses, a store, a post office, a feed or livery barn. To bring logs down to the sawmill there was built a wooden railroad three fourths of a mile long. The cars were drawn by oxen, and the rails were made from sawed four by fours. When I first came to Waterloo, the old railroad car still remained and part of the brush dam.

In the early days all supplies were brought from Oregon City by ox team and it took from four to six weeks to make the trip, drawing their heavy trail-wagons and winding about across the valley as best they could. To the little store at Waterloo the Indians came to trade their furs for goods. These furs were trucked to Oregon City and sold. Mail came from Lebanon once a week by horseback. Today a very large old maple tree still stands in the eastern part of Waterloo, which in the pioneer days was used for a stable and shelter for stock. Beneath this tree an ox manger was built, for it was a wide, deep shelter as early as the 1850's. In later years this notable landmark was used otherwise. A Mr. Gross built a dance floor beneath it, which was a very popular resort for the young people of Waterloo on Sundays and summer evenings. Waterloo always had a reputation for being a wide-open town and some of these dances were far from orderly. Still later the old maple tree sheltered a skating rink.

A ferryboat was built by the Kees to assist in crossing the river. In the winter of 1861-62, there was very high water and at that time a small steamboat came up the river as far as the falls and stopped at the flour mill.

The Kees planted an orchard at Waterloo in 1863. Among other trees, there was a Black Republican cherry tree and a fine yellow seedling cherry. One of these trees is still standing in the old orchard. It is situated on the second street west from the river.

The first schoolhouse was located on the (old) Sweet Home road about one mile from Waterloo. It was seated with homemade benches that accommodated four to six pupils to the bench. The benches were very narrow as to seat and very high as to back, and the desks were extremely slanting.

A church was built one half mile above the schoolhouse. It was of the Christian Advent denomination and E. O. Norton was the pastor.

The soda spring was discovered when it was noticed that ranging stock continually resorted to one certain spot among the rocks by the riverside to drink.

On the 3d of January, 1885 (when the narrator was 15 years old) heavy snows broke in the roof of the sawmill. The flour mill continued to run for two years longer but only to grind feed for stock. Then the machinery of both mills was moved away.

In 1889 an open bridge was built over the river at Waterloo. Four bridges altogether have spanned the river here. One built in 1913 was a wooden suspension bridge hung upon steel cables. The present bridge built in 1946?? Uses the same cables but is of much stronger, sturdier construction.

In 1892 a hosiery mill was built upon the site of the older saw and flour-mills. In 1893 the town was incorporated, and from that time on the village grew rapidly. The hosiery mill was soon found to be unprofitable and was changed to a woolen mill where cloth was woven. At its best Waterloo claimed a population of almost five hundred persons and among its business concerns there were: five stores, a millinery shop, a barber shop, two blacksmiths, a livery stable, a butcher shop, a bakery, a large hotel, and other minor shops and stores.

In 1893 a church was built in the town by the Evangelical denomination. The first school at Waterloo was taught by Mr. W.L. Jackson, later, and for many years, county school superintendent of Linn County. A four-room schoolhouse was built in 1893.

The woolen mill operated successfully for about six years but on the 9th day of April 1898 it was destroyed by fire and has never since been rebuilt. This was the beginning of the end for Waterloo. The town rapidly fell away and soon even the village government was allowed to lapse. At present the population is not over forty to fifty persons. The town still supports a school and a post office but no business or industry of any kind.

The district maintains a school of perhaps fifty pupils but the greater part of these come from outside of Waterloo proper.

In 1910 the Santiam Power Company bought the waterpower and built a large dike, but has done nothing further to develop the property.

The first telephone was used in Waterloo in 1900. It was installed by J. H. Turpin.

In the spring of 1890 the Santiam River reached a flood stage of 21 feet above low water mark. The River froze entirely over in 1913, 1899, and 1885.

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.