WPA Interviews

Grimes, Ella (Macy)

INTERVIEW, June 7, 1939

Interview with Mrs. Bell Grimes. Resides on the Original Grimes Farm purchased in the year 1866. This interview deals principally with the Grimes and Macy families.

I will try to tell you a little about my own family, and later, what I can about my late husband's family.

My name is Mrs. Ella Grimes. I go under the name of Mrs. Bell Grimes but Bell is not my own name but the name of my late husband. His name was Bell Everett Grimes. Many persons mistake the Bell in my name for my own first name which is not correct.

I was born Ella Macy. My father was H. H. Macy (Hiram Hickman). He was born in Indiana. I can not tell you what year he came to Oregon but it was at an early date. He was born May 9, 1837 and died March 14, 1869 at the age of only 31 years. I was only four and one-half years old at the time of his death, my birth year being 1864. Naturally, I do not remember much about my father.

My mother's name was Sarah E. Caviness. She was born in Indiana July 29, 1844. She came to Oregon with her parents in 1853. She died Feb. 1, 1895. Was married to my father in 1862, being at the time in her eighteenth year.

My grandfather Caviness, my mother's father, came to Oregon in 1853. I do not know the year of his birth. On arriving in Oregon he took up a donation land claim in Linn County in what is now Sections 19-20, Township 14 South of Range 4 West. That is about three miles south of the present town of Halsey and was situated on the banks of Muddy Creek. Grandfather Caviness died at Stayton, Oregon June 12, 1890 at the age of 87 years. That would make his birth date about 1803. Grandfather's children, including my mother, were as follows-

John D. Caviness.

Melcine Caviness.

Nellie Caviness.

Anna Caviness.

Wesley Caviness.

William Caviness.

Fred Caviness.

Charles Caviness.

Jennie Caviness.

Sarah Elizabeth Caviness. (My mother.)

The Macys, my father's brothers and sisters were-

Irwin Macy.

Hiram Macy (Father.)

Lucinda Macy.

Armina Macy.

Cashius Macy.

James Macy.

Clinton Macy.

Mary Jane Macy.

I should say here before leaving the Macy-Caviness side of my family that my father never took up a land claim, being too young at that time. He was raised and lived on his father's claim. His father, (My grandfather) was W. M. Macy and his Donation Land Claim was situated in this neighborhood, in Section 20, Township 15 South, Range 3 West. Later he lived further south and east in the West Point neighborhood and that was where I was raised.

(In reply to some queries concerning the "Meeks Cemetery" in the not far distant neighborhood, Mrs. Grimes said)-

That cemetery has not been used for many years and I know practically nothing about it. However, the James Wilson of whom you speak as being buried there was the father of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson Macy, that is, the wife of my uncle Irwin Macy.

I will now leave my own family, the Caviness and Macy tribe, and tell of the Grimes family, my husband's people.

The Grimes came to Oregon from Iowa in 1862. That was not an extremely early date and land in this section was pretty well all occupied by then. There was therefore no Grimes Donation Land Claim.

The Head of the family was Beal R. Grimes, my husband's father. He purchased a large amount of land in this neighborhood, the Grimes holdings at one time covering over nine hundred acres. At the time that he came here this farm was a favorite camping place for the local Indians. We still find a great many Indian relics along the creek here. The Grimes place has now been divided up among various members of the family, and much of it sold. We, however, own the original home site. There is a picture of this place in McWilliam's Atlas Map of Marion and Linn Counties, published in 1878, but there are none of the old buildings now left except one small shed. The old woodcut in the atlas shows many small fir trees only a foot or so tall, and those are now the row of big trees which stand before the house. My husband built this house after becoming of age, perhaps about the middle 1880's.

The early neighbors in this community were the Willoughbys, the Holts, the Hoults, the Summervilles, the Martins, the Clovers, and the Wilsons. Further northeast a well-known neighbor was Rev. Luther White, a surveyor. He surveyed many roads about here as well as laying out the original Eugene City in Lane County. The Wigles, the Belts, the Rampys, the Pierces and the Wagoners were a few miles further north. George Wagoner wrote a book on early pioneer days, while further south we had another literary neighbor. That was just across the line in Lane County where Hulings Miller had a claim. His son, Cincinnatus Heine Miller is now universally known as the poet "Joaquin Miller".

One of the exciting incidents of the early days was when Cincinnatus Hine Hiller ran away from home. That was when he was about fourteen years old.

He and some other boys had gone up on West Point Butte to engage in the pleasure of rolling stones down the steep west face. One of Miller's rocks was a big one and in its descent it unfortunately struck a neighbor's cow and killed it. Miller, scared at what he had done, and in fear of punishment, ran away from home. When Elenor Willoughby, wife of R. B. Willoughby, heard of it she became greatly excited-she was an excitable person at all times-she was also a great horseback rider and would ride all over the foothills preferring the hills to the muddy valley roads. On all of her rides she was accompanied by a little dog. Well, on this occasion she was so excited and so anxious to reach the Miller home that she rode around the base of West Point Butte at great speed-so fast that her little dog could not keep up with her but was left far behind. Her children, years afterwards, would often laugh over Mother Willoughby's wild ride.

Hulings Miller, father of "Joaquin" was injured by a run-away team in 1882 and from those injuries he soon died. Some years later Mrs. Miller, then an elderly woman-perhaps 75 years of age-remarried. The bridegroom was a man named Allison and not more than 25 years old. The marriage did not last long for it is said that Miller's sons ran the interloper off of the place. Hulings Miller is buried in the Willoughby Cemetery south of here, also George Miller, a brother of "Joaquin". There is no marker at the latter grave. "Joaquin" Miller went to school with my husband's sisters.

Beal R. Grimes, my husband's father was born in Belmont County, Ohio, September 22, 1813. He died in Linn County, Oregon, Aug. 16, 18778.

Miss Hannah Ann Wilmore was born March 19, 1826. She died December 16, 1902.

Beal R. Grimes and Hannah Ann Wilmore were married on Jan. 4, 1840 in Jasmine County, Kentucky. The children of that marriage were-

James Samuel Grimes. Born March 5, 1841. Died May 29, 1905.

John William Grimes. Born Feb. 17, 1843. Died Oct. 24, 1912.

Charles Morrison Grimes. Born Nov. 17, 1844. Died Sept. 12, 1822.

Thomas Edwin Grimes. Born Dec. 11, 1846. Died Sept. 29, 1929

George Anderson Grimes. Born Dec. 24, 1848. Died Oct. 8, 1925.

Mary Catharine Grimes. Born Dec. 5, 1853. Died Feb. 6, 1858.

Henry Filmore Grimes. Born Apr. 21, 1856. Died Aug. 14, 1858.

Bell Everett Grimes. Born Dec. 11, 1860. (Husband of informant). Died Feb. 14, 1932.

Annie Lee Grimes. Born March 1, 1865. Died Nov. 5, 1871.

There was also a Kitty Grimes. Born ????? Died ?????

My husband, Bell Grimes, went to school at what is still known as the "Harris Schoolhouse" a few miles west of here. His name is still recorded in the old school register as attending there in 1867. That schoolhouse still stands and is in use. Just when it was built no one seems to know but it is still a well preserved edifice, probably the oldest schoolhouse still in use in Linn County. It was not very new in 1867, which would make it not less than seventy-five years old.

Things have changed a great deal since those days. Boys walked to school then, or rode a pony. Now they go in cars. Fruit was dried for winter use, or put up in stone preserve jars and sealed with a tin cap made tight with wax, or even with heavy cotton sheeting coated with wax. Now fruit is frozen and served fresh the year around. People are almost forgetting how things were done then.

(During the remainder of this interview frequent reference was made to a biography of B.R. Grimes published in McWilliams Illustrated Atlas Map of Marion and Linn Counties, 1878. Since this publication was available it was finally decided to copy the article as more terse and authoritative than a second hand version could be. It therefore follows)- (Page 50)

Hon. B. R. Grimes."

Was born at Belmont County, Ohio, September, 1813. His ancestors came to America from Scotland and Ireland, at a date prior to the Revolutionary War, and took part in that struggle for American liberty. His father was born in Maryland about the year 1760. Mr. Grimes is the youngest of thirteen children; all of who were born in the state of Maryland excepts him. He lived in Ohio up to his twentieth year, but during this period his opportunities for securing an education were limited.

At the age of twenty Mr. Grimes started from home to seek his fortune, going in the first place to Pennsylvania where he worked four months to obtain means to go further. He obtained all the information he could in regard to the various states, when he decided to go to Kentucky. He had scarcely heard of Oregon at this time; in fact, it was not known to many that it was other than a wild region far beyond the pale of civilization.

On his arrival in Kentucky, he lost no time but went to work on the public works of the state, at which employment he continued for about nine years.

By careful and judicious management he succeeded in accumulating about fifteen hundred dollars, when he settled down as a farmer, which business he conducted with his usual energy and considerable success. In 1840 he married Miss Hannah Wilier, daughter of Squire James Wilier, who was born in Jasmine County, Kentucky, in the heart of the rich and fertile Blue Grass region. After marriage they remained in Kentucky about seven years, during which time they had five sons. Their names were James the eldest, John, Charles, Thomas, George and Bell. In the fall of 1850, Mr. Grimes went from Kentucky to Missouri, where he bought a section of land, and farmed more extensively than ever. He was the first man in those parts to stall feed cattle, a practice, which is now quite common there. He remained in Missouri twelve years, and was uniformly successful, at this period being worth about $12,000. Unfortunately about this time he went security for a neighbor and was obliged to pay the debt.

The war broke out about the same time, which caused such turbulent and troublesome times in his neighborhood that he, in consequence, lost a great portion of his means. Mr. Grimes then concluded that he could do better in some of the northwestern states, and went to Iowa in 1862, taking with him his family and his livestock.

In the following year he started for Oregon overland, driving his cattle along. Any person not having experienced the privations and dangers of this journey could hardly realize the extent of them. Truly, Oregonians of today ought to be grateful to those early settlers, who, in spite of the great drawbacks so perseveringly laid the foundations of the present prosperous state. On arriving in Oregon, Mr. Grimes settled near Jefferson, Marion County, where he remained about a year; from there he removed to Linn County, near Lebanon, where he rented a farm for three years. During this three years he cleared about $3,500; he raised wheat and sold it at Albany, at what was then Crawford's mills, now the property of Mr. Foster.

From this place, Mr. Grimes removed, in 1866, to Harrisburg Precinct, about six miles east of the Village of Harrisburg, where he bought a farm of 640 acres, paying $8.50 per acre. This place was almost unimproved. He rapidly improved the place, planting numerous fruit and ornamental trees, building etc., and using every available improvement. He also purchased more land, until at one time his estate contained about 900 acres. At the present time his land is worth about $40 per acre, and compares favorably with any of the fine farms in the East, and it is one of the best in the Willamette Valley. A view of this place can be seen elsewhere in this book. (Page 67.).

Mr. Grimes was, perhaps, the first man in the county who adopted the system of underground drainage, which he finds to be very useful in Oregon soils. His sons have grown to manhood; some of them are married and settled down near him, and all are esteemed by the community.

In 1876, Mr. Grimes was nominated for the Oregon Legislature. He received the nomination from his neighbors, and was elected to office by then, a sufficient evidence of the estimation in which he is held.

He has always been among the foremost in all educational enterprises, and has always manifested a deep interest in the welfare of the young. He is now enjoying the fruits of his industry, and taking his ease."(End of printed biography.)

(To the above interview Mrs. Grimes added the statement that her mother, Mrs. Sarah Caviness Grimes was later married to a man named Philpott.)

(The following Caviness data is added from inscriptions in the West Point Cemetery)-

William P. Caviness.
1852-1927.

Zerelda, Wife of F. P. Caviness.
Died June 30, 1878.
Aged 55 yrs. 10 mos. 9 ds.

Charles S. Caviness.
Died Oct. 24, 1878.
Aged 24 yrs. 1 d.

Martha, Dau. Of P. F. & Z. Cavinesss.
Born May 11, 1860.
Died Oct. 9, 1864.

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.