WPA Interviews

Gunderson, Grace (Ingram)

INTERVIEW, June 7, 1939

Interview with Mrs. Grace Ingram Gunderson. Gives pioneer History of the Linn County Ingram family.

The first Ingram to come to America from England seems to have been Robert Ingram, but in what year is not known. He wrote back to England and encouraged his brothers Charles and Robert (?) to come. They all settled at Belfast, Maine. At some time later my Grandfather, William Henry Ingram also came and settled at the same place. He was a brother of the first comers.

My grandfather came to Oregon in the year 1854. The journey was made by ship to the Panama Isthmus, then across the Isthmus on mule back and then again by ship to Frisco. Then by another ship from Frisco to the Columbia River with disembarkation at Oregon City.

The passage across the Isthmus of Panama was a most difficult one, especially for my grandmother who had never before in her life ridden a horse or mule. It was harder still on others, for there were not enough mules and a great proportion of the party were forced to make the journey on foot: a great crowd.

My father, whose name also was William Henry Ingram, was a member of that party. At the time he was seven years of age. There was also a sister of my father's in the party, Caroline Alridge Ingram. Another sister, Adeline, born in 1847 died at the age of three or four years. One boy, Robert Emerson Ingram, was left behind at Belfast, Maine. (He was a half-brother of my father's). His plans were to follow the family at a later date but the price of a ticket by boat soon was raised greatly, so he had not sufficient means to come. He finally went west to Detroit, Michigan and settled there.

My grandmother's maiden name was, I believe, Mary Ellen. (Possibly Allen). (The informant was very uncertain here.) (There seems to be some discrepancy here. A grave in the Nye Cemetery is marked: "Caroline, Wife of W. H. Ingram, Died June 7, 1870, Aged 53 yrs. 4 mos. 26 days." It seems entirely probable that this is the wife of W. H. Ingram Sr.) "My father, William Henry Ingram Jr. was born as already stated, in Belfast, Maine. His birth date was 1847. He died in 1926. (October 10th.) "My mother's maiden name was Mary Jane Miller. She was born in 1854. She died in 1893 when I was only a year and a half old. I am the youngest of the family. My mother's people crossed the plains by ox team and settled east, or northeast of the town of Sodaville. Their neighbors there were the W. Klum family there. (It was not so stated, but this was probably Daniel Miller who had a D.L.C. in Section 5, Township 13 South of Range 1 West and adjoining the W. Klum holdings.)

My mother's brother was Sylvester Miller who died a few years ago. He was a resident of the Middle Ridge neighborhood above Sodaville for many years.

My mother and father were married on June 4, 1871. My mother was then only 17 years of age and my father was 24 years old. To that marriage the following children were born -

Herbert S. Born March 14, 1872. He still lives on the old Donation Land Claim which was taken up by our grandfather. We, that is, the immediate family, still own all of that claim and some land besides.

Clarence Ingram. Born October 2, 1875. He resides at Albany.

Louise Ingram. Born March 12, 1874. She died at the age of 21 years.

Oscar Ingram. Born April 3, 1877. He lives at Lebanon.

Albert Ingram. Born July 20, 1879. Died about 1911.

Louie Ingram. Born 1874. Died 1898.

Everett Ingram. Born April 7, 1883.

Hugh Ingram. Born Jan. 27, 1885.

Minnie Ingram. Born Nov. 17, 1886. Married Frank S. Apgar. He was born in 1880 and died by being struck by a falling tree in 1934. (Grave in Nye Cemetery)

Alice Ingram. Born Oct. 1, 1889. Married Otto Frank. Their home is a mile south of Sodaville.

Grace Ingram Gunderson (The informant). Born March 21, 1891.

Nina Ingram. Born May 27, 1893. Died the same year.

Blaine Ingram. Born 1881. Died 1884.

Now I have told you about the present day Ingrams I will return to the early days of settlement and my grandfather's family. After the family landed at Oregon City they took ox teams and started south down the valley looking for a home. They passed over miles and miles of good valley land deeming it not fit to settle on. On the way south they stopped one night at a settler's house and asked for shelter. The reply was, "Yes, you can stay if you wish, and if you will cook for yourself. We have lost three children in the past week by Diphtheria. In spite of that warning they spent the night there although the other family kept away from them as much as was possible. No harm seemed to have resulted.

Grandfather drove south into Linn County and finally settled high up in the hills between Sodaville and Brownsville. They though that they were selecting good land, and it was, in a way, but as isolated as could possibly be imagined. It still is one of the lonely spots in the valley, even after all these years. The reason for settling there was because of abundant wood, spring water, grass and wild berries. The latter was not the least incentive, for the wild strawberries grew all over the hills and almost as big as the cultivated ones now are.

Grandfather had no money or resources in those days. After he had built a little log house he had to leave his family and go down on the Albany prairie to find work. There was only one neighbor near at that time, William Noble, and he lived over a mile away. That was the time of the Indian troubles and grandmother had many Indian scares. None of them amounted to much in the end, but nevertheless it was a terrible place for a woman to be left alone. Rumors were rife that the Indians were coming over the Santiam Pass to attack the settlers in the valley. Grandmother was naturally nervous and afraid. One scare, as my father told it, was especially vivid. It was a bright moonlight night with the oak trees just beginning to leaf out and casting shadows, but not deep ones. Father, then only a small boy, was watching grandmother and saw her go ghastly white.

She was looking out over the little clearing towards a grove of oaks. The wind was light and the thin young leaves caused the moonlight to move and flicker over the ground. Father said, "What is it?" Grandmother said, "It' s Indians, there under that tree." Father was able to reassure her. "Those are only stumps," he said. "I was down there today and noticed them. It' s the light flickering through the moving boughs that makes them seem to move."

There was a big tree near the house where the Indians often came to camp. One band always carried a rooster with them and they would come up to the house and beg food for that rooster. Grandmother had almost nothing for her own family but from fear of offending them she would give away everything that she had. They would often come begging for sugar or tea and would often bring a Digger squirrel with them to trade. They seemed to think the digger was a treat but grandmother, though she would make the trade would throw the digger away.

The only cattle in the country then were wild, long-horned Spanish breed.

One time while grandmother and the children were out gathering wild strawberries a band of these wild cattle chased them. They were forced to take shelter in a thick clump of trees. There, the children hid while grandmother fought the cattle off.

Wild grouse were very plentiful then and could be killed with stones. Father often killed a dozen or so grouse simply by throwing rocks at them.

There was an old Indian and his wife who often came through and visited with our people. His name was Blackhawk. Blackhawk would always bring a digger squirrel as a present when he came to call. He thought a great deal of my people. After the Indians were taken away to the reservation, Blackhawk would run away and come back. He would come to our house and tell father and grandfather that he was staying near them but would beg them not to tell anyone that he was there lest the soldiers come and take him away. Blackhawk and his wife came back twice and were taken back again to the reservation. The Blackhawk came back alone. His wife was dead. By that time he was getting old and I guess the authorities took pity on him.

Anyway they let him stay. He was around a number of years and finally died.

He was buried at the foot of the hill just north of the Nye Cemetery. I have been shown the place but cannot tell just exactly where it is. Si.

Barr, who lives near Sweet Home knows the place and could locate it for you.

(From her description it seems that Blackhawk's grave is "at the foot of a steep pitch or declivity to the west of the road leading to the Nye Cemetery, and just south of the Sweet Home-Lebanon Highway.) "My grandfather's family was almost destitute in the first years of settlement. My father went to school a number of miles away, down on the Santiam River near the old Piper claim. One winter he had no coat to wear as he trudged all that distance-probably four miles or more. One winter all of the children were without shoes and had to go barefooted.

My brothers and sisters were all born in the first log cabin on the old Donation Land Claim. The family was still poor. I, being the youngest, was born in a large new house which was put up there. It contained thirteen rooms. That house still stands although much too big for present day use since all of the family are now scattered except Herbert who cares for the place.

All of my brothers and sisters went to school in what is now known as the Fir Grove Schoolhouse which is just at the edge of the old Ingram claim. When we were going to school there were many families in that neighborhood. There was a large school-not less than forty-five pupils. Now all that hill country is being deserted so that it is impossible to get together even five children necessary to maintain a school.

When grandfather and his family first moved into the region there was only one settler in those hills before them. That was William Noble whose claim was about one mile southeast from grandfather's. On the Noble claim there was a considerable tract of low, marshy soil. That tract is still known locally as "Noble Slough". Other early settlers there were Mel. Miller, the Yancys, Joe and John Harrison (they took up homesteads at a later date.

They came from England.), W. H. Billings, an early settler, had a claim almost adjoining W. Nobles. At a later date there also came "Uncle" Tommy Thompson. George Miller took what is now known as the "Gunderson Place" up there. His wife was a Zoosman, a sister to the wife of my Uncle Sylvester Miller.

The Zoosman family were very early settlers in the hills but much further west, towards the Rock Hill region. Moses Zoosman was the head of that family. Two of his sons still live on the old claim and are very elderly men. It would pay you to interview them.

My grandfather went into the sheep and cattle business and finally did well. He left a considerable property at his death. My Father lived on the home claim throughout his life. Father was elected to Oregon Legislature and was active in community life and improvements."

Appendix to Gunderson Interview.-

(The Last Will and Testament of Wm. H. Ingram Deceased. As recorded in book of Wills and Miscellaneous Records. Records handwritten in miscellaneous volumes. County Clerk's office. Outer Vault. Court House, Albany, Oregon.)

Last Will and )
Testament. )
)
of )
)
Wm. H. Ingram, Deceased. )
)

Liberty Precinct, Linn County, Oregon.
"July 2nd. 1880.

Know all persons that I Wm. H. Ingram Sr. do make and convey to the person or persons designated in this my last Will and Testament my real estate to my Daughter Carolines youngest child and its heirs down and not to be sold or given to any one from generation to generation and all the proceeds to be my Daughters as long as she lives for her own use alone and all the stock and house and everything in and about it but if there should be any deviation from this it will be all null & void and go to her step Brother Robert Everson and his heirs, so note it be the estate is 160 Acres of land in Section 8 & 17 Tp. 13 S. R. 1 West.

And to W. H. Calles my son the one hundred dollars that he borrowed of me, but I do not believe he is I have reason to believe that it is Clinte of Belfast Maine any way I give him $25 Dollars he is due me $107. one hundred dollars out of the personal property for his impudence to me and his lies to his mother but to my Stepson I make and convey the residue of any left that is Robert Emerson if not any left Caroline is to send him $100 one hundred Dollars out of the proceeds of the estate and do justice to a kind Stepson that is more than I can say of W. H. What is his name. I appoint as Executors George and Hiram Klum this 2nd day of July 1880.

In sound health and able to work Thank God.

W. H. Ingram Sr.

And mind I do not want Norton on or about this house of mine preaching or anything else if he does let one here it goes to Robert Emerson my Stepson or his heirs. W. H. IN.

To Hiram Klum & wife for kindness to me & care in sickness 2 cows or 20 sheep and to Mrs. George Klum my hack & fixings that I got of same and to J.

Oakley all my tools big and little and Robert has to be notified at my Death and is portion 53 acres of his Mothers Land reserved 53 acres for him or his heirs being in Detroit Michigan No. 399-15 st and all the House and Contents to my Daughter Caroline and not 1 thing to be given to anyone.

The Clock to Ellen Allridge Spy Glass to Caroline A And all the things in the house.

Witness
"Peter Mauror
W. S. Noble.

The Musket to Clarence Ingrain, Rifle to Wm. Allege,

Due W. H. Ingram from my estate $3 5cents Besides Taxes paid from 1870. 1 half fees for 1881.

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.