WPA Interviews

Ingram, Learoy

INTERVIEW, Learoy Ingram. Harrisburg, Ore.

(This very short interview has to do principally with the place name of Ingram's Island in the Willamette River not far from Harrisburg. (In Lane County)).

My name is Learoy Ingram but I am commonly known as Lee Ingram. I was born in 1871.

The Ingram family in Oregon begins with my grandfather, James Ingram. He came to Oregon from Arkansas in the year 1852. With him he brought, I believe, four children. That is probably a mistake. It was three children, one daughter and two sons. The fourth child was born after he reached Oregon.

The two sons who came to Oregon were-

Cal. (Calvin) Ingram, my uncle and

Berry Ingram, my father.

(The daughter's name was not learned.) "The daughter who was born after the family reached Oregon was Polly Ingram.

My father was nine years old when he came to Oregon, having been born about 1843. His brother Cal was older. I have heard little about their trip to Oregon except that my father rode a little pony and often got into trouble because he would not stick close to the train. There was considerable danger from Indians then, and he sometimes got into rather precarious positions by wandering too far.

Now concerning Ingram Island and its name. There are really two islands there. My grandfather lived at the upper end and Cal Ingram, my uncle, lived on the lower end of the islands. To the best of my knowledge it was from my Uncle Cal Ingram who lived on the lower island that the name was given. At least I never heard of its being so called until he went there to live. The name is now generally recognized as belonging to that neighborhood. My father seems to have had nothing to do with the naming of the island.

I can give but little of our family history other than the above. My mother's name was Jane Young Ingram. The Youngs came from Missouri, probably about the same time as the Ingrams.

The children of my parents, Merry Ingram and Jan Young Ingram were-in order of birth-

Green Ingram.

Lewis Ingram.

Lloyd Ingram.

Joseph Ingram.

Wash. (Washington) Ingram.

James Ingram.

Polly Ingram.

Cal. (Calvin) Ingram.

Bob (Robert) Ingram.

My mother died sixty-nine years ago (1871) in July, when I was about six months old. That was also the year that the first Railroad train crossed Muddy Bridge in this neighborhood. I have those dates fixed in my mind because I have heard members of my family repeat it often, saying that Mother, not at all well at the time, carried me, a sickly baby, down to the tracks to see the first train go through.

(Note. Mr. Ingram lives at Harrisburg, Oregon. His wife is Norah Alford, daughter of Russell Alford and Granddaughter of Thomas Alford, early pioneers of this region. The interview took place at the home of Mrs. Pearline Hardisty, a sister of Mrs. Ingram.)

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.