WPA Interviews

Lurwell, Amy A. (Shipley)

Interview. Amy A. Shipley Lurwell. Brownsville, Oregon. Nov 9, 1938

Mrs. Lurwell stated-My father was Robert Shipley, pioneer of Benton County in the year 1852.

Robert Shipley was born in Kentucky, August 14, 1814 and died in Benton County, Oregon August 31, 1883, at the age of sixty nine years.

In the year 1819, when my father was but five years of age the family moved from Kentucky to Missouri. On that trip, while taking cattle across the Missouri River my grandfather was drowned. My father, therefore, was fatherless from a very young age and his schooling was somewhat limited, nevertheless he took great delight in studying and I still have an old arithmetic which he used, or rather which he wrote for his own use in the study of arithmetic." (This book was shown to the field worker.) "It is a blank book which in father's day was called a "copy book". It is about one by eight by fifteen inches and is filled from cover to cover with the rules, problems and solutions, all proved in my father's own handwriting. It is very neatly written although the pen used was a goose quill and the ink was home made. The handwriting is very fine, all headings being written in flourishing, well-shaped script and the text in neat, smaller letters.

Although the book contains perhaps two hundred large pages it was all written and completed between the 1st day of January, 1829 and the 20th day of April of the same year. Some of the old time rules and tables are quite interesting. Take this about the length of the months-

"The 4th, 11th, 9th and 6th,
Have 30 days to each affixed,
And every other 31,
Except the second month alone,
Which has but 28 in fine,
'Till leap year gives it 29."

The money tables in this book are divided between "Federal Money", and other money, probably referring to wildcat bank notes or perhaps to some "State Money". A great deal of attention is also given to English Money.

Cloth measure is divided into the following divisions-

"Four nails one quarter.

Four quarters 1 yard.

Three quarters 1 ell Flemish

Five quarters 1 ell English.

Six quarters 1 ell French."

Land measure runs-

"30 square feet 1 square perch.

40 square perches are 1 rood.

4 roods 1 acre."

This book was brought to Oregon solely because the last pages contains a neatly written family record for the Shipley family dating from 1811. While crossing the plains this book in some way became water-soaked so that the pages are streaked and yellow and some of the page corners have been torn off. My son had it neatly bound as you see it so that it could be better preserved. My half-brother, A. J. Shipley of Monmouth had this book for many years and used it as an exhibit in his schoolwork for he was a teacher for many years. After his death it came into my possession, as I am the last of my family.

My father was married first in ____?_____? To this marriage there were born eight children. His first wife was Charlotte (In one record it is spelled Charlotty) Mulkey. She was born in Kentucky June 15, 1815.

The names of father's first family are in the order of their births:

William J. Shipley Born August 12, 1838. Died July 11, 1915. Most of his life was spent at Portland Oregon, but his death occurred at Oakland, Cal.

John L. Shipley, Born February 22, 1840. Died Feb. 22, 1877. His death occurred on his 37th birthday. He was a storekeeper at Philomath, Oregon, in partnership with his brother-in-law Jerry Hinkle who was also a pioneer of the region.

Marian Shipley. Died as a child. (1841-47.) Alexander D. (David) Shipley. Born December 10, 1842. Died July 13, 1899. His home was at Big Elk in the coast mountains.

Lewis F. Shipley. Born July 28, 1844. Died Sept. 15, 1898. He was a doctor. He moved to Heppner, Eastern Oregon in 1880 and remained there until his death.

George W. Shipley. Born Dec. 15, 1846. Died Jan. 20, 1917. Made his home in the Willamette Valley until 1882. After that resided at Heppner.

Rachel Shipley. Born Apr. 10, 1849. Died Feb. -(?) 1859.

Thomas P. Shipley. Born Oct. 24, 1851. Died Dec. 8, 1876. Never married. Died of T.B.

Father moved to Oregon with all of the above children except those who had died in infancy. His first wife was sick during almost all the trip to Oregon. Whether she was unwell before starting I do not know, but shortly after reaching here she died, that is, on September 30th, 1853.

Before leaving Missouri my father was a slave holder in a small way. He had two women and one man slave. When he prepared to leave for Oregon he offered these slaves their choice. Either they could go with him and help on the journey and then be free in Oregon or they could stay behind where their relatives lived and have another master. The women chose to stay in Missouri with their husbands and families (belonging to other masters) but the man, though married chose to go to Oregon. He worked faithfully all the way across the plains and then took his liberty. After reaching Oregon this man whose name was Reuben (Reuben Shipley) went to work to earn money to purchase his wife back in Missouri. Before he could get enough cash his wife died. After that he married another woman here in Oregon. This second wife of Reuben's was a slave woman whose master had brought her to Oregon but not given her freedom. Reuben purchased her from her master. This, of course, was not a legal transaction but Reuben said- "A negro haint got no rights. I'd rather buy her." Reuben made his home somewhere in the coast mountains. (Benton County.)

After father's first wife died he married my mother. Her maiden name was Elizabeth J. Goodman. She was born July 4, 1832. She died April 27, 1903.

Father and mother were married August 14, 1856.

Mother was a member of the same immigrant train as that in which my father and his first wife came. Mother often declared that she walked every foot of the way from Independence Missouri to Waldo Hills, in Marion County. She declared that she could not stand the slow, jolting motion of the ox drawn wagons, bumping forever and forever over the rough ground, so walked instead. Her feet first got sore and tender and then hard and callused, but she kept up the "exercise" the whole way. On the way to Oregon mother did a great deal of work for father and his family, cooking and taking care of the children since their mother was sick the whole way.

To father's second marriage (to my mother) there were six children born.

In order of their ages they were:

Martha Ellen Shipley. Born May 30, 1857. Died Aug. 8, 1912. Was married to D.B. Farley May 12, 1878. Lived near Monroe, Benton County, Oregon.

Louisa Jane Shipley. Born near Corvallis, Aug. 11, 1860. Died July 11, 1882. Never married. Died of T.B.

Charles G. Shipley. Born Nov. 24, 1861. Died Sept. 28, 1918. Never married.

Edwin B. Shipley. Born Feb. 7, 1864. Died as an infant.

Andrew J. Shipley. Born December 30, 1865. Died Dec. 25, 1937. Married Mar. 8, 1891 to Rosa Wyatt of Corvallis. Married again Oct. 19, 1912 to Luella Huggins. He was a schoolteacher the greater part of his life, teaching in Benton, Lane and Polk Counties. Taught for twenty-seven years. He was permanently incapacitated for hard work by an accident in his boyhood.

Amy A. Shipley. (The present informant) was the youngest of this family.

She was born September 14, 1860. Was married to Clarence Lurwell September 7, 1897. They have one son, Leonard Lurwell who at present is employed by the Yakima Republic at Yakima, Washington. He is a graduate of Journalism, Oregon University. Served as Captain in the R.T.C. Has been a commander of various CCC camps, including Camp Rand at Grants Pass, Camp Sitka in Douglas County, as well as of camps at Cedar City and Delta Utah.

Mother has told me that her ancestors among the Goodmans included several Revolutionary War soldiers. The family removed to Missouri before coming to Oregon. There were three brothers in grandfather's family. One of them, (grandfather's brothers) came to Oregon at a very early date. His name was Richard Goodman and he settled in the Waldo Hills. During the gold rush he started for California and was never heard from again. His family always believed that he was killed by the Indians.

Another of Grandfather's brothers, Johnson Goodman, stayed in Missouri.

When he first arrived in Oregon my father settled in Benton County about eight miles west of Corvallis. His place was near the present town of Philomath but at that time, of course, there was no town there. His nearest neighbors at that early date were the Hinkles, Barkers, Newtons, Woods and Hartless (spelling uncertain). There, was also a family by the name of Emerich.

All of my brothers and sisters were born at that place except the two youngest, namely Andrew and myself. Father lived at that place from 1853 to May 1865. Whether he took up a Donation land claim there or purchased his land I cannot tell.

In May of 1863 father moved to a farm two miles south of Monroe, in Benton County. There I was raised and there father lived until the time of his death. I was born when father was 55 years of age and I was 14 years old when he died so that I never knew him at an age when people are most interested in past events. Father was never a great talker about his past, and that also made his history rather dim in my mind.

Near Monroe our earliest neighbors, all pioneers, were: John Lawrence, Geo., Schultz, David Brown, C.W. Starr, Jesse Hawley (uncle of Congressman Hawley), Lemuel Clark and Elisha Wadsworth. Most, if not all of these men held Donation land claims.

My mother was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. My father was a member of the Christian Church in Missouri but after reaching Oregon he never present his credentials or affiliated himself with any church body.

I have still got his old church letter given him on his departure from Missouri."

(Mrs. Lurwell showed the interviewer this document. It was written on a sheet of dark blue paper about 6x7 inches. It reads: "State of Mo. County of Miller. March 25, 1853. To the Disiples of Jeses Christ.

We do here by sertify that our beloved Brother Robert Shipley and his wife Sister Charlotty Shipley is both members In the Church of Crist in good Standing With us wee thare fore commend them To your Christian cear and fellow ship
Done by order of the Church at mount Virnone
Elder ?. Stublefield Clerk.")

(Another document shown by Mrs. Lurwell was a receipt for certain moneys issued in 1843. It reads:

"Received of Robert Shipley Junr. Late Guardian for Martha Taylor, (formerly Martha Shipley) Eight hundred fifty four dollars, it being in full of all my demands against such guardianship Oct. 31st day, 1843.
Peter Taylor."

The above Martha Shipley Taylor is believed to have been a younger sister of Mrs. Lurwell's father, and Peter Taylor the man whom she married. The elder brother thus turns the financial guardianship over to the husband.""In the immigrant train to which my father and mother belonged there were a few names which I have heard and remember. Among them were: Mother's brother, Perry Goodman. Her father, Charles Goodman who was born in Virginia Sept. 12, 1800. His wife, my grandmother, who was born Aug. 7, 1805. Her given name was Amy and she was born in Kentucky. Other members of the train were: Mr. Wilburn, Alexander Woods, Thomas Driskill, Robert Shipley, and Andrew Wiley. Andrew Wiley later settled in the South Santiam Valley near the present town of Foster, Linn County. He was one of the earliest settlers in that then distant mountain valley and he was the first man to explore the South Santiam Indian trails, thus leading to the discovery of an easy mountain way to Eastern Oregon and the final establishment of the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Toll Road.

Mrs. Lurwell brought out for inspection a small walnut wood chest which formerly belonged to her father and was brought across the plains from Missouri in 1853. Among the miscellaneous papers contained in this chest was a letter written by her eldest half-brother, Wm. J. Shipley and dated January 1, 1865. A full copy of this letter is appended:

Fort Vancouver, W. T.

January 1, 1865

To all the folks at home,

I wish you a happy New Year. We are generally well here. I never felt better-have an appetite "like a meat axe" Lewis is also well. We have one man in the hospital, who I fear, will not get up again. He is a young Belknap. He has "lung fever", the effect of exposure at "Camp Russell."Many of our men yet suffer from colds contracted at the Camp, and I verily believe, that had we been compelled to have staid there this winter one third of the Company never would have got over the exposure to which they were there subjected.

I wrote to you from "Camp Russell" on the night of December 17th the time at which we received marching orders for this Post. We took passage the next morning, Sunday, on the Steamer Reliance, and arrived here without accident on Monday the 19th Inst.

We went immediately to work to get the men in comfortable Quarters, and to get them clothed and armed. The first week was devoted entirely to this.

Christmas day, last Sunday, we, that is Capt. Lafollett, Lieut. Dunbar, and myself moved into our own Quarters. This week we have been busily engaged making out the Muster Rolls, Reports, and Returns, required from all Companies at least every quarter.

Next week we will go to drilling, very little of which has been done as yet, except by the New Commissioned Officers. I expect to have most of the drilling to do my self. Lafollett knows nothing about it, and is too lazy even to learn. Speaking of the Captain, he is the laziest man I ever had anything to do with. Lieut. Dunbar is industrious, attentive, and, I think will make an efficient Officer.

The Public works and Grounds belonging to the Post are very neatly and tastily arranged, and are kept clean and in perfect order giving to the place quite a pleasant and attractive appearance. But when you get outside of "Uncle Sam's" property "stand from under:. An old shabby town, half the size of Corvallis, composed of old dilapidated buildings, and abundantly interspersed with "grog shops", there being about a dozen licensed saloons within the limits of the town.

I am unable to state how long we will remain at this post, or where we will go when we leave here. The opinion among those who ought to know is, that we will be sent in the spring, to Fort Yamhill, Oregon. But there is not the least certainty about this. We are just as likely to be sent to Fort Colville or Lapwai as to Fort Yamhill.

There have been four Companies of the 1st Oregon Infy. Mustered into the service, viz; Lafollette, now at this Post. Palmers, stationed for the winter at Fort Hoskins, Ogn. Crandal's, here at present but will start within a few days to Fort Steilacoom W. T., and Powell's, gone to the Dalles. The Regiment will probably soon be organized, there being enough Companies now mustered to entitle it to a Major.

It is the intention of the authorities to have the 1st Regt. Ogn. Cavalry recruited to its original standard, and Officers of the Regiment will start out in a few days for that purpose, so you see those who were afraid to enlist in the Infantry on account of having to walk, will now have a chance to ride.

There is very little in this, but if any of my friends wish to read it give them the privilege. I think that after this I will have more time to write.

Tell everybody to write to me, and be sure to do so yourself. I like to hear from the people of Benton County, if it is not more than half a dozen lines at a time.

Give my respects to everybody and tell them not to wait for me to write, for I have less time for writing than I ever had before.

Yours affectionately,
Wm. J. Shipley

P.S. Direct your letters to

Lt. W. J. Shipley
Co. "A"1st Ogn. Infy.
Fort Vancouver, W. T.
"Letters so directed will follow me in case I should leave here before their arrival. Be sure to get in the "Co. "A"1st. Ogn. Infy.

W. J. S."

(Mrs. Lurwell, the informant, in this interview is an active, alert woman, slightly incapacitated by accidental lameness but otherwise in good health.

She is a most intelligent woman and courteous and kind in securing data and facts for this work. Few persons interviewed by this worker were more intelligently able to cooperate with his wishes and desires. The interview was a most pleasant incident in the day's work.

Mrs. Lurwell lives with her husband, Clarence Lurwell in a small house in the extreme northeastern part of the main section of North Brownsville. Mr. Lurwell, her husband is a retired farmer. Mrs. Lurwell is a member of the Brownsville Methodist Episcopal Church.)

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.