WPA Interviews

Matlock, Robert Nathaniel

INTERVIEW, November 8, 1937

Interview with Robert Nathaniel Matlock of Brownsville, Ore.

My father's name was William Matlock, born January 1, 1826. He died near Holley, Oregon March 8, 1875.

My mother's name was Nancy Shields Matlock, born August 20, 1835 in the state of Missouri, and died near Holley, Oregon, January 26, 1874.

I was born near Holley, Oregon, in 1872. As can be seen by comparing the above dates I was only two years of age when my mother died, and only three years of age when my father died. My knowledge of my parents is, therefore, very small. I cannot remember my mother at all, and I can only remember my father slightly. My only memory of my father is that he was sick and in bed for a long time before he died. I can remember him lying in the bed, and one time when I was unruly because a doll which I owned was broken and no one would fix it for me, and I was making a great disorder and bawling about the house, he called me to the bed and taking me up on it he gave me a spanking. I can also remember his funeral.

From the above it may be seen that I know little about my family history except as it was told to my by older members of the family.

My father's family was composed of nine children of whom I am the youngest. Only two besides myself are now living. The names of my brothers and sisters are, in order of age:

Amanda Ellen Matlock. She married Greenberry Splawn, a well-known pioneer of the Holley neighborhood.

Sarah Ann Matlock. She was twice married. Her last husband's name was Hodson.

John Isom Matlock.

Clara Evelyn Matlock.

Andrew Jackson Matlock.

Artilla Jane Matlock, (now Mrs. Chance of Mill City, Linn County, Ore.) W. T. Matlock.

Mary Juda Matlock, (Now Mrs. Shanks of Post Falls, Idaho.)

(Myself) Robert Nathaniel Matlock, (named for one of my uncles.)

The name of my mother's father was James Shields. He lived near Cottage Grove on his donation land claim, and died at a very old age in 1898. An incident of his life, an unusual one, was the fact that he once died (apparently) and later came back to life and lived for many years. During the time of his sickness before, this apparent death, there were two neighbors who were very attentive in caring for his needs; sitting with him during the nights, etc. However, these men suddenly ceased to be so attentive and after grandfather had died and revived again the reason became apparent. Grandfather had several hundred dollars hidden beneath his bed and after his recovery it was discovered that the money was gone.

My father, William Matlock arrived in Oregon in 1852. Whether my mother and father were married when they came to Oregon, I do not know. My father took up a land claim about one and one half miles north of Holley, bordering on what is now the highway. Their nearest neighbors at that time were Henry Carey, A.B. Moss, 2nd Asbury Breeden. Greenberry Splawn who married my oldest sister had a claim about a mile south of father's place.

The first settlers on the upper Calapooia above Holley were Norville Rice and Frank Malone.

There was a bridge across the Calapooia, built at a later date, above what is now known as the "Rocky Point" neighborhood. This bridge was of special interest in the upper Calapooia annals because it fell about the year 1889, just as a team was passing over it. The bridge was very high, and in its fall one horse of the team was killed, and two women were very critically injured. The women were a Mrs. Templeton, wife of Wm. Templeton Jr. and Miss Ivy Templeton, sister of Wm. Templeton. Ivy Templeton's injuries made it necessary to amputate a limb. She is still living at Albany, Oregon.

(Mrs. Ivy Templeton (Porter) Galbraith, of Ellsworth Street, Albany.).

My father gave the land on which now stands the Christian Church of Holley, Oregon. That was about 1872, I believe. The first church building was erected there about the same year. I cannot tell the exact date, but I can remember that, written on a board of the old church, were the words, 'T. A. Riggs, 1872.' T. A. Riggs was Tim, or Timothy Riggs, an early settler of the neighborhood. For some time he was County Surveyor for Linn County.

One of the first preachers whom I remember at Holley was Uncle John Powell, a relative of the pioneer Baptist preacher, Joab Powell. John Powell always drove an old horse and buggy, and wore a white, long-tailed duster.

The A. P. Morris family lived two miles due north of father's old claim, on the Santiam side of the divide. A. P. Morris was one of the early settlers of the Sweet Home region. He and his neighbors, the Ames Family, were members of the Mormon, or Latter Day Saint's Church. The Morris family consisted of thirteen children. After I was orphaned I lived at the Morris home for some years. Joe Morris, one of the older boys used to carry me about and was very good to me. Services of the Mormon church were frequently held in the "Morris" schoolhouse. The school district there is now called Greenville. The town of Sweet Home was first called "Buck Head". Later the post office was officially designated as Sweet Home.

I cannot tell how the town of Holley received its name. Washington Pugh, and my brother, John Matlock started the post office and store at Holley. At first they petitioned that a certain name ending in "ville" be used but the post office department refused that name since there were already too many "villes" in Oregon. Later the name decided on was Holley, but I have never been able to learn where it came from.

My father, William Matlock was a carpenter and bridge builder. He built the first bridge across the Calapooia at Holley in 1872, the same year that I was born. The bridge was all of hand-hewn oak timbers, all framed together much more solidly than bridges are built now. The exact location of that bridge was slightly above the present Holley bridge; I should say about fifty yards further upstream. The present county bridge at Holley, erected about 1935, was dedicated as the "Matlock Bridge" in my father's honor. My father also built one of the early bridges across the Calapooia River near Crawfordsville, just above the old Finley Mill. Besides that he built the first frame residence ever erected at Brownsville. The exact location of that house I do not know, but it was somewhere near where the Brownsville Woolen mill now stands." Who the owner of that first frame house was, I have never been able to learn. The building was later destroyed by fire."

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.