Pat Wheeler, Brad Withrow-Robinson, Amy Grotta and Lauren Grand<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n March 2017<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the remarkable things about woodland ownership is the connection to the place it creates for people. That connection is evident in the pride of ownership, passion and the energy people put into their property. Less obvious but often very strong is the connection to time and history associated with that place, however long a person\u2019s relationship to the land has been. Many people really enjoy exploring and recording their property\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend you first develop the basic story and recent history of the property as you know it (for your Woodland Discovery Plan or Forest Management Plan). Then, maybe you go on to collect information and memories from other family members and neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are interested in digging deeper and extending your search further back in time, this document can help. It provides a list of resources, many of them free online, that may be useful to people exploring the history of their woodland properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you hope to learn? Besides the recent history, (some of which may be) available in the memories of living people, a lot of information is available in public and historical records. Various resources can help you learn about native people, pioneers, early settlers, donation land claims and more. We introduce some here, but others will be unique local documents you may have to discover yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visiting your local historical museum is a good place to start. Many have oral histories, photographs, maps and other resources to provide context and details across a wide span of time. You can also try out many online resources to learn about specific things, such as pioneers who settled on or near your property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a long history of Native American people in Oregon before European settlement. You might be able to find some information about that or infer the use of the land before European settlement from some of these sources. However, most available documents and resources will address the time following settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideas for learning about Native American land use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An overview of presettlement vegetation in the Willamette Valley is available here: http:\/\/www.fsl.orst.edu\/pnwerc\/wrb\/Atlas_web_compressed\/4.Biotic_Systems\/4b.pres<\/a> etveg_web.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Other maps are available online through Oregon Explorer. Use the Map Viewer tool and select the Historic Oregon Land Use and Land Cover layer (under the Vegetation tab)<\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/tools.oregonexplorer.info\/oe_map_viewer_2_0\/viewer.html?Viewer=OE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The US government established the Territory of Oregon in 1848. The government passed the Donation Land Claim Act in 1850 to encourage US citizens to settle there. This act granted free land to pioneers who lived on the land and cultivated it for four years. Settlers arriving before 1850 were granted 320 acres if single or 640 acres if married. Settlers arriving after 1850 were granted 160 acres if single or 320 acres if married. Thirty thousand white immigrants traveled west, and 7000 individuals claimed 2.5 million acres of land under the Donation Land Claim Act. Many of these claims were in the Willamette Valley. The act expired after 1855, but the government continued to sell land to early settlers for $125\/acre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trip west on the Oregon Trail was about 2,000 miles long and took about six months. Usually, 50-100 wagons traveled together as a group. Wagons were heavily loaded with supplies, and most of the pioneers had actually walked the 2,000 miles. Related families traveling together sometimes amounted to 25-50 family members. The age range was from grandparents (> 70 years) to newborns. The trip was arduous, and nearly one in ten died on the trail. The most common causes of death were \u201ccamp fever\u201d (cholera) and accidents. Travel usually started in the spring, and pioneers reached Oregon in the fall. Families would find a temporary place for over-wintering and the search for a homestead site the following spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two avenues to research these early homesteaders are through\u00a0maps\u00a0<\/strong>(if you know the location and are trying to identify the settler or owner) or\u00a0p<\/strong><\/span>eople\u00a0searches (to learn more about an individual\/family once you know their name). The rest of this document provides a list of Internet tools to help you with this research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use this site to find information on the settlers who filed Donation Land Claims. It is searchable by location and name. It is helpful to know your Township, Range and Section. http:\/\/www.glorecords.blm.gov\/default.aspx<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n View 1850\u2019s survey maps at: http:\/\/www.blm.gov\/or\/landrecords<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two types of maps are available: landscape and owners. Hand-drawn Landscape Maps show interesting features and the location of some homesteads. Property boundary maps show the outlines of specific donation land claims with the owner\u2019s name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Historic Map Works<\/p>\n\n\n\n This site contains ownership maps from various time periods through the 19th and 20th centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On http:\/\/www.historicmapworks.com<\/strong>, <\/a>search by state and county name. Scroll through the map pages to find the Township and Range of interest, and click on that map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scroll to bottom menu and click on enlarge button. Use mouse to move around map to the area of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the \u201cInsert Screenshot\u201d function or snipping tool in Word to import the map section of interest into a Word document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many counties have extensive map resources online. An example is given below for Benton County, but other counties have sites that function similarly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBentonMaps\u201d: https:\/\/maps.bentoncountyor.gov\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Zoom in on area of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look at \u201cLayers\u201d Choices on top right of screen (picture of three layered squares).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check the box for Donation Land Claim (DLC). The map will display the owner’s name and outline of the property for DLCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Information about Oregon pioneers is available on the Secretary of State\u2019s Public Records system, Early Oregonians webpage: https:\/\/secure.sos.state.or.us\/prs\/personProfileSearch.do?earlyOregonian<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This site is searchable, and if you know the pioneer\u2019s name, you can enter it and find out their dates of birth, arrival in Oregon and death. Often, information on parents and spouses is included, as well as the county of residence, as indicated in census records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Using the search tool enter as much of the following that you know, such as: first and last name, date of birth and death, and state and county where buried. Sometimes biographies and photos are posted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do an internet search for \u201cXXXX Census\u201d for a specific year e.g. \u201c1850 Census\u201d. Choose results from familysearch.org (it\u2019s free). Can provide name index and images of population schedules listing inhabitants of the United States in the year of the census. Searchable data and browsing are available for all states and territories in that census year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter first and last name, date of birth if known, and state and county of residence if known, and then click on Search <\/em>at bottom of page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Click on a name of interest to get a record for the household. Images of the actual census record pages may also be available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stephenie Flora maintains this webpage with multiple resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFinding the past<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Building Your History<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
What is known about pre-European use of the land?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Was Your Property Settled by an Oregon Pioneer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A. Mapping websites<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bureau of Land Management Land Records – Oregon Donation Land Claims<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
County Map Websites<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
B. Sites to research early Oregon families<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Early Oregonians Search<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Find-A-Grave<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Census Records – Family Search<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The Oregon Territory and its Pioneers<\/h5>\n\n\n\n