Gopher Valley
Encyclopedia
Gopher Valley is a valley
in Yamhill County
, Oregon
, United States
. Gopher, Oregon was an unincorporated
locale in the valley. Gopher post office ran from April 6, 1899 to September 14, 1905, with Edward H. Taylor first postmaster.
. Gopher Valley rises in elevation from 200 feet (61 m) at the south end to over 2000 feet (609.6 m) at the peaks of the hills, encompassing fertile farmland and timber. The Gopher Valley is about 20 square miles (51.8 km²) in area. Deer Creek meanders through the valley on its way to the South Yamhill River
.
after 1850. Among the earliest settlers were Stephen Hussey, Joseph Pearson, William Toney, Peter Carlisle, Edward Warren, Green P. R. Atterbury, Edward Warren, James Morgan and Owen Turner. Some of these pioneers were unmarried, which was another reason they could only claim 320 acres (1.3 km²).
An 1851 map of the Willamette Valley
notes "Gopher Hole" at this location. There was an early attempt by Mrs. Charles Shortridge to change the name to Lebanon Valley, but the settlers had grown accustomed to Gopher. Furthermore, the town of Lebanon
in Linn County
was already established. There has been some speculation that the name was based on the shape of the valley as seen from the air, but this hardly seems possible given the lack of topographic maps or aircraft to determine the actual shape (which does not resemble the shape of any animal).
The earliest school was about halfway up the valley, and while it was referred to as the Lebanon Valley School District 36 in the early 1880s, the Yamhill Reporter (published in McMinnville
) called this the Gopher Valley school in an 1886 article.
School District 42, known as Fremont and later as the McKinley school, was established at about the same time. This school was near the intersection of Grauer Road and Gopher Valley Road. A third valley school, originally known as Ryan’s Mill (District 82) was established in 1894 about 10 miles (16.1 km) up the valley. By 1933 this was called the Osman School, but after that it was known as the Deer Creek School. At least two of these schools burned to the ground and the Deer Creek school was rebuilt, but by 1949 all three districts had been consolidated into District 48 in Sheridan.
Edward H. Taylor was the only postmaster serving the community of Gopher, after having been appointed in 1895. In that year, area citizens could pick up their mail at his house, about six miles (10 km) from Sheridan, on the east side of Gopher Valley Road. He later moved to the Hussey home, relocating the office to a small room near the front entry. A window and letter slots were cut into the wall. Different sources report receiving mail via stage three to seven times each week. Perhaps the delivery days had increased by the time the office was officially discontinued in 1905.
The timber industry boomed in the later days of the 19th century into the 1900s, and a number of lumber mills were established in Gopher Valley over the decades. One of the first was Ryan’s Mill, followed by Stowe’s Mill, and later by Thompson’s Mill, for which a road leading to the west, and connecting to the upper end of Rock Creek Road, is named. Most of these mills were in the north end of the valley, with one exception: at one time, a flume carried logs down the valley to a sawmill.
One of the oldtimers who left a lasting impression with everyone he met was Red Snyder. Red went to work at Stow’s Mill shortly after moving onto his place in the upper end of the valley in 1908 or 1910. He lived the rest of his life in the valley, except for a stint in the Army during World War I
. Red was a colorful character, to say the least, and his memories of people and events up the valley were repeated often to any listener with time on their hands. Red recalled deer and elk rampaging through the valley in the mid-1930s, as they tried to escape the Tillamook Burn
.
There are at least two pioneer cemeteries up the valley, one on the Agee claim and the other on the Hussey claim. The Agee Cemetery is the larger of the two, taking up about an acre of land about a half-mile beyond the end of the pavement and west of Gopher Valley Road, near Deer Creek. Isaac Agee and his wife Cordilla (Thornton) Agee are buried there. The Hussey Cemetery is on the opposite side of the county road near the end of the pavement. Nathan Hussey and two of his daughters, Sarah Jane and Cornelia, are buried there.
Almost all of the earliest pioneering men were farmers, which meant they also served as blacksmiths in order to make and maintain farm equipment. The first cabins were crude at best, and all furniture was handmade. Most clothing was made in their homes on spinning wheels, and lucky indeed were those ladies who could afford looms! Much of the clothing worn by the men was made from animal hides. Raising a family and getting food on the table were the first priorities.
Electricity was brought into the upper end of the valley in the early 1940s. As recently as the 1960s, annual community potlucks were held at least one Sunday afternoon in the summer.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in Yamhill County
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Gopher, Oregon was an unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
locale in the valley. Gopher post office ran from April 6, 1899 to September 14, 1905, with Edward H. Taylor first postmaster.
Geography
Gopher Valley is located on hills on the north side of Oregon Route 18 about two miles (3 km) east of SheridanSheridan, Oregon
Sheridan is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Platted in the 1860s when it received a post office, the city was incorporated in 1880. A major fire burned much of the city in 1913, and a flood covered much of the city in 1964...
. Gopher Valley rises in elevation from 200 feet (61 m) at the south end to over 2000 feet (609.6 m) at the peaks of the hills, encompassing fertile farmland and timber. The Gopher Valley is about 20 square miles (51.8 km²) in area. Deer Creek meanders through the valley on its way to the South Yamhill River
South Yamhill River
The South Yamhill River is a tributary of the Yamhill River, approximately long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range, as well as part of the Willamette Valley west of the Willamette River.-Course:...
.
History
The first settlers did not take up claims in the valley until 1850, some seven years after the arrival of the first settlers in the nearby Yamhill Valley. Most of these early "Gopherites" claimed 640 acres (2.6 km²), while later settlers could only claim half that amount, due to changes in the Donation Land Claim ActDonation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
after 1850. Among the earliest settlers were Stephen Hussey, Joseph Pearson, William Toney, Peter Carlisle, Edward Warren, Green P. R. Atterbury, Edward Warren, James Morgan and Owen Turner. Some of these pioneers were unmarried, which was another reason they could only claim 320 acres (1.3 km²).
An 1851 map of the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
notes "Gopher Hole" at this location. There was an early attempt by Mrs. Charles Shortridge to change the name to Lebanon Valley, but the settlers had grown accustomed to Gopher. Furthermore, the town of Lebanon
Lebanon, Oregon
Lebanon is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. Lebanon is located in northwest Oregon, southeast of Salem. The population was 12,950 at the 2000 census and the 2008 census data shows the population at 15,397.-Geography:...
in Linn County
Linn County, Oregon
Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census...
was already established. There has been some speculation that the name was based on the shape of the valley as seen from the air, but this hardly seems possible given the lack of topographic maps or aircraft to determine the actual shape (which does not resemble the shape of any animal).
The earliest school was about halfway up the valley, and while it was referred to as the Lebanon Valley School District 36 in the early 1880s, the Yamhill Reporter (published in McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
) called this the Gopher Valley school in an 1886 article.
School District 42, known as Fremont and later as the McKinley school, was established at about the same time. This school was near the intersection of Grauer Road and Gopher Valley Road. A third valley school, originally known as Ryan’s Mill (District 82) was established in 1894 about 10 miles (16.1 km) up the valley. By 1933 this was called the Osman School, but after that it was known as the Deer Creek School. At least two of these schools burned to the ground and the Deer Creek school was rebuilt, but by 1949 all three districts had been consolidated into District 48 in Sheridan.
Edward H. Taylor was the only postmaster serving the community of Gopher, after having been appointed in 1895. In that year, area citizens could pick up their mail at his house, about six miles (10 km) from Sheridan, on the east side of Gopher Valley Road. He later moved to the Hussey home, relocating the office to a small room near the front entry. A window and letter slots were cut into the wall. Different sources report receiving mail via stage three to seven times each week. Perhaps the delivery days had increased by the time the office was officially discontinued in 1905.
The timber industry boomed in the later days of the 19th century into the 1900s, and a number of lumber mills were established in Gopher Valley over the decades. One of the first was Ryan’s Mill, followed by Stowe’s Mill, and later by Thompson’s Mill, for which a road leading to the west, and connecting to the upper end of Rock Creek Road, is named. Most of these mills were in the north end of the valley, with one exception: at one time, a flume carried logs down the valley to a sawmill.
One of the oldtimers who left a lasting impression with everyone he met was Red Snyder. Red went to work at Stow’s Mill shortly after moving onto his place in the upper end of the valley in 1908 or 1910. He lived the rest of his life in the valley, except for a stint in the Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Red was a colorful character, to say the least, and his memories of people and events up the valley were repeated often to any listener with time on their hands. Red recalled deer and elk rampaging through the valley in the mid-1930s, as they tried to escape the Tillamook Burn
Tillamook Burn
The Tillamook Burn was a series of forest fires in the Northern Oregon Coast Rangeof Oregon in the United States that destroyed a total area of 355,000 acres of old growth timber in what is now known as the Tillamook State Forest. The fires spanned the years of 1933–1951. By association, the name...
.
Almost all of the earliest pioneering men were farmers, which meant they also served as blacksmiths in order to make and maintain farm equipment. The first cabins were crude at best, and all furniture was handmade. Most clothing was made in their homes on spinning wheels, and lucky indeed were those ladies who could afford looms! Much of the clothing worn by the men was made from animal hides. Raising a family and getting food on the table were the first priorities.
Electricity was brought into the upper end of the valley in the early 1940s. As recently as the 1960s, annual community potlucks were held at least one Sunday afternoon in the summer.
External links
- News-Register story about Gopher Valley, Part I August 5, 2006
- News-Register story about Gopher Valley, Part II August 12, 2006
- Historic photo of the Stevens Hussey house in Gopher Valley from the Salem Public Library