| Fifty Years in Oregon — Table of Contents |
|
Chapters 1-2 |
Additional perspective on our family history. These chapters relate
our family's trip to Oregon via the Oregon Trail — a history also covered through recollections from
Ralph Carey Geer and
Calvin Geer. They also
trace our family's ancestors back to England in the 1600s. |
|
Chapter 3 |
Recounts the trail westward taken by John Eoff, T.T. Geer's other grandfather, John Eoff. |
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Chapters 4-5 |
The history, from a settler's perspective, of the United States' acquisition of the
Louisiana Purchase and the subsequent westwards expansion to the Oregon territory. |
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Chapter 6 |
The aspirations of Hall J. Kelley to settle the
Oregon and his efforts, starting in 1817, to be a pioneer. |
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Chapters 7-8 |
The story of Jason Lee, a Methodist minister who came
to Oregon as a missionary in 1834 and was one of the founders of the
first university in Oregon. |
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Chapter 9 |
The journey of Anna Maria Pitman who traveled to Oregon around South America. |
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Chapter 10 |
The founding of Willamette University and the role of David
Leslie as its initial president. |
|
Chapter 11-13 |
Brief histories of many of the founders of Willamette
University including Asahel Bush, John Flinn, Lafayette Grover, and Dr.
W.H. Willson. |
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Chapter 14 |
A brief history of Thomas Pearne, one of the first
Methodist ministers in Oregon. |
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Chapter 15 |
Reminiscences from Geer's early years at the Central
School in Salem. |
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Chapter 16 |
Notes from Geer's years at Willamette University
where he was taught by Professor Grubbs, Professor L.J. Powell and
others. Includes reminiscences of the great flood of 1861 as well as the
murder trial of George Beale. |
|
Chapter 17 |
Thomas M. Gatch was president of several universities
in the Northwest including Willamette University, Portland Academy,
Oregon State University, and the University of Washington. |
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Chapters 18-19 |
The trail diary of Elizabeth Dixon Smith, my
great-great-grandfather's second wife who traveled across the Oregon
Trail in 1847. |
|
Chapter 20 |
James W. Nesmith delivered an address in 1876 to the Oregon Pioneer Association
that offers some additional perspective on traveling along the Oregon Trail. |
|
Chapter 21 |
In 1841, the first organization meetings for the
Oregon Territory were held and the first "laws" were put in place by the
early settlers. |
|
Chapter 22 |
Ewing Young, through his death, unwittingly funded
the early stages of the Oregon Provisional Legislature. |
|
Chapter 23 |
In 1843, in Champoeg, the settlers voted with their
feet to form their own provisional government and break with the Hudson Bay Company. |
|
Chapter 24-25 |
F. X. Matthieu, who helped break the 50-50 tie in the
vote, reminisced about the early part of the century, including his time with
the Indians. |
|
Chapter 26 |
The first meetings of the Oregon Provisional
Legislature from 1843-1847 gave some structure to the territory. |
|
Chapter 27 |
General Joseph
Lane became the first Governor of the new Territory of Oregon by
Presidential appointment in 1848. |
|
Chapter 28 |
In 1857, Oregon held its Constitutional Convention
and, in 1859, Oregon became a state. |
|
Chapter 29 |
Daniel Waldo, a member of the Oregon Provisional
Legislature, was one of the original settlers in the Salem area. |
|
Chapter 30 |
Childhood memories and T. T. Geer's first trip to Portland. |
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Chapter 31 |
In 1862, T. T. Geer fell upon hard times with the divorce of
his parents and, after moving from home to home in Salem, moved to the Grand Ronde
Valley. |
|
Chapter 32 |
The Civil War sparked many disagreements among the boys of
Salem as they formed their own militia, armed with wooden muskets. Includes
stories of Sam Driver and the Rev I. D. Driver. |
|
Chapter 33 |
James Hendershott was one of the original community leaders
in Oro Dell in the Grand Ronde valley. |
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Chapter 34 |
The Presidential campaign of 1868 triggered an early interest
in the Republican party by T. T. Geer, who started his career in politics
with letters to the Butte Mountain Times. |
|
Chapter 35 |
Thrift (and its close neighbor, poverty) were characteristics
of the early settlers in Oregon. |
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Chapter 36 |
Early Oregon politics with the vote to transfer the Union
County panhandle to Baker County. |
|
Chapter 37 |
Political campaigns of Union County in the early 1870s were
lively with the likes of James Hendershott, Sam Hannah and others. |
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Chapter 38 |
Fishing in Wallowa Lake, T. T. Geer reflects on the
incredible bounty of the Northwest. |
|
Chapter 39 |
T. T. Geer continues to grow up in Forest Cove. |
|
Chapter 40 |
Comments on the presidential election (Hayes versus Tilden)
of 1876; Geer loses his first bid to join the Oregon Legislature but decides
to return to the Willamette Valley. |
|
Chapter 41 |
Geer leaves the Grande Ronde Valley to return to the
Willamette; notes from the journey including details of their brief stay in
Pendleton. |
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Chapter 42 |
Geer returns to farming in the Waldo Hills in 1877; notes on
the changing communications with rural railroads, a local post office, and
the telephone. |
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Chapter 43 |
Geer wins election to the Oregon Legislature in 1880; stories
from his first session including Z. F. Moody, Terry Tuttle, and J. W.
Blevans. |
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Chapter 44 |
Legislative Session of 1880: Notes on A. J. Lawrence, George
Chamberlain, and William Galloway |
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Chapter 45 |
Geer has a run-in with Sylvester Pennoyer, Governor of
Oregon, about the Oregon Railroad Commission; stories of George Waggoner. |
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Chapter 46 |
Anecdotes from the Oregon Legislature, session of 1889: James
Blundell, John Waldo, and John Apperson. |
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Chapter 47 |
Geer wins the Speakership of the Oregon Legislature in 1891;
with H. B. Miller, attempts to unseat Binger Hermann as Senator. |
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Chapter 48 |
President Harrison and Jeremiah Rusk (Secretary of
Agriculture) visit Oregon in 1891. |
|
Chapter 49 |
In the session of 1892, there were several characters in the
Oregon Legislature. |
|
Chapter 50 |
Geer campaigned across the state for Judge William Lord
against Sylvester Pennoyer in the governor's election of 1894. |
|
Chapter 51 |
The presidential election of 1896 cast a wide swath through
Oregon as the debate over the "gold standard" versus free silver ended with
McKinley as the victor. |
|
Chapter 52 |
Geer was named one of Oregon's three electors in the
electoral college in 1896; he visited with McKinley after the election was
secured. Geer was later snubbed, however, by McKinley for an appointed
office. |
|
Chapter 53 |
In Geer's gubernatorial campaign in 1898, he visited every
county in Oregon, starting in the western half. |
|
Chapter 54-55 |
Geer's campaign continued across the eastern half of the
state. |
|
Chapter 56 |
Geer musters out the Oregon volunteers for the
Spanish-American war of 1898. |
|
Chapter 57 |
In 1902, Geer was invited, as a guest speaker on behalf of
Governor Nash, to visit Ohio. |
|
Chapter 58 |
After campaigning in Ohio, Geer visits his grandfather's
(Joseph Carey Geer) home in London, Ohio. |
|
Chapter 59 |
Stories of Homer Davenport, the cartoonist, as a young man
before he became famous. |
|
Chapter 60 |
Various moral reflections about personal character and, in
particular, making poor assumptions about who one is talking to. Includes
stories about Al Reed and Levi Ankeny. |
|
Chapter 61 |
The inside story on John Mitchell's election to his fourth
term and discussion of his moral character; similarly, reflections on Harvey
Scott, founder of the Oregonian. |
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Chapter 62 |
The creation of the "Oregon System" for popular election of
senatorial selections and thoughts on Charles Fulton. |
|
Chapter 63 |
Geer reminisces on Thomas H. Tongue public service as well
as the time that they descended into Crater Lake. |
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Chapter 64 |
Notes on various pioneers, including Benjamin Simpson,
Samuel Thurston, and Samuel Barlow. |
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Chapter 65 |
Oregon pioneers were often creative in the ways in which
they handled civil service and civil obligations. |
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Chapter 66 |
Geer is reminded by President McKinley and several personal
recollections not to pre-judge based on initial presumptions. |
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Chapter 67-68 |
Geer climbs Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. |
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Chapter 69 |
Musings on the parks and natural beauty within Oregon State. |
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Chapter 70 |
Geer ends his book with a few notes on his second wife and
his father's ultimate return to their original homestead. |
