Your Land History
Menu

The Sullivan tree farm near Pedee

Polk County, Oregon · Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian

On June 14, 1877, John Johnson got a paper called a patent. It said he owned 323 acres. Acres are a way to measure land. Trees helped mark the corners. A bearing tree is a tree near a corner that helped show where it was. see the record

The sample report is Dave and Barb Sullivan’s own tree farm, at 12875 Kings Valley Highway in Polk County, Oregon. Researching its history with Bob Zybach is what gave them the idea for this site, so we use it as the example: in the software business that is called eating your own dog food.

Detail changes how much is shown. It never starts a new search. Written for: same facts, different words (Kids: to read with a child; Adults: plain English; Experts: full citations and the surveyors’ own terms).

This land today

Today’s air photo with the outline of The Sullivan tree farm near Pedee drawn on it.
The land today, outlined in yellow: 211 acres by the county’s record. U.S. Geological Survey, The National Map; the source does not give the year. Outline from county tax lots; approximate.

211 acres by the county’s record; 206 acres measured from this outline.

Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian · Polk County, Oregon

The record says: 1 record behind this part

Where this land sits on the survey grid

  • In Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian; touches Section 28, Section 33, Section 33, Donation Land Claim 53, Donation Land Claim 54. (our reading)1

The ground

The rock under this land is a kind of sandstone. It is called the Tyee Formation.2 The map says the whole land is this rock. It is a big, old map, so it is not good for building or measuring.3 The soil has three names on this land. The soil is clay and loam.4 The soil is not the best kind for farms.5 Another big map also says this land has the same old rock. That map is very large, so it is not exact.6 Near this land there are other rocks. The map does not say they are on this land.7

The record says: 10 records behind this part

The rock under this land

  • Geologic map unit on the property: Tyee Formation (Tt), Eocene marine sedimentary rocks, about 100% of the land. Marine turbidite sandstone.8

Around this valley

  • Regional geologic map (state scale) shows the property in Tyee Formation (Tt), Middle Eocene; sandstone.9
  • Also mapped in this township at state scale: Alluvial deposits (Qal), Holocene; sand, gravel, silt.10
  • Also mapped in this township at state scale: Landslide and debris-flow deposits (Qls), Pleistocene to Holocene; coarse-detrital.11
  • Also mapped in this township at state scale: Lacustrine and fluvial sedimentary rocks (Qs), Pleistocene; clay, silt, sand.12
  • Also mapped in this township at state scale: Mafic intrusions (Ti), Oligocene; gabbro.13
  • Also mapped in this township at state scale: Yamhill Formation and related rocks (Ty), Middle Eocene to Late Eocene; siltstone.14

The soils and what they are good for

  • Soil map unit on the property: Peavine silty clay loam, 3 to 30 percent slopes (55D); Not prime farmland.15
  • Soil map unit on the property: Peavine silty clay loam, 30 to 60 percent slopes (55E); Not prime farmland.16
  • Soil map unit on the property: Honeygrove silty clay loam, 3 to 25 percent slopes (34D); Not prime farmland.17

Water and weather

This part tells about the weather in Polk County. It is not a weather check on this land.18 Rain and snow were about 67 inches a year in the early years, and about 67.5 inches in the recent years. That is almost the same.19 The average temperature went up a little. It was about 50.5 degrees Fahrenheit early on, and about 52.2 degrees in recent years.20 The numbers are for the whole county. A county has hills and valleys, so this land may be different. Averages means the middle value over many years.21

The record says: 2 records behind this part

Rain, warmth and cold

Around this valley

  • Yearly rain and snow in Polk County averaged 66.9 inches in 1895–1924 and 67.5 inches in 1996–2025.22
  • The yearly average temperature in Polk County averaged 50.5 °F in 1895–1924 and 52.2 °F in 1996–2025.23

The people before the surveyors

The treaty's first page in Kappler's Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties. Dated Jan 22, 1855. Internet Archive (public domain). Retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
The treaty's first page in Kappler's Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties. Dated Jan 22, 1855. Internet Archive (public domain). Retrieved Oct 8, 2026. Open the full scan at the source

Around this valley

Nothing here is about your own land. It is the story of the valley around it. No paper we have found yet names a person who lived on this exact land.

Pedee is less than a mile from this land. It sits on the Luckiamute River. The people of this river were the Luckiamute. They were one of the Kalapuyan nations of the Willamette Valley. They lived along the river and its creeks, from about Rickreall south to Corvallis. Their neighbors were the Marys River people. They were also called the Chapanafa. Their home took in the place where Corvallis is now.

In 1831 and 1832 a sickness came to the valley. It was probably malaria. It killed a great many Kalapuyans. By 1841 only a few hundred were left in the whole valley.

On May 1, 1851, three men spoke for the Luckiamute at a meeting at Champoeg. The old papers count 44 people. The 1999 study that tells this story says the three men spoke for the Marys River people too. One old paper spells the men's names Daboe, or "Jim"; Scho-la-que, or "John"; and Yuh-kow. A newspaper from that week calls the third man Kone. Men from the government asked them to move east of the Cascade Mountains. Scho-la-que said they "did not wish to leave the country where they had always lived." The three men signed a paper. It said they would sell their land for $20,000. Their land included most of Benton and Polk counties. They would keep a small piece near where Airlie is now. But the Senate never said yes to the paper, so it never counted.

A treaty is a written promise between nations. The treaty that took in this land was made at Dayton in January 1855. Joel Palmer signed it for the United States. He was the government's man in charge of Indian affairs. The treaty is printed in a set of law books called the Statutes at Large. It is in volume 10, on page 1143. The Senate said yes on March 3, 1855. The President announced it on April 10.

The treaty names a Cheluk-i-ma-uke band. The historian who studied these people says that band was the Luckiamute. Three men signed for it: Dabo, or Jim; Sco-la-quit, or John; and Yah-kow, or Kompetine. The treaty also names a Chep-en-a-pho or Marysville band. Marysville was the old name of Corvallis. The Grand Ronde tribes say a Mary's River band was part of this treaty. We think the two were the same people. We are not sure yet. Three men signed for that band: Ah-mo, or George; Hinc-phor, or Hubbard; and Oh-no, or Tim. All six signed on January 4. The last bands signed on January 22. That is the date on the treaty. Two of the Luckiamute names from 1855, Dabo and Sco-la-quit, look almost the same as two names from 1851. We are not sure yet that they were the same men.

The bands gave up nearly all of the Willamette Valley. The treaty promised them money every year for twenty years, starting at $10,000 a year. The bands agreed to move to a new home that would be picked later.

On March 14, 1855, two settlers in Polk County made an agreement with the Luckiamute. The settlers were Isaac Zumwalt and Rice W. Simpson. The Luckiamute could stay on about 25 acres of the two men's land. The agreement names a man called Competine. Its words suggest he had already died. The historian who studied it thinks he was probably Kompetine, the third Luckiamute signer of the treaty. That may be so, but no one has shown it for sure. The historian thinks the 25 acres were on the Luckiamute River, between Pedee and Monmouth. He used the 1854 survey maps of this township and the one east of it. He says the exact spot is his best guess. None of the neighboring land claims in this part of the valley belonged to Zumwalt or Simpson. We worked that out from the old land papers for those claims. We have not yet found the two settlers' land on the old maps. So we cannot say how near those 25 acres are to this land.

In the winter of 1855 and 1856 the bands of the valley were made to move to Grand Ronde. The Luckiamute got there in February or March 1856. A count of the people that year lists John as the head chief of a Luckiamute band of 22 people. On June 30, 1857, President James Buchanan signed an order that made Grand Ronde a reservation.

We know some of these people by name. A 1999 study of Soap Creek Valley, in the same river basin, lists 45 of them. The names come from counts of the people at Grand Ronde in 1860 and 1888. The study lists 27 people under the heading "Chapanafa Nation" and 18 under "Luckymute Nation." Those are the Marys River and Luckiamute peoples. Three of the Luckiamute are Samanthy Wheeler, born about 1816; Peter Wheeler, called "Luckiamute Pete"; and James Durbin, called "Luckiamute Jim." Three of the Marys River people are William Barlow, called "Marysville William," and George and Nancy Heartless. A boy named Sawala may have been their son. He was born about 1844 where Corvallis is now. Later he was called William Hartless. In 1913 and 1914 he told Marys River stories to Leo Frachtenberg, a man who studied peoples and their stories. Frachtenberg wrote them down. This was at Siletz and at the Chemawa Indian School. The 1999 study says one of those days was December 10, 1913. Melville Jacobs had the stories printed in 1945 in a book called Kalapuya Texts. All 45 names are in the list below.

A law passed in 1954 ended the government's ties with the Grand Ronde tribes in 1956. A law signed on November 22, 1983, brought those ties back. Today the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde list the Luckiamute and Mary's River bands among the bands of this treaty. Their main office is at 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347. Their Cultural Resources Department is at the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center, 8720 Grand Ronde Road. The Historic Preservation Office is part of it.

The Forest Service map of the land this treaty gave up names two more nations today. One is the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, 201 SE Swan Avenue, Siletz, Oregon 97380. Its cultural program is at the Siletz Tribal Community Center, 402 Government Hill Road. In 1855 the government set up the Coast Reservation. It was meant partly for peoples of the Willamette Valley, and the government's Siletz Agency stood on it. The other nation is the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, 1233 Veterans Street, Warm Springs, Oregon 97761. What we read does not say why the map lists Warm Springs.

Where this comes from: the 1855 treaty; the Forest Service map of treaty lands; a 1999 Oregon State University study of Soap Creek Valley; a 2016 article on the Luckiamute band's 1855 reserve; two articles in The Oregon Encyclopedia; the websites of the three nations; the Geological Survey's list of river gages; and the Smithsonian's record of William Hartless's stories. The full list is under Sources.

Ask a grown-up to help with these: the three errands under "Where more is."

People the records name

Spoke at Champoeg, May 1, 1851

The record says these three spoke for the Luckiamute. The 1999 study adds the Marys River people. [4, p. 137; 5]

  • Daboe, or "Jim"
  • Scho-la-que, or "John"
  • Yuh-kow in the council record; Kone in the newspaper

Signed the treaty, January 4, 1855

Names are as the treaty prints them. [1]

For the Cheluk-i-ma-uke band, identified as the Luckiamute [5]:

Dabo, or Jim, first chief
Sco-la-quit, or John, second chief
Yah-kow, or Kompetine, third chief

For the Chep-en-a-pho or Marysville band, read here as the Marys River people (our reading):

Ah-mo, or George, first chief
Hinc-phor, or Hubbard, second chief
Oh-no, or Tim, third chief

For the United States:

Joel Palmer, superintendent of Indian affairs

On the Grand Ronde census rolls of 1860 and 1888

These 45 names are from the 1999 study, Appendix D, Table D.1, pages 250 and 251. [4] The study takes them from a 1988 compilation of the rolls. Names, spellings and the two headings are as the table prints them. The study explains "Chapanafa" as the Marys River people and "Luckymute" as the Luckiamute. The table gives two cautions: birth years are approximate and may be off by ten years or more, and a few people may be listed under more than one name.

Chapanafa Nation

  1. Elkins, Old. Born about 1797. On the 1888 roll.
  2. Barlow, William "Marysville William". Born about 1807. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  3. Voutrant, John the Baptist. Born about 1807. On the 1888 roll.
  4. Belknap, Lucy. Born about 1809. On the 1860 roll.
  5. Elkins, Nancy. Born about 1817. On the 1888 roll.
  6. Machell, Louisa. Born about 1817. On the 1860 roll.
  7. Sangaretta, Joseph. Born about 1823. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  8. Heartless, George. Born about 1825. On the 1860 roll.
  9. Heartless, Nancy. Born about 1825. On the 1860 roll.
  10. Bill, Alsea. Born about 1826. On the 1888 roll.
  11. Churchill, Betsy. Born about 1826. On the 1860 roll.
  12. Churchill, Thomas "Muddy Tom". Born about 1826. On the 1860 roll.
  13. Sangaretta, Nancy. Born about 1827. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  14. Belknap, Rachael. Born about 1829. On the 1860 roll.
  15. Menard, Elizabeth. Born about 1835. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  16. Menard, Peter. Born about 1835. On the 1860 roll.
  17. Stewart, Lily. Born about 1835. On the 1860 roll.
  18. Barlow, Jennie. Born about 1837. On the 1888 roll.
  19. Machell, Louis. Born about 1837. On the 1860 roll.
  20. Machell, Susan. Born about 1837. On the 1860 roll.
  21. Stewart, James "Muddy Jim". Born about 1837. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  22. Voutrant, Mary Ann. Born about 1837. On the 1888 roll.
  23. Barlow, Mary. Born about 1839. On the 1888 roll.
  24. Menard, John. Born about 1841. On the 1888 roll.
  25. Avery, David "Old David". Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  26. Frigginger, John. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  27. Heartless, (unknown female). Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.

Luckymute Nation

  1. Wheeler, Samanthy. Born about 1816. On the 1860 roll.
  2. Wheeler, Peter "Luckiamute Pete". Born about 1836. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  3. Wheeler, Jenny. Born about 1836. On the 1860 roll.
  4. Jack, Calipooya. Born about 1837. On the 1888 roll.
  5. Wheeler, Jacob "Luckiamute Jake". Born about 1837. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  6. Wheeler, Mary Ann. Born about 1837. On the 1860 roll.
  7. Davis, David. Born about 1839. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  8. Charly, Mary. Born about 1841. On the 1888 roll.
  9. Davis, Sarah Jane. Birth year not given. On the 1860 and 1888 rolls.
  10. Durbin, James "Luckiamute Jim". Birth year not given. On the 1888 roll.
  11. Durbin, Sally. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  12. Holman, James. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  13. Judson, Charles. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  14. Judson, Mary (1). Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  15. Judson, Mary (2). Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  16. Judson, Sally. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  17. Wilson, Judge. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
  18. Judson, Susan. Birth year not given. On the 1860 roll.
The record says: the sources behind this part

FOUND

Records about the region: the 1855 treaty [1]; the Forest Service record of the land the treaty ceded [3]; a 1999 study that lists 45 people by name [4]; a 2016 article on the Luckiamute band's 1855 reserve [5]; two articles in The Oregon Encyclopedia [6][7]; the three nations' own websites [8][9][10]; and the records of William Hartless's stories [12].

NOT FOUND

No record yet ties a named person to this exact land.

Not yet searched: the surveyors' field notes for this township, 1852 to 1856, for any mention of Native people, houses or trails. The handwriting has not been read yet.

Not yet searched: the 1854 survey maps of this township and the one east of it, for the Zumwalt and Simpson land claims.

WHERE MORE IS

1. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Where: Historic Preservation Office, Cultural Resources Department, Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center, 8720 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347. Telephone 503-879-1630 and email THPO@grandronde.org, as listed by the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. The Tribe's main line is 503-879-5211. [8]
Ask for: What the Tribe is willing to share about Luckiamute families and places near Pedee.
Cost, time: Free to ask. We have not yet checked how long a reply takes.
Bring: Township 9 South, Range 6 West; the names in this section.
A note you could send: "I own land near Pedee, in Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Polk County. I am reading about the Luckiamute people who lived along this river before 1856. If the Tribe has anything it is willing to share about families or places near here, I would be grateful to learn of it. I understand that some knowledge is not shared, and I respect that."

2. The National Archives
Where: The National Archives catalog, online, at catalog.archives.gov/id/169820763. [2]
Ask for: Ratified Indian Treaty 282, and the page with the signatures of January 4, 1855.
Cost, time: Free to look. We have not yet confirmed that the signed pages can be viewed online.
Bring: The treaty's date, January 22, 1855.

3. A library
Where: A library that holds Harold Mackey, The Kalapuyans: A Sourcebook on the Indians of the Willamette Valley (Mission Mill Museum Association, Salem, 1974). [4]
Ask for: The record of the May 1851 council at Champoeg.
Cost, time: Free to read. We have not yet checked which libraries hold it.
Bring: The names Daboe, Scho-la-que and Yuh-kow.

Main telephone numbers of the other two nations: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, 541-444-2532 [9]; Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, 541-553-1161 [10].

Sources

All were read on Oct 8, 2026, except where an entry says otherwise.

1. The treaty. "Treaty with the Kalapuya, etc., 1855." Jan. 22, 1855. 10 Stat. 1143. Ratified Mar. 3, 1855; proclaimed Apr. 10, 1855. In Charles J. Kappler, ed., Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties, vol. 2 (Treaties). Read in the transcription of the Tribal Treaties Database, Oklahoma State University Libraries; the printed pages were not examined. treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-kalapuya-etc-1855-0665

2. The original treaty. National Archives, Ratified Indian Treaty 282: Kalapuya and Others (Confederated Bands of the Willamette Valley), Dayton, Oregon Territory, January 22, 1855. National Archives Identifier 169820763. catalog.archives.gov/id/169820763 The original was not examined; its title and identifier are as listed by DigiTreaties. digitreaties.org/treaties/treaty/169820763/

3. The cession. USDA Forest Service, Tribal Cession Lands (after Royce 1899), cession 352: the record used elsewhere in this report, retrieved Oct 8, 2026. DigiTreaties, "Cession 352," lists the same date and the same three present-day nations. digitreaties.org/treaties/cession/352/

4. The 1999 study. Zybach, Bob. 1999. Using Oral Histories to Document Changing Forest Cover Patterns: Soap Creek Valley, Oregon, 1500–1999. Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies thesis, Oregon State University, presented March 5, 1999. Pages used: abstract; 30; 72; 136–138, with Map 13; 191; 229; 249–251, Appendix D, Table D.1; 300–303, Appendix H. Read in a copy saved on this site. Also online: evergreenmagazine.com/content/files/2023/11/Zybach_MAIS_1999.pdf

Works cited in the study and not read for this report: Whitlow, Leonard II. 1988. Grande Ronde Indian Reservation, Yamhill County, Oregon: 1860 Census, 1888 Census, 1901 Family Register. Portland: Leonard Whitlow II. Mackey, Harold. 1974. The Kalapuyans: A Sourcebook on the Indians of the Willamette Valley. Salem: Mission Mill Museum Association. Boyd, Robert. 1990. "Demographic History, 1774–1874," in Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 7. Wilkes, Charles. 1845. Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, vol. 5. Gibbs, George, and Edward A. Starling. 1851. Sketch of the Wallamette Valley.

5. The 1855 reserve. Lewis, David G. "Luckimauke Band of Calapooia Indians Reservation 1855." The Quartux Journal, May 15, 2016. ndnhistoryresearch.com/2016/05/15/luckimauke-band-of-calapooia-indians-reservation-1855/ The Oregon Spectator of May 8, 1851, the agreement of March 14, 1855, and the 1856 census are quoted here as this article gives them.

6. The treaties in summary. Jette, Melinda. "Kalapuya Treaty of 1855." The Oregon Encyclopedia, Oregon Historical Society. Updated March 17, 2022. www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/kalapuya_treaty/

7. Grand Ronde's history in summary. Lewis, David. "Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde." The Oregon Encyclopedia, Oregon Historical Society. Updated November 13, 2023. www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/confederated_tribes_of_grand_ronde/

8. Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Treaties: www.grandronde.org/history-culture/history/treaties/ Cultural Resources: www.grandronde.org/services/cultural-resources/ Contact: www.grandronde.org/contact-us/ Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center, 8720 Grand Ronde Road: www.chachalu.org/ Historic Preservation Office telephone and email, from the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers directory: members.nathpo.org/thpodirectory/Details/confederated-tribes-of-the-grand-ronde-indian-community-of-oregon-1602640

9. Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Contact: www.ctsi.nsn.us/contact/ Heritage: www.ctsi.nsn.us/heritage/

10. Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Contact: warmsprings-nsn.gov/contact/

11. Pedee and the river. U.S. Geological Survey site 14190000, "Luckiamute R at Pedee Oreg." reference.geoconnex.us/collections/gages/items/1015908 The distance from this land to Pedee is from this report's place-name record, U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System.

12. William Hartless's stories. Hajda, Yvonne P. 1976. Mary's River Kalapuyan: A Descriptive Phonology. Master of Arts thesis, Portland State University; page 7 gives the years and the two places. pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2491/ Zenk, Henry. 2006. "The Kalapuyan Presence in Oregon's Geographic Names," note 6. orww.org/Kalapuya-Amin_2006/Program/ZenkH/Kalapuyan_Names_20060908.pdf Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives, Manuscript 1923, Kalapuya notebooks of Leo J. Frachtenberg, 1913 and 1914. sova.si.edu/record/NAA.MS1923 Jacobs, Melville. 1945. Kalapuya Texts. University of Washington Publications in Anthropology, vol. 11. Seattle. The book itself was not read for this report; its page range is as Zenk gives it. archive.org/details/kalapuyatextspar0000jaco

The surveyors arrive

Men measured the land a long time ago. This is their story.24 The first map of this township is dated May 1, 1855. It was made by careful measuring.25 A man named Thomas Hutchinson measured two claims. The notes say he started in August 1855.26 The official papers say the work was approved on February 20, 1859. The index says the year was 1856, so the dates need checking.27 A map from 1861 shows the two claims side by side. A claim is a piece of land someone was given.28 Trees helped mark the corners. A bearing tree is a tree near a corner that helped show where it was.29 Near this land, one corner tree was an oak. This reading still needs checking.30

Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian, township plat, with this land outlined. Approved May 1, 1855. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records. Retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian, township plat, with this land outlined. Approved May 1, 1855. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records. Retrieved Oct 8, 2026. The land is outlined in yellow; the outline is approximate. The plat is a hand drawing; the outline is placed on it to within about 100 feet. Open the full scan at the source
Donation Land Claim 53 and Donation Land Claim 54 on the Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian plat, with this land outlined. Approved Feb 11, 1861. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records. Retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
Donation Land Claim 53 and Donation Land Claim 54 on the Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian plat, with this land outlined. Approved Feb 11, 1861. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records. Retrieved Oct 8, 2026. The land is outlined in yellow; the outline is approximate. The plat is a hand drawing; the outline is placed on it to within about 150 feet. Open the full scan at the source
The trees the surveyors marked at the corners of this land in the 1850s: 23 trees at 13 corners: 15 oaks, 1 Douglas-fir, 2 cherry, 2 ash, 2 alder, 1 willow. From field-note books OR D0022 and OR R0029. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records. Positions approximate: drawn from the written bearings, not from a survey of the ground. see the record
The bearing-tree register: every tree the surveyors marked at the corners of this land in the 1850s, with its kind, its diameter, and its bearing and distance from the corner post. A link is 7.92 inches; 100 links make a chain of 66 feet. From field-note books OR D0022 and OR R0029, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records.
CornerWhich cornerKindDiameterBearingDistanceSurveyor, yearField notes
Corner 1 Northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 54 (John W. Tedrow), true northwest corner on north boundary White oak 20 inches S 23° W 23 links (15 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 348
Corner 1 Northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 54 (John W. Tedrow), true northwest corner on north boundary White oak 16 inches S 41° E 4 chains 5 links (267 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 348
Corner 1 Northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 54 (John W. Tedrow), true northwest corner on north boundary White oak 15 inches N 62° E 46 links (30 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 348
Corner 2 Northeast corner of Donation Land Claim 55 (Mary Gilliam), on west line of Donation Land Claim 54 White oak 30 inches S 44° W 2 chains 89 links (191 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 344
Corner 2 Northeast corner of Donation Land Claim 55 (Mary Gilliam), on west line of Donation Land Claim 54 White oak 23 inches N 81½° W 2 chains 24 links (148 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 344
Corner 3 Donation Land Claim 54 "N.E. corner on N side of claim", on section line 19.68 chains (1,299 feet) east of quarter-section post between Sections 28 and 33 Douglas-fir (written as red fir) 12 inches S 18° W 22 links (15 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 348
Corner 3 Donation Land Claim 54 "N.E. corner on N side of claim", on section line 19.68 chains (1,299 feet) east of quarter-section post between Sections 28 and 33 Cherry 5 inches S 20° E 16 links (11 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 348
Corner 4 Northwest corner on west side of the "El" of Donation Land Claim 53 (John Johnson), north boundary of the El White oak 8 inches S 3° W 1 chain 22 links (81 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 366
Corner 4 Northwest corner on west side of the "El" of Donation Land Claim 53 (John Johnson), north boundary of the El White oak 24 inches S 41½° E 9 chains 42 links (622 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 366
Corner 6 Quarter-section corner between Sections 28 and 33 (true line between Sections 28 and 33) Oak 10 inches N 55½° W 1 chain 65 links (109 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 331
Corner 6 Quarter-section corner between Sections 28 and 33 (true line between Sections 28 and 33) Oak 24 inches S 35° W 3 chains 39 links (224 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 331
Corner 8 Northeast corner of Donation Land Claim 54 (John W. Tedrow), also the northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 52 (James Taylor) Ash 8 inches S 19°10' W 3 chains 91 links (258 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 347
Corner 8 Northeast corner of Donation Land Claim 54 (John W. Tedrow), also the northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 52 (James Taylor) White oak 30 inches S 87°20' E 12 chains 3 links (794 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 347
Corner 8 Northeast corner of Donation Land Claim 54 (John W. Tedrow), also the northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 52 (James Taylor) White oak 30 inches N 61° W 5 chains 97 links (394 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 347
Corner 9 Southwest corner of Donation Land Claim 53 (John Johnson), on north boundary of Donation Land Claim 54 White oak 24 inches S 55° W 8 chains 28 links (546 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 347
Corner 9 Southwest corner of Donation Land Claim 53 (John Johnson), on north boundary of Donation Land Claim 54 White oak 10 inches N 40° E 2 chains 86 links (189 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 347
Corner 10 Corner of Sections 28, 29, 32 and 33 Oak 24 inches S 10° E 4 chains 48 links (296 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 330
Corner 10 Corner of Sections 28, 29, 32 and 33 Oak 8 inches N 56° E 2 chains 66 links (176 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 330
Corner 11 Quarter-section corner between Sections 32 and 33 (in Mrs Gilliam's door yard) Alder 6 inches S 88° W 1 chain 56 links (103 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 330
Corner 12 Quarter-section corner between Sections 33 and 34 Cherry 6 inches S 24° W 63 links (42 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 318
Corner 12 Quarter-section corner between Sections 33 and 34 Willow 7 inches S 65° E 26 links (17 feet) Daniel Murphy, 1854OR R0029, page 318
Corner 13 Southeast corner of Donation Land Claim 55 (Mary Gilliam), at left bank of Gilliam's creek, on west line of Donation Land Claim 54 Alder 8 inches N 39° W 32 links (21 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 345
Corner 13 Southeast corner of Donation Land Claim 55 (Mary Gilliam), at left bank of Gilliam's creek, on west line of Donation Land Claim 54 Ash 10 inches N 41° E 25 links (17 feet) Thomas H. Hutchinson, 1855OR D0022, page 345
  • Corner 5 Northwest corner of Donation Land Claim 53 (John Johnson), on west side of claim, 59.59 chains (3,933 feet) south on west boundary. rock 12 in long & 4 thick, post, trench, mound
  • Corner 7 Corner of Sections 27, 28, 33 and 34. post, charred stake, mound, trench
The record says: 48 records behind this part

The first survey map

  • Original township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated May 1, 1855.31
  • Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated September 28, 1857.32
  • Plat showing Donation Land Claim 53 and Donation Land Claim 54 (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated February 11, 1861.33
  • Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated January 6, 1896.34
  • Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated September 9, 1935.35
  • Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated November 22, 1976.36
  • Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated July 9, 1982.37
  • Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated March 14, 2023.38

Beside this land

  • Plat of the township's outer lines (exterior plat), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated June 15, 1854.39

What the first surveyors wrote about this ground

  • Field notes for the survey of Donation Land Claim 53: field-note book D0022, pages 363–367; Thomas H. Hutchinson; surveyed 1856 (BLM's index); approved February 20, 1859; original survey.40
  • Field notes for the survey of Donation Land Claim 54: field-note book D0022, pages 347–351; Thomas H. Hutchinson; the notes date the fieldwork to August 10–11, 1855 (page 351); BLM's index gives the year as 1856; approved February 20, 1859; original survey.41
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 279–340; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1854 (BLM's index); original survey.42
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 281–339; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1855 (BLM's index); approved April 18, 1855; original survey.43
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0052, pages 591–594; A Smith; surveyed 1856 (BLM's index); approved September 28, 1857; original survey.44
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book D0022, page 338; T Hutchinson; surveyed 1855 (BLM's index); approved February 20, 1859; resurvey.45
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0596, pages 261–279; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1973; approved November 22, 1976.46
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0616, pages 170–174; Tuers; surveyed 1979 (BLM's index); approved July 9, 1982; original survey.47
  • Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0703, pages 217–219; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 2020; approved March 14, 2023.48

Beside this land

  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0017, pages 353–354; Butler Ives; surveyed 1852 (BLM's index); original survey.49
  • South boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0017, pages 369–370; Butler Ives; surveyed 1852 (BLM's index); original survey.50
  • East boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0017, pages 353–354; Butler Ives; surveyed 1852 (BLM's index); original survey.51
  • East boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0017, pages 363–370; Butler Ives; surveyed 1852 (BLM's index); original survey.52
  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 31–38; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1853 (BLM's index); original survey.53
  • South boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 43–49; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1853 (BLM's index); original survey.54
  • East boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0020, pages 252–255; R. Elder; surveyed 1853 (BLM's index); resurvey.55
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, page 31; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1853 (BLM's index); original survey.56
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 39–44; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1853 (BLM's index); original survey.57
  • Claim field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book D0018, pages 1–9; D Stump; surveyed 1854 (BLM's index); original survey.58
  • East boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 301–308; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1854 (BLM's index); resurvey.59
  • Claim field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book D0022, pages 277–317; Thomas H. Hutchinson; surveyed 1856 (BLM's index); original survey.60
  • Claim field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book D0022, pages 471–494; Thomas H. Hutchinson; surveyed 1856 (BLM's index); approved February 22, 1858; original survey.61
  • Claim field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book D0018, pages 171–176; D Stump; surveyed 1854 (BLM's index); approved August 30, 1858; original survey.62
  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0218, page 272; W Wright; surveyed 1880 (BLM's index); approved November 24, 1880; resurvey.63
  • South boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0218, page 260; W Wright; surveyed 1880 (BLM's index); approved November 24, 1880; resurvey.64
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0218, page 260; W Wright; surveyed 1880 (BLM's index); approved November 24, 1880; resurvey.65
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0218, pages 266–272; W Wright; surveyed 1880 (BLM's index); approved November 24, 1880; resurvey.66
  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0596, pages 258–261; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1973; approved November 22, 1976.67
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0596, pages 255–258; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1973; approved November 22, 1976.68
  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0600, pages 368–371; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1974; approved June 28, 1977.69
  • South boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0600, page 354; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1974; approved June 28, 1977.70
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0600, page 354; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1974; approved June 28, 1977.71
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0600, pages 364–370; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1974; approved June 28, 1977.72
  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0616, page 172; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1979; approved July 9, 1982.73
  • South boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0616, page 181; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1979; approved July 9, 1982.74
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0616, page 181; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1979; approved July 9, 1982.75
  • North boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0703, pages 225–229; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 2020; approved March 14, 2023.76
  • West boundary field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0703, page 229; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 2020; approved March 14, 2023.77

The trees at the corners in the 1850s

  • Bearing-tree register: 23 bearing trees at 13 corners: 15 oaks (11 white oak, 4 oak), 2 alder, 2 ash, 2 cherry, 1 Douglas-fir, 1 willow. (our reading)78

First owners

Long ago, the government gave out land. The first owner of this land was John Johnson.79 On June 14, 1877, John Johnson got a paper called a patent. It said he owned 323 acres. Acres are a way to measure land.80 Another paper from the same day went to John W Tedrow and Rachel Tedrow. It gave them 322 acres.81 In 1900, a man named Charles W Pagett got about 104 acres in Section 28. A section is a square piece of land.82 The records we have are not all read yet, so there may be other owners we do not know about yet.83 A school section is land set aside to help schools. This land is not one of them. The nearest one is about 2.6 miles away.84

The record says: 18 records behind this part

Settlers' donation land claims

  • Land patent to John Johnson, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 323.521 acres.85
  • Land patent to John W Tedrow; Rachel Tedrow, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 322 acres.86

Elsewhere in the same section

  • Land patent to Alexander Gage; Rebecca J Gage, March 27, 1866, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 641.53 acres.87
  • Land patent to Polly Aldridge; William Aldridge, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 640.41 acres.88
  • Land patent to James Taylor; Margaret Taylor, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 318.52 acres.89
  • Land patent to Bartlett Whitlow; Polly Whitlow, June 30, 1879, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 306.93 acres.90
  • Land patent to Mary Gilliam, June 13, 1881, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 320.94 acres.91

The first owners from the government

  • Land patent to Oregon And California Rr Co, January 30, 1897, under Grant-RR O and C, 190.17 acres.92
  • Land patent to Oregon And California Rr Co, November 29, 1899, under Grant-RR O and C, 72.67 acres.93
  • Land patent to Charles W Pagett, October 12, 1900, under Homestead EntryOriginal, 104.35 acres.94
  • BLM's historical index for Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian (scanned June 17, 2006) is saved with this report; its entries for patents have not been read yet. (our reading)95

Beside this land

  • Land patent to W N Okelly, December 19, 1885, under Homestead EntryOriginal, 110.88 acres.96

Elsewhere in the same section

  • Land patent to Oregon State, February 9, 1872, under Oregon-Lieu Selection; part of a 40,571-acre selection in many places.97
  • Land patent to Albert H Simpson, April 10, 1882, under Homestead EntryOriginal, 160.46 acres.98
  • Land patent to Severen A Nebel, June 11, 1897, under Sale-Cash Entry, 40 acres.99
  • Land patent to Northern Pacific Railway Co, March 19, 1917, under Grant-RR Northern Pacific, 930.04 acres.100

School land

  • The property is not in Section 16 or 36, the school sections (by the BLM's survey map). Nearest school section: Section 16, about 2.6 miles from this land’s center. (our reading)101
  • BLM's historical index for Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian (scanned June 17, 2006) is saved with this report; its entries for lieu selections and state grants have not been read yet. (our reading)102

The families

We do not know yet who lived on this land. We have not looked for the families yet.103 These numbers are for the whole county. They do not tell us about this one piece of land.104 Old census papers are kept in other places. Those papers could tell us who lived here.105

The record says: 1 record behind this part

Households in the census, through 1950

Around this valley

  • Polk County had 62,380 people in 2000, 75,403 people in 2010 and 87,433 people in 2020 (U.S. Census).106

Seen from above

A map is a picture of the land from above. This land has many old maps.107 The first map is from 1942. It shows the land near Dallas, Oregon.108 In 1953 and 1954 there were more maps of the same area. Those maps show a bigger part of Oregon.109 The Dallas map came out again in 1957. Other Salem maps came out in 1960, 1962, and 1963.110 In 1974 there was a map that shows small parts of the land in more detail. It is a map of the Falls City area.111 The last map on the list is from 1980. It is a Corvallis map. The list only tells us the maps exist.112

The record says: 9 records behind this part

The old topographic maps

  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:62500-scale Quadrangle for Dallas, OR 1942.113
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1953.114
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1954.115
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:62500-scale Quadrangle for Dallas, OR 1957.116
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1960.117
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1962.118
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1963.119
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:24000-scale Quadrangle for Falls City, OR 1974.120
  • Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:100000-scale Quadrangle for Corvallis, OR 1980.121

Getting here

Some places are near this land. They are in Polk County.122 Pedee is a town about 0.6 miles away. Pedee Creek is a creek about 0.9 miles away.123 Grant Hill is a hill about 1.1 miles away. McTimmonds Creek is about 1.3 miles away.124 The list also has Maddux Reservoir, which is old and no longer in use. Many other creeks are close by too.125 These miles are from a list of names. The list does not say which roads lead here.126

The record says: 19 records behind this part

Where the names of creeks, hills and roads came from

Beside this land

  • Pedee (Populated Place), about 0.6 miles away.127
  • Pedee Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.128
  • Grant Hill (Summit), about 1.1 miles away.129
  • McTimmonds Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.130
  • Maddux Reservoir (historical) (Reservoir), about 1.6 miles away.131
  • Link Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.132
  • Ritner Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.133
  • South Fork Pedee Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.134
  • North Fork Pedee Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.135
  • Kinsey Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.136
  • Clayton Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.137
  • McTimmonds Valley (Valley), about 2.2 miles away.138
  • Morgan Reservoir (Reservoir), about 2.8 miles away.139
  • Dry Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.140
  • Jahn Reservoir (Reservoir), about 4.1 miles away.141
  • Tater Hill (Summit), about 5.7 miles away.142
  • Glaze Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.143
  • Grant Creek, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.144
  • Luckiamute River, a stream named in the national place-names list, near this land.145

Timeline

The land in ten dates

  1. 1854 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 279–340; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1854 (BLM's index); original survey.•
  2. May 1, 1855 Original township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated May 1, 1855.•
  3. Aug 10, 1855 Field notes for the survey of Donation Land Claim 54: field-note book D0022, pages 347–351; Thomas H. Hutchinson; the notes date the fieldwork to August 10–11, 1855 (page 351); BLM's index gives the year as 1856; approved February 20, 1859; original survey.•
  4. Feb 11, 1861 Plat showing Donation Land Claim 53 and Donation Land Claim 54 (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated February 11, 1861.•
  5. Jun 14, 1877 Land patent to John Johnson, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 323.521 acres.•
  6. Jun 14, 1877 Land patent to John W Tedrow; Rachel Tedrow, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 322 acres.•
  7. Jan 6, 1896 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated January 6, 1896.•
  8. Sep 9, 1935 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated September 9, 1935.•
  9. 1979 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0616, pages 170–174; Tuers; surveyed 1979 (BLM's index); approved July 9, 1982; original survey.•
  10. Mar 14, 2023 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated March 14, 2023.•

Every dated record about this land

  1. 1854 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 279–340; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1854 (BLM's index); original survey.•
  2. 1855 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0029, pages 281–339; Daniel Murphy; surveyed 1855 (BLM's index); approved April 18, 1855; original survey.•
  3. 1855 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book D0022, page 338; T Hutchinson; surveyed 1855 (BLM's index); approved February 20, 1859; resurvey.•
  4. May 1, 1855 Original township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated May 1, 1855.•
  5. Aug 10, 1855 Field notes for the survey of Donation Land Claim 54: field-note book D0022, pages 347–351; Thomas H. Hutchinson; the notes date the fieldwork to August 10–11, 1855 (page 351); BLM's index gives the year as 1856; approved February 20, 1859; original survey.•
  6. 1856 Field notes for the survey of Donation Land Claim 53: field-note book D0022, pages 363–367; Thomas H. Hutchinson; surveyed 1856 (BLM's index); approved February 20, 1859; original survey.•
  7. 1856 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0052, pages 591–594; A Smith; surveyed 1856 (BLM's index); approved September 28, 1857; original survey.•
  8. Sep 28, 1857 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated September 28, 1857.•
  9. Feb 11, 1861 Plat showing Donation Land Claim 53 and Donation Land Claim 54 (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated February 11, 1861.•
  10. Jun 14, 1877 Land patent to John Johnson, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 323.521 acres.•
  11. Jun 14, 1877 Land patent to John W Tedrow; Rachel Tedrow, June 14, 1877, under Oregon-Donation Act (grant), 322 acres.•
  12. Jan 6, 1896 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated January 6, 1896.•
  13. Jan 30, 1897 Land patent to Oregon And California Rr Co, January 30, 1897, under Grant-RR O and C, 190.17 acres.•
  14. Nov 29, 1899 Land patent to Oregon And California Rr Co, November 29, 1899, under Grant-RR O and C, 72.67 acres.•
  15. Oct 12, 1900 Land patent to Charles W Pagett, October 12, 1900, under Homestead EntryOriginal, 104.35 acres.•
  16. Sep 9, 1935 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated September 9, 1935.•
  17. 1942 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:62500-scale Quadrangle for Dallas, OR 1942.•
  18. 1953 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1953.•
  19. 1954 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1954.•
  20. 1957 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:62500-scale Quadrangle for Dallas, OR 1957.•
  21. 1960 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1960.•
  22. 1962 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1962.•
  23. 1963 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:250000-scale Quadrangle for Salem, OR 1963.•
  24. 1973 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0596, pages 261–279; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 1973; approved November 22, 1976.•
  25. 1974 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:24000-scale Quadrangle for Falls City, OR 1974.•
  26. Nov 22, 1976 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated November 22, 1976.•
  27. 1979 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0616, pages 170–174; Tuers; surveyed 1979 (BLM's index); approved July 9, 1982; original survey.•
  28. 1980 Topographic map covering the property: USGS 1:100000-scale Quadrangle for Corvallis, OR 1980.•
  29. Jul 9, 1982 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated July 9, 1982.•
  30. 2020 Subdivision field notes, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: field-note book R0703, pages 217–219; Bureau of Land Management resurvey, 2020; approved March 14, 2023.•
  31. Mar 14, 2023 Township plat (cadastral survey), Township 9 South, Range 6 West, Willamette Meridian: dated March 14, 2023.•

If you’re hooked: what to do next

You have seen what the public record says from a distance. The rest is kept in offices, archives and websites. Here is where to start.

  1. Trace the owners from the first patent to today

    Polk County Clerk, deed records, Dallas.

    Cost: Ask about fees. Time: Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: Township 9 South, Range 6 West; John Johnson; John W Tedrow; Charles W Pagett.

    Read first: Knowing Your Land, Chapter 8: Deeds, tax rolls and the chain of owners.

  2. See the surveyors’ own pages and the patents

    The Bureau of Land Management’s General Land Office Records website, glorecords.blm.gov.

    Cost: Free. Time: Online at any hour.

    Bring: Township 9 South, Range 6 West.

    Read first: Knowing Your Land, Chapter 6: The first survey: what the surveyor wrote.

  3. Look for state land sales, school land, probate files and old tax rolls

    Oregon State Archives, Salem.

    Cost: Ask about fees. Time: Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: Township 9 South, Range 6 West; Polk County.

    Read first: Knowing Your Land, Chapter 7: How the land left the government.

  4. Learn the method, one source at a time

    Knowing Your Land, by Bob Zybach, PhD, walks through every kind of record in this report, with a tree farm near Pedee as the example in every chapter. Free to read on this site.

    Read first: Knowing Your Land, Chapter 24: If you’re hooked: what to do next.

More places for this land: 19, listed in the appendix, each with “Add to my research list.”

About this report: what we looked at, what we didn’t, and how sure we are

We looked at 15 kinds of records for this land. We found 10 about the land itself and 4 about land beside it or the region. 1 is kept in offices we can’t search from here.

Found 10 · Found nearby 4 · Searched, nothing 0 · Kept elsewhere 1 · Not yet looked at 53.

Everything we looked at
What we looked forPartWhat we foundSource and dateWhere the rest is kept
Where this land sits on the survey gridThis land todayFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management survey grid; Oct 10, 2026
The rock under this landThe groundFound
record in hand		Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries geologic map; Oct 10, 2026. U.S. Geological Survey state geologic map; Oct 10, 2026
The soils and what they are good forThe groundFound
record in hand		Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey; Oct 10, 2026
Rain, warmth and coldWater and weatherFound nearby
regional		National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate records; Oct 10, 2026
The people who lived here before the surveyorsThe people before the surveyorsFound nearby
regional		U.S. Forest Service map of tribal land cessions (after Royce, 1899); Oct 10, 2026. Bob Zybach's published studies; Oct 10, 2026Tribal Treaties Database, Oklahoma State University
The first survey mapThe surveyors arriveFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records; Oct 10, 2026. Polk County filed plats (PolkMap surveys index); Oct 10, 2026
What the first surveyors wrote about this groundThe surveyors arriveFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records; Oct 10, 2026
The trees at the corners in the 1850sThe surveyors arriveFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records; Oct 10, 2026
Settlers' donation land claimsFirst ownersFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Oct 10, 2026Genealogical Forum of Oregon Research Library; FamilySearch; Ancestry
The first owners from the governmentFirst ownersFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Oct 10, 2026. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records; Oct 10, 2026
School landFirst ownersFound
record in hand		Bureau of Land Management survey grid; Oct 10, 2026. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon land records; Oct 10, 2026
The old topographic mapsSeen from aboveFound
record in hand		U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps; Oct 10, 2026
Old air photosSeen from aboveKept elsewhere
site bars automated access		Oregon Digital; U.S. Geological Survey EarthExplorer; University of Oregon Libraries, Maps and Aerial Photography collection (Knight Library); USDA Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, Geospatial Enterprise Operations (formerly the Aerial Photography Field Office); University of California, Santa Barbara, aerial photograph library
Households in the census, through 1950The familiesFound nearby
regional		Census Bureau; Oct 10, 2026FamilySearch; Ancestry; IPUMS historical census tables
Where the names of creeks, hills and roads came fromGetting hereFound nearby
nearby		U.S. Geological Survey place names; Oct 10, 2026

Everything we looked at, with search and filters

Where the rest is kept

  • Polk County Assessor, 850 Main Street, Dallas, OR 97338, www.polkcountyor.gov/228/Assessor

    For: The county's description of this land. Cost: Ask about fees. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    Bring: The tax lot number (map and lot) or the account number.

  • Oregon's statewide tax-map viewer, www.ormap.net

    For: The county's description of this land. Cost: Free. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • Tribal Treaties Database, Oklahoma State University, treaties.okstate.edu

    For: The people who lived here before the surveyors. Cost: Free. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • Genealogical Forum of Oregon Research Library, 2505 S.E. 11th Ave., Ste B018, Portland, OR 97202 (Ford Building, basement; use the callbox on 11th Street), gfo.org/who-we-are/visit-us/location-and-hours.html

    For: Settlers' donation land claims. Cost: Ask about fees. Monday and Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday and the 1st and 2nd Saturday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

    Bring: The claimant’s name and claim number.

  • FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org

    For: Settlers' donation land claims; Households in the census, through 1950. Cost: A fee; the amount is not yet checked. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • Ancestry, www.ancestry.com

    For: Settlers' donation land claims; Households in the census, through 1950. Cost: A fee; the amount is not yet checked. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • IPUMS historical census tables

    For: Households in the census, through 1950. Cost: Free. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • Historic Oregon Newspapers, University of Oregon, oregonnews.uoregon.edu

    For: What the newspapers said. Cost: Free. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • paid newspaper sites, newspapers.com

    For: What the newspapers said. Cost: A fee; the amount is not yet checked. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • Oregon Digital, oregondigital.org

    For: Old air photos. Cost: Free. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • U.S. Geological Survey EarthExplorer, earthexplorer.usgs.gov

    For: Old air photos. Cost: Free. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

  • University of Oregon Libraries, Maps and Aerial Photography collection (Knight Library), Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid Street, Eugene, OR 97403, library.uoregon.edu/aerial-photography-collection

    For: Old air photos. Cost: Ask about fees. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: The township, range and section; the years you want; flight and frame numbers from the index if you have them.

  • USDA Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, Geospatial Enterprise Operations (formerly the Aerial Photography Field Office), 125 S State St., Suite 6416, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, www.fpacbc.usda.gov/geospatial-services/customer-services/ordering-instructions

    For: Old air photos. Cost: A 10 by 10 inch high-resolution TIFF scan is $13 (price list FPAC-ISD-441A, Feb 19, 2025); paid in advance through Pay.gov. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: The area (township, range and section, or a map); the year range; roll and frame numbers from the index card.

  • University of California, Santa Barbara, aerial photograph library

    For: Old air photos. Cost: A fee; the amount is not yet checked. Hours not yet checked.

    Bring: the township, range and section; the names in this report.

My research list (0)

Not yet looked at: 53 questions
  • The county's description of this land
  • The zoning rules for this land
  • Other recorded rights to cross or use this land
  • Conservation easements and special tax programs
  • Modern surveys of this land
  • Sale prices and assessed values
  • The bare ground under the trees
  • Height, slope and the way the land faces
  • Storms, floods, freezes and droughts
  • Streams, springs and wetlands
  • Creek flows and the biggest floods
  • Wells and how deep they go
  • Rights to use water
  • Mapped flood zones
  • Landslide, earthquake and wildfire hazard maps
  • Mines and quarries
  • Cleanup and contamination sites nearby
  • Plants recorded near here
  • What grew here before settlement
  • The forest of 1914 and the 1930s
  • Fires on this land
  • Recent tree cutting and regrowth
  • Wildlife, then and now
  • Crops and livestock
  • Old sites and artifacts: the law, and whom to call
  • Native place names and trails
  • The first owner's land entry papers
  • Railroad and wagon-road grants
  • Owners since the first patent
  • Earlier taxpayers
  • Names on the old ownership maps
  • Other old maps
  • The land from the air today
  • Fire insurance maps of town buildings
  • The buildings and their history
  • Building, septic and well permits
  • Births, deaths, marriages and estates
  • Nearby cemeteries and burials
  • What the newspapers said
  • What the old county histories say
  • The nearest school, post office, church and grange
  • Local historical societies and museums
  • Memories already recorded
  • Old photographs in public collections
  • When the roads were built and paved
  • Railroads and logging railroads
  • Mills, logging camps and other industry
  • When electricity, telephone and mail arrived
  • Changes in land use since 1985
  • What earlier owners and neighbors remember
  • Your family's photographs and papers
  • Your own records
  • What you can still find by walking the land

Add questions to this report

How sure we are

The corner trees and the other readings of the surveyors’ handwriting in this report were typed by machine and have not yet been checked by a person.

The field notes date one survey to Aug 10–11, 1855; the government’s index says 1856.

The township’s patent index is saved but not yet read; other early owners may be listed in it.

The outlines on the old maps are placed by hand on the scans, so they are approximate.

The weather figures are for the whole county, not readings taken on this land.

The outline comes from the county’s tax-lot map. Tax-lot lines are drawn for assessment, not survey.

Lines marked “our reading” are worked out from the records rather than copied from them.

DOGAMI compilation of published maps at many scales; not for legal, engineering or surveying use.

State-scale compilation: USGS: "intended for use at approximately 1:1,000,000 scale or smaller" (USGS_SGMC_Metadata.xml useconst).

A county average, not a reading on this land; hills and valleys in the county differ.

Quotations only, cited with page numbers (the author's terms); figures from this work appear only with his word.

Sources, part by part

This land today

  • Bureau of Land Management, public land survey the BLM survey grid (public domain): 1 record; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

The ground

  • Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Oregon Geologic Data Compilation release 6 (OGDC-6), compiled by R. L. Smith and W. P. Roe: 1 record; retrieved Oct 10, 2026.
  • Horton, J.D., 2017, The State Geologic Map Compilation (SGMC) geodatabase of the conterminous United States (ver. 1.1, August 2017): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7WH2N65: 6 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
  • USDA NRCS, Soil Survey Geographic Database via Soil Data Access (public domain): 3 records; retrieved Oct 10, 2026.

Water and weather

  • NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance (county time series): 2 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

The people before the surveyors

  • USDA Forest Service, Tribal Cession Lands (after Royce 1899): 2 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
  • Internet Archive: 2 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
  • Zybach, B. (1999) Soap Creek Valley thesis; The Great Fires (2003); Coquelle Trails (2013, copyright shared with the Coquille Indian Tribe); the Tiller study (2011): 2 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

The surveyors arrive

  • Bureau of Land Management, Oregon/Washington land records (public domain): 73 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

First owners

  • Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records (public domain): 22 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
  • Bureau of Land Management, Oregon/Washington land records (public domain): 2 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.
  • Bureau of Land Management, public land survey the BLM survey grid (public domain): 1 record; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

The families

  • U.S. Census Bureau, decennial census (api.census.gov): 1 record; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

Seen from above

  • U.S. Geological Survey, topoView / The National Map (public domain): 9 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

Getting here

  • U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (public domain): 19 records; retrieved Oct 8, 2026.

Your Land History covers land anywhere in Oregon.

This is historical research, not title research. It does not show who owns this land today or where its legal boundaries lie; for that, ask a title company or a licensed land surveyor.

Most of this report was written automatically, using AI, from the records cited; the part about the people before the surveyors was written and checked by a person.

Version 1, Oct 10, 2026.