Jim Kirk of Brownsville; Albany Indian Camp

A set of news clippings from the 1870s is helping to hone in on where the Indian encampment was in Albany, OR. Previously, it was said to be on an island near Albany. But the murder of Charlie, by Jim Kirk a native man who apparently as raising on the Kirk Homestead in Brownsville elicits details about the location, near the Albany Cemetery.

“Yesterday Morning about three o’clock, at the Indian camp in the upper part of Albany, some Indians while gambling got into a drunken row, during which a half-civilized Indian named Jim Kirk, owning and living on a ranch near Brownsville, in this county, shot and instantly killed another Indian named Charley. The Murderer was caught and is now held in close confinement in this place.” (8/5 1871, The Oregon Republican. Albany, p2; Oregon Weekly Statesman, 8/9/1871 p1; Weekly Enterprise Oregon City 8/11/1871 p1)

An Indian Killed-about three o’clock on Sunday morning last at the Indian rancherie near the Albany Cemetery, a row occurred between some Indians who had imbibed too freely of tanglefoot, in which on in the number, Charley was shot and instantly killed by Jim Kirk. Jim is an Indian who was raised by Mr. Kirk, of Brownsville, has a fair education, and hitherto has sustained a fair reputation. Jim was arrested soon after the shooting and at the preliminary trail on Monday, was bound over to answer at the next term of the Linn Circuit court. He lays all his troubles to whisky. Parties who are in the habit of selling liquor to Indians should be sought out and severely dealt with. (9/5/1871, the Albany Register p3)

“Last Friday, His Honor, Judge Bonham, sentenced the three convicts from this county… Jim Kirk, the half civilized Indian who shot another Indian named Charley, at the Indian camp, near the graveyard in this city, last summer, in a drunken row, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and fined $50.” (11/10/1871, The Democrat. Albany, OR; similar story The Albany register 11/11/1871 p6)

Jim was found at fault and then sentenced. The Albany Cemetery with have good information about from past maps.

This was apparently the Monteith property. we can only guess that the encampment was along the shore of the Calapooia river to afford access to water.

This is where it would be today.

On other maps this area has changed its purpose and probably provided some benefits to area inhabitants.

 

The “Chautauqua Movement” was a massive, nationwide adult education phenomenon in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring traveling tent shows (Circuit Chautauquas) that brought lectures, music, and plays to rural America. (AI on Google) The Albany Chautauqua was (1910-1932), according to the Albany regional museum newsletter, 2012.

“Gov. Grover is petitioned to pardon Jim Kirk, the Indian who slew another “Lo” in this city a year or so ago.” (States Rights democrat, 1/10/1873 p3)

Further Newspaper reports about Jim Kirk suggest he -or someone with this name- was active working in the Hop fields in Eugene and Springfield in 1882. In 1882 Jim kills Jack Kearns in a fight near their camps and is held over for trial and appears to have been acquitted. Then in 1888, Jim and Polk Scott, a well known and regarded Kalapuya leader from Grand Ronde, got into a fight with Jim and they nearly stabbed each other to death. It is unclear if this is the same Jim Kirk from Brownsville, since Kirk is a common native surname.  Jim nearly kills Polk Scott but they both survive. Jim is held up for trial in Lane County but there are no further details of a conviction.

(See Eugene Guard 9/23/1882 p5; 9/16/1882 p5; 2/18/1888 p5; 2/25/1888 p5;Corvallis Gazette 9/22/1882 p3)

It was a common occurrence in the 19th century for white families to take in Indian children and raise them. Some Native people were very economic about this and would sell their children or a relative’s children- or even themselves- to pay off a debt. Many children came into white foster care through their parent dying of the new diseases, and many times they would end up in boarding school. Farming families benefitted by getting more labor on their farms, for free. There are reports from Oregon City that some children were trafficked from California in the 1850s and 1860s up there to be sold to white families through the Klamath Slave trade. Historically, it is addressed as the white people saving the children, but they really become indentured servants for most of their lives.

But this is where the story gets good!

Settler reminiscences online have revealed a little more history about Jim: WPA interview with Mr. Andrew Kirk, Brownsville, Oregon, Nov. 23, 1937

“When my people settled at Brownsville there were Indians everywhere. The bottomland along the Calapooia was one of their favorite camping places for all this region. One of my people’s chief difficulties was the fact that any tool, dish, implement, or any small article whatsoever that was laid down would be quickly stolen by any passing Indian. Most settlers were timid of doing anything about these thefts, for Indians resented any sort of punishment, but my father made a reputation for himself by thoroughly thrashing any Indian who became troublesome. It was a dangerous practice, but somehow the Indians soon came to understand and respected him accordingly. Even the Indians deemed him a very brave man.

My father often hired Indians to work for him in clearing land and other work. Some of them proved to be surprisingly good workmen, some were utterly worthless. Some of the boys whom my father hired lived at out house for weeks at a time. I had only Indians to play with when I was small, and some of them were nice fellows. There was one Indian boy who stuck around fathers for a long time, working when father would hire him. We called him Indian Jim. He seemed to prefer to live with the white men from the first.

Since he was a very good workman my father finally said, “Jim, how would you like to come and live with me all the time? Jim was mightily pleased but first he had to go and talk it over with his people. After a long consultation it was finally decided that Jim might come if he wished. After that he was a member of our family just like my own brothers. Jim was a good boy, very neat, and a faithful worker. His one fault was he got too fond of whiskey and when he was drunk he was dangerous. However, I never afraid of him and he would usually behave himself, even when drunk, if I spoke to him.

Down at Spores Ferry, near the present town of Coburg, the Spores family raised an Indian girl named Liza. Liza, too, was a good worker, neat, and unusually intelligent. Liza finally married an old Indian man who had two or three other wives. He took her away up to Yamhill, but he was very cruel to her, and she was his drudge and the drudge of his other wives. Liza of Spores Ferry and Jim of Kirk’s Ferry finally got acquainted one time when Liza was down here with her tribe. They seemed to take to each other at once. After that Liza would sometimes run away from her husband and come down to the __________to see Indian Jim. Her Indian husband would follow after her to take her home. He would drag her out and start her towards Yamhill on foot, whipping her all the way as he rode behind. This happened again and again. Finally my father said to Jim. “Jim, if you and Liza care so much for each other why don’t you buy her for a wife?” Father offered to help Jim with the bargain. That tickled Jim a great deal. He went to his people and asked them to help him get a wife. That was the practice of the tribe. When a young man wanted a wife all of the tribe had to “chip in” and help him buy her. Then, he in return, would help those who had helped him. Jim got together some property and made an offer to buy Liza. Finally the bargain was made. Jim got Liza by paying ten ponies, a rifle, and fifteen dollars in money. Liza’s husband brought her to Brownsville and got the price. He spent the money for whiskey and he and all of his people got drunk, and before they got back to Yamhill he was killed in a drunken fight.

Liza and Jim were very fond of each other and Liza always stuck to Jim, but when he was drunk she had to leave the house and hide out somewhere until he sobered up. Jim used to beat Liza when he was drunk, but he was always fond of her. Finally in a drunken fight Jim killed another Indian and was sent to the penitentiary. He was there for a while and then the people of this region petitioned for his release. Liza took the petition to the Governor and Jim was granted reprieve. When Liza took the reprieve to the pen Jim was eating dinner but when he heard what it was he jumped up and left right away. He didn’t care whether he had any dinner or not just so he could get out.

Jim built a house for Liza up by the “first hop house”. (Meaning the Hop-house on the Cushman farm, part of the old Kirk claim, just east of Brownsville.) Liza was a good housekeeper. She kept her house just as neat as a pin, caring for it just like a white woman would. She had learned how to work while staying with the Spores family. She always kept a white tablecloth on her table. I have often eaten meals there and the food was as good as you could get anywhere. Jim and Liza had three children. All died while young. One of the girls, I remember was very pretty. She was about to be married, but died. Lisa’s children all died of TB. There was an Indian reservation at Yamhill where Liza’s first husband lived. I have often been there at the fort and seen the soldiers.” (WPA interview)

Jim Kirk, of Brownsville was the second Husband of Eliza Young. Indian Eliza’s story is very well known. It seems that Jim Kirk changed his name to Jim Young when he and Eliza got married. Jim may have learned to be mean after suffering whippings from Mr. Kirk. Interestingly, both Eliza and Jim were partially raised by settler families.

(BTW- An essay about Eliza Young written by Peter Boag in the forthcoming book Kalapuyans of Western Oregon, OSU Press (likely 2027 release), will feature many of these details about Eliza and Jim.)