Tag: Calapooia

General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Kalapuya, Oregon indians, Termination, treaties, Umpqua Valley2 Comments

The 1855 Umpqua Reservation Census

David G. Lewis, PhD

Some recent census research revealed a census I had not yet analyzed. Luckily, a brief search of my records found that I had previously collected the census, enabling some efficient analysis. I was looking initially at a “1960” Census of Calapooia and Umpqua Indians on the Grand Ronde reservation. It still unclear what this 1960 census is yet. I think it is a Indian Claims roll for descendants of these two tribes who may be eligible for payments. The Grand Ronde tribe was terminated in 1954-1956 and so in 1960 all members were terminated Indians, but there was at least … Continue reading The 1855 Umpqua Reservation Census

General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Kalapuya, Oregon indians, Personal History, Willamette Valley3 Comments

Related To Old Man Fisherman, a Family of Yoncalla Indians

David G. Lewis, PhD

The Fisherman family of Calapooia Indians are related to the Halo/Fearn family in ways that are as yet unclear to people not from their community. The Heirship record (20294-12) for the family reported on for the Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, by March 9, 1915, raises interesting issues of relatedness of the tribes on and off reservations in this era. The information presented is directly from the BIA RG 75 heirship files, and they suggest deep interrelations between the Warm Springs and Grand Ronde reservations, as well as communities of Indians who chose to remain off reservation. … Continue reading Related To Old Man Fisherman, a Family of Yoncalla Indians

General History, Kalapuya, Oral History, Oregon indians, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

Henry B. Nichols recalls the Calapooians, 1903

David G. Lewis, PhD

Henry Brainard Nichols, was a school teacher and state legislator from Benton County, Oregon. He was born 1821 in Lyme, Connecticut, and attended Wesleyan University at Middletown. In 1847 he started for Oregon, arrived in 1852, and settled in Benton County. He began teaching in the Belknap Settlement and took 319.75 acres as a donation land claim. Later, his lands increased to 1,200 acres, situated four miles west of Monroe. He served in the Constitutional Convention (1858) and several terms in the Territorial and State legislatures. He was a clerk in School district No. 26 for over thirty years.   … Continue reading Henry B. Nichols recalls the Calapooians, 1903

General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon indians, Uncategorized, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

Encroachment of Americans into Brush Creek Valley

David G. Lewis, PhD

The following contains sections of an essay in the 1903 Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, that lays out some important narratives of the Santiam and Calapooia Indians in the late 1840s. Since 1843, American pioneers were coming into western Oregon on wagon trains to settled in the Willamette Valley. These settlers took advantage of the previous decade’s horrendous illnesses, likely malaria, that caused the death of some 90-97% of most tribes. The Kalapuya tribes were much reduced by the epidemics and could no longer protect their territorial rights from encroaching settlers or other tribes. Like the Americans, and French … Continue reading Encroachment of Americans into Brush Creek Valley

Archival Development, General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Native Issues, Oregon indians, Umpqua ValleyLeave a comment

Beel Fern Letter of 1882: From The SWORP Collection

David G. Lewis, PhD

This is a letter from Beel Fern, son of Chief Halo, who was of the Yoncalla Kalapuyans, a tribe of the Umpqua Valley. He may have as well been of the upper Umpqua tribe due to intermarriage between tribes that was common in Oregon. It was common on the reservation to simplify tribal ancestry to the river valley where they originated from.  (Interestingly, if he stated his name as “Beel”, would the scribe compose B.L.,  or did he write the letter and write the abbreviation of his name as B.L.?) Beel and his family lived for decades on the Applegate … Continue reading Beel Fern Letter of 1882: From The SWORP Collection