Temporary Reservation and Removal of the Molalla Band of Indians 1855-1871

The Molalla Indians were several tribes that lived in the foothills of the Cascade Range in the Willamette Valley. They ranged throughout the Cascades gathering berries and hunting in the mountainous environments. Many anthropologists have placed their homelands within the Cascades and have organized the tribes as North, Santiam and South, but they did not live there. The Northern Tribe lived in the foothills near Molalla, Oregon, at Dicky Prairie and ranged to the Columbia and Willamette Falls for trade and relations. The Santiam Molalla band lived at  the headwaters of the North Santiam and  south to the MacKenzie. The … Continue reading Temporary Reservation and Removal of the Molalla Band of Indians 1855-1871

Luckimauke Band of Calapooia Indians Reservation 1855

The Luckimiute (Luckimauke) Indians occupied an area from roughly the town of Rickreall south to Corvallis, on the west side of the Willamette River. They principally occupied the Luckimiute river and tributaries. The best records are those of Jesse Applegate’s “Recollections of My Boyhood” book. Applegate arrived in 1844 as a young boy with his family and first settled in Salt Creek just west of Rickreall. The Applegate house still stands at Salt Creek. Applegate writes, “the native population in our neighborhood was a tribe of the Kalapooya and near and far, even to the sea, were the Tillamook, Tawalatin, … Continue reading Luckimauke Band of Calapooia Indians Reservation 1855

Reservation of the Santiam Band of Indians under Chief Jo 1855

One band of the Santiam tribe, Chief Jo’s band, lived within the north and south forks of the Santiam River. Alquema or Jo (Joseph) Hutchins had earlier signed the 1851 treaty with Anson Dart. During the treaty negotiations, the first for the tribes of the Willamette Valley, Alquema and Tiacan (possible the leader of the other Santiam band, Louis, located at Lebanon) held out to remain in their lands. They negotiated a permanent reservation between the forks of Santiam. Their transcribed speeches over the course of five days are important to understanding how deeply they felt about remaining on their … Continue reading Reservation of the Santiam Band of Indians under Chief Jo 1855

The Mohawk Band of Calapooia Reservation 1855

In 1855, after the tribes of the Willamette Valley signed the Kalapuya Etc. Treaty (1/22/1855) they were resettled by Indian Superintendent Joel Palmer on temporary reservations in the valley. Local farmers were recruited and assigned as Special Indian Agents to take care of the tribes. They were able to get some money and supplies to take care of and feed the tribes, mainly Kalapuya, Clackamas and Molalla Indians. The tribes at this time were very few individuals, the most populous, likely the Santiams with about 250 people or a few more. One tribe, the Mohawk Calapooians lived within the Mohawk … Continue reading The Mohawk Band of Calapooia Reservation 1855