Jordan Winthrop

Greetings;

The other day I sent out to several people a plat map for the “Subdivisions of Risley Farm” which I had found on the Clackamas County Surveyor’s website.  The map itself is not dated.

Though the map is not dated there is a good clue on the map which helps date it.  Baldwin Van der Bijl noted that the trolley line that cuts through the map is identified as “O.W.P. Ry.”    I did a little checking and found that:

From “Electrifying Eden by Craig Wollner 1990”, the history of P.G.E., O.W.P. R’y stands for “Oregon Water Power and Railway Company”. What we affectionately refer to as the “Trolley Line” went through several corporate name changes over the course of it’s lifetime. The Oregon Water Power and Railway Company was formed in June 1902 [Electrifying Eden p.69], and changed again about 1906 during “The biggest merger ever in the history of the Pacific Coast” [ Electrifying Eden p.62; Oregonian, May 4, 1906 ]. Thus we can use the name of the railway on this map to date it sometime between 1902 to 1906.

This narrowed down the range of possible dates for the plat map.  I also noted that Jacob S. Risley’s name is not mentioned anywhere on it.  I looked up his date of death and found that he died in June 1902.  So I suspect that this plat map shows how Jacob S. Risley’s Donation Land Claim was divided up following his death.  Thus I’m dating it as circa 1904.

To give us perspective I compared this plat map to a current Oak Lodge area map, used the CC Surveyor’s overlay feature, and a Donation Land Claim map I’ve been creating.  This process enabled me to identify current road names and landmarks on the plat map which you will see on the attachment. All of the area between today’s McLoughlin Blvd. and the Willamette River was Jacob S. Risley’s Donation Land Claim – – but the area between McLoughlin Blvd. and Oatfield Rd. was not.

Charles W. Risley was the oldest son of Jacob S. Risley, and as you can see he came to own the nearly 66 acres between McLoughlin Blvd. and Oatfield Rd., which today includes Kronberg and Kellogg Ave.s    This large parcel, as well as the nearly 8 acres that went to daughter Alice (Risley) Starkweather where Fred Meyer is today, probably belonged to Jacob S. Risley until he died.  I have not yet researched the sequence of transactions that led to Risley’s owning those parcels.

I just wanted to share this impressive plat map with you.  Please feel free to forward it to others that you think might enjoy seeing it.

Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives

Dear OLHD Detectives and friends:

This link takes you to a brief article that appeared in the Oregonian on Nov. 29th.  It’s about the woes of the Milwaukie Museum, it’s aging and declining membership, and it’s struggle to stay open.  This is a problem for all historical organizations during economic downturns, but is especially critical to this one which suddenly lost it’s primary curator with no backup plan, and suffers from a seriously aging membership of only a few.  It’s fate is uncertain, and should give us all something to ponder.  The history stored within it’s walls is a treasure trove of local history and it’s loss would be an absolute community tragedy. I share this with you simply to make you aware.

http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2012/11/milwaukie_museum_needs_new_dir.html

Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives

SUNDAY DEC. 9TH
2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Oak Lodge Library
16201 S.E. McLoughlin Blvd.

Dear Detectives:

You’ve heard me mention several times that genealogy and local history research go hand-in-hand.  Many of the research techniques used to research one’s own genealogy can be used to research families from our local area.

On Sunday, December 9th I will be conducting a genealogy class for beginning and intermediate genealogy.  There is no charge for this class, and it is open to OLHD members only – – – a benefit of your membership in OLHD.  The room I have reserved can hold up to 20 people, so please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible to hold your place.  I also need to know how many will be attending in order to know how many handouts to prepare.

If you have any specific how-to questions please send them to me ahead of time so I will be prepared to address them.  Bring a notepad for taking notes, as well as your own genealogy should we want to use your genealogy for a case study.

Genealogy is my passion.  I’ve been doing it for over 40 years, and I look forward to sharing some of what I’ve learned with you.

Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives

Dear Detectives:

Our Oregon State Archives tour is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 13th.  Eight of us have signed up thus far, but should more of you want to go just show up at the meeting place.

We will be meeting in the Bomber parking lot at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.  At that point we will see how many people are going, how many people can’t stay too long, and thus how many automobiles we need to make the trip to Salem.  My car will hold 7 individuals, so we’ll need at least one more car.

There is metered parking both on the Archive premises as well as on the streets.  If you intend to drive be sure to bring coinage for the meters.

We can stay as long as people want to, until 5:00 p.m.  Those who want to leave early should carpool with others that also want to leave early.  The rest can leave when their group (car full) agrees to leave.

We will be taking a tour first, conducted by Layne Sawyer, then spend the rest of our time researching.

The Reference Room ( research area ) closes during the noon hour.  There is a break room in the building if folks prefer to bring a sack lunch, and a few eateries nearby.  I have attached a map showing the nearby eateries.

Please take some time to look over the Secretary of State’s Oregon State Archives website before the field trip  http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/databases/index.html

The main research tools you will want to use are the Oregon Historical Records Index  and possibly the Early Oregonians database (information on Oregon people through 1860).

The Archives houses Oregon death certificates ( 50 or more years old ); probate records for many counties; delayed birth records; marriage records for many counties; census records; naturalization records; tax records; land records (both Provisional and after statehood); military records; State Hospital records; old age pension records; guardianships and many many others.  Use the Oregon Historical Records Index to search by name and print out, or at least write down the records you wish to access before the field trip.

For Early Oregonians use the Early Oregonians Search field to search on the names you’re interested in, then click on the name when the next screen appears.  Using the Associated Records, Associated Persons, and Census Events tabs will tell you some of what is known about the individual, and the records for them that are housed at the Archives.  There are links to other “Associated” persons (like a spouse) that you can use to learn about those people.  Print out, or at least write down the records you will wish to access before the field trip.

All the actual records are stored in a climate controlled area of the Archives.  Accessing them is via the Reference Librarian.  You will present the librarian with the record you wish to see on a “records use form”, and he will retrieve it for you.  There are several computers in the Reference Room area that can be used to look up records you want to see, using the search mechanisms above, as well as other finding aids.

You will not be allowed to bring briefcases, pens, coats or food into the research area.  There are lockers available for free to lock those items up in.  You may bring note pads, pencils, a laptop if that suits your fancy and your research notes into the research area, and of course you can return to you locker any time if you need to.

Copies may be made of most any item you access.  Copies are 25 cents each regardless of the size.  The process is that you keep track of the number of copies you’ve made and you pay at the reference desk at the end of your visit.  I recommend that you bring cash for this.

To avoid duplicating efforts I suggest that we confer with the others that are going on this trip so that two people aren’t trying to research the same person.  For example, I want to do research on Berryman Jennings and Benoni Rogers, and hope to access provisional land records and militia records.  We may also want to team up on certain individuals.  Feel free, however, to do whatever research you want to do – whether it be on Oak Lodge people, or your own ancestors.

Lastly, I recommend that you spend a little time in the Archives Tour section of the website, under the About Archives tab at the top of the screen.  This section will tell you all about the types of records available, copying, finding aids, and most anything else you would want to know to help you prepare for our visit.

I think this trip will be a lot of fun, and very productive for everyone.  SEE YOU TUESDAY MORNING!

Mike Schmeer