Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pioneers
1859, most of them from the Willamette valley, many of them ha"ing
seen the country while serving as volunteers in the Indian wars. They
located claims along the Touchet, laid a foundation of four logs, and
posted notices that they had taken the claims, and gone to the valley
for their stock, and would return in three months.
As near as I can learn, the only one who remained at that time was
Israel Davis, usually known as "Hogeye" Davis, who settled where
the trails left the Hogeye creek, and raised a small crop that year.
This is conceded to be the first crop raised and harvested in the county.
Davis was a bachelor, and two years later was killed by the jealous
husband of the woman who was cooking for him. The next who came
to stay were Sam Gilbreath and his young wife, and J oim Wells and
Tom Davis, both bachelors, who came in August, 1859. Gilbreath
took up a homestead and built his first cabin where the trails entered
the valley, this would be where the Smith orchard is now located. Tom
Davis bought a location from Stubbs and built a cabin in the vicinity
of the railroad primary. Wells also bought a location from Stuhbs
and built across the Touchet from the mouth of the Patit. Lambert
Hearn and wife came in October, first locating- where the Columhia
school house now stands, but afterwards selling out to the Paynes and
mo'"ing to the Hearn homestead across the Touchet from Dayton.
Jesse N. Day was among those who located their claims and returned
to the valley for his family. He did not return until the fall
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of 1860. His claim was where the Chandler slaughter house is now
located. He looked over the present site of Dayton, but 'was afraid
Chase and LaFontain might return and make him trouble, and located
further down. Manv of those who made their locations in the spring
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came back in the fall, and built cahins. The settlers of 1859, traveling
from the crossing down the Touchet were as follows: 'Vells, Davis,
Hearn, Gilbreath, John Forsythe at the Angell place, James Dill at
Pomona, James Bennett at the Bateman place, Joe Starr at the Starr
bridge, Dave Fudge at the Blize place, George Pollard at his present
place, John Fudge at Huntsville, and the Whittaker brothers just below,
and James Fudge on Whiskey creek below Bunton's, and Israel
Davis on the Hogeye.
They were all bachelors except Gilbreath and Hearn, so that we had
two white women in Columbia county at that time, although Dill was
a widower and had one boy with him. Those arriving in 1860 were
Elish Ping and family, G. W. Miller and famil:", my mother and I heing
the family, .resse N. Day and famil:", and three bachelors, Henry
B. Day, and Jack and Newt Forrest. The Forrests had located the
Richardson place the year before and settled there, selling out to R.
G. Newland in 1861. Henry Day, having 320 a