Genealogy & History
| Lane
County Home |
Oregon Home Page |
National Home Page |
Contact |
Volunteer |
Submit Info |
Search |
|
Lane County, Oregon Genealogy & History |
|
||||
| Where to
next? |
||||||
| Obituaries |
Births |
Newspapers |
Cemeteries |
Marriages |
Census |
Military |
| Eugene |
|
Basic Facts: Named after founder, Eugene Franklin Skinner, who in 1846 erected the first cabin which in 1850 dubbed a Post Office. Incorporated in 1862 The 2010 census had Eugene with a population of 156,185 people, making it the 2nd largest city in Oregon. |
| Eugene This is the chief town and county seat of Lane county,-one of the largest, most diversified and important counties of the State. it extends from the summit of the Cascade range on the east, clear across the Willamette valley and Coast Range to the ocean, and includes a large area of the finest grain and fruit and grass land on the coast. For variety of productions, for every-changing scenery, for clearness and abundance of streams, it is doubted if any county of the Northwest can equal Lane. It has mountains and valleys, hills and plains, prairies and woodlands, everything to charm the eye, or furnish the aliment on which the Caesars of a growing civilization need to feed. Snugly embowered in the fir and oak foliage that fringe the easternmost point of "Grand Prairie," just where it touches the river, lies "Eugene." Around it on the east and south swings a cordon of hills, with timbered crests, swelling upward from either side, until they terminate directly south of the city, and about four miles away, in "Spencer's Butte," a sharp mountain peak that rises 1,500 feet above the plain on which the city stands. in appearance it is the "Lookout mountain" of Oregon, and the general aspects of the scene always remind us of the older "Lookout" that sentinels Chattanooga, and we feel like turning our ear to listen to the thunder of the "battle above the clouds." Eugene is of the same grade of cities as Albany. Much that was said of that place would be equally well said of this. Perhaps, it lies father from the great commercial metropolis, it has a more distinct business and social life of its own than the former city. Its business blocks, churches, residences, school houses are about the same, nor do their populations greatly vary. But that in which the citizens of Eugene take most pride, is the State University, which the people of the place was enterprising and energetic enough to secure. They may well be proud of it, as it gives tone and character to the intellectual life of their fine and growing city. The buildings of the university are situated on a gentle hill, fairly overlooking the city, and from its streets present a very attractive appearance. The addition of its corps of professors and teachers, and of the three or four hundred young people, who resort there for intellectual training, imparts a decidedly intellectual flavor to the society of the place. The location of this city of seven or eight thousand people, near the head of the Willamette valley, and in one of the most productive counties of Oregon, pledges it a sure and rapid growth. An Illustrated history of the state of Oregon, 1893 Contributed by Shauna Williams |
| Eugene, Oregon.—The most
distinguishing feature of Eugene is its natural beauty of
location. The district in which the city is located is one
of the most picturesque parts of the state. This might truly
be termed the gateway to the Willamette valley from the
south. It is the dividing line between the low, level
stretches of the valley proper and the undulating but highly
fertile lands to the south. All of the section tributary to
Eugene is perfectly watered, the soil is both warm and rich,
and the country supports one of the most prosperous farming
communities in the state. Eugene has a population of about 4,000, and it is the highest point on the Willamette river that steamboats from Portland ever ascend. This stream flows by the city on the east. To the west is a range of hills covered with forests. From the highest eminences of these hills is commanded one of the widest views of the Willamette valley obtained from any elevation. Eugene is essentially a city of homes. The city has the appearance of some well laid-out park, shade trees lining all the principal streets. Around all the fine private residences of the city are well-kept lawns and flower gardens, and these private grounds attest in a most striking manner the inclinations of the people who have made their homes in Eugene. It is the boast of the people here that Eugene is a city of homes, and the effort made to add to the home comforts of Eugene's population has done much to advance the city's interests in a material way. Eugene is the seat of Lane county, and it is also the seat of the Oregon State University, a higher institution of learning, that has attained great prominence among the great schools of the coast. Eugene is 123 miles south of Portland by the line of the Southern Pacific railroad, and 650 miles north of San Francisco by the same route. It is the natural trading and jobbing center of Lane county, and the development of this county during the last five years has resulted in largely increasing Eugene's population and wealth. The staple product of the farms of this section, as of the other parts of the valley, is wheat. In addition the farmers here pay large attention to fruit and hop growing, while the production of wool and stock raising are followed with profit in the foothill districts of the county. This is an ideal fruit growing country. The nights here during the summer and fall months are warm, the soil is rich and of that peculiar light quality especially adapted to fruit growing, and fruit raising on the most extensive scale will some day be the most profitable industry of Lane county. The main business street of Eugene has the stamp of metropolitan importance. It is wide and well kept, and it is lined, for a distance of four blocks in the center of the city, with fine two and three-story brick buildings. The display windows of the main business houses make a very attractive appearance. Every line of business is well represented here, and a number of the largest stores carry stocks of goods valued at from $25,000 to $40,000. Owing to the many advantages of location a number of important manufacturing institutions have been established at Eugene during the past few years, and these industries are all on a paying basis. The local supply of raw material is large and is easily obtained, and the excellent shipping facilities enjoyed by the city assure a ready market for the product of the factories here. Located here is a large roller flouring mill with a daily capacity of 100 barrels. This mill manufactures a high grade of flour, and this flour is shipped as far north as Puget Sound. The company operating these mills has an elevator capacity of 100,000 bushels, and the entire milling plant is complete in every respect. The Willamette Tannery, shown by the accompanying illustration, was established in Eugene 12 years ago, and since that time it has been turning out leather at the rate of 7,000 sides a year. The proprietors of the tannery are W. W. Haines & Co., who are thoroughly experienced manufacturers in their line. The tannery employs eight men and consumes 250 cords of hemlock bark per year. Almost the entire output of the plant is shipped to San Francisco, via the Oregon Pacific railroad to Yaquina Bay and by steamer plying regularly between the latter port and San Francisco. Messrs. Haines & Co. state that the demand for the grade of leather manufactured by them is far in excess of the capacity of their plant. Among the other factories located at Eugene is a sawmill with a cutting capacity of 25,000 feet of lumber per day. This mill gives employment to 25 men. Logs are floated to the mill down the Willamette river. The cannery and fruit-evaporating plant combined, located at this point, represent an outlay of $15,000. The cannery has a daily capacity of 50 tons of fruit while the evaporator can turn out 5,000 pounds of fruit a day. During the busy season, this plant gives employment to about 200 men, women and children, and it is the means of disbursing large sums of money here regularly. Eugene claims two planing and one shingle mill. The latter has a capacity of 20,000 shingles a day. Among the other manufacturing plants here are an ice factory and cold-storage house, foundry and machine shops, and a furniture and cutlery manufactory. Eugene enjoys the benefit of a great water power. This has only been partially developed as yet. The flouring mill, two or three of the smaller factories and the city electric plant are now being operated by this water power. The water is brought to the city through a race which taps the Willamette river a short distance above Eugene. Eugene has a good system of waterworks, water for city use being taken from a reservoir located on a butte one-half mile distant. This reservoir is at an elevation of 175 feet above the city, and it has a holding capacity of 300,000 gallons. The water is pumped into the reservoir direct from a deep well whose supply is inexhaustible. Mains are laid through all the principal streets, and hydrants are located at the street crossings. Fire engines are unnecessary as a protection against a conflagration, as sufficient pressure is maintained at all times in the hydrants, which are easily tapped, to throw a stream over the highest building of any of the streets. Four well-drilled volunteer hose companies are maintained here, and the city has every facility for successfully fighting fire. Over $20,000 has already been expended by Eugene in an excellent system of sewers covering the main streets of the city. As a seat of learning, Eugene occupies a proud position among the most favored educational centers of the coast. In addition to the University of Oregon located here an excellent public school system is maintained. Two large modern school buildings, containing eight rooms each, furnish ample quarters for public school purposes. Sixteen teachers are employed in these schools. The schools are graded, and scholars, upon the completion of their studies at Eugene's public schools, are prepared to enter the freshman class in any of the best colleges. Eugene is the banking center of Lane county. Three strong financial institutions are located here, and they all do a large business. The two leading banks of Eugene are the Lane County Bank and the First National. The oldest banking house in Eugene and Lane county is that of Messrs. Hovey, Humphrey & Co., known as the Lane County Bank. It was established in 1882, and occupies one of the finest brick corners, shown by the accompanying illustration, in Eugene. The president of the Lane County Bank is Hon. A. G. Hovey, ex-member of the state senate and ex-mayor of the city of Eugene. Mr. Hovey is regarded as one of the leading and prominent citizens of Eugene and of the state, and he enjoys the confidence of all who know him. H. C. Humphrey, a son of one of Oregon's pioneers, the late Hon. Geo. Humphrey, is the cashier of the bank, J. M. Abrams is the assistant cashier, and A. G. Hovey, Jr., is the teller. The Lane County Bank continues to do an increasing business with all classes and interests of the people of Lane county with each successive year. The First National Bank of Eugene, shown by the accompanying illustration, is one of the most solid financial institutions in the Willamette valley. It was first established as a private bank in 1884 by the prominent firm of Hendricks & Eakin, and was incorporated as a national bank in 1886. The First National Bank was first capitalized with $50,000, and the surplus now amounts to $50,000 more. The total amount of business transacted by this bank, in 1892, was $7,000,000. The Hon. T. G. Hendricks, a resident of the state of Oregon since 1848, and one of the prominent citizens of Eugene, is president of the First National Bank; Hon. S. B. Eakin is cashier, and P. E. Snodgrass is the assistant cashier. Eugene has the benefit of the strongest of religious influences. Eight strong church organizations are maintained here, all of which own handsome church edifices. These are denominations of the Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic, Congregational, Christian and Baptist. Three well conducted newspapers, The Daily Guard, The Semi- Weekly Register and The Weekly Oregon State Journal, render effective aid in advancing the city's interests. A handsome opera house, with a seating capacity of 1,000, has recently been completed at Eugene. Eugene's finances are in a most satisfactory condition. The assessed valuation of city property, in 1892, was $1,600,000, and the total bonded indebtedness of the city today does not exceed $20,000. Excellent accommodations are provided for tourists here, Eugene supporting three good hotels and four well stocked livery stables. An active board of trade has done much to crowd Eugene to the front. Through the agency of the board of trade here liberal inducements, in the way of proffers of land and money, have been offered manufacturers to locate at this point, and this liberal policy has resulted in much practical benefit to the city. Eugene's corporate limits now extend two miles east and west and one mile north and south. The main street leading from the depot out to the university, is traversed by a street-car line, over which cars are run at frequent and regular intervals. Eugene has always been a prosperous point, and the energy of its citizens during the past few years, together with its many advantages of location, has resulted in making Eugene one of the leading centers of population in Western Oregon. The Oregonian's Handbook of the Pacific Northwest Edward Gardner Jones, Editor 1894, The Oregonian Publishing Co. |
