Trip Report
Left SEHS at 0800, going by Dillard Road to Hwy. 99, and south to Creswell. Stopped momentarily at the location of the Robinette Stage Coach Stop, now occupied by the Creswell Faith Center. Proceeding on Hwy. 99S, stopped at Drain City Hall, then downtown Yoncalla and Col. Rex Applegate’s old homestead. [I forgot: We made a side trip in Cottage Grove to see Clair Cooley’s family house on the east side of town. It has been very nicely decorated inside, and is worth a trip any time.] At the Homestead we met Carol and Rex Applegate, who gave an unusually interesting 30-minute talk on the history of the Applegate family. His forebears came well equipped with 1,000 head of cattle and horses, various members being qualified in various trades/arts. In addition, the Yoncalla were a peaceable tribe. We had lunch on the lawn, surrounded with beautiful large trees and old flowers from back east. Departed at 1:00, took the old road and Hwy. 38 back towards Drain, turning left on Territorial Road, up over some hills that were difficult for the horses and wagons. We stopped short of Lorane to view a monument to the Cartwright Mountain House Stage Coach Stop on the early route. Then a stop at Lorane Store and the volunteer Free Library next door in an old garage. A few miles on we stopped at the King Estate Winery, a monstrous building on a spectacular site, high up on a hill. An attractive and vivacious young lady named Julia Porter gave us an extensive tour of the whole operation with its extensive, numerous stainless steel tanks. On a little fiuther, we stopped at Crow to visit their volunteer Free Library, behind the general store. Called the Applegate Museum, it has very extensive original artifacts and pictures from the community and was started in an old one-room school house but has had an addition put on for many big items. Well worth the stop.
We had a total of seven guests and also two special guests: Douglas Card, who is the head man - with little glory - for the ceremonies in Lane County to recognize the 150th Anniversary. The kiosks that were part of the plan at numerous historical spots have been delayed. His narrative of early history was very well received by riders. Second, was Earle Ellson, a Veneta resident and expert on the location of the Trail in that area. He showed where it came out on Hwy. 126 just west of the lake.
Riders were Ethel Allen, Louise Benke, Ingrid Carmichael, Clair Cooley, Helga Defoe, Bette Hack, Sylvia Harvey, Everett & Marilyn Holbrook, Jean Jensen, Catherine Jones, Rosella Jones, Cecily Joost, Fran Kemler, Dody Leppman, Alta Nelson, Frances Newsom, Liz Reanier, Mary Stanford, Tom Taylor, Gene Thaxton, Louise Thurber, Marjorie Townes, Hazel Turner, Margaret Wiese, Hawk & Ruth Williams. Trips leaders were Bill Eaton and Ray Jensen.
