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Remarkable early Oregon Territory map, showing the original townsite of Peoria, Oregon Territory, prior to the town relocating about 1 mile north of its original townsite prior to 1853.
The map provides a remarkable record of the early and apparently long forgotten townsite of Peoria, which we have re-created from details on the map and WPA interviews conducted with early residents of the Willamette Valley. Two of the most important details on this map are the location of Shanklin Bay (named for an early Blacksmith) and the manuscript annotation of an early owner (Worth), a descendant of the Worth family, which operated the first general store in Peoria. Most notably, the geographical differences between the present map (which shows the townsite at the confluence of the Willamette River and Lake Creek) and the current location of Peoria (at the confluence of the Willamette River and Albany Channel), make it clear that the town was in fact moved to its present location. The Sprenger interview, excerpted below, noted the town's move, but recorded that the move was 1 mile south (erroneously so?).
Peoria, Oregon is located about 8 miles southeast of Corvallis, Oregon, at the confluence of the Willamette River and the Albany Channel. However, the present map provides convincing evidence that the town was originally located 1 mile south of its present location, at the confluence of Lake Creek and the Willamette River. The town grid and most of the streets on the map match those found in present day Peoria, but the topographical differences between the map and the present day site strongly suggest that the map depicts this earlier site. The remnants of the old town plan can still be seen using Google Earth.
The history of Peoria, Oregon begins in Peoria, Illinois. During the winter of 1839-1840, Reverend Jason Lee gave a series of lectures in Peoria, Illinois in order to recruit reinforcements for the Methodist Mission and to encourage American settlement in the Oregon Territory. Following these lectures, the first overland American immigrant party was organized. Led by Thomas J. Farnham, the Peoria Party arrived at Willamette Falls in late 1839 and early 1840. Others arrived via ship, including George Abernethy and Alvin F. Waller, both part of the "Great Reinforcement" for the Methodist Mission, in June 1840.
Reverend Waller established a church and store at Willamette Falls later that year. Abernethy was appointed manager of the store. McLoughlin donated land and materials for the church and a parsonage. In 1841, Waller established the Island Milling Company and by 1842 was operating a small saw mill and making plans for a flour mill on a portion of McLoughlin's claim in what appears to have been an effort to secure an American claim to the land near the falls. McLoughlin, in a further effort to stake his claim, platted and named the growing village "Oregon City" in 1842.
The Methodist Church, the first Protestant church west of the Rocky Mountains, was completed in 1843, the same year that a Provisional Government, under the jurisdiction of the United States, was established. Oregon City was incorporated in 1844, the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains. In 1845, Oregon City became the seat of the Provisional Government and George Abernethy was appointed governor. By 1846, it had a population of over 500 inhabitants. Oregon Territory was officially created in 1848 and Oregon City was designated as the Territory's first capital, remaining so until the capital was moved to Salem in 1852.
The modern town of Peoria, Oregon may first have been called Burlington Precinct. The so-called Burlington Precinct was organized in 1850. In 1857, the town of Peoria was organized and the district was renamed the Peoria Precinct, although there are records which indicate that Peoria may have existed as early as 1849.
The earliest settlers in the Peoria area were attracted by the Donation Lands offered by the United States Government. These early settlers included James S. Dill (BLM map shows Dill as the holder of Oregon City Land Office Claim # 44, Not. # 2257 for 639.40 acres in Twp 13S, R4W, Willamette Meridian, sec.'s 17, 18, 19, and 20 - close to the present location of Peoria, Linn Co., Oregon).
Other early settlers include James M. Coon, Jacob L. Coon, and John Miller, Jr. and Sr., whose claims are within a mile or two of the claims held by Dill. The Coon family diary of travels on the Oregon Trail from Mercer County, Illinois to Clackamas County, Oregon in 1847 and subsequent family research connects James Dill as part of their overland group.
The following information comes from WPA interviews of early Oregon settlers. Excerpt from interview with Thomas Bird Sprenger, interviewed on November 12, 1938 by Leslie Haskins.
One place which was a thriving little settlement west of here, but which is now gone, was the town of Burlington. It was situated perhaps three fourths of a mile, or a mile north of the present town of Peoria. There was a store there, a blacksmith shop, and, I think, a post office. The town was finally moved south to the present site of Peoria because there was no good boat landing at the old town.
In the early days Robert Shanklin ran the blacksmith shop at Peoria. . . . J. Q. Worth and John C. Worth ran the store and warehouse at Peoria. It was at one time the important wheat shipping point for all this section of the country. . .
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orlinngs/resources/wpa/sprenger.htm
Interview with James Worth Morgan. Albany, Oregon, March 20, 1940.
After my father and mother had lived near Union Point for a year or two they sold that claim and bought 370 acres of land west of Muddy Creek near Halsey. For that tract he paid only $1700. Of course at that time there was no town of Halsey. I, myself, can remember what [sic] all that neighborhood was a wheat field. Peoria, to the west of the farm, was the only market place for their wheat. From there it was shipped by boat down the river.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orlinngs/resources/wpa/morganja.htm
In March 2010, we received the following information from author Derek Hayes:
There exists a General Land Office (BLM) survey [map] that shows . . . the site of Peoria, Oregon, on the map you have . . . and the location of the new settlement (where the ferry is). The . . . map is dated 1853, so if this is correct the old Peoria seems to have disappeared before that and the new one appeared, though not in name on this map at any rate. The new settlement is almost exactly one mile north of where I think the old one was.