[or-roots] Row River Row

[Roy Blaine]

My grandmother, Dee Darnell, was one of the contributors in the excellent little book "Golden Was the Past.". She took my cousin and I swimming at a hole on Row River back in 1970. I remember her telling us it was NOT "Roe River" and not about paddling a boat, but about the feud between the Clarks and Southwells. 

- For what it's worth, the streets never did turn to gold. :-}

Roy Blaine
Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 25, 2012, at 6:53 PM, rowriver at aol.com wrote:

> Les,
> 
> That's one I had not heard.
> 
> The most generally accepted story regarding the renaming of the Row River follows:
> 
> 
> In the mid 1800s this river was known as the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Early Oregon Pioneers that settled along the river which runs from the Cascades west to the Willamette near present day Cottage Grove. 
> 
> These Pioneers always felt that the name was much too difficult to pronounce. It just did not roll off the tongue very easily so, almost from the beginning of settlement, the community was trying to come up with a name that was more suitable, easier to say but could not agree.
> 
> At this same time two families that had DLCs in the area, the Clarks and the Southwells, were embroiled in a bitter 'row' or feud that went back to their roots in Yorkshire, England and Morgan County, Illinois.  They were, by the way related through marriage.
> 
> Everyone along the river was aware of this feud... In the spring of 1868, March 27th this 'row' boiled over and a confrontation between Joseph Southwell; his sons Benjamin, Edwin, and John and George Clark erupted.  The dispute is generally thought to have been over land and sheep.  During this confrontation George Clark was shot in the back by one of the Southwells and killed. 
> 
> The other residents along the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette declared the Clark/Southwell 'row" at an end and agreed to rename the river the Row River in honor of George Clark. 
> 
> George Clark was my ggg grandfather.
> 
> 
> So when I was setting up my email accounts I chose rowriver as a tribute to my grandfather.  It is a good story anyway... Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> 
> Stephen
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leslie Chapman <opera_70 at yahoo.com>
> To: or-roots mail list <or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
> Sent: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 5:40 pm
> Subject: [or-roots] Row River Row
> 
> Off the top of my head I seem to remember seeing or hearing something in some of the histories lately about the "Bucket of Blood" or some such tavern up toward Dorena or past it (Seems like it had a legitimate name too?) where as much entertainment was had by the loggers trying to knock each other's teeth out every Saturday night as they had by drinking and dancing. I assume that is the story you are referring too?
> 
> Les C
> 
> To: or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
> Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 4:54 PM
> 
> Hi Les,
> 
> Thank you for the information. I will check  this link.
> 
> Yes, I can see how my email address would lead you to think I live somewhere between Cottage Grove and Dorena.
> In fact I'm a native San Diegan.  I did live in Cottage Grove in 2002 and in Eugene from 2003 to 2006.  That is not, however, the reason my email is Row River....
> 
> Being from Cottage Grove and interested in genealogy perhaps you have heard the story of how the Row River became the Row after originally being called the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette.  My ggg grandfather was the George Clark referenced in this story. 
> 
> If you haven't heard the story I'll be happy to share it with you.
> 
> Stephen Clark
> 
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