Continue to Stand in the Gap: Linn County

Linn County, Oregon

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13.

Linn County is the last of the West Central Region counties to explore in this cycle. Established in 1847, the county seat is Albany (although it was originally Brownsville).

The county commissioners are Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Springer, and William C. Tucker.

The County Sheriff is Michelle Duncan.

Linn County, OR

In looking into Linn County there never seems to be a shortage of interesting stories. We looked at the influence of Henry and Eliza Spaulding, missionaries who found their way to Linn County after the 1847 Whitman Massacre here. And the colorful story of Joab Powell, builder of Providence Pioneer Church in Linn County and the first Oregon Chaplain of the Legislature in 1859 can be found here.

The Spaulding family took refuge in Linn County after the Whitman Massacre due to the unstable and dangerous situation east of the mountains in the years following the massacre and the Cayuse War. Another family found refuge in Linn County after the massacre as well, only they were even more directly affected by it than the Spaulding family was.

Josiah and Marguerite Osborne first came to Oregon in 1845. They had gone to the Willamette Valley, then returned to the Whitman Mission in 1847 to help Dr. Whitman build a gristmill. The measles epidemic that triggered the massacre of November 29, 1847, affected their family as well. Not only was the family ill, but Marguerite had given birth to a baby on November 14^th. The child had died a few hours later and on the 24^th a daughter, Salvijane, died of measles. When the attack came on the 29^th the family were together in one room trying to recover from the illness. When they heard the sounds of violence, they hid under the floorboards of the bedroom in a shallow crawlspace until nightfall, then made a run for safety under the cover of darkness. They later recounted they could see the Cayuse around a bonfire, celebrating. Josiah, Marguerite, Nancy, aged 9, John and little Alexander, aged 2, made their way on foot toward Fort Walla Walla. However, it soon became apparent that the mother, having recently given birth and lost two children as well as recovering from measles, was in no shape to travel.

Josiah made the tough decision to leave his wife, little Alexander, and Nancy hidden while he and John, whom he carried on his back, made their way to the fort. At the fort, Josiah found it difficult to get help, but eventually secured a horse and supplies. He then had to enlist the help of a friendly Native American to locate his wife and children as he had become disoriented in the dark.

Eventually, the family was reunited and they, along with other survivors of the attack, were taken to Oregon City. From there the Osbornes relocated to Linn County where Josiah Osborne helped establish Union Point Presbyterian Church in 1851. This church later joined with First Willamette Church to form Oakville Presbyterian Church now still near Shedd, in Linn County.

There is an account that Nancy, 9 years old at the time of the massacre, grew up, married and lived a long full life in Portland. However, in extreme old age, she died by jumping through a second story window screaming, “The Indians are coming to kill us.”

In just a few days it will be 176 years since the Whitman Massacre. We have traditionally lauded the bravery and sacrifice of the pioneers, but little has been said about the effects of trauma on them or on our state’s foundations. Not only did those early pioneers face incredible hardships making the six-month-long trip by wagon train, losing mothers in childbirth, children and fathers to disease and accident, but the struggles often continued, especially in the early years as homesteads were established and treaties made with the indigenous tribes.

In 2018 a study was conducted that indicated that trauma might be passed down in our DNA. Whether or not further research will verify that, trauma certainly has deep roots in our state’s spiritual DNA. That might be something to pray about when praying over our state’s historical roots.