Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Mary's Peak, Benton County, OR The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15 Benton County, just south of Polk, is bordered on the east by Linn and on the west by Lincoln. It was named after Senator Thomas Hart Benton, a supporter of Manifest Destiny and the belief that the Oregon Country should be part of the United States. One might believe that nearly everyone in those days thought Oregon should be part of the United States, and that the country should go from “sea to shining sea.” It is hard to imagine otherwise, now. However, there were numerous thoughtful men who thought the Northwest should be its own country, or a colony of the United States that could become its own independent country, or that the border of the U.S. should just naturally stop at the Rocky Mountains. Some very determined individuals, like Benton, tipped the balance to create the country we have. Benton County, Oregon Corvallis, once named Marysvill...

  Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon Teach me good judgement and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments . Psalm 119:66 In the early days it was only Linn-Benton Counties along the southern end of the Willamette Valley, all the way across to the ocean. Lincoln County, sectioned off from Benton and Tillamook Counties, didn’t come into being until 1893. We are checking out Benton this time, but as we head west, there is an interesting stop in Linn County just this side of the Benton County line. Oakville Presbyterian Church sits in the middle of beautiful farm county between Corvallis to the northwest and the little unincorporated community of Shedd to the southeast. This congregation has been in existence for 172 years, since 1850, and while the beginning structure was a log cabin, this white, steepled church building is the original one built in 1860 and has been in use continuously. It has undergone renovations during that time, and been moved a few yards, but it is sti...

    Alsea Falls, Benton County, OR Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord . Psalm 34:11   Moving south down the Willamette Valley from Polk County, we find ourselves in Benton County. As with Polk, the county was once part of Yamhill, but was partitioned off in 1847. Like Yamhill and Polk before, it originally went all the way to the California border. Benton county was named after Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, who was a staunch advocate of Oregon becoming part of the United States.     Corvallis, which means “heart of the valley,” is the county seat, and my personal experience with Benton is via Corvallis. Home of Oregon State University (Go, Beavers!), this is where both my parents attended college immediately after World War II, and where they met. They married while my dad was still taking classes, finishing his degree in agriculture, while Mom had graduated with a degree in home economics. Oregon State is a national l...