James Taylor Cooper 's journey across the plains and on to Oregon

  James T. Cooper  nephew George Washington Dimmick  convinced his uncle to record the details of his travel to Oregon. Cynthia Rust , grandneice of James made the original copy available to Harold A. Minter who published it in his book "Umpqua Valley Oregon and its pioneers" He wrote:

  "J.T.Cooper was born at New Pitsligo, Aberdeen Shire, Scotland, August 10, 1821. Married Harriet Dimmick, April 13, 1854 ( Daughter of Ziba Dimmick and Cynthia Delight Hall Dimmick.) Ziba Dimmick crossed the plains in 1853 from the state of Illinois. Istarted to cross the plains from Rockford, Ill., in 1850 with a 2 horse team, crossed the Mo.,river at Council Bluffs, where I got my supplies for the long journey across the plains.
   "I arrived at Salt Lake in the first week in July, I stopped to rcruit my horses. I left my wagon and came on on horeseback. I worked in the harvest two weeks and bought provisions from the Mormons to last me to Sacremento, Cal. I did not remain in California. Started to Oregon some time in September 1850 by water. I took passage aboard the brig Kate Heath. The Captain's name was Woods. Sailed into the mouth of the Umpqua about the 10th of Oct. 1850, had avery rough passage up he coast , but passed over the bar whithout any trouble. The vessel anchord opposite where Old Umpqua City or Miliary Fort was established in 1856.
   "There was quite a company of young men that came when I did. We all got on shore in caravns as there was a large camp of  Indians at the mouth of the Umpqua. We hired the Indians to bring us to Scottsburg.  There were 2 cabins there, Scott's, who the place was nmed for, and Dr. E. R. Fiske. An Indian brought me as far as Sawyers Rapids, there we camped for the night. The Indian speared a salmon on the rapids and cooked it on sticks before the fire. I thought it was the sweeest meat I ever ate. We had neither bread nor salt.
    "I came on to The Hudson Bay's Fort which was across the Umpqua above the mouth of Elk Creek. There was an old Frenchman by the name of Gardiner, [Gagnier]  who had been there 25 years. at that time he had an Indian wife. I did not tarry long in that vicinity. I took the Indian trail up  Elk Creek to Yoncalla Valley, the noted homes of the Applegates, where I went to work making rails for Robert Cowan, John Long and Uncle Billy Wilson.
    "I took my first claim where Mr. Fen Sutherlin now lives, in November 1850. It was in what was then called Benton County, Marysville was called the county seat. I sold my claim to Sutherlin in November 1852 and took a place now owned by John Fryer and helped establish the ferry long knoen as the  Dimmick ferry. The Indians called it "Chinnagouche", meaning "Crescent", and Crescent Ferry was the name given to the first license, which was obtained at Elkton, the county seat of  Umpqua County in 1852.
    "I cast my first vote for Joe Lane as delagate to congress in June 1851. Joe Drew was sent from this section to confer with the Benton County delagates in reference to hving a count organized on this side of the Calapooia Mountains to be called Umpqua.
    "I enlisted in Co. F. of Oregon Volunteers under Colonel W.W. Chapman at the outbreak of the Rouge River war in 1855-56. I entertained  Indian Agent Joel Palmer and his interpreter Mr. Flett, George M. Brown's grandfather on his mother's side, at my cabin where he treated with the Indians in 1856.
    "I was the first constable of the first Elkton Precinct. I was elected as one of the repesentatives to the legislature in 1872 and got up a bill for $10,000 to build the bridge at Winchester and $15,000 for the wagon road from Wilbur to Green Station. ( Two miles South of Roseburg. )
    "Fendall Sutherlin took up the busby place in 1850 where Roseburg now is and I went from my place in the Swale on foot to help him build a cabin. I had on a pair of buckskin pants and it rained and my pants begin to stretch and I commenced to roll them up and when they dried I could hardly get into them. Fen did not put in his appearence and I had had my tramp ( ten miles) whithout any dinner. I made my way back to Aiken's ( at Wincheter ) and found them all in bed.
    "There was quite a large camp of Indians on Deer Creek at that time, nearly a mile above where Roseburg now stands. Scottsburg became quite a trading post and pack trains came from Yreka, Cal. to get supplies there. Flour, beans, coffee and dried peaches came from Chile by way of San Francisco. Flour was  15 cents to 20 cents per lb., and from that up to 50 cts., and sometimes we had to do without. Wild game was plentiful. We occasionally killed a beef of the Hudson's Bay Co., when we could not buy from them. They charged 25 cts. per lb. for beef. Flour was $14.00 per hundred and was kept high until 1854 and every thing else. Then they commencd to raise grain in the Willamette Valley and the large emigations coming every year, bringing stock of all kind, soon made things cheaper and plentiful."

                                                                                                                         [signed] J.T.Cooper