Mill Creek Journal: Ashland, Oregon, 1850-1860

"Monday, December 24, 1860 In the late afternoon snow fell steadily over the Bear Creek Valley. At Ashland Mills four inches piled high on the fences and stumps, covering the ground with its even whiteness. Tomorrow was Christmas — the last of the decade. Light shone from the mill office and at Mickelson's forge. It blazed out on the snow that quickly erased boot prints and wagon ruts. With its pure brightness the snow covered Ashland Mills soil — soil made black with blood and ashes. Veiled in snow the town appeared unblemished on the holy day." Mill Creek Journal - Ashland, Qregon 1850 - 1860 “This homicide is a dark page in the history of Ashland, and cast a shadow over the community that was not easily dispelled. A. G. Walling, 1884 Mill Creek Joumal began in 1980 with an attempt to trace a single incident and developed into a history of Ashland, Oregon’s first ten years, 1850-1860. A decade about which little has been recorded, it began with the initial visitation of miners and packers and ended as the community of Ashland Mills, with the rest of the country, prepared for the Civil War. I was particularly interested in identifying individuals who were important in Ashland’s early development but whose names had faded with the years. Many of these people —]onathan Sampson, Robert Wright and John Barrett — left Ashland early and were lost for us to time. We know them briefly here, again. Others, like Bennett Million, ]ohn Murphy and James Tolman, made signifi- cant contributions in later years and would figure more prominently in another study. Mill Creek Journal recalls some incidents that brought pain to the people involved and to their families. In each instance I hope that Mill Creek Journal will enhance our sense of their great effort here so long ago.