About a dozen families were detained until January in the Umpqua Valley, a part of whom were unable to get out before February, when their cattle having recruited on the excellent grass of that region, they were able to resume travel with their wagons and stock. These last found refuge at Fort Umpqua on Elk River through the few cold weeks of mid-winter, except three or four men who guarded the property left in camp on that stream by those who escaped to the settlements.
The discussion of the events connected with the opening of the northern and southern roads into the Willamette Valley bade fair to overshadow the political questions which had led, among other causes, to the establishment of the southern route. Two parties were formed over the discussions of the latter: one which favored the Barlow road, because it brought travellers directly to Oregon City, and promoted the
longing to Delore. The 22d it snowed all day; the 24th the empty, wagons which were brought to the south branch of Elk River were there left, the water being above the banks. Two oxen were drowned in swimming across. Christmas day the snow was a foot deep, and no progress was made. Next lay they travelled one and a half miles to the north fork of Elk River, where the families of Kennedy, Hall, and others were encamped. These two families had been without food for four days, except a little tallow boiled in water, and Holt proposed to Baker, who had purchased some oxen driven from the settlements, to let the starving people have these, telling him the people of the Willamette would make good his loss. They were accordingly slaughtered and divided between Kennedy, Hall, Croizen, and Cornwall, who had joined this camp; Lovelin having been taken to the Willamette by Barrows of Owens' party. This, the 26th of December, was the first clear day since the 3d of the month. So many horses having died or been stolen, the lean oxen in Holt's company had to be packed. The first of January the snow was three feet deep in places on the Calapooya Mountains and the weather very cold. The 5th, Holt arrived at the house of Eugene Skinner, the most southern settlement in the Willamette Valley, presumably where the town of Eugene now stands. So frosty was it on the 8th, that the women and children who became wet in crossing streams were almost frozen. The streams, being high from the recent rains, were too deep to ford, and were crossed by swimming the horses and oxen. On the 12th the house of Williams on the Luckiamute River in Polk County was reached, where the company was compelled to remain four days on account of cold and storms. Not until the 21st of January, 1847, did these storm-beaten pilgrims reach the friendly shelter of the settlers' homes in the central portion of the Willamette Valley. Holt and the others who went to their rescue were absent fifty days, and endured great hardships in their service, besides expending some $400 at their own risk, over and above the assistance rendered by other companies. Holt's Journal in Or. Spectator, March 4, 1847.
