he upper mouth of the Willamette River, and the base line 7¾ miles south, in order to avoid the Columbia River in extending the base line east to the Cascade Mountains. The intersection of the base and meridian lines was 3½ miles west of the Willamette. The reason given for fixing the point of beginning at this place was because the Indians were friendly on either side of the line for some distance north and south, and a survey in this locality would best accommodate the immediate wants of the settlers.[1] But it was soon found that the nature of the country through which the initial lines were run would make it desirable in order to accommodate the settlers to change the field of operations to the inhabited valleys,[2] three fourths of the meridian line north of the base line passing through a country broken and heavily timbered. The base line east of the meridian to the summit of the Cascade Mountains also passed through a densely timbered country almost entirely unsettled. But on the west side of the meridian line were the Tualatin plains, this section of the country being first to be benefited by the survey.
On the 5th of February, 1852, appeared the first notice to settlers of surveys that had been completed in certain townships, and that the surveyor general was prepared to receive the notifications of their respective claims and to adjust the boundaries thereof, he being made the arbiter and register of all donation claims.[3] At the same time settlers were advised that they must have their claims surveyed and cor-
- ↑ Rept of Preston in U. S. H. Ex. Doc. 52, 1851–2, v. 23, 31st cong. 1st sess. It was done by Thurston's advice. See Cong. Globe, 1849–50, xxi. pt ii. 1077, 31st cong. 1st sess.
- ↑ William Ives was the contractor for the survey of the base line and Willamette meridian north of it; and James Freeman of the Willamette meridian south of it, as far as the Umpqua Valley.
- ↑ The first surveys advertised were of township 1 north, range 1 east; townships 7 and 8 south, range 1 west; and township 7 south, range 3 and 4 west. The oldest patents issued for donation claims are those in Washington county, unless the Oregon City lots may be older. See Or. Spectator, Feb. 10, 1852.
