FEDERAL
LAND TRANSFERS IN HUGO: 1850s - 1930s
ASSESSMENT Of PROPOSED PIONEER
MEADOWS SUBDIVISION
CONTAINING APPLEGATE TRAIL RESOURCES
IV.F.7.b). Federal Land
Transfers In Hugo: 1850s - 1930s
The military patent and cash entry history of the Proposed Pioneer Meadow Subdivision are
similar to the military patent and cash entry periods of Hugo, Oregon. The Proposed
Pioneer Meadow Subdivision's historical federal land transfers were in large part located
where they are because of the advantage of the only transportation system available at the
time, the Applegate Trail (Map 4; Map 5; Map 6; Map 7; Map 8; Map 18; Map 19; Map 21).
The following two patents make up the Proposed Pioneer Meadow Subdivision.
. 1861 John Davis Military Patent 41877
. 1864 Cash Entry Patent 141
The Applegate Trail was located in the 1861 John Davis Military Patent 41877 and very near
the 1864 Cash Entry Patent 141.
As an incentive to develop internal improvements, the United States transferred more than
300 million acres of public domain to states, corporations, and private citizens. The land
in the Hugo region was transferred from federal administration to private ownership
through several mechanisms: military warrant, cash entries, homesteads, donation land
claims, and railroad grants (Map 9).
Before the Civil War, veterans were given warrants entitling them to a specified number of
acres of public domain land for service in military engagements. Hugo has one military
warrant for 160 acres for the service of Private Rice Benson for service in the Rogue Rive
War (Map 9). The open spaces of the original 40-acre plus Dickerson farm were irrigated
and green in the 1990s, but earlier were dryland pasture (NE ¼ of the NE ¼ of Section 3,
T. 35. S., R. 6 W., W.M.). The land has a long farming history as it first became a large
pioneer farm of 160 acres in 1861.
"Military Bounty Land Act of March 3, 1855, Roseburg, Oregon. May
9, 1861 Military Warrant #92568 in the name of Rice Benson has this day been located by
Anson Turner..." Rice Benson was a private in Captain Miller's Company Oregon Militia
Rogue River War. The warrant was signed by Abraham Lincoln for 160 acres in the NW ¼ of
the NW ¼ of section 2, and the E ½ of the NE ¼, and the NE ¼ of the SE ¼ of section
3, T. 35. S., R. 6 W., W.M.
The 1861 John Davis Military Patent 41877 is identical to the Anson Turner Military
Warrant as it was given for service in military engagements (Map 9).
A prime consideration in public land policy, particularly in the Nation's earlier years,
was the securing of revenues through the sale of public lands. The Ordinance of 1785
established the cash-sale system, providing for large sales of public lands. By various
enactments between 1785 and 1832, the minimum unit of public land that could be offered
for sale was reduced to 40 acres. The cash-sale laws were for the most part repealed by
1891. Hugo has almost three dozen parcels of land which were transferred as cash entries
(Map 9). The parcels ranged from 40 to 160 acres. The 1864 Cash Entry Patent 141 is like
those patents and part of the Pioneer Meadow Subdivision Application.
In accordance with a national policy to encourage and subsidize the settlement of the west
after the Civil War, Congress enacted legislation in 1866 authorizing a grant of public
domain lands to be conveyed to a railroad company to help finance construction of a
railroad from Portland to the California border. A separate grant was authorized for
construction of the rest of the line from the border to Sacramento. In these two grants
were the seeds of the Oregon and California Railroad Company. Under the 1866 legislation
almost two dozen parcels of land in the Hugo area were granted to the O & C Railroad
for construction of the railroad (Map 9). The railroad grant parcels ranged from 40 to 160
acres.
In 1850 the Oregon Donation Action granted as much as 320 acres to each single male, or
640 acres to husband and wife, on condition of settlement for four years in undeveloped
parts of Oregon. The act expired 1855. The Hugo region has three donation land claims (Map
9): Hiram Niday and the Walker brothers, Augustus and Wesley.
Hiram Niday Donation Land Claim
Certificate Number: 1479
Notification Number: 692 (DC 40)
Claimant's Name: Hiram Niday
County in Oregon: Josephine County
Date & Place Birth: 1822, Lawrence County,
Ohio
Arrival In Oregon: September 15, 1852
Date Claim Settled: December 6, 1853
By 1855 Wesley and Augustus Walker had both settled their 160 acre claims. The Augustus
Walker claim included what is know today as the Lynch Ranch. Wesley Walker's claim was
adjacent and northeast up Jumpoff Joe Creek from his brother's land.
Augustus L. Walker - Donation Land Claim
Certificate Number: 861
Notification Number: 700
Claimant's Name: August L.
Walker
County in Oregon: Josephine
County
Date & Place of Birth:
1829, Henderson County, Kentucky
Arrival In Oregon: October
12, 1852
Date Claim Settled: March 1,
1855
Wesley R. Walker - Donation Land Claim
Certificate Number: 778
Notification Number: 699
Claimant's Name: Wesley R.
Walker
County in Oregon: Josephine
County
Date & Place of Birth:
1824, Henderson County, Kentucky
Arrival In Oregon: October
12, 1852
Date Claim Settled: March 1,
1855
The early Harris and Davis patents are both located on the Applegate Trail and, in large
part, in areas that had ready pasture in large open natural meadows: Harris Creek Prairie
and Cochrane Wet Area . The 1865 G. W. Harris Donation Land Claim Patent 70 is located
just to the south of the 1861 John Davis Military Patent 41877 (Map 9). The early Harris
and Davis patents are both located on the Applegate Trail and, in large part, in areas
that had ready pasture in large open natural meadows: Harris Creek Prairie and Cochrane
Wet Area . These two open areas had been open during the historic period in Oregon
starting in 1805 and before. They are based upon the long-term factors of geology and
soils. Both open areas are predominately two soils: 12B Brockman cobby clay loam, 2 to 7 %
slopes and 18B Copsey clay, 3 to 7 percent slopes (see Section IV.B.; Section IV.F.7.a);
Map 15). Because of the geology and soils these open meadows still exist (Aerial Photo 1;
Aerial Photo 2).
Through the years, emphasis in federal policy changed in favor of actual settlers on the
public lands. In 1862, Congress established the Homestead Act which provided for a gift of
160 acres to actual settlers who would settle on and cultivate the lands and reside upon
them for five years.
It became effective on January 1, 1863, the same day President Lincoln issued his
Emancipation Proclamation. In 1916 the Chamberlain-Ferris Act provided for revestment to
the federal government of title to lands remaining unsold and held by the Southern Pacific
Railroad originally granted to the Oregon and California Railroad. These previous railroad
lands came under the Homestead Act and there was another mini-land rush. Under the
Homestead Act approximately 70 parcels of land in the Hugo region became farms (Map 9).
The homesteads ranged in size from 40 to 160 acres and were awarded from the 1860s through
the 1930s.
The Proposed Pioneer Meadow Subdivision is part of the original 1861 John Davis Military
Patent 41877 and 1864 Cash Entry Patent 141 (Map 9). By 1895 all of the Proposed Pioneer
Meadow Subdivision had became the 240-acre J. C. Cochrane Ranch (Map 7: Map 8). This was a
ranch known locally by Hugo residents. The reason for the use of the name locally was that
Gordon Cochran was part of the J. C. Cochran family, and he eventually became a teacher at
both the Three Pines Elementary School and the Hugo Elementary School. Therefore, many of
the surviving locals identify the land with the old Cochrane Ranch.
In summary, the land in the Hugo region was transferred from federal administration to
private ownership through several mechanisms, including military warrants and cash
entries. While holders of military warrants were not a large part of the emigrant
population to Hugo and Josephine County, cash entry purchases were numerous as an addition
to the land base of the local homesteads. The Proposed Pioneer Meadow Subdivision's
historical federal land transfers (i.e., military warrant and cash entry) were in large
part located where they are because of the advantage of the only transportation system
available at the time, the Applegate Trail, and because of an area that had ready pasture
in a large open natural meadow, the Cochrane Wet Area. By 1895 all of the Proposed Pioneer
Meadow Subdivision had become the 240-acre J. C. Cochrane Ranch which was, and is, known
locally by Hugo residents because Gordon Cochran was part of the J. C. Cochran family, and
he eventually became a teacher at both the Three Pines Elementary School and the Hugo
Elementary School.
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