We met with Tracey at her office and she handed over the most recent documents she had discovered in the archives, mainly legal proceedings between Aaron L. Chamberlin and his wife Martha. Looks like there were a few fireworks in the family background! Once we decipher the lawyer's impossible handwriting we can get the whole story. It was great to see Tracey one last time and we left promising we would be back to Salem some day soon...
There were two more quick stops to make before heading out of Salem, one to the house of Plenty Lafrances (sister of Clarde Chamberlin) and one to John Heffley's house to drop off a gift. Unfortunately on our first stop we were unsure exactly which house belonged to Plenty due to an apparent house numbering change. Her death certificate indicated 2350 Myrtle Ave. but the numbers went from 2348 to 2370. We felt it was the big grey house (2370) but there was a chance it could have been the smaller one next door (2348). There will definitely be some further investigating required on our next trip.
The big house was being renovated so we took the opportunity to chat with the present owners. They sure had their work cut out for them and it reminded me of the old house in Victoria (see 2007 posts)...I won't be taking on a reno that big ever again...
Due to our difficulty in connecting with John the last two days we felt we would be dropping his gift at the door and carrying on but it was a very pleasant surprise to find both Charlotte and John at home and very happy to see us. We were invited in and John opened up his binder of family history.
We learned some incredible history of the area and the story of how the Heffleys came to acquire the Chamberlin property. Needless to say the details are too lengthy to go into right here but it is safe to say that John and Charlotte feel a deep connection to the former Chamberlin Donation Land Claim and are committed to keeping it and the Chamberlin Cemetery intact. John has his own history on that land, his father acquired it in the 1930's, and it feels good to know more than one family has benefited from the obvious special nature of the place. We had a very, very enjoyable afternoon with John and Charlotte...
From there is was to Starbucks and their free wireless to plot our voyage to the ocean. Our Priceline bid failed but we were feeling adventurous and set out to see what Newport had to offer.
As we reached Newport the timing couldn't have been better...what a spectacular re-introduction to the ocean...
As soon as the sun went down we realized we were hungry and in need of lodging. We crossed the bridge to the south side and quickly found a suitable hotel. The front desk informed us of a great pub located in a brewery down the road, although we were warned everything in Newport shuts down at 9PM so we had to move fast. Move we did, and what a great find that pub was...excellent food and a view like no other.
One had to walk through the brewery to get to the restaurant.
The weary travelers enjoying a bite and a beer...
And last but not least the view like no other...
Tomorrow it is the Oregon Coast south to Crescent City, California. If the weather continues to hold we are in for a real show. California here we come!
No comments:
Post a Comment