[or-roots] Wasco Co history - Driver

[Robert Casebeer]

Carla and Les, regarding Driver Valley. My lifelong research into Douglas County Placenames might be helpful. Here is what I have.
"Driver Valley 
The valley lies ten miles east of Oakland. It is three and one-half miles ong, a mile wide and was named honoring I. D. Driver who settled there in 1853.  Some say the valley was named after Samuel Mitchell Driver who was another early pioneer settler there. The valley floor has rich black soil and the surround bald hills soils are of red clay.  
    Isaac D. Driver was a very noted Methodist minister and debated such avowed agnostics as the famous Robert Ingergsoll.
    Samuel L. Driver staked a donation land claim in sections 22 and23 on Oldham Creek and his relative is Isaac D. Ddriver, and his DLC ws in Township  25, Range 4 West of the Willamette Meridian. Since Isaac settled closer to Calapooya Creek it is likely that he is the man who seems to be more likely to have had the honor of getting the valley named 
Driver Valley."  Bob Casebeer
----- Original Message ----- 
  From: CKlooster at aol.com 
  To: or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 11:58 AM
  Subject: Re: [or-roots] Wasco Co history - Driver


  Hey Les...just a little FYI...as I scrolled through your Wasco County names, the Sam Driver family jumped out at me.  Years ago I met a Sam Driver who was a descendent of that family; met him in Alaska of all places.  He asked me if I knew any Bonney family around The Dalles, and it turned out that his father had been a lifelong friend of my former husband's grandfather, Dale Bonney.  He told me a bit about the Driver family and mentioned that Driver Valley near Roseburg in Douglas County was named for the family. So anyone looking at this family might want to explore the connection.

  Carla
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