Quaint Elk City is said to have been the first settlement within the confines of present Lincoln County. It is also supposed to have been a roaring frontier camp for construction of the Oregon Pacific Railroad in the early 1880s. But now it dozes beside Yaquina River and "dreams" of past glories.
There are three routes leading to Elk City but removal of a bridge that has not been replaced at the east entrances makes the longer approach through Toledo the better way to visit this weathered hamlet at the headwater of navigation on the Yaquina. Travel distance from Toledo, mostly along the scenic Yaquina River, is about eight miles of winding through pastures and by sites of activities and discontinued lumbering operations.
Located in East Lincoln County, Elk City is said to have received its name from large herds of elk, observed in the region by pioneers. A first settlement was made in 1886 by the Yaquina Bay Wagon Road Company when it built a warehouse there, at the western terminal of a toll road from Corvallis.
A school was established the next year. Then in 1868 Albitha Newton platted the place, which remained for some time the overland stage and mail terminus from Corvallis.
For many years Elk City was a rendezvous for fishermen and hunters seeking big catches and big game. Travelers from the Willamette Valley to Yaquina Bay often came by the way of Elk City where water transportation was available either to Yaquina City of Newport.
In early days Elk City bore the name of Newton to commemorate its founder. A post office was established on July 12, 1868, that received the name of Elk City on November 23, 1888. As Newton, the community had two hotels, one kept by Jim Dixon, the other Marsh Simpson. "Head of tidewater on the Yaquina River is becoming quite a place," said an Oregon business directory for 1881.
Three years later Newton had really arrived as a construction camp for the Oregon Pacific Railroad, pushing overland from the head of navigation on the Yaquina River to meet another crew working eastward from Corvallis.
During September of 1884, the railroad was extended from Yaquina City to Elk City, a distance of 20 miles.
Chinese labor, using dump carts and wheelbarrows were building Colonel T. Egerton Hogg's dream that stockholders for a while hoped would link the Oregon Pacific to Yaquina City with a transcontinental line in Idaho.
For a time Elk City lived up to the best traditions of a railroad construction camp in the 1880s. After the first excursion over the Oregon Pacific tracks to the coast, July 4, 1885, Elk City settled down to a more placid existence. Fishermen and hunters still come, but by rail instead of by the old toll road.
In 1903, the place had a population of 85 (not much different from today's estimate) and was considered a pleasant resort by the Oregon & Washington Gazetteer. Then there was but one hotel, a grocery store, livery stable, justice of the peace and a Wells Fargo express agent, Edwin A. "Kit" Abbey. During World War I, lumbering gave Elk City a real boost and the population of 150 with two sawmills in operation. World War II was a similar benefaction.
Although Elk City is somnolent beside the Yaquina River, old residents have not forgotten more illustrious times. The post office has been retained and there is a store where supplies and refreshments may be obtained. Fishermen, who moor their motorboats from a time out ashore and a visitation to the store, report fishing is still good in the Yaquina. Photographers, who may not care to fish or hunt, will find at Elk City one of the best examples of an old-fashioned, red covered bridge known to be still standing in Western Oregon. (Capitol Journal, August 9, 1958)
Some of the history of early Lincoln County can be read from the gravestones of Elk City Cemetery which is located just a few miles from the junction of Yaquina and Big Elk rivers.
Elk City Cemetery was established as a burial ground before the birth of Lincoln County in 1893.
The earliest grave discovered bears the epitaph: "Erected In Memory Of William Mosier Killed At Pioneer Quarry December 5, 1884."
William Mosier's gravestone was carved from the native stone from the quarry. Several other gravestones are simpler and crude, although they are identified as having been fashioned from the same stone as Mosier's.
There are a number of family burial plots which are fenced in. Some of the plots, identified by similar markers, list the father, mother, sister, and brother, etc. Others list one or two family members, strongly suggesting that the rest of the family moved away, and are buried elsewhere.
Many names of families who still live in the valleys surrounding Elk City are listed on the markers in the cemetery, such as Hodges, Parks and Jacobson.
This pioneer cemetery, which is now over 100 years old, was once well tended by loving relatives. Now it has all but vanished from the scene. Those who stumble upon it, can hardly recognize it as valuable pages from the past in the history of the settling of one of Lincoln County's earliest towns.
Located on a hill above the old farmhouse now owned by Evelyn Schriver, this beautiful brambled nook, which is sadly neglected, can now be reached by graveled road. (Lincoln County Leader, May 23, 1968)
According to the late Evelyn Payne Parry, there was an earlier cemetery on the hill above the Bob Parks place in an area that was surveyed into streets and a ball park. (At Rest In Lincoln County 1978, pp. 17-21)
The Graves.
Abbey, --(?-? female) dau of Rich & Rosa; Abbey, Chas M (1858-? OR); Abbey, Frances M (1851-1871 OR); dau of Miranda (1863-? KY) & Edwin Alden (1824-?) NY) sis of Chas M (1858-? OR), Melissa E (1861-? OR), Alden (1867-? OR) & Clara A (1870-? OR); Barber, Mary Ann (1844-1914-9-1) bur by Ms E E Casteel; Bevens, -- (?-? male) infant sn of Commodore Perry & L V Parks; Bevens, Commodore Perry (1859-1913 OR) hus of L V Parks; twin bro of Theodore; Bevens, Hudson J (1819-1902) KY) fr of Joice Ann Bevens Simpson; Bevens, Mary S (1821-1893 KY) mo of Joice Ann Bevens Simpson; Bevens, Ruby (?-1898) infant dau of Commodore Perry & L V Parks; Bly, Hattie M (1833-1912-2-2); Cleveland, Jas C (1-30-1845-1912 WI) hus of Jennie McIntyre; fr of Lula Pollak; Cloakes, Alfred (?-? bur Storrs); Cloakes, -- (?-? female; bur Storrs); Cloakes, Mahala (?-? bur Storrs); Dixon, -- (?-? female); Dixon, Bertha (1876-1880) dau of W R & S E; Dixon, David L (1878-1881) sn of W R & S E; Dixon, Jas Chester (1871-1932-12-22) fr of Jas Edw; Dixon, Jas Edw (1842-1924); Dixon, Julia E (1871-1880) dau of W R & S E; Dixon, Wm W (1873-1881); Embree, Jas Benton (1869-1930 OR) fr of Orville & Reuben; Embree, Orville Lewis (1902-1935) sn of Jas Benton; bro of Reuben; Endresen, Selma Dorothy (1887-1924) wf of Edw Preston; Gillespie, Edw Preston (1864-1936); Gillespie, Flora (?-?) hs bur Eugene?; Gillespie, Hollister R (1890-1918) sn of Flora & Edw Preston; pvt WWI; Graves, E B (?-? female) small girl took medicine by accident; Hagen, Elden Maurice (1908-1924) sn of Carl; Heady, Lucy Jane Babcock (8-18-1878-1937); Hill, Ann (1845-? OR) wf of Rbt; Hill, Rbt (1826-? OH) hs of Ann; Rogue River Farm farmer (c1863); Hodges, Nadine Marie "Carol Nadine" (3-15-1939-1939-3-17 OR) dau of Geneva Claudine Hodges & Geo Adelbert Hodges II (bur Toledo Cemetery); sis of artist Delbert Loyd Hodges (1940-1999) & Ronald Wayne Hodges (1942-?); Hodges, Walter Warren (1895-1930); sn of Levina Sager & Geo Adelbert I; Hoffman, Frederick C (1847-1913-12-26 Denmark) hs of Rosa B Bly; Jacobson, Ann Styris (1866-1933); Jacobson, Jacob E (1865-1942 Finland) foreman rock quarry at Morrison; Kruger, Ann Elizabeth Spencer (1859-1916); Kruger, Wm (2-18-1868-1942-12-19); Mays, Ruby (?-?) infant dau of Sarah E (1846-? IL) & Chas B (1839-? IL); sis of Edna Margaret (1862-1872 OR), Ida M (1864 OR), Grant B (1866-? OR), Noah M (1868-? OR) & Troy M (1870--? OR); McDaniel, Ada Ellen (1931-1931-4-17) dau of Jas) dau of Gertrude Chalmers & Jas; McDaniel, Gertrude Caroline (1932-1932); infant dau of Gertrude Chalmers & Jas; McDonald, Harriet E "Hattie" Parks (1878-1915-7-?) dau of Queen Victoria Franklin & Leander; Miller, Marie Nelson (?-1932 bur Portland); dau of Lambert; wf of Paer Anderson; Miller, Paer Anderson (1854-1915-9-9 Sweden); Morrison, -- (?-1914 male); Morrison, Chelsey L (1859-1940) hs of Margaret Crahen; Mosier, Wm R (1854-1894) killed Pioneer Rock Quarry; left wife and five children; Palmer, Lottie Parks (?-? dau of Ballard; wf of Henry; Parks, Chas Rice (1820-1911) pvt Confederate Army Civil War; Parks, Leander (1853-1935) hs of Queen Victoria Franklin; fr of Mary, Jos, Wm Hattie, Jas Verne & Walter; Parks, Oscar C (1875-1902; Parks, Olive S (1884-1914) dau of Queen Victoria Franklin & Leander; Parks, Queen Victoria Franklin (1858-1896) wf of Leander; Owens, Ernest (?-1932-12-29) stranger in the area who drowned. Elk City neighbors built casket and buried him; Ramsdell, David Barclay (1852-1920-8-7 OR) sn of Lovely J (1830-? VA) & rev Thms M (1822-? VT); Ramsdell, rev Thms M (1822-? VT) hs of Lorilla J I (1830-? VA); fr of David Barclay (1852-1920 OR), margaret (1854-? OR), Cordelia (1853-? OR), Lorilla J II (1857-? OR), Thms M II (1859-? OR), Oscar (1862-? OR), Ann (1864-? OR), John (1866-? OR) & Frances (1868-? OR); Ray, Jas (?-1941-8-12 CA PUT 352 Aux RM Depot QMC WWI; Rochester, Olive A Simpson (1870-1892) dau of Joice Ann Bevens & Marshall Winchester; Ross, Victor (?-?); Sharp, Lottie Harding (1872-1930) mo of Pearl Williams, Ora & Leslie; Sharp, Omer Clyde (1904-1932); Sharp, Wm (1864-1942) fr of Pearl Williams, Ora & Leslie; Simpson, Joice Ann II (1917-1925-1-20) dau of Joice Ann Bevens (1843-? MO) & Marshall Winchester (1838-? AR); sis of Hettie (1860-? OR), Owen C (1864-? OR), & Olive Ann (1870-? OR); Simpson, Wm E (1881-1920) sn of Joice Ann Bevens (1843-? MO) & Marshall Winchester (1838-? AR); bro of Hettie (1860-? OR), Owen C (1864-? OR) & Olive Ann (1870-? OR); Smith, Thms J (1846-1910-2-4 MO) sn of Jonathan; hs of Mida C; fr of Ralph E; Timmons, Hettie (1865-1925-9-?); Timmons, Thms E (1858-1917); Turnacliff, David (1812-1885) hs of Alisa Chitwood; IL 3 NF Civil War; Van Orden, Jessie Lathrop (1875-1912) crippled & in wheel chair; Van Orden, Henry (?-?) hs of Olive; Van Orden, Marion (1888-1918); Van Orden, Olive Dixon (4-14-1850-1928-3-28) dau of Jas Chester; Warren, Bessie Van Orden (1884-1917); Watkins, Frances (?-?) dau of Nancy Parks & John; Wilson, Jeppie (1890-1906). (Lords of Themselves: A History of Eastern Lincoln County, Oregon 1978, pp. 90-92)
