AMERICA'S SCHOOL TRUST LIBRARY · JUNIOR LAND DETECTIVE RECORD
Corvallis, Oregon (Marys River & Willamette)
Heart of the Valley · Benton County, Oregon • Township 11 South, Range 5 West, Section 35 & DLC #53
SURVEY BIRTHDAY
1852
September 8, 1852
🌲 Step 1: The Land Today & Lidar
Lidar laser scans reveal ancient river channels where Marys River enters the Willamette River.
Soil: Rich Willamette and Chehalis silt loams.
✈️ Step 2: The 1936 Sky View
Streetcars and rail lines connected downtown Corvallis to surrounding farms.
Earliest biplane flight: 1936 aerial photography.
📐 Step 3: First Survey & Witness Trees
Surveyed by Dennis Hathorn using a 66-foot iron chain.
- Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana) (22 inches): 35 links (23.1 feet) blazed [Historical Example].
- Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia) (16 inches): 50 links (33.0 feet) blazed [Historical Example].
🏛️ Step 4: First Legal Patents & Schools
First Claim: Joseph C. Avery, Donation Land Claim #53 (640.0 Acres)
School Trust Section: Section 16 & 36 perpetual public education endowment.
Letitia Carson Historical Note: Settled Benton County farm (1845–1856); successfully sued in Benton County court (1855–1856) winning $300 back wages and $1,200 for cattle; filed Douglas County homestead in 1868 and earned 1869 federal Homestead Patent ORRAA 008939 signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. Research by Dr. Bob Zybach / ORWW / OSU.
Student Detective: _________________________________
School / Class: _____________________ Date: _______________
Official Certified Land Record · kids.yourlandhistory.org