Town Histories - Andrew Kirk


Andrew Warren Kirk, son of Riley Kirk, tells the story of “Indian Lize” and her husband, Jim (5): “My father used to hire some of the Indians to work for him. He had two boys who were very good, so he kept them much of the time. One of them was called Indian Jim. Finally he asked Jim if he would like to come and live with him. This pleased Jim very much, and from that time on he lived in our house. “Down at Spores Ferry, at Coburg, there was an Indian girl named Eliza, living with the Spores family. She was trained to work by Mrs. Spores, and was a good cook and very neat. Finally she married a Yamhill Indian and went to live with him. Her husband was very cruel to her and frequently beat her up. On a trip to the Calapooia, or while living at Spores Ferry, Eliza and Jim met and became very fond of each other. After that Eliza often ran away from her husband and came down to the Calapooia to see Jim. Her husband, who had three other wives, would follow her and compel her to return. He would ride behind her, she walking, and whip her all the way back. This happened a number of times. Finally my father advised Jim to buy Eliza for a wife if he liked her so much. With my father’s aid Jim bought her for ten ponies, a gun and $15 in gold. Eliza’s former husband bought whiskey with the money, he and his companions got drunk, and in a fight on the way home the ex—husband was killed. “Eliza made Jim a good wife, but he became very fond of whiskey and when he was drunk he would beat her. However, Eliza was always very fond of him. Jim finally became known as a very dangerous man. When he was drunk no one dared to go near him. I was never afraid of him, however, and could always make him behave. Jim finally killed a man and was sent to the penitentiary. Eliza would often go and visit him there, and waited anxiously for the time when her man would be let out. “Lize and Jim had two children, but they both died. They lie buried in the Brownsville cemetery. “Jim and Lize were most commonly known as ‘Indian Jim’ and ‘Indian Lize’. Their real names were Jim and Eliza Young. How they received their names I do not know. It was customary in the early days for the Indians to buy a name from the whites. An Indian wishing a new name would go to some settler and request the privilege of working for a day to receive a name as pay. Whatever name was given at the end of the day’s work was retained and valued by the Indian. A name given without any payment was considered of no value. It is likely that Jim Young received his name in this manner. One Indian was handed the name of Belzebub, but when he learned the meaning of the word he was very angry.”	Brownsville Quick Facts Location: Twp 13S, Rge 2W, Sect 31, also 14S, R2W, Sec 6 Name Origin: Hugh Brown, early settler. Other Names: Kirk's Ferry, Calapooya Post Office Established: 18 May 1859 First Postmaster: James W. Meach Incorporation Date: 1876 Population 1999: 1495 Sketches & Photos: J M Moyer, M.A.E. Swank, Brownsville Woolen Mills, Wagon Bridge More Links: Richard Chism Finley Hugh Leeper Brown Captain James Blakeley Brownsville History Brownsville Woolen Mill - Fire Further Reading: "Brownsville" by Margaret Standish Carey & Patricia Hoy Hainline