Hearts West by Chris Enss Read Free Book Online Page A

is occupied, as it was then, every minute, from early morning till late at night, with much outdoor as well as indoor work. She [Bethenia’s mother] seldom found time to devote to the baby, except to give it the breast.

    Bethenia Owens-Adair—October 1906
    Dr. Bethenia Owens-Adair
    OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, NEGATIVE #4062
    Bethenia was barely fourteen when she first made the acquaintance of Legrand Hill. He had been living in the Rogue River Valley for a year and working his parents’ land. He was a handsome man, broad-shouldered and tall. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the promise of a long and happy life. Her parents had selected this man to be her husband and she trusted their decision. On their recommendation she eagerly placed her future in Legrand’s hands. On May 4, 1854, the petite teenager, dressed in a sky-blue wedding dress, stood next to her groom and promised to be a faithful wife.
    After the ceremony the pair retired to their home in the middle of 320 acres of farmland Legrand had purchased on credit. The newlyweds lived four miles from Bethenia’s parents and in the beginning, all was right with the world. Family and friends visited often, helping Legrand work the property and assisting Bethenia as she made repairs to their small log cabin.

    I had high hopes and great expectations for the future. My husband was a strong, healthy man; I had been trained to work, and bred to thrift and economize, and everything looked bright and beautiful to me. My soul overflowed with love and hope, and I could sing the dear old home-songs from morning to night.

    Bethenia Owens-Adair—June 1854
    Legrand was an avid hunter, and in between planting and tending to the livestock, he spent days in the forest bagging grouse and deer. Before long, Legrand’s hunting trips became an obsession. More often than not, he put off doing chores to track wild game. He idled away so much time Bethenia’s father was forced to complete the job of putting up a good winter house to protect his daughter from the elements. A mere nine months after their wedding, Bethenia had fully recognized in Legrand a “lack of industry and perseverance.”
    Legrand was opposed to doing an honest day’s work and because of that, he was unable to pay the $150 mortgage on the farm. The Hills were forced to sell the land and move to Jackson County, Oregon, to live with Legrand’s Aunt Kelly.
    Less than a year after the Hills were married, Bethenia gave birth to a boy. The proud couple named the child George. Legrand’s slothful ways, however, did not change with the advent of fatherhood. He continued to fritter away his time, leaving the responsibility of earning an income to Bethenia.

    Mr. Hill neither drank or used tobacco, but, as his aunt said during one of my long stays with her, he simply idled away his time, doing a day’s work here and there, but never continuing at anything. Then, too, he had a passion for trading and speculating, always himself coming out a loser.

    Bethenia Owens-Adair—October 1906
    Bethenia’s parents paid the young mother a visit and were appalled by the “hand to mouth” living situation in which they found their daughter and grandchild. Thomas managed to persuade his son-in-law to return to Clatsop County. He lured the less than ambitious Legrand back with an offer to give him an acre of land and material to build a house.

    To say that we were delighted with this proposal expresses it but faintly. We sold our house in Yreka, realizing less than $100 out of the transaction, as the $150 mortgage and interest had to come out of the sum received for the property, but father said, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” We were soon packed and ready to start our migration.

    Bethenia Owens-Adair—October 1906
    Legrand’s attitude toward work remained the same in Clatsop County. Against the advice of his father-in-law, he agreed to