Page:Willamette Landings.djvu/86

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WILLAMETTE LANDINGS

Banner," which every one sang heartily, the flag was run up; heads stood bared until the song was concluded. Thereupon a throaty cheer was hurled abroad to the morning. Finally, the town cannon, a small ship's howitzer, was fired, to the great delight of the small boys and the assurance of all present. Thereafter, the day progressed with speeches by the Reverend S. M. Fackler, of the Episcopal Church, and Amory Holbrook of Oregon City. The Declaration of Independence was declaimed by J. H. Stevens. Grand marshal for the day was W. H. Rees, a local resident. The picnic dinner followed in the grove, where four tables each seated 150 persons, happy with this opportunity for social inter course. Speechmaker for the afternoon was the Reverend Hoyt, of Salem. Butteville was doing itself proud.

In November, 1859, Butteville was resurveyed by R. V. Short, and an addition called St. Alexcie was laid out, ad joining on the southwest. As a matter of fact, the plat which Short filed with the County Recorder showed the former town included under the St. Alexcie banner. But that, as it soon developed, was an extravagant ambition, for the new name never came into use . It was undoubtedly derived from the surname of Alexis Aubichon, out of whose claim and that of Joseph La Forte, the two towns were carved . Lane Street was rechristened Union, and new streets were French and American . At least twenty blocks were added, seven of them facing the river. It is plausible to believe that a good many more residents then claimed Butteville as their home . In the same year Butteville Academy was incorporated by an act of the State Legislature. Matthieu was listed as a trustee, with eightothers:George L. Curry, G. A. Cone, George Hibler, Ely Cooley, J. W. Grimm, F. W. Geer and J. C. Geer. There is no record that the academy ever opened its doors; probably it was a large name for a small public school.

Under the religious stimulation that from the first was common on the frontier, an Episcopal church was organized and built at Butteville in 1860. The Rev. St. Michael Fackler, prominent for the many addresses he made through out the mid Willamette Valley o n National holidays was for awhile its pastor. Prior to the building of the church struc-