Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/256



In the search for the first Oregon songs the old Barclay house on Water Street in Oregon City could not be overlooked. Built in 1850, it is not only one of the very oldest of pioneer residences, but has retained its original possessions largely intact, and the prospect that something might be found there was increased by the fact that Miss Kate Barclay had been an early music teacher. From four bound volumes of song books that had belonged to her, the following titles were taken of songs that were said to have been sung in Oregon from 1850 to 1870:

These are a few titles of songs familiar to our great- grandparents in Oregon. From aged residents and from early editions of The Golden Wreath and other books, a large collection of songs of this nature has been se cured. But these were all imported. The true Oregon folk song or Oregon Trail song was not among them. Was it simply not composed, and were the musicians