Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/374

368 368 W. D. FENTON. northwest on top of the main ridge dividing the waters of the Tuality River from the waters which flow into Che- halem Valley, thence along the dividing ridge near Jesse Cayton's in a straight line to the top of the dividing ridge between the waters of the rivers of Yamhill and Tuality to the top of the mountain between said river, thence west to the Pacific Ocean." An earlier act approved De- cember 19, 1845, defined the boundaries of the various districts or counties, but the north boundary of Yamhill County, as thereby defined, began in the middle of the main channel of the Willamette River, one mile below the Butte and ran due west to the Pacific Ocean, thus cutting off all the North Yamhill country and a portion of West Chehalem. On June 26, 1844, an act was passed whereby Ransom Clark, H. J. Hembree (evidently intended for A. J. Hem- bree), and Joel Palmer were designated and appointed commissioners 'to view out and mark a way for a road from the Willamette Falls to the falls of the Yamhill River, and required to report to Amos Cook, who was by the same act appointed overseer of the road and required to open the same. It was further provided that all the hands re- siding in Yamhill County and all residing near the Yam- hill River, but living in Tuality County, be assigned to said overseer to work upon the opening of this highway. On January 2$, 1853, the legislative assembly of the ter- ritory, then composed of a house and council, and while B. F. Harding was speaker of the house and M. P. Deady president of the council, passed an act whereby Joseph Garrison, Daniel Matheny, Mr. Leig, and J. B. Chrisman were as commissioners authorized to view and locate a territorial road from Salem to Dayton, crossing the Willamette at Daniel Matheny's ferry, then located at Wheatland.