Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/40

34 was the Rocky Mountains. December 22, 1853, the Territorial Legislature passed an Act to define the southern boundary of Lane County. It is there defined as follows: "Commencing on the Pacific Coast, at the mouth of the Siuselaw, [River] on south bank, thence following up the south bank of said stream, to a point fifteen miles west of the main traveled road, known by the name of the Applegate road, thence southerly to the summitt of the Calapooya mountains, thence eastward, along the summit of said mountains to the summit of the Cascade range." (Special Laws of 1853-4, page 13).

Lane County is named for Joseph Lane, the first Territorial Governor of Oregon, who had been a distinguished Brigadier-General in the Mexican war. He was a Territorial Delegate to Congress from Oregon, and one of its first United States Senators. He was a candidate for Vice-President, with John C. Breckenridge, for President, in 1860. He also took a prominent part, and was the head of the Oregon Volunteer forces in the Rogue River Indian war of 1853.

Lane County is now bounded: on the north by Linn, Benton and Lincoln Counties; on the east by portions of Crook and Klamath Counties; on the south by Douglas County; and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its county seat is Eugene.

January 24, 1851, the Territorial Legislature created Umpqua County. (Local Laws of 1850-1, page 33). Umpqua is the name of a river which flowed through that county and also of an Indian tribe, whose habitat was near that river. It comprised: "All that portion of Oregon Territory lying within the following boundaries: Beginning at the southwest corner of Benton County, and running due east along the south line of Benton County to the dividing ridge of the Calapooiah mountains, thence along the ridge of the said Calapooiah mountains, to the source of the main fork of the Calapooiah creek, thence down said creek to its mouth, thence due west to