Chronology 

1805  Philip Foster born at, or near, Argyle, Maine, January 29^th to

           William and Lucy Foster (Wm. & Lucy Spencer m. 1803 

           Argyle, Maine) (Argyle is an unincorporated territory in

           Penobscot County, Maine.)

1810  Mary Charolotte Pettygrove born January 30th to Thomas and Mary McCurdy Pettygrove, Calais, Maine.

1828  Foster marries Fannie Cummins (or Cummings) 

           Passadumkeag, Penobscot County, Maine (near Bangor).

1829

• Born, first son, James William, May 22, 1829.
• Fannie dies at or around James’ birth.
• James goes to live with his paternal grandparents, Wm. and Lucy Spencer, Argyle, Maine.

1832    Foster forms logging partnership with Francis William Pettygrove, a Calais, Maine, merchant. (Calais, Maine is situated on the Nova Scotia Canadian border on the St. Croix River.)

1834    Foster marries Pettygrove's sister, Mary Charlotte Pettygrove July 9^th.

1835    Born, son George G. Foster,

1837   Born, daughter Lucy Ann Foster, Calais, Maine.

1839   Born, son Francis, “Frank,” Foster, Calais, Maine.

1841   Born, son Philip Jr. Calais, Maine.

1842   Fosters with 4 children & newlyweds Francis and Sarah

           Roland Pettygrove  depart N.Y. for Sandwich Islands

           (Honolulu, Hawaii) on the barque (small sailing ship) 

           "Victoria." 

1843

• Fosters and Pettygroves with new son depart Sandwich Islands for Oregon Territory on barque “Fama.”

• Arrive Ft. Vancouver, May 19, 1843 after 6 mo. stay in Sandwich Islands.
• Foster and Pettygrove arrive in "Willamette Falls" (Oregon City) May 19, and set up shop by May 26 (as their store ledger attests), one week after arriving. NOTE: Some have referred to the store as the “Red House Store,” but store ledgers are entitled “Willamette Falls”
• By July, Foster has set up partnerships to export cedar shingles and peas to Hawaii, a cattle company, build houses and a flour mill for John McLoughlin.

1844

• Born, daughter Mary Charlotte in Oregon City, March 23.
• Foster wins the election as the first treasurer of the Provisional Government.  He serves from July 1844 to July 1845.
• Pettygrove builds a log house buys 12 miles downriver on the Willamette River having acquired William Overton’s share of 640 acres owned by Overton and Asa Lovejoy for $50.

1845

• Pettygrove and Lovejoy plat their new township.  Pettygrove & Lovejoy toss a coin to determine the new site name:  Pettygrove from Maine; Lovejoy from Massachusetts. Pettygrove wins the famous coin toss naming the site Portland. (Lovejoy loses naming the site Boston.)
• October 11^th Joel Palmer describes in his diary that he, Sam Barlow & P. J. Lock scout the southern slopes of Mt. Hood for a new trail connecting eastern and western Mt. Hood Indian trails.
• October 16^th William Rector describes in his recollections how he and Sam Barlow set out on foot to blaze a trail, but are lost four days on the mountain. (Palmer has taken his own group, blazing his own trail via horseback.)
• October 20 or thereabouts Rector describes being found by cattle drivers and local Indians traveling the well-traveled north and western trail around Mt. Hood (Lo Lo Pass) near Zig Zag and escorted to Oregon City.
• October 30, Joel Palmer’s diary notes (after having returned to the wagon encampment) traveling over the south slope of Mt. Hood and staying with “a man named McSwain” on the site of what will become the Foster land at Eagle Creek.
• December 25 the Barlow Party arrives in Oregon City over the new trail. (Rector Party returned to The Dalles heading to Oregon City via the Columbia River.)
• December 29^th, Sam Barlow is listed in the Foster & Pettygrove “Willamette Falls” store ledger buying provisions.

1846

• Sam Barlow and Philip Foster go into partnership to build the Mt. Hood Road (aka Barlow Toll Road) across the south slope of Mt. Hood. 
• Foster is authorized to collect the tolls, Sept. 1.  Reuben Gant receives a certificate for driving 1st wagon over Barlow Road.
• Born, Martha “Mattie” Foster May 24^th, 1846

1847

• Foster forms a partnership agreement with Samuel McSwain and Robert S. McEwen to farm "McSween's Prairie" (the Eagle Creek location), February 3.
• Fosters likely move to Eagle Creek property.

1848  "McSwain's Prairie" officially becomes Foster’s, January

           26,1848.

1849  Born, Isaac “Ike” Isaac Foster, Feb 9^th. 

1850

• Foster, Noyes Smith, Francis Pettygrove, and Hotham S. Bridges form the Eagle Creek Milling Co, (lumber at nearby Bonnie Lure) Dec. 4, 1850.
• The "Philip Foster School District No. 17” is approved by the government, Oct. 8, 1850 for 28 scholars from 8 families.  Rebecca Denny is hired by Foster and neighbors Church, Glover, and Forrester to teach school, June, 1850.
• Born, Egbert Noyes Foster, son, December 10, 1850 after neighbor Noyes Smith aka Egbert Olcott).

1851  Foster’s Land Claim is surveyed.  A "witness tree" is blazed

           to mark the edge of the property.  (As of 1979 the axe mark

           left in the stump could still be seen behind the 1912 Eagle

           Creek schoolhouse.) 

1852

• 1st schoolhouse built.  (Bill for lumber $223)
• Foster's oldest son by his first marriage, James, sails from Maine to San Francisco and later  joins family in Oregon.
• Pioneer diaries attest to Foster’s “paradise,” and frugality.

1853

• Mary Condit and Nancy Black succumb from eating overripe peaches.

·    Born, daughter Rose February 24^th.

1854   Daughter Rose dies, January 18^th, 11 months old. 

1855   Foster is appointed captain of the "Rangers" to guard

            emigrant trail from Indian uprising after the Whitman 

            massacre near Walla Walla, Washington.

1857

• Lucy Foster marries Josiah Adolphus Burnett and moves to southern Oregon.
• Pettygrove sells Portland stakes and moves to Pt. Townsend, Washington Territory.

1858  Granddaughter, Mary Burnett (Lucy & Josiah’s) born in  

           southern Oregon,Oct. 18.

1860

• During the '60's, records show that Foster's store was a major supplier of Red Top whiskey which he purchased by the barrel in Portland.
• Foster's daughter, Lucy, and Josiah Burnett return.  Henry Werheim builds "the Lucy house" across from Foster's. (Bill for lumber $199.)
• Lucy’s daughter, Mary dies, age 1 ½, Eagle Creek.
• The existing barn (1860s) is built on Foster property.
• Son, Philip Foster Jr. dies, Eagle Creek.

1861  Grandaughter Frankie Florence born, Nov. 7^th to Lucy and

          Josiah Burnett.

1862  Willie Barlow sells black walnut trees to Fosters.

1864   Grandson Josiah Edwin Burnett born to Lucy & Josiah

           Burnett in Eagle Creek.

1865  Foster's son, George, accompanies cattle herders to Canyon

           City (near John Day)  to sell Foster cattle to miners.

1866   Grandson Augustus D. “Gus” Burnett born March 1^st. 

1867   Post Office established.  Foster appointed Postmaster and 

            serves through 1874.   "Eagle Creek" named.

1868

• Son, Frank Foster marries Mary Francis Cooke.
• Daughter Mary A Foster marries Thomas Young.

1871  

• Son, Isaac divorces Eletha J. Corum.
• Richard and Margaret Bradley donate property for 2nd Eagle Creek school

1873

• 2nd Eagle Creek School built.
• Henry Wilbern purchases Foster's store.
• Wilbern builds new store and two-story dance and meeting hall.

1874

• Wilbern takes over as postmaster of Eagle Creek.  
• Son, Egbert marries Elsie “Jane” Bradley.

1875  Grandson Charles (Egbert & Jane’s son) born, Sept. 28.

1877

• Granddaughter Frankie dies, July 30^th of tuberculosis, St. Vincent hosp. Portland.
• Daughter Martha “Mattie” marries Hulbert W. Lake Oct. 11.
• Daughter “Mattie” dies Dec. 9^th two months after marrying.

1878 Daughter Lucy Foster Burnett dies Dec. 26, 1878 at half-

          brother James Foster’s in  Walla  Walla, Washington of

          tuberculosis (her 21^st wedding anniversary).  

1880

• Philip's wife, Mary Charlotte, dies of typhoid, Oct. 7.
• Wilbern purchases Lucy & Josiah’s house for $200 (or $250).
• Stingley builds and opens a saloon across from the Wilburn Store.

1881

• Grandson Johnny Sims Burnett (Lucy & Josiah’s son) dies in Sacramento, CA.

1882

• Well dug for Egbert & Jane’s new house.
• (The original farmhouse burns?  NOTE: There is a question on whether the house was burned after Mary Charlotte died of typhoid.)

1883

• Egbert's house built.  (The existing farmhouse.)
• Foster lives with Egbert, his wife Jane and their family.

1884 Foster dies, March 17, 1884, a few days after collapsing in the 

          kitchen  door after lunch and being carried to the lower 

          bedroom where he died.

1887  Francis William Pettygrove dies in Pt. Townsend, Washington.

1889  Frank Foster dies.

1893   2^nd schoolhouse built.

1903   Railroad built to Estacada for building of first hydro-electric 

            dam on the Clackamas River at Cazadero.

1904  Estacada Post Office established.

1905  Estacada city incorporated.

1912   3^rd schoolhouse built (as of 2007 still exists on current Eagle

           Creek school property).

1916  Isaac Foster dies at Egbert’s Eagle Creek home. (Current

           1883 house.)

1917   George Foster dies.

1927   Mary C. Foster dies, Condon, Washington.

1939   Both Egbert & his wife Elsie “Jane” Bradley Foster die in

            Eagle Creek within four months of each other.  Their daughter

            Pearl and husband Roy Meyers take possession of the home.

1977   Meyers build a new home west of the old and sell the 1883

            farmhouse to Ruth   Powers, which becomes a rental.

1978   Jacknife-Zion-Horseheaven Historical Society (JZH)

            established serving the  Eagle Creek, Estacada and

            Springwater, Oregon area.

1979   The property and buildings (1860s barn, 1883 home) acquire

            National Historic Site designation. 

1988    JZH acquires non-profit status. 

1992    Ruth Powers donates the land and structures to JZH for an

             historic site.

1993    The Philip Foster Farm officially opens.

2003    JZH purchases Lucy Foster and Josiah Burnett 1860

             home. 

2007    Foster's grandson Gus Burnett's 1900s granary moved on site to serve as Gus Burnett Archives Building.   New entrance established.