Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 811. LUKE McKERN an Oregon pioneer of 1850, and one of Yam Hill county's well-to-do farmers, was born in Orange county, Indiana, June 11, 1827. The McKerns are of Scotch descent. Grandfather Michael McKern was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and his son Luke, the father of our subject, a native of North Carolina, served in the war of 1812. Mr. McKern's mother, Miss Hannah Thrash, was born in Virginia. Her father, Valentine Thrash, came to this country from Scotland previous to the Revolution, and took part in that war. Mr. McKern was next to the youngest in a family of eight children, of whom he and his sister, Mrs. McMurren, of Arizona, are the only ones now living. He was reared in Iowa, to which State the family had moved when he was a child. There the father improved a farm, and resided on it until his death, in his seventy-seventh year. The mother died in Oregon, in the eighty-seventh year of her age. Mr. McKern was twenty-three when he came across the plains to Oregon. The first winter he was engaged in logging, earning from $6 to $20 per day, and in the spring he went overland to California, and mined at Scott's bar. He remained in California eight months and was fairly successful, returning to Oregon with $1,200. He then took the donation claim, 640 acres, where he now resides, a mile and a quarter southeast of Newberg. Soon, however, he returned to California, and was engaged in prospecting and trading there until 1862. He packed to the Caribou mountains, a distance of 2,000 miles, making from $25 to $30 per day while there, but the going and coming took up so much of the season that the business did not pay. Returning to his claim, he has since devoted his time to agricultural pursuits. He now has 400 acres, has built a large residence on it, and is comfortably situated. December 9,1850, Mr. McKern married Miss Melinda Parrish, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Jesse Parrish. The Parrish family were members of the same company in which Mr. McKern crossed the plains, and their marriage occurred in La Fayette. Mrs. McKern died in 1862. Her husband had left her in usual health and gone on his trip to the Caribou mountains, and it was six months before he received any intelligence of her death. This was the saddest event of his life. They had seven children, four of whom are living, namely: Jessie, at home; Hannah, wife of Charles Christy; Valentine, on his father's farm; and Edward, who is in Washington. Elizabeth lived to be eighteen, and the others died in infancy. In 1873 Mr. McKern married Mrs. Mary A. Parrish, widow of Jacob Parrish, and a daughter of Samuel Parrott. She had five children by her first husband, and she and Mr. McKern have three. Her son Thomas lives at the old Parrish homestead, and her daughter, Annie, is the wife of Albert Heater; the others, Alice, William and Samuel, being with their mother. The three younger children are Robert, Michael and Lillie. Mrs. McKern is a member of the Christian Church. Politically Mr. McKern is a Democrat. He is a fair representative of the Oregon pioneer, and by all who know him is regarded as a most worthy citizen. Transcriber's additional notes: Oregon Donation Land Claim: DLC # 4833 Newberg, OR. McKern, Luke, Yamhill Co.; b 1827/9, Orange Co, Ind; arrived Or. Oct. 1, 1850; settled claim Nov. 30, 1851; married Malinda, Dec. 1850/Jan. 9, 1951, Yamhill Co., Or.; James M. Moore gave aff. & states Malinda McKern d 1862. Aff. by Jesse Parrish, Orlando Humason, Daniel D. Duskin, John J. Nash. CENSUS 1850, Oct. 18; Clackamas Co, Or. Terr. Abner Wiley, 61, NC, sawyer A. Wiley, 21, IN, sawyer Samuel Johnson, 28, OH, sawyer Morgan Lava, 37, NY, sawyer Luke McKeren, 23, IN, sawyer 1860, June 21; Yamhill Co, OR; Chehalem Valley Pct, p 657 Luke McCuen, 37, IN, farmer, $1920 real estate, $950 pers. prop. Malinda, 27, IN Elizabeth, 9, OR, att. school Jesse, 7, OR, att. school John, 5, OR Hannah, 3, OR Valentine, 2, OR Edward, 3/12, OR 1870, Aug. 31; Yamhill Co, OR; E. Chehalem Pct, p 571 Luke McKern, 43, IN, farmer, $6400 real estate, $1145 pers. prop. Jesse, 17, OR, farm laborer John, 15, OR, farm laborer Hannah, 13, OR, att. school Valentine, 11, OR, att. school Edward, 9, OR, att. school 1880, June 1; Yamhill Co, OR; E. Chehalem Pct, p 390 Luke McCurn, 51, IN, NC, VA, farmer Mary Ann, wife, 39, ENG, ENG, ENG, keeping house Edwin, son, 20, OR, IN, IN, works on farm Robbert, son, 4, OR, IN, ENG Micle, son, 2, OR, IN, ENG Lillie,dau, 2/12, OR, IN, ENG, born March 1900, June 18; Yamhill Co, OR; North Newbert Pct, p 132 Luke McKern, 73, June 1836, IN, NC, VA, mar 24 yrs, (no occ. listed) owns home free Mary, wife, 59, Jan 1841, ENG, ENG, ENG, mar 24 yrs, 12 children-8 living, to US 1856 ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2010 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.