Carey, Charles Henry. "History of Oregon." Vol. 3. Chicago-Portland: Pioneer Historical Pub. Co., 1922. p. 553. DAV RAFFETY, M.D. No history of Oregon would be complete without mention of Dr. Dav Raffety and the family of which he is a representative, for in early pioneer times they came to this state and through the intervening years the name has been closely associated with the development and progress of Oregon. Dr. Raffety was born in Missouri, February 15, 1844, and was a son of Samuel B. and Mary (Hoover) Raffety, the former of Scotch Irish descent, while the latter was of Dutch and French lineage. They became the parents of five children who were born in Missouri and Illinois and three who were born in Oregon, Dr. Raffety being the eldest of the family now living. Both of his parents lived to a ripe old age on the old homestead which they secured on coming to Oregon and greatly enjoyed the development of the country, in which they bore their full part. On the 20th of April, 1852, Samuel B. Raffety started with his family from Atchison county, Missouri, for Oregon, accompanied by the Stafford, Gulliford and Ramsey families and others, the train consisting altogether of sixty-two wagons. Mr. Raffety was elected captain of the train. He had about seven yoke of cattle to each of his two wagons. There was an average of about two able-bodied drivers to each wagon in the train. It was Mr. Raffety's duty to select the camping grounds each day where there was wood, water and feed and show the drivers where to head in and form a camping circle with the camp fires Inside. The stock was picketed every night with a regular watch and each and every man knew his work. They crossed the Missouri at St Joseph, swimming the cattle for the first time. Mighty preparations had been made to meet the dangers and hardships which each undaunted traveler faced. Wagon wheels running gears and oxbows were made of seasoned hickory and the wagon beds of lighter wood were so constructed that they could be tightened and corked to use as boats, pulled by swimming horses with long ropes. They had candle coils fifty feet long, made by pulling cotton cords through melted tallow beeswax and rosin and then coiled like a rope. Pulling out the center, the end could be lighted and over this a cup of tea or coffee could be boiled when wood or buffalo chips was scarce on the open grounds. They carried with them light tent poles fastened under the wagons, and hanging from the hind axles was the usual bucket of tar and a tin bucket for carrying water, while the farm axe was on the side of the wagon and a box at the end gate was full of necessary tools. A strong canvas was stretched over the wagon bows and inside there was a veritable curiosity shop, with pockets for motley things. The old flintlock rifle and the flintlock smooth-bore holster pistol were part of the equipment and following the party was a good young Canadian horse that was used to help drive the loose cattle and was taught to plunge right into the river and swim across The man carried a long rope fastened to the horns of the leading ox and after him would come the rest of the cattle and horses. It seemed that the animals were as anxious to reach their destination as the men, for often they would even swim ahead of the leader, seeming glad to get to the other side in hopes of finding better feed. When the party reached the Pawnee Indian country they were held up and had to pay a dollar and a half per wagon to insure a peaceful trip through the Indian country. This was Located by poles across the road in two or three places before they encountered the Indian tribe with their interpreter to inform the travelers in good, plain English that they must pay or the Indians would stampede the cattle. The party crossed Kansas to Grand Island, where Mr. Raffety had in an early day plowed for the government. They then followed the North Platte to Port Laramie, thence proceeded to Independence Rock, Devils Gate, Pilot Rock, South Pass, Green River and on to Bear River. There the Oregon trail and the California route separated, and from Soda Springs the Raffety party proceeded to old Fort Hall, then down the Snake river into Oregon by way of Huntington, Baker City, La Grande and on to the Columbia and The Dalles. They swam their cattle across the river at The Dalles to the Washington side then drove to the lower Cascades, across again to the Oregon side and proceeded down to the mouth of the Sandy near Troutdale. At The Dalles the wagons and families were put on scows and floated down to the upper Cascades, where there was a narrow wooden railway that they portaged to the lower Cascades, then again loaded onto another scow and were towed to the mouth of the Sandy river by the Lot Whitcomb. There they hitched the cattle again to the wagons and crossed the Willamette and proceeded on to the Tualatin plain, where they arrived in the middle of the night. When daylight came they found themselves surrounded by big oak trees and grass as high as one's head, and Mrs. Raffety exclaimed: "We will stop right here, for this is the first oak we have seen since leaving old Missouri." Dr. Raffety's uncle, Jacob Hoover, was one of the first to locate on the Tualatin plain, there establishing his home in 1844. Samuel B. Raffety purchased a donation claim on Dairy creek, about eight miles north of Hillsboro, on the north side of the Tualatin plain, securing three hundred and twenty acres which is still owned by two of his sons and a daughter. As the years passed on the family continued the work of developing and improving the property until it was converted into a valuable farm, and the parents remained residents of Oregon until called to their final rest. Dr. Raffety of this review was reared under the parental root, sharing with the family in all of the experiences and hardships of pioneer life and in all of its opportunities and pleasures as well. He was graduated from the Pacific University at Forest Grove in 1867 and then came to Portland, settling on the east side, where he has resided since 1868. At length he determined to make the practice of medicine his life work and was graduated from the Willamette University at Eugene in 1881. He then began practice and has since successfully followed his profession, becoming the loved physician in many a household of Portland and vicinity. In 1882 Dr. Raffety was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Logan, a daughter of A. H. Logan and a cousin of General John Logan, one of the commanding figures of the Civil war. Her mother belonged to the Robinson family and came of Revolutionary war stock. To Dr. and Mrs. Raffety were born a son, Harry L., who is a prominent attorney of Portland. He was graduated from the University of Oregon in 1907, thus completing his more specifically literary course, after which he attended Columbia University of New York city for the study of law and in 1910 was admitted to the bar. The only daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Raffety is Imogene, who is now the wife of Harry Frederick Morrow of the Pacific Metal Works of Portland. Dr. Raffety has always taken a keen and helpful interest in public affairs and has supported many measures for the general good. When appointments were made for the commission having charge of the port of Portland he was made one of the appointees and served in that position for several years. He was appointed by Mayor Lane one of the park commissioners and as a member of the park board purchased the sites of the present parks of the city. He was also appointed by the state of Oregon one of the commissioners of the Lewis and Clark exposition. His work was in the forestry exhibit, he having charge of all of the exhibits in the forestry building, giving his services in this connection without pay. He has been a lifelong democrat thus following in the political footsteps of his father. His wife is a member of the Episcopal church and Dr. Raffety has always been a contributor to its support. His memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present and his stories of the pioneer days are most interesting and instructive. It is a matter of regret that space forbids a more extended account of his memories of pioneer times. He rejoices in all that has been accomplished as Oregon has kept pace with the trend of modern progress and development and he has ever borne his part in support of measures and movements which have constituted forces in the upbuilding of the commonwealth. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2008 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.