Parsons, Col. William and Shiach, W. S.  "An Illustrated History of Umatilla
County and of Morrow County." Spokane, WA: W. H. Lever, 1902. p. 393.
 
SAMUEL G. LIGHTFOOT
 
    We are pleased to incorporate in these abiding chronicles of Umatilla county
the epitome of the life of this worthy and energetic pioneer, in fact a pioneer
of the pioneers, whose energy and wisdom have ever wrought in the front ranks
for the advancement and betterment of his fellows, clearing the path for them to
follow into these regions where nature has so lavishly bestowed her wealth, but
to unlock which required the skill, the force, the courage and the endurance of
which Mr. Lightfoot is so richly possessed. 
     He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, to John and Mary Lightfoot, on July 22,
1827, and there lived until he was fourteen years of age, when he removed with
his parents to Horse Prairie, Indiana, where his two, brothers, John and Eli,
still live near Hebron. This prairie received its name from the fact of a man
who was caught in a fierce blizzard, killing his horse, and after disemboweling
him crawling into the carcass until the storm had subsided. Here our subject
resided on a farm until March 9, 1850, when he started to the Pacific coast with
ox teams from Valparaiso, Indiana. Six month were consumed on the road, landing
in Portland October 12th, the same year. Their trip was without molestation from
Indians or accident, except the loss of one steer. They used three yoke of oxen
to each wagon, thus giving their stock freedom from overwork. He soon left
Portland for Oregon City, where he did his first work in the territory, running
a wheelbarrow on a wing dam at the mouth of the Clackamas, for five dollars per
day and board. Going from here to Salem, he made rails for fifteen dollars per
thousand and burned charcoal, clearing up over five hundred dollars, when he
went to making brick at one hundred dollars per month, continuing until harvest.
During this harvest he took a contract for cutting and threshing thirty acres of
wheat for half of the crop. He and his partner cradled it and did the threshing
by means of Cayuses tramping it out. His half amounted to one hundred and fifty
bushels and as it was worth only fifty cents per bushel he stored it until 1853,
when he sold it at four dollars per bushel. In the fall of 1851 he went to
Yreka, California, and engaged in placer mining, where he remained for five
months, cleaning up four dollars per day from a little rocker.  Returning in the
spring to Salem, he went to farming for fifty dollars per month until 1853, when
he made a visit to Indiana, leaving Portland January 5, 1853, and going via the
Isthmus route. After one year he came to Salem over the old plain route, again
making it in three months and nine days. The Sioux Indians stole their stock on
the Loup river.  When he landed in Oregon his first work was in the Sailor mines
in Josephine county, where he remained but a short time. Succeeding this he
engaged in packing from Salem to Yreka mines, using five ponies. After two trips
he bought half interest in a mule train and freighted until the winter of 1855,
when the Rogue River Indian war broke out and he leased his train to the
government at four dollars a day per head for use in the war. Returning to Salem
until the next spring, he bought the other half interest in the train, which he
afterward sold to the government for four hundred dollars per head, including
all accoutrements, taking his pay in script which was worth fifty cents on the
dollar.  He now worked at draying in Salem for forty dollars per month, and in
the spring of 1857 bought the stage line running from Portland to Corvallis,
known as Oregon Stage Company, and operated it until 1861, during which time he
was one of the drivers. Here they used the first Concord stage coach that ever
made "a track in Oregon mud," quoting Mr. Lightfoot's words. It cost eleven
hundred and forty dollars laid down in Portland. Later he sold to a competing
line and came to The Dalles, freighting for a time and then returned to Salem,
where he was engaged in farming until 1871, the date of his advent into this
county. Here he took government land two miles south from Vinson, where he still
lives and owns three hundred and twenty acres, which he farms to barley, raising
some stock.
      Mr. Lightfoot was married in Salem, on April 22, 1858, to Miss Maria Laura
Salisbury, a native of Illinois, being born in old Fort Dearborn, where Chicago
now stands. She is a grandniece to Marcus Whitman, and her mother was Eliza
Bagley; her father, Stephen M. Salisbury, was lieutenant in the Black Hawk war,
and held a commission from the governor of Massachusetts. To them have been born
the following children: Many L., Mrs. C. V. Goff, of Patrolia, California; Laura
E., Mrs. James Nelson, of Butter creek; Maria J., Mrs. C. O. Bowman, of Milton;
Lydia E., Mrs. C. A. Frazier, of Pendleton; Virginia, Mrs. D. William Chapman,
of Butter creek; John M., at Butter creek, married; Samuel Charles, at home with
parents; Thomas S. and Joseph H., both deceased. By way of reminiscence we note
that Mr. Lightfoot owns a rifle used by Mr. William Harris in the Cayuse war of
1847.
     Our subject has been quite active in political matters, always laboring for
the welfare of the county, while he has frequently been called to fill public
office, as county commissioner, justice of the peace, school clerk and director,
being in service for the people almost continuously since coming to the county.
He is at this golden time of his life hale and hearty and beloved by all with
the rich memories of a life well spent and a merited reward at hand to enjoy.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.