Mr. Conn remembers an incident that happened in the early days. One of his good neighbors, Joseph Champaign, and early settler in the district, married a Ridenhour girl, and had a fine family of ten girls and two boys. They were ranchers, and well thought of by every one. The girls were attractive and popular. In those days there was no road to Roseburg on the west side of the river. All travelers to Roseburg had to ford the Umpqua River at what is known as Conn's ford. The river would rise in the flood season or with any severe rain making the ford unsafe or impassable. Mr. Henry conn had marked the different stages of the river on trees near the ford, and could tell at a glance whether or not the river was safe. One morning in the spring, Joseph Champaign and his family came down to the ford on the way to Roseburg. Henry Conn was at the ford, and chatted for a while with the Champaigns, who shortly went over the ford and on to Roseburg. Mr. Conn knew the river was rising, from rains in the hills, and that the ford would soon be dangerous. During the day Mr. Conn tried to keep the idea from his mind, but he could not dispel it. It grew stronger as the day advanced, and, in the latter part of the afternoon, acting upon an irresistible impulse, he jumped on his horse and rushed to the river to try to stop the Champaigns from crossing. As he went along he found himself shouting at the top of his voice. The nearer he approached the river, the stronger was the urge to hurry and to yell a warning. His horse was galloping at top speed and he was yelling at the top of his voice. He could not have done otherwise. As he came within sight of the river, he had his hat off and was waving it wildly back and forth to attract the attention of Champaign, who, at this instant, was driving down to the ford on the other side of the river. Mr. Conn continued to frantically wave his hat and yell at the top of his voice. Finally Mr. Champaign saw him and pulled up his horses at the waters' edge. Mr. Conn told him of the river's rising and, upon examination, they found that the water was far over the safety point. Had Mr. Champaign driven over the ford, the horses and wagon would have been carried away by the flood waters. Several years later, Mr. Champaign, accompanied by his wife and one daughter, was on his way home from Roseburg. He misjudged the river at the same ford and plunged in, with the result that the horses and wagon were carried down stream. Mr. champaign and the daughter managed to save themselves, but the mother drowned.
Mr. Henry Conn died at his home ranch on May 2, 1896 and was buried at the Masonic Cemetery at Roseburg.
Mr. N.L. Conn has never married, but lives on a part of the old Henry Conn homestead. There are about 730 acres in his ranch, a most attractive place, on the Roseburg-Melrose highway. |
