The fertile Willamette valley spreads itself on either side of the river that gives it its name. This waterway is the lifeblood of the valley, and in pioneer days, in a land with no highways it was the highway. In a land with few bridges, ferries provided the needed links for transportation. These sometimes-primitive craft were built and operated by enterprising frontiersmen all up and down the river. Some remain today as merely names, a very few still operate, but for the most part their histories have disappeared into the brushy riverbanks.
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| Doak's Landing |
In the 1840s, Andrew Doak began a ferry service from the west bank of the Willamette, later selling his business to Jesse Walling, who platted a town. The fledgling community was spared in the great flood of 1861, and under Lewis Abrams, Walling's successor, the town flourished, mainly due to the fertile soil and numerous wheatfields throughout the area. In its day, Lincoln was the place to be in the central valley; known as "The Metropolis of Wheat," the town shipped 350,000 bushels of wheat one year, a record only exceeded by the downriver town of Portland. An apple orchard once stood here, and purchasers of lots in the new town were allowed to claim the apple trees that were being removed. Five large warehouses were built to hold the wheat prior to shipping, and Lincoln also boasted mills, a blacksmith, a lodge hall, a church, a school, and a store and shops to serve the surrounding area.
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| Spong's Landing |
Meanwhile, the Spong family settled on the opposite riverbank. They now owned the eastern ferry landing. Captain John M. Spong used the landing to convey supplies by boat; he also began his own ferry business. The competing ferry operators then withheld permission for the other ferry to land on their side of the river. A period of ill-will ensued, possibly including some shots fired, but there were no reported injuries. Eventually Abrams backed down and discontinued his ferry business. Spong's Ferry continued to run back and forth across the river until bridges were built and it was no longer needed.
The town of Lincoln continued to prosper under Abrams' competent management; in its heyday, it stretched for half a mile along the waterfront. Then the railroad came in the late 1870s and early 1880s, but not to Lincoln. One by one, businesses began to fade. When Lewis Abram died in 1905, the new owners of his businesses did not prosper. Then the buildings burned. Today, there is very little evidence left of what was once the Metropolis of Wheat.
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| Side branch of the Willamette |
Lying a little north of modern west Salem, Lincoln is now a crossroads on Highway 221 heading toward Dayton. Stop at the small store for ice cream and savor it under tall trees. Look across the highway for a sign reading "Doaks Lincoln" and briefly follow a small road. Turn right at the T to find a small parking lot; this is part of the Willamette River Greenway, but there is no trace of Lincoln. Following the path to the river, though, you will note the "shelves" in the riverbank; the Willamette often arranges its banks this way, allowing for easy waterfront development in the early days. Warehouses and wharves lined the lower shelf, with housing built on the shelves above. Once at the rocky edge of the river, look across the water to see where the ferry stopped at Spong's Landing. Return to the road and check out the other side of the T; the path here leads to a small side branch of the Willamette. Poke around "town" a little and you will find a couple of old houses among the newer ones, but that is all of Lincoln that remains.
Spong's Landing is now a popular county park outside of Keizer. To find it, follow Chemawa Road from I-5 through Keizer to Windsor Island Road; turn right, then after about a mile turn left on Naples Street to 22nd Avenue. There is a $5 parking fee, but there is plenty to do here. Open fields invite a game of frisbee, and a playground structure is popular with the kids. Follow the path toward the river and you will find riverbank "shelves" on this side, as well. The lowest shelf offers river access, with a little beach and a popular fishing area; it's easy to see that a ferry could have landed at this spot. Look across the river and you will see the ferry's destination on the Lincoln side.
On the second shelf, you will find a lovely picnic area under tall trees, complete with a charcoal grill and a river view. Wander through the trees and meadow to find a variety of songbirds. Look for a hiking trail to loop through a lush woodland, with wildflowers in season, wetlands, and more birds. A couple of picnic shelters are available if the weather turns all Oregon, and restrooms and horseshoe pits are provided.
Spong's Landing and Lincoln are fun to visit, but most of the history here lives only in our imaginations now. It's hard to picture the days gone by, with the Spong family running the wheat harvest across the river in their ferry and Lincoln bustling with commerce for half a mile along the bank. Gone are the folks whose vision first provided grain and jobs from the open land beside the Willamette. But standing on the lower bank where the ferry was loaded, looking across the wide, strong river to the rocky shore where it was unloaded, there is still an echo of old Oregon. There is still a trace of where we've been. These ferries, at least, will be remembered.
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| Trail to the river in Lincoln |
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| Spong's Landing from Lincoln |
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| Lincoln from Spong's Landing |
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| Spong's Landing Park |
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| Remnants of... something |
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| Trillium |
