Wheatland Ferry crossed the Willamette River at a very historical pioneer spot. Jason Lee chose the location for the first Methodist Mission of the valley, a short distance south of the village of Wheatland on the east side of the river. There were no roads, so traveling was by water or horse-back, and the first river crossings were in Indian canoes, with often a horse swimming behind. In 1837, David Leslie came to help at the Mission, bringing his wife and three daughters. They lived in a log cabin on the west side of the river and crossed to the Mission. By 1840 two more daughters were born. They were the first white children born in Yamhill County. In 1843, Daniel Matheny crossed the plains and took up a donation land claim reaching the river at Wheatland. His family operated a ferry across the river for many years, beginning in flat bottom skiffs, and later with a flat boat for wagons. Here is a story of pioneer days. Matheny’s oldest son was told by his mother that he was too big to go to Camp Meeting without shoes, so he would have to stay home. This was a sad situation as Camp Meeting was the social event of the year. An Indian woman came to the river and signaled for him to come over to take her across. When he reached her he saw her moccasins and began to bargain for them. At first she shook her head, and he began to empty his pockets. At last she consented and he ran home waving his moccasins. The land around Wheatland was settled rapidly in the 1840’s, and as wheat was the main export, a warehouse and boat landing were built a quarter of a mile south of the ferry by Miles Hendrick. Wheat was raised on both sides of the river. There is no high ground on the east side of the Willamette river for buildings or boat landings. The first warehouse was built a mile south of Wheatland on a bluff near the west bank of the Willamette river. It went out in the 1890 flood. The other one was built about a quarter of a mile north of Wheatland. After harvest the ferry was busy bringing wheat from across the river to the warehouse to be shipped on river boats. I remember the ferry in the late 1890’s. It was a thrill to cross the river on it; but as the charge was twenty-five cents one way and forty cents round trip, we didn’t cross often. As children, my cousin and I used to go down and ride across free when the ferry man was taking a wagon. He never refused us and no child drowned from the ferry at that early day.