Birdseye House

Hello, this is Nelson Olstead with the history of Oregon's oldest family home. First, the word from Clint Gruber are spokesman from Pacific Power. Welcome once again to stories of Pacific Powerland, a presentation of Pacific Power and Life, the company that has been serving the electric needs of the region's homes, farms and industries

through more than half a century of progress and growth. Now back to Nelson and today's story. He was the first bride in the Rogue River Valley, a tractive, pervasive, pervasive birdie. And her young husband, David, filed a donation land claim on the tempered site bordering the Rogue River.

It was remote and lonely, to be sure, but beautiful, too, a place of great peace and tranquility. David said, now, we could build with logs like most of the folks around these parts, and that'd be the easiest way, but a log house isn't good enough for us.

I want to build something that'll last. and so, during the year of 1856, David Birdley labored to make his homes sturdy, pleasant, and comfortable. New trails were staked through the country, and one such trail crossed the Rogue River a few miles downstream from the Birdley Place, where there was a relatively easy spot to

forward the river. A small community grew up on the site, and acquired the amusing name of Tailhold. The title was prompted by the practice of travelers holding to the tails of their horses or mules while fording this with running rogue. That community today is the prosperous town of Rogue River. As David Birdsy had promised, his new house became a showplace of the area.

Clarissa had an eye for pretty things. One day he arrived home with a very unusual burden loaded on packed mules. He called out, Clarissa, come out here, see what I've brought you. It's a real first-class piano. See, solid mahogany. I bought it from Major Glenn, especially for the best life a man ever had. But life on the southern Oregon frontier was not always a pleasant