It was during a July, 2024 genealogical trip to Florence, that a Eugene family visited the Museum’s library to research their great grandfather. James Oscar Rich was born in Kansas in 1882. In about 1914, he worked during construction of the Willamette-Pacific Railroad driving horse-drawn wagons between Eugene and Cushman. His wife Pearl [aka Pearle] Henrietta (Cox) Rich, worked as a cook for the rail’s construction workers.
According to his 1918 WWI draft registration record, James was a “track walker’ (laborer) on a section crew near Mapleton for Southern Pacific Railroad. Tragically, on October 29, 1918 James fell from a traveling gasoline rail car in Rainrock, 3 miles from Mapleton. Two days later, he died from head injuries he incurred in the fall. At just 37 years old, he was survived by his wife Pearl, 27 years old, and their three children, a daughter 5, a son 3, and a 3-week-old infant son. Following a court settlement, the James Oscar Rich family was awarded $2,225.
There is no doubt the railroad has had a significant role in the advancement of transportation. Perhaps the next time you drive past the Cushman/Mapleton railroad tracks, you’ll pause to think about the men and women who contributed to its construction and development. They were pioneers who experienced hard work, sacrifices and challenges that in the end has come to shape our history. This story strives to honor their legacy.
Click image to zoom.
Construction-Wagon
Pearl, James, and Margaret Rich
Railroad Cook Tent
Pearl At Work
The William J. Kyle library is located behind the Museum and is a source for research of early residents and events of the Siuslaw Valley area. For a small research fee, library researchers are available to assist you with obtaining documents of historical (and recent) information and images within our collection. The library is open Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (541) 997-7884 ext. 1 for further information.
SOURCES
“Eugene Railroader Dies From Injuries Received from Fall”. The Oregon Daily Journal. 01 Nov 1918: pg.6.
“Injured Railroad Man Dies at Mercy Hospital”. The Eugene Guard. 31 Oct 1918: pg. 6.
” U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1849-1963“. Oregon State Archives. Salem, Oregon; Probate Place: Lane, Oregon.
“U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918“. [database on-line], Registration State: Oregon; Registration County: Lane County.