Name/Title
Frank H. Busch and Native American Stone - 1916Entry/Object ID
2008.008.002.201Description
Frank H. Busch and Native American Stone at end of 12th Street.
The Oregon Daily Journal, Sunday, April 9, 1916, page 12
“EARTH GIVES UP ALTAR AND BONES”
OREGON CITY, Oregon, April 8 -- While workmen were excavating on the property of Frank Busch Jr. on Twelfth and Water streets, recently, they uncovered a large stone, in the shape of a basin or mortar bowl, which has been pronounced by Adolph Friedrichs who has traveled extensively through Mexico, an Indian Altar. Mr. Friedrichs states that it was the custom in barbarian times for tribes of Indians to take one of the young bucks of their tribe, and in order to tell of the future happenings of the tribe, place the young man on the altar where he was tortured until death ended his sufferings. As each Indian met his fate a nick was placed on the side of the stone. The altar found on Mr. Busch’s property contains about 30 distinct markings, so the supposition is that 30 young Indians were sacrificed on this stone. The stone, found beneath a tree estimated to have been over 200 years old, is about four feet long and three feet wide, with a thickness of about two feet. While this was being unearthed by the workmen the base was broken, but Mr. Busch has improvised a base, out of rocks, and has placed it in his park on Twelfth and Water streets.
Friday morning of this week while W. R. Darn and Frank Busch Jr. were excavating under the latter’s home on Twelfth and Water streets, they uncovered a large grave filled with Indian skeletons. Close by were several arrow heads, one of which was eight inches long made of brownish stone. Another one was four inches long of flint. They are different in shape. It is customary of the Indians to bury their dead facing the west, but these bodies were facing in different directions, and it is thought by several of the old residents of Oregon City that a massacre took place many years ago, and that the bodies were thrown into one pit and covered over by the tribe. These were buried but a few feet below the surface. There were no beads or ornaments found in this grave as is the custom of the Red Skins when giving their dead a proper burial. One of the skeletons had probably once been a flathead. He was in a separate grave. Thirty-two perfect teeth were in the lower and upper jaw bones, and even the enamel thereon was in good condition. It is the intention of Mr. Busch to preserve the skeletons that are taken from the ground. Some of the ground will not be disturbed so the bones may remain." (JAH 12/2025)
Morning Enterprise, April 6, 1913, page 3:“GRAVE OF PIONEER WOMAN UNCOVERED”
While workmen were excavating in a basement in one of the houses belonging to Frank Busch on Twelfth Street Saturday, a grave was found which is believed to be one of the oldest graves of a white person in the Northwest. The coffin was made of heavy cedar planks which had been hewn out with an ax. They were put together with large hand hammered spikes. The bones in the coffin are in a poor state of preservation and it is thought that they are probably those of a woman as they are small. Although the grave was in dry sand, it is so old that the cedar has decayed. It is estimated that the grave is probably 65 or 70 years old, because of the fact that hand made nails were used in the casket. It is not likely that of an Indian, as there were no beads or other Indian relics found in it. Numerous other relics have been found in the same neighborhood, among which was a large stone table like the affair used for grinding corn and other cereals. (JAH 10/2022)Made/Created
Date made
1916Place
City
Oregon CityCounty
ClackamasState
OregonCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North AmericaNotes
Medium: Negative
Location of Negative: Society CollectionOther Names and Numbers
Other Number
Other No.: Gardner 201; Other Photo #: Busch, John #8