James married BENDER, Fern Ellen on 3 Dec 1941 in Reno, Washoe, Nevada, USA. Fern (daughter of BENDER, Unknown and LINCOLN, Unknown) was born on 2 Apr 1911 in California, USA; died on 5 Jan 1992 in Contra Costa, California, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hiram married ALBRIGHT, Ina on 12 Jun 1905 in Portland, Clackamas, Oregon, USA. Ina (daughter of ALBRIGHT, Edward and STRANG, Kate) was born on 1 Mar 1872 in Oregon, USA; died on 14 Mar 1964 in Alameda, California, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

BRASFIELD

Posted by Lee Gentemann on Tue, 21 Jul 1998

Surname:

BRASFIELD, James W.--was born in Platt county, Missouri, 16 January 1840. His father Thomas W. R. BRASFIELD, was a pioneer of 1821 to Missouri. At the age of 14 our subject entered his father's store where he received his early education in the mercantile business. In 1860 he went to St. Joseph, where he clerked for 2 years; he then joined a
part of young men to seek their fortune in the Golden State, but on arriving near Fort Hall their route was changed and they came to Oregon. In 1863, Mr BRASFIELD went to Harrisburg and entered the employ of Hon. Hiram SMITH, and one year later was admitted as a partner under the firm name of SMITH & BRASFIELD. This firm continued for 10 years, when Mr. B sold out and started a store in Junction City where he did business until 1881, when he sold out and selected Yaquina Bay as his future home and at that time opened his present general store in Newport. In 1883 he purchased the well known Seal Rock property, one of the most delightful places to be found on the Pacific Coast, a description of which will be found in its proper place in this work. Mr
BRASFIELD was married in Harrisburg, Linn county, 1 January 1865 to Miss Lydia OWENS, a native of Kansas, and a daughter of Col Henry OWENS of Topeka; by this union they have an interesting family of 5 children, Arthur S., Hiram, Thomas W. R., Sank O., and Sadie.
Source:
HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY, OREGON
Pub. By: David D. Fagan
Portland, Oregon, 1885

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The completion of the Oregon Pacific Railroad opened to capital many profitable investments, but it was speculated that "probably none, considering the outlay required, would prove more remunerative than the erection of a hotel and the improvement of grounds near Seal Rock," a challenge took up 1887 by Lydia Owens and James W. Brassfield who attempted to develop the area.

Seal Rocks Resort 1887

South of Highlands and For Far, which were developed in 1888 by William Grant, a Scotsman who was described in a newspaper of the day as a hard working tailor from Corvallis, was Seal Rock Resorts, developed by Lydia Owens and James W. Brassfield in 1887. Brassfield was born in Platt County, Missouri, January 16, 1840. His father, Thomas W. R. Brassfield, was a Missouri pioneer in 1821. At the age of 14, Brassfield entered his father's store where he received his early education in the mercantile business. In 1860, he moved to Saint Joseph, where he clerked for two years. He then joined a party of young men on their way to California, then known as the Golden State. Upon arriving at Fort Hall, their route changed, and they ended up in Oregon.
In 1863, Brassfield moved to Harrisburg, where he was employed by Judge Hiram Smith, a pioneer of 1853, and one year later he was admitted as a partner under the firm of Smith & Brassfield.
January 1, 1865, he married Lydia Owens, a native of Kansas and a daughter of Col. Henry Owens, of Topeka, in Harrisburg, Kansas, January 1, 1865. The couple had five children: Arthur S., Hiram, Thomas, W. R., Frank O. and Sadie.
The firm of Smith & Brassfield continued for ten years, after which the Brassfields sold out and started a store in Junction City where they did business until 1881.
In 1887, Lydia and James Brassfield sold out again and moved to Yaquina Bay where they opened a general store. They purchased the well known Seal Rock property—one of the most delightful places on the Pacific Coast—and filed a plat map showing their holdings divided into 600 lots.
In 1885, historian David Fagan wrote that the place, together with a large tract of land adjoining,

was then the property of James W. Brassfield, a merchant of Newport, who erected a fine residence near the beach and a short distance south of Seal Rock, where his family in the summer months resided and enjoyed the beauties of nature and the ceaseless roar of the surf, which at this place is truly magnificent; and, fortunate indeed is he who is permitted to enjoy the hospitality of the Brassfields. At this point are shell beds, indicating that it had been the home of the Coastal Indians for generations, as the beds are numerous and range in depth of one to six feet.

Three entire blocks were dedicated for hotel construction. A year later, two additions to Seal Rocks Resort were mapped.
The couple managed to build a hotel and sell a few lots before getting into financial trouble. Many of their lots were deeded to a Portland creditor. Of the few lots they sold, most were abandoned by their purchasers and sold at auction by the county for as little as $9 a piece.
The post office was established April 25, 1890, with Brassfield postmaster. Now a community post office out of Waldport, Seal Rock is on US-101, the Oregon Coast Highway. It was named for the several smaller rocks, but is called Seal Rock for the one large rock at the shoreline.
In the past, a pedestrian-friendly community with well-organized streets, parks, and public gathering places was, for the most part, a sales pitch. The vision of developers is being rekindled in many Lincoln County communities, and people are now actively working to make such improvements a reality.
Today, the chainsaw sculptures of Ray Kowalski and Brian McEneny are featured prominently at Seal Rock.

James married OWENS, Lydia on 1 Jan 1865 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA. Lydia (daughter of OWENS, Henry and SMITH, Missouri Ann) was born on 30 Jan 1848 in Smithville, Clay, Missouri, USA; died on 26 Jan 1930 in Berkeley, Alameda, California, USA; was buried in Oakland, Alameda, California, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Mountain View Park Cemetery

Edward married STRANG, Kate. Kate was born about 1849. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married BRECKENRIDGE, Elizabeth on 17 Nov 1837. Elizabeth (daughter of BRECKENRIDGE, Eddy Lynn and DUNCAN, Eleanor) was born on 15 Apr 1819 in Kentucky, USA; died on 15 May 1883 in Clay, Missouri, USA; was buried in Platte County, Missouri, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Hello, Michael:
I was happy to see your information on Henry Owens and Missouri Smith on
RootsWeb. I can give Lydia Owens a sibling, as well as give you another
person I found tonight who has yet another sibling that could be added.

My great-grandfather was Calvin Smith Owens, a son of Henry and Missouri
Owens. He married Susan Mary Chapman (whose lineage I have in detail) and
had 11 children, pictures of all I can supply, if you desire. My grandmother
Sara Helen Owens Ray was his daughter, and my father, Joe Dee Ray, was his
grandson.

Please contact me if you would like to compare and share information.

Best of luck with your searches,

Mary Helen Blake
GHB8225@aol.com
4/13/2002

Henry married SMITH, Missouri Ann. Missouri (daughter of SMITH, Humphrey and WALKER, Nancy) was born on 14 Jul 1816 in Booneville, Missouri, USA; died in 1891. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]