After 1870

1891 photograph of Letitia Carson's daughter, Martha Lavadour, her husband, Narcisse Lavadour, and their son, Nelson Lavadour, their youngest child. 

Letitia’s children, Martha and Adam, had been with her throughout all of the relocations and uncertainty. Martha had been born on the Oregon Trail near the Rocky Mountains.

In 1864, Martha gave birth to her first child, Mary Alice Bigham. Mary Alice is listed with the surname Bingham in numerous records, and it is believed that she was the daughter of Solomon Bingham, who also lived in Douglas County during this time. 

In 1868, Letitia's daughter, Martha Jane Carson, married Narcisse Lavadour, a member of the Walla Walla Tribe. The couple lived together on Letitia’s homestead and raised their family there until 1886, when they moved to the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The couple would have ten children together in total, and many of Martha's descendants can be counted among the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Adam moved to Douglas County with his mother and sister sometime before 1860, and the 1870 census lists him as living with his mother. Adam Carson was still living with Letitia as late as 1870, but sometime after relocated to Canyonville.

He continued to live in Douglas County until his death in 1922, but he was not listed in the census again until 1910. Jack was a farmer and wagon driver in the Canyonville area and was well known for his skill as a horse trainer. He never married, and the informant on his death certificate is his niece.

Adam and Martha in Archival Sources

Letitia Carson's Death

The warranty deed seems to designate the transfer of Letitia's home to Andrew Carson after her death.

Letitia continued to work and live on her homestead until her death on February 2, 1888, at the age of approximately 70. She was buried in Stephen’s family cemetery in Myrtle Creek beside her son, Adam.

A nearby creek today bears her name, “Letitia Creek.” Another nearby creek is now being renamed "Jack Creek," replacing an old, racist name. Douglas County’s now "Jack" Creek is about two miles long and flows into Cow Creek 11 miles south of Canyonville. Later, the unique chocolate-brown soil along its banks was named "Letitia" by Stephen Wert, a Bureau of Land Management soil scientist. 

Letitia's headstone is tall, crafted from white marble, and engraved with a decorative frame and a drooping willow tree. While her birthdate is incorrect and her name is misspelled, the prominence of Letitia’s headstone indicates that she had a close, meaningful relationship with the Stephens family. When discussing Letitia’s burial, community historian Blanche Newton wrote, “I have always heard that she was a hard worker…She was much loved by her community, and it is said that they bought her gravestone.” Clearly, Letitia was a beloved member of the South Myrtle community.

 

A 1990 photograph of historian Bob Zybach standing next to Letitia Carson's gravestone located in Stephen's Cemetery in Myrtle Creek, Douglas County, a few miles west of her long-time Douglas County home. Bob and Jan Meranda worked for decades to bring Letitia's story to light.

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