View Polk County Map
  Home
  Find A Record
  Directions
  Contact Information
  History
  Photographs
  Sources
  Resource Links
  Master Polk County
  Burial Search
Spring Valley Cemetery ~ Mary Almira McLench ~ part of the Polk County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon
Print Friendly Version
McLench, Mary Almira
LAST NAME: McLench FIRST NAME: Mary MIDDLE NAME: Almira NICKNAME: 
MAIDEN NAME: Gray AKA 1:  AKA 2:  AKA 3: 
GENDER: F TITLE: 
BORN: 16 Sept 1825 DIED: 4 Dec 1907 BURIED:  (Spring Valley Cemetery)
OCCUPATION:  
BIRTH PLACE:  Townsend, Windham Co, Vermont
DEATH PLACE: Salem, Marion Co., Oregon
NOTES: 

MARRIAGE – B.F. McLench (of Polk co, Ore) & Mary A. Gray (of Washington co, Ore) md 18 Aug 1852, Washington co, Oregon

1860 OR CENSUS – M.A. McClinch [sic] (34y, b Vermont) enumerated with B.F. (35y, b Maine, occupation farmer) enumerated with F.G. (6y, b Oregon), M.E. (4y, b Oregon) and A.E. (1y, b Oregon)

1870 OR CENSUS - Benj. Mclench, age 44, occupation farmer, b. Maine, is enumerated with Mary, age 44, b. Vermont, along with Frank, age 16, b. Oregon, Lizzie, age 14, b. Oregon, and Alice, age 11, b. Oregon. 

1880 OR CENSUS – Mary E. McLench (54y, b New York) enumerated with husband Benj F. (54y, b Maine, occupation farmer) 2 daughters, Mary E. (23y, b Oregon, occupation teacher) and Alace E. (21y, b Oregon); also with family was Charles Webb (45y, b Connecticut, occupation laborer)

1900 OR CENSUS – Mary A. McLench (b Sept 1825, Vermont, widowed) enumerated with daughter Alice E. Caldwell (b Feb 1859, Oregon, married 11y, mother of 2 children), her husband Frank B. Caldwell (b Sept 1853, Maine) and their 2 children, Harry F. (b Sept 1889, Oregon) and Estella M. (b Sept 1892, Oregon); also with family was boarder Shubell L. Fuller (b Feb 1855, Wisconsin)

BIOGRAPHICAL
Mary E. Watson has petitioned the court that she be appointed the guaridan of Mary A. McLench, who is set forth as being incapable of conducting her own affairs owing to being enfbled by age. Tuesday, 28, 1907, at 2 p.m., has been set as the time for hearing the petition.
Daily Capital Journal 17 May 1907, 8:4

Spelling Variation - maiden nme spelled both as Gray and Grey.

DEATH CERTIFICATE: 

OSBH DC (Marion County 1907) #5393 - Mary A. McLench, female, housewife, widowed, b. 16 Sept 1825, Townsend, Vermont, d. 4 Dec 1907 in Salem, Oregon (2500 Fair Rd) at the age of 82 years, 2 mos 14 days, name of father Samuel Grey (b. Vermont), maiden name of mother M. Johnson (b. Vermont), interment Zena, informant B. McLench, Rt 1, Salem.

OBITUARY: 

McLench.—At the home of her son-in-law, A. E. Watson, No. 2500 Fairgrounds Road, Wednesday, December 4, 1907, at 11:30 a.m., Mrs. Mary A. McLench, age 82 years. Funeral announcement later.
Daily Capital Journal, December 4, 1907

Funeral Notice—
The funeral of Mrs. Mary McLeach (sic) will be conducted by Rev. P. S. Knight from the Watson home on the Fairgrounds road, at 9 o’clock tomorrow, Saturday. Regular services will be held at the Zena church. Interment in Zena cemetery.
Daily Capital Journal, December 6, 1907

Noted Pioneer Teacher

An Appreciation of the Late Mrs Mary Almira Gray McLench

Portland – Dec 7 – (To the Editor) – Mrs Mary Almira Gray McLench, a pioneer of 1851, and the widow of the late Benjamin F. McLench, of Polk County, died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs Mary McLench Watson, Fair Grounds, Marion County, last Wednesday evening, after an illness of a few weeks. Mrs McLench was born at Townsend, Windham County, Vermont, September 16, 1825, educated in the Leland nd Gray Seminary in her native town, and after graduation taught in her native state a number of years. Some time during the deade between 1840 and 1850 the National Board of Popular Education was organized in New England, and Governor William Slade, of Vermont, was the agent of the board in his home state. Some time in 1849-1850 he received word from Rev George H. Atkinson and Governor Joseph Lane, both of Oregon, to the effect that school teachers were needed in Oregon, and hence set about to secure a supply. After much effort he found four young ladies who consented to go to the “Far West,” but he wanted one more. This want, coming to the knowledge of Miss Gray, as she was then, who was teaching at Grafton, Vt, was considered for a little while, whereupon she determined to respond to the call. She left her home in Vermont March 10, 1851, and next day was at the Delavan House, New York, where she met the four other teachers – Miss Lincoln, from Maine; Miss Wands, Miss Smith and Miss Millar, the last three form different parts of the State of New York – and also Governor Slade and Hon Samuel R. Thurston, then delegate in Congress from Oregon, the latter of whom was to accompany the young ladies to their far-off Oregon home.

The party sailed out of New York March 13 and arrived at the isthmus on the 23d, and the vessel had 1500 passengers on board. The isthmus was crossed on horseback, and after a delay of a week the company shipped for San Francisco on board the old steamer California, and arrive at that city April 23. As there were no wharves in existence at that time, everybody had to go ashore in small boats. The journey northward from San Francisco was deeply saddened by the untimely death of Mr Thurston April 9, just off Acapulco, where the ship landed for the burial of the unfortunate man. The party only remained in San Francisco a little less than 24 hours; board was $5 a day and lodging $3 extra, and then took passage on the little steamer Columbia for the mouth of the Columbia River, which was reached April 28 with the sea as smooth as a lake.

A day later the travelers reached Portland and among other places they visited The Oregonian Office. In talking over this experience several months ago, Mrs McLench said to me, in substance: “Big fir stumps were plentiful in the principal streets, and occasional trees as well. The primeval forest was in close proximity.”

That afternoon the party started for Oregon City in a bateau, rowed by Indians, but the craft went ashore at Clackamas Rapids, and all had to go supperless, besides having to remain out all might. The next day the teachers were received by Dr Atkinson and others, and soon each one had an assignment to a home and a school as well.

The first school that Mrs McLench taught was in the vicinity of the present village of Reedville, where she taught five terms. During this time she became acquainted with Mr McLench, and she was married to him August 19, 1852, by Rev Benjamin Simpson, now a resident of this city and living with his son-in-law, W.M. Killingsworth.

The young couple made their home in Polk County, a few miles northwest of Salem, and reared a family of four children, three of whom are now living.

Mr McLench, who was a brother-in-law to Mr Thurston, died February 11, 1892. He it was who had charge of the removal of the remains of Mr Thurston from Acapulco to Salem.

Of the teachers who were the companions of Mrs McLench in her early experiences in Oregon, there is only one now alive – Mrs Elizabeth Millar Wilson, of The Dalles.

Of the passengers, aside from the teachers, there were a number who afterward became prominently identified with Oregon affairs, namely: Judge Thomas Nelson, Chief Justice; John B. Preston, Oregon’s first Surveyor General; S.F. Chadwick and Z.F. Moody, the latter two gentlemen becoming Governors of Oregon. Ex-Governor Moody is yet with us. Thus, in brief, is sketched the career of one of the most honored among the women of Oregon, whose memory will be fragrant for kindly deeds performed to the latest day of those who knew her. George H. Himes

Oregonian, Sunday, December 8, 1907, III:10:1-2  

INSCRIPTION: 

Mary A. Gray
McLench
Born in Vt.
Died in Salem
Oregon
1825 - 1907
[shares monument with Benjamin]
In The Lord Put
My Trust

SOURCES: 

Janssen Compilation
Saucy Survey & Photographs
OSBH DC (Marion County 1907) #5393 

Western States Marriage Index

1860 OR CENSUS (Polk co, FA#235)

1870 OR CENSUS (Polk Co., Lincoln, FA #412)

1880 OR CENSUS (Polk co, Bethel, ED 102, FA#68)

1900 OR CENSUS (Polk co, Spring Valley, ED 172, FA#9)

DCJ 17 May 1907, 8:4
DCJ 4 Dec 1907
DCJ 6 Dec 1907

Oregonian, 8 Dec 1907, III:10:1-2

CONTACTS: 
ROW: I 2 B2  
IMAGES:
     

Home |  Find a Record |  Directions |  Contact Information |  History |  Sources |  Resource Links |  Polk County Map |  Copyright/Terms of Use