Kelly Butte (Springfield, Oregon) facts for kids

Kelly Butte is a well-known hill located in the western part of Springfield, Oregon, in the United States. This hill gets its name from an interesting person named John Kelly, whose life story is quite an adventure!

Who Was John Kelly?

John Kelly was born in Ireland in 1818. He lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before making his way to the Oregon Country in 1843. The Oregon Country was a large area in the Pacific Northwest that was still being settled. John Kelly first arrived there as an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. This was a very old and famous company that traded furs and other goods.

Kelly's Adventures and Work

After his time in Oregon, John Kelly returned to the United States. He even served as a soldier in the Mexican–American War. This was a war between the United States and Mexico that happened from 1846 to 1848.

In 1849, John Kelly came back to Oregon. This time, he was a "wagonmaster" for the U.S. Mounted Rifles. A wagonmaster was someone who led groups of wagons, often carrying supplies or people, across long distances.

John Kelly was a busy man! He worked as a "stock trader," which meant he bought and sold animals like cattle, traveling between Oregon and California. He eventually received land through something called the Donation Land Claim Act. This act allowed people to claim free land if they settled on it. His claim was near Roseburg, Oregon.

Later, in 1866, he moved to Springfield. There, he worked as a "miller," grinding grain into flour, and as a "lumber contractor," working with wood for building. He stayed in Springfield until 1869.

John Kelly then returned to Roseburg. For eight years, he worked for the General Land Office. This was a government office that managed public lands. From 1876 to 1880, he worked in Portland as a "customs collector." A customs collector is someone who collects taxes on goods that come into a country or state. He also spent some time as a "commissioner" for the Northern Pacific Railway in Montana. A commissioner is a high-ranking official.

The Kelly Family Legacy

John Kelly married Elizabeth Parker. They had two sons, George H. Kelly and John F. Kelly. These sons later became co-owners of a very important company called the Booth-Kelly Lumber Company. This shows how the Kelly family played a role in the history and development of the region.