Mt Scott and Sunnyside Road Clackamas County Ore

Christian Deardorff, a former Virginian farmer re-located in Iowa, arriving in Oregon in 1851 with his family, obtained the first donation land claim, 640 acres on the floor of the Happy valley.

One of his sons, John M,, claimed another 320 acres next to this. About the same time a man named Yot homesteaded next to Christian Deardorff on the northeast, another by the name of Talbert took the land south along what is now 129th Street and the lower end of Mt. Scott Boulevard where the small church now stands.

Most of the valley floor being settled, other men claimed the slopes and ridges. The Scott family took most of the south slope of Mt. Scott,

William R. Davis took 160 acres between Scott's and Talbert's, while the section between what is now King Road and Ridgecrest Drive alongside 132nd was homesteaded by Robert T. Davis.

 Jasper Gilliam claimed 520 acres south of John Deardorff's claim, and later Marvin Hubbard bought 80 acres between this piece and Talbert's,thus closing the free or purchased lands on that side.

As time went by, Christian Deardorff used parcels of his land as a means of paying the men who worked for him, and in this way the property changed hands many times in a short time while as families came and went.

In 1888 Strickrott purchased from John McIntyre a portion of the Talbert land. At first they lived in a log cabin. Then in 1893 they built a frame house which is still occupied by the Strickrotts on Mt. Scott Boulevard.

George Robertson Deardorff was a relative of George Durgan through the Harvey family and Georges wife Maggie Collins.. The Harvey's, Hubbard's, Deardorff's and Durgans were all cousins of one kind or another..

Flavel Sumner lived on the North side of the Durgan Place .The orignal Durgan House was Marvin Hubbard's house at 122nd and Sunnyside road , it was moved across 122 ave at Talbert creek. ,house was torn down in during World War II.. The Durgan family were pioneers to the northwest..arrived Fort Vancouver 1849

The Ulrichs and the Zinsers moved into the valley late in the last century.

 In 1890 George Zinser bought land and built a house which is still occupied. It is the small, two-story red house just east of the fire station.

(Editor's Note: This house was to become the City Hall in the early1990's, but it was in such poor condition that it was removed and areplica built which serves today as the City Hall.)

This is where another early family, the Rebstocks, used to live. Charles Rebstock purchased the place in 1901.

Fred Zinser built a log cabin on Mt. Scott in 1890 which was the birth place of Royal, Elmer and Lydia Zinser, all of whom still live in the Valley. Their home is now a large frame house on Mt. Scott Boulevard known as the "Emberlin" home.

Some of the other early families were the Paulsons, Beckers, Oldenburgs, Bowers, Kannes, and Rushfords. Several pioneer families are still prominent residents in the valley. 

Christian Deardorff Born: 15 Jan 1805 Place: , Botetourt, Va

Died: 14 Dec 1884 Place: , Clackamas, Oregon

Married: 23 Jan 1824 , Indiana

Father: John Deardorff

Mother: Catherine Harshbarger

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Wife's Name:- Matilda Ann LANDES Born: 31 Aug 1802 Place: , , Virginia

Died: 30 Apr 1891 Place: , Clackamas, Oregon

Married: 23 Jan 1824 , , Indiana

Father: Mother:

Children ::

1. M John M. Deardorff Born: 1824 Place: , , Indiana>

2. M Tobias Deardorff Born: 1829 Place: , , Indiana>

3. M James J. Deardorff Born: 1832 Place: , , Indiana>

4. F Rebecca Francis Deardorff Born: 1833 Place: , , Indiana>

5. F Hula Jane Deardorff Born: 1845 Place: , , Indiana>

6. M David Harrison Deardorff Born: 11 May 1827 , , Indiana :Died: 25 Jul 1904 , Clackamas, Oregon