Research Report
4560 Second St. NW | Emma Mitty – Cornelia Marvin Pierce Home
Exterior view of historic Cornelia Marvin Pierce home, Eola, Polk County, Oregon, 1957. Ben Maxwell Collection, ID 7621, Oregon Historic Photograph Collection, Salem Public Library
Exterior view of historic home at 4560 Second St. NW, 2021. Willamette Valley MLS.
Property Description
Twp 7S, Range 4W, Section 25D, Block 20, Lots 1,2,3
Tax Lot #2900
Summary
This home is the second oldest remaining structure in the historic town of Cincinatti/Eola and dates to 1857. It stands on Lots 1, 2, and 3 in Block 20 of the original town plat laid out on the William Duran donation land claim. The property was purchased by Thomas Riggs in 1855 as part of a large land transaction, later parceled out. William Jones purchased it in 1870 and in the summer of 1891 sold it to Emma Mitty. The Mitty family came to Eola in 1890 when Father Nicholas was committed to the insane asylum. Remaining family members were active in the Christian Church in Eola, the literary club, and school. The youngest boys George and Clyde attended Eola School. George would go on to graduate from the Salem based Capital Business College in 1902 and work in the Salem Post Office. In 1911, he supervised road improvements through Eola including the grading and graveling of Hogg Hill.
Tragedy struck the Mitty family in the summer of 1920 with the concurrent deaths of both parents, commitment of sister Mary to the insane asylum, and the suicide of George in the farmhouse. Son Edward alone remained in Eola, moving in with neighbors through whom the property was disposed of for the sum of ten dollars. It was purchased and renovated by Cornelia Marvin, state librarian of Oregon.
Marvin was a formidable woman appointed in 1905 as the first director of the newly created Oregon Library Commission, an organization tasked with the formation and growth of a central library service as well as extensions to public and county libraries. In 1913 she was appointed the Oregon State Librarian, a post she held until her marriage to former governor Walter M. Pierce in 1928. She also served on the Oregon State Board of Higher Education from 1931-1935. During her husband’s campaign for Congress and subsequent election, Cornelia served as both his campaign advisor and speech writer. Once appointed, she worked as his private secretary during his ten years of congressional service.
Walter M. Pierce served as the 17th governor of Oregon from 1923-1927 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1933-1943. He was a Democrat during a heavily Republican dominated period of Oregon politics. He was a racist and eugenics supporter initially endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan which was growing in influence and power across the state. Cornelia was his third wife. After his retirement from politics at age 81, the couple returned to their home in Eola, where he died in 1954.
Following Cornelia’s death in 1957, the house and property were left to Reed College in Portland. Slated for demolition, it was later sold instead and has been occupied by a succession of owners until the present time. It was described in a rental ad in 1958, following Cornelia’s death as an 8-room house with beautiful garden and creek running through it.
Report prepared 26 Feb 2021 by Kaylyn F. Mabey, Willamette Heritage Center. Permission must be obtained by author prior to use or reproduction of this report in any form.
Timeline |
Located in the William Duran Donation Land Claim |
| 1855 – Oct 29 | Purchased by Thomas J. Riggs for the sum of $1500 (included in a large land purchase)
Polk County Deed Book A, p. 132, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1870 – Jan 16 | Purchased by William Jones for the sum of $50
Polk County Deed Book 6, p. 550, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1891 – July 16
|
Purchased by Emma Mitty for the sum of $350
Polk County Deed Book 21, p. 548, Polk County Assessor’s Office Polk County Deed Book 3, p. 326, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1892 – Mar 11 | Land Transaction Listing
Oregon Statesman, 25 Mar 1892, p. 8, Newspapers.com Wm. Jones to Emma Mitty, lots in Eola, 350 |
| 1920 – Jan 19 | 1920 Census records the occupants of the home as the Mitty family – Nicholas, Emma, Mary, Edward, George |
| 1920 – Jun 9 | Death of Nicholas Mitty in Eola
Death Certificate, Oregon State Archives Oregon Statesman, 10 Jun 1920, p. 2, Newspapers.com |
| 1920 – Aug 28 | Death of Emma Mitty in Eola
Death Certificate, Oregon State Archives Oregon Statesman, 29 Aug 1920, p. 5, Newspapers.com |
| Property passed to the 5 Mitty children
(William, Mary, Edward, George, Walter) |
|
| 1920 – Dec 2 | Death of George Mitty in Eola
Death Certificate, Oregon State Archives Oregon Statesman, 4 Dec 1920, p. 5, Newspapers.com |
| 1921 – Jun 22 | Mitty Property changes hands
Capital Journal, 22 Jun 1921, p. 2, Newspapers.com Miss Marvin, state librarian, has purchased the Mitty property here and contemplates making a beautiful suburban home. |
| 1921 – Sep 1 | Quit Claim Deed, Walter C. Mitty sold to Edward M. Mitty for the sum of $1
Polk County Deed Book 73, p. 450, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1922 – May 25 | Quit Claim Deed, William Mitty sold to Edward M. Mitty for the sum of $1
Polk County Deed Book 76, p. 83, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1922 – May 25 | Purchased by R.J. Ferguson for the sum of $10.00
Polk County Deed Book 76. p. 84, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1922 – Aug 26 | Guardianship of Mary E. Mitty [insane], brother Edward appointed in regard to land sale
Polk County Deed Book 76, p. 254-278, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1922 – Oct 14 | Purchased by Cornelia Marvin for the sum of $10.00 [could not be finalized until Mary Mitty’s commitment to Insane Asylum and quit claims on the part of additional Mitty children]
Polk County Deed Book 76, p. 349, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1928 – Dec 31 | Cornelia Marvin married Governor Walter M. Pierce in her Eola home
Marriage Record, Oregon State Archives Capital Journal 31 Dec 1928, p. 3, Newspapers.com |
| 1943 – Jan 31 | Pierces Retire to Eola
Oregon Statesman 31 Jan 1943, p. 1, Newspapers.com |
| 1946 – May 26 | Retired Governor’s Eola “Cabin”
Oregon Statesman 26 May 1946, p. 16, Newspapers.com [from interview with Walter M. Pierce upon his retirement] The house a few miles west of Salem, is the century-old white frame structure set on a grassy knoll and among ancient trees, where Cornelia Marvin, long state librarian, made her home before she became Mrs. Pierce in 1928. The gurgle of the spring-fed brook outside his sunny window and the bright flowers in garden and pot within his reach are pleasant to him. |
| 1954 – Mar 27 | Death of Walter M. Pierce
Death Certificate, Oregon State Archives Oregon Statesman 28 Mar 1954, p 1, Newspapers.com |
| 1950 – May 15 | 1950 Census records the occupants of the home as Walter and Cornelia Pierce |
| 1955 – Aug 1
|
Interview with Cornelia Marvin Pierce
Capital Journal 1 Aug 1955, p. 6, Newspapers.com The farm house to which I went from the library became a book center for rural families. I got books from the State Library and used our own. We kept open house on Sunday afternoon, children riding double on family horses tied to our fence, people of all ages – tables of books in all the rooms – violin and piano calling us together for a final half hour of group singing. My last library work was in Eola, Polk County, after returning from Washington D.C. I ran a children’s library each summer – had books from the State Library, and the children came weekly. |
| 1957 – Feb 12 | Death of Cornelia Marvin Pierce
Death Certificate, Oregon State Archives Oregon Statesman 13 Feb 1957, p. 1, 3, Newspapers.com |
| 1957 – Apr 9 | Settlement of Cornelia Marvin Estate – property to Reed Institute [interior photo]
Capital Journal 9 Apr 1957, p. 11, Newspapers.com Distribution of personal effects owned by the late Cornelia Marvin Pierce, for 35 years associated with the décor of her century old country home at Eola, are now underway according to A.H. Bone, administrator….The home was willed to Reed College. Bone believes that the aging structure will be razed. The Pierce house is said to be among the older in Eola, a community distinguished for the number of standing homes erected in the 1850s. In 1920 Mrs. Pierce acquired the home and additional acreage from heirs of Emma Mitty who in turn had a quit claim deed to the property. A gruesome suicide occurred in the house Dec. 2, 1920, when a resident there took his life with a shotgun. |
| 1957 – Aug 20 | Settlement of Cornelia Marvin Estate – property to Reed Institute
Polk County Deed Book 164, p. 584, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1958-1961 | Home rented out
Capital Journal 11 Mar 1958, p. 15, Newspapers.com The rural home of the late Cornelia Marvin Pierce at Eola is now for rent. This 8 room house with beautiful garden, choice shrubs, creek, is ideal for a city family seeking quiet & rural atmosphere. Only 4 miles from city center. Good school close by. We’ll redecorate to suit tenant. References required. Shown by appointment only. PH. Arthur H. Bone Administrator. EM 4-3045 |
| 1960 – Aug 22 | Historic Homes In Eola Toured
Capital Journal 22 Aug 1960, p. 1, Newspapers.com Listed among homes in Eola toured by members of the Marion County Historical Society. |
| 1968 – May 2 | Purchased by Laura J. Kershaw [from Reed Institute] for the sum of $9,000
Polk County Deed Book 210, p. 1, 411, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1975 – Jan 3 | Purchased by Paul A. & Donna A. Lapenas for the sum of ? [illegible on record]
Polk County Deed Book 66, p. 445, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1982 – Sep 29 | Purchased by Scott C. & Malia G. Berkey for the sum of $64,900
Polk County Deed Book 166, p. 1646, Polk County Assessor’s Office |
| 1995 – Apr 21 | Purchased by James P. & Mary Lynn Murphy for the sum of $158,000
Doc No. 1995-003547, Polk County Assessor’s Office – online database |
| 2013 – Dec 16 | Purchased by Christopher M. Burton for the sum of $205,000
Doc No. 2014-000720, Polk County Assessor’s Office – online database |
| 2021 – Oct 19 | Purchased by John & Peggy Roberts for the sum of $495,000
Doc No. 2021-015952, Polk County Assessor’s Office – online database |
Historic Images
References
General Land Office Records
- Bureau of Land Management. “Land Patent Search.” Database and images. General Land Office Records. https://glorecords.blm.gov : 2022.
- Bureau of Land Management. “Survey Plats and Field Notes.” Database and images. General Land Office Records. https://glorecords.blm.gov : 2022.
Donation Land Claim Records
- Genealogical Forum of Oregon. “Donation Land Claims.” Database and images. Oregon Donation Land Claims. https://gfo.org/resources/indexes/pioneer/donation-land-claims.html : 2022.
Maps
- Metsker Maps (1929). Metsker’s map of Polk County, Oregon [map]. (scale 2in=1 mile) Tacoma, WA: Metsker Maps
- Metsker Maps (1942). Metsker’s map of Polk County, Oregon [map]. (scale 2in=1 mile) Tacoma, WA: Metsker Maps
- Metsker Maps (1962). Metsker’s map of Polk County, Oregon [map]. (scale 2in=1 mile) Tacoma, WA: Metsker Maps
GIS / Land Records
- Oregon. Polk County. Deed Books, 1850-present. Polk County Assessor’s Office, Dallas, OR. – available thru Polk County Assessors Site. https://www.co.polk.or.us/clerk/direct/indirect-search-historical-index : 2022.
Census Records
- Oregon. Polk County. 1880-1950 state census, population schedule. Ancestry.com
Biographical Records
- Early Oregonians Database Index [1800-1860], Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/personProfileSearch.do : 2022
- An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Intestate Publishing Co., 1904. P. 455. Google Books: 2022
- Cornelia Marvin Pierce (1873-1957), Oregon Encyclopedia, Oregon Historical Society. Cornelia Marvin Pierce (1873-1957) (oregonencyclopedia.org)
- Oregon Cattleman/Governor, Congressman: Memoirs and Times of Walter M. Pierce, Arthur H. Bone (ed.) Oregon Historical Society, 1981.
Newspapers
- “Fine Work Done on the Eola Road,” [supervision of George Mitty] Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 16 Nov 1911, p. 3
- Mitty property changes hands, Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 22 Jun 1921, p. 2
- “Miss Marvin to be Wed Tonight,” Marriage of Cornelia Marvin to Walter M. Pierce, Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 31 Dec 1928, p. 3
- Home of a Governor and Ex-Governor, The Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 8 Jan 1929, p. 9
- “Walter Pierce to Retire to Eola Country Home From 57 Years Politics,” Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, 31 Jan 1943, p. 1
- “Ex Governor Pierce Observes 88th Birthday,” Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 30 May 1949, p. 1
- “Oregon Started Reading When State Library Came,” Cornelia Marvin Pierce, Bio, Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 1 Aug 1955, p. 6
- “Personal Effects Distribution Starts on Estate of Cornelia Marvin Pierce,” [interior photo] Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 9 Apr 1957, p. 11
- Ad, Pierce home for rent, Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 11 Mar 1958, p. 15
- “Historic Homes in Eola Toured,” Capital Journal, Salem, OR, 22 Aug 1960, p. 1
Obituaries
- Mrs. Emma Mitty, Death Notice, Oregon Statesman, 29 Aug 1920, Salem, OR, p. 5
- “Eola Man Ends His Life With Rifle, Funeral Today,” George C. Mitty, Obituary, Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, 4 Dec 1920, p. 5
- “Nicholas Mitty, Native of Ireland, Passes Away,” Nicholas Mitty, Obituary, Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, 10 Jun 1920, p. 2
- “Walter Pierce, 92, Dies,” Walter M. Pierce, Obituary, Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, 28 Mar 1954, p. 1
- “Late Mrs. Pierce Laid Foundations for State Library,” Cornelia Marvin Pierce, Obituary, Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, 13 Feb 1957, p. 3
- “Widow of Gov. Pierce Dies at 83,” Cornelia Marvin Pierce, Obituary, Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, 13 Feb 1957, p. 1
Images
- Cornelia Marvin Pierce home, Eola, Polk County, Oregon, Ben Maxwell, 1957, Oregon Historic Photograph Collections, Photo ID 7619-7622 (4 images)
- Willamette Valley MLS listing, 2021, Realtor.com
- Polk County Assessor’s Office images
