andrew russell logan

Early Life and Journey to Oregon

Andrew Russell Logan was born on December 16, 1842, the eldest of five children born to William B. Logan and Rebecca Arabella Logan. His older half-brother, William Logan, crossed the plains in 1846 with his wife, Izzy, and settled in the Dayton area.

In 1852, the rest of the Logan family—including 10-year-old Andrew—made the journey west to Oregon. During or shortly after the journey, Andrew’s mother, Rebecca, died. Her burial location remains unknown.

Family Losses

In 1861, Andrew’s father, William B. Logan, died in Marion County, Oregon. Just a few years later, in 1865, Andrew’s half-brother William, his wife, and their child perished at sea while traveling to San Francisco aboard the paddle steamer Brother Jonathan, which struck a rock and sank. Before his death, William had served for four years in the Indian Service (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs), a position he had been appointed to by President Abraham Lincoln. Their deaths would have been a significant blow both to the Logan family and the wider community.

Marriage and Family Life

On June 23, 1867, Andrew married Eliza Peery, daughter of early Webfoot pioneers Hiram Wilson Peery and Maria Compton Peery. The couple initially lived in Scio, Oregon, where their first two sons were born. In 1874, the Logans purchased property in the city of Dayton from the town’s founder, Joel Palmer, where they welcomed their third and final son.

Sadly, their middle son, Martin Russell Logan, died at the age of 5 in 1876. 

Andrew worked as a blacksmith, and he also operated a stable in McMinnville for a time and worked as a liveryman.

Later Years and Death

After more than two decades of marriage, Andrew and Eliza Logan divorced in 1890. According to court filings, Eliza cited Andrew’s increasing dependence on alcohol and the resulting verbal and physical abuse as reasons for the separation. She testified that his drinking had become a daily occurrence during the final 18 months of their marriage and that he had at times threatened both her and their sons. She also stated that he frequently took their youngest son, Frank, with him to local saloons. During this period, Eliza became the family’s sole provider by taking in boarders. The court granted her a divorce and awarded her full custody of Frank, who was nine years old at the time.

Following the divorce, Andrew’s circumstances appear to have declined. Local newspaper accounts suggest that he took on odd jobs in the area, such as chopping wood and other manual labor jobs. He has not yet been located in the 1900 U.S. Census, and little documentation exists about his living situation or occupation during these years.

In early 1904, Andrew survived a suicide attempt and was briefly committed to the Oregon State Insane Asylum. He was later released and returned to McMinnville, where he died at the home of his son on October 24, 1904, at the age of 61. The Morning Oregonian notes that he died from a brain hemorrhage, but his death certificate lists no cause of death.

Andrew is buried in the Odell Pioneer Cemetery, alongside several members of his family. While the later years of his life were marked by difficulty, Andrew’s earlier work as a blacksmith and liveryman and his place in the Logan family’s Oregon pioneer story remain a lasting part of the local history.

Note on Death Date Discrepancy

Andrew’s headstone lists his year of death as 1903; however, his death certificate—issued at the time of his passing—records the year as 1904.