Monroe in Benton County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
The Belknap Settlement
— United Methodist Church Registered Historic Site No. 323 —
Historic Site
No. 323
In Memory of the Pioneers of
The Belknap Settlement
Who Served God Faithfully
In An Untamed Land
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the United Methodist Church Historic Sites series list.
Location. 44° 18.831′ N, 123° 17.972′ W. Marker is in Monroe, Oregon, in Benton County. Marker can be reached from Orchard St. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Monroe OR 97456, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Applegate Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wilhelm Mill Water Wheel (approx. ¼ mile away); Ebenezer Schoolhouse (approx. 3.1 miles away); a different marker also named Applegate Trail (approx. 4.3 miles away); “The Struggle Has Ended” (approx. 7 miles away); Lee House (approx. 8.1 miles away); Junction City — A Brief History (approx. 8.1 miles away); Locomotive 418 (approx. 8.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monroe.
Regarding The Belknap Settlement. This church is one of over 550 United Methodist Church (UMC) Historic Sites as part of the historic registry designated by the UMC Commission.
The following text is taken from the Benton County website:
Oregon's Territorial Period of Service in Office (1849 – 1859)
The original governing body of Benton County was the Probate Court comprised of three elected judges. Shortly after Oregon was granted territorial status the County Court system was adopted and comprised of two elected commissioners and the elected County Judge. Many Oregon counties have maintained the County Court system to the current day.
Probate Court
George Belknap (1850-1852)
Belknap was born on August 30, 1817 in Hardin County, Kentucky and died on September 16 1897 in the Bellfountain area of Benton County, he was the last member of the original settlement to pass away. He married Keturah Penton on October 3, 1839 in Ohio, and moved to Iowa the year after. Belknap left Iowa, along with a significant portion of his family, to settle in Benton County in 1847 as part of what was referred to as the "Belknap Settlement" in the Monroe area. Several of his siblings were also members of the wagon train of 1847. He served as a Judge of the Probate Court from 1850 to 1852 and he and his wife were prominent supporters of Willamette University in Salem.
Also see . . . Heritage Landmarks: A Traveler’s Guide to the Most Sacred Places of The United Methodist Church. A PDf document of every UMC Heritage Landmark and site. (Submitted on August 26, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 418 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 26, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.