William Scott Stringer

The Stringer and the Lindsay families were Oregon pioneers. Lena Lindsay was the daughter of Jefferson Lindsay who owned land near the Applegate River and his wife, Susan Ramsey.

William Stringer was the grandson of "William Stringer, pioneer on Jerome Prairie."

SOURCE: They Settled in Applegate Country. Frontier Days Along the Lower

Applegate River in Southern Oregon" by Olga Weydemeyer Johnson. 3rd Edition 1989, Published by Josephine County Historical Society, 508 SW Fifth St., Grants Pass, Oregon 97526

(paraphrase) Pg 66-71] Simon "Si" Messinger, of German descent from PA, sailed around "The Horn" (tip of South America) to settle in Oregon. He married Martha Lindsay, age 16, daughter of David Lindsay who was a cousin of the Applegate brothers Lindsay, Jesse & Charles of Oregon.

"David Lindsay had been in California 1849 with his twin brother James L. who died there of cholera. "David was shipwrecked at sea along the coast of Mexico. Surviving that he returned to Missouri by foot. He served in the Mexican War & the Civil War. After these he was a guide "to emigrant parties heading west. David & Judidah Ann (Mullen) Lindsay settled in Oregon on the homestead he had on the north side of the Applegate River about 4 miles from Murphy. He drove freight wagons from Jacksonville, OR to the Illinois valley for a time & bought additional land. Later he built the Delmonico Hotel of "G" Street in Grants Pass, Josephine Co., OR. 1902 it burned. (CS note: it was later rebuilt).

Martha's sister Louella (born in Corvallis, OR) married Thorton Dean, son of Michael & Margaret (Dyer) Dean, emigrants from Missouri to Oregon. Louella's daughter Pauline m Glen Heath. Louella's sisters were: Martha, Erma, Laura, Belle, Ollie and Bess. Sons of David & Judidah Ann were David, John, Richard & Jefferson. 1887 Richard Lindsay of Wilderville married Sidney "Siddie" Conger. James Lindsay married Alice Loughridge of Wilderville. Jefferson Lindsay owned land across the Applegate River from his father's land. He married Susan Ramsey and they had 12 children which included Lena married Scott Stringer, "grandson of William Stringer, pioneer on Jerome Prairie." Nellie Messinger married Sam Letterken in 1910, son of John and Ethelangia "Angia" (Provolt) Letterken. Dora Messinger married Bill Barber, who was the barber in Medford, Oregon.

Si Messinger's homestead claim was on William Creek south of Provolt. He later added more land to this. He was involved with Josephine County law enforcement per tradition. In 1862 records he is a road supervisor. Tradition says he made coffins, ranched, worked a nearby mining claim & did milling. "Well educated he also served as a teacher when needed."

Simon & Martha (Lindsay) Messinger had 8 children. Some were Mary who married Ed Cockerline of Murphy Creek; Rose married James Rock and lived at Jacksonville in Jackson County; 1894 Clarence married Addie Stephens and had a son Harold who worked his father's ranch on Deer Creek. George, a bachelor, "operated the old home place after Simon's death in 1912". Martha "outlived Simon by some 40 years". William married Josie York. Herman went to Alaska to mine, and returned after 1906 to build a home "on 300 acres up-valley from Provolt". Herman married Mattie Dunlop, daughter of George and Donna Dunlop. Their children were Don married Altha Gray, and Arlita who married Jerry Morningstar.