A set of news clippings from the 1870s is helping to hone in on where the Indian encampment was in Albany, OR. Previously, it was said to be on an island near Albany. But the murder of Charlie, by Jim Kirk a native man who apparently as raising on the Kirk Homestead in Brownsville elicits details about the location, near the Albany Cemetery.
“Yesterday Morning about three o’clock, at the Indian camp in the upper part of Albany, some Indians while gambling got into a drunken row, during which a half-civilized Indian named Jim Kirk, owning and living on a ranch near Brownsville, in this county, shot and instantly killed another Indian named Charley. The Murderer was caught and is now held in close confinement in this place.” (8/5 1871, The Oregon Republican. Albany, p2; Oregon Weekly Statesman, 8/9/1871 p1; Weekly Enterprise Oregon City 8/11/1871 p1)
An Indian Killed-about three o’clock on Sunday morning last at the Indian rancherie near the Albany Cemetery, a row occurred between some Indians who had imbibed too freely of tanglefoot, in which on in the number, Charley was shot and instantly killed by Jim Kirk. Jim is an Indian who was raised by Mr. Kirk, of Brownsville, has a fair education, and hitherto has sustained a fair reputation. Jim was arrested soon after the shooting and at the preliminary trail on Monday, was bound over to answer at the next term of the Linn Circuit court. He lays all his troubles to whisky. Parties who are in the habit of selling liquor to Indians should be sought out and severely dealt with. (9/5/1871, the Albany Register p3)…