March April 2018

16 Vol. 41, No. 2 The Oregon Surveyor | Answer Born in West Branch, Iowa in 1874, Herbert Hoover moved to Newberg, Oregon in 1885 to live with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents. Eventually moving to Salem, Oregon, Hoover’s uncle, John Minthorn, es- tablished the Oregon Land Company where, in 1888, Hoover worked as an office boy. It appears he may have explored survey- ing as well. According to the Oregon Book of Geograph- ic names, local legend has it that the future president may have worked as a chainman on a survey crew in the Silverton area laying out the townsite of Argenti which is now de- funct and no remnant remains. The townsite is said to have been located approximately 12 miles upstream from Silverton. Argen- ti had a post office from 1889 to 1904 and at one time boasted up to two sawmills. Extensive research of the Marion County Survey Records, BLM Plats, cemetery re- cords and other internet sources did not reveal the location of this mysterious Ore- gon locale. Research of the available postal records, would place the townsite westerly fromDrakes Crossing which is down stream from Silver Creek Falls State Park. Argenti is a latin word for “of Silver” which appears to support the location near Silver Creek. A photograph dating from 1893 on the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library web- site (top right of this page) shows Herbert Hoover posing with the Surveying Squad of Stanford University. This photograph, taken shortly after leaving Salem to enter college, would seem to add creedence to the local legend of Argenti, however, it ap- pears his surveying experience was short lived. Although one publication indicated he looked hard for a surveying job after his graduation from Stanford University he was ultimately unsuccessful in his search for employment. He instead used his degree in Geology and entered the field of mining engineering taking a job in San Fransisco, California. Retiring from his mining career in 1912, he was elected president in 1929. Hoover visted Salem twice after his pres- idency, the last time being in 1955 a few years before his death.  x The Lost Surveyor Surveying squad, Stanford University, 1893. (https://hoover.archives.gov/timeline#event -/timeline/item/ hoover-entered-stanford-university)