Bill Ruble

Golden was settled by the William Ruble family. William Ruble, Sr. was born in Virginia in 1823. He was raised in Indiana where he later met and married his wife, Ruth Russell, in 1844. The Rubles are known to have had nine children. William Ruble operated a sawmill and gristmill while in Indiana. After the mills were destroyed in a flood, the Rubles moved to Arkansas and established more mills. Within a short time, he sold the mills and traveled west to Oregon in 1853 with his brother, who founded the town of Waldport.

Upon arrival in Oregon, the family settled donation land claims in the Eola Hills, outside of Salem. William established another sawmill and a nursery business. He taught himself Greek and Hebrew and later wrote two books. By 1878, William was pursuing mining ventures on Coyote Creek. 

Building the town of GoldenAfter relocating to Golden, the Rubles and their families immediately started building the town of Golden. In 1891, after clearing the land surrounding the Golden town site, Schuyler imported goats to clean up the slash. The Rubles also planted fruit trees from William Ruble, Senior’s nursery near Salem during the same period.

The church was the first building they constructed. William, Sr. worked with his son Bill as carpenter, and many others, to complete the church in 1892.

In 1894, Bill Ruble completed construction of his residence. That same year, the County Commissioners granted a request to relocate the road from the mining area in the valley closer to the town.

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