20 Oct 1876,...I have this day Rented to Mr Tallent fifty or sixty acres of land He is to give me one fourth delivered in the Barn. I to have half the straw and all the pasture. He is to take out all the Grubs and I am to pay him for three days work at harvest time in grain. He has Commenced to plow all ready. He talks of buying some land now. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
6 Nov 1876 ....Mr Tallent is sowing wheat to day. He has ten acres plowed already. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
24 Jan 1877 ...Mr Tallent has sixty five acres sowed on the place and Tweed has the Remainder of the big field plowed Ready to sow. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
8 Apr 1878 ...Tallent is putting up a shop on His ten acres he bought of me. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
25 Sep 1878 ... I walked down to where Tallent is building His new House on the corner of the ten acres I sold him. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
30 Aug 1880 ... Mr Tallent is building at the School house North of House. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
29 May 1883... Rily Smith is working on Talents house. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
2 Jul 1883 I went down to Talent A P Talent to acknowledge Deed Post office [Welborn Beeson Diary]
3 Jan 1884 ...I went to Talent, made out Post Office Report... [Welborn Beeson Diary]
1 Feb 1884 I went to Talents to Survey 3 ¾ acres of land, he is selling to Fountain & Wilshire, for building purposes It lays North East of Right of Way, & South of Church. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
7 Nov 1884 ...Talent has imported the Mitchel wagon for Sale. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
4 Feb 1888....I wrote out a Petition to have Mr Talent retained as postmaster at Talent J. Helms
Circulated the Petition [Welborn Beeson Diary]
24 Jan 1888 .... Mr Talent with a lot of Mechanics is building a new store near to Klums. [Welborn Beeson Diary]
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Daughterety gave a most enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner at the A.C. Randell ranch, of which Mr. Daughterety is foreman. Their guests were Dr. and Mrs. B. F. Atkins of Medford, Mr. and Mrs. V. K. Hendrickson. Mrs. Daughterety's parents and Dee Hendrickson, her brother; Fred Daughterety, brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Talent. It is needless to say that the spread was a bountiful one. The mention of some of the guests brings back many memories worth telling. A. P. Talent and wife thirty – four years ago owned the land that is now the famous Randell orchards, with their big artesian wells. Mr. Talent kept the first postoffice in Talent just before the completion of the railroad. He owned all of the land and plotted the now thriving little city. He was also a big contractor for wood for the Southern Pacific immediately after it was built through the valley. Mr. and Mrs. Talent were now retired, living in the city of Medford, where they own valuable property; also large holdings in the Willamett valley. He built the big store that burned down last year owned by C.W. Wolters. He owned the Wolters property and built the residence now upon it. He also built a big shoe store, billiard hall, city hall; in fact, one whole block, which burned in 1890. Mr. Talent once owned and operated a big sawmill on Wagner creek. Thus it may be seen that he is really the founder of Talent, and one of the old pioneers. Medford Mail Tribune 2 Dec 1911p. 8
