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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1934)
Kiia ,-.,. niwrn that 1. Iiiwi iKaffim LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER, LA GRANDE, OREGON Page Three FIRST SCHOOL IN LA GRANDE OPENED DOORS IN 1862 Rude Log Cabin In Old Town Taught by Provi dence. M. Currey. Seventy-two years ago, one year after the first house was built In La Grande, education in the Grande Ronde valley put In an appearance, the stepping stone to cultural progress that today sees La Grande as the educational center of a great area, seat of the only Institution of higher learn ing in Oregon east of the Cascade range of mountains. In a rude log cabin In Old Town, Providence M. Currey taught the irst (school in; La Grande in 1002. Today his grand son, George H. Currey, is) in busi ness here. Providence M. Cur rey's school was a private one, located in his home on B street. The first five students to attend were Joe Baker, Sarah Russell i Chaplin. William! Russell, Ada Erown Rogers and her sister, Es- ther Brown Ellsworth, j A few ycRrs later the first pub- lio school was erected on a little knoll near the mouth of Mill can- : yon. The building was a two-: story wood structure with two rooms the older children up Btairs and the younger ones on the first floor. There were no graded classes then and as soon as a child finished the books that were used downstairs, he was moved to the upstairs room. In 1880 the "old white school" was built on Second and K streets, back of where; Central school now stands. IB furnished the first high school course available in La Grande. 'But it proved inade quate, and two years later a two room brick school was erected, on Fir street. Then came the old Blue Mountain university which for many years was a leading in stitution of higher learning in the state. "in 1899 Central school was built, serving as both high and grade school. Greenwood was next in 1906, and the others followed in rapid order. Five years ago the Eastern Ore gon Normal school was built here, marking the final step in the present educational set-up here. Already hundreds of students have been graduated at the E, O. N., with a class of 69" receiving diplo mas early this June. The La Grande High school graduating lass numbered 128 this yean and in all the schools in the city, including the Normal school, there are nealy 2500 stu dents receiving education through the spring, winter and fall months. The public schools here not only draw from La Grande, but many from elsewhere in the county send their children to this city for their first 12 years of education. CELEBRANTS QUIT SPEAKER WHEN FIRST TRAIN WHISTLED UNION COUNTY COURT HOUSE A 'TRAVELER' Stories about early days in Un ion county are hardly complete without, some mentioning of the "travelling" court house. In brief, here's the facts about the mat ter: The court house and county seat first was established in 1864 in La Grande, but before long, other towns started attempts to get It. In 1872 a vote was taken to decide whether La Grande, Oro Dell, Union, Suramerville or Cove should become the county seat, but none of the live received a majority. So a eecond election was held, this time in November, 1874, with Union and La Grande tha chief contestants. Union -woo, and when It came to moving the county seat to Union, a Union delegation came to La Grande and loaded the old log Jail on wheels cut from a log and .moved the entire thing to Union, fording Catherine creek to get then. Union remained the county seat until a 692, when it was moved back to La Grande, several men of this city going to Union one Sunday -and bringing the books and court records back with them. The present county court i&ouse, built by the city and tented to tfae county for marry yeas be fore it finally was purchased out right, was built that year. PASTOR BGSIGMS Bet. Alexander &aa reetrofid m pastor of the M. M. churoo. la this city and will go east tor a two-year course In a theological Institute. Rev. o. U. Xrartn has been secured to officiate as pas "You bet I was there when that Tirst train pulled in," says Mrs. Margaret Wallslnger Oliver, now here from Portland for the big celebration. "We had a big fam ily of children, but I never stayed at home of the children's ac count. I had seen pictures of engines pulling trains of cars and I had a pretty clear Idea of how they should look, but I had never seen a real puffing, smoking, c hu ggi n g one. When tlie date was set for the grand entry of that train Into La Grande, I knew I would be there. : A trip to La Grande was always some thing of an event and occupied the greater part of a day, but never had a trip been looked for ward to with such eagerness as the Fourth of July celebration In 1884. "Mr. Oliver and I, with some of the children, went to town In the family hack. We lived at the old home place (now in the Valeria district) and the hack drawn by two farm horses could get us. to town in one and a half to two hours. We proceeded to the piace up on the hill where the celebration was to be held, with the big barbecue dinner at noon. Wo all took our dinner baskets and had some of the meat from the animal which had been roasted in) the pit. "Among other things on the program was an address by Col. Currey, prominent local orator, father of George Currey. There was a big crowd present, I re member. What Col. Currey was saying, I do not remember, but I do know .that before his address had progressed very far, that en gine whistled and did that audi ence get up and run I Where? Oh, over to the edge of the hill where I think the Normal school now stands, and there stood part of Col. Currey's one-time respectful audience, all breathless and ex cited, greeting the noisy, smoky iron horse in varied ways. The children went wild and the older folks were not very far behind them In the matter of thrills." LA GRANDE BOASTS OF FINE RECREATIONAL ADVANTAGES MASONIC GHOI'P KLKCTS Tho following were elected and Installed as officers of La Grande lodge, A. P. and A. M., Dec. 20: W. M..-H. S. Strange; S4 W., P. J. Holmes; J. W., John McAllster; treasurer, M. F. Honan; secretary, J. L. Curtis; S. D., H. C, Cotner; J. D., B. F. Owsley; tiler, C. G. Stacey; stewards, E. Reynolds and F;. Allen, iLa Grande Ga zette, Dec. 26, 1890. MtAN'CII COMPLETED IX 1908 In the year 1908 the extension of the La Grande-Elgin branch line railroad was completed into Joseph, providing an additional 64 miles of line. The road to El gin was built in 1890. La Grande, and the surround ing country of Union and Wal- j Iowa counties, presents the lead- : ing recreational area in Eastern Oregon, In fact in most of the Inland Empire. , j Situated as It Is at the gate way to Wallowa lake, "the Switz erland of America," annually thousands of people, from both here and outside points, pass through La Grande en route to tho mighty Wallowas for a period of camping, hiking, fishing, mar velling at the magnificent scenery, perhaps climbing the 10,000-foot Matterhorn or Eagle Cap, or In some way eiijoy an out-of-door vacation to the fullest. Of the thousands who go to the Wallowas, hundreds stop in this city to play golf on the La Grande country club course, un questionably one of the finest, sportiest in the northwest. Other hundreds, especially in the late summer, stop here to drive to the top of M,t. Emily, 6000-foot peak north of La Grande where an unusually Impressive pastoral poses, and bring a fine income waters throughout Union and Wallowa counties attract hun dreds of others. In fact, taking La Grande as the hub of a recreation center, there Is little that can be sought for and not :ound from swim ming in faultless pools here, at Pine Cone and at Cove, to hunt ing pheasants, grouse and deer In tho fall, op from snaking a 20 inch trout from any of a number of fine fishing streams to pic nicking above the tlmberllne af ter a marvelous ride over well kept roads through sometimes vir gin forests. The recreational possibilities of this portion of the state is ono of tho chief charms of existence here, and as a result nearly every citizen Is an ardent sportsman, following out a course, his own particular ideas in the sport ho chooses to enjoy, 1 1 OWNS HICEWEUV Julius Roesch Is the proprietor if tho only brewery In tho city. Ho has had the misfortune to have two brewery buildings de stroyed by fire but now has a substantial building of brick that is practically fireproof. He Is a member of tho city council and Is among La Grande's most pro gressive citizens. La Grando Ga zette, Dec. 26, 1690, f MIGHTY lll'NTEIl While on a hunting trip last Sunday, G. M. Rlchey succeeded in bagging a good sized coyote, "Mac" Is becoming quite an ex perienced hunter, and with "Mino leetlo vee tog" at his heels ho wages war with anything that crosses his path. La Grando Ga zette, Sept. 23, 1892. 1884-1934 Here With the Railroad We are proud of the fact that it was Oscar Wheeler Moon who was the engineer on -the first train to run into lia Grande, 50 years ago. Proud, pleased and well satisfied too, that he was followed here by his son, Edward ML Moon, -father of Edward O. Moon, Harry W. .Moon and Elmer B. Moon, proprietors today of the Moon Drug Co., -of this city . . . Proud we. are too of the business built and the part the Moon family has played in thesrrowth and progress of La Grande . . .. With our .patrons we have constantly strived through fair and honest dealing to repay the favor of generous public patronge accorded this firm over these many years we have succeeded here in business . . . And we pledge continuance of -square dealing into the future of what we hope and trust will be most successful, happy years for one and all of La 'Grande nd surrounding territory. . MOON DRUG CO. FIR AT ADAMS . tor, La Gxarooe Cnroalcle, May 1 1, j
