12
community
january 5
2010
Dog Salmon and Rutabagas continued from front page
as he called it. Kytr said he had “sear-
ing images” of driving through the Til-
lamook Forest immediately after a forest
fire, images which left a big impression.
Kytr had also planted trees in the forest
as an eighth grader. “I had a chance to
meet people who had seen the Tillamook
Forest before it burned for the first time
in 1933, and I became really interested
in what had happened in this area,” said
Kytr. “I am deeply attached to this re-
gion and I wanted to learn about the
unwritten background of this wonderful
area.”
It was around this time that a
Vernonia local, Dave Brunsman, with
whom Kytr was acquainted, first intro-
duced him to John and Kim Cunnick.
“Brunsman told me there were some
neat people I should meet,” remembers
Kytr. “They were living out in Keasey,
writing music and playing homemade
instruments. The first time I went out
to meet them, they weren’t home, but I
just camped out overnight and woke up
being greeted by their big dog, Dufus.
John had to rescue me. And that was my
introduction to John Cunnick.”
Kytr remembers John Cunnick
as, “... a striking and profound individ-
ual-- a very interesting guy.” Cunnick
grew up in Ohio, and had run away from
home and headed west when he was a
sophomore in high school. According
to Kytr, Cunnick had lived in San Fran-
cisco for a time, and worked for an un-
derground newspaper in Seattle. When
Kytr met him, he was playing old-time
music from the twenties and thirties, “...
music from the very first days of early
recordings,” according to Kytr, and writ-
ing his own songs as well.
Unfortunately, Kytr’s relation-
mountain. Cunnick’s truck slid off the
road and down a very steep embank-
ment in a sleet and snow storm. Appar-
ently Cunnick survived the accident, but
his body wasn’t found until five days
later by friends who were searching for
him. “John was sitting with his feet in a
stream, his hands positioned as if he was
playing a mandolin, with his favorite
pick in his hand,” said Kytr. Vernonia
and a close-knit community of friends
were devastated by the loss.
The Cunnick’s friend, Jim Bux-
ton, helped Kim with the funeral ar-
rangements, and Johns’ body lay in state
on the Buxton’s front porch. Cunnick
was buried on private property in Ke-
and guitar and telling the
stories, while accompanying
Vernonia photographer Jen-
elle Wiggins, who showed
historical slides of old timber
camps. “Jenelle was a big
part of it,” says Kytr. “She
and I were artists in residence
in 1978 in Clatsop County,
and we collected those sto-
ries and documented the his-
tory together.”
Berge and Kytr
continued to play together
in various bands over the
Members of the band Timberbound—
Dave Berge, Kim Cunnick,
years, eventually playing
Hobe Kytr and Mark Loring.
together at a monthly old-
(Photo by Janelle Wiggins)
time country dance
in North Plains. It
treated to stories from the early years
was during this time that they from some of the other “silver-haired”
met many of the musicians ladies in attendance. They called these
who would appear on the Dog stories “dog salmon and rutabagas” sto-
Salmon and Rutabagas CD.
ries. Apparently, before any roads were
Listening to the music put through the valley and the mill was
Kytr and Berge have preserved built, money was scarce and contracts for
is like taking a leap back in school teachers, postmasters and church
time. The songs tell the story preachers were paid in salmon and veg-
of the region when salmon ran etables. All the ladies had “dog salmon
thick in the rivers and creeks and rutabagas” stories, and shared them
John Cunnick’s funeral in Keasey.
and the Oregon-American Mill with Kytr and Wiggins, making quite
(Photo by Janelle Wiggins)
was still in operation. The song an impression that day. The song fea-
asey, in a hand-built cedar box, wearing Dead Kids Drop was written while Kytr tures “The Rutabaga Chorus”-- longtime
his favorite pair of wing-tipped shoes, lived at Camp Keasey and is about an friends of Kytr’s from Keasey, Vernonia,
his body wrapped in a quilt. Tony Hyde old, rotten trestle-- a place that would and Mist. Kytr dedicates that song to
carved a cherry-wood banjo for the top naturally attract curious children. Roust- Janelle Wiggins, who lost a long battle
of the casket and Kytr wore Cunnick’s about, Sveet Voodt, and Oregon-Ameri- with breast cancer over ten years ago.
rubber boots. “It wasn’t a religious cer- can are about logging camp life and mill
Kytr continues to play and per-
emony, but it was profoundly spiritual,” operation, and feature the Keasey area form, although he has given up on mak-
said Kytr. “Everyone came to honor as their inspiration. Old Hollow School ing it a career. He still plays the banjo,
their friend, John, and
was written by and his wife Gina accompanies him on
say goodbye to their bal-
John and Kim fiddle. He is one of the founding orga-
ladeer-- their minstrel.”
Cunnick, Spring nizers of the Fisher Poets Gathering, an
Cunnick left be-
Rain was written annual gathering in Astoria that has gar-
hind a musical legacy
at Kim Cunnick’s nered national attention and is held dur-
that still survives in the
cabin and Trees ing the last weekend in February. Today,
region, including cop-
was written for he works at “Salmon For All” in Astoria.
ies of his songs, pub-
John Cunnick af-
Kytr felt it was important to turn
lished in the Timber-
ter his death.
the original recording of the songs into a
bound Songbook. Kytr,
The title song, CD. “I didn’t want this project to die,”
Berge and Kim Cunnick
Dog Salmon and said Kytr. He printed a lot of copies of
began playing music to-
Rutabagas, has the CD himself, and would like to get
gether around Oregon
one of the more them out into the hands of people who
and the Northwest as a
interesting back- will appreciate the music. “I have lots
string-band called Tim-
ground stories. of other songs I want to get out there.”
berbound, touring at one
Kytr attended a
time with famous folky
birthday party You can get your own copy of Dog Salm-
Timberbound Songbook cover
Mike Seeger, and once
in 1980 where he on and Rutabagas by contacting Hobe
artwork by Tony Hyde.
A young John Cunnick
playing for Oregon Gov-
was asked to play Kytr. Send $15 for the CD, plus $3 for
at the Keasey Cabin.
ernor Robert Straub. And John’s inspi- some songs for Lesta Weed Garner, who shipping to: 5253 SE Ash St., Astoria,
ship with John Cunnick was to be short- ration appears throughout Kytr’s music. was the daughter and granddaughter of OR 97103. You can also reach Hobe
lived. That next winter, John Cunnick
Kytr continued to gather ma- the first two pioneer families in the Ne- by email at kytrfam@charter.net or by
tragically died in an auto accident on terial for what he called “Songs of the halem Valley. While at the party with his phone at 503-325-0278.
Highway 47 on his way back from Mist Northwest,” performing them on banjo friend, photographer Wiggins, Kytr was
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