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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 2014)
The Good Ol ’ Days By Tobie Finzel Summer Work and Summer Fun In the Finnish language, the month we call July translates to “Hay Month,” and indeed July still is the month when most hay is harvested to feed livestock during the winter months. It’s also the start of fairly reliable warm weather in the Upper Nehalem Valley, so along with the summer work comes summer fun. Before farmers had motorized mowers, balers and tractors, haymaking depended on horses, the specialized im- plements they pulled and lots of human hands at work. This writer fondly recalls haying time on her Finnish grandpar- ents’ farm near Astoria before mecha- nized balers were common. Those too young to wield a rake or a pitchfork rode on top of the load of loose hay to hold it in place as it was transported to the barn’s hayloft. As soon as the hay was mature but not yet too dry, it was cut with a horse-drawn sickle bar mower, an inven- tion of the mid-1800s that replaced the arduous task of mowing with a hand- held scythe. After the hay dried for a day or two, workers raked it into piles called hay shocks that were next loaded into wagons for transport to the barn. If it rained or the cut hay was otherwise too damp, a horse-drawn tedder might be used to fluff and turn the hay before raking and shocking. Usually the whole family was involved in getting the hay in, and neighbors often helped each oth- er with the process. Summer then as now was the season for Fourth of July celebrations and picnics of all sorts. In Vernonia: A Pocket in the Woods, author Ann Fulton wrote of the memorable Fourth during the Spanish-American War. “Patriotic feelings ran high as the United States fought over Cuba. Vernonia celebrated the 1898 Fourth of July with an anvil chorus at dawn and a morning program at the campground on the banks of Rock Creek. The program featured a noon basket dinner, Reverend A.E. Myers’ oration and Mrs. Nellie Keasey’s recita- tion.” Like most community gatherings, it closed with a dance for all ages. An even earlier Fourth was cited in a 1926 Vernonia Eagle article where Mrs. J. H. Aldridge of Clatskanie recalled the 1882 event in Mist. Families who lived miles Terry’s Gym apart rode their horses over trails in the woods and gathered for a community picnic, speeches, and games for the chil- dren. Over fifty people enjoyed the day. The Fourth fell on a Sunday in 1928 making a three-day weekend with July 5 th the official day of celebration. The Vernonia Eagle reported that hun- dreds of tourists, campers and sightsee- ing motorists passed through Vernonia that Monday. “It makes a splendid drive coming from St. Helens and going out through Forest Grove. (NOTE: Con- struction on the Sunset Highway, first known as the Wolf Creek Highway, didn’t begin until 1933 and finally opened in 1949.) Many of the cars stopped to admire our city and leave a few dollars for refreshments. Adjacent to town, the creek and river banks were thickly dot- ted with picnic parties, many choosing that method of celebrating the Fourth.” Group picnics were a very popu- lar form of summer entertainment, and there were many annual basket feasts for the individual lodges, Granges and churches in Columbia County. During the heyday of lodges and other organiza- tions in Vernonia in the 1920s, the news- paper announced picnics for the Masons and Eastern Star, Oddfellows and Re- bekahs, Knights of Pythias, American Legion, Women’s Christian Temper- ance Union, Columbia County Granges, Women’s Relief Corps, Woodsmen of the World, Nehalem Valley Pioneers, and various church and Sunday school groups. Other than the Rock Creek campground, there were no established city parks so willing citizens with suf- ficient space hosted them on their own property. Albert Parker’s Grove, Weed’s Grove and Sheeley Grove were three frequently mentioned picnic sites. Several of the gatherings, es- pecially those of the county-wide lodge events, were reported to have hundreds of picnickers attend. Games and races, swimming contests, horseshoe pitching, and speeches by dignitaries were all part of the day’s fun. In those days before ice chests and portable grills, picnic fare often consisted of home-prepared sand- wiches, non-perishable salads, pickles, olives, fruit pies, cakes, and cookies. There might be a fire pit for roasting wie- ners and toasting marshmallows. Those who owned Thermos bottles could en- joy a cup of hot coffee or cool lemon- ade. Prohibition was the law of the land in other words july17 2014 so any “home brew” would likely have been consumed on the sly. From the late 1800s to the mid- 1900s, Oregonians who had moved to the state from the East and Midwest gathered annually in various locations in the Portland and upper Willamette Val- ley with others from their state of origin. In the 1920s, picnics for groups as large as 1,500 reunited people from Nebraska, the Dakotas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Maine were announced in Vernonia’s newspaper. The formula was nearly the same with all of the big picnics: bring a picnic dinner and coffee will be pro- vided. Summer work and summer fun combine to make good memories. From Virgil Powell’s Diary Virgil Powell (1887-1963) was a long-time resident whose family had a farm in the Upper Nehalem Valley be- tween Natal and Pittsburg. Each year from 1906 until 1955, he kept a regu- lar diary of his activities. Each July, he worked long days cutting, raking, shock- ing, and hauling hay but still managed to dance until the wee hours on Saturday nights. Wednesday, July 14, 1909: Finished cutting the balance of my hay at 8 AM Then went up and cut for Chas. Peterson the balance of the day. Done a big day’s cutting. Very hot day. Friday, July 16: Went up and raked hay for Peterson in the morning and cut hay in the afternoon. 7 Saturday, July 17: Cut hay for Peter- son till about 2 PM Then it got to raining so hard that I had to stop. Went up to Vernonia about 5, took in the dance and had a big time. Danced till about 4 then I started for Bacona. Sunday, July 18: Left Vernonia at 5 AM and went up to Bacona. Got up there for breakfast. Met Will on the road and we looked at the land in Sec. 36. Got through about 1 then came down to Hotchkiss, fed my horse and got dinner. Left there at 3:45 and got home at 6:20 PM Pretty hot day. Monday, July 19: Went up and finished cutting and raking Peterson’s hay. Also shocked some in the evening. Pretty warm day. The Vernonia Pioneer Museum is lo- cated at E. 511 Bridge Street and is open from 1 to 4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays (excluding holidays) all year. From June through mid-September, the museum is also open on Fridays from 1 – 4 PM. There is no charge for admis- sion but donations are always welcome. Become a member of the museum for an annual $5 fee to receive the periodic newsletter, and if you are a Facebook user, check out the Vernonia Pioneer Museum page created by Bill Langmaid. The museum volunteers are always pleased to enlist additional volunteers to help hold the museum open and assist in other ways. Please stop by and let one of the volunteers know of your interest in helping out. Friends of the Library Fri, August 1 4:00-7:00pm Sat, August 2 9am - 4pm VCLC 939 Bridge Street 503-429-1818 Insurance sending you in the wrong direction? Let us send you in the right direction. Vernonia Veterinary Clinic Small and Large Animals Now Open Mon, Wed & Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. JOIN THE TEAM! 503-901-1705 16720 Noakes Rd. Vernonia Call for Appointments (503) 429-1612 Meyer’s Auto Body • 493 Bridge St • 503-429-0248 Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470 700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR
