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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2016)
in other words The Good Ol ’ Days 2016 By Tobie Finzel Klaskanine River in Clatsop County or Columbia County’s Clatskanie River. Native Americans of the Upper These two distinct rivers were so named Nehalem by the white settlers for the tribe that Local resident Jim Prout’s lived between the two rivers. recent discovery of a beautifully crafted The Clatskanies built cedar obsidian scraper added to the mystery of longhouses that lodged multiple families the lives of the Native Americans who and subsisted on game, roots and berries. passed through here before the area was Men wore fur robes in winter and no settled by white farmers. footwear or clothing in the warmer Due to the dense forests that months; women wore skirts made of covered most of what is now Vernonia, cedar bark. They were known to be there would have been little to hunt fierce and hostile to others who came except small game along the banks of into their lands. According to historian the Nehalem River and its tributaries Oscar Weed, son of Judson Weed, part of and perhaps deer and elk in larger the first wave of Vernonia settlers, “entry clearings. The assumption is that small bands moved through here seasonally following the salmon runs and gathering berries and roots. Artifacts such as arrowheads and a few stone scrapers are occasionally found along the river but none, to our knowledge, in any concentration that would evidence a more permanent settlement. The Columbia River was a heavily traveled trade route for centuries before British and Americans settled in the region, and This Native American obsidian scraper was recently the inland and Columbia discovered by local resident Jim Prout. River tribes were known to exchange goods periodically. Jim’s obsidian scraper was not made by white people except most likely came from tribes in Central under heavy guard of soldiers who were Oregon or beyond and found its way to stationed at Clatskanie.” Remnants of the Lower Columbia. old seasonal campsites were found by The Clatskanies (also known as early settlers in the 1870s along what Tlatskanai) inhabited the Upper Nehalem is now Timber Route near the Vernonia region but only seasonally extended to Airport, but by then no native Clatskanies the Columbia near the present city of were left in the county. Clatskanie. Their language was in the Numbering only 175 in 1825, Athapaskan family, unique in this part the Clatskanies were nearly extinct by of the state from the mostly Chinookan 1851 with only thirteen remaining. An language speaking tribes along the unknown disease, now thought to be Lower Columbia and coastal Salish. malaria, was brought into the Lower What the Clatskanie called themselves Columbia in 1830 by the trading ship in their native language is unknown; Owyhee. With this and other epidemics, the name is from the Chinookan tongue over 90 percent of the Chinookan peoples meaning “those of the region of small died during the 1830s. The inland tribes oaks.” Their territory covered most of were a bit more isolated and hardy, but the inland sections of Columbia and they also succumbed to white men’s Clatsop counties near the Nehalem, diseases. Prior to European contact, the primarily in the Mist and Birkenfeld Lower Columbia was one of the most area. The center of their territory densely populated areas of Native North could be reached by ascending either the America north of Mexico. Terry’s Gym Other native tribes may also have passed through the area over the centuries from the coast or the Tualatin Valley on hunting or fishing forays, but who lost that obsidian scraper, certainly a prized possession, is shrouded in the mists of time. From Virgil Powell’s Diary Virgil Powell (1887-1963) was a long- time resident whose family had a farm in the Upper Nehalem Valley between Natal and Pittsburg. Each year from 1906 until 1955, he kept a regular diary of his activities. Although he rarely mentions events that happen outside of the Upper Nehalem, note the April 18 th (1906) comment. Tuesday, April 17, 1906: Carried mail to Mist. Got up to Natal School before taken up after dinner. Supposed to have been heaviest mail in U.S. sack that ever went. Very fine day, got home at 3:15 P.M. Brought bear trap up. Wednesday, April 18: Sowed oats in morning. Harrowed all day. Cool and cloudy all day. Big earthquake at San Francisco, California. Thursday, April 19: Harrowed with disc harrow all day. Lloyd went down and brought his wife home. George Parker was running shingle bolts. Very warm all day. Friday, April 20: Went over the oat ground with drag, did not get quite done. Very Runners from around the region and the country ran in the Vernonia Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, April 10, 2016. The race started in Vernonia at Cedar Ridge and traveled down the Linear Trail to Stub Stewart State Park. The Marathon continued on to Banks High school. Several local runners competed in the Marathon and Half Marathon. Jennifer Draeger was the top local finisher in the Marathon, finishing 68 th overall and 3 rd in the Female 35-39 group with a time of 3:58:45. Andrea Grant and Heather warm all day. Very smoky in evening. Saturday, April 21: Carried the mail. Cloudy and looks very much like rain. Grange day at Natal. Sunday, April 22: Went down to Natal and played ball. Got home at 6 P.M. Cloudy and looks very much like rain.. Monday, April 23: Finished clod mashing oat ground. Took bicycle ride in afternoon. Mr. Ballard went out to Clatskanie. Tuesday, April 24: Carried the mail. Rained most all day. Mr. Wolford is painting the Pringle School house. The Vernonia Pioneer Museum is located 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 admission but donations are always welcome. Become a member of the museum for an annual $5 fee to receive the periodic newsletter. We now have a page on the Vernonia Hands on Art website, www.vernoniahandsonart.org If you are a Facebook user, check out the Vernonia Pioneer Museum page. 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. Gleason also completed the marathon. Derek Handegard finished 44 th overall in the Half Marathon and 5 th in the Male 45-49 age group with a time of 1:35:56. Tim Becken finished 76 th and 7 th in the Male 50-54 group with a time of 1:42:32. Nicole McWhirter was the top local woman, finishing 226 th and 24 th in the Female 30-34 group with a time of 2:00:28. Other locals who ran in the Half Marathon were Sam Poetter, Sue Vandehey, Brian Nelson, Michelle McCullough, Steven Rickards, Jane Clemo, and Jessica Nelson. Need more room? Debit/Credit now accepted 5x10 $39 503-901-1705 16720 Noakes Rd. Vernonia 7 Vernonia Marathon and Half Marathon Results See us for the lowest prices GUARANTEED! JOIN THE TEAM! april21 10x10 $69 10x20 $99 RV Storage $149 Outside storage available Totally fenced and gated Padlocks available 58605 Nehalem Hwy South • P.O. Box 292 Vernonia, Oregon 97064 (503) 429-7867 10-6 Tue-Sat 12-4 Sun Anonymous Donor in Support of Vernonia’s Voice
