in other words
The Good Ol ’ Days
By Tobie Finzel
Early Post Offices, Part Two
Mail provided the vital link be-
tween friends, families and business in
the years before good roads and tele-
phones helped connect distant communi-
ties. In Part One of this article, we noted
that much of the information came from
the Vernonia Centennial special paper,
Vernonia: The First 100Years. One of
the post offices listed, Pivot, was located
two miles northwest of Keasey on Green
Mountain and served “the many home-
steaders who lived up in that area at the
time.” Pivot is listed on current websites
only as a historical site. The article stat-
ed that it operated only from April 1984
to May 1985, but our research showed
that the dates should have read “1884
to 1885.” Well before the 1980s, all of
these remote post offices closed with
mail handled from the post office central
to the ZIP code area.
Pebble Creek Road was one of
the first routes that linked the Vernonia
area to the Tualatin and Willamette Val-
leys. The Clark Parker family, the first
settlers in the Upper Nehalem, came in
on the primitive trail and had to ford
Pebble Creek thirteen times between
Mountaindale and the valley. The Peb-
ble Post Office was established January
31, 1891, on the Richard Tyacke proper-
ty three miles south of Vernonia; he was
the first postmaster. The office closed in
December 1895 when its work was con-
solidated into the Vernonia Post Office.
Anoka Post Office operated from
August 1902 to April 1907. It was situ-
ated on the Ralph Rogers homestead on
Pebble Creek, two to three miles south of
the former Pebble Post Office. The only
postmaster was Lou Anna (Mrs. Ralph)
Rogers. Alex and Minnie Sword deliv-
ered the mail on horseback from Verno-
nia three days a week. The Rogers’s son,
Nelson, became Oregon’s State Forester
in the 1970s. The name for the post of-
fice, according to Omar Spencer, came at
the request of a Mr. Randolph who had
post office experience in Anoka, Min-
nesota, upstream from Minneapolis on
the Mississippi River. The Indian word
Anoka means “both sides of the river.”
Mrs. Rogers also worked as a practical
nurse and midwife, and in later years
was known as “Grandma Rogers” to all.
In 1917 she moved into town to a house
Terry’s
Gym
june16
2016
about 12. Broke the bridle
just as I was starting home.
Did not rain any to amount
to anything during the day.
on North Street, slightly northwest of the River up very high and yel-
Vernonia Grange Hall, where she oper- low. Edna and Grace came
ated a “birthing home.” Ralph Keasey over.
is among the many past and present Ver- Sunday, June 17: Very bright
nonians born there.
and clear. Think the rain
Pittsburg Post Office was estab- must all be over.
Will be
lished in April 1879 in the homestead very glad when next Sunday
cabin of Peter Brouse at the confluence comes so I can go to the big
of the Nehalem and its East Fork. He ball game. Edith and man
remained postmaster until 1888. Six went down. Went down to
postmasters succeeded him until the of- Natal in afternoon with
fice closed in 1907. The name was taken Edna and Grace. Played ball
from Brouse’s hometown of Pittsburgh, a little. Got home at 6.
Pennsylvania, the “h” dropped in the Monday, June 18: Hauled
process. Along with his fellow Pittsburg wood in morning and did not
homesteaders, the Det-
work any more
ricks, he operated grist
all day.
Had
The Clark Parker
and lumber mills pow-
lots of fun the
family, the first
ered by a small dam on
rest of the day.
settlers in the
the East Fork.
Clear but not
For a post-
Upper Nehalem,
very warm any
mark collector, one
time
during
came in on the
of the rarest would be
the
day.
Edna
primitive trail and
that of the Braunsport
is sick with a
had to ford Pebble
Post Office which op-
terrible head-
erated for only three
Creek thirteen
ache. Mrs. Det-
months from August
rick was over in
times between
to November, 1891.
afternoon. Na-
Mountaindale and
It was located on the
tal Grange Hall
the valley. The
homestead of Johann
commenced to
Pebble Post Office
Braun, its only post-
be painted.
master, on Beaver
was established
Tuesday, June
Creek about five miles
19: Carried the
January 31, 1891
southwest of Vernonia.
mail to Mist.
Very
hot
all
From Virgil Powell’s Diary
day. Armstrongs commenced
Virgil Powell (1887-1963) was haying. Hoed a little in af-
a long-time resident whose family had a ternoon. Edna is over her
farm in the Upper Nehalem Valley be- sick headache.
The roads
tween Natal and Pittsburg. Each year are drying up very fast. Will
from 1906 until 1955, he kept a regular be awful glad when Sunday
diary of his activities. As we noted in comes. Pell Soule was over in
last month’s column, Virgil carried the evening.
mail as a young man between St. Hel- Wednesday, June 20: Fixed
ens and Pittsburg and to Mist. He also buggy in morning. Awful hot
enjoyed an active social life in the valley all day. Picked strawberries
as evidenced below.
in afternoon. Edna got this
Friday,
June
15,
1906: book and looked at every-
Poured down rain just as thing in it. (Ed.note: The remain-
hard as it knew how all day. der of the entry for this day is written
Sent Kit out to St. Helens for in another hand). There was a vis-
Edna to ride over. Got Post- itor here this morning. Vir-
al Card from Emil mailed at gil went to Armstrongs. Great
Clatskanie. River up yellow attraction some place. Virgil
and still a rising.
ate so many strawberries that
Saturday, June 16: Carried he was nearly sick. Canning
the mail to Mist. Grange day strawberries all the go now.
at Natal.
Stopped coming He saw Miss White (Black) to-
up and talked with Alice till day. Virgil is planning on
7
tomorrow’s trip.
Thursday, June 21:
Car-
ried the mail. Rained quite
hard in morning. Seen Min-
nie and had the promise of a
nice white rose for Saturday.
Did not have much mail to
deliver today.
Dave Kaye
and co. seen a big bear after
goats yesterday.
Friday, June 22: Went to Ver-
nonia in morning. Got back
at 11:45. Very warm all day.
Stopped at Wilkinson School
house and pitched a few for
the kids. Came home on left
hand side of river. The roads
are fine up above but I feel
sorry for them down below.
Saturday, June 23: Carried
the mail to Mist. Got a nice
white rose. Went down to Na-
tal in evening to entertain-
ment. Got home at 4:40 a.m.
Had dandy time. Had very
heavy mail in outside sacks,
had ½ sack of mail for Miss
Sears.. Mr. Detrick quit the
sawmill business and left.
Sunday, June 24: Went down
to Natal to the ball game be-
tween Natal and Vernonia.
Score 18-19 in favor of Ver-
nonia. I showed them people
how to play ball. Got home
at 6:15 p.m. Very hot all day.
Hilda invited us to her house
for dinner but Edna would
not let me stop so had to drive
on through the hot sun.
The Vernonia Pioneer Museum is located
at E. 511 Bridge Street and is open from
1 to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays (ex-
cluding 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 do-
nations 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.vernonia-
handsonart.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.
VERNONIA
C H I RO P R AC T I C C L I N I C, I NC.
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