in other words
december20
2018
The Good Ol ’ Days
By Tobie Finzel
A recent Facebook conversa-
tion on one of the Vernonia nostalgia
pages focused on the former grocery
stores that dotted the community in the
1950s. With research assistance from
Robb Wilson and interviews with some
of our older citizens, we are planning a
multiple part series on Vernonia busi-
nesses beginning in January with those
stores. Much of our information comes
from articles and advertisements in the
Vernonia Eagle which was the weekly
newspaper for more than five decades.
In December 2015, this column
discussed Christmas, contrasting the
boom years of the 1920s and the Depres-
sion that defined the following decade.
We repeat this article in the spirit of the
season.
Christmas in the 1920s and 1930s
The contrast of the booming
Vernonia economy of the 1920s to the
depths of the Great Depression in the
1930s is revealed in the content of the
articles and advertisements in the Verno-
nia Eagle, the town’s weekly newspaper
from 1922 to the mid-1970s. The rapid
growth and prosperity brought on by the
new lumber mill as well as the booming
national economy meant jobs, new hous-
ing, and schools.
In the Twenties, beneath the Ea-
gle’s masthead and date, the paper sub-
titled itself the “Mouthpiece of the Ne-
halem Valley” and the “Advertising Me-
dium for a Big Pay Roll Community.”
Other pages’ title lines promoted the city
with mini-ads such as “Largest Mill in
the West,” “Best Ball Park in Oregon,”
“Biggest Little City in Oregon,” “On In-
land Highway,” “Seven New Homes a
Day,“ and “Municipal Water System.”
Between 1922 and 1925, three
new schools (Lincoln and the second
Washington Grade School) replaced the
former one room, log cabin or simple
wood frame schools that were the norm
for the first four decades of Vernonia’s
existence. In a December 1923 edition
of the paper, articles reported the instal-
lation of the city’s water system, the
hundred new dwellings being construct-
ed and included a picture of one of the
grander homes. Another picture showed
the new Hoffman Hardware Building
(now housing La Cabana Restaurant),
one of the earliest “up-to-date, fireproof”
brick buildings in the business district.
Advertisements for Christmas
shopping abounded. The Vernonia Drug
Company and Miller’s Mercantile ran
full page ads with suggested gift lists
for each part of the family: jewelry,
watches, toys, candies, clothing, and silk
underwear including hosiery, vests, and
bloomers. Some stores promised gifts
to children who brought in their parents.
Everyone who wanted to work had a job
that provided spending money for the
holidays.
The stock market crash of
1929 and the ensuing bank failures and
economic collapse of the early 1930s
changed life in Vernonia drastically. The
lack of demand for lumber resulted in the
closure of the former “big payroll mill”
from 1933 to 1936, and the businesses
that depended on the now laid off work-
ers also closed or reduced their opera-
tions. The Christmas ads were smaller
and most suggested practical gifts and
bargain pricing. Hopeful wishes for
prosperity in the new year appeared in
several advertisements from the local
surviving businesses.
Many of the articles about
church and fraternal associations men-
tioned charitable giving and fund-rais-
ing bazaars to help families in need.
The school newspaper, the Timberline,
was published inside the Eagle for many
years. A December 1933 editorial sug-
gested that gift giving at school be sus-
pended due to the hard times. A 1935
Timberline mentioned a petition by stu-
dents to reinstate Christmas presents as
it was felt that there was no reason to
have Santa Claus and a Christmas tree at
school without them.
The Eagle published articles
about the various federal government
programs designed to improve bank-
ing safety, create large-scale work proj-
ects and otherwise provide support for
the vast number of unemployed. The
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC
also known as the Three Cs ) was es-
tablished as part of President Franklin
Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to give em-
ployment to young men 16-18. CCC
crews built roads, fought forest fires,
and provided labor for a number of oth-
er public works. Although the paper’s
editor felt that things were beginning to
improve in 1935 and the re-opening of
the mill was rumored and hoped for, it
wasn’t until 1936 that wish finally came
true. While Vernonia never regained
the momentum of the Roaring Twen-
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ties, the mill reclaimed its position as the
key “big payroll” operation for the next
twenty years.
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 Na-
tal and Pittsburg. Each year from 1906
until 1955, he kept a regular diary of his
activities. Below are a few entries from
Christmas time in the mid-Twenties and
mid-Thirties. We assume the play he at-
tended in Vernonia in 1925 was the high
school’s annual Christmas play that was
noted in the Eagle. The camp and camp
crew referred to in the 1930s is presumed
to be the CCC camp at Mist where Virgil
supervised the young work crews.
Sunday, December 24, 1922:
Helped Ike move over part
of day. Had the bunch here
evening. Rained. River high.
Monday, December 25, 1922:
Fooled around all day. To
Garfields for dinner. Fair
day.
Wednesday, December 23,
1925: Around home most
all day. To play Vernonia
evening. Very good day.
Thursday, December 24, 1925:
Worked around home A.M.
Went down to L. Nelsons P.M.
Fine day.
Friday, December 22, 1933:
Around Camp till 3 P.M. then
Thompson and I drove around
via St. Helens home. River up
at its highest. Rained some all
day.
7
Sunday, December 24, 1933: At
home all day. Ben and crowd
here for dinner. Rained a
little but fair day.
Tuesday, December 26, 1933:
Went to Jewell to look about
telephone line. Returned to
Mist Camp 8 P.M. Pretty fair
day.
Wednesday, December 27,
1933: Got wood and shakes
out on Clatskanie Mt. road.
Fair day. Took the crew to the
Clatskanie dance 8 P.M.
Sunday, December 31, 1933:
At home part of day. To Mrs.
Wright’ s funeral afternoon.
Came to Mist Camp 4 P.M
then took a big bunch out to
Arcadia to dance and doings.
Returned 3 A.M.
The Vernonia Pioneer Museum is located
at 511 E. 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.