in other words
july16
2020
13
The Good Ol ’ Days
By Tobie Finzel
Dewey Pool Revisited
Our July 2019 column gave a detailed history
of the summer pool created by the placement of a log
dam on Rock Creek each year. The raising of the dam
this year had to be delayed about three weeks due to
the higher than usual flow caused by the heavy June
rains. Most years, the pool is ready for play just after
school is out in mid-June. We’re repeating some of the
facts and figures from last July’s column but with so
many welcome new faces in town, some history bears
repeating. We also include a poem with permission of
our unofficial Poet Laureate, Kala Cota, who recently
posted it on Facebook. Perhaps by the time this edition
of the Voice comes out, we might be enjoying some
warmer summer weather and the pool.
The transformation of Rock Creek into a
creek-fed swimming hole is one of the most charming
small town features in Vernonia. It has been enjoyed
by young and old alike for over 80 years. In May 1936,
the Vernonia Chamber of Commerce discussed a po-
tential swimming hole in Rock Creek initiated by a pe-
tition from the students of Vernonia High School. The
General Manager of Miller’s Mercantile, L.H. Dewey,
championed the project and made the largest cash do-
nation ($10) of all who contributed.
Two years later, the pool became a reality with
the design scaled back from the initial concept and made
a seasonal pool just upstream from the Rock Creek
Bridge. City taxes were used to complete the project.
The May 27, 1938, Vernonia Eagle announced that the
pool was now open and named for Mr. Dewey who was
also park board chairman. The playgrounds and pool-
side area, now known as Hawkins Park, was the lone
city park at that time. It also housed the high school
football stadium during the years the first high school
was located on A Street between State and Washington.
A catwalk across the creek was the students’ shortcut to
the stadium and the pool from the opposite shore.
The Eagle article touted the new pool proudly
and noted that more than 350 children and adults used
it the day it opened. This year, Robb Wilson made his
traditional opening day plunge, but the cooler weather
meant that few joined him.
The wading pool and other improvements were
added in later decades with the original lifeguard tower
moved back behind the shallow pool once it was in
place. The Vernonia Lions Club has been instrumental
over the past several years in enhancing and maintain-
ing this valuable community resource. In 2017, they
raised the funds to completely reline the wading pool
and have made several enhancements to the stairs and
seating area. Most recently, a new log replaced the de-
caying one in the seasonally placed dam.
The pool has been a favorite summer hangout
for children and teens since its inception. Old timers
recall the daily swims there throughout the warm-
er months, and there are a few tales of adults skinny
dipping at midnight. Visitors and residents alike are
charmed by the quaint swimming hole known as Dew-
ey Pool. Thanks, Les Dewey, and the VHS students of
the 1930s! And thanks to the Vernonia Lions Club for
keeping it for current and future generations.
Kala Cota grew up in Vernonia and enjoyed
the pool along with her friends and schoolmates. She
recently shared this poem in a Vernonia community
Facebook post:
The Old Swimming Pool
The old swimming pool, right in the middle of town!
It’s a great place to just hang around.
They dam up Rock Creek to make a nice spot
For the whole town to relax when it gets hot.
How many towns can say that? We like to boast!
Our quaint country town, an organic pool hosts!
Oh, it’s organic all right! There’s lot of good stuff
If you put your head under water, you’ll see enough!
Crawdads and periwinkles, algae and rocks,
No heated pool, this is the school of hard knocks!
So many memories have been made on that river
Staying in it until dark, oh, how we’d shiver!
We spent afternoons there, a summertime treat!
The old swimming pool, that can’t be beat!
Out in the country we know how to make do.
If you grew up in Vernonia you remember it, too.
From Virgil Powell’s Diary
Virgil Powell was a long-time resident who
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. Hardworking but still
young and single, Virgil took advantage of the good
weather and summer fun. We do not know what kind
of dam he helped build on the Pringle place but assume
it was to retain some Nehalem River flow for watering
stock and garden.
Notice is hereby given that on November 3, 2020, an election will be held
for the purpose of electing board director(s) to the following positions for
the Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District:
Positions: Zone 2, 4 years; Zone 4, 4 years; Zone 5, 4 years; At Large 1,
4 years
Zone boundaries, eligibility requirements, and copies of the required elec-
tions forms may be obtained at the SWCD Office located at 35285 Millard
Road, St. Helens, OR 97051 503.433.3205
Election forms and information may also be found at:
https://oda.direct/Elections
Each candidate must file a “Declaration of Candidacy” and a “Petition for
Nomination Signature Sheet” with the Oregon Department of Agriculture,
Natural Resources Division. The filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on August 25,
2020.
Tuesday, July 19: Graded road till about
11 A.M. and finished. Then went down
to Pringles and worked on the dam the
balance of the day. Awful hot all day.
Wednesday, July 20: Went down and
worked on the dam till noon. Went out on
fire patrol in the afternoon. Pretty hot all
day.
Saturday, July 23: Hauled gravel all day
and done quite a bit. Went up to Vernonia
after supper. Ed. s. and I drove over on
Crooked Creek to a party but only stayed
a few minutes. Left Vernonia at 7.45 and
got back home at 12.15. Pretty cool most
all day.
After a day of picking berries it was our reward.
Jump off that old bus and that’s what we’d run for.
The dust from the day and those berry stains
After an hour in that creek, nothing remained.
NOTICE OF ELECTION FOR DISTRICT
DIRECTORS OF THE COLUMBIA SOIL AND
WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Sunday, July 17: Was home till noon.
Went up to the ball game at Vernonia in
the afternoon between Mist and Vernonia.
Score Mist 21 Vernonia 8. Pretty warm
day. Took a little drive up above Vernonia
after the ball game. Went up about 4
miles. Got home about 7.30.
Thursday, July 21: Took Kit and Daisy up
and had them shod in the forenoon. Done
several little jobs around home in the
afternoon. Received a postal from Grady.
Cloudy most all day and looks very much
like rain.
The kiddie pool too! We’d wait for that day
When mom said the big pool was finally okay!
Stay away from the dam or you’ll get kicked out
The lifeguard on duty would be sure to shout!
Saturday, July 9, 1910: Raked hay till
about 3 P.M. and finished the piece back
of field. Willie Pringle helped me shock
and we almost finished. Awful hot all
day. Started for the party at Hall’s at
8. Got back home at 3.30. Certainly will
remember this party. Picking roses for
further orders.
Sunday, July 10. Did not get up till about
8 A.M. Hitched up about 12.30 and went
up and we went for a ride. Came down to
Pittsburg and was down on the old picnic
grounds about all afternoon. All kinds of
fun. Got home about 6.30. Awful hot all
day.
Sunday, July 24: Was around home all
morning. Started down the river in the
buggy about 12.15 P.M. Saw Olga and
we went down as far as Vesper for a ride.
Had a dandy good trip. Warren and May
came up to Elliotts. Got back home at 7.30.
Pretty warm in the afternoon.
The Vernonia Pioneer Museum is located at 511 E.
Bridge Street and is normally open all year from 1 to
4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays (excluding national
holidays, Easter and Mothers’ Day.) 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, and if you are a
Facebook user, check out the Vernonia Pioneer Museum
page and our page on Vernonia Hands on Art website,
www.vernoniahandsonart.org. 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.
TOO BUSY?
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