2
CROOK COUNTY JOURNAL'S ANNUAL NU.MIIKU.
the Salem Mercury. Hp was a prominent
character in the early history of Crook
County, and was a colonel in the state
militia in the Bannock war of 1878. He
now resides at Fort Bidwell, Cal.
Some thirty years ago the first settle
ments were made along McKay Creek.
Among those settlers were David Temple
ton, Calvin Pell, B. F. Allen, J. A. Gulli
ford, George Millican, John Latta, Daniel
Hale, Joel Long, James Mackey and An
drew Lytle. William Foster, who came
from Benton County, was also one of the
early settlers of this region. He became
a wealthy stockman, and was known as
Crook County's cattle king. He was ac
cidentally drowned in Crooked river, in
May, 1890.
The Crooked River Valley was settled
first in the latter part of the sixties. Among
the first to locate there were John Powell,
who took up a claim immediately west of
Prineville, and Abe llenkle, who settled on
what is now known as the A. J. Tetherow
place.
Breyman, of the first named firm, formerly
resided on Bridge Creek, and had served
a term as assessor of Wasco County be
fore moving to Prineville. Heisler sold his
interest in the store to John Somnierville,
and the well known partnership of Brey
man & Somnierville was formed. The
firm also engaged in the cattle business,
and took in E. R. Luckey as a third part
ner. In the course of a few years they
amassed a large fortune. In 1SS1 they dis
posed of their store to Leo Fried and
Moses Sichel. and in 1SS3 sold their cattle
to A. H. Johnson, of Portland, for $72,000.
The store building of Hodges & Wilson
and its contents were destroyed by fire,
and the firm never resumed business.
The first brick building was erected in
Prineville by J. M. Powell & Co.. about
1S79, and was used as a general merchan
dise store. Powell & Co. sold out their in
terests to Hahn & Fried in 1882, who con
ducted a mercantile business for eight
years. This firm invested in sheep and
land and accumulated a large amount of
very prominent in the upbuilding of the
country. They are T. M. Baldwin, who
hailed from Linn County, and J. W. Howard,
a son of "hoosierdoin." Baldwin was hook
keeper for Breyman & Somnierville until
they went out of business in 1S8I. In
partnei 'ship with Howard, he then opened
a drug store, in which business they were
engaged until 1887.
Prineville was incorporated in December,
1880. The first town officers were: Mayor.
Elisha Barnes; recorder, S. J. New.som ;
marshal, Richard Philliber; treasurer, A.
H. Breyman; town attorney. George No
land. In the fall of 18MI John E. Jeffery began
the publication of the Ochoco Pioneer. This
was the first newspaper published in
Prineville. It was a newsy sheet, ami was
a successful venture until Jeffery, who was
an inveterate drinker, became so largely
involved in debt that lie was compelled to
suspend publication.
Prineville was without a newspaper for
almost a year, until Horace Dillard started
The southern and southeastern portion
of Crook County was not settled until a
few years after the settlements which
have been mentioned. Among the pioneers
of this section are Abe Hackleman, John
Davis, Thomas J. Logan, Samuel J. New
som, John Jaggi, William Noble, James
and Charles W. Elkins and William Adams.
Among the noted pioneers of Crook
County was Dr: James It. Sites, formerly
of Polk County, who took up a piece of
land at Lone Pine in the Haystack coun
try in 187"). He afterwards lived in Prine
ville for many years, and then returned to
Dallas, his old home, whore he died. He
was a veteran of the Mexican war, and was
with Colonel Doniphan in his famous march
in New Mexico, known as the Journey of
Death.
In 1870 Prineville contained a population
of upwards of 200. There were two gen
eral merchandise stores kept by Heisler
& Breyman and Hodges & Wilson. A. H.
DESERT SCENE WITH THE THREE SISTERS IN DISTANCE
money. They secured title to several thous
and acres of fine meadow lands in Summit
Prairie, upon which they range almost
20,000 head of sheep every summer.
The mercantile firm of L. Senders &
Co. was established in 1882. and was an
extensive concern until they went out of
business in 1888. Moses Sichel began
business in Prineville in 1882, and was a
successful merchant for 10 or 12 years.
The Prineville flouring mill was built
by James Allen in 1875, and was sold by
hi.ni to Breyman & Somnierville, who af
terwards disposed of it to I). F. Stewart
and Charles Pett, the former being one of
the present owners.
The second hotel in Prineville was erect
ed by Oliver P. Jackson in 1870, and was
conducted by him until about 1880, when
its management passed into the hands of
A. B. Culver.
Two enterprising young men came to
Crook County in 1878, who have since been
the Prineville News. After publishing this
paper some time. Dillard formed a part
nership with I). W. Aldridge. and the News
was published by them for several years.
Crook County was created out of the
southern portion of Wasco County, by an
act of the legislature in the fall of 1882.
The bill for the act to create the county was
introduced by Hon. B. F. Nichols, then a
representative from Wasco County. The
area of the new county was about 800(1
square miles, and it contained a population
of about 2r.H0. Prineville was made the
temporary county seat. Governor Moody
appointed the following as the first officers
of the county: County judge, S. G. Thomp
son; county clerk, S. T. Richardson;
sheriff, George H. Churchill; commission
ers, B. F. Allen and C. M. Cartwright;
assessor, S. J. Newsom; school superin
tendent, H. A. Dillard; treasurer, G. A.
Winckler, and coroner, Richard Graham.
S. J. Newsom made the first assessment of