SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1008.
Grays River, a Very
Prosperous Community.
W11KN the great world whh being created and the various natural
formations wero in prMi":a of arrangement, the Creator touched
one portion of the earth with u loving hand mid forthwith huge nioitn
taina aroso cradling securely between them a long narrow valley. He
smiled upon it mid a river giialicd forth, immense? foreata grew, the
ground became excelling fertile-Kdcn was re-Incarnated.
Later, Captain Gray, the explorer, looked in upon it and waH
pleased with it, mo he honored it with his own name, which it now beam
Gray 'a River.
The early settlers sailing from Astoria across Gray 'a Hay and
paddling laboriously up the narrow crooked Mtream choked with fallen
giants of the foreat until it was almost impassable looked out upon a
mass of troca, little and big, with underbrush ho thick that daylight
could scarely jiecp through.
Truly, the pioneer Mpirit wan theim in no amall measure when
they net out to mako a home which would mipport their wives and
babiea in thiN land where no spot, large immikIi to net a bonne upon, could
be found.
In thoHO daya the foreata alMitinded in game and berries and the river
In flah. no their lot was not altoin'tlier deplorable but to make a home
out of them) depth upon depths of living gm-n waa enough to cause the
itoiiteat heart to quail. It might truly be wild or these early-day
settlers :
"They took up a claim in the foreat.
And act theiiiaelvea down to hard toil;
For ten yearn they choped and they triggered,
Hut never got down to the aoil."
It waa a Herculean taak to rid the ground of the mazes and tanglea
of vine, maple, crab apple, aalmon bnahcH, fallen and living timber,
from tlie mnalleat aize up to 10 or 12 feet in diameter. And then the
work waa but half completed. The entire area underground waa a
TIIK MORNING ASTOHIAN. ASTORIA, OltEGON,
a. Htidve.t could scarcely be inacrted. The
ott. at rmimvintf these atumna and roota waa enormoua and involved
great labor. But civilization moved alowly but surely onward. Little
by little the country assumed a more habitable aspect, the suniignt oi
hitnvnn emnt down to the cold, damp earth. The ground began to yield
to tillage and at laat to add it little mite to the diet of fiah, game and
berriea.
Each fall aWit Thanksgiving time a wraith of mint enveloped the
little valley with a awirl of wind; low-lying, black cloud scudded acroaa
tlo akv ami remoraeleaalv. but Jtently. came a heavy rain which awelled
the little river until it left its bank and flooded all the country to a
varying depth of from ix inchea to three or lour leet When this re
ceded it left the ground covered with a thick, black acdiment.
Later on these autumn freaheta proved themaelvea to be one of
nature'a moat powerful aida in that it furniahed a natural meana of
tranaporting to tidewater the milliona of feet of fine timber which cov
ered the hilla and the acdiment left upon the earth acted in every respect
aa a perfect fertilizer. The renewing of the ground every year by thin
meana baa ever, been a great boon to thia country. .......
The first houae that waa built on Grey 'a River waa by a man in the
employ of the Hudaon Bay Company, St. Andrews, by name. He had
an Indian wife.
Later a discharged soldier from the fort named John Brannon and
hailing from Missouri, came-, then a Dane named Ole Hanson; but the
llrst nermanent settlers with white families did not arrive until 1868
These were J. P. Miller and Sam II. walker, ine naie oia sea capuun,
William Rehfeld, came soon after aa also did T. S. Barr. In 1875, H. P.
Ahlberg and the Sorensen brothers, Chris and Anton, settled here.
Until 1883 the poatofllce was at Gray's River and there waa no
nearer basis of supplies. The only means of navigation was by small
skiffs and many a thrilling tale can be told of rough water and stormy
weather when emergencies rose, compelling a visit to Astoria, despite
wind or sea.
But undismayed by hardships and undaunted by obstacles the little
t.tieiticiit Miruirgieu on. ana in iooo orKmcu a wmvauj u um,
and operated a small steamboat called the "Union" which came in once
. uwk. Since then steady progress has been made until now bray s
River holds an enviable record among the farming communities of
the atate. Her people have made her a pleasant place in which to live.
They have steadfastly kept in mind and catered to the upbuilding of the
.... . ... i i a
home. They have surrounded themselves wan dooks, music anu nowers.
rhev have built beautiful homes and have furnished them luxuriously.
Their lawns are carefully kept and tastefully arranged. That they have
liecn enabled to do this in so large a measure has come from the abund-
nnt success attending their efforts m the line of dairying. 1 his place is
suited to this work that the farmers have cocentrated all
their attention on it until it has become the leading industry of the
place.
From the first the bottom land proved to be wondrously fertile an.1
the cultivation of grass or hay remarkably easy. Once the ground was
plowed and seeded with timothy, clover, or alfalfa, the deed was done.
Year after vear splendid crops of hay could be garnered without reseea
: n.i , utiihiiiA tnr nnKtiirncrfl thrmichout the winter. Natur-
uiK n lit i vi tii - r -
ally, the attention of the farmers was turned toward the utilization of
this wonderful natural resource, and as Astoria furnished a splendid
market for butter it waa inevitablethat dairy work should take the lead
and probably nowhere in the world could be found a place where it ia
no easily carried on or with such splendid profit.
Could one but Walk through the Gray 'a Kiver pasture Janaa in
the month of August-the last month of the dry est season of the year
an almost unbelievable sight would meet the eye. Cattle grazing up to
their knees in the greenest of green grass so tall, because oi tneir aneer
inability to keep it eaten down. One acre of land will pasture two cows
a year and keeps them in fine condition or it will produce tons of hay
and furnish pasturage until spring.
The farmers of Gray's River have kept abreast of the times and
in every way aided nature in her generous attempt to make the life of
the farmer a pleasant one. They have paid great attention to the selec
tion of their herds and are constantly adding blooded stock and weeding
out those that have proved themselves inferior. -
On Gray 'a River the Jersey stands first in the affection of the people
and it ia a pleasure to pass through the fields and see the delicate fawn
colored, or rich brown beauties lifting their dainty black-nosed heads to
watch you curiously. , . .
The farmers are as careful in the equipment of their farms aa in
the selection of their stock. All have the best makes of separators, but
ter workers and churns on the market. At "Swede Park Farm," and
at "Pond Lily Dairy" and also on L. E. Oleson's dairy, all of the earn
ing and butter working and various other of the more laborious work
connected with the farm is done by steam.
Semnnloualv ctrefnl are they in regard to sanitation and an honest
pride is taken in the work that guarantees the superiority of the finished
product.
The financial returns from the.making of butter or sale of butter-fat
is large and will probably not be beaten m any part oi the woria.
1
'
SOME OF THE PRODUCTS OF GRAYS RIVER.
Scow Bay Iron and Brass
Works
Eighteenth and Franklin Streets
ASTORIA, - - OREGON
( fa ' '
4J
1
Iron and Brass
Founders
band and Marine
Engineers
0
JU Pari CI
jiff " vJfcWi; U
- ,.f-,r -1' ,s3itT ;
MANUFACTURERS OF
Saw Mill and Logging Machinery
and the Rouslow Gas Engines
Prompt attention given to all classes
of Repair Work
PHONE MAIN 2451