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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1931)
M pact Twelve : -' ' l-r . - ' ' 80th Anniversary Edition. The Oregon 'Statesman . 1 Council Then Like One Now h I ! PrnhlMtut of Walks and Streets. Sewers and Bridcres Bothered Early Aldermen; First Goventirient of City Begun in 1857; Revised Charter Handed Down Five Years Later FEBRUARY 17, 1857, mark the beginning of city govern ment in Salem under a charter granted by the territor ial government. It was then that the first regular council meeting was held. : . : . , The documents telling theJttistory of this important gath erng are now fading through -agelbut the fine handwriting of Chester N. Terry recorder afc Secretary, tells the story of the first gathering in a clearinijhner. His Honor, Wiley Kenyonhad been elected mayor and he it was who called the session1" together at the council rooms, then tn the courthouse, "r v ' John H. Moores and John N. Robb were aldermen for the first ward, George N. Jones for the sec ond ward and John D. Boon for the! third ward. Terry was duly qualified as re corder at the first meeting afte the aldermen had presented certif icates of election. Theonly other business transacted was the ap pointment by the mayor of a com mittee on rules, Aldermen JOnes and Boon being named. A week later the council met again and completed its organlza-. tion. Sommittees were agreed upon, one member being decided upon the committee on finance, one member from each ward wM agreed upon for the license com mittee and three aldermenor the committee on streets. First Ordinance - Provided for Officers When the council held ita third meeting on February 28, the rules were ready for adoption and their adoption prevailed without dissent ing vote. Whereupon the council passed its first ordinance, provid ing for elections of city officers and the filling of vacancies in of fice. . . In a short time council was con cerning itself with matters much the same as now come before the city aldermen. Sidewalks, the manner of their construction and the assessment of costs was one of the first matters raised. The walks were of wood, the council specify ing that fir or oak be used. Liens could be taken against the pro perty to secure payment to the city. One of the earliest ordinances, provided for the fencing of vacant lots or else the covering of any holes or wells on the property to prevent injury to people walking on the lots. Swine running at large on the streets had caused trouble and or dinance 12 provided owners keep their swine at home. Commercial street was then the principal thor oughfare and here the council cen tered its effort on street improve ments, seeing to it that walks were built gutters constructed and the sreet laid out in regular fashion by the city surveyor. In the early records there was often no quorum present at the regular meeting and the council would adjourn, there being no quor um present until some matter of sufficient moment arose to bring the aldermen out to the council chambers then in the city halL In 1858, came a marked gap in city government. The legality of the charter granted by the territor ial legislature was questioned, whereupoa the matter was submit ted to the district judge who sub sequently ruled the enactment in valid. For two years Salem was with' out a duly authorized city govern ment. Lucien Heath Mayor Tn new Dispensation Then in 1860 new authority for the city's government was granted and on November 27, 1860, the council was again convened, this vtime with Lucien Heath as mayor, A new committee was named to , prepare rules and at a subsequent meeting these were adopted and aldermen were named to commit ieea on ordinances, finance, claims, licenses, streets and fire companies. The council took up the matter of ordinance making, stating its new enactments with number one and gnoring the enactments of two years before. Any number of interesting events are contained in the council records fol the following decade, a few of which ara here reviewed: The city fathers had been both reci With citizens ridine or drivine horses on the sidewalks. This was prevented by ordinance. !The license system for raising revenue was soon installed, being placed upon "bar rooms, drink shops, theatricals, shows and other public exhibitions, billard-tables, and bowling alleys." The. Alert Hook & Ladder com pany', organised in 1856, came un derlie protecting wing of the city government in 1861 when it was recognized as the city fire depart ment and its debt assumed by the council on behalf of the city. The city lacking a jail in 1851, conferred with the county court and obtained use of a room in the courthouse. Wharfage was needed on the river for the use of the boats com ing to Salem and in 1861 the coun cil approved the petition of Math- ens and Wright providing for the right to. build a dock and regulat ing its use. Taxes 10 Mills for City in Ws As the years ran along, routine business similar to that transacted today, went into the minutes of the council. Monthly bills came up for regular approval, elections were held periodically, the books were audited, taxes, even in the '60's running as high as 10 mills for city purposes, were levied and largely collected. The perusual of the minutes reveals the council was sometimes hard-presaed for money, at one time borrowing $1000 for a nine-months' period and paying an annual interest at the rate of IS percent. Guarantee of interest on private ly operated concerns came before the city council in 1868, just as it did many years later in the state of Oregon's guarantee of irrigation district bonds. The council did not, however, accept the offer of the Aid to Progress BY C. J. GILLETTE Editor-Manager, Coos Bay Times "TTEWSPAPERS play Xl an important part in the development of any city. Salem has been particularly fortunate in having a newspaper such as The Oregon Statesman to assist in its progress through the last 80 years. We wish for you many genera tions of continued lead ership in civic and state affairs." & CELEBRATING ' FOURTH OF JULY. 1892 w ft I 7 PARADE PHOWS MARSHAL OF CHARIOT. TAKEN FROM SOUTHWEST Oregon Central Railroad which sought its help. The minutes for July 15, 1868, declared: "Resolved, that the vote of this body in declining to pledge the aid of the city for the Oregon Central Rail Road Company, by payment of interest on company's bonds, was not actuated by any distrust or opposition to the enterprise, but by our belief that such action would be unconstitutional and void; that we consider it to be the duty and interest of the citizens of Salem to aid such an enterprise with mater ial assistance, as it must rapidly develop the resources of Oregon and increase the wealth and popu lation of our city." IT'S STILL THERE "Oregon's memorial stone for the Washington monument has at last reached the capital of this republic and been formally presented in the name of our state. The next legis lature should provide for placards explaining what the various hiero glyphics on the stone are intended to represent." Statesman, Dec. 24, 1885. The Pioneer: He left the bleak Atlantic strand; He drove into an unknown land. He camped by clear Ohio's sream, He heard the panther's raucous scream. He blazed his way o'er beetling crest, O'er-topped the eagles' eyrled nest. Through torrid plain, through flowery dale. On snow-crowned peak, he left hia trail; Xot counting toil nor labor done. His guiding star the setting eun. He woke Kentucky's bloody ground To ringing ax and rifle sound; He stemmed Missouri's sluggish tide. Crossed rolling champaign, burn ed and wide. He climlfed the Rockies' rugged bars. And stood, bared head, among the stars; Then, clinging to the Snake's scarred side, He dropped to meet Pacific's T" 1 '.'"' , iV - . .. . - ... v. ""H , ... .- If - S-j:c. .... ' -yr :x . - V .' . . THE DAT OK H0R8EBACJC. SPEAKERS CORNER COURT AND COMMERCIAL PITTOCK DIDNT STRAY ' ';! FAR . ;" .. "H. L. Pittock, manager of the Oregonian, came up to this city on Friday night and returned Satur day afternoon It may be a matter of interest to know that this was the first visit Of Mr. Pittock to Salem in twenty years. He said he had heard that Salem, had many fine public buildings,., but he had never seen them until this visit." ; The statesman, Feb. 20, 1887. OPPOSED PROHIBITION "The Salem Town Talk has been sold to a company, who propose to change its name and make it a better paper. Rev. J. S. McCain of , Newport, will be the .editor. The paper will be for prohibition and is expecting to knock the socks off the Statesman. They have a big contract on hand." Corvallis Gaz ette in 1887. , A prohibition amendment voted on that fall was defeated. MOODY EXHORTS Evangelist Dwight L. Moody preached in Salem, at the M.E. church in January, 1889. A Tribute Written by Claudius Thayer,' Salem tide: And down Columbia's rushing stream, He raced to catch the sun's last gleam. His memory to, consecrate, He lefteach "camp he struck a State; ; Close nestling in each' solitude A lowly church, a school house rude; ' : " And to. each state, its . greatest boon, Foundation timbers truly hewn. The vanguard he. behind his stride. The hardy settlers scattered wide; " ..... On sun-kissed plain, in dense, dark wood, They swarmed where once but teepee stood. He passes now; the lon years spanned; " '" i Again he seeks an unknown land; His tent is struck, ' his brave eyes bent , On heights beyond the firma ment. Still undismayed, he hears that call Copyrfglit; eotirty CrontM Studio. IX CARRIAGE, MISS COLUMBIA IN , LETTER FROM QUARTZ VILLE "Sept. 16, 18G4 j "Work is going on bravely in the Union Co.'s claims on the White Bull; ditto, the Santiam Co., and the Oregon Co.'s. The Lone Star. Co. has contracted for boring a tun nel at .right angles ith the Calf lode to out it at the JBepth of fjfty: feet from the surface, and the par ties will soon commence the work intending to prosecute it through the winter months if not sooner completed. The richest specimens ever taken from the Santiam mines have been taken out; within the last few days." Daily Statesman, Sept. 20, 1864. FIRST CALLED EURECE "CITY" The county seat having been permanently located at Eugene City, Lane County, O. T. the com missioner's clerk of aaid county will proceed 'to sell one half of i the town lots within the bounds donate ed to the county on Tuesday, the 23rd day of August, A.D. 1853. -Statesman, Aug. 2, 1853. - Which bade him scale the but tressed wall, ' And breast the rush of brawling stream 5 follow far To follow far his wide-eyed dream. Again he heareth. loud and clear, The summons to the plonker. Before his venerable brow Now we, his heritors, low bow. Questing from those grave kind .. eyes .-- - i The secret of his high emprise. Vain! iAU vain! We only know O'er the blind trail he'll fearless . go, Adventuring lone,' he'll fare again Beyond all human voice and ken. Hls'lights once more the .lonely : stars, , He'll pass that range our sliht debars. ( Into Death's Canyon's sunless gloom. Threading arroyo of th tomb; Where earth and sky and ocean blend He breaks this I'nal camp the end that long road, through all the years biased -oyr last "if pioneers. .Of He ! s