Eugene register-guard., August 08, 1948, Image 9

i
J
' j i
ins J
aV Thomson Recalls
M of Thomson's Lodge
' i "Grandma Thomson" i
Wi wealth f memories
r! finite of the
1' M has ow pass'
?oithThom-
Sriamoiw hospi
will continue
'I'tctolvely for
ta run
IRSflSi. of
i j
Ww.JWd and he
reviewed
early days for your correspond-
f,".; tarn which
ST.W where his own
t the rear of
the Lodge has been
dement of Dayton
: , ho has been forced to
7,i u..Uh dur nK
L-iut o: iu "-"
P W although
is"1 ' ., hi. Interest
! rj.it ruMe usln?
x nr ne
"22Lr"d
riven. inu"w" - -
ffu in exccao "
..j Thomsons are
"".,.. their
H it linhnrnV Side 01
no me '.'"----,
which joins w
h. n the wesi 5iae.
P"'' .J ..j wdPd the
jn ciearea mm
U during the pasiyw. ..u
K to start building their
r1 . t..t. at ntirp.
ku, noaem
hUtla
an owners win mm
Od 1. Tie loaBe wm tu"
M lor business under the
management ir
.( the fishinf season. Mr.
fci Gannon are planning to
jjprovements to tne wage
.iimntiniietorunthe busi-
lr sportsmen the same as in
" ue also considering
b the lodge open all the
ill tervug meais re mt
will be announced later.
til I brother-in-law of
Eugene real es-
lito.who made the sale of
fcjtitf, Mr. Vodiansky has
Ion! time fishing guest at
Kt. Gannon wm neip voa
nth his real estate bush
til McKenzie.
Gannon's have two children
kin attend the McKenzie
fchool. They plan to move
September. They will live
lodge until the Dayton
fa's move into their new
and then they will move
t! Thomson house for their
residence.
M Go Back
to Thomsons prepare to
5m the lodge property.
Wits go back over the
are this Dlace has been
tut and business.
aiej Tnomson Sr., who
ran old, and who In af-
F known to her many
m neijhDors as
re are a few of the high
lights in the life of a woman who
has known both the hardship of
Dioneering in the early days and
the comforts 01 ner own apart
ment in the lodge, the last few
years.
The familiar figure of "Grand
ma Thomson" sitting in the lobby,
will probably be missed more by
her friends, the many fishermen
who have been coming to the
lodge, for years, than any other
change which will take place.
Mrs. Thomson wiu live in a
small house, close to the home of
Milo Thomson. She and her hus
band Carey Sr., who passed away
in 1938, at the age of 83, came to
live on the present place in 1880
in a small cabin. They homestead
ed the property as was the gen
eral custom in those days. Pre
vious to moving to this location
they lived on several other Mc
Kenzie River properties, but this
place was their final choice for a
permanent home. To get from the
highway side of the river to their
house they had to cross the river.
A ferry was built and also rough
hand boats were used. The boats
were made of heavy fir slabs and
their was not much resemblance
between them and the light ply
wood McKenzie boat of today.
Mrs. Thomson recalls that they
have had three ferries, two of
which were carried away by
floods, and three swinging
swinging bridges. A swinging foot
bridge is still in use, but the use
of a ferry was abandoned when
a county road was built on the
south side of the river a few years
ago.
In the early days Mrs. Thomson
says the wild animals bravely
came up to their buildings, and
cougars would come in and kill
their calves and other livestock.
In those days she did her washing
in the river, and would heat water
on a fire by the river to boil the
clothes. Those were also the days
when few babies were born in
hospitals and doctors could sel
dom be reached in time to attend
a birth, but the neighbors knew
they could depend on Mrs. Thom
son, who would ride horseback
many miles into the hills to care
for the mother and baby.
In 1812 they built a farm house,
which is part of the present lodge.
In tne new house they had such
luxuries as cold running water.
The new house was built to help
take care of the many fishermen
who started coming there and ask
ing for rooms and meals. Before
this time, tents were used for the
sportsmen to stay in.
It was not the intention of
Carey Thomson Sr. In the begin
ning to start a sportsmens lodge,
but when he started using his
boats to fish from and rowed for
some of his friends, it was not
long until the fishermen from
other parts of the state were conv
ing and asking him to take them
fishing and before he realized it,
he had a business. It was not until
1909 that he started rowing for
fishermen on a commercial basis,
and by that time his oldest ion
Milo had learned to handle the
boats, and he also started rowing
for flsrlermen.
Dayton Thomson the next in tti
eldest son, started rowing for
fishermen In 1911, he was 14 years
old at the time. The other two
sons York and Carey Jr. started
rowing at an early age for fisher
men ana for a long time the
Thomsons were the only ones on
the river who rowed boat on
commercial basis. The two younger
sons soia meir interest in the
Place lo their brothers a few
years ago and went into business
for themselves, of another kind.
How It Was Done
.transportation of boats in th
early days was considerable dif
ferent from the present time. The
heavy boats would be loaded on
wagon, usually two or three
boats, one inside the other, snri
the party would start out the eve
ning before and drive all night
and get as far as Blue River by
morning. When cars came into
use the fishermen would come
along later in their cars to meet
the wagon and boats the next
morning. Many times the cars
would be delayed because the
rough roads would cause troubles.
They said it was nothing uncom
mon for a car to have six or sev
en flat tires on a trip of this
kind.
roads and ear and th country AT iAGINAW
Many of the fishermen who did
not come in their own cars, and
those who came before cars were
in use, would ride out from Eu
gene on the stage that was run by
John West Sr. West ran horse
stages for many years and then
ran the first automobile stage to
travel the McKenzie road. Often
his horse drawn stages would beat
the auto stage due to tire and car
troubles on the rough roads.
The "grandfather" of the ures-
ent light boat cart, was an ironed
wheeled trailer fastened on back
of the wagon, to haul an extra
boat. The Thomson family would
make boat trips for fishermen as
far up the river as Belknap Bridge
and as far down river as Hend
ricks Bridge. It was 1915 before
a Ford car was used to haul the
boats and fishermen.
Good Old Day
Dayton Thomson recalls that
in 1910 there was a limit of 75
fish per day, per person, and it
was not hard to get the limit. ,
This is the first "limit" that he
can remember of but says there
might have been limit numbers
set before this. Later the limit
became more thickly settled, un
til we reach our present limit of
ten fish per day or 20 fish in any
seven days.
We pause here to try and eon
template what the limit catch
will be for the younger gener
ation of today, when they get
older and start teaching their
children to fish.
It is safe to say that unless this
generation is taught conservation
methods and unless the State
Game Commission can increase
the raising and planting of more
fish, this limit may be very small
Those "good old days" when you
could stand on the bank of the
McKenzie and catch all the fish
you wanted to eat, with a bent pin
and worm are as far in the back
ground as the rough wagon roads.
We prefer the good roads, and
the real sport of catching fish the
hard way, with a fly, we have
tied. Maybe that's because we ap
preciate that fish all the more,
when he does decide to take a
nibble at our fly, because we
know this is a highly educated
fish that has been taught to avoid
those flys with sharp points. These
modern fish are even very par
ticular about the kind of flys you
give them. They must closely re
semble the flys on the water at
the time they are feeding or they
just won't take a chance. Maybe
the Thomson women are to blame
for this, because for many years
they have been tieing flys and
have originated some of the ex
clusive McKenzie River fly pat
terns. Mrs. Dayton and Mrs. Mile
Thomson still tie many of the
flys used by guests at the Lodge.
In 1923 Dayton Thomson, who
took over the management of the
business, added on a new addition
to the farm house, which was also
remodelled. A light plant was in
stalled and later changed over to
the Eugene City electric line when
through the efforts of Dayton
Thomson and others on the river.
the service was extended as far
up the river as the Thompson
place. Improvements have been
added every year to the Lodge,
and there is also a modern rustic
type cabin near the Lodge, that
sleeps eight people.
The Thomson Lodge has al
ways catered to the more hardy
type of sportsmen, who enjoy the
rustic atmosphere of the Lodge,
good ranch type meals, served
SAGINAW Mr. K. P. Bah left
for Los Angeles Friday morning to
bring back Bash's mother who has
been very ill.
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Sailor of
Los Angeles are spending a week
at the home of Mrs. Sailor's cou
sin, Mrs. Harold Laird.
Mrs. Follle Brennan is visiting
a couple weeks with her daughter,
Mrs. Jake Schwarzer.
Several of the children from
here are employed at a cucumber
field in Delight Valley.
Mrs. Goldie O'Nell has gone to
visit her son, William Horn and
family in southern Oregon.
Freda Schwarzer is spending
several days at Prineville visiting
relatives and friends.
C. G. Keene is having a wall
drilled on his place this week.
Mrs. Jim Abbott and son
Quainna, who have been staying
in California, returned home this
week.
their fishing clothes. Some of the
more rugged have been known to
let a few whiskers grow. In the
early days "Grandma Thomson'
was both cook and waitress and
It has been said, she really knew
how to fry fish. Since she retired
from the kitchen, hired help has
continued to serve the ranch style
meals, for wich the place became
famous.
Who's Who
The guest registration book at
the Lodge, often looks like a list
of "Who's Who." Many prominent
people have stayed at the Lodge,
including Ex-President Herbert
Hoover and his sons Herbert Jr.
and Allen. C. E. Hooper, manager
of the Hooper Radio Survey Ser
vice has been a frequent guest at
the Lodge. Radio stars Amos and
Andy; Rochester and Johnny of
the Phillip Morse program, and
prominent Portland business men
have been coming to the Lodge,
Aaron Frank, H. H. Sichel and
Elliott Corbett, to name just
few. People have come here from
all over the world. Some of the
foreign countries on the register
are: England, France, China, Rus
sia, India, Scotland, Hungary and
the Hawaiian Islands.
dropped to 50 per day and on family style. You did not have to
down, as the fishermen became dress for dinner" at this lodge,
more numerous, with modern Fishermen feel right at home in
MOIfKOB PERSONALS I
MONROE Overnight guest at
the Del Carpenter home hart this
week, visiting with their daughter,
Virginia, was Helen Nordyk, a
former high school student here.
The two girls were class mates,
graduating from the Monroe High
in 1946. Shortly after graduation,
Miss Nordyk moved from here to
Arizona. But the Nordyk family
are back again now living on a
place out from Corvallis. Miss
Nordyk plans to be in Monroe
again next week to renew ac
quaintances here.
House guest at the Late
Hundley's at this time is Mrs. Lee
Nelson of Camas Valley, about 22
miles southwest of Roseburg. Mrs.
Nelson plans to stay a week.
Mrs. Clara Wheeler of Sweet
Home is here visiting in Monroe,
a house guest of Mrs. Flora
Dunne.
Mrs. Millard Shelton and two
children, Peter and Ann, are
visiting with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. J. J. Oeder, in Salem at this
time.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Talbot, form-.
er residents of Monroe, but now
of Otis, Oregon, are in town,
guests of Miss Dolly Howard,
Some years ago Mrs. Talbot was
a clerk here in the Wilhelm dry
goods store.
Mrs. .Ralph Sinclair's father,
John Albin, and his wife from
Caldwell, Idaho, were visitors at
the Sinclair home here this week,
on their way to the Coos Bay
country to look over property that
would be suitable for a home site.
For many years Albin ran a
barber shop here.
Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Jackson
moved recently from their apart
ment in downtown Monroe to the
Ben Kowalski place about two
miles north of town.
Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore., Sun,, Aug. 8, 1948 t Paf f
AT MOHAWK Mrs. Smith's daughter, Mrs. Lm
MOHAWK Louis Kay Is the , Whitney, and family at Slstars,
ZEMACOL
For the Relief of
POISON OAK
Penny-Wise Drug
36 East Broadway - 769 W. 6th
nam given the baby girl born to
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Roebuck Sunday,
Aug. 1.
Ray Bruce is away on a motor
cycle vacation trip through Idaho
to Yellowstone National Park and
other scenic places.
School patrons and others in
terested in helping are asked to
reserve the dates of Aug. 21 and
22 for renovation of the school
play shed. There will be old floor
ing to tear out and new to lay and
outside boards to nail on. Tenta
tive plans call for a picnic lunch
By the ladies for those working.
Complete plans will be announced
later in this column.
Oregon.
Mr. and Mrs. O. K. Eiler hav
moved into their new home. They
purchased part of the BUI Baugess
place and erected a house.
Miss Eunice Stevens is now em
ployed at the Dexter Market.
Old friends and neighbors ee
Mrs. Evelyn Fir of 2172 Hllyard
in Eugene surprised her with
birthday potluck dinner recently.
Also celebrated was Mrs. Ed
Zonleck's birthday.
AT DEXTER
DEXTER The Charles Pettis
family and relatives in Spring
field are spending the week at
coast resorts.
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Hughes and
daughter, Lois, were called to Salt
Lake City, Utah by the serious
illness of his mother.
Tommy Cruzan is visiting his
daughter, Mrs. D. H. Mathews, for
a few days.
Mrs. Jim Bedinger and Mrs.
Clara Smith left Friday to visit
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