12 February 13, 1997
Warm Springs, Oregon
SiMLYAYTYMOO;
Recollection reveals past
-.... km : .
mm
- "k'-'-m few-
Koonsh, left, with Elijah Kishwalk.
by George W. Aguilar, Sr.
This a short historical ac
count of the now unknown
inhabitants of the Wolford
Canyon community. The era
will be from the year 1 855
ireaiy signing 10 ine year ot
the Fire of 1937. This is an
attempt to reconstruct an
era of people that put all
their heart and soul into their
homes, land, family and
their means of survival.
Viewing this area from
Highway 26, appears to be
a very harsh and desolate
environment. Much thanks
to the Realty Department, ter Springs, Tommy Cabin,
Museum of Warm Springs, Wolford Canyon and de
Vital Statistics Dept., Edith scendinq into the Shitike
Danzuka, and Harvey Scott.
They have provided the vi-
tal information for this par-
ticular community.
Within 80 to 82 years af-
(sr tho oinninn nf fho 1 OR
ici uio vJiyniii.;) ui uib lyjsjyj
Treaty, the Wolford Canyon
Community simply disap-
peared. The culture of the
peoples of Wolford Canyon
has long dissipated. The last
stronghold for our heritage
rests on the last three indi-
viduals who were reared in
this community. Only the
Polk's house and Jimmy
Scott's barn survived. The
rebuilding offences corrals,
barns, storage sheds and
replacing the primitive farm
equipment was too costly.
The only means of survival
was an exodus to the Warfn
Springs Agency. The fluent
speaking of Sahaptin and
Wasco language is lost.
(Special note: assessment
of the fire damage else
where is measured by the
seniors migration to the
Warm Springs area, Tenino
Valley, Metolious Bench
etc.)
Wolford Canyon was
named after an individual
whose name was Joseph
Wolford or Til-i-sit (Indian
name). Joe's father was
Kuah-shi-at. This was the
same person that fathered
Henry and Arthur
Semintyre. Joe was born in
1850. Joseph married
Harriett (Yu-Mut-Ni). They
had ten (10) children. The
daughter Carrie (Tani-Kus-Pum)
was the surviving
child. The last living mem
ber was Marie Jones
Wolford (Ska-Wow-Wa).
She married Joe after
Harriet died in 1905. In the
matter of Maria Wolford, Vi
tal Stats records provide her
death in January 10, 1936.
Naming the canyon after
Wolford may infer that the
individual was a leader of
some sort of the community
or a prominent clan mem-
ill i -
"
J,
ber. Realty records list him
as a member of the Wasco
Tribe. Mustering out records
stored in the Museum ar-
chives show that Joe partici-
nated in the Snake War skin
mish and Modoc Wars as a
scout for the U.S. Army. Joe
died in 1910 at 60 years of
age. ;
Someofthe1855firstand
second generation names
gradually faded away. How-
ever, some of the names
still live in geographical
places like Seymore
Sprinqs, Sidwalter Flat, Pe-
Valley, via Highway 26 is
the Semintyre Springs,
The people of this canvon
were a mixture of Sahaptin
and Wasco speaking
i ...u:i i i u:
pyujJIBb WfllUI fciVUKtSU Ul"
lingual language. For this
earlier era, the basis of in-
formation lead to the Tygh
Sahaptin which settled into
the Simnasho area. The
Tenino Sahaptin, Dog River
Wasco and Cascade settled
the Tenino Vallev. Miller Flat
and Wolford Canyon of the
Warm Springs Reservation.
(Note: when two languages
are spoken in the house
hold, the fluent speaking
child will usually follow that
of the mother).
Horse ranching activity in
the earlier era was the heart
of this community. The
horses provided the beast
of burden foragriculturalac-
tivities, plowing the fields for
hay and gardens. Transpor-
tation by horse drawn wag-
ons, saddle horses for hunt-
ing, rur trapping and com-
muting to the far off Huckle-
berry fields, etc. The horses
were also used for trading
marriages, paying the Indian
doctors fortheir services etc.
So important was the horse
to the earlier culture that
male members regarded all
their horses on the same
levels as their plural wives.
Space restricts the descrip
tion and elaboration of the
occupations of trapping,
woodcutters, gardening,
berry fields, root digging ar
eas, hide processing and
river fishermen (Note: the
congressional Dawes Act of
1 887 (allotments) prohibited
the male members to claim
more than one wife).
The Glitter of Hollywood
1937-1939. Squatters be
came common in the settle-
ji mW '
ment south of Warm Springs, heart of the Wolford Canyon
Later it was to become roundup place, for all brand
known as Hollywood. The ing, horse breaking, geld
narrow ungraveled dirt road ing, etc. This is the place
ran North to South and each where you might have heard
shanty type house pos
sessed their very own out
house. Hollywood was a was the sister Teresa of her
gathering place for the dis- era for this particular corn
placed people of the Fire munity and Tenino Valley.
andnewlyweds.ThePaiutes She had comforted the ill,
established their places in provided laborforhousehold
the South Wolford and chores. Maria had per
Tenino in the mid section formed these particular du
area. The Northern portion ties because of hercompas
usually consisted of the sionate nature and she did
younger and more modern
oriented people. A new cul
ture emerged from the 1 937
fire migration, a melting pot
of different people coming
together. The Paiute,
Sahaptin, Wasco, Nez
Perce, California, Plains and
other Tribes began the in
termarriage process. These
were a spill overof the C.C.C.
Work Camp employees.
Baseball quickly became the
pastime. In some homes
batter operated radios blar-
ing Red Hiver valley and
Jimmy Rodgers Cowboy
music. A rodeo corral was
constructed.theLonghouse
for the Root Feast was of a
dirt floor; the frame structure
was of fir poles and covered
with canvas. The feasts and
ceremonial activity lasted a
whole week or more. The
Pil-yah-wit (gambling) was
seen at the feast s activities,
Felix Wallulatum and Alice
Switzler introduced the Tent
Evangelism.
Automobiles replace the
horse and wagons. Many
became transient workers,
moving to and from different
stages of crop harvesting,
Many of the older qenera-
tion did not return to their
broken down ranch life. They
tj
r .
Cain Brunoe, left with George Pitt.
that remained in Hollywood
eventually died of old age
and heartbreak. In 1957 a
culture of the pre-1855
Treaty, gasps in its final
breath. The thunderinq
Celilo Falls of the great Co-
lumbia River is silenced and
drowned forever. Cruising
the Highway I-80 and view-
ing the dead and polluted
waters that coverthe Tenino
and Celilo Falls location is
now just a memory and
legacy. Just like the Wolford
Canyon Era of just 20 years
before.
These are the recollec
tions of the remaining people
that once lived in the Wolford
Canyon.
Edith Switzler Danzuka
remembers the horse herd
of Elijah Kishwalk that con
sisted of some very large
gray horses. The herd be
came slicks (unbranded)
upon the passing of Elijah.
The now unbranded horses
quickly earned a reputation
for some of the hardest and
meanest rodeo bucking
horses that came out of the
Wolford Canyon.
Kishwalk corral was the
.'j'Vv l XI t If if If '
culture of
the gleeful and joyful laugh-
ter of Maria Wolford. Maria
not expect anything in re-
turn. To the children it was a
connection to the outside
world. The older people
there was the buzzing of
gossip and news of other
areas of the reservation.
Edith mentioned the
beautiful sorrel horse herd
of my grandmother Hattie
Polk. Aunt Dorthy and
George Aguilar Sr.,. Their
herd increased very quickly.
Most of the herd turned to
slicks when the family aban-
donedtnerancniireimya'.
The family moved to the in-
herited house from Jerry
Holliquilla at the Warm
Springs Agency. Jerry was
a half brother to Hattie Polk.
Cain and Emma Parker
Brunoe came to this area at
the turn of the century. Pos-
sibly 1890s. Cain built a large
house for his family. This is
where Adeline, Jennette,
Auqustus and Lorraine
Brunoe was born. Emma
Parker Brunoe was the
daughter of Chief Billy Chi-
nook. This family's children
migrated elsewhere as they
became of aqe. Jennette
later occupied this house
when she married Manual
Garcia, Sr. Edith
some of the older
states
Garcia
children were born in this
house, the Garcia's aban
doned the homestead in the
early 1930s and migrated to
the agency. The house
burned down in the 1937
Fire.
Carrie Wolford Kishwalk
and Elijah were married
October 24, 1 897. They had
ten cniidren only z survived,
They were Mabel Kishwalk
Benson and brother Elman
Kishwalk. Carrie Wolford
Kishwalk Tan-I-Kus-Pum
died June 25, 1917. At the
time near her death, it was
Carrie's wish to have George
Tommy take Mabel age 7
and Elman 5, to his care.
Also named to assist with
the children were Hattie and
Jimmy Polk and Cain
Brunoe. Elijah remarried to
a woman named Lyda. Elijah
died October 10, 1936. The
corrals, barn, storage sheds,
apple trees and house went
up in flames of the 1 937 fire.
The Congressional
Dawes Act of 1 887 (allotted
lands) reveal Lot No. 3024
belonged to Ettie Bennett
heirs who are: Ethel Scott a
half sisterto Archie Bennett.
Ethel resided here with her
husband Jimmie Scott.
Jimmie and Ethel were the
most successful entrepre
neurs of this community.
Wolford
They raised hay for their
thousand (1,000) plus head
of cattle based in the Dry
Creek Lot No. 3024. The
Barn that
survived the fire
was torn down and relocated
to Sidwalter Flat, where
some of the smoke stained
boards became a storage
shed. It still stands to this
day. The humble beginning
of Jimmy's success was a
frantic dawn to dusk of wood
cutting.
Edwin Scott, son, had
served on several tribal
committees, served three
terms on the tribal council,
one of the terms was the
chairman for the council.
Ray Scott, son, became
the tribal chief of police later,
a criminal investigator.
Hazel Scott Seyler,
daughter, retired anertwenty
plus years as one of the tribal
credit personnel.
Harvey Scott, son, is still
employed as a heavy equip-
ment operator for a fire sup-
pression crew; at the age of
70 years
Eliza SymentireSeymore,
Wa-Pah-Nish married and
relocated to the Tenino Val-
ley area. After passing of
her first husband, she mar-
ried Ira Seymore and had
one son named Joe Dale
Thompson. Joe was named
after his great uncle Joe
Wolford or Til-I-Sit of which
his family resides the
Thompson lineage. Afterthe
fire destroyed her home and
property, she relocated to
mid Hollywood area and
lived out her years here.
Pierson and Eva Seymore
Mitchell (Little Eva) lived in
the wooded area at the head
of the canyon. Pierson was
34 Wasco 14 Warm
Springs; Eva was 44 Warm
Springs. They had two sons,
Archie and Noah, and one
daughter named Bertha
Mitchell Stevens. Noah and
Bertha's husband had fished
with Joe Esterbrook at the
Tenino area. They attended
the set net scaffolds, stur-
geon long lines and gillnets.
Joe was probably the first
Native American to use the
gillnets. Archie Mitchell be
came a prominent Shaker
Member and passed on be
fore getting to know of his
many great grandchildren.
Little Eva passed on in the
mid Hollywood. The entire
homestead went up in the
flames of the Fire.
Susan Seymore family
(Wa-Ki-Sma), Jasper and
Huoy bwitzler resided on
Jasper's grandmother's
place; located between Joe
Wolford and Eva Polk. This
is the place where as a child
I played with Evangeline and
her brother Delton. Edith
Switzler Danzuka was the
older of the children. Edith
was probably the pioneerfor
the BIA day school policy,
Her daily attendance at
school was quelling because
of the inclement of weather
Horse roundup at Seymore Corral.
V WPS
v.-. '.
Canyon
that included rain, hail, and
cold blowinq snow stormsJ
Hertrip to the agency school
was a daily ten (10) mile
round trip by horseback. This
was approximately a thirteen'
(13) hour trek, that includes
classes, saddling, watering,
feeding and unsaddling the
horse she also probably had
household duties that need
to be tended to as well. Edith
became one of the very first
tribal employees which she
at times ran the entire ad
ministration. Many times
served as the Acting Sec
retary Treasurer for the tribe.
As the Tribal Organization
emerged from it's infancy
stage, Edith served as the
Tribal Enrollment and Vital
Statistic's officer. Her ser-
vice with the Tribes was thirty
years (several more years
with the government before
that). Edith served one term
on the Tribal Council. The
male Switzler members
were Columbia River fish-,
ermen. Their set net scaf
folds were above the biq
eddy area across from Spear
fish area,
John Polk built a small
cabin on the Northwest side
of the Canyon. He had fished
adjacent of the Spear Fish
area. He never used a boat
because he usually swam
the channel. This very same
dangerous channel claimed
the lives of five (5) of our
family members. John was
one of the practicinq Indian
Doctors of the community,
For a lonq time the resi-
dence near the apple tree
was a mystery. Gladys
Thompson a senior, identi-
fied the occupants. This is
where Jacob Thomas built a
home and resided. Jake
(nickname)"married Emma
in 1869. This'was two years
after his mustering out of the
U.S. Army Calvary at the
Dalles Fort. He served as a
scout and bugler in the
Snake skirmishes and
Modoc Wars. Jake drew a
pension for his service with
the U.S. Army records in the
Realty Dept. reveal him to
oe a snrewd business ori
ented person. Jake had
three daughters, they were
Martha, Ada and Eva.
Martha was the wife of
Jimmy Scott. Lucinda Scott
Smith, Suppah brothers and
Greeley Brothers are de-
scendants of Jake Thomas.
Jake died February 22,
1 928. Records show him as
of the Wasco and Cascade
tribe.
It is my hope that his short
article has enlightened some
of my relatives and the 1 ,000
plus people that can trace
their decendency to this
community. It was a culture
that differed somewhat to
the other areas of the reser
vation especially the reli-
gious and Indian traditional
activities of which was de
leted in this writing.
i
1