Vol.I
Monmouth, Folk County, Oregon, Friday, September 4, 1908.
No. 1
SOME SCRAPS OF HISTORY
Monmouth, Past, Present and
Prospective.
A GOOD PLACE TO GET YOU A HOME
A Great Fruit Country If Prop
erly Developed A Big
Walnut Orchard.
The town of Monmouth was
founded in 1855 by T. H. Lucas,
S. S. Whitman, Elijah Davidson
and I. F. M. Butler, the latter
being still alive and a resident of
the city. "Uncle Ira" has been
identified with the town from its
earliest inception to the present
time, in fact he may be said to
be the father of the town from
the fact that he cast the deciding
vots at a meeting of the Trustees
when the town was named;
naming it for Monmouth Illinois,
his former home. The first house
was built in 1855 by the trustees
of Monmouth University, the
fore-runner of the Oregon State
Normal. The town was founded
for educational purposes and has
been essentially a school town
ever since.
The school first attained prom
inence in 1869 when T. F. Camp
bell, the father of the present
President of the State University,
took charge of it; he giving the
best ye- rs of his life to building
it up. In 1883 the school was
transferred to the state and rrade
a Normal School. From that time
until two years ago it was sup
ported by appropriations made at
each b'ennial session of the legis
lature. At that time the regular
appropriation was vetoed by the
Governor along with other ap
propriations. The people of Mon
mouth and vicinity, however,
were loyal to the school and have
sustained it since, but the Board
of Regents have made a favorable
report and it is confidently ex
pected that the next few years
will see the town take the place
nature intended it should, among
the nicest in the west.
In 1879 a destructive fire swept
away almost the entire busmess
part of the town, which has since
been built up with substantial
brick block?. About a year ago
an evaporator was built and it
gave a market for the surplus fruit
of this section, besides being a
source of revenue for the stock
holders. Early this spring a num
ber of progressive business men
and farmers got together and
formed a company for the erect
ion and operation of a creamery.
A building was put up and ma
chinery installed and it has been
in successful operation for the
past four months. The product
finds ready sale in the towns of
the valley and when there is a
surplus there is no difficulty in
selling it in Portland, in fact the
demand exceeds the supply.
The company operating the
evaporator finding it a good thing
for the community and themselves
concluded to build a cannery,
which they proceeded to do this
sunmier. Owing to the partial
failure of the small fruit crop it
has been operated but a portion
of the season, but will begin next
week for the fall run.
Our transportation is taken care
of by the I. & M. Railway and
we have four trains daily each
way, giving us very good trans
portation facili'its; in fact much
better than many larger towns
have.
Our close proximity to Salem,
the State Capital, makes this a
desirable location for those who
have business to transact there
and it is only a question of time
when we will have electric rail
connection with that city.
Land is cheaper here than in
any part of the Willamette valley
and the only reason it is so, is that
this part of the state has not been
exploited as have the others. We
have as good soil as they and in
many instances, better. Our
fruits are as good when properly
cared for, as any in the state and
we have fine walnuts growing
here; several large orchards hav
ing been set out during the past
few years. J. B. Stump has a
75 acre walnut orchard and Ira C.
Powell 11 acres, others have
smaller ones and it is only a ques
tion of time when this place can
well be said to be the "Walnut
City" of the west
All that is needed in this town
to make it one of the most pro
gressive in the state is for us to
all pull together and each do
what he sees there is to do with
out waiting to see what his neigh
bor is going to do. Let's all see
if we cannot be leaders and not
followers; be pushers and not
kickers. We have all ' hat is de
sirable in the way of health and
climate as compared with any of
our neighbors and there is no
reason why we shouldn't get a
goodly share of the best immi
p ration that is flocking to the
state.
Sunny Slope.
Well digging is in style in this
vicinity at present. V. A. Fish-
back, A. J. Shipley and John
Walker are arranging for new
wells.
R. M. Bosley is raising his
house putting in rew floors and
otherwise improving his property.
Jay Clarke and Jack Ewing
will pick hops at McLaughlin's
yard this year.
At the special school meeting
held Tuesday, A. J. Shipley was
elected to fill the unexpired term
of W. M. Herren.
W. M. Herr n a d family will
run a boarding house at Mc
Laughlins yard.
School will open here on Oct.
5th, with A. J. Shipley as teacher.
Tom Hart finished threshing
for J. B. Stump Tuesday.
Riddell Bros, clover is yielding
2 bushels per acre.
Dell Butler went to Falls City
yesterday to look after business
matters.
Mrs. Hattie Whitney returned
Saturday from an extened visit
with friends in Jefferson.
H. W. Strong, attorney at law,
of Portland, son of E" W. Strong
of this city, reports the arrival of
a bouncing boy at his home Mon
day. Among the recent improve
ments in the city is the Bogert
& Son furniture store that has
been removed from the post office
block to the Bank block and an
addition built on the rear of the
new building. They now have
much larger quarters and have
added largely to their stock.
Three tons of pears were taken
in at the cannery Wednesday.
Work will begin next week as
soon as the pears become mellow.
Pears are coming in rapidly.
E CHANGES IN FACULTY.
Prof. Campbell Enters The
Field Of Law
THE OREGON STATE NORMAL WILL HAVE
Capable Educators In President
Riggs, of Drain and Mr.
Fargo, of Pendleton.
The many friends of the Oregon
State Normal no doubt have
noticed press accounts of the
changes in the faculty for the
coming year. A. F. Campbell for
the past 15 years a faithful teach
er has left the profession and now
has a law office in Eugene. Mrs.
Ellen M. Pennell after some ten
years service goes to the U. of
0. for work in English with Miss
Carson. Mrs. Pennell will also
have charge of a ladies dorma
tory. Mr. L. A. Robinson will
spend a year in Chicago Univer
sity before returning to his work
here. ' Miss Smith who has so
long been connected with the T.
D. has accepted a position as
librarian at Weston. It is need
less to say these teachers will be
greatly missed by the student
body and all connected with the
school; they have, by their kindly
sympathy and many acts of help
fulness, won a place amongst the
students that' only comes from
years of actual service. As
teachers they had the respect
and confidence of all.
We take this opportunity to
say these teachers are all worthy
of the best in every community
and the effect of their work will
always be felt at the school. We
wish them the greatest pleasure
and the most helpful returns in
their new fields of labor.
It is said without boasting that
the summer session closing this
week has been free from criticism
so often urged against such ses
sions, namely, that it is but a
cramming school. The work has
been carefully planned by Pres.
Ressler and Prin. Traver to avoid
this and at the same time get re
sults for the students in a large
way. The work of the teachers
as well as the students was highly
satisfactory ; the lectures by Supt.
Cooper of Seattle and Supt.
Churchill of Baker City were re
plete with practical thoughts and
helpful suggestions such things
as these men in their large ex
perience have found most helpful
and yet withal there was the keen
feeling of lively progress through
all their teaching. It was an in
spiration as well as a season of
instruction to attend these lect
ures. We are glad to say so many
teachers of the state availed
themselves of the opportunity to
get closely in touch with such
teachers.
Supt. Ackerman spent a part
of one week and gave lectures
also during the session and if
there is a man in Oregon who
knows the educational needs of
the state we are sure Mr. Acker
man is he; and more than that he
has given this a very careful
study by both experience and
from comparison with the work
in other states. County Supt
Seymour was present at several
sessions and added to the interest
of the work. From all points of
view this has been the most suc
cessful summer session ever
held here and the teachers of the
state have had opportunities not
heretofore offered of getting the
latest and best in all lines of
methods and school management
and supervision.
While a number of most ex
cellent teachers have left the
work here, a number have also
been added. In A. L. Briggs,
President of Drain, and in Mr.
Fargo, of the Pendleton High
school, the Oregon State Normal
will gain some most valuable
workers. These men have kept
abreast with the best and are
energetic, enthusiastic teachers.
Webespeak for them the hearty
cooperation and warm support of
the entire Student body.
The coming session, which
opens on the 14th, gives promise
of being very successful both as
to numbers and the inquiry is
more and more from those who
plan a definate course in teach
ing. We believe that the real work
of the Normal is rapidly felt and
appreciated; and when it is con
sidered that these students from
these schools go directly in the
work of the state, and more es
pecially, into the rural school so
many of them, the result is be
yond calculation. Now that a
definite policy has been outlined
by the Board of Regents we shall
see this work more and more ex
tended.
City Council Meets.
Monday night was- regular
council night, but owing to the
fact that a majority of the coun
cilmen were out of town, only an
informal meeting was held and
adjournment had until the next
regular meeting night. Some
lively discussion of the water
question was had and it was the
concensus of opinion that we need
fire protection and that measures
should be taken at an early date
to secure the same. Inquiries
will be made as to the cost of the
various kinds of equipment and
they will be published in the col
umns of the Herald when re
ceived. The matter of new cross
walks was discussed and the cost
of cement and lumber walks will
be ascertained and if the cement
walks are approximately as cheap
to make as lumber, they will no
doubt be put in, and when once
laid they will last a life time,
while lumber will last only a few
years. The marshal was in
structed to request all persons
having waste paper, to deposit
the same in boxes or baskets un
til sufficient had been collected to
burn, and then burn it in a safe
place. This was done on account
of the many papers that are scat
tered around on the street and
are liable to cause a run-a-way at
any time, with more or less serious
results. It was found that the
actual cost of cement sidewalk,
less the bonus given by the city,
was practically the same as lum
ber. It would be well for those
contemplating new sidewalks to
make a note of this. It is some
thing very unusual for a city to
offer a bonus for the purpose of
getting people to improve their
property. Fancy Portland doing
such a thing. Down there the
city does the improving and
makes the property owners pay
for it
A GOOD DAY FOR ACCIDENTS.
S. W. Doughty and I. Blodgett
Severely Hurt
LOCAL ITEMS OF MORE OR LESS IMPORT
Colonist Rates Are Now Effect
ive From Eastern Points
To Monmouth.
Tuesday morning about eight
o'clock while S. W. Doughty and
his brother were working on the
residence cf Frank Byers, be
tween Monmouth and Indepen
dence, the scaffold fell and car
ried Mr. Doughty with it. In
falling he struck the corner of
the kitchen roof and bounded off
falli g in all about twenty feet.
Two ribs were broken and his
shoulder severely bruised, but
the attending physician thinks
that there are no internal injuries.
He was brought home a short
time after the accident and is
getting along nicely. It is little
short of a miracle that he was
not killed by the fall as he weighs
about 185 poun s.
Isaac Blodgett, of Blodgett' s
Valley, had a serious accident
here Monday. His team became
freightened at the Dallas freight
train and ran away throwing him
out of the wagon, breaking his
rirht leg and injuring him about
the head quite severely. The ac
cident occured between the can
nery and the depo He was
taken to the hospital at Salem
where he has a sister who is a
nurse in the institution. He was
preparing to move some of his
relatives to Blodget Valley when
the accident occured.
Beginning with the first of this
month a rate of $30 from many
of the eastern states has been
made. This rate applies to Mon
mouth and if you have any friends
in those states that you would
like to have settle in your neigh
borhood, don't fail to write to
them to take advantage of the
low rates. You can find out all
about it by applying to your local
ticket agent.
Rev. W. A. Wood, from Hood
River, will preach morning and
evening next Sunday in the
Christian Church. Rev. Wood
comes as the permanent pastor
of the Christian Church. He has
purchased the Mott place near
Monmouth and will farm in con
junction with his ministerial
duties.
E. W. Strong and family went
out to the Luckiamute mill in the
big touring car Wednesday. Mr.
Strong reports that they are in
stalling a gang edger in the mill
and will begin sawing hardwood
next week. The company has
bought the timber of B. M. Fowle
and has let a logging contract.
L. L. Baker, principal of Rose
burg schools; J. M. Woods, prin
cipal at Toledo, R. N. Moore,
principal at Bay City, and A. N.
Fulkerson, principal of the Cor
vallis schools, all participated in
the work of the Summer School
during the closing week.
Mrs. Buttler's residence is
rapidly nearing completion and
it is expected to be ready for oc
cupancy by the opening of the
fall term at the Normal.
Miss Lillian Bogert and our ef
ficient deputy postmaster, Miss
Ethel Newman, went to Falls
City Wednesday for a visit with
friends at that place.
Miss Edna Strong leaves in a
few days for Corvallis, where she
will visit her brother Frank and
attend the All-Benton school fair.
. E. W. Strong has lost his three
months old, Scotch Collie pup.
Sable color. He will pay a suit
able reward for its return.