The Coquille Valley sentinel., January 30, 1925, ANNIVERSARY EDITION, Image 9

ANNIVERSARY
EDITION
The Coquille Valley Sentinel
THE PFuFIFR THAT'S LIRE A. LETTER FROM HOME
COQUILLE, COOS COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1925.
VOL. XXI. NO. 2.
$2.00 THE YEAR.
THE COQUILJf CIH SCHOOLS
Short Sketch of High School Activities—
809 Children in the District and Both
Buildings Crowded to Capacity
Pioneer Citizens and Incidents in Early
Life of the City as Related by Justice
of the Peace J. J. Stanley.
Every one1 is presumed to cherish a
secret ambition to write an autobi­
ography for publication, but only
prominent or notorious persons real­
ize this ambition. It seems to me
that next to writing an autobiogra­
phy, a chronicle of the important and
interesting events of one’s home
town should hold place; and I really
felt highly flattered when I was
asked to write for the anniversary
edition of the SENTINEL this ar­
ticle about the people and the town
of my adoption, where I have spent
more -than the average span of life
and where I feel that I have so many
good friends and around which clus­
ter so many cherished memories.
It has. been a very pleasant task,
made more so by the kindly interest
manifested by and information ob­
tained from the earlier settlers ; and
if there is any special merit in these
chronicles it is due entirely to the
help thus received. I had thought
that my years of residence here would
entitle me to be classed with the old
timers; but aftpr talking with the
real old timers, I was made to feel
a newcomer and a tenderfoot.
There are so many important inci­
dents to relate and so many interest­
ing people to write about that it has
been most difficult to decide what can
be omitted with 'least injury to the
story.
Sufficient material might
readily be obtained to fill a large
book. There are many who took à
prominent part in the early develop­
ment of our city whose names have
not been mentioned.
Thè 'Collier
family, many of the Nosier and the
Willard familiers, T. A. Walker, P. E.
Drane and a host of others I might
name, played a prominent part in
shaping the destiny of the community,
but time and space prohibit a more
detailed account of their worthy ex­
ploits. Neither have I mentioned any
of the comparatively recent .events or
settlers, as they are more or less fam­
iliar to most of us, and I deemed the
earlier events of greater interest. ¡
I have passed the -three score mile
stone and it seems a long, long trail
back to my e'arliest recollections;’yet
somewhere back there, at least five
years before I first saw the light of
day, one of the brave- pioneers who
reclaimed the “great Western Empire
of our country, wended his way to the
beautiful valley of the Coquille and
there built the first white* man’s hao-
itation on the banks of the river near
what is now the business center of
our prosperous city.
The exact date of his arrival here
will probably never be known, but . he
built his cabin just across the street
from our present magnificent new ho­
tel building on the lot ^ow occupied
by the Leheve building and there
started to carve a home from the Wil­
derness. It is self-evident that he
satisfied the requirements qf Uncle
Sam 'as to settlement and good faith
in making improvements, for on the
15th day of June-, 1864, a patent was'
granted by the United States to Evan
Cunningham for the northwest quar­
ter of the Northeast quarter and
Northeast quartei; of thè Northwest,
quarter 'and the river lots numbered
six nnd seven of section one in town­
ship twenty-eight south, Range thir­
teen west, containing one hundred
forty-nine acres and seventy hunò
dredths of an acre.
But it is also self-evident that he
did not live to learn that his patent
had been issued to him, for the rec­
ords show -that he died July 6th, 1864,
and the mail service of those days
was not by airplane nor yet by rail.
Nevertheless, he left engraved upon
the ineradicable pages of history a
record of his labor and courage; for
he was the first white man to erect a
residence within or even near our
City. The east line of this claim runs
north and south about thirty" feet
west of; and parallal with the West
line of What is now Hepry street; the
south line conforms to the low water
mark on the Coquille river except for
a short distance in the southeasterly
part of the claim where the south line
runs east from -the river probably in­
tersecting the residence of A. J. Sher­
wood; the west line of said claim con-
Coquille, the- county seat of Coos
The Coquille postoffice annual re­
county, is ideally ' located to reap the port for , the year 1924 shows an in-
greatest possible benefits from the creasep.of nearly $1,000 in business
construction of- .state highways. Both over that done in 1923. The follow­
the Roosevelt highway, which runs ing shows the gross business done
By John Francis Cramer, Principal of Coquille High School
forms to the present west boundary close to the Oregon coast all the way for the past five years:
of -the city limits and the west end of from Astoria to California, and the 1920 ........... .
.. ............. $ 9,012.53 ♦ Coquille schools have attracted the Glee Clubs, under the direction of
Spurgeon street is on thjs line; the highway that connects Roseburg with 1921............ ....................9,139.88
attention of the state and county sev­ Miss Nissen, will present an operetta,
north line of this* claim coincides Coos Bay through the Coquille Val- 1922.. .y............ . .. ............. 8,626.12
eral times during the past twelve the “Gypsy Rover.”
with
the north
line of the Odd Fel- lay unu
and toe
the ivuuuie
Middle rorx
Fork oi
of me
the same 1923 I................... ............... 10,095.31 months.
■
-.,■■ »?pay
As in most communities,
Coquille High School has been a
^Hstream, through Camas Valley and 1924 ....... . ........... ............... 11,017.57 the school system is a source of al­ standard four year high school for a
lard street bisects this original claim. over Camas mountain, merge here
The above does not take the postal most Continual financial stress and number of years, and an effort is be­
The records show that he left one ¡and run over'the same paved high-
problems, but it is also a source of ing made to raise still higher the
son who was presumably the only i way between Coquille and Coos Bay. insurance or money order ¡business in­
pride to the City. Coquille schools type of school work done.
Strict
to
account,
but
is
simply
the
total
child, yet on this subject the record is
The big steel-drawbridge that spans sales- of stamps, and stamped envel- rate very well with the rest of the rules for elegibility are In effect, and
meager and indefinite. What ever be­ the Coquille river here, was built
state in instruction, teachers, and re­ students who represent the school,
opesvJ&ox rent, etc.
came .of this son, whether living or about four years ago and its con­
sults attained.
not only in athletics, but in plays, de­
Last^year
there
was
over
$93,000
dead I have never been able to learn. struction rendered it certain that the
At the County fair at Myrtle Point bate, oratory and music, must be do­
worth
of
money
orders
issued
from
Edward Cunningham, who now re­ I Roosevelt road would leave the sea,
last fall, the first prize in school ex­ ing satisfactory work in their sub­
sides a short distance northwest of i ! only ten miles away, long enough to the local office.
Under the laws and rules govern­ hibits went to Coquille, in spite of | jects." A start has been made at a
town, is a relative of this first settler. make Coquille a way station on this
some very close competition from system of student control, which
The record discloses that the senior | great scepic route, which will, when ing the matter Cpquilld’ has b'eeji for
The Junior means putting more responsibility
Cunningham was not a successful fi­ completed, stand unrivalled on either the past year entitled to free city de­ several other schools.
Chamber
of
Commerce
of
the High on the stqdents as a training for cit­
nancier, whether from lack of ability coast.
This beautiful panoramic livery. The houses and buildings in ;
izenship.
or from unavoidable conditions. The highway after entering the county town are practically all numbered, , School tries to co-operate with the
city,
council
and
Chamber
of
Com
­
Heading the school system is Su­
petition of his administrator filed south of Reedsport winds among a and street signs posted, but the busi--
May 23d, 1865, recites that the de­ beautiful chain of lakes and from ness men have not felt that the time merce, and with the Women’s Club. perintendent Lynn A. Parr, who has
ceased left indebtedness in excess of Hauser down to Coos Bay is already was yet ripe to ask for the free de­ It wias the Junior Chamber which been here five yeiars. Previous to
took the lead in the building of the coming to Coquille,- * Mr. Parr taught
five thousand dollars; that his per­ surfaced with gravel. It runs just livery service.
in a Portland High School and was
sonal effects brought something over inside the sandy cliffs that rise from
in Washington school work.
The
twenty-three hundred dollars, leaving the ocean beach, and within hearing w
head
of
the
High
School
is
Principal
1
his homestead, appraised at four hun­ of the diapason of its surf.
John Francis Cramer, who holds a
dred dollars, to satisfy the remaining • The road, itself, thanks to the ferry ||
Master’s degree in Chemistry from
indebtedness.
boat Roosevelt, takes the salt water i?’
:
Willamette. University. Mr. Cramer
On January 2nd, 1866, this admin­ route when its reaches the Bay and > ■
*! was formerly in the McLoughlin High
istrator, Henry Wyckoff by name, runs beside salt water along its | 9
School of Miltqn-Freewater and La
conveyed the homestead to Elizab.eth shores all ’the way through and past ; 9
Grande High School.,
Leneve, the mother of our ex-Post- the thriving ports of North Bend and J 9
Keith Leslie, coach, is an ex-Ore-
master, John W. Leneve, Mrs. Annie Marshfield; and on beside the tidal ög
gon football star and is responsible
Robinson, Mrs. Jennie Rose and Mr-» flow of Isthmus Inlet, until it crosses :
■for the championship football team.
Marshall Way, all now residing here, the law divide at Coaledo and begin-V ,* |l'
This is his second year here. Miss
besides several other sons and daugh­ x.
----«-------------
to wind --■!--
its serpentine
way up tl'*
Gertrude Ellis, O. A. C., the Home
ters, some of whom have passed on.
wide valley and along the foothills s w
Economics teacher, has a couple of
The record hext discloses that the Coquille to Coos county’s hub I
r
English classes,. and coaches Girls’
O t
Grandma Leneve, as she was , better thei »county -seat, g
A’
{.basketball and debate. -An excellent
known to all her friends, on October
From North Bend to Coquille the
4
debate squad is training for the coun­
9th, 1866, conveyed this land to Titus
c
ty. debates^ Feb. 13. Miss Ruth Nis-
road
is a concrete highway, thanks
B. Willard, better known as “Uncle
•
sen,
State University of Iowa, han­
Tite.” On April 14th, 1873, Uncle to the foresight of our legislators in
dles all the mathematics, which is a
Tite laid out 'the first town site gen­ having it named for that sort of con-
COQUILLE CITY HALL, BUILT IN 1912
full-time job in itself, and in addition
erally designated as the original plat
coaches plays, handles the glee clubs
of 'Coquille City—and by the way,
('Continued on fourteenth page)
sidewalk along the highway to the and orchestra, teaches students who
High School building, which is known have never played to play the violin
Last well enough > to take orchestra parts,
as the Dinty Moore Trail,
spring the typing team - from Co- and directs the operetta.
Miss Bbrtha Atkinson is in charge
quille won third prize in the state
The two 'Coquille banks, the First {contest at Corvallis, in competition of : uppercliass English. She is also
interested in coaching the girl’s’ bas­
National and the Farmers & Mer­ with teams from the Whole state.
ketball: team, and is adviser for the
chants, are as sound financial insti­
This fall the high school has' taken
tutions as it is possible to find in part in community -affairs, notably , high school paper, which is published
the state of Oregon, and their total the Corn show, and sent delegates to •twice a month. When it was started
resources compare very favorably the State Conference of High School ' it was the only high school paper in
with those of any city in the state— officers at Eugene. For the first time te county, and is still the largest.
Miss Atkinson is a graduate of the
of equal size.
in a number of years the Football
During the past year their deposits Championship banner hangs in the University of Oregon. In charge of
reached high peak dhring the first library <at the high school, the reward -science work, including Botany, Bi­
ology and thre classes of General Sci­
half and in common with all other of Coquille’s unbeaten' team,
Thè
banks in this section showed a slight feeling -around the high school ndw is ence, is Miss Mary Druley, also a
falling off at the year’s end, but even that a basketball perinant and pro­ graduate of. the University of Ore­
gon. She is also adviser for the
then the total was $630,000.
bably debate trophy will be added be­
Senior class.
The’ First National, capitalized at fore the year is over.
In - the commercial department is
$50,009, showed in their report to the
With exceptionally fine Support Miss Jennie Carlson, O. A. C., who
comptroller of the currency, Jan. 1 !>
COQUILLE’S MODERN, FIREPROOF, $80,000 HOTEL
$405, $5.45. The Farmers & Mer- from the town, a high school paper is class adviser for the Juniors. Miss
chanth
with $25,000 capitalization re­ was founded this year by the stu­ Esther Roeder, who teaches six
Uncle Tite spelled it “Coquel.” This
ported to the state b'ank examiner at dents, which compares very favora­ classes in history and allied subjects,
plat was surveyed by S. B. Cathcart,
bly with other papers in the state, al­ is the Sophomore .. adviser.
Miss
the sjlme time, $223,502.42.
who is now living in Marshfield. One
though the local nates for advertis­ Carolyn Wilson teaches English and
Bo
h
these
institutions
are
doing
row of lots in the plat fronted up the
theirJpart in the development of the; ing are the lowest in the state., A ■ Latin, and is adviser for the Fresh­
river from the Busy Corner to the
E. É. Johnson says that the mill Coqu fie valley and “the upbuilding of capable staff is at work on the school men? Both Miss Roeder, and Miss
Coast Auto Lines repair shop and on
annual, the Laurel, which will also be
the north side from where the Ma­ here has excellent prospects of run­ Coqu ’le by assisting in every way a source of pride. in March the
(Continued on eleventh page)
const
‘
lent
with
sound
banking
rules.
ning
full
time
throughout
the
year.
sonic hall formerly stood, east along
:----------------------------------------
Second street nearly to the City Hall. He has plenty of?logs, the lumber
This embraced the entire plat.
A market is active and upward and al­
gore shaped piece was afterward add­ though he has. not contracts for a
ed along the north and east in order year’s run, the outlook encourages
to make Second street and Hall street the belief expressed.
A large percentage of the logs
run due eart and west and north and
south to conform to the streets of El­ which came down the North and East
liott’s addition which was platted Oc­ Forks during‘the November and De­
cember freshets (some of them had
tober 8, 1875.
been
waiting two years to come out),
In 1872, Tillman W. Vowell, then
a young man ninteen years of age either belong to Mr. Johnson or have
and a cousin of our well known citi­ been contracted for by him.
There were from 65 to 70 million
zens, James T. Nosier, built the first
feet
in those two forks—about a mil­
store which stood back of where J.
A. Lamb’s hardware store now lion dollar’s worth. Approximately a
stands, but old timers believe the ac­ , third of them have come out into the
tual ground upon which this building • i main river and are being held in
The remainder will be
stood has been washed off and caved booms.
brought
down
as rapidly as they can
into the river. Uncle Tite Willard
was the first postmaster, appointed in be handled.
In 1924, the mill here cut 16,500,000
1873, and Till Vowell was his depu­
ty. M. W. Miller, the father of Mrs. feet of lumber and manufactured
James T. Nosier, built the first hotel four million lathe, the cash volume of
the business done being around $300,-
about where Fuhrman’s drug store
now stands. This he named the Elk­ 000.
E. E. Johnson was recently re­
horn Hotel and over the front door
elected president, of the corporation
there hung for many years a magni­
at the annual meeting of the stock-
ficent pair of elk horns. Mrs. Nosier holders; C. McC. Johnson, of Marsh­
says -that it was through her father’s field and Reedsport, vice president;
and Philip E. Johnson, secretary-
COQUILLE’S $75,000 HIGH SCHOOL
treasurer.
(Continued on sixteenth page)
Johnson Mill Cut
16,500,000 Feet