THE GAZETTE-TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1925.
PAGE THREE
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I Winners of Local History Content of the Heppner Schools I
The Loral History Content which hu been carried on
among the pupils of the Heppner achool closed April 25.
The judges rendered their deciiion Thuriday evening
following. The awarda are:
1st Div. 1st, Ruth Misiildine, "The Double Winter of
1884." 2nd, Donald Boyer, "The First White Baby." 8rd,
Josephine Henley, "Charley'a Mistake."
2nd Div. 1st, Elizabeth Elder, "The First Marshal of
Heppner." 2nd, Virginia Dix, "The Early History of
Heppner." 3rd, Erma Schulz, "History of Morrow Coun
ty." 3rd Div. 1st, Harold Becket, ""Henry Heppner." 2nd,
Mary Crawford, "The First Church of Heppner." 3rd,
Vawtcr Parker, "The Life of Jackson Lee Morrow."
The judges were Mrs. Frank Turner, Mr. Frank Gil
liam, Mrs. Arthur McAtee, Mrs. Roger Morse, Mrs. Sylvia
Misaildine and Mr. J. O. Hager. In the appointment of
the judgea it was found almost impossible to select a
list from the community in which one or more of whom
would not be interested in a personal way in some of
the papers that might be offered, so wide was the list of
pupil entrants It was therefore agreed that Supt. E. H.
Hedrick should score all papers of pupils who were in
any way connected with one of the judges, which he did.
In the content, 177 pupila entered papers. According
to the rules previously adopted, these were divided into
three sections; first section, grades 4th, 6th and 6th;
second section, grades 7th and 8th; third section, high
school. The prizes for each section and places ares
First Division; First 15.00, second 13.00; third '2.00.
Second Division: First $4 00, second $3.00, third $2.00.
Third Division: First $5.00, second $3.00, third $2.00.
Tho money for the payment of the prizes was appro
priated by the Patron-Teacher Association.
Following are the prissy winning papers:
FIRST DIVISION
The Double WinterV 1884.
ls Prize By RUTH .MISSILDINE-th Grade,
About forty years ago all of Morrow county was just
one great field of bunch grass, from the Blue Mountains
to the Columbia River. Great herds of cattle and sheep
and wild horses roamed in this great field, and there was
a tot of feed, for the bunch grass struck the homes above
their knees. Any man might run all the stock that he
could handle, for in those days all the land was govern
ment land for any one to use.
The winter I am telling about was a very hard one.
It was tho winter of 1884. The cattle men were prepar
ing for the winter as usual. The men did not cut very
much hay because they were depending upon the cattle
to get the hay off the ground in the winter.
The first snow which came was two and one-half feet
deep und just as it was beginning to leave there came a
very hard freeze that froe the top of the snow and the
cattle could not get to the grass. What little hay they
hod the stockmen fed to their cattle. As this snow was
just nbout gone there came another snow bigger than
the first one. A hard icy crust formed on the top of
this snow. There was now no hay left for the cattle
so there was nothing to do but to turn the cattle out
and let them rustle for themselves. Some of the men
-made drags of timber so they could go along and break
the crust. The cattle and sheep followed this and fed
off the grass that way. Rut most of the cattle had to
look out for themselves.
And so about half of the stock in the county died. One
man said that when spring came one could walk for
miles on the dead bodies of the stock without having to
step on the ground.
It took years for the county to get over it. and some of
the richest stock men in the county went broke.
The First White Baby.
2nd Priie-By DON BOYER 5 th Grade.
The first white baby that was bom in all that part of
the Inland Empire lying between The Dalles and Walla
Walla spent most of her life in Morrow County.
About the year 1HD2 the family of William and Judith
Mitchell decided to join a wagon train at Kansas City
and come to Oregon. They made the trip safely, having
only a few scares from. Indians but no trouble. In that
train a man brought a load of young fruit trees to be
planted in this Western country. As they were on the
road all summer, he had to keep them growing, so he
filled a big wagon bed with dirt and planted them in
that. Then he watered them as often as he could. Mrs.
Mitchell said it looked so queer to see the little trees all
leafed out and growing in a wagon as it traveled across
the rough roads of the plains and mountains. That is
the way some of the first fruit trees came to this Ore
gon country.
The wagon train in which the Mitchell family journey
. ed passed along the old Oregon Trail that runs across
the northern part of Morrow County. They went on to
the Willamette valley and settled first at Brownsville.
They lived there three or four years, but wishing to
engage in the stock business they retraced their steps
to Eastern Oregon and settled on the Umatilla river
near where Stanfield now stands.
Here they lived their first winter in a one-room cabin
that had no floor hut the earth. The Indians came fre
quently and Mrs. Mitchell always felt afraid of them.
There in that lonely cabin on the Umatilla river on
February 23, I860, was bom the first white baby of East
em Oregon. She was named Jane Mitchell and affec
tionately called Janie. This baby had inherited her
mother's fear of the Indians and years later when they
were no longer to be feared she still felt that fear.
The family lived on the Umatilla river until Jane was
eleven vears old when they removed to a place on Hinton
creek seven miles east of where Heppner was afterwards
built. From that time on to the end of her life her home
was always in or near Heppner. She was sent to Pen
dleton to school and when barely eighteen years of age
was married to W. G. Boyer, a young man from Virginia.
That was in the year 1878. When the fort was built in
Heppner as protection against the Indians, she told how
the people that were compelled to spend some time in
the fort Entertained themselves by dancing.
She lived a long, useful, and hardworking life and saw
this country develop from an uninhabited, uncultivated
region. She made friends with ail who came into her
country. She developed a splendid personality that
made its impression on all she met. Her young pioneer
life and experiences she could tell about in a most in
teresting way. She passed away in 11)19 leaving two
sons, Glenn and Guy Boyer living in Morrow county.
Her father, William Mitchell, was elected tho first
judge of Morrow county. Her mother could remember
when there were no cats in this country, and the set
tlers were being much troubled by the mice getting into
their cabins, so that in desperation a man brought a
pair of cats all the way from Tho Dalles on horseback.
She kept in her home the fire shovel which she carried
aero hs the plains and built her campfircs with and it still
remains In use in the home of her grandson Guy Boyer.
Elisabeth Dyer has written of the pioneers;
"Lean files of oxen ploddnig through the dust,
Lashed on by half-starved men crated with disgust of
famine,
And tho day that follows day,
In slow succession on the trackless way;
And shallow graves unmarked save by the tears
Of those bereft who lonely face the years;
Yet ever onward march to build the state:
The pioneers, unthankod, unknowing, groat."
Charlie's Mistake.
Third PrizeBy JOSEPHINE HEALEY 3rd Grade.
One day when Mr. Mnttoson was working In the gar
den his wife and little baby thought they would go to
the nearest neighbor which was about mile awny.
When they were a ways from home she saw an Indian
feeding his horse on the side hill. When the Indian saw
the woman and bnby he got on his horse and rode down
to where they were and took the baby and threw It into
a hawthorna bush. Tho woman began to scream. Mr.
Mi, He son heard her and ran to the house to get a gun.
Tho Indian saw Mr. Matteson and got on his horse and
rode otT as fast as he could. In a few days Mr. Matto
snn and some other men went to find the lndinn and on
their way they met one Indian and he went with tho
men. When they had gone to the next village they met
mother Indian and he .said the Indian was in the next
camp. When they got near the camp they began to gal
lop and surrounded the camp. They asked the Indians
where Charley was and they said he was In tho tent for
he had been gambling all the night before.
The white people told the Indians to bring Charley to
them and Charley said ho wanted to get his moccasins,
but the white people told one of the other Indians to get
them because they wore afraid ho would get away from,
them. They told some other Indians to get his pony.
When they got quite a ways up the road they looked
back and saw two Indians following them. They asked
them where they were going and they said they were
going to see if the woman said he was the right one.
They said it was no use because she was at The Dalles.
The Indians went back. After a while they came to a
tree where the men were going to hang Charlie and they
started to tie a rope around his neck but he said be
didn't think he deserved such a death.
SECOND DIVISION.
The First Marshal of Heppner.
1st Prise-By ELIZABETH ELDER 8th Grade.
When Heppner was incorporated, in about 1887. a
mayor, city treasurer, board of council were elected.
But they could find no body who would accept the posi
tion of city marshal. At that time this was considered
a job which no one would want,
Shortly after this a man drove into Heppner with a
badly jaded team, a wife, and two or three children. He
applied to Mr. Morrow, who was then mayor of the city,
for a job. Mr. Morrow told him that the only position
he knew of that was not filled was city marshal. Mr.
Locknane, which was the man's name, asked how much
there was in the job and Morrow said seventy-five dol
lars ($75) a month. Locknane, who was badly in need
of money, accepted.
One look at the man would tell you that he was very
firm. Heewas not large, but he was square-built and
looked very strong.
The news soon spread over town that the position of
miy-ahal had been filled. Curiosity was immediately
aroused and the people decided to aee just what kind of
a man the new marshal was.
The first evening Locknane was on his job, several
young men began to run their horses up and down the
street. Locknane na id" that they would have to stop this.
He walked to the middle of the street and when the
young men on the horses got within hailing distance he
raised his hand and called "Stop. The young men paid
na attention to him. The next time they got near enough
he put a bullet through the crown of the leader's hat,
cutting a lock of his hair off. This stopped them and
Locknane said that the next time he would aim lower.
These fellows caused no more disorder.
Not long after this a man came to town from the sur
rounding country. The marshal was pointed out to him
by one of his friends. The man sneered, and walking
over to the marshal, who was standing leaning against
an awning post, he hit him behind the ear, knocking
him down. Locknane quickly jumped to his feet and
gave the man a very thorough thrashing.
Mr. Locknane held the position of marshal for several
years, and the citizens soon learned to respect him. He
was afterwards shot and killed in Heppner. v.
The Early History of Heppner.
2nd Prize By VIRGINIA DIX 8th Grade.
The site whene Heppner now stands was on Stansbury
Flats. George W. Stansbury purchased this claim from
Mr. Etes. He had a small one-room log cabin near
where the Alfred Ayers house now is. The town site was
covered with wild rye grass, which gave the appearance
of a salt grass flat.
All supplies had to be freighted from The Dalles.
Henry Heppner and Jack Morrow erected the first store
in Heppner. The lumber had to be brought from Van
armen's mill, located on Butter creek. When the store
was about completed they held a great celebration in
honor of the event. On August 10, 1872, the store was
opened for business. A little later O. H. Hallock started
the first blacksmith shop. The settlement was gradually
growing.
People began to feel that their little town should have
a name. Stanttbury wanted it named Willows, others
Willow Creek. Morrow and Heppner kept a popular
medicine called I. X. L., a panacea for all ills. Some
wanted it named I. X. L. It was finally named Heppner
after Henry Heppner.
Up to this time mail had been brought from Scott's
postoffice on the John Day or from Umatilla Landing.
In 1873 a mail and stage route was established between
Pendleton and The Dalies, passing through Heppner.
A postoffice was established and Stansbury was the first
postmaster. Taylor Spencer built the second store in
Heppner. Dr. Shobe was Heppner's first doctor. He
later built a drug store where the present Gilliam & Bis
bee store stands.
As early as 1873 the need for a school was felt. The
Morrow and Heppner store furnished the first one hun
dred dollars and the structure was started. It occupied
the place where the old council chambers stood. A bell
was furnished -by Mr. Heppner and to him the town is
indebted for its first public school. Mr. Leezer built
the first hardware store. The first hotel was established
by Van Shull, Frank Goble and Perry Oiler. In 1877
Wells, Fargo & Co. established the first express office
here. In 1883 a shoe shop and wagon shop was started.
Up to this time there had been no churth building. All
denomination were allowed to meet in the schoolhouse.
The Baptists built the first church building. The first
flouring mill was built near the present mill. It was
built by the help of the citizens. It was a primitive af
fuir and did little more than crush wheat and grind com.
The town had grown rapidly up to this time, but in 1873
there was an Indian scare which gave a temporary check
to its growth.
ThiB was still a part of Umatilla county. The people
being so far from the seat of government, which was
Pendleton, wished to organize a county of their own.
This was done and Heppner became the temporary coun
ty seat. There was great strife between Heppner and
Lexington for the permanent county seat. , Heppner
erected a court house. The funds were obtained by pop
ular subscription. They presented this to Morrow coun
ty as a gift thi irking it might keep the county seat from
going to Lexington or some other town. The fight still
continued up to 1887 for the.county seat. In 1887 by leg
islative act Heppner became an incorporated town and
the permanent county seat. After this great changes
took place. Sidewalks were built, streets graded and
many general improvements made.
Up to this time Heppner had no railroad facilities.
The O. R. & N. offered to build a railroad to Heppner
if the citizens would secure the right of way and depot
grounds. They did this. In the spring they began work
on the proposed road. It was completed the 7th of the
following December. Henry Heppner drove the last
spike in the railroad which was made a matter of cere
mony. The day was spent in celebrating the event. John
Patterson, our present druggist, was the engineer who
brought the first train into Heppner. The coming of the
railroad increased the value of Heppner fifty per cent.
The Gazette Supplement said the entire business for
18S8 was three hundred thousand dollars, and in 1889
more than a million. Such was the effect of a railroad.
Heppner is now in communication with the outer
world, and has become a prosperous, thriving town.
History of Morrow County.
3rd Prize-By ERMA SCHULZ.
Hoppncr, the county seat of Morrow county, was
named after Henry Heppner, a pioneer merchant. One
of the old, rough-diamond pioneers of the Pacific North
west was Henry Heppner. When ho arrived at The Dal
les, in the late '60's, it was not to take the rest cure, but
to go to work, which he did by hiking out to cattle
ranches and using his limited capital in buying the
hides that were hung on the fences, and after carrying
and dragging them into town and selling them, he made
enough money to buy a pack horse. Then for many
months ho walked and led the pnek horse. Within a
year he had enough hard-earned money to buy a small
pack train, on which he freighted goods to the miners,
merchants at Canyon City, 11)0 miles away. A few suc
cessful trips and he had made enough money to buy ft
large pack train of many mules, but on his next trip the
hostile Malheur Indians captured his entire train and he
nnd his men barely escaped scalping.
At The Dulles men who knew Henry Heppner's good
traits outfitted him with another pack train, with which
he started again to Canyon City, only to bo ambushed
by hostiles and again lose his train. The Dalles again
outfitted him with a train and this time he packed a
big cargo of freight to the Idaho mines via. the Mcach
am road, away north of the hostiles. A few successful
trips and he was able to repay his. backers in full, and
ho was so impressed with the location at the junction
of Hinton and Willow creeks that he formed a partner
ship with J. L. Morrow and started the first store there,
which was the birth of the town of Heppner, county
sent of Morrow county.
Tho Heppner warehouse has become one of tho land
marks of Morrow county. Henry Heppner was its man
ager, ably assisted by Phill Cohn, who has occupied that
position since 1895.
Mr. Heppner put over a large deal, in which he sold
$35,000 worth of wool to the Siiberman Brothers, Chi
cago, Illinois.
Heppner's warehouse has a capacity of 2,000,000 pounds
of wool and has had 75 cars of grain. It ran a wool
press and bales for the Eastern markets. It buys wool
on the market and does a general warehousing, receiv
ing and forwarding large quantities of freight for the
great interior. Henry Heppner's warehouse made cash
advances on wool and grains and bought and sold wool,
grain, hides, fur and pelts. It handles other things such
as wool sacks, gunny sacks, bags, grain and other kir-di
of articles.
Henry Heppner was a very industrious pioneer, al
ways ready to hellp any good cause and many a fam
ily making a start in Heppner to settle down and build
found that they were welcome to any goods that they
needed that were on hie store shelves without funds un
til they could get a start and get upon their financial
feet. Hev sleeps in the sightly looking cemetery over
looking the town that Uncle Jack Morrow had named in
his honor, and all who knew him remember him as a
man among men.
Jackson L. Morrow was born in Kentucky in 1827 but
his people were empire builders, forever reaching out
to do their part settling up new regions. They moved
into Iowa via. Illinois, largely helping to start the town
of Mt. Pleasant where Jackson grew up, when the west
ern spirit urged him to join an emigrant train and he
made the long journey across the plains in 1853. His
energetic hunting activity kept the train in fresh meat
and on one of his hunts he followed a roaring noise un
til it brought him to what now are known as the great
Shoshone falls of the Snake river, where fresh Indian
signs warned him to keep his eye alert.
Mr. Morrow had the usual experience with the hostile
friends of the forest and pirates of the prairies, but
finally finished his journey on to Puget Sound, where he
sta rated a general, merchandise store in Mason county,
where Shelton now ib. He also contracted with the gov
ernment to carry the mail to the distant Hood's canal
settlements, which he did by hiring Indians to paddle
him through in their war canoes.
When the Indians went on the war path in 1855, Mr.
-Morrow took his little family to the stockade fort at
Olysipia and then joined the Washington territory vol
unteers in the field against the hostiles, being commis
sioned lieutenant and serving under Colonels Frank
Shuw and S. N. Maxon. He performed many tours of
special duty, one of the most hazardous of which was
when he volunteered to take a band of horses through
from Camp Montgomery in Pierce county to the dis
mounted volunteers at Snoqualimie Falls. He had with
him only Sergeant H. W. Scott and a few other men,
and knew that the hostiles were watching them from
the nearest buttes and soon after starting saw their
signal fires, which he correctly interpreted as a warn
ing to other Indians to prepare their ambuscade at the
ford of the Puyatlup river. But as soon as darkness
came on Lieutenant Morrow made a detour through the
woods, crossed the river ten miles above the ford, finally
reaching Snoqualimie with every horse and man.
Another noted exploit was when he took 200 sup
posedly friendly Indians from Fort Nisqually to an is
land in Puget Sound, bo as to prevent the possibility of
their joining the hostiles. This difficult task was ac
complished by the aid of Edward Huggins, who had con
vinced the Indians that. Lieutenant Morrow . was their
friend. After holding these Indians on the islands for
a few days, he discovered a plot that was to end in his
scalping by the hostiles, who were to paddle out two
nights hence. But on the day before the arranged ar
rival the old war steamer Massachusetts paddled up
and anchored at close range, thus saving the situation.
It was hard campaigning in that war of 1855-56, but
the volunteers made it so hot for the hostiles that final
ly they were glad to surrender and when the supremacy
of the whites had been recognized the frontiersmen went
back to their homes and pushed the development of the
country.
In the early 60's Mr. Morrow moved to the new town
of La Grande, Oregon, where he engaged in merchan
dising and the people recognized his ability by electing
him mayor and afterwards county treasurer. In 1873
he felt that he must do his part in opening up another
new country, so he moved over to Willow creek, in Uma
tilla county, opening the first store there in partnership
with Henry Heppner. He had a postoffice established
and asked Senator Mitchell to name it after his partner.
The little settlement grew and was a great convenience
to scattered stockmen. Dr. Shobe, Frank Maddock, Tom
Quaid, W. P. Dutton, Jones brothers and other pioneers
located there, and "Uncle Jack" Morrow as everybody
now began to call him, was ever foremost in all good
work, organizing the Masonic lodge and a school dis
trict. His firm became known as J. L. Morrow & Sons
and' was a lifesaver to all new settlers making a start
in ranching and stock. The store carried them all for
a hundred miles around and saw to it that they needed
nothing.
Mr. Morrow was elected to the legislature and suc
ceeded in having a new county organized. In recogni
tion of his good work and unbounded popularity the
legislature insisted on naming it Morrow county and as
such it will forever stand as a monument to a good man
and true, whom everyone respected.
In 1899, in his Heppner home. "Uncle Jack" passed
to his reward, after 72 years of well doing. He was
honest and just, and was loved, honored and respected
by men, women and children. His only surviving son
w-as J. W. Morrow. His other children were swept away
in an epidemic of diphtheria. J. W. Morrow later be
came un official of the O.-W. R. & N. Company.
The Pakice Hotel was the finest building in the city
of Heppner and was erected in 1890 by the Palace Hotel
Company at a cost of $40,000. The building was a
handsome three-story brick with stone trimmings and
fifty guest rooms, handsomely furnished throughout
with every convenience and lighted by electricity.
On the first floor the office, dining room and cafe were
located. The dining room was light, airy and had a
large seating capacity. They employed an experienced
chef who was in charge of the kitchen and the equip
ment was the, pride of the management.
The cafe was stocked with first class foreign and do
mestic wines, liquors, cignrs and cigarettes.
J. W. Morrow bought the controlling interest from
the company in 1897. Mr. Morrow was a resident of
this city for over twenty-five years. He was a prominent
attorney and was elected once to represent this district
as joint senator. He was a popular and successful hotel
man.
J. L. Howard, one of Morrow county's efficient county
commissioners, may be considered as one of the fathers
of Morrow county. Mr. Howard is a native of St. Jo
seph, Missouri, and has had his full share of pioneer
life. He crossed tho plains to Colorado, and was one of
the freighters that freighted to Lead vi lie and Silver Cliff.
In 1882 he come on one of the first trains of the Oregon
Short Line to Shoshone, Idaho, and from there crossed
with his wagon the main range of the Biue mountains
and settled near his later home, Butter creek, 20 miles
from Heppner. He followed farming and sheepraising
chiefly, and his industry has been rewarded a fair re
ward. H was well respected by all of the citizens and
Inter served on the county board.
Mr. D. E. Gilman, farmer, real estate agent, Mr. Gil
man has had lurgc lists of all kinds of fruit, grain and
stock farms for sale in nnd all over Morrow county.
Some of his sales were in Washington, and all over the
Northwest, at very reasonable prices. He is in the po
sition of making special terms. He has been in the real
estate and loan business quite a number of yenrs. Mr.
Gilman is an honest man and can be trusted in all
business affairs and other things. Immigration is again
setting in, and the choicest places will be taken first.
Mr. Gilman has resided in this county many years.
County Surveyor J. J. McGoe camo here from Ken
tucky in 1881 and was well satisfied with the country.
In the 80 s he was twice elected county assessor, serving
four years. In 1880 he was again elected county sur
veyor and wbb again elected to the same office in 1900
by one of the lorgest majorities ever received by a can
didate in Morrow county.
Mr. McGec followed surveying as a profession and did
a great deal of acceptable work in Morrow and other
counties in the line of irrigation ditches and laying out
roads.
Another one of Morrow county's efficient county com
missioners was Edward C. Ashhnugh. He was born in
Perry county, Ohio, in 1807. When five years old he
moved to Kansas, where he lived till the spring of 1887,
when he settled In Morrow county. He did own 1000 acres
of the finest land of Eight Mile district, as well as a
lot of high grade stock. He had 800 acres in wheat.
which years ago produced 15,000 bushels of golden grain.
He owned his own harvesting outfit and was one of our
most enterprising citizens.
County Treasurer Matt Litchenthal showed by his
every act that the county was in a good shape. He was
very prompt and was considered promptness itself. Mr.
Litchenthal was a very hard worker. He served as coun
cilman six years, having setlted in Heppner more than
twenty-five years before and founded the large boot and
shoe store of which he was proprietor. It was the only
exclusive boat and shoe store in Morrow county and the
stock carried was the best line of men's, women's aad
children's shoes.
Henry Scherzinger, the livestock inspector of Morrow
county, was born in Wisconsin. When he was eleven
years old he came to the Willamette valley, but believ
ing this section offered better inducements to a young
man, he moved to Morrow county in the spring of 1877.
At first he was employed at a blacksmith shop. Later
he was employed in the stock business and later engaged
in it on his own account. He owned a fine ranch on Rhea
creek and had over 3,009 head of high grade sheep, as
well as other kinds of stock. He made a most capable
officer and won the confidence of the people of Morrow
county.
A. G. Bartholomew, an early judge, was born in Peoria
county, Illinois. July 21, 1845. He attended school there,
after which he took a course in commercial training at
the Bryant and Stratton Business College at Chicago.
In 1883 he came to the state of Oregon, engaging in ag
ricultural pursuits near Milton for a period of three
years. In 1886 he settled in Morrow county on a ranch
and for several years devoted his attention to the rais
ing of horses and cattle. He was also interested in the
sheep business, to which his brothers were giving their
attention. In the spring of 1896 he was elected judge of
Morrow county. Judge Bartholomew was a progressive
and prosperous man of affairs and a strong and sturdy
pioneer, who gave his full share toward the upbuilding
of this county, and no man in Morrow county holds a
higher place in the heart sof the .people.
Vawter Crawford, one of the former coonty clerks of
Morrow county, was born in Linn county, Oregon March
9, 1868. When he was very young his parents moved
to Waitsburg, Washington, where he attended the public
school, finishing his education at Waitsburg Academy.
On leaving school he chose printing as his trade in life,
and became employed in the printing office of the Waits
burg Times, where he was working until 1889, when he
came to Heppner and accepted a position on the Gazette,
in the employ of which he remained almost continuously
until the spring of 1898, when he was elected on the Re
publican ticket to the office of county clerk, to succeed
J. W. Morrow. After that he bought the Gazette. Mr.
Crawford, during his residence in this city has won an
enviable reputation. As the incumbent of the office of
Morrow county's clerk he was also placed in the list of
Morrow county's efficient officials.
County Assessor Saling of Morrow county was born
in Walla Walla, Washnigton, June 27th, 1866, his par
ents being among the early settlers of that famous re
gion known as the Walla Walla valley. He was educated
at Whitman fcollege, where he was a student for four
years. In March, 1886, Mr. Saling came to Morrow coun
ty, where he engaged in teaching in the county schools
for a number of years. In 1890 he was elected county
school superintendent, that position he held for two good
terms. Most of the time he was engaged in teaching.
Once he was principal of the schol in.Sumpter, Oregon,
for two years. For five years each vacation was spent
in the court house in Heppner preparing the tax roll
thus becoming well acquainted with the office he later
held. He was elected county assessor in the election by
a large majority.
Most of the settlers gave their attention to stock. Mr.
W, O. Minor was proprietor of the "Mountain Valley
Farm." He came to this section many years ago and en
gaged in the merchandising business, at the same time
shipping beef stock to the Portland market, and in this
way he discovered the vast difference in common stock
and thoroughbred stock. To use Mr. Minor's words, he
said, "About six years ago was when I had my eyes
opened as regards the difference between range stock
and high-grade stock, and you might say it was an acci
dent then. I had brought several cars of cattle. Among
the lot was eight four-year-olds which were high grade
meat stock. Yet in the weight, and the price was from
one to one and a half cent higher for the high grade.
That opened my eyes in regard to the stock business,
and I have been getting all the best grade of stock I
could, regardless of price." Mr. Minor had over eighty
head of the finest Shorthorn stock. That was the home
of the renowned champion "Sallie Girl," who was the
daughter of the champion "Royal Hero." Her weight
was 2,000 pounds, and the flesh was very rich and
smooth. Other noted animals among the herd have, like
"Sallie Girl," taken first prizes at all of the stock shows
here and in British Columbia.
John S perry was a sheriff of Morrow and Umatilla
counties. When he was sheriff Morrow ayd Umatilla
counties were considered as one county, which was
called together Umatilla county.
' THIRD DIVISION.
Henry Heppner (1825-1905)
First Prize By HAROLD BECKET.
(Reedited for press at request of judges)
The word "frontier" in the vocabulary of the United ,
States may well become obsolete in the sense we think
of it. It has served its purpose; its usefulness is re
stricted to our histories and western stories. The west
ern frontier, with its untamed characters and thrilling
action, exists now mostly in novels and in the minds of
some of our imaginative Eastern neighbors.
The "Wild West" was never so wild on the Pacific
coast as it was farther inland, a little east of us. The
explanation to this the most logical one it seems to me
may be summed up in a few words.
The cry of the public was "go West!" When people
went West they went until they could go no further.
The frontier moved quickly over the plains and rolling
hils to the mountains and coast A few peope dropped
out in the trip to the West, but the main body went on.
When the last stand was established, and getting
crowded, there was a natural back-flow toward the plains
and grassy hills that were left. It is not surprising
that those places were still uncivilized a kind of fron
tier even though civilization had long since passed thru
and on to the western coast.
This back-flow swept through the eastern part of this
state and over the mountains toward the plains. Here
it met the influx from the East, and that was the end
of our frontiers. The energetic but somewhat wasteful
methods of the red-blooded Americans soon covered the
entire country. In a few years the timber-lands started
on a down-hill gallop, and of late years the grassy grat
ing lands of the western range have become a thing of
the past. Something in the temperment of the Ameri
can caused the settlers to rush back and forth over the
country like a flood getting all off it they could before
they touched the soil. Some of them settled down, and
the final settlement came when the plow was put to the
sod.
The back-flow brought with it many strange charac
ters. Among all the rest, from California it brought
Henry Heppner.
Born in Prussia, of Jewish parents, with relatives in
Poland, he came as a young man to the gold-fields of
California. Athough he himself did not know the exact
date of his birth, it is believed to have been 1826. The
young man's progressive character shows, when at the
nge of twenty-four or twenty-five, he left his home in
Europe and took a long ocean voyage to a big and
strange country. At that time there was no Panama
Canal, and one might take his choice of going by boat
around the southern end of the lower Continent or cross
ing the Isthmus by the American trode route which was
established by agreement in 1846. Young Heppner chose
the latter and, taking another boat from the western
side of the Isthmus, went on to the California gold
fields. The progressive young man immediately entered
the merchandise business. It wsa here( probably, that
Heppner got his business experience, which with his
natural acquisitive instinct, formed a redoubtable com
bination in his Inter years. Perhaps, too, tho queer con
ditions of tho time, when gold dust was plentiful and
people could afford to spend it freely,' resulted in a
growth of generosity in the nature of the young Jew,
which strongly contrasted with his natural racial char
acteristics. The back-flow of population brought him to The Dal
les. For several years prior to 1872 he ran, in connec
tion with some Mexican?., who did the actual packing, a
pack train, consisting of about one hundred and fifty
mules at its largest. It is said that he had tho biggest
and best-eared-for mulfs In this part of the country.
This pack train carried freight from Umatilla to Boiw,
Idaho, and to many intermediate points. Canyon City in
particular. The Cayuse Indians, of the Biue Mountains,
committed many depredations upon his train, stealing
several mules at a time, until finally they took the last
of the train. Before he died, Mr. Heppner received re
imbuisement from the United States government for the
train.
In 1872 he went Into partnership with J. L. Morrow
in the first store in Heppner. Mr. Heppner bought the
stock while Mr. Morrow went back to build a store
building and they were ready for business in 1872. Dur
ing the winter of 1872-73 the town, consisting of one
store was named. According to the "History of Umatilla
and Morrow Counties," published by W. H. Lever, there
was some discussion concerning its name, there bwing
some difference of opinion as to whether to call it New
Chicago, Willows, or Willow Creek. Mr. George Stans
bury suggested the name "Heppner,' which was adopted.
Another version of the incident, obtained in an inter
view with Mr. Cohn of Heppner, is that goods were
shipped from Pendleton marked Henry Heppner, and in
that way the place gradually assumed that name. It is
reasonable to suppose that the two circumstances worked
together, Mr. Stansbury suggesting the name Heppner
because it was coming into use and was the logical name
to consider.
Mr. Heppner and Mr. Morrow were instrumental in
bringing in other business houses. One of these was
the drugstore, put in by Dr. Shobe.
Naturally the question soon came up concerning a
school. Mr. Heppner was a very public spirited man, who
desired to help the town grow because it was named for
him. In this instance he got on a pony and rode alt over
the country soliciting for subscriptions for a school.
Later he furnished the bell for the schoolhouse.
The first post office was in the corner of Heppner and
Morrow's store, in 1873. It took up only a small bit of
space about six feet square. Mr. Stansbury was the
first postmaster, and Mr. Heppner and Mr. Morrow gave
him their help andT store space.
In 1875, says the "History of Umatilla and Morrow
Counties." Mr. Heppner entered into partnership with
Frank Maddock in a store. Not very long after this he
went to Arlington, through which a railroad had just
been built, and there he constructed a warehouse, for
grain, wool, and hides, and also built a store. Ir? his
business at Arlington he was assisted by his brother,
Phil, who took care of the business there after Henry
returned to Heppner.
In 1888 the railroad reached this town, and in the
following year Mr. Heppner built a large warehouse here.
His business, run by his brother-in-law, Henry Black
man, and his nephews, Phil and Jerry Cohn, had been
thriving allnhe time he was in Arlington. He owned
a large part of the business section of the town. The
building in which Mr. Prophet now has his store was
formerly a warehouse with a dirt roof. Mr. Heppner
reconstructed that building, and at intervals built the
buildings next to it. These buildings ere not built,
however, to hold his own business, but simply for the
expansion of the town. When he could find someone who
would lease a bulidilng for a term of several years he
would provide the building.
It would be hard to find a man who was more zealous
ly devoted to the growth of the town than he was to
Heppner. He apparently regarded it as a namesake, and
treated it accordingly. Whatever his motives were, the
results he obtained were pleasing. Although he would
not have thought of holding a public office, he occupies
a high place in our history.
He was a gruff, eccentric old man, as remembered by
many of the men who used to deal with him, generally
poorly dressed, and rather untidy in his personal ap
pearance. He slept in his store a good part of the time,
and boarded at the hotel. Part of the time he lived
with his sister, Mrs. Blackman. Although he was
somewhat addicted to the use of intoxicants, he was not
inconsistent with the customs of the time. His charac
ter redeemed him from whatever bad qualities he pos
sessed. He was close in business, like most members of
his race, and when there was a demand for a certain ar
ticle he would raise the price on it two or three times,
but the very next day he would give a twenyt-dollar bill
to anyone if he thought he needed it very badly. His
inconsistencies extended to his subscriptions to charity
and public enterprises. One day he might subscribe gen
erously to anything on which he was approached, and
the next day not be in the mood for givinganything. At
one time he sent htre hundred dollars to buy food and
clothing for destitute miners. He was gruff and surly
to all with whom he talked, and not always careful
about his language, but he svacd many a poor man from
bankruptcy when he had absolutely no security offered
him. At a Salvation Army meeting one night, when
everyone was called to the front of the room, there was
some one who would not answer the call, but three twenty-dollar
bills were found on the platform. Part of this
sum was attributed to Mr. Heppner. In addition to help
ing build a schoolhouse, Heppner aided many children
to attend school. A man with many children and not
very much money came from the East, Mr. Cohn says
that Hoppner paid the tuition for those children to go
to school. It would not be true to say that people liked
him immensely they did not. But it was for their in
terest to be friendly with him, and naturally it wasn't
until after his death that his generosity was really ap
preciated. During his last sickness he was so pleased
with the care and thoughtfulness of the nurses in the
hospital that he gave them a check for two hundred and
fifty dollars.
From the time he came until he died his business pros
pered. At his death he was one of the wealthiest men in
this part of the country. Some of his money went to
various relatives, but his estate remained intact, was
incroporated, and is now run by Mr. Phil Cohn, his
nephew, of this city.
Mr. Heppner died in April, 1905, in Heppner, and was
laid to rest in the Jewish cemetery in Portland.
The First Church of Heppner.
2nd Prize By MARY CRAWFORD Senior.
The first church of Heppner was built in 1878.
It stood where the Farmers ft Stockgrowers National
Bank now stands, on the corner of Main and Center
streets. This church was built by the Baptists. An old
Baptist minister by the name of Clay Hill was instru
mental in getting the church started, and he did a great
deal of the work himself. All the citizens donated tow
ard the building of it and it was to be used as a com
munity church until the other denominations were able
to build.
The church was just one large room about forty by
sixty feet, and was built of lumber obtained from the
saw mill up Willow creek in the Blue mountains. It
was a high buiding and had a steeple which added to
its height. There were four windows on either side,
the panes of which had been artificially stained by the
pasting of colored paper on the glass.
The entrance to the auditorium led through a small
vestibule which was directly under the steeple.
On the inside it was furnished very plainly, the walls
were ceiled and painted white. The pews were high
backed comfortable benches. To the left of the pulpit
stood the organ. The church was heated by one large
stove.
About 1879 funds were being raised for buying a bell.
Henry Villa rd , the great railroad builder, happened to
be here at the time investigating the discovery of coat
in the mountains. Ho was very much interested in the
cause and gave a very substantial donation toward thti
buying of the bell.
The church stood on this lot for twelve years, from
1878 till the spring of 1890, It was then moved onto tho
J. B. Sperry lot on the corner of Gate and Baltimore
streets, hte deed to which was presented to the church
as a gift by Mr. Sperry.
In the spring of 111 16 the Baptists sold the church to
Jeff Jones and in the summer of 19L7 he sold the build
ing to the city.
The bell, which he donated to the Christian church,
was destroyed on February 17, 1922, when the Christian
church whs burned.
The city moved the building up on the corner of (Isle
and Willow streets and made it intu a city hall and li
brary. On May 28, 1918, the buiding whs destroyed by
fire.
Life of Jackson Lee Morrow.
3rd Prize By V AWT Ell PARKER - Senior
The man for whom Morrow county was named w
Jackson Lee Morrow, an early scitlvr and merttiant of
(Continued on Pajje Four)
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