ii.
6 HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES. Thursday. Sfptcmbor 21. 1967
TO THE EDITOR...
Out of the Past
To the Editor:
For some time I have been
reading stones of the past in
our home town paper, and I
would like to share with the
many people a little story of
mv own.
My father, Percy C. Cox. was
the son of Franklin Dee Cox.
upper Hinton Creek farmer.
Many people will remember
Grandpa Cox sitting on a high
stool on the platform at the
back of the store owned by M.
D. Clark, or in later years, on
his favorite mount, "Chub."
heading the parade with the
American flag. He was just
about three months short of i0
when God called him home.
His parents, Samuel and Har
riet Cox, came west by wagon
train in 1S4S and while still in
his earlv 20 s. Dee Cox came to
Heppner. bringing some horses
from the valley, and liked it
so well he returned to Hinton
Creek to spend the remainder of
his life.
He met and married Elizabeth
Havman, and 16 children were
born to this union. Three of
these were buried on the Cox
farm. His sons, Ben and Dee,
Jr., still live in Heppner, as does
his grandson, Stanley Cox. Per
cv. who spent the most of his
life near his home, died in 1955.
Grandpa Cox rode his horse
on the day before he died, and
I remember well the stories he
told of the Indians watching
from the top of the hill while
he went about his chores. He
told of an attack on a wagon
train at the site of the old
slaughter house by the bridge
above Heppner. On his way to
town for supplies he stopped
and buried a little three-year-old
girl who had been killed.
During these times, when the
Indians became hostile, he
would tie his dog at the house
and sleep in the brush along
the creek. Many years later
when the CCC boys were clear
ing brush from along the creek
he would not part with his fol
iage that had been his protec
tion in earlier days.
Many Descendants Here
Dee Cox' father. Samuel, was
a nephew of Joseph Cox. who
has many descendant in the
Heppner area. Among them are
the Gontys, Marlatts, Morgans
and Stanley Minor, to name a
few. All of this has led up to
telling you of a visit to my an
cestors. On Wednesday, July 5, 1967,
I got into my car in Beaverton
and drove to Junction City, ar
riving at the Brockner Mikkel
sen farm about noon. They were
just having lunch and asked me
to share with them. Due to a
mixup thev were not expecting I
me until the followine day. and I
they had been spraying trees.
Arlene (Mrs. Mikkelseni quick
ly showered and changed, and
we were off on a visit to our
ancestors.
Perhaps I should pause here
to say that Arlene, like myself,
is a great-great-granddaughter
of Solomon Cox, Sr., who was
born in Tennessee in 1793 and
who at the age of 22 joined the
Missouri Mounted Militia in the
war of 1812, along with a bro
ther, Jesse, who was later mas
sacred by the Indians in Illi
nois. According
general's office
year was 1814,
in Boons Lick,
to the adjutant
in Missouri, the
and they lived
Mo., when they
entered
Sarshel
the service under Capt.
Cooper. Solomon was a
private and he furnished
own rations and forage
which he was paid $15. He
his !
for '
re-
ceived $15 for his pay and
for the use of his horse.
$24
He was the son of Jesse and
Margery Cox and besides Jesse
he had a brother, William, and
a sister. Rebecca. Sometime be
fore 1818 Solomon settled in or
near Warrensburg, Mo. His
wife died before he and his
children, Benjamin, William,
Harriet (Dee Cox' mother), Ju
litha Ann, and Mary started
their long trek to Oregon in
1848. Different sensuses show
him living with different child
ren, and his war records show
that he received a pension of
$8 per month. He was quite deaf
and very disabled by then.
Sons Settle in 1851
His sons, Jesse and Solomon,
Jr., came to Oregon in 1851, set
tled near Junction uty in ihd
John also came to Oregon, but
I do not know the year. Elijah
seems to have stayed in Mis
souri. Solomon, Jr., married Di
ana Coffie Cox August 4, 1842,
in Johnson county, Mo., the
same day Harriet Cox married
Samuel Standfield Cox, brother
of Diana. I am told that Sam
uel and Diana were half-cousins
to Solomon and Harriet.
Harriet died in Silverton, Ore-
fever.
lived there until his death. Ar
lene and Brockner Mikkelsen
now own the original land
claim and have a very nice Cen
tury farm there.
- Arlene should have been pull-
insr beets but instead we were
off on two wonderful days oil
seeing people who might tell us
about our ancestors and visit
ing their homes.
First we went to the court
house in Eugene and there we
found the estate papers of Sol
omon, Sr. Jesse had been ad
ministrator for his father, and
Ben had done the same for Sol
omon. Jr. A note to De paia in
gold bore the stamp of J. K.
gon, in lisbZ 01 lung iever. couia see on ine rigni me iiuie
.sse, Benjamin and Solomon, cabin of Emily Cox Carter still
Jr., settled around a knoll standing.
known as Cox Butte seven miles Merle and Arlene had just re
west of Junction City in Lane ceived a letter from a lady in
county. After the death of Solo-1 Missoui and we were thrilled
mon, Jr., in 1878 his son Jef- over the information it contain
ferson Davis Cox or J. D., as ed. Mrs. Ruff, who had written,
he was affectionately called, 1 although not of our Cox family,
bousht out the other heirs and i had some information of our
.Gill's of Portland. Also we wore
'able to settle a little dispute on
I the death of Solomon. Sr. Our
I information had not gone along
with dates on his marker, and
it turned out that the marker
was in error.
Had Been Scout
I From there we went to the
library where we learned Fen-
, jamin had been a scuut. Jesse
a second lieutenant, and Willi
am also had been in the Cayuse
Indian War. Next we visited Mr.
and Mrs. Loris Inman. a rvl.i-
itive through the Richardson
family who had written "The
Applegate Trail" for the Lane
'Countv Historian. He loaned us
a copy of a book which had In
formation on the Richardson
family. Pern' Richardson had
'married Julitha Ann Cox on the
Platte River on the way to Ore
gon. Thev were married Juno
10, ISIS, and I am told had for
their wedding breakfast ante
lope pie. William married Maty
(Pollvt Cox in 1SI;. Mr. Inman
showed us how the "Old Trail"
.went through Lane county.
I Among the names of people
who lived along the old trail
were Marv Hayes, daughter of
Richard Hayes, who married Jo
seph Haves and lived in Hepp
ner. (I find in the Centennial
Historv of Oregon 1S111911 a
storv of Joseph Hayes, tormor
sheriff of Heppner). There was
a John M. Ferguson, born 1S4T.
who married Melvina Jane Hin
ton, and who also moved to
Heppner.
Next stop, a Cox neighbor. A
verv nice old man of SS years.
Yes, he remembers Ben Cox. a
verv old man who received six
dollars a month pension. He
knew best Arlene s grandfather,
J. D. He talked of the old har
i vest crew run by J. D. They were
i quite well known bv all the old
timers you meet. We left him
then and headed down Frontier
Road across the once-covered
bridge where J. D.'s 12-year-old
son. Solly, had met his death
on the wav home from working
for a neighbor. His horse got
tangled in some wire on a wag
on on the bridge, and. accord
I ing to the family. "Just knock -!ed
his brains out." This was
!in 1911.
Surrounded by History
We passed the cemetery
where our ancestors sleep. The
gate was locked so we would
' return tomorrow. Further on we
turned on to Cox Butte Road.
Now we were really surrounded
s by history. We opened the gate
i and drove up to the old house,
got out and walked around
iback. Ruth Wolford, another de
I scendant of Solomon, had told
I me of the old spring house, and
! horp it was 1nt ahead The
spring still runs beneatn
it, ana
couiu dmwi arc me uiu a..u
butter sitting in it to keep cool.
They were restoring the old
barn. Visualize, if you can, 30
ft. beams all hand hewn, the
uprights were about 6x6. Think
of the ingenuity it took for
these old pioneers to raise them. ,
I couldn't fasten the catch on
the door, but Arlene remember
ed her grandfather's strange I
combination. i
Stopping along the Long Tom .
we took pictures of the Cox
holdings, and from there to the
cemetery where we checked
once again the many Cox stones.
Each generation had laid its
loved ones there
Now down Frontier Road we
turned left and were at the
home of Wilda Hostich. also a
great great granddaughter of
our Solomon, Sr. It was through
her I had first met Arlene. She
talked to us of our ancestors
and we learned that Solomon's
wife, Diana, had been captured
by the Indians. She wore a
gingham dress and she tore
pieces and dropped them along
the way. She looked back and
saw her husband and other rel
atives coming, and she wheeled
her horse. The Indians threw a
tomahawk which hit its mark
in the beaver pelts, and her life
was saved.
WTe went to Harrisburg to the
home of Emmett Cook. His
grandomther was Julitha Cox
Richardson.
Once again we headed for Eu
gene, and we met Dr. Silvy
Kraws, editor of the Lane Coun
ty Historian.
Later we were off again to
meet two very charming young
people, Merle and Arline Cox.
He was a grandson of William
or Uncle Bill Cox.
Cabin Still Stands
Going west from Junction City
we could see Cox Butte in the
distance. Out past Cheshire and
now each house was or had
been owned by the Cox family.
We went up this beautiful val
ley, pausing only to take a pic
ture of Bill Cox' old home. As
we turned to our destination we
Solomon Cox. Her Solomon Cox,
however, was an ancestor of
Charles Elbert and Claude Cox,
all well known Heppner men.
Friday morning Arlene went
back to being a farmer's wife,
and I headed up the road to-
wards home. I had a last glance
at Cox Butte, and I paused a
little while and chatted with
Emmett Cook. He tells me Aunt
Polly is the grandmother of the
Portland born singer, Johnnie
Ray.
Now I hit the freeway, leav
ing behind me all the wonder
ful people I'd met, people who
preserve the past as best they
ican. They have old lamps, old
irons, and old iron teakettle,
I old chairs, churns and even a
I tar to put the hair combings in
to bo used later for pillows. I,
even brought home a recipe fori
I boot loll. But best of all I
! brought home the memories of
pioneers I wasn't privileged to !
'meet and new-found friends. I!
plan to go back and go arrow-1
head hunting on the old land
claim. It was thanks to my I
cousin, Elsie Stephens, that I,
started this hobby and I'm so
grateful.
Looking up my ancestors can
be a very wonderful hobby. You
meet wonderful people and your
mailbox becomes a treasure
chest .filled with records of the
past.
Yes. I found a horse thief. His
pioneer file roads "Bill Cox
Horse Thief." but I haven't had
the heart to look him up. He
might not belong to us, and I
think every family should have
one. don't you?
Sincerely.
Frances Cox Griffin
tWS5 Highway 217
Beaverton, Oregon
Teenagers
Dear Wes and Helen Sherman:
Thanks for publishing tlu
nice letter tront sirs. rraiiK,"1 u mvn-i
Barklev. 1 always like to hear wr ws working on the now
from old friends. I also like the storage tank in Heppner down
letters from Art Crawford. Art I polow the depot at the time lTn
came upon the Heppner scene 'n Pacific tO.W.R. & N.) was
several years after I showed up converting Its locomotives from
as a babv in the year of 1SS5. ! l burning to oil. This was a
I still consider Heppner as my ; 01- 'l,;' "1 attracted the cus
home town lomary crowd of onlookers, of
Mr. Sherman, I think you
were raised somewhere near
Castle Rock and know what a
sleepy little town this Is. The
only payrolls here outside the
little stores are the public
schools. Most people living here
either work as loggers or work
in Longview at the largest saw
mill in the world. The Weyer
hauser Timber Co. So, also, this
is a town of retired people.
Down in my neighborhood,
there are more than 20 teen
age girls living here, and the
only way they can get to the
stores or post office is to go
right past my front door. A few
days ago I began to compare
them with the teen age girls of
Heppner when I was a ten
aior there mvself. Now the eirls
dress like boys and seem to I
like to be dressed in overalls, i
with their shirttails hanging
out. I remember four pretty !
girls that lived on upper Main :
street somewhere near where !
the old power house used to ;
stand. My father's furniture :
store was where Ed Gonty's .
shoe store is. Next door, south, .
was Gilliam & Bisbee's hardware I
store. Lou Bisbee and I used to
play out back there, but Lou
was about three years older
than I was. But what I liked i
best was to sit out front on
the window ledge and watch
for four pretty teenage girls,
all dressed in white with ruf
fled dresses. Their names were,
Valajo McAtee, Sadie and Nina
Garrigues and red head, Oma
Smith. I still think they were
the most beautiful girls in the
word. I do not know if any of
them are still living, but I
think Nina is still in the land
of the living.
Al and Irene (Zinter) Huit,
of Heppner and Lexington came
to see me. Al has a good job
as piano tuner with Korten's
music store. Irene called me
and said she has a temporary
Job there, too. Mrs N. D. Bailey
called me from Kelso where she
i was vsiting Mrs. Halvorsen,
her sister, then she left for
Olympian My good old friend,
Niamey lmnur, Keeps me posiuu
as to things in Heppner. Good
old friend, too, as his father
was. If Bob Lowe ever comes
down this way, I wish ho wouid
call here.
Sincerely,
O. M. Yeager
Box 476
Castle Rock, Wash.
Cutting Controls
To the Editor:
The citizens of Oregon have
the right to know that the Ore
gon Liquor Control Commission I
is proposing to throw out most
controls and restraints on alco
holic beverage advertising. They
propose to allow Sunday adver
tising, advertising on point-of-sale
items (swizzle sticks, etc.),
use of sports heroes, testimoni
als, children, family scenes, car
toons, Christmas, Easter, or
nearly anything else that any
branch of the liquor industry
might dream up. They propose
to triple the amount of advertis
ing space available at cocktail
lounges, etc.
They propose that it shall be
legal to advertise alcoholic bev
erages on billboards anywhere
that there are not presently
regulations against it outside
incorporated cities.
The OLCC proposes, Instead a
number of "housekeeping regu
lations". These will take the
place of the legitimate "controls
against exploitation" which so
ciety has a right to demand.
Only a few of the many drastic
changes are listed here. The
hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. on
September 20.
Oregon has been fortunate to
have strong regulations regard
ing advertising and sale of al
coholic beverages. Drinks are
available to those who wish
them, but this is a "Control
State". Consumption of alcohol
ic beverages is much lower here
than in open "licensed states'".
It follows that our rates nf al
cohol problems are lower.
Citizens are urged to write for
a copy of the regulations and
proposed changes so they can
see for themselves. Write to:
Oregon Liquor Control Commis
sion, P. O. Box 22297, Portland,
Oregon 97222. j
You have a right to protest
abdication of re
Sincerely,
Andrew G
Executive
OREGON
ALCOHOL
. Hauliers,
Director
OH'NCIl. ON
PROBLEMS
. .
More MOSOUltOCS
To the Editor
Mosquitoes!! They have
brought misery to Man these
many vears and the Minnesota
"skooters" no doubt rank In
feats of achievement that bor
der close to the impossible. But
1 bring no dispute here that
would tend to tarnish the fine
accomplishments of our own in
sect )et bombers, such as (lying
awav with that tent hack in
the land of 10,000 lakes, more
or loss. Ah ves, "the land of
Skv Blue Waters."
Nevertheless I hasten to give
the crown to the Venezuelan
mosquito. The storv of the groat
.mosquito disaster of many years
i ago happened in the outskirts of
(Caracas, the capital city, when
Ian American construction crew
i was building a big "lank farm"
of tanks to contain the new oil
I gushers which were flooding the
j landscape.
I tie storv was related to me
wmcn i napponeu to no
to he one.
The riveter said he was in
side one of the almost complet
ed tanks the dav It happened
and only the man hole provided
ingress and exit. When he real
ized what was going on outside
he ran and socured the man
hole cover. Mosquito beaks were
piercing the steel shell of the
tank and he busily ran hither
and thither clinching down the
insect beaks. He said the dark
cloud of skeetors swooping
down upon the tank when he
first looked out must have been
numbered in the billions well
at least a billion. Only a frac
tion of the invading horde at
tacked the tank but they must
have known there was human
blood to be had inside that
A
thus proposed
sponstbllity.
Heppner
fighting
The onslaught
hours and finally
hours and finally
eontlini.'d for
he decided to
bo redded to
man hole and
creep through tin
link,
tank
a ttasli awav from the
while there was yet a
chance for survival, lie had
ben riveting down mosquito
beaks until lie was most ex
hausted. So It was super human
effort born of complete desper
ation which took hint from the
tank, and Just In time, too; for
as he looked back the flying
drillers were making off with
the tank and were already a
mile high in the air with it.
The riveter said the tank was
never found It probably drop
pod Into the sen and went down
to the bottom, along with the
super air carriers which by this
time had hi-como exhausted.
A most likely story, and like
the Minnesota tent episode, who
Is to deny It. Hut that riveter
should have boon a bit more
conservative In his estimate of
the number of mosquitoes. A
billion that was out of till rea
son. Now sav one thousand mil
lion that would have boon
more creditable.
Art Crawford
IS520 Kingston Way
San Jose, Caltf.
Leader Offers 4-H
Dog Obedience Class
Four II Dog Obedience class
es will soon In starting, accord
ing to Mrs. Norman Clow, In
structor. Any dog can be train
ed, but the pot should be at
least four months old. Dogs are
taught to heol. sit. stay, and
come. Included In the lessons
will be the proper way to can
for a dog. and classes wltl be
held at the fairgrounds.
A class of this type was hold
during the summer and the stu
dents put on a demonstration
at the fair during the Style Re
vue, showing what their pots
had learned. Mrs. Clow is also
interested in getting In touch
with any adults who would like
to start a dog obedience class
and those Interested can con
tact her at t76-92;8.
TYPEWRITER
Mimeograph
available at
Times office.
RI11BONS and
Stenel 1 s now
the Gazette
49tfx ESS
tank. He was certainly
for his very life.
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The Gazette-Times
Dealer For Moore Business Forms
Mi. Wavel Wilkinaon hoi re
turned from ft throe weeks ex
tended tr'p to l.nramie and
Newcastle, Vo. She took the
train to Laramie where she was
mol by her two granddaughters
and accompanied them to their
home in Newcastle. Staving at
the home of her son in law and
daughter. Mr. and Mrs Francis
Oslund, and family, Mis. Wil
klnson reports a busy two
weeks helping get the two girls
roailv for college Carol Sue, a
Junior, and Nancy, a freshman,
aro going to Colorado Women's
College In lvnver for the coin
lug year. Mrs. Wilkinson re
turned to llermlston bv train,
whore she picked up her car
and continued homo.
Metsker maps of Morrow. Gil
Ham. Umatilla, Wheeler em:ntie
on sale at the Gazette-Time.
IIW
The 10th of the Month is The
Business-Professional Man's
PAY-DAY
Alwayt PT Your bills by the 10th of the month.
Remember, the war T Pn today. U the war Tu
are building your credit record lor the next
RED BOOK
Credit Bureau of
Umatilla County
SLOW AND PAST DOE ACCOUNTS ARE COLLECTED BT THE
ADJUSTMENT DEPARTMENT. PAT TOUR SLOW ACCOUNTS
NOW AND AVOID HAVING THE ACCOUNT TURNED IN FOR
COLLECTION
Phone 676
Clow Spaniels Place
High in Dog Show
Mr. and Mis. Norman Cow at
tended the Oregon llrlltnny
Spaniel Specially Show in
Woodburn last week. In which
their dogs were entered.
Hlack Botitto'n Toitcho, n 1 n
year old fenwilo. won the oieit
bitch class. The dog ulso took
Winner' Hitch and won the
Host of Opposite Sex, for which
nho captured five imiIiiI toward
the 1. utie needs to become a
champion.
Another dog of the Clows, Ju
choir' Brownie Button, won sec
ond In American bred bitch
class.
Need aeratch pads? Got them
at the Gnette Time.
- 9228