Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1972)
r - i J HENRY HEPPNER Thi pditinn nf the Hennner Gazette-Times is the newspaper's major contribution to the spirit of the Heppner centennial. It deals mainly with history and development of Heppner which is inevitably concerned with the history and development and growth in all the towns and areas in Morrow County. When Hep pner first . started there was no Morrow County, it was a part of Umatilla County which had been carved from Wasco County, a huge area which stretched clear over to Wyoming! Memories this edition will bring mixed emotions as Heppner has been the site of a major American tragedy, the Heppner Flood of June 14r 1903. We are confident our readers will find in this issue a narra tive of the commerce, industries, the major agricul tural activities : and institutions of a great region. We cannot, at this late date, vouch for the authen ticity of all our historical data but we've m-.de it as authentic as we possibly could. No location nor family was intentionally slighted. So much information was brought in much will be run in future issues of the Gazette-Times for several years. To build on the frontier a century ago surely re quired a giant-size helping of dedication, vision, hard work and just plain guts. To the memories of these pioneers who forged a county from the raw, we say Hurray! and a big salute from all of us with this issue of Morrow County's own newspaper. We are most grateful to the dozens of folks who sent up photos and historical data to make this edition possible. We thank our good advertisers who supported the issue and made it possible to publish what we believe to be one of the largest papers in the history of the Gazette-Times. Our thanks to our subscribers and our thanks, too, to our staff who put in many long hard hours to make the issue a reality. . Dorothy & Charlie Heard, T Heppner' s 100th CHOOSING A NAME Henry Heppner did not mar ry and had no children upon whom to leave his name, and it was a happy thought of his neighbors to place his name upon the city. At a meeting held to christen the town, he votedagainstthe mo tion to name it thus, but the rest carried it over his ob jections and Heppner it stands. (Pg. 370, History of the Pacific Northwest.) Editors 4 Publishers Year . Schiach's History of Uma tilla and Morrow Counties (pg. 292) gives the selection of ttie name thus, "During the winter of 1872-3, the sturdy knights of the frontier began to concern themselves that the embryo town should be granted the dignity of a name, and a conference was held for the purpose of cho osing a suitable designation. We have the authority of some of the participants in the dis cussion preceding the chris tening that the minds of the cattlemen were very fertile in suggesting possible appel lations, each having a name of his own to propose. It is said that Stansbury was In favor of the name Willow Creek, while someone else suggested Willows as being shorter. Notwithstanding the general healthfulness of the place, Messrs. Heppner & Morrow had found it necess ary to import for medicinal purposes a quantity of I.X. L., and many were found who wished to name thetownafter their favorite panacea for all the ills which usually afflict a pioneer people. This name met more popular favor than any previously suggested, but found fewer friends than Per ry Oiler's New Chicago. The name which finally prevailed and which has been the of ficial designation ever since was suggested by Mr. Stans bury himself. VIGOROUS EARLY GROWTH Blacksmith O.H. Hallock started his business very so on and competitors Bishop Chase and George Stewart came to build their shop out of whipsawed lumber. In the summer of 1873 The Spencer store from Ruggs moved to Heppner. That fall Dr. Allan J. Shobe of Ne vada arrived. He was per suaded to open a drug store and to take over the IXL that Heppner and Morrow had handled. The settlement of the coun ty progressed steadily. As early as 1873 the need for a school was felt. The court of Umatilla County organized a district, but it was evi dent that the push for a scho ol had to be made locally. "Accordingly, Mr. Heppner mounted a Cayuse and pro ceeded around the neighbor hood to solicit subscriptions, the firm to which he belong ed having first started the list with a donation of $100 worth of materials. The scatter ing inliabitants supported the movement with liberality, but when all had been done that It was thought could be done in furtherance of the pro ject it was found that consi derable money still remained to be raised. Nelson Jones the town's first milkman, came to the rescue with the amount required. Henry Johnson did the carpenter work, and soon a very cre-t ditable structure stood.'' (History of U. & M. Coun ties, Pg. 292) This account continues, "A bell was furnished by Henry Heppner, to whose enterprise the town was mainly indebted for its first school. Mr. Hep pner had no children to edu cate and no personal interest in the matter, but being a public-spirited man he was will ing to work for anything tend ing toward the promotion of the commonweal Mr, Hep pner displayed a like public spirit whenever an opportun ity presented itself, and the town which bears his name found in him a man ever will ing to take the lead in its upbuilding." (The school was built on Gale St. where the Clinic Bldg. stands now and was moved years later to West Center where it was remodeled into a residence in which Mrs. Rachel Harnett now lives. In 1873 the first saloon, built of lumber hauled from Umatilla Landing, was opened by Dlshaway and Sanford. In 1875 Henry Heppner en tered into a partnership with Frank Maddock establishing a merchandising business with the stock of goods left by Taylor Spencer at his dea th. The first hotel in town was established by E. Van Sliull, Frank Goble and Per ry Oiler, who also instituted a livery business. Mrs. E.J. Smith also built a hotel at an early date and kept it for a time, then sold the building to Henry Blackmail. "During the few years whi ch followed the growth of the town was quite rapid, its business development be coming so complex and mul tiform that It is practically useless to attempt to trace it further in detail," Mr. Schiach wrote. By Justine Wjatherford Read ... . HOMESTEADS HERITAGES By Giles French Available at both Banks and local stores.
