SECTION 3. PACE 8
Significant Developments
cont. from pg. 6
EARLY CATHOLICS
Larry Lindsay Introduces
his History of St. Patrick's
Parish with this paragraph:
"The black -robed soldiers of
the Church first came to this
region when Eastern Oregon
was merely the lonely and de
solate scenery bordering the
dreary path to the Pacific
Coast. The roaming Indian
tribes wandered wherever
they pleased over the un
broken landscape of Wheeler,
Morrow, Umatilla, and Gil
liam Counties. Priests rode
into this wild territory car
rying their food, religious ar
ticles, and other needs In
saddlebags. Catholics were
widely scattered and these
intrepid missionaries had to
search the plains, hills, and
canyons to find them. The
homes of Catholics and non
Catholics alike were gladly
opened to the welcome visits
of these early Catholic
priests."
The first Catholic building
was in the Vinsonarea, a sim
ple humble slabwood chapel
built entirely by the Irish
families who lived nearby.
Congratulations and Best Wishes from
I "1
m
szi
Makers of
Pride of Oregon Ice Cream
Distributors of
Kraft Products
Heart of Oregon Cottage
A Local Independent Manufacturer
for
52 Years
THE 1878 INDIAN SCARE
1878 was the year of the
Indian scare in July. Many
families left Ileppner, and In
order to keep the place from
being whollydeserted.aswell
as to protect women and chil
dren in case of attack, a fort
was built. The scare was
really not a war in this area
and no citizen ofHeppnerwas
molested.
Business development
moved ahead In the spring
of 1879 when W.J. Leezer
came from Umatilla to es
tablish a hardware business,
Minor t Theodore opened a
grocery and variety store,
and Dr. Shobe built a feed
stable opposite the brewery.
1880 CENSUS FACTS
In 1880 Mr. P.O. Borg"s
Jewelry business was estab
lished and Mr. C.E. Fell
started a nursery business.
The brewery which had be
longed to A.J. Stevenson was
sold to William Roche, and the
Shobe drug store passed to
CM. Mallory. Heppner then
bad 318 persons according to
the census. There was a
Masonic Lodge that met once
a month. J.G.Gil more owned
the City Hotel, Hall Brothers
were blacksmiths, O.H. Hall
ock was postmaster and drug
MORROW
COUNTY CREAMERY
rt
gist, J.D. Locknane was con
stable and operator of a var
iety store, Kirk and Basey
were harness makers. Gen
eral merchandise stores
were run by Henry Heppner,
Dave Herren, Maddock &
Bishop, Morrow & Son. Mc
Ktnnon I Co. were black
smiths. Mrs. William War
ren, the stone mason's wife,
sold millinery. There were
four saloons with Hawker &
Munkers, William Kathan,
Matlock Brothers and G.W.
Swaggart as proprietors. S.
Parker Garrigues and Julius
Kelthley were sawing lumber
In a little mill and Matthew
Llchtenthal was making boots
and shoes. Ellis Minor was
listed as a butcher. There
were three physicians, Eu
gene R. Swinburne, Alfred
Kinney and Lewis Shipley.
(Just thlnk-three doctors for
less than 400 townspeople.)
James Roberts listed his oc
cupation as "gaming." Chi
nese natives were employed
in the hotels and operated
several laundries.
The 1880 census showed
conclusively that the basic
industry was stock raising
and certainly sheep were pre
dominate. Columbus Rhea,
Albert Wright, O.T. Douglas,
William Penland, John Alex
Thompson and Daniel Boone
Mulkey were sheepmen of
and Butter
Cheese
and Business
note. One of the stimulants
to this industry was that Mon
tana was getting Into the pro
duction of wool and so the
practice oftralllngsheepeast
from Oregon was started and
lasted over IS years and pro
vided a market for sheep not
otherwise possible.
In spite of the three doctors
Heppner lost six citizens dur
ing the winter of 1881-1882
when a smallpox epidemic
swept throughout Eastern
Oregon.
THE HEPPNER GAZETTE
1882
In 1882 The Ileppner Gaz
ette, a weekly newspaper, was
started with Ed Redlngton as
Its publisher-editor. Mr.
Shlach's 1901 history contin
ues with, "By 1883 the town
had grown to such proportions
that the pioneer school house
was no longer adequate to its
educational needs and the
erection of a larger building
became a work of prime
necessity. Before the year
had passed a fine five-room
structure stood on the site
formerly occupied by the old
building. (This served until
1892 when it fell before the
wrath of the all-devouring fire
demon.)
"The two years following
1883 were characterized by
phenomenal activity in Hep
pner, business houses spring
ing into existence on every
hand and dwelling places dot
ting the flat in all directions...
But the town did not grow
beyond its supporting terri
tory, which had also been
settling and developing at a
rapid rate, its wealth of na
tural pasture luring to its
bounds many hardy cattle and
sheep men. The burden en
tailed upon the people in con
sequence of the distance to
the seat of government was
becoming more and more irk
some, and the clamor for the
organization of a new county
was gaining volume. On Feb
ruary 16, 1885, Ileppner was
named as the temporary coun
ty of the new County of Mor
row. The public spirited ci
We're Observing Heppner's
II mii m M iT-'
.A .ILjip
1 .
Heppner-Lexington
Chevron Stations
Ladd Dick, Chevron Dealer
Serving the Heppner Area
tizens of the town realized
that though this favor of the
legislature gave them a slight
advantage,, they must be alert
and active if they would re
tain their prize, so they at
once began the erection of a
courthouse, obtaining funds
by popular subscription en
tirely. This building they
presented to Morrow County
as a gift. It was no doubt
designed as a sort of anchor
to keep the advantages na
turally accruing from the pre
sence of the seat of local
government from going to
Lexington."
Considerable property cha
nged hands In 1885; J.M Ha
gcr purchased the mercantile
business of J.L. Morrow &
Son, J.D. Lockname open
ed the Belvedere, the firm of
Minor, Dodson L Co. bought
out D.A. Herren, and O.H.
Hallock sold his stock of
drugs to CM. Mallory.
THE 1886 HEPPNER
LEXINGTON CONTEST
In 18H6 there was a stir
ring contest between Heppner
and Lexington over the es
tablishment of the permanent
county seat. This "bitter,
rancorous fight" showed
growth somewhat. However
on February 9, 1887, Hep
pner became an Incorporated
town. It was determined that
the officers of the town should
be a mayor, six council men,
a recorder, a treasurer and
a marshal. The first duly
elected officers were; Henry
Blackman, mayor; E.R. Swin
burne, E. Minor, Thomas
Morgan, J.B. Sperry, S.P.
Garrigues and George Noble,
counclimen; M.C.McDougall,
treasurer; O.H. Hallock, re
corder. It Is stated that during the
first year of Heppner' s exis
tence as an incorporated
town great changes were ma
de. Sidewalks twelve feet
wide and at a uniform grade
were put on MainStreet. Much
street grading was done and
the affairs of the town were
Continued Page 9
lOOth Birthday
W. L. Cox, Manager and Owner
Heppner