1.
r
easy m
Heppner's Main Street
(Courtesy Zetta Brosnan)
MORE 1920'S
C ontinued from page 14
basin. The 1927 crop was
very good. Herbert Hoover
was elected in 1928. Banks
were closing. Chain stores
came into Heppner-Red &
White, MacMarr, and J.C.
Penney. Personal debts rose,
business slowed, and the de
pression dominated the entire
U.S.
TROUBLES OF THE
THIRTIES
Money was short, people
were badly frightened, banks
failed, bankers jumped out of
FARMERS AMD RANCHERS
Whatever your
Insurance needs.
Life
Health
Auto
Fire
Hail
Liability
Farm Owners
Home Owners
Inland Marine
JOHN GOCHNAUER
676-5862 676-5818
HEPPNER, OREGON
windows. Men were out of
work everywhere. The C. W.
A. and the W.P.A. and P.
W.A. came into being as
"Make Work" relief measur
es. Many farmers were in
debt - salaries were reduced-people
went back to a bar
ter system for food. Frank
lin D. Roosevelt was elect
ed and was inaugurated the
same January that Heppner
put out its sheepskin scrip.
THE SHEEPSKIN SCRIP
The Lions Club backed
$5000 in scrip in amounts
from 25 cents to $10. Ma
yor Gay M. Anderson appoi
nted Dean Goodman chairman
and Charles Thomson, Earl
Eskelson, J.J. Nys, Lucy Rod
gers, Josephine Mahoney and
Spencer Crawford to the scrip
project. The scrip was be
ing backed by county and
school district warrants.
Teachers could draw ten dol
lar warrants-never full sala-ries-and
get scrip. The scrip
could be spent for groceries
or other merchandise. War
rants were negotiable. The
novelty of the sheepskin scrip
appealed to many who ne
ver turned it in for redemp
tion, preferring to keep it
for souvenirs.
F.D.R. STIMULATES
BY Justine Weatberford
The new administration
reached out into every com
munity with many programs.
Banks reopened. The Natio
nal Recovery Act set prices
for goods and labor. Prohi
bition was repealed. The
Civilian Conservation Corps
brought 200 eastern boys to
Morrow County. Soil conser
vation practices found more
general acceptance. Heppner
built its swimming pool. Go
ing to high school became
more popular. The county
population dropped down to
4337 by 1939. Land prices
were down. A small lumber
and box business started in
Heppner, prospered, p.nd was
sold to Kinzua Lumber Co.
THEN CAME THE FORTIES
In 1940 most of the world
was becoming involved in
World War II. The U.S.
did not become officially in
volved until the day after the
Japanese bombed Pearl Har
bor on Dec. 7, 1941. Gi
les French states, "The
. history, of Morrow County
during most of the 1940's
is a history of the nation at
war, so completely we re Mor
row Countians involved. Na
turally people died and were
buried, children were born
aitbough in reduced num-bers-and
life went on, but it
was a strange life.
" When it was over all tra
ce of the ebulllance of early
Morrow County was gone.
Men looked to the government
for guidance and help in all
endeavors. It was war that
subdued the pioneer spirit.
It was not depression; de
pression tested it and stren
gthened it."
However, in spite of the
war's domination, some
splendid progress took place
in Heppner. The Morrow
County Grain Growers aquir
ed complete control of the
grain storage business and
advanced in other lines too.
MCGG headquarters grew at
Lexington. The Columbia Ba
sin Electric Power Company
was incorporated. Morrow
County leaders were power
ful in woolgrowers and wheat
producers organizations.
The Heppner Rodeo and the
Morrow County Fair were
consolidated. Steps were ta
ken to build a fine hospital
on hillside land donated by
Garnett Barratt, the county
judge.
1950 UNTIL TODAY
As in earlier periods, Mor
row County continues to nave
SECTION 3, PAGE 15
ups and downs. The com
pletion and dedication of the
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
on June 11, 1950 was an up.
The hospital was enlarged In
1955 and considerably Impro
ved In 1958.
In early times the south
county was the lively section
with the area closest to the
John Day west-east trade
route most significant. Now
the action is in the north
changing the landscape
The north end of Morrow
County is seeing many
changes with the development
on the Boeing tract. Huge
pumps are bringing water to
arid but fertile lands, bring
ing big increases in alfalfa
and potato production. Port
land General Electric pro
poses a big nuclear power
plant at the Carty reservoir
site. The coolant water for
the plant will go into the
reservoir and from there to
thousands of acres for irri
gation. This will mean a num
ber of new crops for the
county and, no doubt, some
processing plants and popu
lation growth.
In Heppner, theKinzuaCor
poration has spent $2,500,000
on the most modern new
veneer plant in the west.
C ontinued page 16
How Ikes Have Changed
t .
at
Wagon Wheel
Cade and Lounge
Featuring
The Finest Foods
Refreshments and Fine
Entertainment in the Lounge
Banquet Room
Ron and Olivia Palmer
Heppner