Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1972)
CECIL This early settlement could have celebrated the centen nial of the first of its resi dent's arrival In 18G3, as the William Y. Cecil family set tled there then. A celebra tion was held in 1967 to mark the 100th year of the Cecil Postoffice. James Rast was the first postmaster. The postoffice is located in the . Cecil Store which isalsoquite an historic institution. Bob Lowe of Heppner stated that the store was started by the lone Trading Co. about 1888 when the railroad came through. BobLowe's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Lowe, owned and ope rated the store from 1913 until 1925. Founder Cecil was born in 1819 in England, then as a child with his parents to Illinois, and later to Mis souri. He and Mary Robison were married in 1847 and came west in 1862. Thev were the parents of 10 child ren. Mr. Cecil died in 1896, Mrs. Cecil lived on for quite some years after his death. Presently the Henry Krebs family owns considerable property at Cecil. RHEA CREEK RUGGS MIDWAY The list of county post of fices in Homesteads and He ritages does not include Ruggs, however it was a go ing community with a store Congratulations to Heppner on their 100 years. We have been a part of "our town" in business since Nov. 1. 1963. J OS 538 Howard & Jo PETTYJOHN'S Farm and Builders Supply Looking before Heppner got started. The Rhea family settled in 1864 as did the Albert Wright family. The Taylor Spencer store was moved from Ruggs to Heppner in the summer of 73. Orin Farnsworth arriv ed in 1874 at the settlement called "Midway" This busy spot was nearly half way between The Dalles and Can yon City on the first through freight line - later the route went from Alkali or Arling ton to John Day. The site of the Ray Wright ranch was taken by George Noble in 1872; he is remem bered especially for his bu siness as a harness maker and dealer in Heppner later. Other early settlers were the Henry Gays, Crockett Kirk, Henry Schersinger, Jim Ha yes, Lafe Penland, Charles Miller, Jeff Jones, Jack De Vore, and a Mr. Howell. The first postoffice, called "Mid way", was established by Al bert Wright and no record of its discontinuance is given on the listing of county post offices. Many Wright des cendants still live near Ruggs and the Wright's store is the present community cen ter. The name Ruggs is af ter an Anson Wright son-in-law, Ed Rugg. LENA Government records show that the Heppner and Lena postoffices were established V Around the County V in consecutive years, Hep pner '72, Lena '73. C.E. Hinton was Lena's first post master. Several of the ran ches originally claimed are still being worked by mem bers of the original families up to the fourth generation the Vinsons,- the Hughes, the Brosnans, and the French families. Many interesting stories are told of life along Little Butter Creek. The Lena Postoffice was dis continued in 1942-and the se veral schools along the creek have been consolidated with Buffalo now roam at Kuggs Heppner. The Lena Ceme tery, near the Currin Ranch has markers memoralizing these early settlers; Kenny, Howards, Felix Johnson, Wig- glesworth, Vinson, Waddell, Adams, Day, Hinton, New man, Presley, Pearson, Franklin, Smith Shell, Ben nett, Fleek and Crawford. An Indian War casualty, Har rison Hale, was buried there in 1878. A first store was near the present Eddie Brosnan home; a later store was back of the present Ran dall Martin home. Mrs. John (Zetta) Brosnan was post mistress for a while af ter 1908. HEPPNER'S TWIN POSTOFFICE, WILLOW FORKS Two postoffices were estab lished in Morrow County, on June 3, 1872. The one at Heppner still lives, but its twin, known as Willow Forks, was discontinued Dec. 24, 1878, and Its mail was order ed sent to lone. - The area at the junction of Willow and Rhea Creeks was surveyed by the governm ent land office in 1859. John Jordan was the first settler there and the area now is known by the Jordan Elevator which was built on his ranch. In 1868 Amanuel C. Petteys settled 'there. John Jordon and Tom Ayers on Butter Creek helied one another har vest their crops. Mr. Jor dan planted a hop yard find built a hop dryer in 1892 but after two crops he de cided hop growing didn't pay. A m:i miiiiT r ivttevs was T?J1 postmaster at Willow Forks ."' :ik loin- us Hut iiostoffk'e I'X- , - 51 istfd. The clay it was (lis- rnntimiiul Iwi Iwip'l iih flu' IM);i- 1 " master of Pettysville where h cnrum! II (if il it W:IS lliK- ... . . . continued nine yeai ii-i in 18H7. Postmaster Petteys often rode to the stage cross ing on the John Day River for his packet of mall. A Republican, he was elected county assessor, took the 1890 census, and wasan early com munity leader. HARDMAN John F. Royce and his bro ther settled twenty miles south of Heppner on an open, fairlv level sxit, now Hard man, in 1870. They soon had neighbors. A school was established and taught b) Mr. Royce in 1879. David Hard man obtained a post office in 1881 and "By the consent ot the government he brought the postoffice witli him when he moved from the farm into town around 1882. The town took the name of the office." Yesteryears of Morrow re ports three doctors practiced Berniece LotttrS -"TlircrTr Says- . &XlLrtZbyZ Pi151 lr '-f rj - ,4, J I 9? i Congratulations Heppner on your 100th YEAR 15 YEARS IN toff's Electric KitchenAid-Gibson-RCA Whirlpool-Sylvanta RANDY - BERNIECE - RICH VINCENT there. "In "90 Dr. Akers and soon Dr. Chick and Dr. Gaunt came." Ilurdman prosHred because of the fre ight line and stage route from The Dalles to Canyon City. "Many tinners moved their families In for school, which was taught by Mr. Smi th. Another early teacher was Mrs. E.E. Bleakiiuiii, who la ter ran the postoffice and liv ed in llardman until she died. It is told that she brought her baby to school unil rock ed the cradle with one foot while she heard the classes recite. At one time there were 90 pupils In the school. "At the height of Its pro sperity Hardinan consisted of a four-room grade school, a two teacher high school, three hotels, three livery stables, three stores, two lodges, two saloons, and a church." (Ta ken from Yesteryears of Mor row, pg. 38) ELLA Klla was a dunging place for the horse-draw n coaches that ran from Castle Rock on the Columbia to Heppner by way of Blackhorse Canyon. Mr. Oviatt was its first post master in 1882, and he was instrumental in the construc tion of the Ella .School in 18118 w ith lumber hauled from a mill at Hardinan. Ella was named in honor of Ella Lord, daughter of a Confederate Army doctor, John R. Lord, Cont on pg 4 BUSINESS