t
FOUR The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, May 18, 1978
Y with Justine Weatherford U V M J
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This week instead of writing items that fit this column's
heading, I'm writing "about a round" about a round barn
that is historic and is one of this county's most unusual
buildings.
Like the vanishing wooden, covered bridges that are so
admired by history buffs of Oregon's more-populated,
wetter, western third, the few round barns of the state's
less-populated, colder, dryer two-thirds are outstanding
landmarks. Probably the most famous and best publicized of
the barns in-the-round is the one on the fabled Pete French
Ranch in the Steens Mountains vicinity.
If you have not yet observed the large round structure on
the Hoskins' Ranch just north of Heppner, you had better
take a look at it soon as its life expectancy is very short.
The regular use and the weathering during its 75 years of
existence have weakened it considerably, and now its
complete destruction has been given over to Heppner art
teacher Ron Forrar and his family by the Hoskins and
Parkers. Forrar will undoubtedly make some artistic uses of
the old wood.
When I first visited this county and was being shown
some of its attractions, Bill Weatherford took me along
"Slaughter House Road", actually Dutton Road, so that he
could show me this large, round structure, that he admired.
He told me that there were not very many round barns in
existence. In some cases, he thought, they were built so that
they could be used for winter-season horse breaking and
training.
When I learned that the big barn was to be demolished, I
had a short chat with Kathryn Parker Hoskins. She
confirmed that the razing of the building has been agreed to
and that Ron Forrar will be taking it down soon.
Kathryn told me she felt sure that this barn was never
used for horsesjust for cattle, and she recommended I talk
with J. Ed LaTrace, "who knows a lot more about that barn
than I do." She also suggested that Stanley Minor, who is in
the hospital here could tell me something about the barn, but
said that it is now difficult for him to talk.
When I reached Ed LaTrace, I found how right Kathryn
was about Ed's knowledge. He told me that he watched the
barn being built "very soon after the great June 14, 1903
THE
HEPPNER BRANCH
OF THE
AMERICAN
ASSOCIATION
OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN
REMINDS YOU THAT
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
THE PRIMARY ELECTION
IS IMPORTANT .
CARE ABOUT YOUR
GOVERNMENT
YOUR GOVERNMENT
CARES ABOUT YOU
VOTE
BE SURE TO
VOTE MAY 23
VOTE
This Message Sponsored In The Public Interest By "
Morrow County
Grain Growers
VOTE A I
MAY 23 I
a
yyj,
INC
LEXINGTON
989-8221
flood." He told me that was the year that Stanley Minor was
born, Ed explained many things about the barn and the flood
that led to its building.
He said that the Oscar Minors, well known for their great
prize-winning cattle, owned the ranch then. "They had a
series of small barns along Willow Creek and a house on the
place, although they didn't live there. Their home was on
North Court Street in town."
The raging Sunday flood waters washed away the barns
and house along the creek and did a great deal of financial
damage to the Minor enterprise, Ed recounted.
The Bill LaTrace family townhouse was across the road
from the Minor Ranch where the city's gravel yard is now
located. Their homestead ranch was beyond the Paul Brown
place out Bunker Hill way. Ed says that his mother and the
three LaTrace children were out at the ranch that day when
they heard the news of the flood. They went up on the hill and
watched the rushing waters carrying pieces of buildings,
animals, people and much assorted debris downstream.
Ed was then six years old and says he particularly
recalls seeing a white horse struggling as it was swept by
them.
Bill LaTrace, the father, happened to be in Heppner. He
managed to get into a railroad engine there and stayed with
the engine wiper in the cab until the worst of the flood was
past.
When the LaTrace family was able to return to the
location of their home they found it had been swept away.
Mr. and Mrs. LaTrace were then employed by Oscar
Minor and were invited to move into a small shed remaining
on the Minor place with their children. They lived there the
rest of the summer while a great rush of re-building was
taking place throughout the Heppner area as the community
recovered from the devastating flood.
The Minors had the large, round barn built and also the
"new" house in which the Fred Hoskins Jr. family is
presently living.
The Bill LaTrace family was the first family to live in
this post-flood home. Young Ed watched the round barn
being built and has described its interior to me. "There was a
hay loft in the center from which the hay was fed to the
Minors' many cows. The Minor plan for raising prize-winning
animals was to put outstanding calves to feed on two or three
cows thus they kept feeding extra cows inside the perimeter
of the big barn."
Ed opines that the 75-year-old barn could still have been
repaired. He regrets seeing it being demolished.
I am remembering that a few years ago I heard Orville
Cutsforth talking to my husband Bill about the possibility of
converting the unusual barn into an antique farm machinery
museum. Orville has done much to help preserve this
county's past, such as restoring and mounting the mill stone
from the old Sperry flooring mill and bringing the little old
schoolhouse into the Main Street Park in Heppner.
He wanted to contribute his wood-burning threshing
machine and other old equipment and would have collected
antique implements from various sources to be put on
display in the barn.
However his suggestion didn't appeal enough to enough
people and so for various reasons was dropped at least the
idea of using the round barn as a museum seems to have
collapsed.
I am thankful that my life in Morrow County has included
a good acquaintance with the Swinburne-Gilliam house
before it was demolished in 1975, and that I have also been
acquainted, although from a short distance, with the old,
round, flood-year barn.
As I conclude this column "about a round", I feel sad that
this local landmark will soon be no more: However, I
understand the absolute right of its owners to have made the
decision to have it torn down.
Sgt. Willard Elliot wins
military honor
Sgt. Willard C. Elliott, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Elliott
of Irrigon, has been awarded a
Distinctive Service Ribbon for
being a part of a military
group that recently received
the U.S. Air Force Outstand
ing Unit Award.
A munitions maintenance
specialist at Aviano AB, Italy,
Sgt. Elliott belongs to the 40th
Tactical Group, which re
ceived the Outstanding Unit
Award. He is a 1973 graduate
of Union High School.
. . v L -?i .
The historic and decrepit round barn located on the Fred Hoskins, Jr. property on the outskirts of
Heppner will soon exist as only a fond memory. Built soon after the Heppner Flood in 1903,
the 75 year-old structure survives as a literal shell of its former self. A local artist will soon
dismantle the old barn for its fine weathered lumber.
Hospital Notes
Admitted and discharged
from Pioneer Memorial Hos
pital during the week of
Tuesday, May 9, to Tuesday,
May 16, were David Slagle,
Condon, and Gerald Dean
Thomas and Norm Rickert,
both of Heppner. Also admit
ted were Charlie Sumner,
Lexington, and Rose Marie
Buschke, Heppner who re
mained patients on Tuesday.
BIRTHS
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Ken
dall, former Kinzua residents
now living in Eugene, became
the proud parents of a
Senior
Menu
Tuesday, May 23
Braised liver with onions
Scalloped potatoes
Cauliflower & cheese sauce
Tossed green salad, muffins
Peach cobbler with topping
Wednesday, May 24
Pot roast and vegetables
Cottage cheese and fruit salad
French bread and garlic
butter
Pudding cake and topping
Our Best
The 25th Annual Morrow County
Memorial Manic
Will Be Held
lufiday, fwloy 28
At The
County Fair Pavilion
Registration 10 a.m.-12 Dinner 12:30 p.m.
Meat, Potatoes, Rolls & Beverages Will Be Furnished
h""" THIS MESSAGE SPONSORED BY TOtJB HOME-OWNED BAKE AS A COMMUKTTT SEBVICI
DANK OF
D pastern Oregon
HEPPNEB IOKE AMJNGTOX
Member: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
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daughter named Dana Marie
on Tuesday, May 9, at 10:56
a.m. She was born in Pioneer
Memorial Hospital, weighing
7 pounds 8 ounces. A brother
welcomed the new baby into
the Kendall family.
Grandparents include Mr.
and Mrs. Wayne R. Barber,
Ukiah; Mr. and Mrs. Delbert
Mitchell, Athena; and Mr. and
Mrs. Richard Kendall, Kin
zua. Great-grandparents are Mr.
and Mrs. Donald Sheff , Ukiah ;
and Mrs. Wayne R. Barber,
Stanfield.
Rene was born to parents Mr.
and Mrs. Terry Hersel, Molal
la, on Wednesday, May 10, at
1:53 p.m. She weighed in at 7
pounds 5 ounces, joining big
sister Tera Jean at home.
Grandparents are Mr. and
Mrs. Robert E. Carpenter,
Drewsey; and Dorothy Her
sel, Molalla. Great-grandparents
include Evelyn E. Brown,
Eugene; and Mr. and Mrs.
Forest Bottom, Willamina.
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