A
short history of Morrow County
By Bettv Mills
Wetsoll
u of 0 Newspaper Library
Eugene, OR 97403
B239Ì9
T his is a short history o f M orrow County and the fam ilies that started som e o f the
businesses on Main Street, which are featured on the mural on the Ag M useum building.
SETTLING SANSBURY FLAT
VO L 123
NO. 7
12 Pages
Wednesday, February 18,2004
MC Arts and Crafts plans for
St. Pat’s Day
•
*
M o rro w
C o u n ty
C reative Arts and Crafts will
be in the Les Schwab building
on Friday, M arch 12 from
8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m . and
Saturday, M arch 13 from 8:30
a.m. until 4 p.m., during the St.
Pat’s Celebration in Heppner.
A ll m em bers are asked to
bring an article describing their
articles for sale to the Feb. 26
meeting at G D ’s banquet room
at 1 p.m .
A lso on agenda will
b e p a in tin g s fro m B e tty
C rossw hite for her April 16
and 17 workshop. Pictures o f
watercolor subject matter will
be at the meeting to highlight a
w o rk sh o p
by
Joyce
A nderson. Any m em ber or
n o n -m e m b er in te rested in
these w orkshops is urged to
attend and see list o f supplies
needed.
W o rk s h o p
fo r
Crossw hite is six students or
more and Anderson workshop
is 10 students or more.
Sandra Haynes will do
a m ake-up class in M arch of
colored pencil. C ontact Judie
L a u g h lin a t 6 7 6 - 9 7 8 1 .
C o n ta c t B e tty M ills fo r
Crosswhite at 676-5546. The
public is invited to the meeting
and to take w orkshops.
HLL to hold registration for
8225 o r R e n é e Y ocom
2004 Season
R egistration for the
2004 season at Heppner Little
L e a g u e w ill b e h e ld on
W e d n e sd a y , F e b . 18 an d
F riday, Feb. 20, from 5-7
p.m. Children ages 4 through
12 are eligible to enroll to play
Wtffle ball, T-ball and M inors
a n d M a jo rs b a s e b a ll a n d
s o f tb a ll. R e g is tr a tio n is
req u ired ev en if the ch ild
played previously.
R egistration w ill be
h e ld a t th e H e p p n e r
Neighborhood Center. At least
one parent o r legal guardian
must be present, with proof o f
residency and a copy o f an
original or state-certified birth
certificate. A driver’s licease or
u tility b ill is a c c e p ta b le
d o c u m e n ta tio n . F o r m ore
in fo r m a tio n , in c lu d in g a
description o f the boundaries,
call R obyn Skaggs at 676-
Navy son
reenlists
at
676-9821.
Little L eague is the
w orld’s largest youth sports
program w ith m ore than 2.8
million children and one million
volunteers in m ore than 100
c o u n tr i e s .
For
m o re
information on Little League,
visit the Little League website
at www.littleleague.org.
M a jo r a n d M in o r
baseball and softball tryouts
will being with Major boys and
girls on M arch 17 and 18 at 4
p.m. Boys will be at G eorge
W aterland Field and girls at
Bob K ilkenny Field. M inor
boys and girls tryouts will be
held on M arch 19 at 4 p.m.
Boys will be at Shad H isler
Field and girls at Bob Kilkenny
Field.
lone teams heads
to Big Sky district
tournament
lo n e H ig h S c h o o l
varsity
basketball
team s are
N a v y C h ie f P e tty
headed
to
the
Big
Sky
League
Officer Rodger J. Amtt, II, son
o f Sandra K. and R odger J. D is tric t T o u rn a m e n t th is
A m tt o f H eppner, recently Thursday, Feb. 19. The lone
reenlisted for four years while Cardinal varsity girls play the
serving at T rident T raining Echo Cougars at 1:30 p.m., on
Facility Bangor, Silverdale, Feb. 19, w hile the C ardinal
varsity boys play the D ufur
WA.
A r n tt is a 1 9 8 6 Rangers later in the day at 8
g ra d u a te o f B en so n H igh p.m. The tournam ent is being
School o f Portland and joined held at Umatilla at the Umatilla
High School.
the N avy in June 1986.
A s land now know n as M orrow C ounty was being settled in the m id 1860’s, little
thought was given to farming or ranching. Most inhabitants were drifters seeking their fortunes
in gold or free grass. Som e raised horses and a few sheep to fit the needs o f passing troops of
miners. There was little use for cattle since the winters were too difficult for cattle without an
am ple supply o f hay, o f which there was very little. For those who raised horses, there was
am ple grass for them to graze on and a dem and for pack anim als and riding horses from the
earliest settlers.
Ranchers and m iners had to contend with the marauding Indian parties that inhabited
the area. Small bands o f Indians would often harass the settlers, running o ff with stayed horses
and stealing from the m iners. Eventually, the U.S. Arm y set up forts in strategic places in
Eastern O regon to control the warring parties. This led to The Dalles M ilitary Road, w hich
was used to service the various military forts.
T his land w as m ainly a m an 's w orld. Few w om en ventured into the area until the
H om estead Act was im plem ented. This Act entitled farm ers to acquire a quarter section of
land free if they were willing to spend at least five years of their life developing the land and
building fences as well as putting up a m odest house of some kind.
Cattle m ade their appearance in about 1860 when a Texan named M enefee brought
cattle from Texas. He located on Birch Creek som e distance from Heppner.
W ith the introduction of barbed wire in 1874, farm land was soon established with
specific boundaries. Farmers and ranchers appeared steadily and a settlement was formed on
parcels o f land ow ned by G eorge Sansbury, ju st west o f W illow C reek and Hinton Creek.
Shortly, Sansbury Flat was renam ed after a prom inent citizen Henry Heppner. Heppner was
the ow ner o f a general store along w ith Jackson Morrow.
A post office was soon relocated from Butter Creek, without official decree, and the
small city began to take shape.
Surveyors established streets, blocks and lots. M ain Street was supposed to be 1 (X)
feet w ide, and side streets 60 feet wide. M ain Street w as to run due N orth and South but
would wind up being a few degrees east of north.
By 1875, there were enough children in the com m unity to cause Henry Heppner to
ride through surrounding comm unity to solicit enough money to build a school. The building
was put on Gale Street.
At this time, the population o f the city rose to 318 people. Num erous businesses and
organizations were formed. There was a Baptist church, which held services once a month.
The M asonic Lodge also held m eeting once per month. There was a livery stable, hotel, flour
mill, blacksmith shop, drug store, variety store, harness shop, general mercantile, four saloons
and a jew elry store.
The railroad’s appearance gave the Heppner com m unity an outlet for its products of
wool,
wheat,
cattle and even passenger service. As a result, m any young wom en traveled to
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
the area in search for a teaching jo b in one o f the schools being located in the area.
Wool wagons belonging to Thom psons, W ilkinsons, Veys and others rolled through
the m ain street o f Heppner. The m uleskinners and team sters usually m ade it into one o f the
many saloons for a dust quenching drink o f their choice. Then on to the depot just at the north
John M artin, son o f end o f town. More about these families will be featured in the next mural about sheep ranches
C a rl a n d G e ri M a rtin o f and the railroad depot.
Heppner, has returned to Iraq.
He departed from M iram ar
COLUMBUS RHEA
M arine C orps A ir Station on
Feb. 5 w ith his unit for a
second tour of duty. His wife
and children will rem ain at
home in California.
For anyone wishing to
co rre sp o n d w ith John, his
overseas address is: C W 0 2
Jo h n
M a rtin , U S M C ,
M W CS-38 U IC 4 1 136, FPO
A P 96426-1136.
Another son
returns to Iraq
Free Colorado
blue spruce trees
Ten free C o lo ra d o
blue spruce trees will be given
to each person w ho joins The
N a tio n a l
A rb o r
D ay
Foundation during February
2004.
The free trees are part
o f the nonprofit Foundation’s
Trees for Am erica campaign.
C o lo r a d o
b lu e
spruces have silver blue-green
color and a com pact conical
shape. They can be used as
individual ornam entals, an
energy-saving w indbreak, a
privacy screen or as living
Christm as trees.
T h e tre e s w ill be
shipped postpaid at the right
tim e for planting betw een
M arch 1 and M ay 31 with
enclosed planting instructions.
The six to twelve inch trees are
guaranteed to grow, or they
will be replaced free of charge.
To become a member
of the Foundation and receive
the free trees, send a $10
c o n ti ib u tio n to Ten F ree
C olorado Blue Spruce Trees,
N a tio n a l
A rb o r
D ay
F o u n d a tio n , 100 A rb o r
A venue, N ebraska City, NE
68410, by Feb. 2 9 ,2 0 0 4 . Or
go
o n lin e
to
www.arborday.org.
lone and
H eppner
tournam ent
brackets on page
three
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
/
M olly a n d Steve R h ea
During 1864, Colum bus Rhea, or Lum Rhea, came to the area and was the first white
man to settle on a creek in the area, that creek today is known as Rhea Creek. Rhea was not
satisfied to remain on Rhea Creek and in 1885 he moved to Heppner. There he met Sophronia
A dkins and they were m arried on Jan. 22, 1868. To them w ere bom eight children. Lillie,
Ellor, W aldon. Josephine. Ada. Helena, Curtis and Carl.
On Sept. 6, 1906, Curtis m arried Cecil Rankin. They had eight children. They were
Alice Buckley, Carl Rhea, Mary Ashbeck. Marie Headrick. Robert Rhea. Sophronia Kirkham.
Curtis Jr. and Josephine Liesegang. Those who are sill living in the area are Mary Ashbeck and
Alice Buckley who were Carl Rhea’s sisters, and o f course, grandson, Steve Rhea, who lives
here in H eppner today.
Rhea started a bank known as the First National Bank o f Heppner. Today, that business
still stands with m ajor renovations, which added a second story to the building. Officers o f the
bank included Lum Rhea, brother. Thom as Rhea who w as vice president and George Conser
who is credited with the rapid growth o f the bank. It was recognized as on of the best banking
institutions in the Northwest with over $436.000 dollars in deposits and offering four percent
interest on time deposits.
Alongside of the bank was a grocery store, owned by Rhea and Welsh. It was reported
that they carried a good supply o f m erchandise well adapted to local ranchers and stock
growers. N ot only did they serve the locals but also for the territory. Rhea was reportedly a
good businessm an and was on the city council for three term s. W elsh was also a good
businessm an and took good care o f his business.
The establishment o f the new bank was a key inducement for the incorporation o f the
City o f H eppner, w hich took place on Feb. 9. 1887. Sidew alks were put into place, most
were boardw alks but some were merely dirt footpaths.
Continued on page 7
GOOD LUCK AT DISTRICTS
I0N E CARDINALS
a n d HEPPNER MUSTANGS!
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm equipm ent, visit our web tite at www m eg* net