Ashbeck named
player of the year
Mustang players receive all-
league, all-state honors
50¢
VOL. 143
NO. 23 10 Pages
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
150 years of history lives on in family
homestead
By Andrea Di Salvo
Families have migrated
to Morrow County in many
different ways—by train,
by plane and by U-Haul
van. Only a few can trace
their families back to the
pioneers of the rugged Or-
egon Trail.
But Dianna Hoeft can.
She and husband Ger-
ald now own and operate
Midway Ranches on Upper
Rhea creek, the fifth gener-
ation to live on the home-
stead since Dianna Wright
Hoeft’s great-great-grand-
parents Albert and Julia
Barry Wright first made
their home there 150 years
ago.
Albert Wright was the
seventh son of Jeptha and
Betsey Wright, one of 14
children. He took his own
small family—wife and two
daughters—and set out with
his brother, Anson, from
Steuben County, IN, in the
fall of 1852. Hoeft doesn’t
know the motivation behind
the move, except that it was
at the height of the Oregon
craze that gripped the coun-
try in the 1850s.
“Everybody was going
to Oregon,” says Hoeft.
They never saw their
father again, but Jeptha
wrote to Albert faithfully
until 1871, shortly before
his own death.
“They’re neat,” says
Hoeft says. “They’re sad,
but they’re awesome let-
ters.”
Those 23 letters express
the heartache of separation
in those early pioneer days.
“My dear son, I should
very much like to see you
all once more, but it is not
likely we ever meet here on
earth again, but pray that
we may meet hereafter,”
Jeptha wrote in a letter
dated Nov. 16, 1869. “Do
write often and let me know
how you all are.”
The group overwin-
tered in Cainsville in what
is now Missouri. Next, Al-
bert and Julia had to stop in
Nebraska Territory for the
birth of their son, Silas. An-
son went on, and it was fall
of 1853 before they were
able to join him in Oregon
City. Anson died in 1858,
and the Wrights then named
another son after him. It
was that younger Anson
who later settled near and
became the namesake for
Morrow County’s Anson
Wright Park.
It was in the early 1870s
that Albert moved east. He
settled in the Upper Rhea
Creek area—family history
says he started building a
home on the property in
1871, but a legal deed is
dated 1873—exactly 150
years ago this year.
Pioneer life in what is
Tucker Ashbeck
-Contributed photo
All-League and All-
State honors have been
handed out for baseball, and
Heppner’s Tucker Ashbeck
has been named 2023 Play-
er of the Year for 2A/1A
Special District 7 West. He
also received the honor of
being named to All-League
first team for pitchers, as
well as 2A/1A All-State
second team pitcher.
Ashbeck, a senior,
graduated from Heppner
High School last week.
He is the son of Andy and
Michele Ashbeck.
While Ashbeck tops
the list as player of the
year, several other Hep-
pner players also received
All-League and All-State
honors that were none too
shabby.
Heppner junior Cam-
eron Proudfoot was named
-Continued to PAGE EIGHT
Health district looks
to the future with
strategic plan
Original homesteaders Back Row-Silas, George & Anson Albert Wright horse brand -
Front- Julia, Albert, Julia Ann & Effie Wright -Contributed 1894 -Contributed photo
photo
Gerald and Dianna Wright Hoeft with the next generations at
a recent reunion. Front row (L-R): Kenzie Hoeft, Alex Osmin,
Angie Currin, Tanna Osmin, Ellie Osmin and Gerald Hoeft.
Second row (L-R): Derek Hoeft, Mike Helfer and Dianna
Wright Hoeft. Third row (L-R): Carley Hoeft, Quincy Osmin
and Amy Hoeft Osmin. Back row (L-R): Anita Baleztena and
Rick Osmin. -Contributed photo
now South Morrow County
was often difficult, but it
seems it was rarely boring.
Albert raised horses, which
his son took back to Iowa to
sell, and sheep. Later gen-
erations would add more
sheep, and then cattle.
Family history recalls
Indians were within five
miles of the mill. 700 strong
and coming this way. The
women could be held no
longer. Mother was nearly
frantic (Wright). Mr. W. Ad-
kins being at our place with
a two horse team and old
wagon, the women char-
The old homestead as it looked in the 1870s. -Contributed
photo
Dianna and Gerald Hoeft in front of the original homestead.
-Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
that Native Americans used
to come from the Columbia
River on their way to the
mountains. On their way up
the creek, they would stop
and camp near the ranch.
Hoeft says they picked
wool off the fences and
would give the family gifts
such as beads.
Other encounters—
or, at least, near encoun-
ters—weren’t so benign.
Albert’s diary records one
time when the entire area
thought it was under threat
from attacking tribes.
An entry dated July 2,
1878, says, “This morning
news was brought that the
tered it for The Dalles. …
Adkins was about as badly
frightened as the women.
He didn’t know which way
his hat was on.”
On July 3, he wrote,
“The news from the Indians
assume a different aspect.
They are learned to be on
or about Long Creek and
turning more to the right
with the prospects or not
coming this way. The house
looks pretty naked with
what hasn’t gone to The
Dalles with the women, is
buried in the Alkale bank
across the creek, mostly
buried.”
Dianna Hoeft can still
point to the alkali bank
where that furniture was
buried. Those entries were
written during the Bannock
War of 1878. The tribes
did veer right and headed
toward Battle Mountain,
where the war’s decisive
battle was fought only a few
days later on July 8.
“Our folks got back
from The Dalles July 29 th ,
pretty tired out and badly
disgusted with the Indians
and Indian Raids,” a later
entry reads.
During the 1880s, the
ranch served as a stage stop
and post office. It received
that distinction because it
was located roughly half-
way between Canyon City
and The Dalles. Its location
might also be the inspira-
tion behind the homestead’s
name—Midway Ranches.
Albert Wright was very
religious; not only did he
help found the Heppner
Methodist church, but he
also was a circuit riding
preacher for the Methodist
Church. In his family Bible,
along with the records of
births and marriages, was
a page with a temperance
pledge he asked his descen-
dants to sign—though it
might be noted that not all
of them signed it.
The Wright family also
developed close ties to
some other familiar names.
Albert and Julia’s daughter,
also named Julia, married
Timothy Bisbee, Frank Gil-
liam’s partner in his hard-
ware business. Meanwhile,
their daughter Effie Wright
married Frank Gilliam.
It was eldest son, Silas,
who took over the home-
stead on Rhea Creek, while
Anson moved to Rock
Creek and George took
over what the family called
the Mountain Place, each
a holding of about 3,000
acres. Each came with a
band of sheep.
Silas married Martha
Cantwell, daughter of a
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Health District was focused
on the future at its May 22
meeting as it adopted a new
2023-2025 strategic plan
and approved the proposed
budget for the upcoming
fiscal year.
Priorities for the health
district include an adult care
home in Boardman, a new
ambulance hall in Irrigon,
expansion of occupational
medicine services in all
locations, and CPR and first
aid training, among others.
Boardman expansions
The health district says
it’s focused on a new adult
care home in Boardman
because no assisted liv-
ing options are available
there currently. At the same
time, a full-size assisted
living facility would not
be “financially feasible.”
MCHD plans to build a
five-bed facility with a
more “home-like” environ-
ment for seniors and people
with disabilities.
Also in the plans for
Boardman is the remodel of
the health district’s building
there to house Boardman
Immediate Care. MCHD
has been providing imme-
diate care and occupational
medicine through a mobile
clinic in Boardman since
October of 2022. The ex-
pansion, which is designed
to meet the long-term needs
of the community, will in-
clude four exam rooms with
offices for providers and
administrative staff. The
health district also plans
to get the Boardman clinic
certified as a hospital-based
Rural Health Clinic.
The expansion of the
Boardman clinic along with
the addition of an occu-
pational health registered
nurse will also help expand
the array and availability
of occupational medicine
throughout the county, the
health district says.
Irrigon ambulance
The health district al-
-Continued to PAGE TEN
Irrigon council
streamlines liquor
application process
By Andrea Di Salvo
Irrigon City Council
approved resolutions to
streamline the liquor li-
cense application process
and raise city employee
wages at its meeting May
16 at Irrigon City Hall.
Regarding liquor li-
censing, the council ap-
proved a resolution allow-
ing the city manager or
other city designee to sign
applications for renewals
or requests for Oregon Li-
quor Control Commission
(OLCC) licensing in the
city, unless an application
raises a concern that needs
to go before the city coun-
cil.
City Manager Aaron
Palmquist said the purpose
of the resolution was to
-Continued to PAGE NINE ensure timely and effective
response for customers.
“Annually, everyone
has to do it, and in 10 years
I think we’ve had one ques-
tion,” said Palmquist.
He added that there’s a
conflict in the state statute
because a local jurisdiction
has to approve Oregon Li-
quor Control Commission
applications even though
the OLCC has authority
to approve or deny appli-
cations without the local
jurisdiction’s signature.
“What this does, it
speeds up the process,”
said Palmquist. “Ultimate-
ly, we’re just signing off on
it. OLCC still approves it.
“We have historically
been the slow one on behalf
of businesses,” he added.
“And we have plen-
-Continued to PAGE TEN
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information