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About The Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 19??-1984 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1936)
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 17, 1936 THE HERMISTON HERALD, HERMISTON, OREGON. of the railroad from Umatilla east Mrs. Alex Malcolm. in 1883, and the increased settle ment of Umatilla Meadows. To this was added the surrounding wheat lands and the rise of the cattle and sheep business in the vicinity. Mr. Koontz, who moved from Uma UTILLA AGENCY FIRST tilla, opened a large merchandise business and built a flouring mill Tall Rye Grass and Wild which he named Henrietta Mills from the name of old Fort Henri Game ; Homesteader« etta. -previously located on the op posite side of the river near the Col. Raley Memories. farm home of Joseph Cunha. Wheat growing increased, milling paid and Echo was founded by J. K. Koontz. He bought and platted the Echo prospered many years. It is land into lots and named the place still a livestock and wheat center, Echo for his daughter. She later be and some of the largest sheepmen in came Echo. Miller, wife of Charles Oregon live in and near Echo. As a part of Echo is the well Miller of the still known firm name George & Miller. The town was known valley basin called the Uma brought about through the building tilla Meadows, where one of the very earliest settlements of eastern Oregon was established. The Mea- dows was then covered with tall rye grass in which Indians could THE MODEL ride and not be seen. It was used GROCERY for hay in some instances but the Meadows was chiefly a great winter Groceries range for horses and cattle Grass and water was always plentiful. Smoked Meats A heavy growth of cottonwood, Fresh Vegetables birch, elder and willow’s grew on both banks of the river. There was In the Dorn Building a profusion of wild roses, currants, gooseberries and raspberries, and Echo Oregon wild choke cherries. Heavy bunch grass was on the surrounding plains and came down to the tall Mrs. Alex Malcolm is a daughter rye grass in the valley. Many places on the Meadows were swamped and of the late J. H. Koontz, founder of MUDGE’S PASTIME wild water grasses, reeds and tules Echo. grew on them. This was particular Confections ly true of the Dillon, Kaufman, John and Stanfield to such an extent that McCoy and the John Teagle and it was cut for hay to feed the stage horses at their stations along the Congratulates the Herald Courtney places. On the Courtney place (later old mail routes. Also immense white on its 30th Anniversary. Houser) was a large spring which sage grew in many places which was is still flowing. The swamps have strong feed for livestock in winter seasons. This was before the days long ago disappeared. Echo Oregon To Col. J. H. Raley of Pendleton when so many range stock, horses we are indebted for some of the in- and cattle, and later sheep, were brought in and produced in great teresting and valuable facts of the £ numbers on these ranges. old Umatilla Meadows. His family, it was a wild animal’s paradise Jonathan Raley, and that of an but proved the basis for the great uncle were among the first settlers fortunes and successes that followed and his young manhood was spent the first immigrant train of 1843, amidst the scenes he so vividly de- and the discovery of gold in 1849 scribes. 1 He is now in his early and 1860. To quote Col. Raley: “Game birds, some of the species Baths - Laundry Agency eighties and his mind so strong now practically extinct, were in pro through the years, is clear in its fusion everywhere. Thousands of memories of the days when the old wild ducks, praisie chickens, myri Echo Oregon west was in its making. ads of curlews, an abundance of In a lengthy interview he stated sage hens and native pheasants that bunch grass grew between Echo were to be found on the Meadows. In the winter time especially the cottonwood trees would be covered with great flocks of wild prairie chickens. Nests of these wild birds were to be found scattered all over the Meadow’s. Curlews, sage hens and prairie chickene, now extinct, existed in myriads. RAILROAD CAME ECHO PROSPERED 41 fur Echo Barber Shop The Echo News “Wild animals, such as coyotes, lynx and bob cats were numerous along the river, and some beaver. Two kinds of rabbits were in abun dance—the common cotton tail and the big white tailed jack rabbit. It was years after my first recollec- tion." he says, “of the meadows be- fore the black tailed rabbit, now so numerous and destructive, made its appearance in that vicinity. On oc- casions, to my memory, wild deer got as far as the Meadows, and were killed. Miles northeastward, near the mouth of the Juniper, ranged a band of antelope. — ESTABLISHED MARCH 3, 1879 — W. H. CRARY, EDITOR, for the past 20 years without interruption. HOME TOWN PAPER Due to excessive pasturing the bunch grass gave way to sagebrush and other grasses. The wild rye grass on the Meadows that grew in such profusion, yielded to sage brush and greasewood. He says that in the early days there was very little salt grass but that it gradually extended over most of the area of the old Meadows. As time passed and settlement proceeded the swamps of the Meadows disappeared and the salt grass was displaced by rich farms and alfalfa fields. “Improvements of the first set- tiers were very meager. Cabins were built of cottonwood logs; floors were of split cottonwoods called punch ings. Roofs were made of poles covered with rye grass and dirt. Fireplaces were made from alkali rock, a substance now practically unfounded in that district. Strange as it may seem, fences were con structed by throwing up sod Spiralator EASY WASHER You save money on laundry bills when you own a new EASY Spira EASY lator—but you save almost as much WASHER MORE because clothes LAST so Moat I 4W much longer—because fewer clothes are NEEDED when you wash them at home as quickly as they are soiled. Try the Spiralator FREE. Pay for it on our new easy plan. the Spark 5 heats the “LIVING ZONE’ of your rooms—NOT the ceiling! between two ditches three or four Butter Creek Hounds. feet high. These sod and ditch Farmers of Butter Creek during fences were replaced by the old worn rail stake and rider fences, the big cattle days kept packs of which were finally replaced by the bounds for coyote hunting which be- modern barbed and woven wire came a great sport. Coyotes, as well fences. A few of the old log cabin as wild cats and lynx, were numer homes remained many years as out ous, and neither state nor govern buildings. "There were but few settlers on ment provided bounty or protection. the Meadows prior to 1870." Col. Young calves, colts, pigs and sheep Raley said. “They held the lands were often killed by the range var usually by squatter's rights. some mints. following later with homesteads. The only record I find of any lands SHORTS patented on the Meadows earlier than 1869, was a patent to John The backwater lake at the diver McCoy, dated December 10, 1864. The next patents were in 1869 to sion works of the West Extension Frank Maddock, John Teel, David was named Lake Lane in honor of Coffman, Burr Johnson. Henry J. Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the Raley. Eli Short and Stephen A. Interior, who granted the funds for Trimble, in 1870. Patents were is building the West Extension. Joe Cunha uses the first jail built sued to Burr Johnson and Daniel Simmons to John Bradburn in 1871; in Eastern Oregon as a smokehouse. and to Thomas Robbins and Jona It is 12x20 feet of heavy hewn logs. C. F. Morrow of Walla Walla, than Raley in 1872. On the east side of the river G. postmaster there 12 years, planted W. Palmer was located about half 20 acres to orchard in the Westland a mile south of Echo. No settlement district and grew the trees to ma existed where the town of Echo turity. R. Alexander of Pendleton, has now is located. served thirty years as vice president On the east side J. C. Franklin located, about one-half mile up the of the First National Bank of Her river from where Stanfield now miston. He conducted a large gen stands. The first post office known eral merchandise store in Pendleton as “The Meadows" was kept by fifty years, and is now vigorous at 86. Franklin at this point. W. D. Fletcher, father of Bob In 1862-63, W. W. Brassfield Fletcher of orchestra prominence, also owned the land now owned by Joseph Kunha. Next to him was drilled the tunnel In the cliffs south Louis Tuerman. Where Fred An- of Cold Springs for coal. Instead of drews now lives, was Ray Geddis, anthracite, it proved to be glass pro who brought the first flock of sheep duced from ancient geological heat. to the Meadows. West of Geddis was H. J. Raley, Mrs. Fred Hendley. and then Dr. John Teel, a part of whose land is still owned by heirs to the doctor. Another settlement was E. A. Wilson, a civil engineer, who later laid out the town of Pen dleton. William Carter had another place and owned and operated the first dairy. His place was bought by Jonathan Raley and is now owned by Frank Corea. Jonathan Raley owned and oper ated a line of ox freight teams on the old Oregon trail. N. B. Evans, another settler, owned and operated a ferry near Stanfield on the Butter Creek road through the Meadows. West of Evans was Hamilton, now the Mendanhall place and D. Sim sons homestead, now owned by Harry Andrews. Farther west was Lucien Everett, who later became a promi nent eastern Oregon lawyer. He op erated a freight train to the mines of Grant county. The John McCoy, now Mendanhall place, was the first patented land on the Meadows. Oth er settlers were David Coffman and Alfred Jobe. At the present time most of these lands are embraced In the Umatilla ranch. The first post office on the Mea dows was conducted by J. C. Frank lin about a half mile west f Stan Mrs. Fred Hendley is a daughter of field. The first store was at Twelve the late J. H. Koontz, founder of Mile house now at Stanfield. The Echo. first school was 300 yards from the big spring on the Houser place. The first brick building was built (also first in Umatilla county) on the Carter place and later owned by Jonathan Raley. The bricks were burned at the Ten Mile house. The first physician was Dr. John Teel. The first lawyer was Lucien Everett. Pearson Brother’s GARAGE Auto Repairing Accessories - Gas - Oil E. P. Pearson & H. E. Pearson, Prop ECHO MEAT MARKET Groceries - Vegetables Fresh Meats STORAGE LOCKERS Swift Cream Station Agency —In Business 22 Years— HI WAY SERVICE STATION “Bun” Moore, Prop. Standard Products —Lunch Goods In Umatilla County 55 Years. Echo Oregon TEXACO SERVICE STATION E. E. Garner, Manager Texaco Products Cold Dring« Lunch Goods Confections Oregon Echo 2 TOURIST SERVICE STATION Shell Products —Bottled Drinks —Confections —Lunch Goods In Business Nine Years Echo Oregon Echo Flour Mills The first irrigation ditch was taken out of the Umatilla river southwest of Echo near the head of the Westland canal, by Tom and Al Flow, and enlarged by Dr. Teel and Jonathan Raley. The first settlement in Umatilla county was at Utilla, just west of the Echo bridge, where Fort Henri etta was located in 1851. — SATISFACTION GUARANTEED — Flour and Feeds - General Storage Coal - Building Material JOS. CUNHA, Sr., Owner - CHAS. REESE. Mgr Born on Umatilla Meadows Mrs. Frances Yerxa of Umatilla, was born on the Umatilla Meadows in 1864. Her step-father built the old mill at Umatilla in 1870. Wheat was brought in by boat and freight wagon. Her father was Samuel Mar kham, whose parents crossed the plains from Michigan in 1851. She married Dick Yerxa in 1880. He helped build the O. & W. into Uma tilla where they lived many years. ECHO SCHOOL BUILDING The Spark oil heater discharges cir culating heat through a front open ing. instead of at the top, and its bright, cheerful, fan-shaped flame . Iso gives you direct, radiant heat through the front door. These two Spark features mean that Spark cives you immediate warmth in the “living zone” of your rooms, and on the floors. That spells more com fort. plus fuel economy. PAGE FIVP GEORGE & MILLER CO ECHO, OREGON Continued Service in this Territory Since 1906 General Merchandise • DRY GOODS MEN’S FURNISHINGS • LADIES’ READY TO WEAR LINGERIE Echo Petroleum Co J. C. Sam Nye Phone 302 SHOES SCHOOL SUPPLIES Echo, Oregon 5 Echo school building la sufficient fcr grade and high school. On the grounds is • large gymnasium and numerous shade trees. 2
