Section 3
THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY
PAGES 1 to 6
VOLUME XXX
Uhe Hermistun Aerali
HERMISTON, UMATILLA COUNTY,
NUMBER 5C
WESTLAND AREA
STRUGGLES THRU
J. W. Messner.
DAM BUILT
—
New Settlement Follows
Summer Irrigation;
Messner Stays.
MC KAY
The Westland Irrigation District
contains 13,000 acres, of which 5,-
000 are now being cultivated and
3,000 under distribution canals,
2.000 more under main canals and
3,000 acres requiring a pipe line
from the highline to the land to
supply water.
The Westland district is one of
the oldest in history and one of the
latest in fulfillment of its develop
ment.
In 1881 G. W. Hunt filed water
rights on the Umatilla river and
built a ditch from the present loca
tion of the diversion dam and head-
gates of the Westland canal five
miles west to about the Hawley
Bean ranch. The canal was 30 feet
wide on the bottom. Hunt was a
railroad builder and his fortunes
failed to the extent that he could
not complete the work.
In 1903 the Hinkle Ditch Com
panw was formed by J. T. Hinkle,
O. D. Teel and Dr. H. S. Garfield.
This company set up that the Hunt
filings and works had expired for
want of use and relocated new water
rights. It extended the canal with
Jack’s Cafe
Open All Night
Compliments the Herald on
its Thirty Year Anniversary
edition and service in the
community.
Jack House, Prop.
JIMMIE’S
Barber Shop
Experienced Help
L. A. LOVERING,
Assistant Barber
JIMMY MONTGOMERY.
Manager
District manager of the Westland
Irrigation District in which capacity
he has served for a quarter of a cen
tury.
a ten foot bottom to Butter Creek
and bought 7,000 acres of the Hunt
lands west of Butter Creek. In 1908
the Western Land and Irrigation
Company was formed by J. W.
Messner, then of Baker, Dr. W. J.
Stapish of Walla Walla, and Elmer
Cleaver and Clifton Cleaver of Pen
dleton.
This company paid the
Hinkle Ditch Company $150,000 for
its interests and assumed all obliga
tions. It then made a contract with
H. G. Newport to complete the pres
ent system of main canals, at a cost
of over $100,000. The irrigation
system has cost, including diversion
dam, gates and distribution ditches
over $300,000. The main system is
sufficient to carry water to all the
lands of the district.
The district owns 40 percent of
the storage water of the McKay re-
servoir storage. Within its bound-
aries are 55 farms with an average
size of over 90 acres each now oper
ating.
A large number of these
farms are 150 to 400 acres, but the
tendency is toward smaller tracts of
not over 4 0 acres, on which basis
homes for over 300 families could
be supplied instead of the 55 that
now live there.
The system also now carries the
waters of the old Courtney, Allen
and Pioneer ditches which are di
verted from the main canal to the
lands supplied in the Umatilla Mea
dows.
The general manager of the dis-
trict is J. W. Messsner, who took
charge in 1908 and has occupied the
position for 28 years. He is the only
man remaining of the group who
formed the Hinkle or Western Land
& Irrigation companies. In 1918 the
Westland Irrigation District was
i formed under the direction of a
board of directors composed of J. W.
| Messner, Clarence Roberts, Herbert
Strohm, J. M. Brindle and A. D.
Smith, and in-1925 the new district
organization took over the assets of
the district water system and lands
The newly chosen board consisted of
J. W. Messner, Hawley Bean, J. M.
Brindle, Roy Attebury and Lee Save-
ly. Later under state law this i num-
ber was reduced to a board of three
M
composed of Hawley Bean, J.
.
Brindle and Roy Attebury and J. W.
Messner was made general manager
The lands are now owned by 55
farmers with about 5.000 acres;
Western Irrigation Company, com
posed of stockholders in Cincinnati
Ohio, 700 acres; Northern Pacific
Railway Co., 1.200 acres; Mortgage
Company of America. 600 acres;
Umatilla county, 2,000 acres; with
the remaining 3,500 not supplied
with water or requiring a siphen
pipeline service belonging to Uncle
Sam, the N, P, Co,, state and others.
These lie mainly west of the West-
land school house and compose a fine
body of arid lands.
The main canal from the headgate
to Butter Creek is 13 miles long and
with a capacity of 300 second feet
of water. At Butter Creek it is di
vided into the high line, covering
the lands due west of Butter Creek
into Morrow county six miles in
length, and the low line, seven
miles long, which covers the lands
northwest of Butter Creek and west
of Hermiston two miles. Under the
main canal to Butter Creek and in
the Butter Creek valley are some of
the oldest and best improved farms
in Umatilla County and the newer
lands give promise of equal qualities
for future development. Land values
are low and opportunities for farm
ers under the Westland district are
no better anywhere else in the Ba
cific northwest.
Delays in settlement of the lands
in Westland have been
caused
during the years by an insufficient
summer water supply, or want of
storage. The McKay dam in 1928
gave that necessary supply of water.
The early promoters of this pro
ject, like those of the Irrigon and
Furnish projects, had witnessed the
high production on Butter Creek and
the Meadows with spring or flood
water supply. Winter irrigation 30
years ago was much talked about and
its value proven by neighborhood re
sults. But the factors of soil, water
table and crop varieties were not
given sufficient investigation or con
sideration. Alfalfa with a long tap
root grew prolificali in the rich
deep soil of Butter Creek with a six
foot impervious water table along
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LONGIES
Sturdy whipcord long-
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Sizes 6 to 16.
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NEW! DUKE OF KENT
Warm jersey knit, long sleeves. Just
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colors with fancy col- / Va
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Deep-Tones. Fine broadcloth . button
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brown. Sizes 6 to 141/2. gr Ua
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$1.19
BOYS’ SWEATERS
BOYS’ SHIRTS
BOYS’ CORDS
Mixed mohair and wool.
Full zipper front and fancy
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Fine broadcloths . . fast
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Heavy, narrow wale
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Full cut. Navy and
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OREGON,
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Numerous Other Styles
We invite you to call on us during the Fair!
MEN’S STORE
Hermiston, Oregon
PHONE 111
Section 3
THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY
PAGES 1 to 6
SEPTEMBER 17. 1936
which the drainage of lands above
from the then plentiful water sup
ply on the upper watersheds flowed
most of the summer season. Capil
lary attraction from the six foot
water table depth reached easily the
roots of alfalfa, also produced grains
and some gardens in selected places.
These features did not prove out in
the lands of the higher tables. Win
ter irrigation and even late flood
waters were found
insufficient.
Some beautiful orchards were grown
to maturity on the west side 20
years ago with flood water until
June, but would not mature fruit.
Alfalfa would make one crop and
maybe a light second, but it was dif
ficult to hold a stand. Only early
gardens were possible.
ALFALFA SCENES ON WEST SIDE.
I ■
•
13. , aoy’r.
Ir ’s
It was then that many of the
settlers abandoned their lands. The
fact of failure was faced, and this
resulted in the demand for storage
and the final construction of the
McKay dam, which cured these early
evils.
Upper View—Looking northeast from near the C. A. Corliss place
Twenty hay stacks were in sight.
But by this time the depression toward the Jess Brindle ranch.
Lower View—Looking eastward from near the Roy Attebury ranch
had set in and land settlement had
across the Ralph Richard place on Butter Creek.
eeased or become nearly impossible,
and many acres of the Westland
District still lie idle, awaiting the
Justice of the Peace
handiwork of good farmers.
In 1908, new voting precincts
With the impulse that is being
During the days just before pro were created at Hermiston and a
given the Bacific northwest through hibition went into effect, wine ma
new Justice of the Beace district,
great public works and the move kers were considering the Columbia
previously all such duties being at
ment of drouth stricken farmers this river valley for growing wine
tended to at Echo. F. C. McKenzie
way, and the growing demand for grapes, They sent a Swiss wine ma-
was the first Justice of the Peace.
irrigated lands where crops are In- ker to investigate the territory be- E. B. Dodd succeeded him and re-
sured, settlement of these vacant tween The Dalles and Lewiston. signed after eight years. He was
which he reported favorable. His succeeded by R. C. Todd, who held
lands should proceed more rapidly
name was Albert Angermayer, sup the position three years. “Dad"
In addition to these factors, condi erintendent of wineries in Califor
West then became the justice and
tions have greatly improved locally nia. His report said: “The quality
after he was in office seven years
through crop and marketing devel of wine grapes that will successful was succeeded by P. P. Sullivan, the
opments which insure success to ly rival the best products from the present official.
the newcomer on new lands. With Rhine and Moselle districts in Ger-
Hermiston Postmasters.
the advancement of the dairy, egg many, the Bordeaux, Gironde and
and turkey industries, the adoptation Medoc in France, can be grown in
The first postmaster was J. K.
of corn and other proven soil crops, the sandy soils here, which would be Bland. The second was J. H. Wil
and through the benefits of the free from disease. The flavor would liams. Bresident Wilson appointed
many cooperative institutions here, be free from all taints of vinegar. John Young who was succeeded by
the lands across the Umatilla river The elevation and latitude were C. H. Skinner. Bresident Harding
now with abundance of water should special factors.” Brohibition was de appointed Mrs. L. A. Phelps; Presi-
dent Roosevelt appointed H. J. Stil
be
transformed
into
successful clared and all development of the
lings, who resigned. Harvey De
farms.
industry here, dropped.
Moss is present postmaster
HERMISTON MERCANTILE
COOPERATIVE
renders service to its
Members and Customers
Read these prices!
Macaroni or Spaghetti, 4 lbs.
.
25c
Crackers, graham or white, 2 lb. box 25c
Peanut Butter, Hoody’s, 2 lbs.
25c
Pickles, sweet, quart .
.
35c
Deviled Meat, %. , 6 for
.
.
25c
Salmon, Alaska pink, 3 cans
35c
Salt, 8 pound sack
.
.
20c
Soda, 1 pound pkg.
. .
5c
Coffee, 3 pounds
45c
Matches, 6 box carton
.
.
18c
Flour, 49 lb. sack
.
.
. $1.39
Tomatoes, size 21 can •
•
•
10c
Catsup, per bottle
.
.
.
10c
Sugar, pure cane, 10 lbs. .
.
57c
Shortening, Swift’s, 4 lbs. .
.
43c
Phone 401
Harry Connor, Mgr