Section 2
THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY
PAGES 1 to 12
VOLUME XXX
NUMBER 4
FOREWARD
w
A g
Uhe Hrrmttun Hrraln
HERMISTON, UMATILLA
COUNTY,
OREGON,
Section 2
THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY
PAGES 1 to 12
SEPTEMBER 17, 1936.
Herald Office In 1907.
EARLY PIONEERS
CONQUER INDIANS
HISTORY
w
This anniversary edition of the
HOME GROUND STORY
Hermiston Herald is published to
commemorate its thirtieth birth
day and to portray what has
Utilla Agency First White
been done during the thirty years
Settlement; Vast Cattle
of contemporaneous life of cour
Ranches Flourish.
ageous people in the reclamation
of a desert.
The Hermiston Herald has set out
Its columns of reading matter
to tell the story of the march of
are therefore necessarily histor
time in this area as nearly as the
ical. As such, we hope that not
records show.
Some of the im
only the many pioneers, who
prints are plain, some are dim and
have had a part in this new
Inside view of Herald office taken in 1907. C. E. Baker standing at tye case. Mrs. Baker at
some have been obliterated. Never
western epic, here, will be inter
news desk. Washington hand press in center background.
theless the remaining facts should
ested in this summary of events
interest us and should be recorded in
but also that the many who are
Templeton’s Lake Lost.
District Building Erected In
file, and library, and vault, and in Town Name Selected by
making their homes here now
the
home
and
multitude
of
places
will be interested in what has
Robert Templeton, father ot Jas 1915 Through Coop. Move
Mr». J. F. McNaught.
where men keep things that live
been done during a generation to
per Templeton, tiled on a home
like traditions in the archives of
transform the rendezvous of coy
The district office building in
Because one of the stockholders stead In Columbia district in 1904.
human existence, merely for the joy
ote and rabbit, waste of land and
This filing included a lake which Hermiston is the result of one of the
of keeping. History has its strange ot the Maxwell Company was read
water, into modern, highly civi
covered part ot the land now in the first cooperative movements. This
fascinations for all of us. We like ing the well known Stevenson's nov
lized communities.
H. J. Stillings, and Jasper Temple was among business men. When the
el,
“
The
Weir
of
Hermiston
”
,
when
to meditate on what has happened
ton's present ranches.
From this Umatilla project was under con
It is our pleasant duty to pre
the
day
came
to
give
the
baby
town
to our own selves, to note the mile
lake the elder Templeton expected struction a good residence was built
sent the record as best we can.
a
name
Mrs.
J.
F.
McNaught
chris
stones, to reflect on the road we
For months we have been gath
to pump water for irrigating the for the chief engineer and a set of
took at the junction or crossroads tened it HERMISTON. The name Of
ering together from public rec
surrounding homestead acreage.
cheaper office buildings erected for
Clarkwis
had
been
considered
since
and as a group of people in town,
ords, from newspaper files and
All went well until the early the engineering headquarters. When
or country, or state, or nation, we the year was the 100th anniversary
printed pamphlets, from old
Spring ot 1907 when the Govern the project was completed and the
like to know what has happened be of the famous expedition of Lewis
photographs, scrapbooks, scat
and Clark. But Hermiston was an ment was building the Cold Springs West Extension was authorized, pro
fore us and why.
tered historical writings and the
unusual name and it proved a hap dam. A spring thaw and Chinook posals were made in 1915 to remove
The lessons of history are the
memories of men and women
brought down such a flood that it the Reclamation headquarters to
py selection.
best guidance for men and the in
these stories of experience and
The fact that a Baptist minister carried away part ot the fill at the Irrigon.
spiration from a knowledge of what
movements of progress necessary
by the name of Hermiston came here dam and with other debris filled the
The business men of Hermiston
others did in success and pleasure
to the task.
with a missionary railroad car and lake and cut a channel through the immediately made a counter propo
of effort carries us forward to bet
We want to express our warm
conducted religious services a year lower embankment to the Columbia, sal to the Reclamation Service—that
ter endeavor.
appreciation to all persons who
on a sidetrack in town had nothing which later was deepened as a drain they would buy the old buildings if
With scarcely any other excuse to do with the naming of the town. age canal. The Templetons were
have so generously aided us in
the service would erect a substan
the Herald has tried to tell you the This was a mere coincidence, but re driven from their home and spent tial office structure here. The ser
the gathering of data; and. also
story of the home ground. The main sulted in the first church being the night in the sagebrush.
to the 100 percent of business
vice agreed to take $1500 for the
part of this story will have to do
interests who have so generously
built.
original buildings and add sufficient
with wresting the desert from the
Delia Switzler’s Tree.
supported us in advertising space,
The first plat of the town was
funds to do the work.
coyote, and rabbit and rattlers, dur filed by the Maxwell Company on
from every town and district in
Twenty-three Hermiston citizens
ing thirty years, and making it over the west side of the railroad track
There is a tree on Switzler’s Is
western Umatilla and northern
gave their notes for $100 each and
into modern homes and civilized in 1904, but an error was made in land where the oldest daughter of
Morrow counties.
these notes were used as collateral
conditions. Prior efforts to reclaim the plat and in the following spring J. B. Switzler hid one night in 1878
This edition was a big under
to borrow funds to buy the build
land were meager in results, but a new plat was filed. About the from marauding Indians while her
taking, fraught with doubts of
ings and rebuild them into residenc
paved the way. The first strong ef same time a plat for the East side father yielded to the persuasions of
success, by a weekly newspaper
es. A contract was made with H. A.
forts brought little good but through was filed by Newport and Skinner, the reds to row them across the Co
from the average resources in the
Frick to take over the property and
experience: and by continued faith both under the name of Hermiston. lumbia. The Indians wanted to
communities we serve, and to
do the carpenter work and refund
and work the final achievements Each townsite was 40 acres and ad hold a parley with the Yakimas to
their most liberal response in
the donations.
R. S. Oldaker was
have been proven worth while. But ditions were made to each.
arouse a general uprising, and
every way we ascribe the success
made trustee and after he left Her
we do not want to be commentaries,
A strife ensued known far and Switzler with needle gun in hand, miston the trusteeship passed to
of the publication.
merely record makers of events.
wide
as the Hermiston townsite held them oft until discretion seemed Thomas Campbell. All signers were
One of our chief purposes is tc
Geological.
fight.
A business of each kind was the better part of valor and rowed finally paid out and there now re
give all our citizens a common
In
the
beginning,
we
are
told,
established on each side of the track. them over. During this time the | mains to their credit $115 which
knowledge of our several com
“
God
created
the
heavens
and
the
For three years this strife was con girl Delia remained hidden high in may be used for some other public
munities and towns, and to por
earth.
”
Since
then
many
geologi
tinued but finally faded away. The the tree tops. The next day she rode benefit.
tray and encourage a common in
cal
changes
took
place.
According
to
The
townsite fight has no real his to Umatilla to join the rest ot the
terest in each other’s welfare. Our
The Reclamation Service per
Dr. Thomas Condon, the Pacific toric value but is a good subject for fa mlly.
historical knowledge is the same
formed its part of the contract with
ocean swept freely once over our a western novel. It resulted at the
and our future interests are the
the result of the fine building and
Old Umatilla Forts.
plains and hills. Then a nucleus of time in much competitive building,
same. A common knowledge, a
well kept grounds now used by the
the Blue Mountains appeared above the results of which are yet seen in
common pride, and a common
district officers, the county agent
Resembling
ancient
remains
are
the floods.
Then the Cascades low values of several costly struc
pursuit should produce a united
and various other useful, public en
arose and slowly shut out the ocean tures in each district. It also re the evidences ot two old rock build terprises.
spirit for the duties and accom
,
ings
at
Umatilla
which
were
used
and a great inland lake covered sulted in a costly water system and
plishments of the future.
these spaces. Shores appeared and expensive streets and
sidewalks for forts during Indian uprisings.
Many stories of personal and
Blalock Island Named.
the John Day fossils show a vast spread over a larger area than is Women and children were taken
human interest have been neces
there
while
the
men
mustered
into
mammalian
life.
Strange
creatures
necessary or convenient to common
sarily eliminated from this edi
Blalock Island, across from Board
roamed over the Blue Mountains, uses, and numerous lots are still service to guard towns and settle
tion. Some historical features
man, was named from the once fam
ments.
One
building
was
owned
by
nothing like our present day animal idle because the town was not held
have not yet been established.
ous Dr. W. G. Blalock of Walla Wal
life. A diminutive horse with 14 to a smaller area. Along with the the Kunzies and the other by
Some errors, doubtless, will be
la. Also the little station below Ar
Koontz.
hoofs ambled over the plains and townsite competition was also the
revealed. It is surprising, in
lington received its name from the
dogs similar to our own mingled general boom and a belief that Her
many cases, how meager are the
same source. The doctor who be
Hungry
Harbor
Eddy.
with them. There was a plodding miston would become a city accord
sources of history and how dim
came wealthy in Walla Walla In the
rhinocerous and the lake was full ing to the slogan “Five Thousand in
and incorrect are the memories.
Hungry Harbor is an eddy in the eighties, was also a great believer
of water life. During that time came Five Years.”
We propose to publish other ar
Columbia river just above Umatilla in the future of the Columbia val
great flows of lava and all lake life
But Hermiston survived the bad ! rapids, situated under cliffs where ley. He made several attempts at
ticles in subsequent issues and
was destroyed : these were followed effects through the good effects of
urge all our readers to submit
boats rested a week at a time until irrigation development, but was
by an alluvial period when the wash its location and resources and the
corrections, additions, and any in
winds subsided before attempting ahead of his time and died almost
from the mountains was carried in enterprise of the early day spirits
teresting incidents that
may
the perilous descent. The harbor Is without a dollar. He retained the
to the lake and life was renewed.
who were always inspired by the be near Hat Rock and Flat Iron basalt highest honor and respect from citi
have occurred during the years
Dr. Condon’s findings were shown lief the town would finally become pinnacles, seen so plainly from the zens all over the northwest for his
gone by. These will be added to
in
the drilling of the oil well on the a very important center.
the volume of history that will be
Wallula Cutoff.
integrity, vision and enterprise.
edge of Hermiston in 1923-24. The
The city domestic water system
preserved In schools and libraries,
bit drove through alternate strata was first built of wood pipe, with a
files and personal records. In the
The whistling well, drilled while
Hermiston never had a saloon ex
of lava and alluvial formation, three large reservoir on the Butte nearby. testing the Umatilla Meadows dam- cept that a hotel bar was operated
Carnegie library in Hermiston an
of each. 80 feet in thickness. In the
(Continued on Page 10)
site. is still blowing.
historical section will be provid
a year in 1907.
lower alluvial stratum drilled, were
ed and all these features will be
found smooth water worn stones
carefully preserved.
Early Project Settlement Scene.
and a petrified piece of tree limb at
Again we want to thank com
a depth of 280 feet, and below two
munities of Boardman. Irrigon,
strata of lava flow.
Umatilla. Echo. Stanfield. Butter
Later, it is said, that during some
Creek. Umatilla Meadows and
great torrential deluge or due to
Hermiston, and officials of all
the melting of glaciers near Dry
the towns, Irrigation districts,
Falls and Grand Coulee, the waters
clubs, lodges, churches and num
of the lake beyond Wallula gap
erous citizens for their assistance
broke over and the lake of this re
and kindly interest in the cre
gion tore through the Columbia
ation of this anniversary edition.
Gorge and destroyed the geological
The Herald particularly urges
dam near Bonneville, or the Bridge
the public schools to encourage
of
the Gods, and the waters of the
interest in our early history, and
Inland lake‘returned to the mother
in the history ot the development
ocean.
of these irrigated projects. Much
The Cascades rose higher and
yet remains to be done. The ex
perience we have had and the | shut off the clouds and moisture
progress we have made will be j and the desert condition was pro- |
duced. That was how the Indians
come very valuable in the gui
found it and that Is how it was
dance of future endeavors.
when the white man came on the
There are many small incidents
scenes.
or happenings which are of his
It is claimed that the Columbia
torical significance. Some are
once had its course through where !
humorous, some are romantic:
Hermiston now stands and the crags |
and lava peaks nearby were caused i
some illustrate endurance and
by the erosion of the waters. During |
sacrifice, but all are essentia!
some upheaval or terrific flood t
parts of the history of people.
chanced its course to the canyon
PAULINE M STOOP
north of us and wore its way down
ALFRED QUIRING
during the ages to its present bed.
Publishers
E. R. Crocker said in his report
E P. DODD.
of the Umatilla rapids base for a
Historian.
dam. that It was composed of ths
Early settlement scene in 1908. Leather's cabin, A. C. Drop canal, now Alpha Chrlstley ranch.
., .tu over columpia district looking into unsettled district.
(Continued on Page 11)
%
‘
* s a F
saw
Da
This anniversary edition is in
celebration of the thirtieth birth
day of the Hermiston Herald.
During its lifetime it has ap
peared every week for 1560
weeks. It has never failed to
record the doings of its commu
nity each week, and has never
been in financial distress, or been
hindered in its progress.
Early in September, 1906, the
townsite firm of Newport &
Skinner felt the sudden urge to
start a newspaper. The townsite
squabble was in sight and a man
named Brown, editor of the Echo
News, who was unfriendly to
Newport & Skinner, was prepar-
Ing to issue a paper. One even
ing Col. Newport and Wm. Skin-
ner had a meeting with Mr. and
Mrs. A. C. Crawford. Crawford
subscribed $100, and the townsite
company the remainder. Togeth
er they wrote the news of the
whole country around and pre
pared advertising. The next day
they went to Pendleton and re
viewed the subject matter with
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Baker. Baker
was then operating a linotype on
the Pendleton Morning Tribune,
then published by E. P. Dodd.
That night the baby Herald was
born and named, and its godfath
er, the late Col. Horace Greely
Newport, proudly carried it away
in his arms from the Tribune
hospital to the railroad station at
nine A. M. and brought it to
Hermiston. The name of each
citizen of the new town was writ
ten on a copy of the paper and.
bearing a green penny postage
stamp, the issue was placed ex
ultantly in the Hermiston post
office.
For several months news was
supplied by Newport & Skinner,
and Mrs. Crawford, who was a
graduate ot Stanford University.
The Pendleton Tribune did the
printing. In the meantime the
Townsite company transferred
the ownership of the paper to C.
E. Baker. During the winter of
1906-1907, A. A. Lathrop, an
able man ot the old time newspa
per fraternity, kept the office ot
the paper open and gathered
news, advertising and subscrip
tions.
Early in the Spring of
1907, Mr. and Mrs. Baker moved
to their home in Hermiston and
continued the publication ot the
Herald for three and a half years.
The cut published in this edition
shows Mr. Baker standing at the
type case and Mrs. Baker at the
desk. The old Washington hand
press was soon cast out for a
modern cylinder press, and a good
job printing plant was installed.
The Herald was well established
when the Bakers, because their
land interests required attention,
sold out to F. R. Reeves.
Mr. Reeves published the pa
per several years, and both he
and Mrs. Reeves were very active
workers In community life here.
They live at Santa Rosa. Cal.
They were succeeded by James O’
Connell, who now publishes a pa-
nc. on the Oregon coast. He was
followed by Bernard Mainwaring,
now editor of the Baker City
Herald-Democrat. Bernard Main
waring was followed by Raymond
Crowder, now editor of the Ar
lington Bulletin.
His interests
were transferred to Athey and
Kingsley who sold to J. F. Har
vey, and Harvey sold to J. M
Biggs. The present publishers
are Pauline M. Stoop and Alfred
Quiring who have owned the pa-
per six years.
The Herald now has a more
modern plant, having installed a
Babcock, four page cylinder press
in May. 1935, six series of new
type faces and various other
equipment to make possible a
more efficient plant.
Starting the first of Angus'
this year four pages of additional
features were added to the Her
ald columns, making it an eight
page paper each week. At times
the business justifies ten pages or
more. These new features in
clude a continued story, national
news, a page of timely pictures.
Sunday school lessons. Oregon
state news, articles by Irvin 8.
Cobb, and a page of comics, be
sides the news stories of local in
terest.