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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1963)
J&atuAM KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON. SUNDAY, APRIL 7. 1963 West Side Story-Fears And Joy Ot Upper Klamath Lake Pioneers 1 'CJ. 1 arvrN ArfTpar -1 V -;- h i! Jhi KiVwti Vf 'f ' B-R-R-R-R! Mrs. James (Sue) Blair stood beside the family home on the West Side of Upper Klamath Lake in early part of century. Icicles reached from eaves to ground and snow lay deep on the roof. Few trips were made, winter or summer, to the "outside." Snow fre quently buried low buildings and covered fences. Mr. and Mrs. Blair were residents of Oakland, Calif., when Blair saw a picture of Klamath Falls and came in 1909 to take a look. They homesteaded the following year. Mr. ' and Mrs. Blair originally came from Council Bluffs, Iowa. 44 mi M&mJ iff J$u . - , . - "1 f ,-v-'r-, :. .v "tI f . SNOW RIMMED This small stream that heads below . Harriett Mountain on the West Side of Upper Klamath Lake is known as Rocky Creek on the map, to others as Rock Creek or Denny Creek. It was near this fast flow ing creek that the John C. Fremont massacre occurred in 1846. Three men, Basil, Delaware Crane and a half breed scout by the name of Denny were ambushed and killed by the Indians. They were buried in shallow graves nearby. Fremont named the stream Denny Branch and la ter D. E. Alexander, owner of the Rock Creek Ranch, built a native stone fountain at the site of the death eamp. Eulalona Chapter, Daughters of the American Rev olution, placed a bronze marker at the fountain. It has since been moved to the location of a new road on the West Side. By RUTH KINO , An assignment from the man-! aging editor to "do a story" on the development and population growth on the West Side ot Upper Klamath Lake was received w ith open arms." It meant a bit of time away from the telephones on extensions 26 and 31, a cov ered typewriter (or a day, and a trip into loved country above GOOD FISHING Jim and Anton Wickstrom took time out from business to drop lines and lures into Diamond Lake to catch a few beauties. The brothers bulit the Mo doc, used for many years on Upper Klamath Lake. They brought sand from the Williamson River on a barge to Klamath Falls. ber. The units of land lay to the left of the lake front above the old road to Rocky Point and llairiman Lodge of today, some of it near the head of Rock Creek that flows into Upper Klamath Lake. Men had tramped over the land, had "sized up" claim sites. and had made preparations to take their families, household the valley to visit some of the equipment and timber tools w ith folks whose earlier efforts had laid the foundation for this pres ent Klamath country. This was the kind of an assignment that reporters welcome. This one grew like Topsy . . . it mushroomed and ballooned. One tip led to another and pen ciled notes stacked up. The one- day trip became several. Old pic tures and clippings, memories uo-you-remcmber-this sessions when two people got together gave new leads. The story of the West Side of Upper Klamath Lake couldn't possibly be told at one sitting . . . there are too many people involved, too much hard work, too many successes, failures . . laughter and good times the pio neer way, elation and disappoint ments, pride in accomplishment and discouragement ... a pan orama of human emotions. Many of these stories can only he repeated by sons and daugh ters oi tnose wno came more than half a century ago from the Middle West, the states cast of the Mississippi, from the South where peanuts and cotton grow and the newer West. Thev are still fresh in mind for many of those who have heard tV stories from parents now gone were born here. This one has to do with home- steading, and while it cannot be told without lapses in time, it recalls those days before astro nauts, beehive hairdoes and jet travel. It was told in part by two homesleading couples who still live in Klamath Falls, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Tolten of 323 Front Street and Mr. and Mrs. James Blair who live, at 1527 Oregon Avenue. Not too long ago they spent an afternoon together "re membering when." Names and places were also recalled by Mr. and Mrs. A. E Wampler at Odessa. Mickey's father, Marion H. Wampler had the first butcher shop in Klam ath Falls, located where the Van- Fleet Electric now operates at second and Main. .Marion Wampler homesteaded in 1905 on Upper Klamath Lake at Coon Point when King Gray, almost a legendary figure, home- teaded there too. The names n( Casey Jones, a homesteader in the 80s on Varney or Pit Creek, Harry Poole and Rose Torrey w ho later became his wife, Frank Courladc, Ike and Jim Straw Frank Davis, a man by the name of Swan at the head of Aspen Lake, Bob Perkins. Bruce Gad dis came to mind . . . there were many others. The Blairs and the Totlens were among 12 families who had hearts set on settling homestead land near Odessa. IK units then oflered by the federal government. They believed the year was 1910. the month July Each household head could file upon lfiO acres of land, largely covered with merchantable tim them. Those same blocks of timber and land were also sought by timber men and this is what hap pened. There was to be a "run" from a certain point on the lakeshore luly set for the opening. Claim filings had to be made previous in Lakeview in the Land Com missioners office on a first come, first served" basis. Everyone concerned knew it would be a race in which drivers of horsedrawn rigs would be the losers. There were over 100 rough miles of road between Klamath Falls and the land of fice. There were few automobiles in Klamath Falls at that time. Some were owned by. the lumbermen who also borrowed others, all of them they thought. already advised men to file had Lawyers had that the first preference. The necessary legal papers for the homesteaders had been pre pared here by Deputy Land Com missioner Dick Richardson who found a car, the only one left ir town. Ownership has been for gotten. Richardson, the papers safelv stowed away, "lit out" for Lake view. He didn't stop by the way side. The lumbermen appar cntly did. Richardson was ready when the Land Commissioner opened the door, and thrust the documents through Some timbermen filed on the same units with area spccitica lions running in opposite direc tions. Court actions followed and the homesteaders won. John Tottcn then owned the Winema. The date for the legal opening of the land neared. None could cross the land lines until mid night, one moment past made the "run" legal. There is no record" for this chronicle of family numbers. John and Carrie Totten had one son. (CopUnued on Page 2) - I ' TL I 4f(v?:s:v; .Villi"-.; li. 1 -Mmz THEY REMEMBER Mr. and Mrs.' James Blair and Mr. and Mrs. John T. Totten were two of the couples who took up homesteads on the West Side of Upper Klamath Lake in 1910. Mrs. Blair (Sue), 86, right, was born Feb. 4, 1877, at Mount Ayr, Iowa. Jim Blair, second from left, 88 last Dec. 2, was born in Dwight, III. Mrs. Totten, 88, left, is a native of Renton, Wash., born Jan. 23, 1875. Mr. Totten was born in Oxford, Ohio, June 24, 1869, which makes him 84. After homesteading, Mr. and Mrs. Blair operated the Empire Hotel for a time on Main Street; he owned a used car business, worked for the late Barney Chambers and for several years has owned a service sta- nany years from e. They have no tion, now leased. Mrs. Blair worked for many 1920 to 1938 in Underwood's Drug Store. children. Mr. Totten, who came here in 1902, was em ployed by Klamath Lumber and Box, working on the Nancy K and the Cary Lou, handling log booms. The homesteaders and their families went to the West Side of Upper Klamath Lake for the run to their land on the Winema, then owned by John Totten. The Blair and Tot ten homesteads joined. Mr. and Mrs. Totten have two sons, Dave and Hugh, both of Klamath Falls. Both couples still live in Klamath Falls. PLENTY OF MOISTURE Sue Blair stood In path in snow in front of first homestead cabin to visit with unidentified guest on skis. Heat from wood fire had melted snow and left bare spot on roof of house. Other homesteaders built similar homes. -Yin-"-- .v ft a. 'r .fi it - Ufit-X kV.I -j. a a njf sua ' ?. s,VV i THERE WAS A TIME Deer hunters in the Klamath Country were once allowed to kill 10 deer. Later the number was reduced to five, then to three when this picture was taken half a century ago. Hunting licenses were a dollar. Left to right are Jim and Homer Martin and Frank Courtade and their bags. Hunters were as proud then as they are now of the size of animals they brought down. Note spring scales near top of left hand side of picture at buck's shoulder. FINE NEW HOME This is second home built on their homestead by Mr. and Mrs. Jim Blair. Small cabin, original home in which they lived three or four years, is at rear. A stone wall they built near homesite has now nearly disappeared. After family came to Klamath Falls to live, others carried away the contents that were left and eventually tore down and removed the houses occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Blair, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Totten and other homesteaders. .rv- - - - - ' ' 'III ' - hi . wk, iJI ,"tfc THE HARD WAY These logs, hauled on a logging sled, were en route to be decked at Homesteader's Land ing on Upper Klamath Lake near Rock Creek Ranch, once owned by D. E. Alexander, now owned by Mrs. Page Lamoreaux of California. Winters then were more sever and snow was deeper than in recent years. Logs were towed to Klamath Falls mills when ice broke up on lake. Loggers are not identified. Early Day Pictures Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. James Blair, Klamath Falls. TROTTING TRANSPORTATION Company came from California so Sue and Jim Blair took them for a spin. The bays are Jim and Bill. The dog is Chief. Jim Blair it driving. Mrs. Blair is on left in back seat. lHMLMr. uLatAeAm 4 ARMLOADS OF FRAGRANCE Many years ago the b e a u t i f u I pink and white Mountain Lillies grew in the forests of the Klamath country on long stems laden with as many as 37 heavy-scented blossoms. There were so many that they were taken out in quantities. As years passed bulbs were duq and taken away to home gardens. Possibly those left became diseased or insect ridden. At any rate the Mountain Lily has nearly disappeared. Some are growinq 'where they have been transplanted but the foreign soils of the valleys are not kind to the plant, which is used to the mellow decay of forest vegetation and the cool shade. These were on James Blair homestead on West Side of Upper Klamath Lake. Left to right, standing, are Dorothy (Jolly) Sims, Idella Sue Blair, Jim Blair and Claude Starr. The lad on ground is Eddie, surname not known. ;
