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KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON. SUNDAY, APRIL 7. 1963
West Side Story-Fears And Joy
Ot Upper Klamath Lake Pioneers
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. ;