The INDEPENDENT, August 19, 2010
Save the date for St. Mary’s Quilt Fair
The quilting tradition that
helped
build
Vernonia’s
Catholic Church continues, so
mark your calendars! Septem-
ber 16 – 19 will be the 40th An-
nual St. Mary’s Quilt Fair. The
event is the largest fundraiser
for the parish.
Each year, old friends and
new visit the Fair, which boasts
unique quilting designs and in-
cludes a Craft and Gift Bazaar
as well as delicious homemade
lunches. The array of colors on
quilts amazes people who, per-
haps, have a stereotype in
mind before attending the fair –
there is something to suit and
entice everyone. Bazaar prod-
ucts have included floral
arrangements, wall hangings,
knitted and crocheted items.
When the congregation out-
grew its small country church
many years ago, donations
were collected to purchase the
current property on Missouri
Avenue in Vernonia. There was
no money to actually construct
the church – this was where the
quilt fair tradition started. A
parishioner, Louise Smekjal,
began gathering scraps of ma-
terial and enlisted the help of
fellow quilters to make quilts
that could be sold to raise
funds. Over time, enough mon-
ey was collected to start con-
struction and parishioners
pitched in and literally built the
church that is used today. At a
later stage, a hall was added,
which is where the quilt fair is
now housed.
The floods of 1996 and 2007
made great use of the parish
hall – the church is located on
higher ground – as an emer-
gency Red Cross shelter, and
also housed the 3rd grade
class from Washington Grade
School until the school was
ready to receive students
again. St. Mary’s parishioners
are active within the greater
Vernonia community with indi-
vidual and group activities such
as regularly serving lunches at
the local Senior Center, serving
as the local St. Vincent de Paul
outreach, and with Vernonia Ki-
wanis, members of the parish
are active in and through the
Ford Institute Leadership Pro-
gram working on Vernonia’s
Community Garden.
Each year, the St. Mary’s
quilters make a “Star of Bethle-
hem” quilt to raffle.
So, what should one expect
of this year’s event? Lots of
quilts, blankets, crafts and gifts,
a choice of homemade soups,
gooey cinnamon rolls and pies
and most of all a warm and
friendly welcome. Doors are
open 10:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m.
September 16 through 19. A $1
donation is accepted in lieu of
an ‘entry fee’.
For more information, con-
tact St. Mary’s parish office at
503-429-8841.
50 Years Ago This Month
The August 11, 1960, issue
of the Vernonia Eagle included
the following news story on the
front page:
A sentimental journey clear
across the United States was re-
warding for Mr. and Mrs. Voyle
Dawson of Bena, Virginia when
they reached the sign telling them
they were entering Vernonia, the
town which was named for his
mother who never had the privi-
lege of seeing her namesake.
In 1875, Ozias Cherrington,
grandfather of Mr. Dawson, and
Judson Weed, father of Oscar
Weed and Mrs. E. E. Garner, left
Ohio to come to Oregon, the land
of adventure where they had heard
there was land for the taking
which was rich in timber and natu-
ral resources. Previous to that, the
two men had served in the Union
army together in Company I of the
35th Ohio regiment.
They came from Ohio to San
Francisco by train, and then from
San Francisco to Portland by boat.
They came into the Nehalem Val-
ley in the spring of 1876 and each
took a 160-acre homestead. Mr.
Weed homesteaded the place on
which his son, Oscar, now lives
and Mr. Cherrington took the ad-
joining 160 acres to the north.
The two men built their first
cabin of split cedar boards, on the
line between the two places and
lived there together while proving
up on their claims.
Both men had been teachers in
Ohio and were among those to do-
nate labor for the building of the
first school house and Ozias Cher-
rington taught the first term of
school in it during the winter of
1876-77. The second term was
taught by Mr. Weed.
By 1876, many settlers had tak-
en land in the upper Nehalem Val-
ley and a town site was laid out.
Then arose the need for a name. A
meeting was called at the school-
house and settlers suggested
names they desired. Many wanted
names of places from which they
had come but Ozias Cherrington
suggested the name of his daugh-
ter, Vernona. The girl’s mother had
died when she was born and she
was raised by her maternal grand-
parents. She was just a child when
her father came to Oregon.
When the vote for a name for
the town was taken, nine of the 17
votes cast were for the name Ver-
nona and many who cast their
votes did so because of their liking
for Mr. Cherrington who had sug-
gested it. Later, the additional let-
ter crept into the name, just how is
not really known, but the name of
the town became Vernonia and it is
the only town in the United States
to bear that name.
Mr. Cherrington left the valley
after a number of years and went
to Sauvies Island where a fall from
a hey-tedder in 1894 caused in-
juries which resulted in his death.
He had never returned to Ohio to
see his daughter and she had never
been able to visit him and the town
which was her namesake.
She had corresponded with
Omar Spencer until recent years
and had learned much about this
area and instilled in her children
and grandchildren an intense inter-
est in it. She passed away in 1952.
Mr. Dawson is the first member of
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Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Hello. Did you figure out the answer to
my question? When is a rose not a rose?
Answer: A Rose is a Rose when it is a
flower, but when a rose isn’t a rose is when
you get up out of bed. OK, so we would
say, “I got up out of bed,” “He rose or arose
from the grove.”
Flash: My hanging garden - I’ve toma-
toes and, yes, three small yellow zucchini.
My wrist is complaining some but my
writing skill is getting better, but I still feel like I am drawing the let-
ters (I have to grip the pen a little tighter to keep it steady).
I know I’ve asked this question before also, but did you know
the world “is” getting smaller? In attending a meeting the other
evening a fellow came up to me and said, “Excuse me ma’am but
I know you.” Me, looking him in the face with no recognition, said,
“Oh, I don’t believe so, what is your name?” He gave his name, “I
don’t know from where but I do know your face.” Me, “Where are
your from?” “Oh, gee, lots of places.” We both puzzled. I finally
said, “The only place I can think of, but I’m sure it isn’t, is Vernon-
ia, OR.” He, “Yes, that’s it, you worked at the front desk at the Ver-
nonia Cares Food Bank,” I gaped. To shorten the story, the year
of the Big Flood he lived in Blue Heron Apartments, young fellow,
no steady work, so we met once a month on his “Food Day.” He
now works for one of the contractors vying for the new schools
project. Small, small world.
An add on: I went to my Doc this A.M. (8-10-10). He turned me
loose. All I need now is to do my hand exercises… Whooppee!!!
Only five weeks in the hand brace – broken June 21 to August 10.
I hope you all survived the Jamboree.
Cool now but more Hot is coming.
My condolences to the families of old acquaintances that have
passed this last month.
the family to visit here and fulfill
the desire of his mother. He and
his wife visited the old homestead
on Timber road and took home
with them wood from a stump near
the site of his grandfather’s first
home. They also went to St. He-
lens last Saturday and located Mr.
Cherrington’s grave in an old Ma-
sonic cemetery now overgrown
with weeds and visited Sauvies Is-
land and determined the approxi-
mate location of the Cherrington
place there.
They remained here from Fri-
day until Tuesday of this week and
talked to as many of the old timers
as possible to gain information
about the history of the town. They
also took many pictures to show to
other family members.
Sunday, they enjoyed a trip
down the Nehalem river to Astoria
to see the Astor column, Fort Clat-
sop and on to Seaside to see the
end of the Lewis and Clark trail
and the salt cairn.
Mr. and Mrs. Dawson had spent
a month on the trip from Virginia
to Oregon seeing places of interest
in the northern states and Canada
and plan to be two months on the
way home but while here they ac-
claimed their visit to Vernonia, the
town named for his mother, as the
highlight of their trip. The infor-
mation they gained here about his
grandfather, Ozias Cherrington,
whom he was never privileged to
know, gave them much to take
home to other family members,
also.
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