The INDEPENDENT, October 19, 2011
Page 9
Life & Times in Vernonia
Long-time Vernonian, Eleanor Thompson, shares recollections
by Jeri Cropp
Part 2
For fun and relaxation, Bob
and Eleanor took camping trips
– including a memorable one to
the Wallowa Mts. While riding
their horses, they stopped for
refreshment with other cam-
pers who offered them cool
lemonade that they had buried
in the ground.
In the early 50s, Bob and
Eleanor, and John and Jenny
Seidleman started the Vernon-
ia RidgeRider Saddle Club
(VRR). They had trail rides and
cleared the brush at Anderson
Park that is now the arena
area. Before this property,
made available to VRR by the
city, was cleared, they held
horse gaming at Hawkins Park
under the lights. The Wilkerson
Trail Ride started during this
time, but was not a VRR event.
Bob and Eleanor blazed new
trails with machetes to keep the
trail rides interesting. There
were usually about 40 riders.
Eleanor won the oldest rider
trophy at age 73, in 1990, when
she completed a ride which in-
cluded a dance on Saturday
night and gaming on Sunday.
Rodgers Park was another fa-
vorite camping and picnic spot
for Vernonians. Bob and
Eleanor were also members of
the Washington County Mount-
ed Sheriff’s Posse.
Eleanor enjoyed going to the
local theater and to Pal’s for ice
cream. The Jamboree was an
annual event that the VRR par-
ticipated in each year. She re-
members that they got wooden
nickels about the size of a sil-
ver dollar. This was a fundrais-
er for Jamboree. She still has
some of the wooden coins.
There were street vendors and
a logging show with choker set-
ting and line splicing.
Bob and Eleanor liked to lis-
ten to music and dance, and at-
tended the dances where
Wayne Welch and Duke
Gortler were playing at grange
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Rain, rain go away. It’s supposed to be
Fall; warm breezes, soft sunshine, autumn
leaves of gold, brown, and red falling from
the trees. Not cold wind and splish-splash
when you go for your daily outing. Oh, well,
this is Oregon, maybe it will snow for Hal-
loween.
(Note: only Rebecca will see this article
is hand-printed, ‘cause I’ve lost the ability
to write.) Have you ever tried to type with
your index finger stiff as a poker? It even messes up the hunt and
peck system. So, not wanting to disappoint all of my faithful fol-
lowers, I’ve come down to chicken-scratch reporting. At present I
can still knit and crochet, but sewing with a needle and thread is
taxing the outer limits of a true crafter. Wandering in the shops
here in “the jungle” is becoming interesting. Halloween, Thanks-
giving and even Christmas cards are showing up. Avoid the rush.
Stock up early. Ho, ho, ho.
Another saga for you to enjoy. Question: How long should it
take to powerwash and paint the trim on an 8-plex building? Who
knows? Anyhow, the crew has been at it for about 2-1/2 months
now. The other day, a painter raps on my door and says to me,
“Can ya’ leave your door open?” Says me to he, “Why?” From he
to me, “I got to paint your door.” “Oh, okay,” says I. 10 minutes
elapse. Then a voice says, “Just leave the door open about 20
minutes and you can shut it, Okay?” “Thank you,” I reply. Later I
shut the door. Much later, Shadow and I start out the door and as
I shut it – Good Grief, he has painted around the outside edge of
the door and left the center unpainted. That was 2-1/2 weeks
ago. I found out someone else will be by to do the rest of the
door, one of these days. I hope I live long enough to see the door,
and my patio fence, painted.
From the peaceful unhurried, life in the Big City.
EEEE – Bye now!
halls in Natal, Chapman and
Pumpkin Ridge, and Oddfel-
lows Hall. Eleanor also enjoyed
going to the dance hall above
the Birkenfeld Store.
In 1991, Eleanor joined
Wayne and Duke’s band as a
washboard player, then joined
the Golden Oldies in 1994 play-
ing the drums, as she does to
this day. The group plays at the
Vernonia Senior Center on
Wednesdays, and occasionally
at other places. Eleanor has
also been a member of the
local bridge club since 1952
and the pinochle club since
1962.
Eleanor had an opportunity
to be in the movie “Ring of Fire:
filmed in Vernonia in 1960.
David Janssen helped her onto
the train along with her daugh-
ter, DeDe. She earned $10 for
her part and received her very
first Social Security card. She
remembers that the film com-
pany evacuated the streets of
town for filming and paid their
Union Gas Station $300 for the
day. One of the scenes was a
burning car on the lot where
Wauna Federal Credit Union is
now located.
Bob and Eleanor created
some excitement in Vernonia
one early Saturday morning.
They, along with John and
Jenny and other RidgeRiders,
staged a train robbery on
horseback with guns firing
blanks. They ran the train down
to the Vernonia Depot scaring
passengers and onlookers. At
that time, in the late 1960s, an
excursion train was traveling
from the valley to Vernonia at
Anderson Park. This was al-
most 10 years after the mill
closed.
People from out of town
liked to ride the rail to Vernonia
for weekends of camping and
fishing. That weekend they got
their money’s worth. Bob and
Eleanor were quite the rebels
on horseback. They bought
property behind the water plant
to pasture their horses and
store hay in the barns. There is
also a Sequoia tree planted at
Anderson Park, still standing,
that was donated by the
Thompson family.
Today, Eleanor is 94 years
old and still maintains her driv-
ers license and vehicle, though
she rarely drives. She plays in
the Golden Oldies Band and
continues with her bridge and
pinochle clubs. Her husband,
Bob, passed away in 1986 after
being on dialysis from 1977.
The community and the band
fundraisers helped pay to build
a dialysis room onto the back
of the Thompson home. Bob
and Eleanor were both very
grateful for all the contributions
and support during that difficult
time.
Now Eleanor shares her
time between her family, her
close friend Duke, playing in
the band at the Vernonia Se-
nior Center and playing
Please see page 16
24 Years Ago This Month
The October 29, 1987, issue
of The Independent included
the following news story on
page 14:
A fire of undetermined origin
that started near Pebble Creek
Road and Tophill on Sunday af-
ternoon, October 18, burned
nearly 180 acres of timberland
before being brought under
control the following Tuesday
evening.
Hundreds of volunteers
spent thousands of hours fight-
ing the fire and, with the aid of
manpower and equipment from
seven rural fire districts and
State Forestry, they managed
to contain the fire before it
damaged homes or other build-
ings in the area.
The fire crossed Highway 47
approximately 8 miles south of
Vernonia, causing road clo-
sures on Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday, but the only structural
damage was to a 650’ long
wooden trestle, unused for
many years, that was severely
damaged.
After the fire was contained,
dynamite was used on Monday
to remove a section of the tres-
tle adjacent to the unburned
part in order to keep the fire
from working its way across the
trestle to an area of standing
timber.
The following day badly
burned portions of the trestle
were pushed down by Darrell
Gwin of Vernonia, using a D7
Cat. The remainder of the still
burning trestle was pulled
down, using a cable winch on
the D7.
Setting chokers for Gwin
were local loggers, Bill Wolsey
and Russell Lende, who at-
tached the cables to each sec-
tion of the trestle as pieces of
burning wood and liquid cre-
osote fell more than 80’ from
the top of the span.
Of the total acreage burned,
approximately 130 acres are
owned by Longview Fibre, and
the remainder is owned by
Hampton Tree Farms.
Howard
Hopkins
of
Longview Fibre said that most
of the trees they lost were three
to seven years old. He praised
the response of local loggers
and the good efforts of the rural
fire departments.
“In fact the response of
everyone was just great,” he
added.
Among the volunteers were
many people who purchased,
prepared and delivered food
and beverages to the hungry
firefighters.
Rural fire districts that re-
sponded to the emergency
were Tri-Cities, Vernonia,
Washington County Fire Dis-
trict No. 2, Gaston, Forest
Grove, Cornelius and Hillsboro.
The efforts of all the volun-
teers are appreciated by a
grateful community.
G OOD F OOD
G OOD F RIENDS
G OOD T IMES
831 Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR
503-429-0214