The INDEPENDENT, October 3, 2012
50 Years Ago This Month
The October 18, 1962, issue
of the Vernonia Eagle included
the following news story on the
front page:
Vernonia and the entire Ne-
halem Valley reeled under the
force of the storm Friday night and
were shocked by the realization
that “it can happen here.” Since
Friday evening, there has been lit-
tle talk of anything else but the
storm and the various damages
done by it. The only previous
storm to anywhere approximate it
was one the pioneers told of about
in 1880 (sic).
However, as the survey pro-
gresses, the most familiar com-
ment is “This is a good place to
live” for damage here has been
much lighter than in communities
on all sides and no lives were lost
or serious injuries sustained.
Saturday morning, the town
was a scene of havoc which only
those who got around early really
saw, for everyone went to work at
once to clean up debris and put
things back to normal. Trees were
down everywhere and some
homes have the appearance of a
plucked chicken as they stand
without the familiar trees sur-
rounding them.
Among the amazing things is
that so few houses were actually
damaged by trees when so many
fell around them.
By Wednesday, a tentative esti-
mate of insurable damage in the
area had been placed at from
$12,000 to $15,000. Of this, it is
estimated that at least $6,000 or
$7,000 will be needed to repair
damage at the high school, the
most heavily damaged place in the
valley. This included the grand-
stand which lost its roof, the pub-
lic address system which was on
the grandstand roof ready for the
scheduled Friday night game, the
carport at the east end of the build-
ing where busses loaded and un-
loaded, damaged roof, broken
windows, an aluminum awning
and water damage in rooms.
Some damage was incurred at
each of the elementary buildings
in the district but was not exten-
sive at any of them.
When the carport blew off the
high school, it narrowly missed
Darrold Proehl and Dale Andrich
when it passed over the car they
were in and struck the house of
Herb Sturdevant, doing consider-
able damage to the foundation. He
was not home at the time.
Many of the trees which were
downed were uprooted due to the
rain-soaked ground. Many freak-
ish things happened in connection
with this, also. At one house on
Second avenue on Corey Hill, tree
roots under a part of the house lift-
ed and tore it from the house. At
the Sandon house on Scappoose
road which recently was pur-
chased by the Gene Calhoons,
trees fell to completely surround
it, but none hit the house. A huge
cedar in the Thayer yard fell
across the porch roof and breeze-
way between the house and cellar.
Several people felt they had a
very close brush with death. Mr.
and Mrs. J. W. Acaiturri, who had
four tall trees fall at their home,
one of which hit the house, were
making their way to the R. C.
Lindsay home when a tree fell just
behind them. Mrs. Robert Pollock,
coming from Staleys, saw a tree
leaning dangerously over the road
and stepped on the gas so as to just
get by and have the tree graze the
back of her car. Richard Peterson
of Natal was coming home from
Clatskanie in his pickup when a
tree blocked the road. He first
thought he would sit it out, then
decided to walk. He was only a
short distance from the car when a
tree fell, crushing the cab of the
pickup completely.
At several homes, including the
Joe Lawler residence in Riverview
and the Edith Crowston residence
on Corey hill, falling trees tore the
electric service installations from
the houses. At the Otto Siedelman
place on the Pebble Creek loop,
the barn and other farm buildings
were flattened.
Many people lost roofs or parts
of roofs. At the Leslie Caron home
three successive layers of roofing
were peeled off.
One of the most disastrous pub-
lic damages was to the bridge
about one and a half miles south of
Vernonia across the river to the
mink farm. A falling tree went
across the steel structure, breaking
and twisting it.
Officials of Crown Zellerbach,
after a survey of damages to com-
pany land, estimated that at least
25 million feet of timber was
downed by the storm.
The barn on the Frank Reed
place below Vernonia, formerly
the Mat King place, was blown
across the road and at one point
Friday evening, debris from it
along with utility wires felled by
the wind and flying debris,
blocked the road at that point.
At the Vernonia airport, a
hangar went down on the plane
owned by Mrs. Frank Hays, break-
ing the windshield and damaging
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Well, here we are
again, but with the news
that there is to be only
ONE paper a month. So,
I have put my brain on
THINK. Lots of com-
ments have been flying
through my brain since I
received the paper but it
made me sort of smile
when I read I’d still be found among the pages
of The Independent. This means I’ve got to step
up to a few more lines, so here goes. One thing
that caught me eye in the article “24 Years Ago
Today”. Someone should check the lake (that is
if the lily pads haven’t completely consumed the
lake). The lake is the one thing that people from
out of town go to Vernonia to enjoy. I still think
there should be a way to control them, anyhow I
know they advertise good to control them (lily
pads, that is). I used to see the ads in Country
Magazine.
And, in answer to D.S. of Vernonia, on the
sewer rate problem. I’m sure we went through
that at the council meeting several years ago.
Councils of the past (more than at least 12) and
the powers that were didn’t know they had to
keep checking up on their condition, so they did-
n’t think to start collecting monies and keep
them separate and leave them alone for just
sewer and water upkeep. That involved an aw-
ful lot of elected folks, so now everyone must
bite the bullet once more, only this time the
wings and undercarriage. Total
amount of damage has not been
learned. Other planes kept there
were those of Wally Grosche and
Frank Hays and their damage is
understood to be minor. Four oth-
er fliers from the valley had planes
at Scappoose. L. E. Atkins esti-
mates from $1000 to $1200 dam-
age to his plane and Dave Seibel
and Kenny Smejkal are under-
stood to have suffered wing dam-
age. Fred Busch of Mist came out
with little damage to his plane. It
also is understood that a former
resident, BIll Olinger of Hillsboro,
lost his hangar and suffered major
plane damage.
One of the outstanding results
of the storm was the demonstra-
tion of the resourcefulness of peo-
ple in the valley who were devis-
ing means of cooking sharing with
those less fortunate.
The storm will continue to be a
topic of conversation for many a
day to come and everyone agrees
that once was enough for a storm
like that. And, as more reports are
received from other places, resi-
dents here will continue to agree
that this was the best place to be
when such a storm did occur.
Everyone in the valley should be
economy stinks, and it isn’t going to get better
very soon. I think their attitude was “If it ain’t
broke, don’t worry, be happy.”
Now, on to fluffier stuff. Those geese I wrote
about a while back – there was one lone goose
honking his way across the airway by 5:00 a.m.
the other morning, so I believe they are getting
serious about leaving. Saturday, the 21st, 14 of
us able-bodied older folk took off from the
church for a day out of the city. Where to, you
ask? The cheese factory in Tillamook, of course.
And the beach, of course. Tasty and delicious,
then we backed up and took in the Blue Heron
Cheese Factory, since I had had more than
enough cheese at the first stop I wasn’t interest-
ed in any more cheese, but a sound caught my
ear and I went looking for it. Yes, I found two
good ol’ boys, guitars at the ready, playing blue
grass. I sat down, visited and listened, soaking it
all up. It was Fan-Tab-U-lussssss. I put a couple
bucks in their coffee can, thanked them for a
very enjoyable break, went back to the group
who hadn’t even missed me, because they were
everywhere else. Petting zoo, gift shop, just
strolling around the flowers and not a one of us
checked out the wine tasting. It made a good
day a perfect day. Then we checked out the
beach at Oceanside – another grand experi-
ence. I walked the beach in my bare feet, it sure
felt good. The tide was just beginning to come
in. When I got home my son had dinner almost
ready to put on the table. What a way to end a
perfect day – no meal to cook or dishes to do.
See you next month.
able to count many reasons for the
observance of Thanksgiving this
year.
G OOD F OOD
G OOD F RIENDS
G OOD T IMES
831 Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR
503-429-0214
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