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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1922)
umbia County ♦ > » Entered as second-class matter August 4, 1922, at the post VERNONIA, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1922 Vcrnonii, O gzn, mder the Act of March 3, 1879 Volume 1, Number 19 MOUTHPIECE of the NEHALEM VALLEY HOME FACTS HISTORY OF NEHALEM VALLEY” By Veldon Parker Seventh Grade I the little town was called Pittsburg In 1879 tile people of Pittsburg built la road through to St. Helens, the county seat J lie settlers worked hi snow several feet deep hi order to finish the road. On July IS, IXHO, Mr. J I*. Spencer came over th<- Beaver (reek road with his bride; she was the first bride to come into this valley. The first couple married here was Julia Parker ami John Van Blari- com. January 9, 1880. there was a ter- rible wmdstorm. It tilled the road, with trees, and caused the settlers mm h hard work The first election was held June 8. 1878 Thirty-nine votes were cast at this election. Ihe settlers then were more neigh borly than they are now. I hey were alway, ready to help their neighbors, night or day. The first goods that were sold in the- valley were peddled from one homestead to another, l>y a Jewish man by the name of Fleicher, who later put in a little store in the school house. Later a store was put in at Ver- nonia by Mr William Mellin;,er. At that time there was no church, so they held meeting in the school house. Mr. Plowman did most of the preaching Mr Kerr and others also held religious meetings. Mr William Pringle was the Sunday school superintendent. All the set tlers attended these meetings. Mr. J. 1* Spencer was the first jus tice of peace and Mr. Peter Brouse was next. At that time there was no fruit ex cept wild berries in the i alley. But now there are many orchards bear- ing fine fruit. From that time on the country commenced to git settled up and look more like civilization. The towns of Pittsburg and Vernonia both grew At one time there was a weekly paper printed at Pittsburg, and one at Vernonia The little town of Pittsburg at one time was a very busy place, many people living there. But finally the sawmill was burned and the people commenced to move away, until it lost tile po toffice and the property was bought l>y the tim ber company ; the buildings were town down, and now the ¡da ace is called Tourish bv the railroad com- pany. A little town grew up sixteen mile* below Vernonia which is called Mist There was need of a church at that time, so the -ittlirs got together and bought lumber enough to build the church. Most of the settlers used oxen at that time As time passed on Ver- New buildings nonia slowly grew. were going lip, the postoffice changed hands many times, as well as the stores. Among the latter buildings put up are the Grange hall and grade school house. Roads kept improving, while now they have hard-surfaced roads Many of the first settlers have died, while others have left the coun- try. The new railroad just came in. causing Vernonia to grow very rap- And Vernonia will probably idly, keep on growing in the years to come. In the last year Vernonia has grown from about .«*> people to a population of about 1000. About a, far back a, we can Ket an idea of Nehalem valley is when the first •ettlers came here. .several are living here yet. In the fall of 1874 Clark L. Parker came into this valley, with his family They carried their belongings on their back, all except the dog. Sal mon, and the ruetibackies. What time they were not following elk trails, they were making their own trails through the forest. They came over Green mountain and down Pebble creek, crossing the creek thirteen times A few month« later. Van Blaricom,, Adams and the Tucker family located here. The Tucker family moved from the lower Nehalem to the up per Nehalem in order to have neigh bors. In 1875 and 187b a wagon road was made from the Meechine’s place to where George Englcky lives now. Later Clark I. Parker and .Mr Selders finished the road. Mr. Selders was the first to die here. His death was sad. He was lost in the woods and froze to death In 1875 the Inst baby was born, be ing Albert L. Parker. 1 he first school house was erected hi 1876, being a small log >ihuol i P m house. It was built on the < m ahn ker place or where the S. steen place it now. I he first school teacher being Mr I hcringtou. 1 here was three months’ school at that time. The second teacher being Mr. Jud son Weed, another Nehalem pioneer This ialley at that time was a dense forest*, there being numerous wild animal«, the elk and other game be- Therc were as ing very plentiful, many as fifty seen m one band a few miles below Vernonia, At that early date there was talk of a railroad coming in mon. T his talk caused many of the old timers to locate here. In 1878 a petition was circulated by Mr Weed and Mr Cherington tor a poslofiice, and the postoffice was granted. Mr. Cherington named the postoi- tice after his daughter, Vernonia, aud the name has never changed. '1 he first mail contract was let to Mr Joe Campbell. He carried the mail from St. Helens to Vernonia '[he settlers having made a trail that way He walked and carried the mail on his back for several months, making one trip a week The second mail carrier was Mr. Hiram Van Blaricom. He also car- He suffered many hardships, through ned it on his back and later on a mule He had a four-year contract, the winter. On one of these mail It trips lie nearly froze to death, took him two days Io make the trip Mr. Frank Baker was the first post master. Before this tune the onlv way they got their mail was when one of the settlers took a trip to Forest Grove, and when they came back they would bring the mail for the rest of the settlers. About this time some settlers lo cated at the mouth of East Fork, on the Nehalem river, about five miles Fewer Vernonia men would have below Vernonia. There was a saw- axes to grind if they had to furnish mill and a grist mill there and later the motive power for turning the And there was a postoffice there. grindstone. Safetv, : (lillljj W” I lonestv. Courtesy, Service BANK OF VERNONIA Paul Robinson, Edi’cr and Owner Advertising Medium of a Big Pay noli Community BUY A ONE-WAY TICKET TO VERNONIA The Christmas Holly Girl i ASTORIA FIRE Let us say just a word, little more about Vernonia. In six months past EXTENDS 3 YM PA- Vernonia has trebled in population VERNONIA THY AND SHARE, SORROW Her grade and high school are n o. WITH THE CITIZENS OF THE over-crowded From one hundred I to BIG PORT. iwo hundred pupil* in six month i i- some gain. Within the ne.-t six One of the most disastrous fires months Vernonia will again treble ■ ill ever experienced on the coast was population. This is no gues-. but I fact based on industries now build- the big blaze in Astoria, starting at ing that will need that many i mor, 2 o’clock Friday morning of last people to operate them, Vernonia week. A damage of at least $29.- has some very pretty homes. ft j, 000,000 is reported and thirty b! >, k s In fact, As- a good home town, a plendid school of the city detroyed. town, a healthy, romantic, des irable toria was destroyed. A gale wa, I low- pl'Ce to live. It is now on a good i ¡"8 at the time and it was impossible railroad, recently built from Port- to check the flame* as they jumped land and going to Astoria, it i* on from block to block and swept un the Nehalem river and Rock creek der the pilings from the water front back toward the hill. Dyna and the central point of five fertil • alleys, it is a farming community mite was used in saving a fe,v build No better fruit can be rai*ed in the ings. All wires were down, but the Northwest. It is an industrial center news came to Vernonia by wireless as well. It is the center of the larg sent from the Oregonian office three est body of standing timber in al! times a day. The messages were i — ()r< gon, the mills and camps in every ceivcd at the station in Fenner’s con direction make business good in Ver fectionery and pool room—one of the nonia. it is a payroll town. A nigh' best an<l largest receiving stations Large crowds lis town, and a mighty good town. Then in the state. is work here for the laboring man tened to the news and all seemed there is opportunity here for the in to feel the disaster a» badly as if we vestor. '1 here is plenty of room herr each owned part of Astoria. Plans for the business man. Vernonia i- are being shaped rapidly for the re on the main Inland Loop highway. building of the big city by th- sea. '1 he thriving city has no competition and the state is looking for a larger within thirty mile« A business hub and ri, her Astoria to rise from the Ihe hospital, banks, hotels. for a large, thickly settled t rritory ruins ig stores, halls, homes, telephone : nd lasting over the lifetime of any man living. It is as solid as fertile cffices. the daily printing offices soil and natural timber can make ¡.r.v were destroyed, leaving Astoria a [dace. Vernonia has a live, boosting mass of black, smoldering ruins. Within a few hours relief was citizenship and a bunch of bu-in-s man who are always on their toes rushed to the city from Portland and for any move good for the town's other Oregon cities. wellfare. Vernonia ha* well-stocked stores, good churches, mills, machine -hops, scenery—the best in the North west, fishing, hunting and work i progressing rapidly on a new ci'y Hydro-el -ctric po-.v r is today the v ater system and a new hvdro-t lec- greatest asset to th business world. | trie light and power plant that |>mm- Undeveloped water p, ver is being iises to be one of the mo t important harnessed wherever it is possible. in Oregon. Vernonia welcomes you: Light and power derived from hydro .Vernonia invites you: Vernonia need electric plants the world over is abso you. You will make money here. lutely the best and the cheapest power V ou will have the best surrounding* in the world today. It is the cumin;-, to be found any place m which to power of a universe wherever a people I bring up a family. Vernonia is boom- is lucky enough to live within range. VERNONIA GRADE SCHOOL it.g with a steady boom and now i- Millions upon millions of dollars are [the opportune time to locate in thr being -pent in the development of busiest little city in Oregon. water power. Vernonia, fortunate 'tiler questions now de- Vernonia, has unlimited possibilities nsideration of our from her hvdro-electric power Ver lion of housing PROGRAM AT P.-T MEETING nonia people showed a wise decision and a good judgment when they voted v, employed and for light and power to be developed c well filled. Th' teach- At a regular meeting of the Par for our city by a good, strong , ower king in hearty co-ope ra- ivving a determination to ent-Teachers’ association last Wed company. VV’e voted for more than i In d < me < >f the In st in nesday evening an excellent program we realized, as the Vernonia Power was rendered to an interested audi •omp.any will supply the entire valley, nnel qf the teachers is as ence and numbers worthy of special md eventually the whole Northwest s. Ethel Kay has the pri- notice were the third and fourth vill hear of Vernonia and her har andling fifty pupils, and grade drill. Mi*s Hav erling's talk, m's ed water power, It means a good > is needs no comment, and the character song by Hie Raf- industrial and manufacturing city. Work is progressing satisfactoriK not known it may be eas- ford sisters. If you are not an attendant of th, and fast and now we hear that we .. incd. and a visit to her rooms y interested citizen will con- association meetings, is there any ire safe in announcing that V'.u can good reason why you should not do turn on your lights in Vernonia by thein of her efficiency. Vida Emmons has the sen- so? Come out the second Friday of the f i r t of May. The streets will be lighted, power can he had for every i i and junior third grades each month. use and homes can assume that com- rhe historical contest was won gh a young teacher, is giv- Parker , with Dorothy tortable and homelike appearance as iest efforts to the work and Veldon Ver Troop. Anna Rea Webster and Ethel well as any city in Oregon. herself to he a capable Wilson tied for the other prizes, nonia is growing and progressing and w ill continue to grow as fast as w<- Lenora Kizer has the senior which they split equally among them ihe citizens, will let it. selves. third and the fourth grades, ami in an efficient way is producing re- suit that -how a good effect on the I pupils under her charge. Mi-» Xlta Northrop reigns over the senior fifth and the sixth grade, nd n r \ in: and activity is the life • i th s,h. >1. Whether on the play ground or in the school room, she is thorouj Jilv master of the situation Mrs. Wilson is an experienced J teacher and conversant with her work, She has charge of the junior fifth and the seventh grades. Mr. Wilson, the principal, directs the work of the eighth grade and superintends the work of the chool. The transportation of the pupils to and ai ,1 from school is handled by four large busses, serving a radius of three to four miles. 1-1 , n: cti 'i’ with the school work is an ctivi Parent-Teachers’ asso ciation. whose influence is felt on all school problems. Visitors re not only encouraged but tin i should feel it their privilege ..nd duty to visit the schools as often as possible. VV i feel assured that the school, will keep step with the advancement of the community at large and mark ■lie of the educational town- in this section of the county. Ve j o lia to Heve Po «er William Allen laid 1 Rest Veterans of the Civil fast leaving the ranks, nonia Post. G. A. R. rre > ar*' losing their Contrails until! fe v are left. William Wesley A !en, of Vernonia passed aw Sun day evening at five oclock ar,I funeral services were conducted Monday afternoon, at the church by Rev. Heverling, Mr. Alien had been ailing for son , lime with cancer of the stomach, hut for only the past few weeks was he compelled to remain at home. His life was a busy one. He was quite active considering his age and was always willing and a hard worker. He was a man ever listening for some" kind act to do, he was charitable to all causes and Always had a smile or a joke. Very few people in the Valley that dident know him personally, and his presence •ill be missed by all. Mr. Allen was born in Iona County, Mich, June ‘2J, 1846 and die I l)e< 10th 19*22, age 76 years 5 mon 11 s ar,l 11 d ys. Comrade Alien enlisted at Lyons, Mich, St pt 21 1863 in the Tenth Michigan Calverv, Co B. and he served untill the end of th war. He was mat' ried to Mary E Waldo, Oct, 2l’h 1882, There were two childre i born to this union. In 1891 th- v moved to Oregon and settled in the Nehalem Valley, wheie his wife died on July 7, 1898. Mr. Allen was married tl * second time to Adn M Lavender I h e. 14, 1898. He leaves th Rood wife and three children. Bcr- die, Jennie and Hurry to mourn their loss. Married: Last Friday, at Hills boro. Mr. Thomas Russell and Miss Edith May Potter, both of Vernonia, Both are were united in marriage, well known ami popular Vernonia After a short honey - young people, moon the newlyweds returned In n , and on Thursday night they wire given a big welcome in the way of an old time charivari. Here’s wishin them prosperity and happines . PROTECT YOUR CAR Against the Cold Denatured Akohal lui your Radiator Motor Ether IcrEasy Starting After ria ling this week’s Eagle don’t d< ti it. Send it to an ac- <pi .il t on or some one wishing in- i rm. t on about our city. \ i. rica appears to be a country 1« Hindi <1 on the north by Canada and hounded oil the east by sea-going bootleggers. ( Every man in town should join the \ emonia Chamber of Commerce. Both of these Should be Used by Every AutoOwner VERNONIA DRUG CO Wm. FOLCIR, Prop. ,Afc4Z QUAUTY DR17S STORE