Vernonia eagle., May 21, 1926, Image 4

VERNONIA
Widely Quoted Weekly
Best Weekly Ad MarHwa
’ ss
*■ '~ jj _____ xL-.y ■ iii i w I
FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE IN VERNONIA
This picture was taken over thirty years ago and a “few old timers” will recog­
nize the faces of the pupils of that day. It was a log room built in the woods where
the thriving city of Vernonia now stands with its three, large new modern school
buildings and seven hundred students.
.
GRAND OLD
MAN Of THE
NEHALEM
EAGLE
ture on the wall. It was the picture
of his father and mother and their
seven sons, all of whom served in
the Civil war. Mr. Weed was but 14
years old when Fort Sumpter was
fired upon by the Confederates. He
was too young to-enter the army, but
three of his older brothers entered at
Lincoln’s first call for volunteers,
and it was not until 1864 that Mr.
Weed was allowed to enlist.
During one of Morgan’s raids, so
famed in Civil war history, Mr. Weed
was made a prisoner when a mere
youth. When Morgan and his men
came through Jacksonville, Ohio, on
one of his raids, Mr. Weed and one
of his brothers who was still at home
got their squirrel rifles and with a
half dozen other small boys of the
village struck out to make war on
the raiders. Weed, his brother and
two neighbor boys were captured and
held prisoners of war for 12 hours
when they were released on account
of their youth. “I expected to be
lined up and shot,” said Mr Weed.
ONE BROTHER LOST IN WAR.
On this picture on the wail were
the pictures and war records of the
seven Weed brothers.
They were
Columbus Weed, William H. Weed,
Andrew J. Weed, Chas. M. Weed.
Oscar F. Weed, Judson Weed and
Oren Weed. One brother, Andrew J.
Weed, was killed at the battle of
Kerntown in the Shenandoah valley
One of the brothers was wounded in
a hand-to-hand fight by being struck
over the head and knocked off his
horse. He died suddenly after the
close of the war,supposedly from this
injury. Mr. Weed served in Company
I, 172 Ohio Infantry.
Few there are in Columbia county
who have had thrust upon them as
many honors as has Judson Weed.
His first official position was that
of county school superintendent, to
which he was elected in 1878 and
served one year. “At that time,” said
Mr. Weed, “there were but ten school
districts in the entire county and
there was not a two-room school­
house in the county. The St. Hel­
ens school occupied one room in the
old courthouse, with F. A. Moore,
now a justice of the Oregon supreme
court, the teacher. Rainier had a
little school taught in an abandoned
dairy barn owned by John Dibblee
There was nothing in Clatskanie ex­
cept a little postoffice. Enoch Con­
yers has a small store. There was a
schoolhouse some place, but I do not
remember where, but think it was in
the present limits of the town.”
MORE OFFICES
At the close of his first year as
superintendent, Mr. Weed resigend
to take a school in Washington coun­
ty. In 1888 he was elected county
assessor and served nearly one term
and before the close of his term he
was elected to the legislatuer and at
the close of his first term was re­
elected. While in the legislature he
served as chairman of the commit­
tee on counties and was a member
of the committee of federal relations
Asked if he had originated any acts
which became laws, Mr. Weed stated
that “he was not guilty of this
charge.” The only act which became
a law was the act incorporating the
town of Vernonia, which was a ne­
cessary step in those days.
In 1894 Mr. Weed was elected
county clerk. His deputy was Judge
W. A. Harris, then a young man, and
now a resident of Vernonia.
In
1914 he was elected county commis­
sioner which position he held eight
years.
HOW VERNONIA WAS NAMED.
Mr. Weed was not the first school
teacher at Vernonia, but he was the
second teacher and he helped build
the first log schoolhouse.
It was
built near Andrew Parker’s placd,
just below the bridge on the north
side of the Nehalem. There were
about 12 pupils in the district when
it was o-ganized and there were not
over 15 when Mr. Weed taught.
After a time new settlers came in
and the question of having a post­
office came up for consideration. A
petition was circulated and signed by
all of the settlers. Then the matter
of choosing a name had to be set­
tled. So all of the settlers gathered
at the log schoolhouse one evening to
select a name for the postoffice. It
was agreed that names submitted
should be written on the blackboard.
Mr. Cherrington, who accompanied
Mr. Weed into the valley, was the
teacher and he had a daughter in
That a city without progressive zens shoud cooperate with them.
Ohio by the name of Vernonia, so leaders starts nowhere and gets no­
You should boost your city morn­
Mr. Cherrington wrote the name where.
"Vernonia” on the blackboard. “Au­
ing, noon and night. You can't say
burn” was also suggested, after Au­
That some cities have too many
burn, Minn., and other names were citizens who shoud be leaders, who enough in her behalf.
written on the blackboard.
Mr. are living only in the days of the
You should not run in a tread­
Cherrington being a man of some in­ past.
mill. Don’t go around in a circle.
fluence with the settlers, they de­
sired to favor him, so the name “Ver­
That progressive cities hav> lead­ Have faith oin your city. Take the
nonia” was selected. For a long time, ers who live in the present and work straight road and boost her on her
however, the voting precinct went by
way.
the name of Auburn and when Ver­ for the future. These men are men
Copyright 1926
nonia became a village the county of vision and real leaders. All citi-
court changed the name of the pre­
cinct to Vernonia.
Mr. Weed taught several years in
the Vernonia school. In 1898 he re­
moved to Philomath, Oregon, tem­
porarily that he might give his child­
ren the advantages of the United
Brethem college at that place. He
remained there eight years during
which time he ran a small grocery
store to aid in making family expen­
ses. After his children were through
school he returend to the old home­
stead where he has since resided.
Mr. Weed’s original house was
18x28 feet and was made of split
boards with a puncheon floor.
It
served the family until 1912, when
the present comfortable Weed home
was built.
PIONEERED EARLY INSTITUTION
The outstanding accomplishments
of Judson Weed, aside from his great
work in pioneering that section of
the country, was the initiation ■>!
the movement which culminated in
the construction of the Pittsburg-St.
Helens market road, which he spon­
sored and put well on the way to
completion during his terms as count;»
commissioner. He also initiated the
movement of a county agriculturist
in Columbia county—un idea which
is today bearing excellent results It
might also be said that Judson Weed
was a friend of the county fair, and
while county commissioner he lent
his aid and assistance in getting aid
for that institution from the county
that it might become the successful
yearly event that it is today.
Mr
Weed also had the great pleasure of
being one of the passengers on the
Nehalem branch of the S. P. & S.,
on the first train which went over
1925 CHEV. TOURING................................ $550.00
the new road to the town in 1922.
“I just happened to be in St. Hel­
ens,” saij Mr. Weed, “For 46 years
1921 FORD, 2 DOOR SEDAN...................... $250.00
I had looked forward to that day.”
Mr. Weed is the only surviving
member of the Vernonia Grand Army
of the Republic.
Though past 80
1920 ESSEX TOURING................................ $200.00
years, his memr y seemed perfect
and data and informal .on was given
without reference to written docu­
1924 FORD TOURING.................................. $225.00
ments or memorandum. Indeed, Jud­
son Weed can justly be called “The
Grand Old Man of the Nehalem.”
—Rainier Review.
1919 STUDEBAKER TOURING ................ $250.00
for
Judson Weed is justly entiled to
the sobriguet, “Grand Old Man oi
the Nehalem.”
While he does not
antedate the big firs of the beauti­
ful Nehalem, he does anatedate prac­
tically every living person now r>
resident of the Vernonia country.
Mr. Weed was born in Jackson
county, Ohio, on April 14, 1846, and
recently celebrated the eightieth an­
niversary of his birth at his farm
home three miles south of Vernonia
He “homesteaded” his present farm
on July 6, 1876, and will rounded
out 50 years residence at the “old
place” this coming July.
“When 1
came to what is now Vernonia,”
said Mr. Weed, “there was no Ver­
nonia, not even a cabin.
Joseph
Van Blaircom had located a home­
stead on the present site of Ver
nonia and had cut a little brush.
Mr. Weed left Ohio in 1875 and
went to San Francisco on an emi­
grant train, and from there he took
-------- ♦--------
the wheel steamer “John L. Stevens”
DID YOU EVER STOP TO THINK
landing in Portland May 20, 1875.
By Edson R. Waite
1923 CHEV. COUPE...................................... $350.00
During his first year in Oregon he
Shawnee, Oklahoma
taught school in Linn county and
That if the majority of the citi­
spent some of his time in Portland.
zens of the home city don’t stand
In company with Oziah Cherrington
1922 HUDSON TOURING .......................... $600.00
an Ohio school teacher, the two
together, the city will have no stand
struck out for the Nehalem valley
ing anywhere.
in the summer of 1876, each having
That worth while citizens live in
a pack mule which carried their be­
the days of today and tomorrow—
longings.
not A; the days of yesterday.
TRAIL ENDS AT VERNONIA.
That live citizens pull together,
The trip was made into the valley
work together and keep pace with
by way of Cornelius through East
the progress of today and tomorrow j
Dairy creek. At that lime there was
a small sawmill at a place called
Tha in many cities there Is quite |
Mountain Dale, which was operated
a gap between what the city is and I
by D. O. Quick, father of E. E.
what it should be. It takes men of I
Quick of St. Helens, who was then
vision and spirit to build a city.
| •
a mere lad. They then came down
Pebble creek to the present site of
Vernonia, where the trail euded.
From Vernonia to Mr. Weed’s home-
stead there was not even a trail.
The entire section was occupied by
heavy timber which was cleared a
little at a time and burned as there
Gifts for the Bride
was no market for the timber..
Mr. Weed was married on July 13,
Gifts for the bride
1878, to Emma Van Blaricom, a
shou
’d be selected
niece of Joseph Van Blaricom. who
with the utmost
homesteaded the present site of Ver­
nonia. There are four living children
care, because they
as a result of this marriage: O. G.
serve as a remem­
Weed, at present justice of the peace
of Vernonia precinct; Gertrude
brance and portray
Weed, a tea- her ill Rose City park
the
individuality of
school, Portland; Mrs. Ethel Kauff­
the giver.
man of Los Angeles, anil Lesta Weed
a teacher in the Vernonia schools.
This is the season of gifts
Here are a few sug
LONG LINE OF ANCESTRY.
—
.when
you
have
many
occa-
gestions
:
I
Judson Weed cun trace his ances­
i
sions
for
buying
tokens
for
FOR
THE
Wrist
Watch
try back 35 generations or to King
those you love and esteem.
More than 40 newspapers in
Egbert, the first Saxon king of Eng­
$20.00
GRADUATE
land, who ruled from 800 to 835 A.
Nohting is more lasting than
Oregon
have
indorsed
Fred
Pearls,
D. The Weeds emigrated to Amerit.i
jewelry.
Steiwer for the republican
in 1629, landing at Watertown, Mus<
Silver Plate
nnd from there the family moved to
nomination
for
United
FOR
HER
—
Fancy
Stone Ring«,
. inmford. Mass., where Jonas Weed
YOU CAN BUY
I
States Senator. What would
secured a land grant from the king.
Clocks
Wrist Watch,
GIFTS ON CREDIT
Mr. Weed was recently elected n
be a better indication of strength?
Silverware
member of the “Society
the
Diamond
Bracelet
Founders of Norwich. Connecticut”
Engagement
You will find gift buying
by reason of being a descendant of
Pendant
All of the other candidates for the nomination have
Thomas Tracy, one of the fcamlers
Rings—All
at our store to be a real con­
Any
of the above
of the town. Mr. Weed also has
centered their fire upon Steiwer and contend that he
Styles,
venience—we gladly extend
Lincoln blood coursing through his
gifts
will
be appre­
Pearls,
credit to all trustworty per-
veins. Asa Branch, his great-grand
is the man they must defeat. No one ever attacks a
ciated
because
they
father, married Hannah Lincoln, a
Fancy Stone Rings, sons.
Buy Graduate and
weak man.
reflect
thought
on
daughter of Thomas Lincoln, ances­
Silverware
Bridal Gifts without ever
tor of Abraham Lincoln.
th
epart
of
the
giver
Born on April 14, the date of the
missing the money.
____________
death of the Great Emancipator
Democratic
leaders
are
exerting
their
efforts
against
Judson Weed is intensely patriotic.
—On Anything in our En-
FOR HIM—
The Weeds have served through
Steiwer. They fear him. They know they cannot
practically all the wars the United |
tire Jewelry Store.
Strap Watch
States has engaged in. Gilbert Weed , defeat him in the general election.
his great-grandfather, served three'
$25.00
years in the French and Indian war. 1
Mr. Weed has a copy of the re­
A
vote
for
Steiwer
Friday
is
a
vote
for
a
republican
ceipt his great-gradfather gave for
his three years' pay. which called for1 victory in November.
the sum of $50.00. He also served in
Diamond Scarf Pin
the Revolutionary war, as did also!
Link Buttons,
his great-grandfather on his mothers I
Rings,
side. Asa Branch.
VOTE
20
»
X
I
STEIWER
FOUGHT IN CIVIL WAR.
Pocket Watches
The Weed family was conspicuous
»
by its numbers in the Civil war. | '
Paid
Adv.SlaiwSr
for
Ia«ator
CasamittoalSAAC
STAPLES.
Chairman
“Just step in here,” said Mr. Weed. I i
"and I will show you something," In' I
the parlor he pointed to a large pic- ' ______________ _ _________________________________ >
Gilby Motor Co.
STEIWER
IS THE
Strong
Candidate
BRIDE
or Graduate
A. L. KULLANDER
Jeweler—Vernonia