History of Celebration Indicates Start. Took Place in 1956
Perhaps there are those in Ver open house, swimming events,
nonia who have forgotten just logging events, a kiddy and pet
how the Vernonia Friendship parade July 5 and the grand pa
Jamboree program began and rade July 6, tour of the Interna
there are new residents and oth tional Paper company mill, trap-
ers who have not actively partic | shoot, horse show events, a bike
ipated in the development of the race up Rock creek, greased pole,
program who may be interested greased pig and chicken scram
in a recap of the affairs.
ble in city park, soft ball, a square
In 1956, the Veterans of Foreign 1 dance and a street dance, and of
Wars under the leadership of course, the bigger and better than
Harvey Redmond, commander, ever fireworks on the evening of
sponsored Fourth of July fire July 4, seen by a capacity crowd.
works, the first to be fired here
In recap meetings after the
for many yearrs. The VFW had Jamboree, reports showed that
solicited and received contribu the affair was a financial success
tions from 45 business firms and and that a back-log had been
individuals amounting to over built for another year.
$200 which was used for the pur
chase of materials used.
The organization had sponsored
January 16, 1958, at a meeting
the display because so many fam
ilies here found it impossible to held at the West Oregon building,
go elsewhere to see fireworks Phil Steinmetz, manager of the
and when they did go, found the Vernonia Branch, United States
crowds and expense such as to National bank, was named as
take much of the pleasure out of chairman for the 1958 Friendship
Jamboree and Louis Towne, out
the trip.
The local effort was rewarrded going chairmn, was named as
in an outstanding way when an secretary - treasurer. A decision
estimated 1000 people turned out was reached to limit the 1958 cel
for the show which was presented ebration to two days, July 4 and
on the field back of the Washing 5 which fell on Friday and Sat
ton school. Comments following urday. Representatives were pres
the event were that it had been ent from 16 organizations, from
one of the nicest such displays the 46 that had been sent letters
that many had ever witnessed and inviting participation.
the VFW felt their efforts had
At the next meeting, in Feb
been well worth while.
ruary, the name Vernonia’s Sec
ond Friendship Jamboree was
chosen and plans for line-up of
events began to take shape. At
In February, 1957, VFW Com the second February meeting, the
mander Harvey Redmond, with decision to have a queen and a
members Edwin Ade and Leon . queen’s ball was reached.
ard Rausch, met with the Vernon
In March, chairmen for various
ia chamber of commerce direc
everts
were named as follows:
tors and committee members to
Golf, O. T. Bateman; VFW fire
present their ideas for a real
works, Lyle Vroman; July 4,
Fourth of July celebration for
which they would again sponsor Henry Hudson; July 5, Bob
Thompson; queen contest, Mrs.
the fireworks if the rest of the
Ben Brickel; window displays,
community would cooperate with
other events. The chamber board Mrs. Marvin Kamholz; conces-
sionsJ, Pete Brunsman; Nehalem
passed a resolution to cooperate
with the VFW and those present Valley products, Mrs. Ruth Steers
publicity, Louis Towne and kiddy
agreed that a three-day event
parade, James Johns.
would be a natural since the 4th
fell on Thursday.
At the next meeting of the
chamber board February 28, they
In May, a decision was reached
set March 1 for a meet-
to add the Pacific Northwest
ing to which representatives from Horseshoe pitching tournament
all organizations in the communi for which Carl Schaumburg and
ty were invited to make prelimi Julius Enevoldsen were asked to
nary plans for a Fourth of July be chairmen. Also, plans were
celebration. Representatives of made for a high school reunion
ten organizations turned out for and a registration of old timers
this meeting and gave approval in connection with the historical
to the idea for a three-day event I display.
which would call for a full-scale
Voting for queen got underway
community enterprise.
the first of June with Joyce Sul
livan, Catherine Floeter, Carolyn
Garlock, Evelyn Kyser, Mary Mil
As a result of the Friday ses lis and Janice Pearson as candi
sion, a three-man committee with dates. Votes were cast on the bas
Louis Towne as chairman was ap is of dollars spent in Vernonia
pointed by Guy I. Thomas, cham business places where ballot box
ber of commerce president, to es were placed. Also, the candi
work out a schedule of events for dates were selling booster but
presentation to another group tons.
meeting on March 15.
At the March 15 meeting the
name, Vernonia Friendship Jam
Also, early in June 10.000
boree, was selected for the cele
wooden
nickels were received and
bration from a number that were
suggested. Louis Towne, Jack
Thompson, Pete Brunsman, Bill
Horn and Sam Hearing Jr. were
named as the planning commit
tee.
Meetings were held regularly
from then on and plans took form
for the events. Jamboree buttons
appeared in May as did wooden
nickels, 10,000 of them, and ad
vertising of the July 4 event was
getting into high gear.
In spite of many pessimistic
forecasts that the celebration
could not be a success, when the
great day came, there was a big
turnout of local people and visi
tors for all events which includ
ed: displays in 35 windows, a
shay on display at the S.P.&S.
depot, golf tournament, Caylite
1958 Plans Laid
Fireworks Plan Grows
placed on sale. These bore the
picture of the shay which had
been given to the city by Inter-
national Paper • mpany and
which was to be on display for
the Jamboree.
The week end of June 21 and
22, volunteers worked long and
hard to move the shay to its pres
ent location. Chet Alexander
steamed up the engine on Friday
in preparation for the move.
Weather was extremely hot for
the Jamboree week end, but at
tendance was good, topping the
previous year, and all events
were successful. Carolyn Garlock
was crowned as queen at the
dance the evening of July 3, Don
Hite's orchestra from Portland
provided the music.
Over 600 signed the guest book
at the gem and fossil show, 130
former students and teachers reg
istered at the high school where
the reunion was held Saturday
afternoon, and about 100 regis
tered at the Old Timers reunion
in the West Oregon meeting room.
Enough horseshoe pitchers enter
ed the tournament for four clas
ses. The parade was bigger and
better and the float of Essie
Nance took the sweepstakes tro
phy. The heat caused curtailment
of some of the horse events, but
those presented were greatly en
joyed.
Early in February, 1959, an ev
en dozen people met at the West
Oregon building and decided to
go ahead with a 1959 Jamboree
and tentatively agreed it should
be a one-day celebration on July
18.
At the second meeting called
for February 20. a seven-member
steering committee was chosen
composed of Mrs. Evelyn Heath,
Mrs. Marvin Kamholz. Mrs. Lloyd
Garlock, Bill Horn, James Johns,
Don Webb and Gordon Reed.
When this committee organized,
they named Mrs. Kamholz as
chairman. The July 18 date was
confirmed and the Centennial
theme was adopted to make this
celebration Vernonia’s part in the
observance of the 100th birthday
of the state of Oregon. At the
next meeting they decided to
have a Centennial Queen contest
open to women who had been res
idents of the Nehalem Valley for
50 years or longer. Mrs. Guy
Thomas was named as chairman
for the queen’s ball to be held
Friday night, July 17.
When Mrs. Kamholz was hos
pitalized for an eye operation
June 1, Bill Horn was named to
carry on as Jamboree chairman.
Wilbur Wilson took his place as
finance chairman.
Attractions Varied
Queen Race Exciting
Along with the window exhib
its, which this year included an
art show for the first time, the
shay on its lot and the engines
104 and 105 owned by Weaver
Clark which were on the tracks
near the depot were all prime at
tractions during the entire event.
Again, it was voted a success
and among the things it had ac
complished was the sparking of
a clean-up, paint-up campaign
which improved the appearance
of the town and the letting of the
outside world know that Vernon
ia was still very much alive.
Eleven candidates entered the
queen contest: Ella Wood. Eda
Parker, Hilda Keasey, Irene
Spencer, Janet Bridgers, Alice
Lindsay, Pauline Schmidtin, Lou
ise Smejkal, Nevada Rainwater,
Marie Christensen and Helen
Christensen.
Contestants were judged on
the basis of stories about their
lives, community participation,
historical background, etc. The
night of the ball, Mrs. Bridgers
was crowned as queen and the
next day rode in a buggy in the
parade with the 10 princesses in
1959 Date Changed
the surrey drawn by a six-horse i weather was hot, hot, hot.
team.
Centennial costumes were worn
by the queen and princesses and
Thus ended the Third Vernonia
by many other residents. The pa Friendship Jamboree and now the
rade was bigger and better than time for the fourth such event is
ever, as were all other events.
at hand. Horace Hertel, one of
Stanley Anderson of Portland Vernonia's newer citizens, has
was grand marshal for the pa
put in many long hours of hard
rade, overall sweepstakes trophy work as its chairman and a‘! the
was taken by the Rainier Daze heads of various events have been
entry and there were 50 entries
doing the same. Sometimes they
in the parade.
have been so discouraged at the
There were 29 entries in the lack of support and help from the
horseshoe tournament and Bob many citizens who could help if
West won the Schaumburg re they were willing to that they
volving trophy. Lynn Michener have wondered if it were worth it
took top honors in logging events. all.
In exhibits, the sweepstakes tro
Just this past week, things have
phy went to the art exhibit. Ov shifted into high, many folks
er 75 horses and 33 riders took seemed to come awake and get
part in the horse show Saturday into the act. Now, it looks like
evening at the city park.
this will be the biggest Jamboree
yet, with two excursion trains,
the Vernonia Society picnic in
The Rebekah lodge served cow- the new park and other new fea
boy breakfast to 150 in the city tures added to the usual ones.
1960 Head Works Hard
Breakfast Served
park Sunday morning. About 135
signed the roster at the high
school reunion held at the Legion
hall Saturday afternoon. Again,
Oernonia Eagle
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1960
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Horseshoes Added
Jamboree Name Chosen
Shay Is Featured
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