L ibrary, U o f O
Pioneer Day
History of
Area Found
Ever so often, a bit of informa­
tion from the early history of this
upper Nehalem valley is revealed
b e c a u s e the descendants of
pioneers decide to delve into in­
formation concerning the activi­
ties of their relatives in the settling
of the area.
Such an incident occurred re­
cently when George L. Slate of
Geneva, New York came here
looking for the place homesteaded
by his father, L. Dwight Slate in
the early 1890s. According to Slate,
his father and Fred Severance
came to this area from Masse-
chusetts and took up adjoining
claims on Cook Creek below Pitts­
burg in the general area of the
Apiary road and not too far from
Oak Creek ranch. They had proved
upon their claims but his father
remained here only a few years,
then returned East due to illness
in the family.
The son, George, is a professor
of pomology at the New York
State Agricultural Experiment sta­
tion and was at Corvallis this sum­
mer at a special conference at
Oregon State University. When
he had been at Corvallis five years
ago, he had visited Mrs. Bertha
Keasey, mother of Ted Keasey,
and gathered from her some infor­
mation concerning his father and
this area.
Previous to that, he had corres­
ponded with Mrs. Keasey, and ear­
lier, with her mother, Mrs. Det­
rick. His father had worked for Mr.
Detrick at his mill at Pittsburg
during the time he lived here.
This year, Mr. Slate determined
to visit this area, but he first went
to St. Helens to the county clerk’s
office and searched the records
where he found the deeds of his
father and Mr. Severance recorded.
He then came to the area and con­
tacted Bill Pringle who helped
him find the approximate location
of the two homesteads.
He also contacted Robert S.
Lindsay at Pittsburg who took him
across the Nehalem river and
showed him the location of the
Detrick mill.
This was the first visit to the
valley for Mr. Slate but he ex­
pressed his liking for the area and
appreciation for the friendliness
of the persons who helped him in
his search for places known by his
father. He stated that he hoped to
return here again some time.
Co-op Users to
Meet Saturday
There will be a meeting at the
Vernonia fire hall at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday of the West Oregon Co-
jperative Users Association, ac­
cording to an announcement made
this week by Hans Slette.
The purpose of the organization,
is announced in a previous press
release by the group, is “to in­
vestigate and determine justifica­
tion of the increase in rates and
look into the entire operation of
the organization.”
Slette stated that the purp< ce
of the Saturday meeting is to elect
officers and directors for the as­
sociation.
He further stated that the gen­
eral public is invited but that em­
ployees of the West Oregon Elec-
■ic Cooperative are excluded.
Demonia Baffle
VOLUME 40, NUMBER 36
Sharp Shooters
Compete at Fair
Sharp shooters had their day at
the Oregon state fair Saturday as
4-H club members in gun safety
projects showed off their prowess
with a rifle.
Dale Stennett, Portland, shoot­
ing on the Washington county
team, walked off with top honors
for target rifles in the senior di­
vision. Mark Medges, Vernonia,
took the sporting rifle award.
In the intermediate division,
Larry Cushman, Portland, won the
award for sporting rifle and Mi­
chael Bechtol, Portland, won the
target rifle competition
Stennett and Medges in the se­
nior division each received per­
manent trophies sponsored by the
Oregon Wildlife Federation. Simi­
lar trophies pres?nted by the
Izaak Walton League, went to the
winners in the intermediate divi­
sion.
Team honors in the senior divi­
sion went to the Washington coun­
ty team of Stennett and Pat Don­
ovan and Lynn Robinson, both of
Tigard. Columbia county’s team
composed of Medges, Ben Fowler
and Ed Kamholz was second. Top
team in the intermediate division
was Bechtol, Cushman and Tom
Cushman, all of Portland, shooting
for Multnomah county. Kenny
Vealey of Vernonia shot as an in­
dividual in this division.
This is the second year that the
markesmanship contest has been
held. The contest, part of the 4-H
gun safety program, was set up to
help the Oregon State Game com­
mission in the Oregon hunter saf­
ety training program. The pro­
gram is open to 4-H club members
throughout Oregon.
Contestants in both divisions
fired 40 shots at 50 feet; 10 shots
each prone, sitting, kneeling and
standing. In addition to their
marksmanship skill, each shoot­
er was given a written examina­
tion which included questions
from the hunter safety course and
from the gun safety and advance­
ment program.
Individuals winning blue rib­
bons for Saturday’s event includ­
ed Ben Fowler, Ed Kamholz and
Mark Medges.
Leaders of the Vernonia club
are Ben Fowler and Larry Gar­
ner. They state that if their team
had been able to have target rifles
instead of having to use their
sports rifles, their chances of first
place might have been very good.
Help Needed to
Move Hospital
Bill J. Horn, local civil defense
head, announced this week that
space in the basement of the for­
mer mill office building is now
ready to house the civil defense
hospital equipment and the move
to this permanent location will be
effected Saturday morning at 8:00
a.m. Volunteers to assist with the
move will be appreciated.
The basement space has been
cemented and prepared by the city
of Vernonia and the move will
leave the office space available
for the museum on which work is
progressing rapidly
PICTURED are part of the 72 rider« who left Andenon park in Ver­
nonia at 10:30 Saturday morning for a trail ride to Wilkerson park
which they reached at 3:30 pm . Bob Thom pion of Vernonia, trail-
master for the ride, is shown giving instructions just before the take­
off. Other« traUered in to the camp and a total of 120 were registered
VERNONIA, OREGON
S tu d en ts
Increase
First day enrollment in the
schools of district 47 joint was
35 higher than first day figures
a year ago, states Joey W. Acai-
turri, district superintendent. The
total figure this year is 635.
Of these, 36 are enrolled in the
Mist school in grades one through
six. This is up eight from last year.
At Lincoln school, there are 75
enrolled in grades one, two and
three, an increase of five over last
year.
At the Washington school, fig­
ures Tuesday stood at 357, up 25
over last year.
Only place where a decrease was
noted was Vernonia high school
where the first day registration
was 167, down three from last
year.
Permit Needed
To Pick Cones
With the harvest of the forest
tree cone crop soon to commence,
individual pickers are reminded
that it is necessary to secure a
permit to harvest miscellaneous
forest tree products and certify
thereon that the permission of the
landowner has been obtained.
State Forester Dwight L. Phipps
made this announcement in re­
sponse to a concern shown by for­
est land owners as they recall the
extensive damage done in past
years to their crop trees by cone
pickers ill equipped with both
know how and tools to properly do
the job.
State law places the defacing
of trees on the property of another
as a misdemeanor subject to a
fine or imprisonment or both.
The cone picking season extends
through a period when the fire
hazard in the woods is usually
high. Certain forest areas are
closed to entry and a notice of
such closures is posted on access
roads.
Voters Reminded
Robert A. Welwood, County
Clerk, wishes to remind all elec­
tors of the county that now is the
time to check their registration
to be certain they are qualified
to vote in the November 6 election.
Mr. Welwood states his office
Registration books will close
October 6.
BE CAREFUL
WITH FIRE
AND
KEEP OREGON
GREEN
THURSDAY, SEPT 6, 1962
Self-Help Class
To Begin Soon
The class in Medical Self-Help
will start Wednesday evening of
next week at 7:30 p.m. at the West
Oregon Electric building, accord­
ing to Mrs. Charles Minger who
has been in charge of local ar­
rangements.
The class will be taught by Spen­
cer Younce and is a part of the
Civil Defense training program
designed to teach people what to
do in an emergency and until a
doctor is available. It is especially
valuable to parents. Mouth to
mouth resusitation is included in
the instructions.
To date, only 10 persons have
signed with Mrs. Minger for the
course. It has been very disap­
pointing that in a community of
this size, so few people have
shown an interest in receiving this
valuable instruction which is of­
fered free of charge.
Others who wish to take the
course may sign now with Mrs.
Minger or just report at the West
Oregon building at 7:30 p.m. next
Wednesday.
Death Claims
Riverview Man
Clarence Casper, aged 76, whose
home for the past four years has
been on Riverside drive in River­
view, passed away at his home
last Sunday, September 3.
Mr. Casper was born January
17, 1886 at Vancouver, Washing­
ton and had lived in Washington
and Oregon most of his life. He
had lived at Clatskanie previous
to moving here. He had been a
government employee.
August 25, 1909 he had married
Ellen M. Boardman in Portland
and she survives him. Other sur­
vivors include a number of nieces
and nephews.
He was a member of the Se­
venth Day Adventist church and
the Elder Eldon Stratton of the
Vernonia church will offiicate at
services Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the
Haakinson Funeral Chapel at
Clatskanie.
Interment will be in the Green
Mountain cemetery at Rainier and
casket bearers wtill be Henry
Sproul, Clint Seibert, Ira Peter­
son, Henry Hudson, Joe Schrieber
and Albert Blehm.
Ambulance Called
Victor Larson P?terson of Deer
Island was killed in an accident
Sunday afternoon which occured
on his 26th birthday. It took place
on the Scappoose-Vernonia road
about 12 miles from Scappoose.
The Vernonia ambulance was call­
ed and was taken to the scene by
Sam Hearing, Jr., but was not
used.
Lions Start Season
The Vernonia Lions club will
open its fall season with a ladies
night according to an announce­
ment made this week by the club
president, John Jensen. The affair
will be held at the city park at
6:30 p.m. and the barbecue dinner
will be served by John Wylde of
Lews Restaurant.
for the meals which were served by the auxiliary to the Washington
county sheriff's posse. Club* represented were Sherwood, Yamhill,
Forest Grove Ranch Riders, Forest Grove Westerners, Washington
County Sheriff's Posse and the Vernonia Ridge Riders. The Forest
Grove Westerners took the revolving trophy for the most members
City Approves
Work on Lagoon
The Vernonia city council, at its 1 original contract of John Havlik,
meeting Tuesday evening of this was estimated at $6500. The job
week, approved change order is to be completed by October 1.
An ordinance providing for the
number 4 as required by the state
sanitary authority and the U.S. lease of the mill office for a mu­
Public Health Service for work seum was given its third reading
on the city sewage lagoon to cor­ and passed. The ordinance pro­
rect present inefficiency. Arrange­ vides for leasing it to the county
ments were made with Clark and for 99 years, and they in turn will
Groff, engineers for supplemental lease it to the county historical
work on the lagoon to seal against society. This was necessary to
leakage at a cost of $1000 for their insure county financial aid for the
survey, plans and supervision. The project.
An ordinance repealing the $1.50
earth work, including removal of
vegetation, discing and packing of sewer use charge and setting up a
lagoon floor and building of a new $1.00 per month charge was
divisional dike, to be added to the given its third reading and passed.
The change will be effective on the
next billing.
A letter was received from the
chamber of commerce asking the
council to consider condemnation
of the two vacant hotel buildings
east of the Rock creek bridge. The
Dave and Albert Brunsman council asked the city attorney to
were called to LaMoure, North Da­ outline condemnation procedure
kota Friday of last week by the prior to any definite action. He
death of their father, Albert A. also will investigate the tax status
Brunsman, aged 69, who succumb­ of the property to see if condem­
ed to a heart ailment. Services for nation will be necessary,
him were held Monday at the First
A report showed that the O.A,
Presbyterian church in LaMoure area to be platted is being cleared
and the brothers returned home of brush and readied for a platting
Tuesday.
survey.
Mr. Brunsman was born in Paris,
Among correspondence, the coun­
Illinois October 2, 1892 and moved cil received a complimentary let­
to North Dakota in 1912. He had ter from* Mrs. A. B. Counts con­
been a sheepman and farmer in cerning the clearing of the alley
the LaMoure area until 1956 when adjacent to her property.
he retired.
Th? meeting concluded with the
Other survivors are his wife, approving of bills.
Dora; two sons, John of LaMoure
and Frank of Moorhead, Minne­
sota; three daughters, Mrs. Donald
Spencer of Gorham, Maine; Mrs.
Wallace Muir of Tukwila, Wash­
ington and Mrs. Duane Little of
Hopkins, Minnesota; two brothers,
Peter of Vernonia and Paul of
Contests will occur in the elec­
Paris, Illinois; a sister, Mrs. Ralph tions for directors of West Ore­
Curl, also of Paris, and 22 grand­ gon Electric Cooperative, Inc. in
children.
both districts for which members
will vote this year.
At Natal Grange hall, nomina­
tions were held August 28 for di­
rector from district 2, which in­
cludes the Birkenfeld, Mist, Pitts­
burg, Chapman and Spitzenberg
areas. Those nominated Were in­
Now that the Columbia county cumbent Noble Dunlap, Mist route,
fair is past, it is with a feeling of Vernonia; and Robert Mathews,
gratitude that the county Histor­ Mist.
ical Society wishes to thank those
At Vernonia Grange hall nomi­
who brought interesting articles nations were held August 29 for
for th? historical exhibit and those director from district 5 which in­
who promised to bring more next cludes that portion of Vernonia
year, and to all who visited this west of the SP&S tracks, most
department, thus assuring a succes- of Timber route, Vernonia and
ful fair.
Timber. Those nominated were
Many who registered were from George L. Smith, incumbent, and
far away, others who were pio­ Hans Slette, both of Timber route,
neers were reminded of early Vernonia, and Dudley Spofford of
times when viewing old relics, Vernonia.
etc. Since the county museum is
The election for directors will
now about ready for occupancy, take place at the cooperative’s an­
the society feels that added inter­ nual meeting Saturday, October
est will help in its organization.
20 at the headquarters building in
The September meeting of the Vernonia.
Other business will include re­
society should be well attended
as plans will be worked out at that ports of the officers, a discussion
of the past years operations and
date, to be announced later.
other business that may com? up.
Brothers Back
From Last Rites
Nominees Seek
Board Places
Society Thanks
Exhibit Donors
Rites Read for
Former Minister
Two Enter Hospitals
Tom Wolf was taken by the Ver­
nonia ambulance to the Columbia
Funeral services were held on district hospital at St. Helens Wed­
Wednesday at 10 a m. at the First nesday of last week. He was
Christian church of Hood River moved from there to the Good
for the Rev. W. O. Livingstone, Samaritan hospital in Portland on
longtime preacher in various Ore­ Monday.
That same day, the ambulance
gon Christian churches.
Rev. Livingstone was bom in was called for a logging accident
Salisbury, Md., June 15, 1870 and on Keasey route in which Thomas
started preaching in 1892. He serv­ Hill received a broken leg. He was
ed in churches in Oregon at Hepp­ taken to Portland Sanitarium.
Monday Joe Baker of Capitol
ner, Hood River, Silverton and
Hill
was taken to Physicians and
Vernonia. A daughter, Mrs. Lois
Surgeons hospital.
Talbott, Hood River, survives.
in attendance for the week end camp that included a playday Sun­
day for which many others came in. The ride back to Vernonia was
made Monday.