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2 — THE OBSERVER
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
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THE OBSERVER — 3
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
The geogle ofUnionCountymakeitwhatitis t's easy, when writing about Union County, to focus on the landscape — the snow-capped mountains, the quilt of farmlands and abundant trees, the picturesque Mt. Emily and Grande Ronde River. But it's the people of Union County who truly make it what it is — hardworking, thoughtful, creative, and far m orediversethan many Oregonians realize. This 150th anniversary of Union County provides a good opportunity to reflect on how far the county and the state have come together. This area was settled by Native Americans, who lived off the bounty of the land and waters and congregated in healing places such as Hot Lake. Some ofthe earliesttravelerson the Oregon Trail got to the Grande Ronde Valley and didn't leave. They recognized a good thing when they saw it. Today, that devotion to place is rich in Union County. It's a region where people are connected to the
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FROM SALEM JQHN ICITZHABER
land. A proud heritage of hunting and fis hing, and offarming and ranching, makes Union County a region where people know and value where their food comes from. A strong foundation in timber,and a tradition ofneighbors helping neighbors, has bolstered effortsto putpeople back tow ork in Oregon's forests and restoring watershed health through unique state-federal-local collaborative efforts. Many of my travels to Union County include stops at Eastern Oregon University, and it's here
Union County
at a glance
where I am most filled with hope leadership on how we balance for the county's next 150 years. I've healthy, prosperous communities listenedtotomorrow's regional, with healthy rivers, forests and state, and perhaps even national natural values. You'll continue leaders — young people with to chart a path where there is bright ideas about how to improve abundant opportunityfor every our state. And I've met with local Oregonian. leaderswho are passionate about Congratulations on the 150th working together to find solutions, anniversary of Union County. further regional priorities and All of Oregon shares your pride improve their community. in this important milestone. I have every confidence that Oregonians here in Union County will continue doing theirpart to Octoher20I4 make Oregon a toHN Pr jfrlfHahfR jjrjD Governor place where we I s msf * when wrj come together to solve tough challenges. snlrj connrf snd Gmmrp vi ' poo d opportnni ~ h ave come to You'll continue dcn Tmri gct m th ~ P SS nei l SS Hct h reendnraed e<~ mm to advocate for me e Some of p when thef ssw jt Rondc trajjc > d + dn'tleave Toda '+ 'de ononmpjscejstj strong schools Pscerstjchjn r hehmd dp ~ ~
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Section highlights unique Union Coun history
QUICK FACTS Established: Oct. 14, 1864 County Seat: La Grande
(Incorporated 1865) Elev. at La Grande: 2,788 feet Area: 2,038 sq. mi. Average Temp.: January 30.9 degrees, July 70.4 degrees
Assessed Value: $913,704,550 Real Market Value: $1,325,759,810 Annual Precipitation: 18.79 inches Economy: agriculture, forest products, manufacturing, education, state and local government OTHER CITIES
• Cove (Incorporated 1904) • Elgin (Incorporated 1891) • Imbler (Incorporated 1922) • Island City
(Incorporated 1904)
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f there is a common denominatorregarding what people thought when they first arrived in the Grande Ronde Valley, it is how beautiful the country appeared and how much potential it presented. Exactly 150 years later and those two sentiments still hold true. Our little piece of the American quiltis still beautiful and still boasts untapped potential. The valley, of course, looks diflerent than it did 150 years ago. More people inhabit our little piece of the Republic than lived here in 1864 — the year Union County officially became an actual place name — and the modern era has changed our daily lives in such a way as to be unrecognizable to a pioneer traveling across the Oregon Trail. We think marking the 150th anniversaryofa place as special as the Grande Ronde Valley is a prettybig deal.So im portant
FROM THE EDITOR ANDREW CUTLER
that wedevoted resources to create and bring to you the special section that you are now holding in your hands. I would be remiss if I didn't publidy thank some people for their help in making sure we had the resources we needed to bring this special section to you. La Grande historian Bob Bull is a treasure trove of knowledge and photos. He really was the key to this section — providing the photos and a lot of the factual information
in stories and in the timeline at the bottom of each page. Without his help, this product just wouldn't have been the same. I would also like to thank Bob Myer, Bob and Grace Butler, Dave Yerges, Fred Hill, George Neer, Harold Blank, Jack Evans, Jim Rygg, John Turner, Larry Sitzel, Leona McLain, Richard Hermens and John Turner for their generosityin letting us utilize their photos for this section. I would also like to thank the Union County Museum and its staff for its help and resources. Therearea lotofreasons to celebrate a 150th anniversary. Yet the one reason — our history — secures more significance than many others. Often now it seems as if our collective national history is treated as just another canvas to splash a political statement. Yet our historyis more important than to be relegated to the
proverbial dustbin of our collective consciousness. We learn who we are through history and, perhaps — or hopefully — we gain insightinto our strengths and weaknesses; we study the past to find a viable way to shape the future. Our history in the valley showcases a pioneer spirit. The valley itself represents a kind of final destination for our collective restlessness. Here, in the waning days of the Oregon Trail, settlers passed by and then returned. Dedicatedpeople helped to fashion a strong fabric that remains visible today. We hope you like the stories in this section. And, more important, we hope that our arguably modest attempt to demonstrate how our history — the history of a small region in our big country — resonates today and into the future.
• North Powder
(Incorporated 1903) • Summerville
(Incorporated 1885) • Union (Incorporated 1878) UNINCORPORATE0 COMMUNITIES • Alicel • Camp Elkanah • Hilgard • Hot Lake • Kamela • Medical Springs • Nibley • Orodell • Perry
• Pondosa • Starkey • Telocaset Source: Union County
4 — THE OBSERVER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
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o fully grasp the early story of Union County one must first understand the enigmatic and monstrous saga of Wasco County. Wasco County was created Jan. 11, 1854, by the Oregon Territorial Legislature. Wasco County then took in all of the Oregon Territory east of the Cascades from the Columbia River to Northern California and east to the Rocky Mountains, including what is now Union County. Wasco was the largest county in the United States at about 130,000 square miles. "... anempireinitself,"ishow Lewis A. McArthur described Wasco County in his book"Oregon Geographic Names." Wasco County was reduced over the next several decades by states and counties until it fell to itspresent size of2,387 square miles. The former giant is now a relative midget, ranking just 14th on the list of Oregon's largest counties. Union County was part of Wasco County for more than 8-V2 years, through Sept. 22, 1862, when Baker County was createdby the state Legislature.
By Dick Mason The Obsertrer
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Wa s co County18,54 Rccky Mountains
Pacific Ocean
UNI COUNTY
Union County was founded on October 14, 1864 in what is now Northeastern Oregon
Clint Nyetyyescom News Sennce
Baker County then encompassed more than 17,000 square miles, including what are now Union, Wallowa and Malheur counties. Union County was part of Baker County for almost 25 months. Union County came into being on Oct. 14, 1864. Union County was initially more than twice its present size, since it included Wallowa County. Union County's original size was reduced by about 3,000 square miles in 1887 when the LegislaturecreatedWallowa
CountyoutofUnion County on Feb. 11. The push for the creation of WallowaCounty had been growing since the early 1880s because of an expanding population in the Wallowa Valley area, one which grew to 2,595 by 1885. Lloyd Co5nanwmte of the pushforbreaking awayfmm Union Countyinhis book"5,200 Thursdays,"ahistoryofthe Wallowa County Chieftain newspaper. "During the winter of 188384 the talk around the cracker barrels and potbellied stoves in the Wallowa Valley seldom pro-
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gressed very far without settling on the subject of secession from Union County. The subject had natural appeal considering the isolation of the Wallowa population centers from the county seat in the Grande Ronde Valley," Coffman wrote. Anyone in the Wallowa Valley, who had to make a trip to the county seat, then located in Union, faced an arduous trip. It meant"enduring a two-day trip on horseback or wagon on poorly maintained roads and a mountain pass that sorely tested both man and conveyance," Coffman wrote. This rough trip added fuel to the fire for succession. Wallowa Valley residents pushed Union County to improve the road from the Grande Ronde Valley. Some money was spent on this by Union County, but it placed an enormous strain on its budget. "A case of mutual disenchantment between the two valleys became inevitable and by 1884, began to gather momentum," Coffman wrote. Union County underwent its last major dimension change in 1901, when the Legislature
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passed a bill that carved away the Sparta-to-Cornucopia area in the southeast corner of the county. The legislation gave the area, known as the Panhandle, back to Baker County. A big reason the Panhandle was given back to Baker County was a matter of convenience for its residents. It was much easier for Panhandle residents to travel to Baker County's county seat in Baker City than to Union, wrote former Gov. Theodore T. Geer in his book"50 Years in Oregon." "Most of the people, when obliged to go to Union on business of any kind, went to Baker City, left their teams there and went to Union by train," wrote Geer, who lived in the Grande Ronde Valley as a youth and served as Oregon's 10th governor from 1899to1903."Itwa sheld that, since a trip to Union necessitated going through Baker, they might as well belong to that county and save this extra travel." Contact Dick Mason at 541-786-5386 or dmason C lagrandeobserver.com. Follow Dick on Twitter C lgoMason.
"A case of mutual disenchantment between the two valleys became inevitable and by 1884, began to gather momentum." 1811
The Wilson Price Hunt Expedition became the first known party of white visitors to the Grande Ronde Valley as it passed through en route to Astoria.
1836 Marcus and Narcissa Whitman first saw the Grande Ronde Valley froma hill on Aug. 28. The Whitmans picnicked near Orodell, continuedup Fox Hill and camped at Five Points Creek that night.
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1843 Capt.. John C. Fremont and his party entered the Grande Ronde Valley on Oct. 17 and crossed it to camp near Elgin.
THE OBSERVER — 5
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
If we were open 150 years ago, we would've been greasing your covered. wagon wheels...
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We HAVE been here for 18 years, proudly serving our friend.s and. neighbors in Union, Wallowa and Baker Counties. * Fast, quality lube and oil change service * Vehicles pre-washed by attendant * No appointment needed
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MJ GOSS MOtar GOmPaIIy has proudly served Union County with quick, friendly service and a good, honest deal since 1922. Thank you for your support. 1415 Adams Ave • 541-963-4161 ® www.gossmotors.com
6 — THE OBSERVER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
a
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•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• hile settlers made their way West, La Grandeand Union eventually became thebiggestcentersfortrade and commerce. But not all pioneers settled in Old Town La Grande. Plenty made their way to neighboring communities, some of which no longer exist. According to histories from Robert Bull, a now defunct community just outside La Grande once threatened to become the most important in Union County: Oro Dell. Oro Dell, also spelled Orodell, located where the Grande Ronde River enters the valley, was a thriving community. In 1862, Charles Fox established a mill in the area. According to OregonGenealogycom, the mill was operated by water power from a water wheel in the river. It is believed that much of the lumber supply for the mill came from the hill just north of the river, hence its current name of Fox Hill. At that time, the community was apparently known as "Stealeasy," but a Captain Harlow working at Fox's mill renamed the community Oro Dell. The name is a combination of the Greek"ores" meaning mountain and the English"dell" taken together to mean"nook in the mountain." Histories describe a bustling community in the area just northwest of La Grande. "By 1865, the little town was building along its streets in an orderly fashion with two streets running east and west and two
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Platted in 1886, Elgin was known earlier as Fish ' Trapand Indian
Robert Bull photo
running north and south," Bull wrote. In the early 1870s, Oro Dell was home to stores, blacksmith shops, wagon shops, two hotels and a schoolhouse, with the larger part of the business district north of the Grande Ronde River. Bull writes that W.J. Snodgrass was a leading citizen responsible for many of the buildings that went up in Oro Dell. He also maintained merchandising establishments and operated a flour mill. In the early 1880s, Bull writes, Oro Dell was in the peak of itsdevelopment. M any predicted the arrivaloftherailroad would be a boom for the town. After a survey was done, though, the railroad
Valley.
put the yards in La Grande. Snodgrass and others moved their businesses to La Grande, eventually leaving Oro Dell to turn to a ghost town. Snodgrass later became one of the first councilors after La Grande's incorporation.
Elgin Platted in 1886, the area of Elgin was known earlier as Fish Trap and Indian Valley. After Ruckles Road, which took travelers over the Blue Mountains, washed out, investors left Summerville for Elgin. A year afterward, Elgin was home to general stores, a livery, a hotel, a church and a sawmill, which eventually became today's
Boise Cascade mill. It's estimated that 35 sawmills were in operation between 1887 and 1908. The railroad arrived in Elgin in 1890, bringing continued growth to the small town. It was incorporated on Feb. 18, 1891, and named after the Lady Elgin, a ship lost on Lake Michigan.
Imbler The town of Imbler is named for Jesse Imbler, a Kentucky native who moved West in his teens. He ranched in The Dalles for a while before moving to the Grande Ronde Valley in the late 1860s. Imbler, like Elgin, benefitted from the decline of Summerville in the 1880s as businesses moved away to more productive towns.
Summerville Ruckles Road brought people over the Blues and right into Summerville if they were headed east. Summerville was a popular town because of its location on the route. When the road washed out sometime between 1884 and 1886, though, Summerville faced a decline. Still, a Sanborn map from 1888 shows it had an opera hall, bank,livery,drug store and other stores. At that time, Summerville had a population of 280, up from its population of 135, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
"Histories describe a bustling community in the area just northwest of La Grande." OF
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1859 Oregon became the 33rd state in the United States ofAmerica. An autonomous government had been formed when it was called "Oregon Country" in 1843. It became a territory in 1848. Union County did not yet exist, but the area was part of the Oregon Trail.
1862 Charles Fox, the namesake of Fox Hill, started a sawmill at Orodell. Fox entered the valley with two other men, carrying supplies from the Umatilla Agency. Fox's group planned to sell the supplies to travelers and wagon trains.
1863 La Grande's first nursery and fruit trees were planted byAugustine Gangloff in the area of Pioneer Park. His daughter later deeded the State of Oregon land for a scenic viewpoint, where Gangloff Park is now located.
THE OBSERVER — 7
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
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Farms, ranches, N related agri-businesses a re par a m o u n t t o o u r l o c a l e c o n o m i e s . B ank o f E a s t e r n O r e g o n ' s r o o t s l i e i n t h e farm sector. We wou ldn't be where we are t oday w i t h o u t t h e s u p p o r t o f o u r f a r m X r anch c o m m u n i t i e s . C ome se e u s for a l l y o u r ag 4 co m m er c i a l c r e d i t n e e d s . H app y 1 5 0 ' " A n n i v e r s a r y , U n io n C o u n t y !
K r i sty P e r r y , L o a n O f f i c e r I sland C i t y L o a n P r o d u c t i o n O f f i c e 541-6 2 4 - 5 0 4 0 w w w .b eo b a n k . c o m
B ank o f E aster n O r e g o n
2502 Cove Ave., Suite D, La Grande
Mountain West Plaza 541-963-4962
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ONC OO OUNTY HAPPY150 >THBIIRITHDOYAUNIO La Grande Office541-663-9000 Baker City Office 541-523-7390 Richland Office 541-893-3115 •
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8 — THE OBSERVER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
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ne hundredfi fty years ago,m any decadesbeforethe ageofjetsand freeways, river travel was far more common than it is today. The GrandeRonde Riverprovided potential passage fium La Grande to the north end of Union County where Elgin is today. Still, it is unlikely that even those with the bestofraftsorcanoestraveled between the two areasvia theGrande Ronde. The reason is simple mathematics. La Grande and Elgin were 110 miles apart — not as the crow flies but as the Grande RondeRiver fl ow ed. The Grande Ronde River originally meandered endlessly, stretching the river-mile distance between La Grande and what is today Elgin to 110 miles, according to a story in the June 7, 2001, Observer. The article was about a talk given by Union County Historical Society member Gary Webster, who died in 2010. Webster, blessed with an ability to bring historytolife,explained to a group of schoolchildren that the Grande Ronde River is considerably shortertodaybecause its channel has been straightened. People who saw and wrote about the river in Union County before any channel straightening include Theodore T. Geer, Oregon's 10th governor, who lived in Union County during the 1860s. Geer wrote that the river had so many twists and turns thatitslowed toa pedestrian pace once it
By Dick Mason The Observer
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La Grande andElgin were 110 miles apart n o t as the crow fliesbut as
a,the Grande Ronde Riverflowed
Robert Bull photo
hit the Grande Ronde Valley. "The Grande Ronde River rushes out of the Blue Mountains and starts on its sluggish journey across the most beautiful valley on the Pacific Coast," Geer wrote on page 246 ofhis book"50 Years in Oregon." Geer's book includes a description of how dramatically the river meandered, stating that it "uses 110 miles of its length in reaching a point opposite only 20 miles away." D.H. Stearns, an artist and writer in the 1800s, is also among those who chronicled
the appearance of the Grande Ronde Valley in the early days of Union County's history. ''When settlers first came to the valley they found all stream beds choked with brush, dams and debris. In the early spring all streams overflowed their banks and flooded all the lowland," Stearns wrote in a passage published in the 1987 book"From Trails to Rails" by Irene Barklow. Stearns wrote of an expanse ofland between river branches that was higher than the surrounding land and was not
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submerged in the spring. "It became known to settlers as the island," Stearns wrote. This was the site where the town of Island City was later built. On the wildlife fiont, elk apparently were plentiful in Union County and Northeast Oregon in 1864, based on information fiom ajournal kept by explorer Robert Stuart, who camethrough the Grande Ronde Valley in 1812 while traveling fiom Astoria to St. Louis, Mo. Stuart wrote that elk were found in considerable numbers in surrounding mountains and that many came to Hot Lake. Stuart noted that elk horns were strewn all amund theHot Lake area,where elk had apparently shed them in the spring, according tothebook"Oregon GeographicNames" by Lewis A. McArthur. Pronghorn antelope were also relatively abundant. The book"Bull Trout, Walking Grouse and Buffalo Bones,"by Jerry GildemeisterofLa Grande,statesthatpeople reportedseeing many pronghorn antelope in the Pyles Canyon. Wolves were also present in Union County but likely were not numerous, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Russ Morgan. He believes by 1864, wolf numbers had already been significantly cut, in part because the animal's fur was valued. "Trappinghad very much reduced their population," Morgan said.
"The Grande Ronde River provided potential passage from La Grande to the north end of Union County where Elgin is today." 1863 James Pyle built a grade for a wagon road and secured a charter for a toll road. The county bought the road in 1870 and turned it into a public road. Four roads were constructed over the Blue Mountains between 1862 and 1868. By 1912, the county had 1,500 miles of road.
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1863 Forest Cove was granted a post office. Shortly afterward, the Postal Service, deciding there was too much confusion between Forest Cove and Forest Grove, shortened the Union Countytown'sname to Cove.
1864 Union County became a county on Oct. 14. According to "Oregon Geographic Names,"thecounty isnamed for the town of Union. Union County was originally part of Wasco County.
THE OBSERVER — 9
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
Where we havetracks, we have ties. Union Pacific is proud to support the community of Union County. Congratulations on your 150th anniversary.
BUILDING AMERICA'
www.up.com
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10 — THE OBSERVER
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ontroversies have swirled in Union County thmughoutits 150-year history. Few disputes, if any, raged as long or sparked as much bluster between two communities as the four-decade battle for the county seat between La Grande and Union. The stage for the long-running fireworks show was set in 1864 when the Legislature created Union County and designated La Grande as the temporary county seat. The Legislature was initially in charge of selecting a permanent county seat but then gavethispower to localvoters. "The scene of warfare shifted from legislative halls to the locality interested but thestruggle lostnone ofitsbitterness on account of this change," according to a passage in the 1901 book"An Illustrated History of Union and Wallowa Counties." The first county seat vote was conducted March 5, 1865, and was won by La Grande, whichreceived 759votestothe501castfor Union. The county then bought the building it had been operatingin, at B Avenue and CedarStreet,for$2,000,accordingto thelate Lee Johnson in his book"A Brief History of Union County." This building at B Avenue and Cedar Street served as a county courthouse for 10 years. La Grande lost the county seat in a 1874 vote won by Union. The 1874 vote was a runofF following an 1872 vote that La Grande won but did not receive the
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
eco By Dick Mason The Obseruer
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The first county seat votewas I j :- ; =
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Robert Bull photo
required 50 percent majority. The question of relocating the county seat had been brought before voters in the early 1870s because Union citizens were upset. They argued that Union deserved the seat because their town was growing rapidly and was located in a rich agriculturalsection. La Grande supporters pointed out that theirs was the larger town and was the center of commercial activity in the county. After Union won the 1874 vote, a new brick courthouse was soon erected in the
town ata costof$15,000.Itw asbuilton the block were Union High School now stands, Johnson wrote. La Grande residents then launched a fight to get the country seat back, campaigning for another election in 1890, which Union won — again. The 1890 campaign was extraordinarily tense, according to a passage from "An Illustrated History of Union and Wallowa Counties." "As the 1890 election drew near, the tension upon nerves and patience of those principally interested in the contest
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became almost unendurable," the book stated. Caustic newspaper editorials, the book said, raised the emotional state of people in the Grande Ronde Valley to "a high pitch of bitterness." Union won the 1890 vote, but 11 years laterthe stagewas setforLa Grande to win back the county seat for good. An area in the southeast part of the county, known as the Panhandle, was returned to Baker County by a bill the Legislature passed in 1901. This made La Grande more centrally located, making it a more logical place for the county seat. Oregon Gov. Theodore T. Geer, who once lived in Cove, said he was pressured by Union to veto the bill but refused. A fifth and final county-seat vote was conducted in 1904, and La Grande won it by a vote of 2,552 to 1,003. Union voters took out their frustration on Geer in a big way. He wrote in his 1912 book"50 Years in Oregon" that in the 1908 Republican gubernatorial primary he ran in, he received just three of the approximately 150 votes cast in Union. This was clear retribution for not vetoing the Panhandle bill. "SofarasIcan see,thatsolarplexus I received at the hands of Union was the last exhibition ofbitterness which had been raging in that county for 35 years," Geer wrote in his book.
"The stage for the long-running fireworks show was set in 1864 when the Legislature created Union County ... " 1864 Union County's first courthouse, in use from 1864 until 1874 when Union became thecounty seat, was at the site of the first buildings in La Grande on the corner of Cedar Street and B Avenue.
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1865 La Grande was incorporated on Dec. 18, 1865, according to the Oregon Blue Book. The website for the League of Oregon Cities lists the incorporation date, however, as 1885. One reason for the discrepancy could be an incorporation document signed in 1865has La Grande spelled as"Le Grand. "
1875 Blue Mountain University was built in 1875, costing $15,000.
Daniel Chaplin donated five acres of land for the site and $2,000 toward the construction fund. The school was located where the La Grande Middle School soccer field is today.
THE OBSERVER — 11
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
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12 — THE OBSERVER
u
u st s ort. By Jeff Petersen The Obserper
t
n the 1870s in the Grande Ronde Valley, there were no bedroom communities. No fast foodoutlets.No super stores. The valley flooded each spring, and Coveresidentsin desperate need to reach La Grande would, some years, row from Sand Hill to Island City. The mud was deep in spring, and travel by horse and wagon hugged the foothills, making the trip from Cove to La Grandeeven more daunting. Then, in the summer drought, dustgotafootdeep on theroad from Cove to La Grande, choking the air and burning the eyes. Cove, those days, would grow fruits and vegetables to ship to the mines. People would descend from Baker City to winter in Cove because of the milder climate, theoccasional breaks from snow and ice. Cove was still without its hotel, its bank and jail, and was many years away from the devastating fires, the biggest of which struck in 1919,reduced itfrom athriving metropolis toitsm ore present sleepy demeanor. Each town in the Grande Ronde Valley in the 1870s was self-s ustained — peoplestayed
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
home more then, because it wasn't easy to travel from town to town. Each town thought it would be the next big thing. Thus, when the county seat contest intensified in 1872, there were five towns in contention: La Grande, Union, Cove, Island City and Summerville. It was the same year Yellowstone National Park was established, and Brigham Young, with 25 wives, was arrested on charges ofbigamy. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law providing amnesty and full civil rights for Confederate sympathizers. Suflragist Susan B.Anthony was arrested for trying to vote. The Modoc Indian Wars began in earnest with the Battle of Lost River. Several yearsearlier,in 1864, Union County had been created. It was named Union County because it was being organized when the Civil War was atits hottest. The county seat issue took a long time to decide. Perhaps in no county in Oregon has there been as much rancor and discord over which town should be the county seat. According to the book"50Years in Oregon" by Theodore T. Geer, La
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P lacing second wasCove.But there were complications.
W.R. Gekeler photo
Grande was the largest town on the stagecoach line fiom Umatilla Landing to the Idaho mines. Geer, a Republican, from Cove, served as governor from 1899 to 1903, a quarter century after the contretemps to decide the Union County seat. The whole shebang over the county seat kicked into high gear in about 1870 when the Hon. James Hendershott, state senatorfrom Cove,helped pass alaw fora vote on therelocation ofthe county's center of government. Union, also on the stage line, and in the center of an agricul-
tural and forest cornucopia, had beenclamoringfor a votefor relocation of the county seat from La Grande. Itwas decided thatin thepresidential election of November 1872, voters would choose between the five towns. If none got a majority, the top two contestants would engage in a runoff As expected, La Grande won the vote, but it did notreceive a majority. Placing second was Cove. But there were complications. The first settlers had come to Cove, then called Forest Cove, in 1862, according to Cove historian
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Alice Alexander. In 1863, Forest Cove was granted a post office. But then, soon after, the Post Office Department decided there was too much confusion between Forest Cove and Forest Grove, and said the word"Forest" needed to be dropped. Cove became Cove. Some ofthe old-schoolpeople in Cove, not wanting to drop the Forest, hadvoted for Forest Cove. Among the returns were six votes for Forest Cove from the Wilkinson family in High Valley. If they could have been counted,Cove would have fi nished second. Because they couldn't, Union placed second and entered the runoff with La Grande. Cove residents considered court action on the matter but decided their odds of winning weren't worth the investment. "I don't suppose it made much differenceas farasCovewas concerned," said Alexander, who servedasthecity treasurer for 22 years."I doubt Cove could have outvoted La Grande. It made a difference to Union to get into the final vote. I can't imagine such a fuss over such a thing, but itseemed tobeprettyim portant in those days."
"Some of the old-school people in Cove, not wanting to drop the Forest, had voted for Forest Cove." 1884 Railroad service arrived in La Grande on July 4. Daniel Chaplin donated land to the railroad so it could build shops, a roundhouse, yards and tracks. The railroad separated Old Town from New Town.
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1886 Samuel G. French, Dave Henry and "old man Hailey," all from Missouri, constructed the Mt. Fanny Flour Mill in Cove. French eventually bought out the others, who left the Grande Ronde Valley.
1890 The Union Electric Power and Light Company in Union was organized in the spring supplying electricity to houses within a few months.
THE OBSERVER — 13
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
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14 — THE OBSERVER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
comes to t e •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
p
anic was in full swing in 1893 across America. The panic hit La Grande hard. Many whites believed Chinese people were taking their jobs and stealing bread from their families. Several large, fiery meetings erupted. The intention was to enforce the Geary Act. Written by California Congressman Thomas J. Geary, the act extended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 — but with a new, sinister twist. The new law required all Chinese in America to carry a residentpermit.Deportation ora yearofhard labor awaited those caught without a permit. In late September, a mob descended on La Grande's Chinatown. The residents were herded totheedge oftown and ordered to leave and not come back. Some of the more fiightened Chinese people took the next train to Baker City. Others, more defiant,formed a camp on theGrande Ronde River about four miles from town. Their safety there, however, was transitory. Another mob soon marched the Chinese back to La Grande and put them by physical force on a westbound train. A few Chinese people, how-
By Jeff Petersen The Obserper
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"In late September,a mo b descended on La Grande'sChinatown.
Jack Evans photo
ever,escaped themob'sclutches. Some were merchants, others laundrymen. They had heard of the Rynearson farm and were fiiends with their loyal workman, Ying, a sociable man who did garden, orchard and other farm work and was a member of the Masonic Order. These Chinese, not wanting to leave La Grande, decidedtoescape acrossthe river and take refuge in Ying's home. The mob,thoroughly outraged, invadedthe home. When they flung the door open, however,
they were in for a big surprise. There, front and center, sat a red-haired young woman, Cad Rynearson, with fire in her eyes and a shotgun across her lap. The leaders of the mob told her they were there to run the Chinese people out of town. Cad held her ground. La Grande had not seen an influx of Chinese people until the railroad was builtin 1884. Several hundred Chinese people settled in La Grande soon after, became merchants, laundrymen, restaurant
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keepers and cooks, and formed a thriving Chinatown. The Chinese were famous for their culinary skills. For a time, nearly every hotel and restaurant in town had a Chinese cook. Many homeowners employed Chinese people in their kitchens. Many of the Chinese became skilledgardeners and raised produce to sell to the mines. Still ,asthe depression came on, prejudices and antagonism grew throughout the West. La Grande was no exception. After the mob action of the early 1890s, the Chinese presence declined. But it had a resurgence again with the coming of the La Grande Sugar Factory to the Grande Ronde Valley in 1898. There were jobs to be had in the beet fields. Chinatown once again flourished with stores, restaurants, laundries — and other businesses lessesteemed. But the good times didn't last forever. The beginning of the end for Chinatown coincided with the outbreak of the Tong Wars in San Francisco's Chinatown. In La Grande, the Tong Wars involved several Chinese on Chi-
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1892 Eastern Oregon's first telephone line was built between Enterprise and Joseph. Another line was soon built to connect Enterprise and Elgin. La Grande and Union were added the following year. A telegraph line had been extended from The Dalles to Boise, Idaho, in1869.
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nese attacks. Shots rang out in the streets. Pistol whippings occurred. The violence all started with the shooting of an old gardener, Wong Wan Duck, and progressed to the attempted killirg of Eng Chung. It got worse. The violence culminated in March 1917. Shots rang out. Eyewitnesses said they saw Chin Ping and Chin Borkey shooting at Billie Eng as he ran down the street. Many more Chinese people were thought to be involved in the crime. Soon, six Chinese people were arrested. The trial, however, was delayed until June. Locals became anxiousto seejustice. A mob of about 200, some from town, some from out of town, armed and masked, surrounded the courthouse. They threatened a lynching, or shootings in the courtroom,ifjusticewa snot served — and soon. Eventually, Louie Moon was acquitted, but the other five defendants were found guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced to life in prison. The Tong Wars proved to be the beginning of the end of Chinatown and a major Chinese presence in La Grande.
"The Tong Wars proved to be the beginning of the end of Chinatown and a major Chinese presence in La Grande." 1892 La Grande completed an electric light plant that was located about one mile west of the city.
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1897 Kelsay Porter was hanged on Nov. 19, the only legal hanging in county history. Porter was convicted of first degree murder.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
THE OBSERVER —15
, Ch@j , ~ -
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"O'OurnaliSm iS the firStrOugh, draft Of hiStOry." -P hil G r a h a m
The Observer is proud to have been recording Union County's history every day for over 118 years. We have chronicled thousands of births, deaths, meetings, tragedies, opportunities, events, sports, news and anniversaries. We have reflected the life and times of Un ion Co unty's residents in our pages, and will continue to record those milestones for Union County as news unfolds in the future.
Hayyy A n n i v e r s ar y U n i o n County
1406 Fifth Street, La Grande, OR 97850 • To subscribe, call 541-963-3161
16 — THE OBSERVER
int
ov| rnor s
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he first person from NortheastOregon tobecome governor of Oregon, Theodore Geer, came to Union County as a teenager. Born in 1851in Salem, he was 14 years old when he went to work for his father who began a nursery in Union County. His father became an active factor in the business of fiuitraising, according to an article in the"History of Oregon Illustrated." Eventually, Geer left his father's farm to begin working on his own land. His land prospered and he was elected as the Republican
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representative tothestateLegislature in 1880. After his term, he returned to his farm but was onceagain elected in 1889.In 1891 he was elected Speaker of the House. The article stated Geer was so fair in his rulings that he receivedsupport even from the Democratic parties. In 1896, Geer became the presidential elector and went to Washington, D.C., to carry Oregon's vote in the election of William McKinley in January 1897. Geer himself won the Oregon governor's race in 1898. After Geer's time in public office, he was the editor for the Salem newspaper, the Daily Statesman. After two years at the Daily Statesman, he moved to Pendleton and became the owner of the Daily Tribune for 2-V2 years. He sold the newspaper in 1908 and moved to Portland, where he remained until his death in 1924. Geer lived long enough to see another resident of the Grande Ronde Valley elected as governor of Oregon. Walter M. Pierce became governor of Oregon in 1923. Al-
By Cherise Kaechele The Observer
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Theodore Geer, top photo, and Walter Pierce, bottom, came out o f Union County to have stints as governor o f Oregon
though he was born in Illinois, he had a history rooted in Northeast Oregon. Pierce wrote a letter to his family and friends every birthday. When he turned 90 years old, he wrote ofhis life experience, touching briefly on his political career. "My people were liberals in politics and religion," Pierce wrote May 30, 1951."This determined the pattern of my life. I grew up a natural Democrat." After teaching students in a rural community, Pierce traveled westward. He landed in Milton
with ajob on a farm in May 1883. It was in Umatilla County that he gained his first political experience, when he was elected county clerk. He then attended Northwestern University in Chicago and graduated law school in 1896. After that he practiced law in Pendleton for 10 years. Before his political career began, Pierce also owned and operated the Grande Ronde Electric Co. and was one of the state's m ost successful breeders of Hereford cattle,according to the Oregonstatearchives website. "My state political life began with the senatorship from Umatilla and Morrow for 1903-1905," he recalled, "and from Union and Wallowa,1917-1919. Elected governor in 1922 and returned to the farm in 1927 and elected to Congress m 1932." As senator, Pierce achieved the winning passage of a $6 per child state support for education,
according to the website. This bill, as explained in an article written in the Oregon Journal in 1951, "changed the whole concept of education ... by guaranteeing financial support for education of children in poor school districts." Piercealso helped organize the Oregon Farmers Union, became president of the State Taxypayers League, organized the Public Power League and served on the Board of Regents of Oregon Agricultural College. Pierce was faced with Republicanopposition forthebetter part ofhis political career, which eventually caused him to lose hisposition asgovernor in 1926. However, even his opponents regarded Pierce as one of Oregon's strongestgovernors,according to the archiveswebsite. Piercewas elected toCongress in 1932 and represented his district until he was defeated in 1942 at the age of 81, at which time he retired to Salem.
"Theodore Geer lived long enough to see another resident of the Grande Ronde Valley elected as governor of Oregon." 1905 The Grande Ronde Lumber Co. at Perry bought a locomotive, 12 cars and seven miles of track in April. Prior to the purchase, the company usedlog drives onthe river and a steam donkey engine.
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1907 A trio of physicians — Drs. Carlton T. Bacon, Nicholas Molitor and Alfred L. Richardson — teamed up with physician George L. Biggers to purchase two acres for a hospital at the west end ofAdams Avenue. Grande Ronde Hospitalwasto be built there for $16,000.
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1912 Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the Union County Fair in La Grande on Sept. 11.
THE OBSERVER — 17
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
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Snapshots from the history of Union County
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1. Kids Paradein La Grandein1929; 2. Downtown La Grande alongAdams Avenuein 1954; 3. Anearly homestead at Orodell; 4. Logsheaded to Hanford Reed Sawmill in Elgin in 1937; 5. Miller Lunch Counter in La Grande; 6. The Observerffice o and the Sacajawea Hotel in 1928; 7. Grain silos near Imbler; 8. Hamilton Motor Co.in La Grandein1954; and 9. Bergers CashGrocery.
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18 — THE OBSERVER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
REFLECTIONS: 150 Y EARS OF UNION COUNT Y
tot e u t ure. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
o one can take a crystal ball and predict what the next 150 years will bring for Union County, but seeing where a county has been can help show where it's headed. UnionCounty has seen a number ofdifferent lives and events in its 150 years. The rural Northeastern Oregon area is rich in natural resources and agricultural land. A small-town community sought out by many looking for a quieter life is good for some, but from an economic standpoint, it may be what breaks a community. Union County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Dan Stark said when the recession hit that Union County wasn't hit nearly as hard as other surrounding counties like Baker or Wallowa. However, the biggest challenges facing the county are the aging workforce and not beingableto attractcorporationsto thearea. aWe're working to retain and expand to our exis ting base,"Stark said.aWe can't lose Boise Cascade or Eastern Oregon University. They're also looking forward and asking how do we adapt and change in the existing economy." Stark noted that vocational training, which is needed for the industrial businessesin the area,isnotoffered atthe local university. Union County does not have any community colleges that would typicall y offerthose typesofdegrees.Additionally, the aging workforce is getting toward retirement age, and Union County
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By Cherise Kaechele The Obseruer
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Thesmall-town community
soughtout by manylooking uieter time may Tre >'4
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lllustration by Tim Mustoe/The Observer
is also facing the difficult task of hiring professionals with theneeded degrees to fill those vacant positions without being ableto offerthe competitivewages. "If we continue with the trends we have seen in the last 10 years, then we're in trouble," Stark said. The small-town feel isn't capable of offering competitivewages, jobsor attracting businesses that keep a local economy afloat, Stark said. ''What that means for the future... that's something we're tackling as far as
business recruitment and retention," Stark said.aWe're tackling the workforce education and how to provide that. They can learn how to run the machine, and learn the skills.W ehave toresolve thatissue." County Commissioner Steve McClure said the future is Eastern Oregon University. "EOU will continue to be a big piece of Union County," McClure said.aWe need to conserve EOU in La Grande and Eastern Oregon." Geographically, we're challenged, McClure said.
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aWe're between the worst mountain passes and that limits us to the warehousing industries," McClure said.aWe're far away from any place, despite being located on Interstate 84." Union County Planning Director Hanley Jenkins said his office projected a 0.4 percent population growth every year. That's fairly typical of a rural community, he said. The Planning Division is responsible for predicting the development of the county for the next 20 years, he said. "If you look at our population growth in Union County, it has increased and decreased depending on the economy," Jenkins said."It's typical of a rural community." Union County Planning can expand the urban growth boundary, the town's boundary, to incorporate possible industries coming in. Recently, La Grande expanded their boundary to include 207 additional acresacreage up for grabs for any major industry looking to settle into Eastern Oregon. aWe'll see industry related to natural resources coming in," Jenkins said."And small-scale industries because of our geographic location." Union County has to change, though. "I think there's a lot of positives going forward but we have to make a decision," Stark said.'Which direction do we want to go? What niches can our economy fill that will allow us to grow? We don't want an industry thatisn't growing. That doesn't make sense."
"Union County has to change, though, or else Union County Economic Director Dan Stark fears a bleak future." 1913 Construction of the Federal Building, now La Grande City Hall, was completed. The building served as La Grande's post office for many years.
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1929 Eastern Oregon Normal School was built on the ground of a pioneer cemetery. Some graves were moved, but many remained. The administration building was built on top of the graves.
1966 After having state funds approved for a new 39-bed facility to be sited on Sunset Drive, the new Grande Ronde Hospital was officially dedicated on Jan. 15.
THE OBSERVER —19
R EFLECTIONS: 150 YEARS OF UNION COUN T Y
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 13,2014
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WHAT A
P
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in!<iiII' I",I Paid forby Union County Commissioner Steve McClure and hia wife Barbara McClure