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CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY Vol. 17, No. 3 - Summer 1997 Courtesy of the Editor SUMMERTIME AT THE BEACH. Top photo shows the Hotel Moore at far right about 1915. The building with the sign “Hot Salt Baths, Bathing Suits For Rent” also appears at left in the photo at bottom which is postmarked 1907. The Turnaround was built just south of the hotel. Courtesy of the Editor CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Inc. Heritage Museum 16th and Exchange Astoria, Oregon 97103 325-2203 CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Flavel House QUARTERLY Vol. 17, No. 3 -Summer 1997 8th and Duane Copyright © 1997 Clatsop County Historical Society (ISSN 1083-9216) Uppertown Firefighters Museum Contents: 30th and Marine Drive i SUMMERTIME AT THE BEACH BOARD of DIRECTORS 2 GROWING UP IN ASTORIA Helen Gaston, Seaside By Walter (Wally) Palmberg President Blair Henningsgaard, Astoria Vice-President 19 CAMPING LONG AGO Molly Ziessler, Gearhart By J.M. Acton Secretary Ruth Shaner, Astoria Treasurer 24 CENTERFOLD: SCOW BAY Russell Elmer, M.D., Astoria Rae Goforth, Astoria 27 ASTORIA: A POEM William Gunderson III, By Mae Sallila Astoria Jewel Hobbs, Astoria Warfield Martin, Astoria 28 JOHNNIEMELA: Annabell Miller, Astoria CANNERYMAN & BOAT BUILDER Robin Risley, Cannon Beach Fred Van Horn, Gearhart 35 THE REMINISCENCES OF STAFF MAUDE LARSEN Jeffrey H. Smith 36 MARGARET JANE WETZEL Executive Director Newsletter Editor FERGUSON By H. Joseph Ferguson Mark Tolonen Curator of Collections 41 GRANDMA HARE’S MESSAGE TO Martha Dahl CHILDREN Bookkeeper/Office Manager 44 JOB WITTE ROSS & Chuck Bean GHOSTS FROM THE PAST Museums Maintenance By Charles E Haddix Liisa Penner Cumtux Editor 48 CLATSOP’S PAST Charlotte Hallaux & Jackie Thackery 49 EDITOR’S NOTES FH Volunteer Coordinators Cover: Elin Margreta Elfving Palmberg with her father- Mary Dwyer in-law, Andrew Peterson, her three children, (I to r) Bill, Volunteer Archives Clerk Walter and Herbert Palmberg, in 1915. Photo courtesy of Walter Palmberg Thomas E. Edison Volunteer Photo Archivist Printer: Anchor Graphics Astoria, Oregon Alma Jackson Volunteer Membership/ Memorials Clerk CUMTUX: Chinook jargon: "To know...acknowledge...to inform" Courtesy of Walter Palmberg Walter Palmberg, at the age of 13, and his dog. Rover, in front of his home on Jerome Avenue in 1925. 2 Astoria’s most famous athlete reminisces about his youth Growing up in Astoria By Walter “Wally" Palmberg I write this story of my young life Larson. The little girl loved my parents with little consideration for grammatic and this affection was returned by my correctness. —Just loose and casual. parents. Dad was a brilliant man, a worka¬ I was bom in Astoria, Oregon on holic, who never got beyond the 8th March 7, 1912 to Swedish immigrant grade in formal learning. Mother was a parents. My mother had come from wonderful parent and a great house¬ Stockholm and my father from Lin- keeper. Dad made his fortune in building koping. Mother came for adventure at houses and commercial buildings in the age of seventeen, and my father, after Astoria such as the famous Weinhard serving a period of indenture to a cabinet Hotel that was lost in the Astoria fire in maker in Sweden for four years, had 1922, the Spexarth Building (still stand¬ earned enough money to join his parents ing), the county jail (a historical land¬ in Duluth, Minnesota. He was also 17 at mark), Capt. Robert Gray School, the the time and brought his younger building on the southwest comer of 14th brother, Alfred, and little sister, Frieda, and Marine Drive and many homes and with him. The parents were too poor to other buildings. He formed a construc¬ bring all the children. Dad worked for a tion company, John Slotte Company, that short time in Duluth in the cabinet mak¬ built roads in Washington and Oregon ing trade. He left Duluth after a few including many in Astoria and in the years intent on leaving for Astoria, Ore¬ county such as the Youngs River Loop gon to gain passage on a ship to Austra¬ road. (See the Clatsop County Historical lia. However, he found that Astoria of¬ Society issue of the Cumtux, Vol., 2, No. fered great opportunity for a future, and 4, Autumn, 1982, “Charles G. Palmberg, after meeting his bride to be, Elin Mar- Sunset Empire Builder.”) greta Elfving, he decided to remain in In 1913 Dad had built a new home Astoria. for his family on the northeast comer of My parents were married in 1904 4th and Franklin that still stands today. and Dad had built a new home for his In 1923, he purchased the home that had bride on the south side of Grand Avenue recently been built by Henry Hoefler, a where 13th would cross. The house is candy man, maker of the famous Centen¬ long gone but the stone wall can still be nial Chocolates who had factories in seen fronting the property. The newly¬ New York and San Francisco, and had weds left on their honeymoon trip to take just moved to San Francisco. [See the in the World’s Fair in St. Louis and they article on Henry Hoefler by Wally took along with them, Ranghild Larson, Palmberg in the Spring 1997 Cumtux.} daughter of mother’s sister, Hilda The huge new home, located north across 3 the street from the high school (now to visit with her family, but they did not Clatsop Community College) was the visit Dad’s hometown of Linkoping. I most beautiful modem home in Astoria assume that Dad had few happy memo¬ at that time. We were an affluent family ries of the place for they were poor and with two cars, a gardener, and a maid to nearly starving when his parents pulled help with the home chores. We main¬ stakes for America. tained a cottage at Seaside where many Their first child, George, passed happy summers were spent while 1 was away at the age of four. The other chil¬ growing up. Dad, as I had mentioned, dren bom of the union were William, the was a workaholic, but he was a great oldest son, Herbert, the next, Walter, the father who believed in his sons working. youngest son, and Katherine, the daugh¬ Dad had money, but he would provide ter. William married Lois Clay and they us only with used wagons and bicycles. had two sons. Herbert married Alma We had to build our own coaster sleds. Scudder and had a son and daughter, and His idea was for us to learn to work, to Walter married Lois Reimers and they fix things and take care of them. As soon had a son and daughter. Herbert passed as we boys were old enough, Dad put us away in 1989 and Bill in 1993. Walter to work with his laborers. As I look back and his sister survive. (For further infor¬ it stood us in good stead for we learned mation, Frances Cherry, Walter’s daugh¬ the value of work and how to work. ter, has the family tree.) Dad was also engaged in real estate My folks, immigrants from Swe¬ and banking, serving as president of one den, did not wish to live in the east en¬ bank and chairman of the board of an¬ clave of the town where the other Scan¬ other. Dad had many fine friends in the dinavians were centered. We lived in area but did not cater to the “city crowd.” middle town because my parents wanted He had a great life but one that ended in to become Americans as quickly as pos¬ tragedy with the coming of the great sible. Both learned to speak and write the Depression when he lost everything. He American language very well. I have in died of a broken heart at a relatively later years been sorry, in a way, that they early age of 67. (Dad smoked rather would speak Swedish at home only when heavily favoring the little cigars called, they did not want us kids to know what “Between The Acts.” We children sus¬ they were talking about. I could have pect that he also suffered from emphy¬ learned Swedish well like many of my sema.) Mother carried on, the home was Finnish friends whose parents talked sold and she moved to Portland where nothing but Finn at home. Many of the she later married a fine Norwegian gen¬ Finn kids couldn’t speak or read English tleman, Joseph Libak. Mother passed when they started the first grade in away at the age of 86 and rests beside her Uniontown. The only Swedish I ever husband, Charles, at Oceanview Ceme¬ learned were some cuss words from tery near Astoria. Grandpa. 1 recall little of Dad’s family other Grandfather than his father. Of mother’s family, I My grandfather (my father’s father, knew her brothers, Abraham and Fritz, Andrew Peterson*) lived with us for as and her sisters, Hilda and Marie. I had long as I can remember. He came from met others but I was quite young and Duluth after the death of his wife around don’t recall much about them. Dad and 1916. He worked for Dad for quite a few Mother traveled to Sweden several times years and passed away at Dad’s home in 4 1931 at the ripe old age of 91. He could Doctor Wemer Lagus, our family doctor, never speak even one word of English had warned her that I would always be even though he had spent over twenty tied to her apron strings because the years in this country. When he was in his illnesses had affected my heart and I eighties, my folks bought our first radio, could never be very active. Well, well! a console type. It was a “Fada.” My Fire of 1922 grandpa would sit in front of it and listen I remember standing on the street to the music and the talking that came just above the comer of 14th and Ex¬ out of the set. I tried to explain to him change watching the great fire in 1922 how the voices came through the air, that consumed the business district of the down the antenna and into the set. He town. My brother, Herbert, was one of would laugh at me and look in the back the boys in the bucket brigade, organized of the set and under it wondering what by Pop Page, the janitor, that carried the trick was. 1 don’t believe that he ever water from the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool understood a single thing about radio. to the roof when the water mains were Speaking of radio, we kids in the out. This action saved the Y from de¬ early days made crystal sets that we used struction. ear phones with. We would sit up late at When I was in the 2nd grade, I was night moving that little wire around and late to school and class had already start¬ around in the crystal trying to get differ¬ ed. I was too embarrassed to enter the ent stations. The next day, we would get room so I headed for the forest and Lun- together to compare notes as to what ker’s Pond close to our home on 4th and stations we had been able to get. I recall Franklin. I played hooky for four days even after all these years that the one going to school in the morning, but when station that came in quite clear was I came near the school, I would duck out CFCN in Calgary, Canada. —Must have and head for the woods. Well, my broth¬ been a powerful station. ers reported me and I had to go to school. Early childhood The principal came to the room and When we were little kids around pointed a finger at me and wiggled that four to six years of age, we had nick¬ finger for me to come! Out in the hall, names for some of the kids that stuck for he took out a long rubber hose and put a time. One kid had bulging eyes and we me over his knee and administered it to promptly named him “Bung-eye.” An¬ my bottom. It didn't hurt, but I bawled other little kid’s mother kept diapers on anyway. Come to think of it, if that hap¬ him for some years. We called him pened today, I could sue the principal, “Niffy-Toodle-Poop.” Another kid was the school, and the school board for child always wetting his pants and he got the abuse. Well, I lived through it. moniker of “Gasoline Leaker.” We sure Although I lived across the street came up with some dandy names. from the high school, years later, I be¬ In 1918 during the big influenza lieve that I was tardy more than any epidemic when so many people died, I other student. I’d wait until the last min¬ came down with the flu and in addition ute then run across the street pull myself to that I got diphtheria. I could not start up the stone wall, up the lawn and the school but had to stay in bed most all that front steps of the school just when the winter. 1 remember years later, mother tardy bell was ringing. My roll room shaking her head and telling me, when teacher usually met me with the admoni¬ I was playing ball in high school, how tion, “Go get your tardy slip!” When we were kids at home, we gilded tin ball about three feet in diame¬ had a few chores like waxing the hard¬ ter on its top. Some loggers with blocks wood floors once or twice a year. Scrub¬ and tackle had placed it there. We kids bing the kitchen floor was a Saturday used to hunt grouse and rabbits on the chore, and without a mop. Down on our hill, and we were not going to miss hands and knees with a scrub brush, soap shooting holes in the gold ball. Lightning and rags! Well, Herbert was being paid hit the snag and shattered it and the ball 25 cents to do the job, which Katherine rolled down the south side of a hill that knew nothing about. Herb paid me fif¬ had been logged, then across the pipeline teen cents to do the job so he could get road, ending up in a small draw below out of it. I was glad to get the fifteen the road. We found it. It was sort of beat cents, but, in time, wised up to Herb’s up and the gilt was gone. We lost interest racket. So, I cajoled Katherine into doing in it in a little while. the job for a nickel which she took, and I recall attending several events in I came out of it with a dime. I don’t the big amphitheater on the southeast recall how long I got away with that, but slope of the City Park. In later years, in time, I was the one back to scrubbing after the seating on the hillside had rotted the floor. away, the place proved to be a bonanza From 1913 to 1923, our family of moonshine bottles. lived on the northeast comer of 4th and One time three of us grade school Franklin. Our playground was in the kids removed the lid to a concrete pipe¬ woods where Skyline Drive is now. At line outlet of the city water line at the top that time there were no houses in the of 16th Street near the high school. We area. At the highest spot above Smiths had two candles and two flashlights. The Point, there was a large United States pipeline was in a low tunnel with room wireless telegraph tower. A trail took off to squeeze by. We followed the pipeline from the top of Franklin Avenue and ran all the way up to where we found a man¬ up to the tower. We often used to go out hole outlet a hundred yards before the there to play. The main large government reservoir. We had no idea where we were wireless station and towers (five high until we emerged. If the tunnel had caved towers, I believe) were located about five in on us, no one would have known miles east of Miles Crossing off the where we were. Youngs River Road. Sunday treats Sliding down the trees Sundays, we kids went to Sunday We used to go up on Coxcomb Hill School. Afterwards we went home for a and climb the huge hemlock trees. When nice dinner, then each of us would get up high, we would move out on the limb twenty-five cents from Dad to go to the and straddle it. Then, when the limb movies. We would head for the Star would bend down, we would slide on Theater to take in the western which was down to the next limb and so on down the standard fare. Ten cents for admis¬ to the ground. It was a lot of fun and we sion and five cents for a huge bag of could slide pretty fast. Never recalled popcorn that lasted most of the film. any of us getting hurt. When the show was over, we would head For some years before the Astor for the Columbia Theater which usually [Astoria] Column was built on top of had a love story. We kids waited around Coxcomb Hill, a huge snag, around 120 until the serial started and then would be feet high, stood on the summit. It had a admitted for ten cents. The serial was 6 Tarzan of the Apes. He always ended up several times my cousin, Dodo Larson, at death’s door —to be continued-and we and I ducked out and headed for the couldn’t wait for the next episode. waterfront where the dredge was tied up And speaking of the movies, one on Sundays. Captain Saunders was an time four or five of us went to the Blue old family friend of my parents. He Mouse theater. The exits were up front would welcome Dodo and me aboard on the sides with curtains to block the and we would have lunch with him. Boy light when the exit door was opened. We were we impressed—such fine linen pooled what little money we had, one of tablewear, fancy dishes and served by us paid to get in, and the rest of us ran Filipino waiters in white jackets. I sup¬ around to the exit door. Our buddy sat pose that our parents found out, but we down front and during a rather darkened never heard anything about it. part of a scene went out through the curtain like he was leaving, but opened the door and we all sneaked in, ducked under the curtain, laid on our backs and pulled ourselves along under the seats for four or five rows then slowly pulled ourselves up into seats. Perhaps the most horrible time of my young life was foisted on me by my mother, God Bless Her! She decided to make a “Little Lord Fauntleroy” suit for me. Gawd, how 1 hated that velvet suit with the big white collar, the short pants, and black stockings. 1 had to wear it on Sundays to church. From 4th and Franklin down to the Methodist church on 11th and Franklin, it was a disgust¬ ingly hateful trip. There were times when I would take off from the street and work my way down through the trails to the church so as to keep out of sight. I don't remember when, but the blessed day Courtesy of the author came when I got out of that miserable attire. None of the other kids had to wear Walter Palmberg, about 4 years old, any such a lousy get-up. [See the Fall sits on the railing behind his brother 1982 Cumtux, page 6 for a picture of me Bill at their home on Grand Avenue in this suit.] in Astoria about 1915 Speaking of the Methodist Church reminds me of when we went to Sunday Many Sundays after church we School there for a while after the Baptist would get into the family car and drive Church had burned down. The new Bap¬ to Seaside for a wonderful chicken din¬ tist Church was built across the street ner, drive around the turnaround to look west of the courthouse. The folks ex¬ at the ocean and then head back to pected us children to attend church ser¬ Astoria. It was quite a trip in those early vices after Sunday School classes. Well, days. Plank roads covered part of the 7 way. (Planks were placed lengthwise, marshmallow roasts!! just wide enough for the wheels with Our summer cottage was located nothing in between.) When you met a north of the main street, three blocks up car, the one closest to the plank turnout the side road from 14th. We spent a lot would move aside. Some of the road was of time fishing and crabbing off the 12th sand and some gravel. There was later a Street bridge. We would catch pogies, stretch from Youngs River to Miles sea bass, shiners and, of course, lots of Crossing that was paved, just wide mud cats.** And we would put out crab enough for one car going one way. Boy, rings and get lots of crabs. In the Wa- that was a great piece of highway!! I hanna River that branched off from the recall, too, a few years later, how Dad Necanicum a short distance in from the would have us watch out the back for the sea, crabbing was great. At the peak of motorcycle cop when he was in a hurry the high tide, we’d get in the rowboat and heavy footing the gas pedal. The and with sixteen foot rakes, we would speed limit was 25 and later moved up rake up large jumbo crabs from the bot¬ to 35. The cop would sit on his Indian or tom. The water was crystal clear. We Harley-Davidson motorcycle behind a would get as many as fifty and sixty, scotchbroom bush and lay in wait for sometimes. What a feast we would have rash speeders. Come to think of it, when cooking them in an old copper wash we were kids, if you were making a boiler on the river beach by Dodo reference to “going like a bat out of Larson’s cottage. Rock salt, pickling hell,” the expression was, “Boy, we were spice and boiling for twenty-five min¬ going like sixty! Off on a cloud of Zero- utes. And home brew, of course. The lene!” [Zerolene oil was a product of Necanicum and Wahanna Rivers were Standard Oil.] full of crabs until later years when the Seaside games town of Seaside put in a sewage disposal When we played on the beach at plant. That ended all the great crabbing. Seaside, we improvised games. One we (The timing might have been coinciden¬ called “Duck on the Rock.” We would tal.) draw a square in the sand about twenty Also at Seaside, we spent many feet wide and put a large sort of flattish hours during the summer in the Oates rock in the middle. We would select one swimming pool which was located at the guy as “it” and he would have to put his south side of the turnaround. There were rock about the size of one’s fist, on top two big pools, one a bit larger than the of the large rock, then join us outside the other. A long pier extended out into the square. Then the rest of us, any number, ocean along which ran the pipeline that with our rocks of like size would toss our pumped the salt water up to the heaters rocks at his rock. There were usually and into the pools. The pier was later several misses until a hit would knock knocked out in a storm, but the line con¬ the rock off. Then there would be a mad tinued to function. I believe that it cost scramble to pick up our rocks and get twenty-five cents, if you brought your outside the line. The last one had to trunks and fifty cents if you didn’t. You become the next “it.” also got a towel, and a small cubby hole Seaside was a lot of fun. The beach dressing room with a lock. The key came was littered with huge stumps and logs with a pin to fasten to your swim suit. and loads of driftwood. Beach fires were There was a shower outlet to the outside going almost every night. Wiener and so we could go out to the beach to swim 8