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Cumtux 2007 Vol 27 No 2 Spring PDF

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Vol. 27, No. 2- Spring 2007 0 5) CH#RAo..o4l r8lt eocnt ion The Garden Club won first prize at the Astoria Regatta on July 24, 1954. Can anyone identify the two women? Where is this house located? In This Issue... Summer is about here and this issue is late: we hope to catch up on the seasons with our next one. The stories people share with us in Cumtux bring us into their worlds. In this issue, the Johnson family members tell us more about growing up in an isolated farm at Eddy Point in the Knappa area. When sudden disaster hits the family, we learn how they coped. Lovise Johnson and her son Olaf emerge as qualified mem- bers of any pantheon of heroes. The engaging photographs of Allen Saiget, recently donated to CCHS, accompany an article about Gyro Field/ Warren Field written by Clatsop Community College student Adam McAloney. Michael Leamy, owner and manager of the second largest cemetery in Clatsop County writes with ideas for preservation of our historic cemeteries. The first national newspaper to be printed in Clatsop County was the Joveritar. Che newspaper's first editor was Maria Raunio Aaltonen who is relatively un- known. Her story appears in this issue. We would like to thank Mal Van Meer, Naimi Koskelo, and Khan Gorlewski for their help with this issue. Cxiatsop County Historica Society CLatsop County Historica Society 714 Exchange St. / / P.O. Box 88 Astoria, Oregon 97103-0088 (503) 325-2203 S) [email protected] www.cumtux.org Ciatsop County Hisroricat SOCIETY QUARTERLY Heritage Museum 2 2? — Spring 2007 16th and Exchange St., Astoria : beer Ne fe meda te Copyright © 2007 Clatsop County Historical Society Flavel House Museum (ISSN 1083-9216) 8th and Duane St., Astoria Uppertown Firefighters Museum 30th and Marine Drive, Astoria BOARD or DIRECTORS Contents: Kent Easom, Astoria President 2 Ole and Lovise Johnson Vern Fowler, Gearhart Vice-President By Mary Johnson Holmgren Patrici arte Geach: — atricia Roberts, Gearhart and Her SiblingsAs Told to Secretary Kent Ivanoff, Astoria Carrie KandollSubmitted by Treasurer : Marsha Ettro, Svensen Phyllis Lund Anderson Jean Harrison, Astoria Paul Mitchell, Warrenton : J. Todd Scott, Astoria 19 John Warren Field Yvonne Starr, Astoria By Adam McAloney Randy Stemper, Astoria STAFF 26 Forgotten Cemeteries McAndrew Burns By Mike Leamy Executive Director Sam Rascoe 30 Maria Raunio Director ofM arketing By Liisa Penner Lisa CuSrtautdotsr 45 A Wandering Headstone By Liisa Penner Liisa Penner CUMTUArXch iveidsitt o&r 49 Clatsop County Cemeteries Martha Dahl Business Manager Bernard O’Brien Facilities Manager Alma Jackson Volunteer Membership Clerk Front Cover: Lovise Johnson at work on her Khan Gorlewski nursing home on Cedar Street in Carol Lambert Astoria, ca. 1951. Courtesy of the AClaerxoils MoLaorrseen Johnson Family Jim Reichert ————— Marlene Taylor Waste Waverlie Warila CUMTUX: Chinook jargon: Volunteer Archives Clerks “To know...to inform” Part 2 OLE AND LOVISE JOHNSON By Mary Johnson Holmgren and Her Siblings As Told to Carrie Kandoll Submitted by Phyllis Lund Anderson CHILDHOOD ADVENTURES off. By today’s standards, we were very he barn on our Eddy Point prop- young for this assignment. Jack and I erty was exceptional for the period. did the evening milking, ate cornflakes It was large and in excellent condition. with fresh milk for our evening snack, We heard the former property owner slept on a mattress in the Hayes family had intended to use the upper level for sauna, ate more cornflakes, did the barn dances, so the floor was smooth. morning milking, got the milk ready It made a good roller skating rink. The for the milk truck and caught a ride older boys had a pair of roller skates back to Knappa with the milk truck that we shared. Ruth also recalls a driver. We rode in the rear of the milk pulley system that George rigged up, truck along with the milk cans and so we could swing ourselves across the occasionally had to jump out when barn. First we would climb up on a the driver forgot to let us off at the wooden box, grab the pulley handle appointed stop. We always brought and swing-off for a ride across the some milk home in a one gallon Karo length of the barn. syrup can. While we had an excellent barn on “During those days at Eddy Point,” Eddy Point, we didn't have adequate Jim says, “we made our own fun and pasture land for our cows. Jim explains Jack was often the instigator of stunts “during the summer months we leased among us boys. One day, Jack, Phil and pasture land from the Hayes farm in I noticed that the Big Creek Logging Blind Slough. With the cows grazing Company had left their speeder trailer abut 2 % miles from home, Jack and I outside the shop building at the Knappa (at the most 11 and 13 years old) rode Dock. The speeder trailer was used by the train to Blind Slough each evening the logging camp workers to haul to do our milking chores. We caught supplies. It had flanged wheels and ran the 5:00 p.m. train at the Knappa along the rails. We pushed the speeder Station and got offat the Blind Slough trailer a couple miles along the trestle Station when the train made a brief tracks up hill toward the highway, — stop to throw the mail bag and papers Phil and I hopped aboard while Jack | Cxiatsop County Historicat Society pushed the trailer to get it going. Then him praying and asking God to revive he jumped in and all three of us rode it Jimmy. Ruth hurried down to the dock back to the dock. At some points, it felt with Mom following behind to learn like we were traveling at 50 mph along that Jimmy was suffering from carbon the trestle and over the deep canyon. monoxide poisoning. Ruth remembers We arrived safely at the dock; however Dad had been concerned about the our journey did not go unnoticed. Mr. boat engine exhaust that was seeping Edlerman, a logging company official, into the cabin and had tried to persuade lived on the hill above the dock and Jimmy to remain in the open air that heard the racket. When he observed night, but Jimmy had gone to rest in us flying along the tracks, he came out the cabin. Jim said “Dad may not have all excited. We ran off when we saw known about the exhaust problem, but him approaching. Our parents were he knew what my trouble was when we unaware of many of our shenanigans! got to the dock at midnight. I don’t Nothing bad happened the day we rode recall a thing until | woke up twelve the speeder trailer, but it was a risky hours later on the couch in the living adventure.” room. It was noon and | felt sick; I had Ruth Louise was reading a scary a headache and was not too perky fora story one night when Dad and Jim while.” It was a great relief when Jimmy came home from fishing. Dad’s voice was roused from the coma-like sleep. carried up the bank to the bedroom I recall at least two rowboat trips window and Ruth heard Dad calling with Ruth as captain that I would now out “Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, please wake consider foolhardy. Ruth promised me up.” In between those pleas she heard a rowboat trip if Ih elped her with the dishes. hen we were done with them, I persuaded Ruth to make good on her promise even though she realized the tide was not favorable. “But, Ruth, you promised!” We rowed out beyond the last log raft, but the tide was going out making it difficult for us to return to aSi~S==gSe the dock. Ruth managed to row back tSrNE=S to alog raft. She got out of the rowboat $=Sy and walked along the log raft to pull eSS5s us to safety. In between the rafts, she & ~P>o~o ) had to get back in the boat to row to o~s the next raft. On another occasion she >v= took Phil and me on a rowboat trip to = a) — Phil and Mary Johnson Carlson Island so we could visit Esther Cumtux — Vol. 27, No. 2 — Spring 2007 who was living with the Carlson’. | mission. As I was on my way down the don't know that we even told Mom long flight of stairs that led to the river, where we were headed. We left our I realized that Rachel was following shoes behind on the dock and boarded me. I turned repeatedly to tell her to go what turned out to be a leaky skiff. back but she didn’t listen. When I got In order to visit the Carlson place we to the dock, I warned her to stay put had to row to the riverside of Carlson as I went into the boat to retrieve the Island. I recall Phil used a tin can to socks. When I came out just a minute help bail the water while Ruth rowed. later, Rachel was no where in sight so I I think Ruth was concerned about our figured she had returned to the house. situation because she told me to sit As I was about to leave, my eye caught very still. Ruth explains “There were sight of her long hair floating on the many tributaries in the marsh and water between the boat and dock. I it was tricky to determine the right grabbed her hair and managed with tributary to follow. God was watching the help of our guardian angel to pull over us. Mrs. Carlson was horrified to her up and out. God was certainly see us and wanted to know how we got watching over us. You can imagine how there. She gave us food and lectured easily we could have both drowned. | us on the dangers of such a journey. thought I was in terrible trouble so I hid We were there for a couple of hours Rachel behind the house and hurried until Mr. Carlson returned and could to get dry clothes for her. Ruth found bring us home. There was no specific us there where I was frantically trying punishment, but we had to go to bed to get rid of the wet clothes and help as soon as we got home. | remember Rachel get dressed. | thought I was Mrs. Carlson telling Mom how wor- really in for a spanking this time. ried she was just thinking about what Jim describes this dangerous prac- could have happened to the three of tice, “In order to see our way around us and she would have felt somewhat the woodshed in the dark, we would responsible for our excursion since tie a rag on the end of a stick, dip the Esther was working for them.” rag in oil and then light it to use as a I think all of us recall the story of torch. The floor was covered in tiny how Mildred pulled Rachel out of the wood chips. We got up one morning river when as a six-year-old she spotted and found a big hole burned in the four-year-old Rachel’s blond hair float- woodshed floor. There was a ring of ing on the surface of the water next to halfburned chips around the hole. the dock. Mildred explains “Karl asked God certainly protected us! The large me to go to the boat to get him a pair woodshed had served as a machinist of socks. I was six years old and felt shop for the former residents, the like such a big girl to be sent on such a elder Carl Boentgen and his son Carl. Ciatsop County Historica Society In one corner of the shop, they left a Knappa, I stayed a week at their home boat engine that was a home-made during haying season. | was riding affair.” Years later, Jim was trained as a in the wagon with Esther, the oldest machinist. That might explain why he Paronen girl, when a dragonfly fright- remembers this detail! The Boentgens ened the horse and it took off across actually operated a machine shop near the field with us riding precariously in the Knappa Dock. the wagon. Esther Paronen told me we Caleb Isakson was one oft he single have to jump off this run-away wagon. men that stayed at our place offand on I remember it was a hard landing! At and helped Dad make nets. Jim tells Paronens’ everyone slept upstairs in this story, “One day when Caleb was in one big open room. There was a hole a hurry to catch the train to Astoria, he in the middle of the floor and a big stopped at our landing to pick up his rope was coiled up for a fire escape. citizenship papers that he left at our The Paronen girls were involved with home earlier. He needed them for his 4-H. They were very industrious and errand in town. He tied up at the dock and left the boat motor running as he planned to make a swift departure. When he dashed up the bank to the house, it didn’t occur to him that Jack and I would find this to be the perfect opportunity to take his boat for a spin! fAau4soqoa 4sz uignoo’f) We were circling quite a way from the Ajit, landing when Caleb reappeared. We could see him having conniptions on the dock, so we ran the boat back in and although he was very upset with us, I believe he still made his train.” Our Clatskanie neighbors, the Paronens, relocated to Brownsmead and the girls (Esther Katherine, Eva, Ilma, and Ellie) once again became our classmates and friends. They had a “storybook” farm with both a veg- etable garden and flower garden. One year, after we moved to Astoria, Mrs. Paronen brought Mom a gunnysack of peas from her garden. They tasted like candy! While we were living in George and Ben Johnson Cumtux — Vol. 27, No. 2 — Spring 2007 went to college. one under each arm, and run for the Our Rachel was an independent siding. The siding was a 6’ x 6’ wooden platform just big enough for a couple little girl. Asa pre-schooler, she liked to wave at the passenger and freight trains of water barrels. We were scared out of our wits as we stood a few feet away on running at the edge of the riverbank. Sometimes she would wave from the the siding when the huge ear-shattering top of the hill, but other times she train went screaming by, shaking the would climb a tree and wave from siding we were standing on so it felt there. I remember her favorite tree was like it would fall off.” a laurel-leaf tree with black berries. George invited Philip, Mildred, There were times when we found her Rachel, and me to come and see China. clothes at the base of the tree! One day, He took us into the crawlspace under Esther went looking for Rachel as she the house and showed us a narrow hole missed her at the house. Esther flew where he had placed a wood stove lid down the 100 steps to the dock, when covered with water. He had us look in she noticed that Rachel was standing the hole while he shined a flashlight on a big log that was floating next to on the water. When we saw our own the dock. As she approached, Esther reflection in the water, he said we were tried not to scare Rachel as she was looking at China. I didn’t know where afraid she would fall off the log. At China was, but I knew it was some high tide the log became level with the kind of trick. George had a sense of dock and for reasons unknown, Rachel humor. He was probably about 15 at ventured out on the log unaware of the time. the danger. Esther was successful in George had an inventive mind. He rescuing Rachel. and Jim were alike that way. George ex- Both freight and passenger trains perimented with many things including used the railroad track. The passen- electricity. He built a generator, wired ger train traveled between Spokane, the house, and installed electric lights Washington and Portland and Seaside, on the main floor. Ruth remembers Oregon. Mildred writes “Olaf was that George installed electric lights in taking Rachel and me to Sunday school the kitchen and above the dining room one morning in Knappa. We were six table. He liked to investigate things by and four. He couldn't get the car started taking them apart and reassembling so we couldn't go. We walked back them. George was the leader among home along the railroad tracks. We the boys in building forts. Jim notes were in the middle of the trestle when “All of us kids worked on a project to we heard a train coming. Rachel and I dig a cave in the hillside west of the were so slow and carefully stepping on house near the chicken house. We used each tie that Olaf had to pick us up, boards for a roof and built a fire pit in 6 CLatsop County Historica SOCIETY the wall, but it didn’t work too well to a fisherman at heart and meticulous have a fire in there.” about the fishing gear.” Philip says Jim adds “Not only did we create “Karl was a kindly soul. He was the our own fun, but we were resourceful. best-hearted person and didn’t have We sold worms and crawfish to sports a selfish bone in his body. By 1942, fishermen. We had a big manure pile he had purchased a 1938 Oldsmobile where we could dig worms. A can of and told Mom he was going to teach worms sold for 25 cents as did a dozen her to drive!” live crawfish. Back then you could get sick on 25 cents worth of candy!” Philip Wor_Lp War II remembers picking wild blackberries Phil shared his World War II with George. “George enlisted our help memories during an interview with and we earned a small commission his daughter Gretchen that we have from his berry sales. He sold these tiny wild berries to people in Knappa.” The older boys included Philip in some of their activities; however, he was eighth in line in seniority and often considered the oldest oft he little kids. | remember one time when everyone else went into town and Philip, who was no more than nine years old, was left in afdAugsjooiai uz saaynu.oyg7 )o l charge of the rest of us little kids! Philip, Mildred, and I spent a lot of time at the creeks. My favorite childhood spots on Eddy Point were the creeks, beach, and sweet apple tree. By the time we moved to Eddy Point, our eldest brothers, Olaf and Karl, were contributing to the family finances. They were busy helping our parents earn a living while we younger siblings enjoyed a variety of adventures on Eddy Point. Ben notes, “Olaf was exceedingly compassionate and well- liked.” Olafs son Stan adds, “He had lots of patience with people and not so much with things.” Jim recalls “Karl was energetic and industrious. He was Jim and Ruth Johnson Cumtux — Vol. 27, No. 2 — Spring 2007 recapped here. Phil was nine years scribes her memories of WWII and old when the United States entered that fateful day, “Even before the attack World War II following the bombing on Pearl Harbor, Dad was worried of Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning, about the war and feared the boys December 7, 1941. The following day, would be drafted as Karl was draft age President Franklin Roosevelt, address- and healthy and George would soon ing a joint meeting of the Congress, be of draft age. I turned 14 the day asked for a declaration of war with Pearl Harbor was attacked. I rushed the Japanese. Phil remembers hearing downstairs that Sunday morning to tell this at home on the radio. Living on Dad, “Its my birthday!” but he pretty the West Coast, we often experienced much ignored me. It was as if he didn't blackout periods where at night we had hear me. He was listening to the radio. to cover all windows with black paper, He was very sad about the news and blinds, or whatever we had. This was told Mom, “Oh, I'm afraid our sons will done to protect against giving Japanese be in the war.” We didn’t normally have pilots targets for bombing. Some of us a radio in the house, but Dad brought remember the black-out shades on the one up from the boat. It operated off windows at the Irving Avenue Church of a storage battery that was charged by in Astoria; they were there long after the boat motor. the war. Many items were rationed Jim comments “The attack on Pearl like sugar, gasoline, meat, and tires. Harbor was big news, but it didn’t All extra resources were given to the concern a ten-year-old boy. | remember war effort. Every family had ration the day President Roosevelt died and cards. For example, a typical family the newspaper's large print headline could only buy two pounds of sugar - - FDR Dies. He died on April 12, per week. Our family always had plenty 1945.” of sugar during the war as each child Phil tells about a funny incident that received a ration in addition to sugar occurred shortly after the war began. rations for canning. I remember the FBI agents came one day to our house air-raid wardens coming to Knappa and told us they had been searching for and telling Dad we needed to cover all two weeks to find out why they were of our windows at night with blankets detecting radio signals from an area and to have a shovel, a bucket of sand, of the Knappa woods near our house. and a hose ready. It was common to They were under the impression that a read in the newspaper about local men Japanese spy was hiding in the woods. killed in action. It turned out that brother George, who Ruth’s birthday is December 7th, was very electronically astute, had been the date we now associate with the toying in the woods with a radio that he bombing of Pearl Harbor. Ruth de- was trying to put together!” Ruth adds Ciatsop County Historica Society

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