Cumtux 2009 Vol 29 No 3 Summer

2009·5.2 MB·English

by  Clatsop County Historical Society

Vol. 29, No. 3— Summer 2009
IDBCOMooFoA yruGLRoEeTT E HSyY
AuTHOoR Dorotuy DaGcetT BoyLe Is AMONG THESE STUDENTS AT ASTOR SCHOOL
IN 1927.
In This Issue...
Two stories in this issue are taken from the “roaring” 1920s. The first is
from the memory of Dorothy Daggett Boyle who tells of attending john
Jacob Astor School and working for her uncle. Her stories are reprinted
from the Astoria Senior Center’s publication. The second was taken straight
from the Sheriff Slusher correspondence of the early 1920s. The subject of
another story is Lee Sing, who lived in the county from the 1920s to 1972.
Stories about him have come from many sources. If you have stories about
him, we would like to hear from you. Call 503-338-4849.
Possibilities for new stories continually arise. New ones in process include
such subjects as: women homesteaders in Clatsop County; the man who
chased John L. Sullivan out of Astoria; the Astoria newspaper editor impris-
oned in Norway for attempted sabotage; the Seaside victim ofK u Klux Klan
threats; the history of the Sons of Norway; and the Astoria mayor thought
to be a German secret agent.
The most popular stories we present are those about Clatsop County
families. We would like to print your story. If you have a story to tell, please
consider writing for our Cumtux readers.
Ciatsop County Historica Sociery
CLATsop CouNTY
JUMTUX
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
714 Exchange St.
P.O. Box 88
Astoria, Oregon 97103-0088
[phone]
[email protected]
www.cumtux.org Ciatsor County Historica SOCIETY
QUARTERLY
Heritage Museum Vol. 29, No. 3 — Summer 2009
16th and Exchange St., Astoria
Copyright © 2009 Clatsop County Historical Society
Flavel House Museum (ISSN 1083-9216)
8th and Duane St., Astoria
Uppertown Firefighters Museum
30th and Marine Drive, Astoria
BOARD of DIRECTORS
Kent Easom, Astoria
President
Paul Mitchell, Warrenton Contents:
Vice-President
Patricia Roberts, Gearhart
2 Memories
Secretary
Kent Ivanoff, Astoria By Dorothy Daggett Boyle
Treasurer
Brett Estes, Astoria 14 Lee Sing
Marsha Ettro, Svensen
Vern Fowler, Gearhart
Jean Harrison, Astoria 29 Prohibition in Clatsop County:
J. Todd Scott, Astoria/Seattle
The Sheriff Slusher Documents
Yvonne Starr-Comins, Astoria
Randy Stemper, Astoria
By Liisa Penner
48 Astoria Still Rates Cosmopolitan
STAFF
McAndrew Burns Title (An excerpt from Oregon
Executive Director
Journal September 26, 1952)
Sam Rascoe
Director ofM arketing By Walter Mattila
Liisa Penner
Archivist &
CUMTUX Editor
Amber Glen Front Cover: CCHS Image #8285.001
Curator It appears to be the first day ofs chool for these
Martha Dahl unnamed children, carrying bouquets ofp early
Business Manager everlasting and ferns. Photo by Elmer Coe
Alma Jackson
Volunteer Membership Clerk
Carol Lambert
Carol Moore
Marlene Taylor
Cumtux Support
CUMTUX: Chinook jargon:
“To know...to inform”
Scow Bay to Commercial Street
MEMORIES
By Dorothy Daggett Boyle
’M A TRANSPLANT from Canada. A [Pete Cosovich was Astoria's Mayor
lereees aunt and uncle from Seattle from 1951 to 1958] Tim Andrich mar-
convinced my mom and pop to let ried my Aunt Josephine in the early
them take me back to “the States” 1920s and a couple ofy ears later poor
with them. They had checked with Tim found that his wife’s niece was
another aunt and uncle to see if I coming to live with them for a while.
could live with them in Astoria and so EGAD! Tim wasn’t used to young
it was that I came to live with Aunt Jo twelve year olds, especially from the
and Uncle Tim Andrich, who lived in farm, and a girl to boot!
the old Andrich home on Scow Bay. It was summertime and there I was
Scow Bay was a big sand lot that in Scow Bay. On the west side of the
reached from about 17°" Street to house were neighbors Mr. and Mrs.
about 20 th or 25** Street and spanned Wilder Parker and their two girls
that area from Exchange to Franklin. Margaret and Viola (Babe). When
You can still see the Andrich house Mr. and Mrs. Parker determined that
as you look up from the back of this little implant from Canada was
Columbia Memorial Hospital. It a nice girl, we girls spent a lot of our
looks the same except that someone time playing in the sand lot which
enclosed the front veranda. was Scow Bay. There was an old scow
Mr. and Mrs. Andrich, my Uncle parked in the lot and we pretended
Tim’s mother and father [Spiro and it was a play house! Next door to
Catherine] lived in that home, I the Parkers lived the Axel Olsons.
expect, since they had come from
Mrs. Olson was Margie (Mrs. Dick)
the old country, which if Ir emember Thompson's grandma and Margie tells
what I was told, was Yugoslavia. At me she used to play at her grandma’s
any rate, Mother and Father Andrich place way back when. Margie must
reared quite a good sized family be more than twenty years younger
consisting of boys Chris, Thomas than I am.
(Tim), Joe and George. The girls were Looking down into the sand lot
Jenny, Mary, and Ada. Mrs. Andrich “bay” from the porch of the Andrich
was a sister to Pete Cosovich’s mother. house was a large boarding house
ir) Criatsop County Historica Society
owned by the Pincetich family. They noise of the mill was sort of exciting.
had two boys, John and “Pink,” much ‘The aroma of the Home Bakery was
too old to play with us little girls. also in the air and isn’t it amazing that
In later years I believe the boarding the bakery is still in business and in
house was torn down, or moved, to the same family, the Tilanders? There
make way for the Columbia Memorial was an Anderson’s Grocery along
Hospital. [It was destroyed by an the way. [E. W. Anderson owned a
arson fire in 1989. See the photos and general merchandise store.] In my
story in the previous issue of Cumtux.] later high school life in Seaside I ran
On the east side of the Andrich into Bill Anderson who somehow
house lived Steve and Mary Phillipakis. ended up at Seaside High. Then there
As far back as I can remember, Steve was the Hauke Store which changed
was always Steve Phillips. They were hands several years ago when Safeway
such nice people and, of course, you bought it out. It had moved across the
must know that Steve was the ‘Steve” street from where | used to walk by it
of Andrew and Steve’s Café which going to school. I also remember we
has been in existence since the 1920s walked by the Desdemona Club. I
because my aunt and uncle would thought the name was a strange one
eat there almost every Sunday and and so I remember it for that reason.
take me along. My favorite meal was That place is still in operation today.
sausage and gravy on biscuits. So you I was in the seventh and eighth
see how long they have been making grade at Astor and my home room
their own sausage! Steve and Mary teacher was Marion Albright. I think
had two little girls, Cleo and Mary, the Principal was Mr. Van Worker.
whom I used to babysit. Later on My writing teacher was Agnes Bailey,
they had a baby boy and then when and my art and music teacher was
September rolled around I had to be Alice Aldrich who married a Mr.
enrolled in school. Where else but the Prael [Albert G. Prael] in 1928 while
John Jacob Astor School! I was in her class. Miss Aldrich put
This was the biggest school I had on a skit where we sang “Let a Smile
ever been in, just as Astoria was the be Your Umbrella” and did a little
biggest city I had ever been in. Of dance. We girls all had beautiful
course, I walked to school. It was quite paper dresses and paper parasols.
a bit of a walk, but along the board I have a picture of us (Aina Koski,
walks I would meet other kids along Violet Colby, me (Dorothy Daggett),
the way and it would be fun having and Pearl Handloss. Some of my
company and meeting new friends. classmates were Dorothy Grimberg,
How I loved the aroma of sawdust Margaret Larsen, Laura Terho,
as I walked by the old mill, and the Ceola Beymor, Henby Mackey,
Cumtux — Vol. 29, No. 3 — Summer 2009 3
IDDBCOMOAoFOA YGrUGLGRoEETET ETHSTYY
ON THE FRONT STEPS OF ASTOR SCHOOL, IN 1927. AMONG THE GIRLS ARE
AINA Koski, VIOLET CoLBy, DorotHy DAGGETT AND PEARL HANDLOsS.
Myron Bue, Elmer Blomquist, died at 93 years of age. I don’t have a
Pearl Handloss, Olga Pitkanen, clue now what happened to it. That’s
Ellen Jarvinen, Trygve Duoos, another thing that happens when the
Sylvia (Babe) Halvorsen, and others years start piling up behind you.
whose names | can’t seem to recall. Miss Bailey was the penman-
That’s what old age does to you! ship teacher. She taught the Palmer
At Astor School I learned how to method and Rice method ofw riting.
sew “French” seams in the sewing I was left-handed (and still am) and
class. In the cooking class I learned Miss Bailey, bless her, didn’t try to
how to make white sauce. That’s all make me right-handed, but instead
I remember in my home economics turned my paper around so I would
class. I didn’t turn out to be a great not have to write upside-down as left-
cook either! handed was known to be. At least I
In 1926 the Astoria Column was got a Rice Certificate in penmanship!
built and Miss Aldrich had each of School was out and it was time to go
her students draw a likeness of the to high school, so I was shipped back
column. We sketched it in India ink. to Canada for high school.
I was so proud of the Astoria column This ended my stay on Scow Bay
that I sent my picture home to my and my John Jacob Astor school days,
mom in Canada. She kept it for years until the day I would come back
and I finally got it back after she and (ifa ll goes well) end my days in
Criatsop County Historica SOcIEtTy
8¥S#0IIH06OD EVD N T
Tim, GEORGE AND JOSEPH ANDRICH, ON Coxcoms Hit €a. 1925
Astoria! used the whole building except for a
I do want to mention a few more small long barbershop in the middle
people and things. which was called “Frenchies” and
First, as you walked down toward the barber [Eli Jalbert] was actually
town from Astor School, you came to a Frenchman.
a bright, shiny Standard gas station, About 1928 my aunt and uncle
just about where you now leave Leif vacated the old Andrich home and
Erickson and split onto Exchange bought a mini farm out on Clatsop
and Commercial and Marine Drive. Plains. I was still at Astor and after
(That Marine Drive really throws me, school I would walk down to what is
because Commercial really fit into now the Heritage Museum. There I
that area and somehow we would would climb up those big wide steps
continue walking on Commercial.) to the library and sit by the window
Anyway, there was a hotel on the watching my uncle’s shop and when
way down the street and I believe it he started putting the delivery trucks
was called the [Gold] Star Hotel. It away in the back of the building, I
seems it may have been a fisherman’s would go down there to ride home
hotel. It was in the vicinity of the to Clatsop Plains. Do you remember
train station. Let’s move on to 16"? that the Heritage Museum used to be
and Commercial, where my uncle, the City Hall and that is where you
Tim Andrich, had his cleaning shop, paid your water bills, etc? It was there
which was called the Service Cleaners that Lydia Benson worked until she
and Dyers. It was in the Franciscovich married Joe Andrich and went to live
building where Hauer’s Locksmith in the old Andrich house.
was located until just recently. He I want to talk a bit about the clean-
Cumtux — Vol. 29, No. 3 — Summer 2009 5
ing shop. Uncle Tim did the cleaning There is a reason for me to have
in the basement — big boilers and gone into such detail about the
dryers making lots of noise. Upstairs Service Cleaners and Dyers. When
there were three steam presses, a clothing was brought in to be cleaned
couple ironing boards, a hat and glove everything was looked over carefully.
cleaning rack and a couple big suit and Men’s suit pockets were checked out
dress hanging racks, a marking table, and if valuables were found they were
and then an office in front and a big marked with a name and put aside
pull-down desk. Mrs. Emma Elliott for return to the owner. If ladies
was the lady who took care of the dresses had fancy glass buttons or
ladies clothing and did all the altera- belt buckles, they would be cut off so
tions. She was a marvel! She later mar- as not to be broken in cleaning and
ried Joe Stewart but still worked there. sewed on later when the garment was
Marion Heckard was a presser. Later cleaned and hand-pressed. Ifa brooch
it was Wilford Steele and others I or ornament was forgotten to be
don’t remember. Harold Phister drove taken off by the owner, that item was
delivery truck as did Paul Karsun, removed and marked with the owner's
Ernie Kairola and Uncle Tim’s name and returned. During the time
brother, George, or whoever was oft ransition when my aunt and uncle
free. My aunt helped mark the clothes sold the cleaners, a very nice brooch
and wait on the customers. | think was left on a dress, but never marked
Rose Mundorf used to do bookkeep- as to ownership. My aunt took it
ing until I was shown how to do it home for safekeeping hoping someone
after I graduated from high school in would call the shop to ask about it.
Seaside. Margaret Parker worked fora No one did. For years this brooch was
while in the office after she graduated in my aunt’s jewel chest and when I
from Star of the Sea High School. came back into the area, she told me
Dolores Barrick Smith worked for about it. My aunt and uncle both
some time in the Service Cleaners. It died years ago, but I have the brooch
was there that she learned the cleaning and have never figured how to ever
business and later opened up her own find the owner. I am putting you on
shop “The Astoria Cleaners” on 9‘ the spot. Someone may remember a
Street. | had lots of fun working in mother, grandmother, sister, aunt,
the shop, and did learn how to make cousin, or good friend who lost a
out the bills for cleaning work as well lovely pin more than fifty years ago
as mark in the clothing. But the most and wondered what happened to it.
fun was when I was left in charge It's never been worn by anyone but
while everyone went to lunch. More the owner and I would love to give it
about this later. to the family of whoever owned it. If
Criatsop County Historica Socrery
you can remember anything, talk to Tony. It was only 86 cents a month
me, Dorothy Boyle. and I carried that all over the states.
Catty-corner from the shop was I tried to cash it when I worked in
a Richfield or maybe an Associated Pennsylvania, but the Metro salesman
Service Station. Ellsworth Thiel told me to keep it, that they didn’t
owned it. It could have been set up by even sell them anymore. So much
his dad, Henry Thiel, but Ellsworth for Tony!
ran it when he wasn’t into something Another person who used to visit
else. Dan Thiel was fresh out of high the shop was Fred Laysell. He was
school in Ritzville, Washington, when a top car salesman at Lovell Auto.
his folks sent him to Astoria to live Every two years he would come by to
with his uncle Fred Thiel. Well, Dan try to sell my uncle a Chevrolet car
became a built-in helper for his cousin or a delivery truck. He usually made
Ellsworth in the service station. So a sale. Those were the days when cars
there was Dan at the gas station and had to be broken in by driving them
me at the cleaning shop, and everyone about 40 miles per hour for at least a
out to lunch! We could see each other, month or two. I usually had the job
but decided it would be better to talk, of breaking in the car.
so we tied up the phones in each busi- As you walked down Commercial
ness until our bosses showed up. We Street, you would pass Fellman’s
were two country bumpkins living Store. I don’t remember what they
with our aunts and uncles. Dan and sold. It couldn’t have been women’s
I became lifelong friends. clothing or I'd have remembered!
Another fun thing about working [Fellman’s was a department store
in the shop was my encounters with with household furnishings.] I think
Tony Antonich! Tony and his wife Greenberg’s Furniture Store was
were friends of Uncle Tim and Aunt across the street and later it was
Jo. I don’t remember his wife’s name, Shaman’s Used Furniture Store. [In
but she taught piano and played at the 1925 and 1931 city directories for
many local functions, a lovely woman. Astoria, Greenbergs was listed on the
[She was probably Estella.] Tony was north side of Commercial between
the Metropolitan Life Insurance 14" and 15t and Shaman’s had a
Representative here and he loved to second-hand goods store on Bond
come into the shop and give me a in 1925 and later a furniture and
big spiel on insurance. This usually hardware store across the street from
happened every week or two. I didn’t Greenbergs, in 1931]
have any money but I sure learned On 14t8 and Commercial was
how to haggle from Tony. My aunt the majestic John Jacob Astor Hotel
finally bought me a small policy from with Austin Osburn at the helm.
Cumtux — Vol. 29, No. 3 — Summer 2009 y
CCHS IMAGE #90.83.001
IS6I
"VO
‘
S
L
A
A
U
L
S

T
V
I
O
N
A
V WW
S O
S *
0 )
iJ UN
eiv V
Cvsa os . H.LSI
d
O

jie UANU
'g OO
E .
L
S
A
M
H
L
Y
O
N

A
H
L

N
O

G
a
L
V
O
O
T

S
V

N
O
I
L
V
.
L
§

J
O
I
A
N
T
S

G
A
L
V
I
O
O
S
S
Y

S
L
U

CrLatsop Cou NTY Histor CAL Soc IETY