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CiaTsop County Historica SOCIETY QUARTERLY JUMTUX VoL. 41, No. 4 — FALL 2021 IJACOIMAFOMA L UGBREET REGS Y Goayle AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE COMMUNITY OF WESTPORT, OREGON AND THE WESTERLY PORTION OF THE WESTPORT SLOUGH. SEPTEMBER 25, 1954 In This Tssue.. . How many rivers in Clatsop County can you name? That might not be too hard. —Now, how many slough can you name? Most oft he rivers have a Native American origin, but where did the names of the sloughs come from? Jim Aalberg searched records, old and new, for the answers. These he presents in the first story in this issue along with their locations. Jim encountered many inconsistencies on the maps he studied and is asking help to make sense of them. Dea Canary writes about her close encounter with wild animals on the Heckard Slough. Thomas Smith writes about the history ofa house in Surf Pines he once owned that the rest ofu s can only dream about. For some oft he residents, this grand house seemed to be alive with malignant spirits that turned the dreams into nightmares. Tom hopes that there will be more stories will appear in Cumtux about this part of the county. The last story is the final installment of the first section of the book by John E. Seeborg, “A Finn From Astoria.” The complete book is here in the Archives and is available for members and visitors to read. We are grateful to John’s nephew, Larry Seeborg, for making us aware ofth is book and his help in printing the stories. —The Editor CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY SUMTUX CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 714 Exchange St. P.O. Box 88 Astoria, Oregon 97103-0088 ($03) 325-2203 CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY [email protected] www.astoriamuseums.org QUARTERLY VoL. 41, No. 4—FALL 2021 Heritage Museum 16th and Exchange St., Astoria Copyright © 2021 Clatsop County Historical Society (ISSN 1083-9216) Flavel House Museum 8th and Duane St., Astoria Oregon Film Museum CONTENTS 7th and Duane St., Astoria Uppertown Firefighters Museum 30th and Marine Drive, Astoria 1 A Slew of Sloughs BOARD OF DIRECTORS By Jim Aalberg Luke Colvin, Astoria, OR President David Reid, Astoria, OR Vice-President 16 Camping on Heckard Slough Kent Easom, Coeur d’Alene, ID Secretary by Dea Canary Kent Ivanoff, Astoria, OR Treasurer Andrew Bornstein, Bellingham, WA 17. The House with the Blue Roof Brett Estes, Astoria, OR Craig Hoppes, Astoria, OR By Thomas Smith Julie Kovatch, Astoria, OR Patricia Roberts, Gearhart, OR Randy Stemper, Astoria, OR Dulcye Taylor, Astoria, OR 26 A Finn from Astoria STAFF By John E. Seeborg McAndrew Burns Executive Director Sam Rascoe Director of Marketing Liisa Penner Archivist & Cumtux Editor Chelsea Vaughn Curator Emily Rivera Business Manager Matt Powers Facilities Manager FRONT COVER: IMAGE OF WAYNE SAIGET LOOKING AT BAM- LCaursrtyo dZiiaank BOO POLES USED ON TROLLER FISHING BOATS. PuHoTO BY ALLEN SAIGET, CA. 1942 Susan Swanby Michael Wentworth CCHS IMAGE #21.001.056.009 Cumtux Support CUMTUkx: Chinook jargon: “To know...to inform” A SLEW OF SLOUGHS Tue MARSHY INLETS OF CLATSOP COUNTY By Jim Aalberg Slough \ ‘slii (noun) from Middle with the ebbing tides oft he Pacific. High German slouche, meaning a As one can see from topographical maps, it is often difficult to deter- ditch: 1. an area of soft, muddy ground mine where a slough begins and 2. aswamp or swamp-like region ends, some merging and uniting 3. ahole full ofm ire, like one that can with adjacent sloughs, rivers, and form ina road creeks. Throughout the years, these 4. acondition of degradation, despair, or inlets have offered a safe harbor for helplessness ¢ Inthe Northwest: a sluggish side boats, served as points of distribu- channel of a river tion for goods, and served as part « Onthe Pacific Coast: a marshy of the extensive water highways of saltwater inlet the Lower Columbia. Even though « Inthe Prairies: a large hole where their importance to coastal life and water collects or the water in sucha commerce is well documented, hole. it seems that not every slough of S FOR THE noun “slew,” it is an Clatsop County has been honored Re beste colloquialism from the with a name. So, for the intrepid early 19th century. Its origins are explorer, naming rights appear to unclear, but perhaps it is taken from still be available for some of these the Irish-Gaelic “sluagh,” meaning orphan sluggish side channels. “multitude.” » “Slew” has several These sloughs’ ecosystems offer homographs; as a verb, “slew” is wonderful outdoor adventures, the past tense of “slay”: “slew” as including kayaking, hiking, fishing, a spelling variant of “slough.” The waterfowl hunting, wildlife view- verb “slew” has a meaning “to turn, ing, and beautiful fauna. veer, or skid.” Of course, in my title, Iam going with “multitude.” Best to A HIGHWAY FOR LoGs leave further discussion to the ety- The dumping, booming, and mologist and move on to the story rafting of logs occurred on many of of the sloughs of Clatsop County. the region's tidal sloughs to supply The sloughs of the Lower regional sawmills. Many of these Columbia River are like throbbing sloughs are affected by the tides and veins webbing out from the primary are considered tidal waters. For gen- artery of the mighty river, pulsating erations, they were used to facilitate 1 CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY the dumping and movement oflogs. the Columbia. Many of the larger Tidal gates were constructed and sloughs also met the requirements installed to maximize the sloughs’ to safely harbor boats and accom- draft and width in those specifically modate wharves and docks off the used for transporting logs. Columbia’s main shipping channel. The use of these “tidal waters” From historical and current maps for log transportation resulted in and various articles and directories, various legal actions. The Oregon I found the following named sloughs State Supreme Court ruled in 1890 in Clatsop County starting upriver that the portion above the Mean in the east then west to the Pacific. High Tide was not a navigable waterway, which meant no dredging SLOUGHS NEIGHBORING THE or widening of small streams or COLUMBIA RIVER gully areas that could have been The county’s most “prominent” used to feed logs into these tide- slough systems are likely the water sloughs. Also, other legal Westport and Blind sloughs. This is battles arose around the driving based on the history of commercial of pilings into these waterways to development along these sloughs construct log booms if it prevented and their navigational usage going a landowner from using the slough back to the 1860s. However, all or creek for navigation. the county sloughs have their own Several major legal battles in- stories to tell, and each exhibits its volving the transporting of logs unique topographic character. centered on what defined a “navigable waterway” that these loggers WESTPORT SLOUGH could use. Farmers along these The slough’s wide mouth meets sloughs continued to bring suits, the Columbia at River Mile 43 and the Oregon Supreme Court and then meanders more than ten heard several. miles eastward toward the com- These sloughs were diked, filled, munity of Clatskanie. Before the dammed, blocked, and modified to late 1930s, it was navigable from claim back tideland for pastures, its mouth to where it connected to farming, or to accommodate the the Clatskanie River in old town movement of logs. Clatskanie. It was a major migrating Many oft hese sloughs also acted salmon route; this connection was as a means for traveling to school, plugged by a levee in 1936 and later moving farming production and topped with a county road as part mail, visiting the mercantile, and, of improvements authorized by the of course, served as waterways to Flood Control Act of 1936. The Act and from the major water highway, was to provide flood protection to 2 CumtTux — VoL. 41 No. 4 —FALL 2021 boat ride upriver to Longview. He hitchhike, so I thumbed each car said the lumber mills there were that passed, regardless of which hiring. A steamboat whistle blew direction it was going. In a few just outside the cafe and, at George's minutes, I was picked up and headed urging, I cashed in my nickels and east. That made Portland my next rushed aboard the boat with him. I destination. I reached Uncle Ed’s paid the 75 cents fare to Longview home in Portland in time for Aunt and we were on our way. I believe Effie’s dinner. I don’t believe it had the boat was a stern-wheeler named occurred to me until then that my the Georgianna. We stopped at parents probably had no idea what I almost every dock between Astoria was doing or where I was. Uncle Ed and Longview, dropping off and called my mother for me. That eve- picking up freight, before reaching ning, I called Ruth, a girl I had met our destination late that afternoon. at a dance in Seaside, and she invited We checked in at a workmen’s hotel me over. It was another long walk called “The St. Helens Inn.” My but once at Ruth’s home, the reward room was small, barely large enough was delicious cake, coffee and a for a cot, a table and a chair, but it marvelous evening. We played her was clean and cost a mere SO cents records and danced in the kitchen. a night. I spent two mornings can- Her parents went to a double feature vassing the area mills and learned movie, so it was almost midnight that my friend was in error. No jobs before they returned. Then came were available. In the evenings, I still another long walk, this time played some pinball machines, but back to Uncle Ed’s house. never won more than a dollar or two My cousin, Johnny Reinikka, at a time. My luck was running out. had a job in a lumber mill and After lunch on the second day, he helped me try to find work in I decided to leave Longview. I Portland, but it was the same old learned that the fare on a city bus story. Unemployed married men was a quarter, and the Longview with experience were also trying bridge toll was also a quarter. So, to find work. Uncle Ed gave me bus in order to save a valuable 25 cents, fare home. I walked a long way to the bridge, paid the quarter to walk across How THE UNION “HELPED” only to learn that had I ridden the My older brother, Eddie, left bus across the bridge, I would not his job as a cereal chemist at the have had to pay a bridge toll. In any Pillsbury mill where he had worked event, the walk did me no harm. for three years. He and Laura moved At the junction of Highway 30 in to Berkeley, California so he could Rainier, I knew it was necessary to attend the University of California. I 45 CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY had applied for his job in the Astoria on the students how fortunate we mill and the plant manager assured were to have a visit from an alumnus me the job was mine providing the who was such an important wheel at labor union local gave its approval. the high school. As Eddie advanced The union hada “closed shop” agree- to the front of the auditorium, he ment with Pillsbury, but I thought modestly claimed that he was not I had an inside track for the job. I deserving of such an introduction. felt confident that the union would Then he announced that his purpose approve my employment, partly in appearing was simply to promote because I was acquainted with the some high school function to which union secretary, Jack M., who was we all were invited. My introduction a close friend of my older brother, lasted longer than his appearance. Hugo. But Jack scoffed at the idea of letting the mill employ anon-union EDDIE’s COLLISION COURSE man when some members oft hat lo- About ten years later, when he cal were still unemployed. I argued was employed as a cereal chemist at that none of those unemployed men the Pillsbury mill and I was a postal wanted to become a cereal chemist letter carrier, he was involved in a but he said that was beside the point. baseball mishap. I got home from I called on the Pillsbury mill man- work and was greeted by Laura who ager one more time after I returned was visibly upset. Eddie was sleep- from Portland. He advised me again ing in the bedroom at the head of the of the need to get union approval. I stairway as Laura and I went up the asked the union secretary one final stairs to see him. Mother was in the time. Jack, speaking for the union, room with him. Then I got the whole said, “No deal.” It was like trying to story: Eddie was ina baseball game find a bucket of steam. at a Pillsbury picnic, playing in the outfield. He went running after a fly EpDDIE’s VISIT TO ball, only to collide head-on with a GRAY SCHOOL teammate chasing the same fly ball. There was a time, probably in When he recovered consciousness, 1931, when for some reason I was he was brought home, apparently told to preside at a Gray School suffering from a concussion. He had junior high assembly. The most im- a large bump on his head, and I’m portant item on the agenda—atleast sure he hada severe headache when to me—was big brother Eddie's visit he awoke. I had never known Eddie to our school from the high school. to play baseball before, and I'd wa- The time came to introduce Eddie, ger he didn’t play much afterwards. and I undoubtedly tried to impress 46 CumtTux — VoL. 41 No. 4 —FALL 2021 TEENAGERS VISIT SALEM I recognized the man as a former In March of 1935, during the state W. Franklin Street neighbor of ours basketball tournament in Salem, a on Church Hill. I also remembered friend of mine accompanied me in the publicity he had received in visiting my sister, Hannah, who was the Astoria newspaper when he a patient in the state tuberculosis reported that a large swan had sanitarium. A couple of months ear- flown into a window of his home. lier, Arvid had driven her from our That imagined report must have home to the hospital for treatment been the catalyst that resulted in his of pleurisy, a disease very similar to permanent confinement. Visiting tuberculosis. Her boss, Al Norblad, the asylum was mindboggling. An had considerable political clout, and attendant guided us around and had managed to get her admitted let us see how inmates behaved in into the sanitarium for rest and their mentally collapsed state, from treatment ofh er painful ailment. some who merely stood motionless, She was delighted to see us, of staring into space, to others who course, but it was apparent that spoke gibberish as they gestured an- she was still ill. During our visit, imatedly to an imaginary audience. she was abed in a large room open It was difficult to comprehend that to the outdoors. Several other a human mind could go so berserk. patients shared the room with her. She seemed to enjoy our talk about UNIONTOWN: A MECCA FOR the tournament, particularly when DEDICATED DRINKERS we mentioned the players who One morning, I returned home were from our Church Hill neigh- from a futile job-seeking effort borhood. Several months later she (I was 18 then) and Mother was returned home, recovered. having coffee in the kitchen with a neighbor, a Mrs.J . I didn’t want to A TOUR OF THE ASYLUM intrude, so I stayed in the next room. A few days later, we decided The ladies’ conversation turned to visit the state hospital, better to the problem of young men in known to us kids as the insane Uniontown who were heavy drink- asylum. There were three carloads ers. Mrs. Joki, whose two sons in of us Astoria kids in our group. We their late 20’s were reputedly leaders parked at the curb near where some among the crowd ofd rinkers, made trustees were tending the hospital the comment, “I’m sure glad my lawn. As we unloaded onto the boys don’t drink—(pause) —except sidewalk, one of the trustee inmates they drink so much water in the called loudly, “Hello, Seeborg.” mornings.” Exactly what drunks do Naturally, I took some ribbing, but when sobering up. 47 CLATSOP CouNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The commercial district of then to beat the competition, I Uniontown included several tav- would not get another chance. He erns, all established in 1933 withthe suggested I consider enlisting in the repeal of Prohibition. At first, “near army and applying for a presidential beer” was the strongest legal alco- appointment through an army West holic drink available. Its alcoholic Point prep school. That way Ic ould content was limited to 4.2 percent. apply for one ofs everal presidential However, bootleg whiskey was appointments as well as become available, and some customers who better qualified to try for the con- were ostensibly drinking beer in gressman's single appointment the taverns were suspected of hav- when it became available. ing smuggled in whiskey. Drunks After a brief conference with staggering out of taverns were not Mother and Dad, I went to talk to an uncommon. army recruiter. The army, I learned, There was one man in particular had two bases, which had West who was an alcoholic and was Point prep schools, one in Texas, seldom seen sober. His name was the other in Hawaii. I signed up for a Terho, pronounced “tare’-haw” Hawaii and was on my way a day (with a Finnish accent.) He was a or two later. The date I left Astoria harmless, happy go-lucky drunk was October 8, 1936. There was no who always seemed to be entering or fanfare, nor any parties. Not even leaving one of the taverns. At times, phone calls. The harsh reality that he would go behind the taverns on my financial situation would pre- the north side of the street, find a vent me from going to college only brushy area and lie down for anap. I strengthened my hopes of getting don’t know where he stayed on cold, into West Point. A presidential or rainy nights. Maybe he hada home. congressional appointment was my best chance. > WEST POINT? This ends our three-part presen- For a couple of weeks, I worked tation of the boyhood recollections of at the school helping Dad until John Seeborg. The rest of his story, plus finally we got another letter from the histories of many other Clatsop Congressman Mott. That letter County residents, may be found in advised us that the next opportunity the archives of the Clatsop County he had to appoint a West Point cadet Historical Society. would not occur until just before I The Editor reached the age limit and, ifI failed 48 CumTux — VOL. 41 No. 4 —FALL 2021 IMAGE COURTESY OF THE EDITOR I T Y A V A N N V O A H L A G A 1 A H O N I A G S U V H S A N “ O SH H I LISMA TINV A W U I VHS OHU NAAL ALSA U M N OA AN V A M O A T M V A A V Y ] A H‘]N,A WUAHSI AHL AG CTAH A AUV A HL ATL OLA GIOS NASAUd S S A H U U V V H H S S