Oregon Spectator, February 7, 1850
There will be an adjourned meeting of the citizens of Oregon City at the Methodist church, on Monday, the 18th inst., at 7 o’clock, P. M., for the purpose of completing the organization of a school district in the city, election of trustees and other purposes.
Our paper comes out this week rather diminutive in size. This is the result of a necessity incident to our remoteness from every market where printing paper can be procured. No pains will be spared however to remedy this defect at the earliest period; and in the mean time we will strive the more diligently to make up in quality what is deficient in quantity.
SCHOOL BOOKS – A proposition – As the business of shipping school books to this Territory has commenced and will doubtlessly increase; and as uniformity in the books used throughout the Territory is of vital importance to the successful working of any school system, we would suggest to the Superintendent, County School Commissioners, and Teachers throughout the Territory, the importance of meeting in convention, and of determining on some uniform system of books to be used in all our schools. If this is not done, all manner of books will be introduced, perpetual confusion will prevail in our schools, and the expense of education will be greatly increased.
Oregon Argus, February 4, 1860
FUNERAL SERMON – On Sunday, Feb. 13, at 10½ o’clock A. M., the funeral sermon of the later Capt. C. E. Sweitzer will be preached at the Methodist Episcopal church in this city by Rev. D. Rutledge.
PAINFUL ACCIDENT – On Thursday afternoon last, as the steamer Jennie Clark was ascending the Clackamas Rapids, a man was discovered lying on the right bank of the river, near the water’s edge, and beckoning to the steamer, apparently in great distress. After getting above the Rapids, Capt. Myrick landed, and dispatched a boat back to learn what was the matter, when the man was found to be J. S. Rinearson, Esq., who, whilst engaged in getting some saw-logs down the bank, had been run over by one of the logs, which broke his right thigh, and otherwise seriously injured him. Mr. Rinearson was conveyed to the residence of his brother, a half mile off, and Drs. Barclay and Steele of this city sent for. He had been lying in the condition when found for more than an hour, his sufferings part of the time being extremely painful, and but for his fortunate discovery by the Jennie Clark, might have lain there yet, as no one knew of his whereabouts.
The Weekly Enterprise, February 5, 1870
THE RIVER OF THE WEST – It is perhaps six years since the literary circles of our own Oregon welcomed to a place here Mrs. Frances Fuller Victor, and since her coming she has not only been a delight to the minds of those who love good pen productions, but the lady has been admired by the society in which she moves. During these years Mrs. Victor has, with all becoming diligence, collected and compiled a the materials for a book, which is now before the public with the title above given, which will no doubt become familiar in thousands of homes. Mrs. Victor has, in this work of fifty chapters, quite 600 pages, if we may judge from the advanced sheets at hand, supplied an amount of useful information and preserved very much more of the events connected with the early history of the north-western slope. The work is illustrated with numerous fine engravings, and while in it is made a special feature of the life and adventure of the justly celebrated mountain man and pioneer, Joe Meek, it also contains the best description of this part of the country yet published embracing accounts of its condition, prospects and scenery and such topics as the ready and fluent pen of the authoress is very capable of rendering entertaining.
(Frances Fuller Victor is on one of my “go to” authors on early Oregon history – see more at: https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/victor_frances_fuller/ . Many of her works are available for free online.)
The Oregonian, February 5, 1880
TELEPHONE CONNECTION TO OREGON CITY – Yesterday the Bell telephone line to Oregon City was connected with the central office of the Northwestern Telephone and Electric Company in Portland.
The Oregonian, February 7, 1890 – from reports of 1890 Flood
RIVERS GROW SOBER.
Oregon City, Feb. 5: The water has been falling since 5 o’clock at the rate of one inch per hour. The flood has equaled that of 1861 according to the highest measurement of that flood, while on the flat below town it has been two feet higher. The damage here is great, but the principal mills are safe, which demonstrates the fact that buildings can be constructed here to stand floods. The pulp and sulphite mills are standing and are perfectly solid, with the exception of the boiler room which Mr. Sullivan states was injured by the breaking of the boom yesterday, and as it is brick he expects it to go out tonight.
Holes were cut in the roofs of the sulphite pulp mills tonight to release the compressed air. When the holes were cut hot air rushed out with terrific force.
Last night at 6 o’clock the Willamette Falls Excelsior Company’s warehouse, containing sixty tons of excelsior, went out and this morning the rest of their buildings drifted away. All were light and not well fastened down. The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co’s office became loosened from the warehouse and went down.
The warehouse was loosened and separated from the Imperial Mills two inches, but it seem to stand securely yet. Within the warehouse are 2,000 sacks of flour and as many of feed, among which the water is rushing and foaming. Many sacks have been washed out. The Imperial Mill has a hole broken into the west end, while ten feet of water is foaming against the upper side and has broken in the windows and doors. All the machinery on the lower floor is under water. A hole is broken in the foundation wall of the mill warehouse, and a corner of the elevator loosened. There is an immense jam of driftwood against the south end of the woolen mill, and at 7 o’clock tonight the upper half of the factory office fell in with a crash. Water is standing on the weaving-room floor of the factory, and their picker house is swept away.
At 6 o’clock tonight the rear part of the Portland House was carried away. Water has stood all day on the floor of the Oregon City Bank and at 10 o’clock all the funds and paper were moved to the county treasurer’s vaults.
The planing mills of H. B. Califf & Co. below town, was partly carried away, and the rest of the building was badly injured.
Nearly one-half of the houses on Goose Hollow were moved from their foundations and overturned. Both of the lock keeper’s houses are gone.
Main Street has been a rushing river all day and gangs of men are busy preventing loss. Half the awnings of Main Street are wrecks and not a wooden sidewalk rests below Sixth Street.
But three grocery stores can do business this night, and but one dry goods store is open. The saloons are all closed tonight and quiet prevails for the first time since Sunday.
Oregon City Enterprise, February 2, 1900
DIED FOR OUR FLAG – Although not officially notified, G. R. H. Miller is satisfied that the remains of his son-in-law, Ernest Foster, are now lying at the Presidio, having arrived on the last transport,. He was a member of the 14th Infantry and landed in Manila in June 1898, where he died of fever in August 1898 of the same year., He was an Oregon City boy and the only soldier of Clackamas County who lost his life in the Philippines. The public will be duly notified of the arrival of his remains in the city. (He actually died in October 1898. His remains were buried at Mountain View Cemetery in the Miller family lot in February 1900.)
Oregon City Enterprise, February 4, 1910
WAR VETERAN IS BURIED – The funeral service over the remains of the late Alvin Knapp, who died in this city, Wednesday, of pneumonia, were held Sunday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock from the German Zion Lutheran Church, Rev. W. R. Kraxberger officiating. The funeral was attended by one of the largest crowds in this city, many lodges and fraternal organizations, of which the deceased was a member, attending in a body. The pall bearers were comrades of the deceased who served in Franco-Prussian War. The interment took place in the cemetery recently acquired, and during the time that Mr. Knapp was president of the council. This is the first burial that has taken place in this section of the cemetery. The flowers were beautiful and many, noticeable among them being several pieces from the organizations to which Mr. Knapp belonged.
(Alvin Knapp was buried before the new “Section A” had been surveyed. His grave, as well as his wife’s and his son’s are laid out east to west. The rest of Section A is laid out in a curve with graves platted from the north to south. Graves 1/2/3 in the center of photo are the Knapp family.)
RESUMES MAIDEN NAME – Judge Campbell presiding in the Circuit Court this week gave the defendant a divorce and right to resume her maiden name in the case of Fred Frederickson against Maud Frederickson (nee Maud Cobb.) One of the grounds for doing so being that her husband and his confederates had caused to be published in the daily newspapers of Portland, the false accusation that she had improper relations with a prominent attorney of that city. Much evidence was given in the trial and it was clearly proved that her husband and his confederates had no cause or foundation for causing the publication of any article reflecting upon the character of his wife and that in doing so they were prompted by bad motives.
Oregon City Enterprise, February 6, 1920
PHYSICIANS VACCINATE 121 PUPILS IN SCHOOLS
One hundred and twenty-one pupils of the public schools were vaccinated Monday morning by Dr. Frank Mount and Dr. McLean, which just about cleans up the vaccination cases, so far as the schools are concerned, except the children who have smallpox or who have been vaccinated within the last seven years, and those pupils whose parents declined to permit vaccination.
The two physicians worked rapidly, treating 34 at the Barclay building, 52 at the Eastham building and 35 at the high school, and no questions were asked as to the ability of the pupils to pay for the vaccination, which was administered without charge to the pupils or their parents.
City Superintendent Kirk will make a careful check Tuesday of those who have been vaccinated and of those who have not, and all those who from principle or any cause, decline to be vaccinated will be barred from the schools until, in the judgement of the health officers, the danger of a smallpox epidemic is past. This order will be made effective Wednesday.
SCARCITY OF HOUSES IN OREGON CITY HAS BECOME INTENSE
The scarcity of houses and apartments or housekeeping rooms has been proven on many occasions during the past few days in this city. One woman placed and advertisement in the Morning Enterprise in the “For Rent” column, having three housekeeping rooms. There was a steady stream of callers for the apartment. Before the second day was over there were 14 applications for the place, and they are still coming, but they were rented on the first day the advertisement appeared in the morning paper.
Another woman purchased two homes. One of the houses was immediately rented for $20, but she was offered a few hours later $25. She refused the larger sum, saying that her word was worth something and that the place was already rented. She said she believed she could have rented it for $30 had she asked it.
Houses are watched when parties are moving out. A few days ago an article appeared in the Morning Enterprise stating that a family was to moved from the city. Immediately there was a rush for the house, but it was already rented to a young man who contemplates leaving the state of bachelorhood and is to be married within a few months. He said he did not want to take any chances in not getting a house after he was married and that he could keep bachelor quarters until the day of the wedding arrived.
A little house in the Kansas City district, with one room and a tin stovepipe sticking out of the roof has been rented. The one room is fitted up into home-like quarters.
Another young couple having recently arrived in Oregon City and not being able to find a house or apartment, are domiciled in a garage. This is near Main Street and although the sleeping apartment, dining room and kitchen are all in one the room is a cozy one.
I another section of the city what was once a barn is now the home of a family. The walls have been papered, the floors scoured and the youngsters are as happy as those dwelling in a much finer house.
Many who are coming to Oregon City for the purpose of making their home are contemplating purchasing property and building their homes.
Never before in the history of Oregon City has there been a greater demand for houses than at this time. With the new addition to be added to the Crown Willamette Paper Company at West Linn will tend to bring many more people to Oregon City. Almost every house in West Linn has been rented.
In order to house the men at West Linn during construction work, the company is erecting a commodious building north of the Crown Willamette Inn, and will be used as an annex to the hotel. Many workers are busily engaged in putting on the finishing touches.
The building is of two stories, with three entrance ways, both lower and upper floors.
As you enter the building from the main walk leading to the hotel and mills, is the office room, which opens into the long hallway.
The hallway is nine feet wide and 130 feet long. A stairway leading to the second floor is be found at each end of the hallway. There are 20 sleeping apartments leading from the hall. These rooms are 15 x 20 feet, well lighted and ventilated, and each room has its own heating apparatus and will be neatly furnished. The floor is stained a light color and suitable rugs will be placed in each room.
The second floor is to be used as an assembly room or where parties may be enjoyed, as plans have been made by the company to allow the men making their headquarters at the place the same privileges as those in the large hotel close by. It is probable that pool rooms will also be installed as soon as the building is complete, which will be about two weeks.
At the present time the Crown Willamette Inn is the home of many men employed in the paper mills, and was readily seen by the management that something must be done in order to house the men who are to come here for the construction work to be employed in the big mill when the addition is completed and ready for operation.
The little city of Canby had quite a number of vacant houses last summer, a number of these were modern, with bath and electric lights, but now there are no vacant houses. A number of the men employed in the mills in this city, unable to find a house here, decided to make the city their home and make the daily trips by the stage.
The Week That Was... 