East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-03-25


rival store and stopping place on the
west branch of Birch Creek, also
about one half mile from the forks,
which he called Pilot Rock.
These two settlements each bidding
for the patronage of the passing min
ers continued in rivalry until 1876.
In that year A. j. Sturtevant bought
Of VIM. NJ. Knots the tract OF land
which he had just decided situated be-
tween East and West Birch Creeks
just as they come together, and there
he moved his little village store.
hotel, blacksmith shop, livery barn
and few dwellings, with the name of
Pilot Rock, to the place where it now
stands.
A year or so later j. NJ. Sylvester
who was then conducting the store at
Alta, after much contention was either
eniced or forced to move his business
and merge the name of Alta into that
Of Pilot Rock.
In and around this little village ly-
ing in the foothills of the Blue Noun
tains. were to be enacted many excit-
ing events, characteristic of frontier
days. and which, to an imaginative
mind. would furnish a nucleus for a
most thrilling story. To one who IL
looking for material for novel we
would recommend no better material
than the "reminiscences OF some Of the
old settlers.
The two events around which are
grouped the most startling experiences
hA 70
vigilance committee Of the early
SOS. Stories OF these events are told
by the few survivors OF those days,
round the camp fires in the mountains
and by the fireside on long winter
evenings
Major Narcisse A. Connoyer, re-
turning from the John Day river with
hunting party on the End Of July.
1875. reported that the Snake Indi-
ans were on the war path and were
already In Camas Prairie. This threw
the whole country into excitement
Homes were vacated without excep-
tion, families were moved on to Pen
dleton or to Walla Walla in such
haste that all their possessions were
left behind. Cattle and sheep men In
the mountains were exposed to great
| danger and several were killed before
they could reach places of safety
Sheriff ]. l.. Sperry organized a com
! pany of volunteers which started
from Pendleton July 5th. received
new recruits from Pilot Rock, and
marched a little over fifty strong, OF
| to meet the hostile Indians. A,
noon on the 9Th of July, they stopped
for dinner at Willow Springs where Q
house and sheep shed stood. While
they were at dinner, the Indians un.
der Chief Egan, attacked them in full
force. Thirteen of the little band fleo
to Pendleton while the remaindel
sought refuge in the sheep shed Here
they fought all afternoon and wei
into the night. Two men were killed
| nine were wounded. At midnigh
they began a retreat and succeeded IL
getting back to Pendleton.
| A second engagement occurred ol
| July Z, when the regular soldiers IL
command of Gen. o. Howard, met tn,
Indians on Beasley Mountain,-evel
since that time called Battle Noun
tain The Indians being routed. fol
lowed the ridge of the Blue Mountain
to the east and came down into tn,
Pendleton country.
After a few weeks the Indians wer,
swept from Umatilla county and peo
pie returned to their homes, some {,
| find only pile of ashes, others I,
find that all sorts of pranks had beel
played with their property. Cattl
and sheep had been slaughtered o
had strayed into the mountains. an,
home seemed not home at all.
Following hard upon the excitenen
/ and fear created by the Indial
troubles. and in fact growing out o
the disordered condition following tn
war. the cattle and horse rustlers be
gan their work in the Pilot Roc
| country. No mans stock was safe
Young calves and colts were separate,
from the herds of their owners an
the brand OF the rustler placed upo
them. This in time became such
nuisance to stockmen that 1t becam
necessary for them to organize 70
protection. They were the vigilanc
committee. Much enmity was ere
ated In many homes there wa
more excitement and dread than eve
in the time Of the Indian war. Thi
was not ended until there had bee
an occasional hanging or shootin
and several had been driven from tn
country.