East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-06-20

Dear Members OF The Umatilla
County Pioneer Association:
] wish that ! might be with you in
person, 80 that ] might catch the in
spiration, and more fully understand
the trend OF the good work you are
doing, for II is surely good work.
that Of gathering up and perpetuating
The memories Of the noble efforts and
sacrifices Of the earliest Pioneers of
orr great country, and in so doing tell
of its development 1t is a particular
pleasure 10 give you bit OF the his
tory surrounding Pendleton, so dear
10 us ALL and 10 tell you of its de-
velopment.
/ am glad that had the great priv
ilege OF seeing it--almost from the be-
ginning, and Of knowing so well the
great. strong-hearted men and women
who braved the dangers and priva-
4ions Of those early years, and who
laid the foundation for all that has
been and is to follow in progress and
development Time is passing so
swiftly. that it behooves us to hasten
20 pick up the threads, and weave
them into history, while We can get
the facts first hand. The pioneers
are passing on and soon there win be
none left TO tell the story Happily.
some are left to whom we may pay
tribute by showing that we honor them
for their sacrifices.
You have kindly asked me to tell
OF Village Life in Pendleton." When
begin TO think of that time. mem
ories throng into my mind and feel
gratefully. that l have much ma
terial from which TO trace events
down To this later time, as knew this
country, eastern Oregon. for six years
before there was known the town OF
Pendleton. But will try to be brief.
1t seems to me that l must first bring
myself TO this coast so l Will begin
with the memories of my childhood
home in the east.-surrounded with
flower clad hills in spring time, blue
with violets and later red with wild
Strawberries its beautiful woods,
where wild fruits and nuts of many
kinds grew;-then there came the
breaking up of the dear old home in
1864, when l was fourteen years old
and the long, dangerous journey across
the plains with my father and mother
brothers sisters and many other rel
atiyes to far off Oregon. (My father
was Rev. VIM. II Howard well known
in California and oregon as faithful
minister in the NJ. f. church south
On the way westward. We We're
twice almost attacked by the In
dians. and we often passed graves
marked, KILLED by the Indians" Fin
ally. we reached Grand Ronde valley,
where we spent the winter, and where
first met my husband. In the spring
ave moved on to the Willamette val
sey. crossing our own Blue Mountains,
passing the Summit House and five
miles farther on Meacham station, a
great log house then kept by the Me-
achems, themselves, then on down the
western slope into our own Umatilla
country. My first view of that vast
country was from just above the old
White Station "a few years latel
burned by the Indians), which wal
kept by Uncle John White and hi
good wife. Some of you old friends
will remember it. | must say
thought IL a desolate country then
though every hill and three and rocl
and stream is dear TO me now. al
ways say as | go from Portland home
when ! cross the bridge spanning tn
mouth Of the Umatilla river. that
have come into mine own country
for II does seem. in a way they belon
10 me. But / must not digress.
We travelled on down ''The OF
Oregon Trail Git was new then
crossing the Umatilla river about
mile below what was then Goodwi
station and is now Pendleton. 1t wa
kept BY "Uncle Moses Goodwin an
his wife. who later became our ow
Aunt Aura Raley." Of precious men
ory The land around the station wa
their homestead Just below tn
crossing was ''Swift's Station (
which ] have many memories. as
was the trading and amusement cer
ter until later. when 1t was merge
into Pendleton.
We went from there to The Dale
then by boat down the Columbia. Vi
I'll We reached the beautiful william
ette valley oh, how / loved its We
dure. It's fruits and flowers. and i
more advanced civilization. Easter
Oregon was then a mining countr
Few women were there.-miner
packers and freighters chiefly made !
the population. There were no Sa
bath obseryances. such as we h;
Enown,-all stores and saloons we
open and what might be termed Sc
eral tragedies had been enacted durli
the winter we spent there.
We went from Portland to Mo
mouth. Polk county. where we spe
happy year. The next June. in 1st
I was married and went with my hu
band TO make our home four mil
from Goodwin Station. on Bir
Creek. almost opposite where we NJ
live at Hawthorne on Mckay Cree