East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-09-22
Happy Canyon Has Been Rebuilt
permanent Location Secured for Fascinating
quiTed Reputation SecOndo to Roundup

Happy Canyon, the little old from
ter town" that during the past two
Round-Ups provided visitors and home
people with four evenings of unique
enjoyment, is now a permanent In.
8titution and viii become the insepa-
rable companion Of the Roundup.
A permanent town has been built,
a permanent organization perfected
and permanent policy adopted.
Hereafter people VINO come TO sec
Pendletons big frontier festival may
rest assured their evenings as well
as their days will be full OF distinctive
entertainment
Happy Canyon is located at new
site this year. During the first two
years of its existence the town" was
located on the old fair pavilion on
Main street The pavilion was not
large enough and 1t was necessary
both years to extend the pavilion out
into the street and supplement this
with IA big tent
Because OF the big expense incurred
In building and tearing down each
year, because Of the lack of room and
be cause there was no assurance that
this location could be used perma-
nently, the Commercial association.
which was responsible for the incep-
tion and staging Of Happy Canyon, de-
cided to cast about for a new site.
BY good fortune backed up by the
expenditure OF several thousand dol.
lars. the committee was able to Sc
cure lease Of an entire block on
West Webb street just three blocks
from Main and one block from the
OW. depot. The land is owned by
the Northern Pacific co. and was oc-
cupied for years by the Oregon Feed
Yards. The buildings were purchased
outright and torn down,
Under capable direction the work
Of rebuilding the town" was begun
less than month before the opening
Of the annual festivities. Though the
initial cost was heavy the committee
decided to build permanently and car
ried out plans to this end in detail
A grandstand capable Of seating |
5000 people was constructed and the !
features Of the first Happy Canyon, /
the street" tho gambling palace"
and ;hs dance hall, were retained, The
new Happy Canyon can accommodate !
many more spectators than the old
one and can do 1t more safely and
with better satisfaction 10 the spec !
tators.
Though Happy Canyon proper Will /
live for period of only four days
each year, the pavilion will not be idle !
for the balance OF the year It is the
intention to use II for public gather |
ings. chautauquas and in short, TO use
II as an auditorium.
Permanent Organization.
Even before the new site was Sc
cured. a permanent organization was
affected The Happy Canyon Com /
pany was incorporated, Five-sixth OF
the capital stock was taken by the
Commercial association and the other
one-sixth by a hundred business men,
The Commercial club stock is the pre-
ferred stock and is to receive all d.
vidends The other stock Is common
but holds the voting power. BY this
arrangement no individual can profit
one cent from the entertainment,
Happy Canyon following the lead OF
the Round Up in this respect,
a board Of eleven directors was
chosen as the governing body. j. V. /
Tallman, who was the mayor OF
Happy Canyon for the first two years, |
and C. X Cranston, who was the city
recorder" were retained as president
and secretary respectively. and w. p.