Vernonia High School - Memolog Yearbook (Vernonia, OR)

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 HISTORY CF THE NEHALEM VALLEY By Veldcn Parker Revised by Ruby Condit From the early settlers, we get a picture of the Ne-helam Valley as it was in the early days. Several still reside in the vicinity and the interesting data gathered from them proves to be of great interest to the residents of the valley of today. In the fall of 1874, Clark L, Parker and his family came into the valley carrying all their belongings on their backs.They came over Green mountain and down Pebble creek. A few months later, the Van Blaricom, Adams and Tucker families located here. The latter later moved from the lovrer Nehalem to the upper part of the valley in older that they might have neighbors. In 1875,the first white child was born in the Nehalem Valley.He was Albert L. Parker who is still residing here. The first schoolhouse was made of logs and was built in 1876. It was built on what is now the S» V, Malmston place and the first school teacher was Mr. Cherington, The school, at that time, ran on a three months' basis. The valley at this time was a dense forest with numerous wild animals. People began coming in to settle, however, when they heard that a railroad was coming in. In 1878, a petition was circulated by Mr. Judson Weed and Mr, Cherington for a post office. When this petition was granted,the name Vernonia vras given to the post office. It was named after Mr, Cherington1s daughter, Vernonia. The first mail contract was let to Mr, Joe Campbell who carried it from Vernonia to St, Helens on a path made by the settlers.He made one trip a week, walking and carrying the mail on his back, Mr, Frank Baker was the first post master. About this time,settlers located at the mouth of East Fork about five miles below Vernonia, They built a sawmill and grist mill there,and called the little town Pittsburg. In 1879,the people of Pittsburg built a road to St.Helens, the county seat. The first couple to be married here was Julie Parker and John Van Blaricom. The first election vias on June 8, 1878 and there were thirty-nine votes cast.

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About this same time, a store was put in at Vernonia by Mr. William Mellinger. Preceding this, goods had been brought to the homes in the valley by a Jewish peddler whose name was Fletcher. Since there wras no church at this time, all the services were held in the school house with the Reverends Plowman and Kerr officiating. Shortly following this, the settlers donated labor and built a church known as the Evangelical Church.This was in 1906 and the old church still stands on what is now 2nd Street and with several changed, has been converted into the Cherry Tree Apartments. Mr. I, F, Spencer was the first justice of the peace. Sixteen miles below Vernonia, a little town grew up called Mist. Through enthusiastic cooperation, it soon became a community center. Vernonia also was changing. There were now two stores known as the Zilgette and the Dov. Keasey, and the former, now deserted, still stands next to the Vernonia telephone office. The room just over the Zilgette store was for a time the center for community gatherings in Vernonia until the Grange Hall, built in 1904, took its place as the center for social and business meetings. The first grade school in the town of Vernonia had only one room and was built on the present site £ Vernonia High School, With the increase in population of Vernonia, it was moved across the street and converted into a laundrjt It still stands, a memorial to the pioneer days. The first hotel was The Webster which still stands on 4th Street,The first drug store was operated by L. B, Stuart who acted as physician for the community. On September 9, 1921, the railroad came into Vemcnia, bringing with it a new tide of immigration. Two years later, the mill was built in Vernonia which had, by now, started to show a great improvement. In the year 1932,the Oregon American mill ceased operating, causing many people to move from the town. In 1936, however, it again resumed operations and Vernonia became once more the busy little to m it had once been. Fame of Vernonia lumbering industry is now widespread and will always remain the deciding factor in the settlement of the town.