KLAMATH ECHOES Klamath County Historical Society NUMBER 7 THE SLY-OWENS STATE LINE RANCH HOUSE Once a stopping place on the Shasta Valley-Klamath Country freight road 1870 to 1908. -Helen HeUrich photo A Memory A grove of poplar trees, A barn with quaint projecting eaves; Some chickens scratching roundabout, And pigeons flying in and out. A picket fence of faded blue, With Bouncing Betty peeping through; A cottage nestling 'neath the hill, With geraniums at each windowsill. A porch o'er which yellow roses climb, And blossom in the summertime; And with the same sweet smile of yore, A mother waiting at the door. -author unknown i. Dedications We respectfully dedicate this, the seventh issue of Klamath Echoes, to J. Frank Adams. The 2003 reprinting is respectfully dedicated to Klamath County Historical Society members Wayne and Lois Ann Scott. J. FRANlt ADAMS -courtesy Mra. Evea Adams ii. Martin Broa. freight team. behind the old Merrill Branch of the Klamath County Bank (later lat Nat'l. Bank) on the Merrill to Montague run. --courtesy Melvin Bowman First National Bank of Oregon The St•te Wide B•nk with Home Town Service Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation "WHERE TO CALL" First N•tion•l B•nk of Oregon Klamath Falls Branch, 601 Ma in ____________________ 882-3444 South Sixth Street Branch, 2809 So. 6th___ __ ___ ______ 884-7751 Merrill Branch, 206 E. Front-----------·-----------.798-5211 lU. Fisherman' a Luck. Left to right: Vic Padgett Bud Padgett and Melvin Malloy. --<lOurlesy Bud Padgett Balsiger Motor Company Your FORD De1ler Since 1923 • NEW FORD CARS AND TRUCKS USED CARS AND TRUCKS • Main & Esplanade Telephone 884-3121 KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON lV. In hont of the George J, Jory blackamith ahop on Main Street, MerriJJ. Imported Belgian atallion owned by Kale Oliver. U.S. National Bank of Oregon KLAMATH FALLS BRANCH TOWN & COUNTRY BRANCH 8th & Main 3720 So. 6th • Phone: 882-5581 • FREE PARKING - 8th & KLAMATH KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON v. MERRILL'S FIRST EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATING CLASS IN 1907 Back row, left to right: Louis Tolle. Herbert Demorest, John Ratliffe. Front row: Essa Ratliffe, G. R. Carlock, teacher, and Mabel Thomas. -courtesy Juanita Stevenson MERRILL PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILT IN 1905 Picture about 1906. G. R. Carlock. principal (left) and May Garrison, teacher. At extreme right, Mary David1on, teacher. Middle row. in front of second window from right, dark dre11. Juanita Ratlille. -courtesy Juanita Stevenson vi. MERRILL'S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM About 1915. Front row, left to right: Elmer Merritt, Arthur Robinson, Elmer Stukel. Clyde Greenbaugh. Back row: Leland Pope. Elmer Blodgett, Clyde Barrowa, Riley Powera. Leonard Bowman. Melvin Bowman and Prof. Blake. All present except Warren Fruita. -courtesy Melvin Bowmon ___,.. MERRILL'S 1915 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM Left to right: Melvin Bowmcm, Elmer StukeL Bill Hammond. Clarence Robinaon. Leater Ofiield a:nd Prof Olney. -courtesy Melvin Bowman vii. Editor's Page Jn this, the seventh issue of Klamath this section, a face probably not familiar Echoes, we are departing from our usual to many residents of the Klamath Basin. custom of one industry or one community In accordance, this year's Klamath Echoes per issue. Instead we are touching on the touches only lightly on the Butte Valley communities of Merrill, Keno and some and northeastern Siskiyou County history. of the territory in berween. This change in However, this area was covered quire policy is due co rhe fact that we have roo thoroughly by The SiJkiyot~ Pioneer Year­ man)' communities ro cover, and only one book of 1956, or Butte Valley Edition. issue per year ro do that, consequently we This book is out of print, but occasionally are not recording our clifferenr community a copy can be secured from the Siskiyou histories fast enough. County Historical Society, 910 Main Street, Instead, since we are covering several Yreka, California 96097. Also the Siski­ sections this year, the various community you County Museum has available copies of hisrories cannot be completely recorded. their many yearbooks, in their research However, sometime in the fucure, addi­ library rhar may be consulted. tional history on these places will be writ­ Many old-timers have been consulted, reo. For instance, additional information and some have furnished us with precious on Merrill will be added in next year's old pictures. Space does not permit thank­ Malin issue, and additional Keno history ing them individually, bur we do wish co will be added when the Topsy freight and stage history is published. thank them one and all, and can only hope they will approve of our publication. Many Transportation history 1n and through of their photos have been copied, placed Burte Valley, California has been added this year because much of K 1 a m a r h in our files and will be used in some furore Couoty"s early history is closely related ro issue of Klamath Echoes. Editor. viii. Klamath Echoes Staff DEVERE HELFRICH Managing Ediror HELEN HELFRICH Assistant LESTER HUTCHINSON Sales Chairman Officers KLAMATH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAUL ROBERTSON President HEBER RADCLIFFE Vice President PAULINE ELLIOTT Secretary· Treasurer BOB ELLIOTT Programme Chairman R. E. TEATER, BOB ELLIOTT, LESTER HUTCHINSON, and DEVERE HELFRICH Direcrors KLAMATH ECHOES is published annually by the Klamath County Historical Society. Price $2.00. Address all communications to: Klamath Echoes, P. 0. Box 1552, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601. THE COVER. Our cover was drawn by Stephanie Bonotto Hakanson, artist for all previous issues of the Ki4tm~Jh Echoes. Depicted is the old Van Brimmer fort, built over Willow Creek in eastern Siskiyou County, California. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, strucrure still in existence in the Kamath Basin. It is now located at the north­ west entrance to the Modoc Lava Beds National Monument south of Tule Lake. ix. Table of Contents Before Merrill ---------------Devere Helfrich --------------- 1 Elkanah Whitney, A Pioneer in Klamath County _____ _________Martha Ann (Whitney) Brandon __12 As Told to Me by John Colwell _____ Devere Helfrich --------------13 J. Frank Adams _________________Evea (Mrs. Bob) Adams ________15 The Adams Dredge ---------- --Devere Helfrich -------- ---------21 ______________27 "Tulie" Lake - Gale - Meuill ______De vere Helfrich Recollections ----------------------Mrs. Jim (Juanita Ratliffe ) Stevenson_41 Sawmills of the Merrill Vicinity _ ___Dwere Helfrich ------------------43 Merrill Newspapers Devere Helfrich _____________44 Keno and Vicinity ____ ·----Repritll ----·---------------47 History of Keno --------·------Klamath Herald (Jessie Puckeu) ____ 51 Keno _____ ____ --Reprint (Rachael Applegate Good) _ 54 Robert Whittle ___ Willard W. Wright --------56 As Told to Me by George Ager ---------Devere Helfrich -·-----------------58 As Told to Me by Mrs. George (Blanche) Ager ______Devere Helfrich - 59 Keno Post Office ------­ Devere Helfrich _____60 Sawmills of the Keno Vicinity ·---LDevere Helfrich ------------- 65 Early Recollections by Laura Nelson Burton -Heber Radcliffe ___ ---10 Chronological History of The Keno lliectrical Power Plants ----- ---------------------73 Worden, Ivan and Calor --·------Devere Helfrich -----73 As Told to Me by Em.ma Otey -----Devere Helfrich -------------78 As Written to Me by Mrs. Gertrude Moore _Devere Helfrich ----- 79 As Written roMe by Ethel G. Owen -----Devere Helfrich _______________ 80 As Written to Me by Elma Chapman Lewin Jones Dwere Helfrich ---------81 Butte Valley and Vicinity -------Devere Helfrich 82 As Told to Me by Oyde Laird ------Dwere Helfrich -------------89 As Told to Me by Ben. Fairchild --------Dwere Helfrich ----- 89 MERRILL IN THE 1905-1910 PERIOD LiYery Stable, Cllld Merrill Hotel on Main Street. The Mint Saloon, HoWiton Opera HoWle, Cllld a one-time post office location, during the term of George Wilaon, 1903-1906. -<:ourlesy Klamath County M useum Before Merrill • • • UIUIIIIIIUIIIIIJUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllltlllllltlllllllllltllllUIIIIIJUIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIlllltiiiiiiiiiUUIIIIUIIIIIUIUIIIIUUIIIIIUlllltiiULIIIIIUUUIIIIIIUIIIUUIIIIIUIIIIIIUUIIIIIJIJIIIIIIIIUIII Compiled by DEVERE HELFRICH INTRODUCTION I. The Old Mill Stream. The history in thiJ year'J Klamath EchoeJ About 1877 Uncle George Nurse, begim with seven newJpaper clippings founder and owner of the townsite of /otmd in the old ]. Frank Adami scrap Linkville, induced W. C. Moore, a mill­ book in possesJion of MrJ. Bob (Evea) wright, who had come over from Salem to Adams. The author and newJpaper from build a grist mill at the Klamath reserva­ which they were taken i1 tmknown, aJ is tion agency, to give consideration to build­ the date of their prittting. However, /rom ing a sawmill on Link River. i11/ormatiott contait~ed in the Jevett article! Moore suffered from a common afflic­ and other pertinent /acts, it seems thai tion. He liked the idea, but had no money. Rrt/us S. Moore, pioneer reJident of Klam­ Nurse agreed to bear the expense of five ath Falls, was the writer, or the article~ or six hundred dollars. The mill-wright ·were written under his JuperviJion. The had brought his family to Ft. Klamath date wottld have been after 1921 or 1922, wth the exception of his son Rufus, who and before September, 1929, when ]. Frank came later. AdamJ was accidentally killed near Double­ Charles, another son, helped his father head Mormtain in Modoc County, Cali­ build a water power mill above town on /omia, and hiJ Jcrapbook no longer con­ the west side of the river. Down at Keno tinued, or at the latest, before Ru/tJJ Moore there had been a small mill run by Newton passed away November 6, I93L_Editor. Pratt, and later by Charles Withrow and LINK RIVER Source of the first power and irrigation systems in the Klamath Basin. Martin Flour MiU in the bend of the river at the left with canal along hillside. Conger house and orchard a cross the river, with the Steele-Ankeny ditch along hillside in background. -Maude Baldwin photo 1. John Connolly. The Keno mill boasted rablished. a jig saw which if pushed would cut per­ Out of the Moore ditch with its pioneer haps 3,000 feet a day.