"Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers" written about South Tillamook County, Oregon
The page below was written by Mrs. Hardy Rock (Alexandria LEY Rock) and published in 1949. NVMS students have retyped her history so that many may read it. Although some punctuation errors have been corrected the text remains as written by Mrs. Rock.
Note that Alexandria LEY Rock's "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers" has been republished in book form as of January 2007 and is now being offered for sale by the Tillamook County Historical Society!
(This page was typed by NVMS 7th grader, Logan, during the spring of 2002 and edited by Dean Bones.)
The little Nestucca River forms a junction with Big Nestucca River becoming a bay opening into the Pacific Ocean. The one continuous beach south of the mouth of the bay to the Rocky Point south of Slab Creek belongs to the Little Section. It is possible at very low tide, by being alert, to go afoot around the high rocky bluff and get into the Bay Beach beyond; thence to the Salmon Cannery built on the bay in 1887, but which is almost entirely obliterated.
Many settlers from Slab Creek section took this route to secure a rowboat on the Bay and continue a trip to Ocean Park, now Pacific City, or to the town of Woods for provisions. There was no store nearer in the earlier days. At first, settlers went by horse or mule back to Old Grand Ronde to the store of Gilbert Litchfield, located beside the house built there for the residence of General Sheridan. When tides prevented the beach route, they left the beach at north end of lake, followed the road to a trail from near the house of Hardy Rock, around the hillside up to the crest of the hill; thence northward to the farm of Chris Christensen and to the bay.
Some distance south of the mouth of the bay stands a large rock on the beach. In earlier years, it was much higher and larger. It is crumbling away gradually. Children enjoyed climbing it, and young couples found it a quiet retreat under the few trees upon its top. Some persons called it Refusal Rock to offset Proposal Rock at Slab Creek.
Some distance south of Refusal Rock is a picturesque lake known as Fletcher Lake because A.W. Fletcher at one time owned the farm which included part of the Lake. Earlier pioneers called it Shortridge Lake because Lewis Shortridge homesteaded it. Here was a rendezvous of great flocks of ducks and geese; hunting was excellent until game laws became effective. The strip of beachland between the lake and ocean made an excellent camping ground, free for many years to the public. Shortridge built a wooden flue supported by stakes across the lake to supply fresh spring water. This, in time, blew down.
For many years, farmers of our community moved to this campground for a few weeks in the summer. Men folks went home to milk and do the farm work, spending nights at camp and also took meals there. Evenings were spent around a large campfire or playing ball on the hard sand. This was before farmers kept as many cows as at the present time. The sandhills were quite, high then , with small trees growing on and were really beautiful. The lake stream afforded a wading place for very small children, while older ones enjoyed a deep hole near the lake where they learned to swim. At the lake's southern end was a very lovely natural water-lily pond which has completely disappeared. At the mouth of the lake stream large fresh salmon were caught with pitchforks, as many as 16 or 20 on a single tide. A few dead whales have been thrown up on the beach and once a large dead octopus came ashore.
On this campground beside the lake during two weeks of the summer of 1907, the 14th Infantry from Vancouver, Washington, under command of Lieu-Major Parks, camped. Shortly after, Major Parks purchased the swamp-land south of and adjoining the lake intending to develop it. This has both been done. When the farm, including the campground, was sold to Card and Plankington, they developed them for tourists, built cabins, set up tables and benches, improved the water system and built a nice house for the residence of the Card family. They named the resort Winema.
Continue to page 11 of "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers!"
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