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History
"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 Dean Bones.)
Through the determination of Mrs. Mina Follett, a member of the Newberg Friends Church, who moved to Oretown Heights in 1907, the Oretown Gospel Church was started.
The charter members were TA Porter and his wife, Condessa; Wm. Redberg and his wife, Eleanora; Mrs. Lottie Gardner Whiteman; Mrs. Gertie Porter Redberg; Mrs. Hardy Rock; and Mrs. Mina Follett. Ground, which was donated by TA Porter and wife, was broken for a church building February 27, 1912.
TA Porter and his nephew, Ira Lance, of Tillamook City, worked long and faithfully erecting the building, assisted by many others living in the neighborhood. Funds were raised by contribution.
The first sermon in the church was by Rev. Clark of Cloverdale, March 30, 1913.
Rev. Chas. Whitley, Friends Minister of Newberg, dedicated the Church August 23, 1914. The same day the debt on the Church was lifted by volunteer contributions. Mrs. Hardy Rock donated an organ, the purchase being made through Rev. Whitely.
Here, Rev. Chas. Waymire, a local minister, living in Big Nestucca country, often conducted stirring services. More members were enrolled gradually. Sunday School was held every Sunday and Prayer Meetings on Thursday evenings.
In 1918, Reverend Paul Lewis and his wife, Erma Lewis, of Friends Church in Newberg, moved to ORetown and became the regular minister for one and one half years when he moved to Tillamook City.
In time the Church needed repairs, but no funds were available until 1947, when the Church members, their descendants and others interested donated funds to completely renovate the inside of the church, replace the organ with a piano, and put up a church bell. A new room was added in 1949 to the south end for a Sunday School classroom. L. J. Redberg and wife, who built and operated the Oretown Grocery gave liberally to these improvements as did the members of the Christian Church who had purchased the camp ground adjacent to the Lake. They held services each Sunday led by Donald Byers. He was succeeded by George A. Cox.
This is the only Church in Tillamook County south of Cloverdale. Some wedding services have been held there and many funerals.
Among these was the double funeral services for Leroy Follett and his wife, Mina Follett, in 1922, victims of pneumonia. Later in June, 1945, the two sons of Earl Porter and grandsons of the late TA Porter, were laid away in a double funeral service, victims of drowning.
Continue to page 18 of "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers!"
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