southtillamookcounty.com
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!
(Most of this page was typed by sixth grader, Amy P., during the spring of 2002 and edited and finished by Dean Bones.)
In 1877, ten settlers held their first road meeting in Upton's house, but it was July 3, 1882, when the first wagon roads were opened for travel by volunteer labor of the settlers. July, 1882, hundreds of people from Sheridan, Salem, and surrounding country thronged to the beach to celebrate.
From the place now called Dolph, it followed the course of the River via old Indian trails over high and rocky places in an extremely crooked line. The settlers without proper tools and equipment, found it easier to go around trees and over rocky knolls rather than fell the trees and grade out the rocks. Several places, it crossed the Little Nestucca River without bridges or removal of the large boulders. The home of Steinmasal (now owned by Mr. Savage) became a favorite stopping place. From there on, the road was zigzag sometimes on large flat rocks, sometimes in deep mud until the homestead of Martin Mauritzen was reached. Here are the beautiful falls he named "Estella Falls". Today we term them "Stella Falls". A fishway has been built around them in late years.
Farther on, the road passed Upton falls. These, with 40 acres, were acquired from the Government by James B. Upton, whose daughter, Marietta, (now Mrs. D. Ostrander of Portland) still owns the falls and 20 acres. The balance became the property of Willie Redberg (son of Wm. Redberg who bought the Upton farm in 1894). He has resold. The road passed the Kimberling Homestead (later owned by Job Foster) emerging from the heavy timber to more open country near the homestead of John and Zurelda Dunn. Thence, it passed the house of M. A. Bower, (now owned by Joe Ducham), the house of Ep Emmett (now owned by Lyle Craven), the house of Adam Babcock which later became the Tom Penter place and now owned by Jack and Audrey Dunn Hagerty. Part of this farm now belongs to Oral Ray. From near the home of Mrs. Retta Ray, the road follows a circular route (south of the present road from the Ray house to the Dock); thence, past the home of A. W. Fletcher (now owned by ?) and the old home site of James B. Upton (now owned by Roy Redberg, who is the grandson of Wm. Redberg), Thence, the road ascended a very steep hill in an almost a straight line west toward the later built Oretown church and grocery sites and emerging in front of the house later built for Wm. Redberg and the Oretown Post Office; thence west, on the present route of Highway east of the present cheese factory; thence west, crossed the creek, past the log house of Lewis Bozley; thence, skirted around the south hillside past the house of Hardy Rock and the home of Lew Shortridge; thence, to the northeast end of the lake where on a lower grade than at present, it reached the Beach.
This road from Dolph to the Ocean Beach became a toll road with EP Emmett as operator. He sold out to George Baxter who kept the road in repair many years and had charge of the tollgate at the Dolph end near his residence. This gate was kept chained and locked.
Settlers living on or near Slab Creek used the beach for a road until one was opened from Oretown to Neskowin before 1886. This one started a little north of the later built grange hall, making a junction with the one to the beach. A little south of where the grange hall stands, it turned to the left of the present highway route, ascending slightly and southerly past the home of Ed Talbot. The Ed Talbot place was later termed the Bails Place and still later on the Kellow place. Present owner is John Rock, son of Hardy Rock. Leaving the Talbot house to its west, the road was on a large flat rock ledge; thence, it descended an equally steep hillside in a southerly line past the home of Doc Cutting (later owned by Wm. Christensen) emerging on the low level in front of the side of the present Vogel house. The Vogel farm was owned at that time by Marcelus Faulconer, who bought the homestead from Alex Kitteman.
Continue to page 27 of "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers!"
Return to South Tillamook County - History main page!