Museum Musings:Volume II

By

Merna DeBolt

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum

Museum Musings Volume II

2008 by

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication

may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

without the written permission of the publisher.

To order copies, contact the

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum

P.O. Box 396 Stevenson, WA 98648

Email: tinacolumbiagorge@yahoo.com

Phone: 800.991.2338 or 509.427.8211

Printed by Columbia Litho

Camas, WA

Front cover photograph: “Sunrise Reflections I”.

Photographer: Rob Peterson

Front cover photograph: “Sunrise Reflections II”.

Photographer: Rob Peterson

George DeGroote feels he has been

preparing for the Lewis and Clark

Bicentennial for the past twenty-five years.

His interest in the journey of the Corps of

Discovery has been in his heart and soul for

several decades.

Since the land he developed parallels

the route they traveled, it seemed only

natural to name his camping park the Lewis

and Clark RV Campground. This scenic but

sheltered spot has been open for nineteen

years. More than one hundred recreational

vehicle clubs make a yearly trek to camp

here. One club reserves spaces six times a

year, a compliment to this quiet, comfortable

retreat.

George was raised on a farm in the

Cape Horn area at the west end of Skamania

County. The DeGroote orchards were

successful due to hard working parents.

George’s mother was from Belgium and his

father was from the Netherlands. The

DeGrootes raised a family of seven children

on this farm, two boys and five girls.

At fifteen years of age, George enlisted

in the military and served with the Army

Coast Artillery. After military service, he

found employment with the Remington Rand

Company. Their specialty was

manufacturing banking equipment and he

became one of their salesmen.

His most memorable sale was selling the

first Univac computer to the First National

Bank in Portland, Oregon. As a result, he

was hired by Trans America, who owned the

First Western Bank in San Francisco and

worked as a systems and methods officer.

After six years, the headquarters of First

Western moved to Los Angeles. He didn’t

want to go. Instead, he accepted a job as the

national sales manager of data processing

equipment for the Cummins Chicago

Corporation.

Five years of traveling made him

homesick for the Columbia River Gorge. It

could have been because of a picture he

found in an antique shop in Chicago. It

actually was a color poster put out by

Burlington Northern of the Columbia River

Gorge, a spot quite close to his childhood

view of the river.

For whatever reason, George came

home to Skamania County and began a new

career as a building contractor. He said his

previous job experience taught him

organization and coordination skills which

proved valuable in the construction business.

After being involved in the construction

of some two hundred homes here in the

Gorge, he developed the Lewis and Clark

Campground. It has seventy-five sites. It

provides a summer home for “snowbirds”

and a convenient temporary spot for

construction workers.

George served as Skamania County

Historical Society President for 6 years at

the critical time of planning and building the

Museum. His expertise in construction was

George and Gloria DeGrooteBoard of Directors President, Ken Cole

unveils the DeGroote Family Trust Theatre

Dedication

i

extremely valuable throughout this process.

As a long-time member, he has served

several times on the Board of Directors. The

Museum recently dedicated the Creation

Theatre as the DeGroote Family Trust

Theatre. It features a new geology program

produced by Executive Productions-Seattle

(EPS). The original program was a 9-

projector slide presentation, archaic in its

format. Some stated facts no longer agreed

with current theories. The public can now

enjoy the new version on demand. It is also

available with closed captioning. Other

programs are also possible.

The historical society and the

museum continue to be indebted to George

and Gloria DeGroote for their dedication

and genuine concern for the vitality of the

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center

Museum. We thank them.

Who would dream of building a

world class museum in a rural county like

Skamania? Several people dared to dream

big when our first museum could no longer

accommodate our precious treasures such as

the Emory and Ruth Strong Collection and

the largest Rosary collection in the world.

One of these dreamers was Ed

Callahan, a visionary with a tenacity of a

bulldog. It was largely due to his persistence

that the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center

Museum became a reality. Ed felt the

citizens of Skamania County deserved such a

facility and he supported his dream with his

time, personal money and dedication.

When logging appeared to be a

vanishing way of life for many county

residents, Ed knew we had to look for

alternative ways to keep the county

employed. Serving as a county

commissioner, Ed introduced entrepreneur,

John Gray, to the concept of creating a first

class resort and conference center in

Stevenson. Mr. Gray was successful in his

bid to the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area

Commission and built Skamania Lodge.

Jean Jacques Andre, a world renowned

exhibit designer, was asked, convinced, and

hired to design the Museum. The

combination of the two facilities serves to

attract tourists and other businesses.

Ed has served on the board of the

Museum several terms. He encouraged the

board when financial needs seemed to be

overwhelming and aided in seeking ways to

reach financial goals. His favorite projects

at the Museum include the train display, the

vintage logging equipment exhibit and the

1921 Mack log truck.

We salute you, Ed Callahan, for all

you have accomplished to make the

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center

Museum a reality.

Ed CallahanOperations Manager

ii

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Rob Peterson for the photo’s used on the covers for Museum Musings

Volume II.

Tina Bartley has spent untold hours typing the articles originally published in The

Skamania County Pioneer. She also researched diligently to find appropriate pictures to illustrate

the stories.

Mildred Piontek and Pat Biggs patiently proofread this book. Their dedication to this time

consuming project is much appreciated.

To the staff of the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum, I wish to say, “Thank

you.”

Your hours of work on behalf of this book will always be remembered.

Merna DeBolt

About the Author

iii

Merna DeBolt began teaching in

1948 in a one-room school in Taylor

County, Iowa. She married a farmer and

planned to tend her garden, milk the cows

and raise a family.

After seven years of hard work and

hard times she and her late husband,

Merna DeBolt

Merle, sold their farming equipment,

household furnishings and moved west.

Merna found work in the local

schools of Skamania County, Washington

and her husband was employed by the

U.S. Forest Service.

When she retired, she asked to

become a volunteer at the Columbia

Gorge Interpretive Center Museum. She

developed a living history character,

Lucy Meriwether Marks.

She has portrayed this character many

times at the Museum, as well as taking

her on the road for Senior Citizen groups.

She also performed at the National

Meeting of the Lewis and Clark Trail

Heritage Foundation.

Another passion of Merna’s is

writing. Her first publication, Museum

Musings is a collection of stories

researched and published in the local

newspaper. We are pleased to annouce,

she didn’t stop there. Museum Musings;

Volume II is the result of five years of

additional stories. It features tales of

events and residents of the area. The

stories bring to life the early years of our

communities. She is greatful to all of

those who shared their memories and

made this book possible.

Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii

“The Spirit of St. Louis” in Skamania County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Stevenson Co-Ply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3April Fools Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5History of Stevenson Fire Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Mrs. Freeburg’s Pies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Bank of Stevenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11The Ash Family History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Antique Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Early Businessmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Stevenson Football Field Gets Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Little Known Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Volunteer Fay Weber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Memories of Roy Craft’s Wit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Sweeney Saga: Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Sweeney Saga: Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Dr. Rehal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Leo Moore, The Packer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Harry Leroy; WWII Veteran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44The First Plans For a New Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Forest Service Lookouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50A Few Stories of Skamania County Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53Lawrence and Lena Pierce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55The Glory Days of Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Skaalheim Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Memories of William Chattan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63The Courthouses of Skamania County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66County Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Memories of Carson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Sawmills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Skamania County History Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Band Leader, Mark McCormick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Games of Our Childhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Skamania County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84Local Trivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Memories of WWII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88The Counts Story: Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90The Counts Story: Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Love Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93A Maze of Mays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95Volunteer of The Decade: Mildred Piontek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Pearl Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99The Little Canoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Table of Contents

Museum Musings II

December is past. The gifts havebeen exchanged and the toys arescattered or underfoot. Toys andChristmas seem almost synonymous sothis month's topic will be about a toy.

Do you recall a song from the 70'sabout a "Marvelous Toy," or was it a"Wonderful Toy"? The melody keepsrunning through my mind, but I can'tremember the words.

The song describes a toy that madea variety of sounds as it rolled across thefloor. Sounds like whirr, buzz, plop andother noises I cannot spell, came fromthis wonderful toy.

I don't remember if it wasrecorded by The Mamas and The Papas,The New Christy Minstrels or perhapsPeter, Paul and Mary. But it describedan unforgettable childhood toy.

Johnny Peyrollaz, of Carson, has awonderful toy. It is approximately 75years old. It was made by Johnny'sfather, Henry Peyrollaz for Bertil,Johnny's older brother.

Henry Peyrollaz was a Swissimmigrant who settled in the Carson areain 1920. Here he raised a family and

became known for growing excellentcrops of asparagus.

In 1927, Henry like thousandsothers, was impressed by CharlesLindbergh's solo flight across theAtlantic. A year or so later, Henry wasout in his hay field when he heard anairplane. He stopped working andlooked up.

The plane flew low enough so Henrycould read the lettering on the fuselage.Lo and behold the "Spirit of St. Louis"

was flying over Henry's hay field. Flyingeast, it circled above the mouth of WindRiver and then headed west.

That was the day Lindbergh flew

under the Bridge of the Gods. This was

before it was elevated 44 feet. In a

previous article I wrote that Lindbergh

flew under it after it was raised. It

seemed logical, but I was wrong. It must

have been quite a thrill to see him

attempt this at such a low altitude.

This inspired Henry to make a toy

replica of the “Spirit of St. Louis”. He

carved out the wings using cedar from

one of his fence posts. The rudder and

1

“The Spirit of St. Louis” in Skamania County

Johnny Peyrollaz with Lucky Lindy’s plane “Spirit of St.Louis”, on exhibit at the museum.

Museum Musings II

propeller were accurately carved and the

plane has small wheels rimmed with

rubber.He painted the identifying code N-X-

211 on the wings and in elegant lettering.Henry wrote the words, "Spirit of St.

Louis Jr." Then he gave the silver grayairplane to Bertil.

Bertil enjoyed the marvelous toy formany years but he left it behind when hemoved off into adulthood.

Johnny has cared for the plane eversince. He remembers playing with itwhen he was a child, but he said heplayed with it very carefully.

This remarkable toy will be ondisplay at the Columbia GorgeInterpretive Center during the month ofMay. May 20th will mark the 76thanniversary of Lindbergh's famous soloflight across the Atlantic. You are invitedto come and see Henry Peyrollaz'shandiwork and recall the part the "Spirit

of St. Louis" played in the history of theGorge.

Johnny Peyrollaz had another storyto share with me about the year 1927. InJune, Johnny's mother, Aline, was due togive birth. The nearest birthing facilitywas located in a home in Hood River.Henry took his wife there by crossing theColumbia to Cascade Locks on a ferry.The Bridge of the Gods was completedbut not yet open for traffic.

Johnny was born June 7, 1927 and,after a few days rest, Henry brought hiswife and baby boy home. By now the

bridge was open. Henry liked to tellJohnny that they opened the bridge justfor him. It was a good story. Yet it isprobably true that Johnny was the firstbaby to cross the Bridge of the Gods.

In the past two years, 42,637 peoplehave visited the Columbia GorgeInterpretive Center. Just how manycrossed this bridge to visit the museum, Ihave no way of knowing. But it is animpressive number.

We are hopeful that many morevisitors will come in 2003 and perhapssome will see the marvelous toy.

Because so many visit the museum,Tina Bartley, our Museum StoreManager, would like to invite local artiststo sell their work in the museum store.She feels the Interpretive Center wouldbe an excellent showcase for their talent.One of our visitors may purchase apainting or some other form of artworkthat would become a part of their homeand as precious as the marvelous toyyou will see on display. All artworkshould portray the area of the Gorge orfall within the guidelines of our missionstatement. If interested, call (509) 427-8211 and ask for Tina.

2

So, here I sit still humming thetune of the marvelous toy.Maybe it was Tom Paxton.Can you help me?

Museum Musings II

3

For many years Stevenson Co-Ply kept many families

employed during the best of its years.

Stevenson Co-Ply

Were you aware that during the GulfWar, Stevenson Co-Ply sent plywood toSaudi Arabia to be used as flooring forour soldiers' tents?

Did you know that a Japanesecompany purchased high grade plywoodfrom Stevenson Co-Ply to cut into smalltwo or three inch squares? They usedthese as gussets to strengthen theinterior of Hitachi television cabinets.

Extreme weather conditions alsocreated markets for plywood.Predictions of hurricanes sent buyersafter plywood to be used to protect storefronts as far away as Florida.

When interest rates dropped, thiswas usually followed by an increase inconstruction. Stevenson Co-Ply profitedby these trends in our economy.

A major industry in Stevenson,Washington for approximately 39 yearswas the Stevenson PlywoodCorporation, later known as StevensonCo-Ply Incorporated. In the good yearsof financial successes, it employed asmany as 250 people.

The jobs were varied. Manyemployees began their day on the"green" chain pulling out green veneerand sorting it by grade and by width.

Then there was the "dry" end wheredried veneer was sorted in the sameway.

Agile men worked on the log pondand a man was hired to maneuver thepond boat. Firemen kept the boilersburning day and night using waste woodas fuel. There were Raimen operatorswho ran a machine that stamped out theknots with a football shaped cutter.These holes were then filled with a solidpiece of wood. There were forkliftoperators, log buyers, filers, latheoperators, sander men, electricians andjanitors. The list goes on and on.

Frank Lahmann was a shareholderwho worked as a purchasing agent formany years. He bought his first sharefrom Ray Robbins, a Stevenson Plywoodpromoter for $3,500.

Henry Mertz was the manager whenit changed over into a co-op. That was in1956. Henry knew the business and waskept on as general manager for severalmonths. Later, John Waters wasselected to be his replacement. Johnheld that position for many years.

Co-Ply log sources were mainly fromU. S. Forest Service lands and from statetimber sales. Private timber was

Museum Musings II

4

purchased whenever it becameavailable.

Logging was generally contractedout, however, road building was doneusing equipment owned by Co-Ply.When their equipment began to age, thiswork was contracted out as well.

Frank Lahmann recalled that Co-Ply's early plywood production was an"interior" grade. Later, when betteradhesives became available and steamheated presses were installed, it becamepossible to manufacture an "exterior"grade. This was a superior product andwas much in demand for constructionpurposes.

The 1970's were financiallysuccessful years for Stevenson Co-Ply.No one could foresee what the futurewould bring.

In January of 1980, six feet of snowfell in the area. A heavy rain followedcausing the weight of the snow tobecome extreme. Many local buildingssuffered roof damage, but StevensonCo-Ply seemed to suffer the most.

The roof collapsed. Pictures takenat that time indicated the damage wasirreparable. The insurance company,Atkinson & Bell, inspected thedestruction and decided to contract outthe restoration.

Head electrician, John Peyrollaz,was hired by an electrical company tohelp in an advisory capacity. Hisexperience and knowledge wereinvaluable in locating electrical circuitsand helping to determine where newoutlets would be needed.

By early summer, the debris hadbeen hauled away, and the plantrepaired. Co-Ply was back in production.

However, warning signals appearedon the horizon. Georgia Pacific, a majorbuyer of Stevenson Plywood, beganexperimenting with Southern Pine. Theydeveloped huge tree plantations toprovide for their needs.

Stevenson Co-Ply felt this wood wasdefinitely inferior to Skamania County's

Douglas Fir and for a while feared noconsequences. But the Southern Pineexperiment proved successful andbecause of this, Georgia Pacific nolonger purchased as much plywood asthey had previously.

Then along came the spotted owlchapter in our history and this led to ashrinking of timber resources. Anunstable market with other unforeseenfactors, all combined to cause alarm.

The original shareholders hadworked hard to make this plywood mill asuccess. In spite of all this, on January24, 1992, Stevenson Co-Ply went intoreceivership.

Cloida (Pickett) Peyrollaz worked tofind jobs for the unemployed. She washired by the state to help in providingretraining for Co-Ply employees.

It was the end of an era. Today weremember the company that sentplywood to eastern states, to Japan andas far away as Saudi Arabia. The manymemories, some sad, some bitter, arenow a part of Skamania County'sunusual and historic past.

Co-Ply burns to the ground

September 21, 2007

The below photograph shows themill engulfed in flames onSeptember 21, 2007. Arson wasdetermined to be the cause. Theabandoned building was used tostore pellets and compressed logsfor wood burning stoves. Theexplosion could be heard for milesaway and it burned for days.

Museum Musings II

April begins with April Fool's Day andtends to encourage the silliness broughton by Spring Fever all month long. Aprilis a time to smile and rejoice in theseason of Easter and the renewal of lifeall around us.

So this is to be an amusing look backinto our past: into an era when ourancestors were self-reliant and had theability to be practical, to make-do or dowithout and to doctor their own ailments.

My friend, Stella Kock, has anamazing collection of recipe books.Some contain reprints of older bookswhich tell of household hints, homeremedies and how to cook when youhaven't got much to cook with.

It was delightful to read throughthem. Here are some items I'd like toshare with you:

*Next time two glasses stick together, putcold water in the inside one and set theother in warm water. They will quicklypart company.

Home remedies were abundant inthe old books Stella Kock has collected.Many of my friends also had favoritecures to share.

Arline Reid said whenever shesuffered from a cold, her mother rubbedher chest with a mixture of turpentineand lard. Then she covered this with aflannel rag. This prevented congestion.

My husband, Merle, said his fatherkept a jar of turpentine and lard to doctorhis horses. Harness collars sometimeschaffed the horses' shoulders. Thesores healed quickly when treated withthis home remedy. The hair that grewback was never white, which was not the

5

April Fools Day

*Wash windowscrossways onone side andlengthwise on

the other. Thenyou can tell

which side hasthe streaks.

*Always pourtomato into milk,never milk into

tomato. This willprevent curdling.

*Plant cosmos forshade in each

cucumber hill. Theylove it. Plant one

marigold in each hillalso. Then no bugs

will bother yourcucumbers.

*Dip a new broom inhot salt water beforeusing. It will toughenthe fibers and your

broom will last longer.

*Waterhouseplants with a

meat baster.

*To bait amousetrap,use a raisin

tied down witha string. Miceseem to havea sweet tooth

and raisinswon't crumble

like cheesedoes.

Museum Musings II

case without the mixture of turpentineand lard.

I read that to cure arthritis youshould carry a peeled potato in yourpocket until it turned black. If that didn'twork, then chew on a thistle root.

For kidney stones, drink flaxseed tea.This will break up the kidney stones.Since flax grows among rocks and theroots of the flax break up the rocks in thearea they grow, it seemed logical the teawould break up kidney stones as well.

6

April is here, a time to rememberand smile. Did these ideas andcures really work? Perhaps theydid and perhaps folks just thoughtthey did. If you feel there may besome truth in what you have justread, then stock up on lard andturpentine and make friends withpeople who own cows.

Ray MacKinnonsaid Granny May

Imanrecommendedputting freshwarm cowmanure on

scrapes and smallabrasions. Shesaid there wouldbe no infection ifthis was appliedto the wound.Stella's old

books told howto rid one's selfof warts. "Rub

the wart with a

peeled apple

and then feed

the apple to a

pig."