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Lacomb History

The Lebanon Express, April 3,1964

Lacomb History Points Up Its Citizen's Vision, Foresight, Cooperative Effort
by Josephine Sommer

Problems, progress and people of the Lacomb area were recalled by six long-time residents of the community in a "nostalgic gabfest" at the home of Wayne Downing recently. The town's history, from the time of the earliest arrivals in the mid-1880's paints the picture of community vision and cooperative effort. "It was the best community in the state of Oregon," said Dan Sturgis, who lived there from 1922 until his retirement and move to Sweet Home in 1940. "If anyone got sick or was otherwise in trouble, everybody turned out to help." Sturgis, who was president of the Lacomb Berry Growers Assn., for 12 years, put in the first large patch of strawberries in Linn County. But long before Sturgis' time, Lacomb folk were gradually making progress toward the present homey country town surrounded by green pastureland and berry fields.

One of several stories about the name's origin says Lacomb means "Tall Timber." A term that graphically describes the early day setting-and explains the mushrooming sawmill business.

Lacomb Once Fern Ridge

"Fern Ridge was the first name given to the community," said A. A. Ayers, who with Wayne and Albert Downing, Sturgis, Bryan Sanders and Henry Ray, helped delve into the past for facts and important events. "Early settlers built their log cabins along creeks or near a spring. When the sawmills came in, lumber, varying in thickness from 3/4 to two inches in thickness was used for walls and floors," Ayers added. "Fred and Dave Myers had the first large mill with a pond. They also sold planed lumber for siding and floors. The first logging was done by oxen by Billy and John South who also helped build a road to Cedar Flat."

Talk of the first business houses in Lacomb reminded of a "much told tale" about a business trip to Oregon City by Joseph and Elizabeth Turnidge in 1879. Three large chicken coops full of the feathered fowl for "trading purposes" were loaded into a light wagon for the trip. At Aurora, some boys opened one coop and released part of the chickens during the Turnidge's overnight stop enroute. The remainder of the chickens were traded for calico, sugar, coffee, tea, gun powder, lead, quinine, and epson (sic) salts with which they established a store in Lacomb in the summer of that year.

That establishment was later taken over by their eldest son W.J. Turnidge-then still later, a son-in-law, J.C. Hardin assumed responsibility for the business. He established the post office.

"Between 1900 and 1910, Lacomb had three stores, a millinery shop and a combination lunch room, barber shop, blacksmith shop and shoe repair shop," the six Lacomb supporters said. The latter business was operated by William Bostwick. The blacksmith shop with a dance hall over head was built by Henry Ray's father, William Ray. It was later sold to B.F. Raines who had earlier been in business with J.C. Hardin. Raines added to the building-now Dick's Grocery" operated by Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Knowlton.

Speaking of stores reminds of childhood memory that stands out in the mind of Claude Cox, 521 Williams St., Lebanon, who grew up in Lacomb area. His mother, Mrs. Edna E. Cox, was postmaster at Lacomb for years. "There was always a large puddle of water in front of the Raines' stores during the rainy season," Cox said. "One day one of the fellows 'goosed' a boy standing in front of it holding a big bag of groceries. Our ticklish friend lost all of his purchases in the middle of the big puddle and we all had to chip in to help replace them."

Childhood Memories

Cox lived a mile south of Lacomb during his youth and made trips into town for milk for his customers. Another memory is of an early period when he was about five or six. "With so much timber around, the deer came in pretty close," he said. "There were also

lots of dogs around town. One day the dogs ran a deer in close to our house and mauled it until it couldn't get up again. Excitedly, I ran to tell mother and she sent me to the Ayers' blacksmith shop for help. Aldie Ayer's dad dressed out the deer and gave me part of it to take home-but he kidded me first about mistaking a jackrabbit for a deer.

Roads, oil wells, coal mines, agriculture, schools, churches all furnish many historical facts about the community. Too many for one article-so a second installment will be found in another issue.

The Lebanon Express, April 10, 1964

Lacomb History Paint Copperative Picture

by Josephine Sommer

Lacomb folk have many happy memories of activities connected with its churches. Presently a new edifice is going up beside the Baptist Church which has served the congregation since 1895, and the progressive step brings back reminders of the time when the old building was in its construction stage. "I have been told that a wind storm hit the area just after the framework went up," Mrs. Earnest (Othello) Heath, 755 E. Oak St., said. "The fact that the church was blown four inches out of plumb was not discovered by the contractor until carpenters on the job had almost completed the structure. This isn't visible to the eye and only presented problems when remodeling was in process." Mrs. Heath and others who attended Sunday school and church there through the years recall many Sunday school conferences and picnic dinners in the oak grove surrounding the church. "The acreage for the Baptist church was bought from my father," A. A. Ayers said. "It was built by C. L. Raines." This was not the first church in Lacomb though. The Free Methodist church was organized first as a community church on a plot donated by _. _. And Dora Harden. It is now used as a grange hall.

The name Turnidge is revealed in both business and church affairs of Lacomb. John Turnidge was pastor of the Baptist church for many years. An old school record now in the possession of Wayne Downing shows numerous recordings of the Downing, Myers, Sander, Turnidge and other well known names. Each teacher's annual report pointed up that "the school was well equipped," but several noted the fact that there was no dictionary. This deficiency was later corrected, for Webster's presence was made known in a later report.

"The first school was built on land owned by D. B. Deakin-now part of the Frank Rettinger farm," said A. A. Ayers. "Old records show teachers salaries ranged in the $20 to $25 a category for just a few months out of the year."

School Facilities Noted

Lacomb folk are justly proud of the school facilities now in use. In comparison with the above, community progress is shown. Nine classrooms, a music room, gymnasium, library, kitchen equipment for school and PTA affairs, office and a teachers room are listed among facilities offered. Donald Dorsing, principal, heads a staff of nine teachers.

Road improvement was a long and important issue in the area. For years, winter travel was only possible on horseback. The clay soil clung to wagon wheels and caused frequent breakdowns. "An extra set of double-trees was a necessity if one did any wagon travel in wet weather," Wayne Downing said. "They frequently broke as the wheels bogged down in the deep mud." "A pair of nippers was necessary too," Bryan Sanders added. "The mud often pulled the horse's shoes loose and they would have to be pulled the rest of the way off." Wayne and Albert Downing, Ayers and Sanders all remember the road problem first hand as their fathers each had a turn at being road supervisor. They also recall road improvements made via a $3 road tax and volunteer help-"two days of work single handed or one day with a team." This continued up until about 1903 and the poll tax was in effect until 1912.

Ayers - Road Supervisor

A. 0. Ayers was elected road supervisor about that time and started to remove stumps, open ditches and do some grading. Later, under W, W. Sanders, H. H. Hern, Jess McKinney and T. M, Downing-with the aid of a special road tax, and a rock crusher-much improvement was made on the road from Lacomb to Brewster. Albert Downing also had a hand in this process as supervisor in later years.

A search of oil and coal also featured in Lacomb business ventures. A tunnel some 180 feet long was dug on a part of the B. F. Raines timber claim several miles southeast of Lacomb. This was about a mile east of the forks of Beaver creek. A chunk of coal some 12 inches in diameter and 18 inches in length was taken to the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland in 1905.

Within the next year or two a well was drilled for coal some 350 yards east of the Baptist church on the C. E. Soule property. At about 425 feet it was tightly plugged with a piece of _ inch shake bolt. Attempts to lease the surrounding area for oil and gas, and start promotions for operation of a drilling machine were not successful until H. C. Pyle organized a group of land owners. With considerable financing by him, plus some local money, a well was drilled about one-half mile south of the Albert Downing home, They drilled about 800 feet and found some gas but no oil.

The first telephone line into Lacomb stopped at the J. C. Harden store in 1905 or 06. Later it was extended to the Banner sawmill operated by Pyle. This was known as Line 23. The Last Chance Telephone Company organized in 1907 had 20 subscribers. Later it was sold to the Lebanon company.

The first mail to Lacomb in the 1880's and 90's was picked up at Scio by whoever happened to be in town from Lacomb. The local post office was established by John 0. Boyd who made several trips each week to Lebanon on horseback for the mail. Riley Sylvester carried the mail on the Lacomb route for several years. Later a Model T was used by another carrier who was permitted to carry passengers. "The present post office was erected on the D. B. Deaken property with Mrs. Deaken in charge," said A. A. Ayers. Other postmasters were Mrs. Edna E. Cox, and a Mr. Bell, Mrs. Dorothy Halverson is the present postmaster.

The Lacomb Berry Growers Association, which is still to operation, was organized in 1928 with 64 members. The first strawberries however were sold to Baker, Kelley and McLaughlin, who had a packing plant in Lebanon as early as 1920. Later several Salem packers also bought Lacomb berries. "R. C. Bodle built a large plant in Lacomb," Ayers said. "From 2300 acres of berries, he packed 100 barrels every 24 hours during the peak of the season. The five Downing brothers had a total of 115 acres of strawberries at one time. They sold to the same packers-operating under the Downing brothers contract, but really running individual farms. The area is well known as a fine blackcap producing district. Red raspberries are also grown for processing.

Lacomb-meaning "tall timber" according to some area historians-is still probably best known for its logging operations and saw mills. This of course made timber and fire protection most important. During the first ten years of the 1900's, fire protection was carried on by John Marrs. Wayne Downing, A. A. Ayers and Bryan Sanders all recall fire warden experiences. Downing who started in 1961, was a fire warden for 30 years and head warden for ten years. Present headquarters for North and South Fire Districts are the Crabtree Guard Station near the site of the Hammond Lumber Co., and at Mill City. There are look-outs on Green Peter, Snow Peak and Monument Peak.

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