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ou L-niOiwnuictiu Walta Walla, Wash., Sunday, Aug. 27, 1767This Was Most Easterly BoundaryAS TOLD BY SOS OF PIOSEERS:Forest CabirThe Frenchtown Story:Community, Not a Town(The following article is prepared from a recent paper read by Ciern Bergevin before a meeting of the Walla Walla Valley Pioneer and Historical Society as well as from other recollections of this son of pioneers of the area.—-Editor)By CLEM BERGEVINFrenchtown” as I knew' itwas not a town but just a com-'munity These French were ex-;| employes of the Western FurlI Trading Co. and the McLoughbn,Fur Co They disbanded about1824. These French were all1through this part of the Northwest. They saw the possibility of the Walla Walia country with its furs, salmon, trout, wood.mild winters and plenty of pasture for livestock.When the mines opened up in Montana and Idaho, theseFrench went there in the summer and came back here to winter. The oldest inhabitant here at my place was Joe La-rouche who had a cabin where my cellar is today. This was 1824. The soldiers used this cabin as a hospital in 1855 during the Battle of WaUa Walla.FLOUR MILLSFEEDHAY GRAINThe EasyWayCOMPLETE HORSE PELLETSOUAUTY POUOHAOE —.P€»n WITH CLEAN ORAM, YTTAKTNS AND MINERALS ADDED TOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE, PALATABLE* DUCTfREE.Attend...S.E. WASHINGTON FAIR FRONTIER DAYSAug. 31-Sept. 1,2,3!Try Ceretana's HAPPY HORSE BLOCK!IT PAVS TO FEEDFEED MILLOPEN SATURDAY 'til 1 P.M.935 N. 9th JA 5-7950Other Dealers In Walla Walla...MOORE'S COLUMBIA FEED LONG'S GARDEN PET SUPPLYDayton: COLUMBIA COUNTY FARM BUREAU Waitsburg: SCOTT LUMBER COAL YARD Touchet: H. H. TAYLOR FEED STOREThis area grew from what was known as the Gravelle Place (now Last Chance Service Station), west to what is now Touchet and between Milton-Freewater and Dry Creek. This was the general area populatedby these people who had once been the aristocracy of France. At the time of the French Revo-ution they fled to England, were refused admittance, so sailed for America and landed in what is now Canada. From here, many enlisted in the service of the fur trading firms, with several coming to the Oregon Country. It was these French who were among the first settlers of the Northwest and they were ahead of Dr. andMrs, Marcus Whitman, and Rev. and Mrs. Henry Spaulding.Originally “Frenchtown” was known by the settlers there as Village de Canadiens.” Later, the community was to be renamed to honor the Frank Low-den family, early leaders here. First home in the area was es-talished by the Pellesier family about one quarter mile east of Whitman Station. Other early settlers (with dates of their arrival in the Northwest) were: Early SettlersGeorge Tellier, 1830; Narcisse Raymond, 1833; Louis Downie, 1845; William McBean, 1833; Oliver Brisboe, 1836; L. Rocque, 1823; J. M. Abadie, 1855; E. Beauchemier, 1837; J. Beauchamp, 1837; F. Chartier, 1856; M. McDoughfin, 1835; T. Mor-risette, 1849; A. Morrin, 1836; A. D. Parabrun, 1831; A. La Course, 1842, B. Remond, 1857 and Frank Lowdest, 1865.Some other early settlers here included:Marcel Gagnon, Jim Demase Bergevin, Jo! cock, Charles and James Driver, the Allards, Bushmans, Jerry St. Dennis, Jim Dobson, Andrew Lefevre, Remo Remillard, Madlgan Colins, Mrs. Levertoo, James Ladoceur, A. p. Woodward, and Fred and George Perry.Donation ClaimsSome of these early settlers took up Donation Land Claims. One was Louis Downie who 1Clem B«rg«yinIn the Northwest at St. Louis-on-tbe-Willamette, now St, Paul, Ore. He was a witness when the priest came to the country in 1840 to formalize the marriages of the Canadians and thenative women and to baptize the children, some of whom were 20 years old. Some of these men took up 40 and 80-acre plots along the Walla Walla River and its tributaries.The first Bergevins were Louis and Joe Bergevin. They were in California during the gold rush of 1840 and then moved up here is late 1850 with their pack train. They packed into Virginia City, Mont. and to Frenchtown, Mont. and would winter their pack train here. Louis lost bis pack train in the early 70’s in Lolo Pass after making a trip of mercy to IdahoBill HearingIs TuesdayLowden today (namod for tha Frank Lowden buildings remain, dominating features are the family) Is more than a little different than it elevators and seed processing plant at left, was at turn of century. While a few olderSome Changes Since Old FrenchtownCongresswoman Catheri May advised the Union-Bullel the forests subcommittee of t House Agriculture Committ will hold a bearing Aug. 29 consider summer home legif]tion which the introduced tcently.Representative May’s bi H.R. 11360, would change tlcurrent Forest Service polii under which summer home ow ers must either tear down move their cabins at their ov expense if their permits are nrenewed. Mrs. May’s proposTho Last Chance Service Station and Marcus Gravelle place, easternmost boundary of what Whitman Grange Hall are today on site of old was generally considered Frenchtown/'Old Cemetery's Crossv-v .* , sv*. {vX ^' i A ' V Y' .% Wtlt; 4 ^1*171late one winter. Heavy snows pinned him down and he lost his animals.Father Here In ’60My father, Demase, and uncle Clem came here in i860. They went to the Idaho mines that same year. They were born on the St. Lawrence Elver andj each was an expert boatman and among the world’s finest broad axemen. They worked for Dr. Baker, founder of theBaker-Boyer National Bank,who built the first railroad from Wallula to Walla Walla in 1872. They were the lead men in the drive of logs for this railroad down the Snake and Yakima Rivers to Wallula.My grandfather, Oliver Allard, came West in I860 and went first to the mines at Kellogg and Helena, Mont. from St. Paul, Minn., then settling near Frenchtown a year later. My uncle, Louis Allard, ia cele-lt;.V, *r*,,* tig*4brating his 90th birthday this year (1967). He was born ata claim of 640 acres. My grand-Frenchtown in 1877.After the massacre of the Whitmans here ia 1847, a company of French Volunteers was organized in the Willamette Valley as a part of the Oregon Volunteers of that time. This group came to the Walla Walla Valley at that time, many remained until harvest time hut then had to return to theii.,•/ 1 v'sSf ,%■-ffather, Oliver Allard, purchased 400 acres of this Downie claim. Then, Narcisse Raymond took up a donation claim and sold different parcels of this land to his sons-in-law.You will first find Raymondhomes to harvest their cropsMany returned, however, Walla Walla Valley andWe Have the Latest in Applkating Equipment AvailableCall Us★ NH3 SULPHUR ★ AQUA SULPHUR* AQUA★ LIQUID PHOSPHATE★ NH3★ SOIL TESTING SERVICEBRE36EENTOWSERVICEAG-SERVICEthere. M to theit was these who first settled Frenchtown, a prosperous settlement until the Batue of Walla Walla in 1855. the capture and accidental killing of Indian Chief Peopeomoxmox was a highlight of this action.School BuiltA school was built in 1870 where now stands the barn of the Charles Baker farm on Highway 410. A church buildingcame a couple of years later for the St Rose Mission which was here from 1850 to 1880. Skilled axemen of the settlers went to the Blue Mountain near at hand and cut timbers of stout pine and fir. When cut and hauled to the site, the community held “raising bees” and soon erected the first school house for the Second WaQa Walla County School District William McBean, chief trader or factor for Hudson’s Bay Co. at the mouth of the Walla WaUal River, was the first teacher. Among the first pupils were my mother as well as an aunt and some uncles.From minutes of the first school district meetings I would like to insert these notes at thistime:First meeting held April 18, 1870 at the home of Oliver Allard. R. Babcock was elected chairman and C. H Hanford.aecretary. Other directorselected were D. W Hensley. Oliver Allard and John Hanford was elected the first clerk.Lowden ElectedAt the June U meeting, Frank towdsn was elected to take the place of Babcock who had resigned. At the Nov. 4 meeting, James Driver was elected to fill the resignation of Hensley.To pay indebtedness of mo(probably for the school building) a levy of ISO mills on a dollar was voted on aD taxableproperty . . . ’The same to be collected forthwith after 10 days notice thereof.”Ralph Amin was the first teacher for the school term commencing March l and ending May 31. 1871. He was paid $190 for the term. Books usedwould authorize the ForeService either to compensa summer home owners for tl cost of moving their cabins, i to purchase the dwellings new sites cannot be found.“At the hearings,” said Mr (May, the Forest Service wi be asked to present its viev Jon this new approach to one i ■the problems faced by summlt; ;home owners. Our subcommi j tee will also continue consider; i tion of the heavy summer hoir : fee increases, and what shou] I be done to make sure that an such increases are fair an equitable.”“The extensive hearing which were held by the foresl subcommittee in the Pacifi Northwest and in Washingtoi D.C., served to bring these prol lems into focus and perspei ;tive,” the congresswoman sait “I am pleased that progress i being made, and I am hopefithat we can soon work out som solutions which will be satisfalt; tory to all concerned.”t-m-kUnion CountyField BurningRules PlannedMarble marker end eld wooden cross remain the pioneer settlers of Welle Welle County* es daily reminders to U.S. Highway 419 travel- Cross has since been righted and painted by art of St. Rom of Lima church cemetery and Clem Bergevin,St. Rose of Lima Church5 7This photo is said to be the only one taken of 1905. It was sold and moved a few years laterthe St. Rose of Lima Mission church at French- to Walla Walla where it was used by dietown. According to Clem Bergevin* his sister, Rypzimki family at a grocery store at 9th andAugustine Bergevin, snapped this picture about Chestnut for many years.LA GRANDE (Special)—Firofficials and a committee cUnion County seed growers dlt; veloped a plan for regulatin field burning in Union Count at a meeting in the State Foi estry Office, La Grande, Welt; nesday. Fire permits will onl be issued on days when th Weather Bureau forecasts cond tions that will disperse thsmoke.A temperature Inversion ei isted Wednesday that caused oi fieials to cancel all permits tha day. Temperature inversion prevent smoke from dissipatinj and it collects in the valley and other low elevation points Fields burned Tuesday wen covered by fire permits, i breakdown of communication between fire officials and th Weather Bureau resulted in th issuing permits when a tem perature inversion existed re suiting in low visibility whicl hampered fire detection agen cies.The 1967 legislature passed i law requiring fire permits foi all field burning. Fire permit! are issued by rural fire dis tricts. Farmers who live outside of a fire district must secure their permits from Chief Robert Wickam, La Grande Fire Dept The _ State Forestry Depart ; meat in La Grande receives i daily report from the Weathet Bureau of anticipated conditions by the following day. These will be relayed by State Forestei W. M. Curtis to Chief Robert Wickam, La Grande Fire Dept, j Wickam in turn will notify rural fire district offices.Field burning is essential in grass seed fields for disease, insect and weed control, re ports county agent Ernest Kirsch. Union County has a million dollar grass seed industry. Fire officials and seed growlers hope to protect the Indus-: try as well as air pollution.BUILDING NEW or REMODEL) NSAt Site of First CabinAt least 123 people are known to be buried in the cemetery. J Among early burials there were: Mrs. St. Dennis. Mrs. Dobson. Mrs. M. Gagnon, Allards. Mrs. Louis Bergevin and Narcisse Raymond.The church was moved to Walla WaUa in early 1900'j where it formed the basis of a j grocery store at 9tb and Chestnut/ ( V I f ROC HCkymf—D«rib1e - fcowomfcil• Kitchen Copitfcrt • Vanity flTable Tojw • Tub Endtnm• Shower Stalls • Wall Pmm• Stair Triads • Entry FWcrft—Free Estimates —-Warner SisiIt 9251 WaUa Wait Operate* Miboe-fniwafir Tel. 91MI2IClem Bergevin stands before the concrete reef cellar built by hit family on the site ef the 1924 Le Rocque cabin. The eld cabin, used by aelcBers es e hospital in the 1ISS Battle ef Walla Welle, wet fern dawn in tfSi by the Bergevin family to make way for farmstead ienprowemontt.were Webster’s and Thompson's Arithmetics, Wflsoo’s sad Ban-that, missionaries had visitedi Richard and was also dedicatedWILLARD STREET -PHONE 337-6621the area periodically, conduct- by him. He also blessed the iqg services ia various homes wooden cross and the small of the area for the nearly 200 cemetery which still remains ‘o~ and Montietb’t Geography. Catholics. My mother and fa- day on’ a low hill ne^r theChurch services were held in tber were married there. Baker farm and within \:ew ofders’ Readers, Ray's andU/AITCBilBrln9fflIM|, Arithmetic*, WAIIjDUKMClitt’s and Pineo’s Grammars009WITH COMPONENT HOMfSCOMPLETE LINE OF BUILDING MATERIALSAND MILLWORK0 fN 5 TWM“ JA 5-4000.MillWORK JA 5-4008Cv»’em C©bi Pr*f,-,tN?d PeonPrtf* n*h(d Ms khan G”*- c-No t Pseif Trtfwv* tVcH toft# I*PETTENSithe schooKKse until the church The church was built under , my own home. Marcel Gagnon^ — erected warty. Before the direction of Tr. Chartee jmade the cross.HARDWARE A LUMBER CO.
Newspaper Details
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla, Washington, US
Sun, Aug 27, 1967
Page 30
Full Page
Clipped by
Rogers M.
NA, 14 Jun 2022
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