Nickerson

Vernonia Eagle

Vol. 6, Number 45 Thursday, June 14, 1928

Being of interest to many Nehalem valley folk who lived here a number of years ago, the following article by Fred Lockley in the Oregon Journal of Monday is herewith reprinted:

"I owned the first automobile in Columbia county," said E. E. Nickerson of No. 344 Clay street, when I interviewed him recently.  "This automobile was made by the International Harvester company.  It had two cylinders, and high wheels like a buggy, with solid rubber tires.  It cost me $800.  My neighbors all thought I was crazy.  I used this on the roads of Columbia county for 14 years and then put a woodsaw on the back of it and it is still traveling around Columbia county and seems to be about as good as when I first bought it.  I could develop a speed on the level of over 12 miles an hour, and going down an ordinary hill it would go 15, and faster down a real steep one.  Dr. Cliff of St. Helens bought the second car brought into Columbia county.

"Naturally, in those days, there were no garages, so I did my own repairing.  I had to come to Portland to buy my gasoline.  I bought it in 50-gallon drums.  I used to make good money after automobiles were introduced by towing in cars that had run out of gas or whose drivers had run out of knowledge when their carst refused to go.   I sold the first gasoline sold in the Nehalem valley.  I started the first dairy association in the Nehalem valley, and I also started the rural telephone there.  A neighbor of mine, Mr. Malmsten, and I bought telephones and strung wire between our houses, so that we two had the first telephones in the valley.

"I was born in Michigan on June 17, 1864.  When I was 21 years old a farmer in Kansas hired me to come with a load of heavy draft horses to Cornelius.  I took a look around Cornelius, liked the Willamette valley and decided to stay.  I worked for J. C. Buchanan for a year and then went to the Nehalem valley.  I was married when I was 20 years old to Marinda Rollo, a Kansas girl.  I sent for her after staying in Oregon a short time.  We started the first hotel in Vernonia.  At that time there was a store, a blacksmith shop and a small sawmill there.  Shortly after we started the hotel, Bus Byron and Bill Braden started a newspaper called the Nehalem Journal.  I was city marshal for a short time and served as school director for 21 years.

"Our daughter Gladys married John E. Bennett about 15 years ago.  They have three children - two boys and a girl.  John and his two brothers came to Portland about eighteen years ago.  They started a little butcher shop on Second street.  Later he got a five-year lease on Fourth and Yamhill streets and after running the place for three years sold the remainder of the lease for more than he paid for it.  He is now in the wholesale meat business and has several retail stores.  He is a hustler if there ever was one.  He was elected to the lower house a few years ago and at the recent election was nominated for state senator on the republican ticket.

"Among the pioneer residents of the Vernonia district I remember best are Frank Baker, who was the first postmaster at Vernonia, and Bob McNutt, who was the next postmaster.  He now lives in Grants Pass.  Spence Rose and Joe Van Blaricum owned the townsite of Vernonia.  Tom Lavender was our first blacksmith.  Olaf Malmsten was the next one.  Among other old-timers were Mike Emmons, Dick Sessman, Alec Swords, Lad Lupin, John Adams, Frank Tracey, Dad Parker, John Pringle, W. D.  Case,  Tom Tucker, Riley Adams, Paddy Wilson, Judson Weed, Israel Spenser and Charlie Mellinger.  I worked for a timber cruiser for a while.  We cruised the timber from Vernonia to the mouth of the Nehalem river.  Following the river it took about 80 miles.  On upper Rock creek we struck sections that would go from 12 to 15 million feet to the quarter section

"Before the coming of the automobile, when most of Oregon's roads were bad, I used to haul apples from Vernonia to Portland.  It took me four days to make the trip.  Vernonia, like most other western communities, had its share of tragedy.  I served on the coroner's jury when an inquest was held over a man named McPherson.  Green Adams stepped out into the street and shot it out with McPherson.  He shot Mac through the heart.  Green Adams was tried, convicted and sent to the penitentiary and after a little while paroled.  Two farmers, Stoddard and Bachus, who lived on Rock creek, had a dispute over their boundary line.  I doubt if the ground in dispute was worth over a few dollars.  Stoddar ambushed Bachus and killed him.  Deputy Sheriff Charlie Mellinger and "Doc" Beakley followed Stoddard, and when he resisted arrest, killed him.``

First photo of Vernonia Oregon taken in 1887.   Building in distance is Tom Lavender blacksmith shop.  The tent was the first printing office.  The one at the right was McNutt's store.  The one at the extreme left was the first hotel which was kept by E.E. Nickerson after he arrived in Vernonia on November 19, 1889.  

Donated by descendants of Mr. Nickerson.

E.E. and Minnie Nickerson opened the first hotel in Vernonia around 1886, when there was a store, a blacksmith shop and a small sawmill.  Wooden bridge spans Rock Creek

Cable Car built by E. E. Nickerson in 1891

Minnie Nickerson Diary

Minnie's daily diary is in the Vernonia Pioneer Museum collection.  The following page notes that her husband, Everett finished the cable car, January 21, 1891