BULLFROG IN ST. HELENS – PART 1

Fifty years ago this week, with a population less than 6,000 people, the City of St. Helens experienced something the likes of which it had never seen before. It was reportedly the most excitement that residents had seen since the Columbus Day Storm of 1962, and according to the Sentinel Mist–Chronicle newspaper, “Some people called it the greatest thing that ever happened in St. Helens. Others called it the worst. Others said it was moral decadence at its peak, an absolute disavowal of law and order. ‘It’ was the arrival in St. Helens of the gentle people, the element of society referred to as the hippies, the flower children.” What were they doing in St. Helens, and what was Bullfrog?

The Bullfrog 1 rock music festival began on July 4, 1969, just outside of Oregon City at Bullfrog Lake (hence the name). The festival drew an estimated crowd of 20,000 over three days. When the concert promoters didn’t make as much money as they had hoped, largely due to the fact that attendees simply walked across the fields instead of paying at the gate, they planned on having another concert later in the month. Locals were not happy about this proposal and eventually Clackamas County declined the offer. The promoters then signed a contract for use of the Washington County Fairgrounds and made a deposit for an event to be held August 22nd and 23rd. Washington County later backed out and the concert was once again without a home.

Concert promoters Bruce Moquin and Richard “Dick” Walsh then set their sights on nearby Columbia County, especially since their new fairgrounds were surrounded with a fence topped with barbed wire. They entered into a contractual agreement with the Columbia County Fair Board, represented by the president of the board, on August 6th. The rock concert was to be held August 22nd and 23rd and the agreement included use of the entire grounds with the exception of two horse barns and the 4H dormitory. Bullfrog 2 was advertised as a 24-hour a day festival over two days featuring the Grateful Dead, Taj Mahal, Portland Zoo, Sabatic Goat, The Weeds, New Colony, and others. It was also promoting “petite mall lites, space balloons, rides and fireworks.” Admission would be $6 for advance ticket sales and $7 at the gate.

On Saturday, August 16th, Walsh received a hand delivered letter from Paul DeShazer, notifying him that the Columbia County Board of Commissioners had voted to cancel their contract with the concert sponsors. Little could be done since it was on the weekend, but on Monday Walsh and Moquin traveled to St. Helens to meet with the fair board and discuss matters of insurance, sanitation, concessions, and crowd size. They admitted, “There were some insurance problems at the that time, but it has been worked out now and all that remains is to sign the necessary papers.” They felt the reasons for voiding the contract were “afterthoughts,” and voiced their opinion that security, both in uniform and undercover, would be sufficient.

Hoping for the best, concert crews showed up at the fairgrounds on Tuesday to begin working on the stage and the installation of sound systems and portable toilets. Instead they were greeted by a sheriff’s deputy and were denied entrance to the grounds. A suit was filed late Tuesday afternoon and Bruce Moquin announced that he would appear in court on Wednesday to appeal the decision, stating “We have a written valid contract. You just don’t cancel contracts. The people will show up. If we have to hold it on the perimeter of the fairgrounds, we will do it. This isn’t a hippie festival. It’s for everyone just to get together and have fun. It’s about time Oregon woke up and realized this is what people dig. But all of the bands are hippie bands. There aren’t any real bands today that aren’t hippie bands.”

During the St. Helens City Council meeting on Tuesday night, the Council gave Police Chief Glenn Ray the authority to do whatever was necessary to maintain law and order in the city. The next morning, the interested parties met and attorneys for the producers contended that the court should enforce the contract. They agreed that perhaps the contract had been signed too hastily, but said “if justice is to be done,” the performance should be allowed. Columbia County District Attorney Lou Williams contended the contract wasn’t valid because it did not meet the statutory requirement for signatures. D.A. Williams stated the county commissioners had no authority to permit or not permit the use of the fairgrounds and that the decision was entirely up to the fair board. He cited a statue that requires any such agreement be signed by both the president and secretary of the board and then displayed the signed contract, showing that the secretary’s signature was missing. He also said there was no evidence to indicate that the board had agreed on the decision.

One major concern for the commissioners were the problems that originated at the first Bullfrog event, which reportedly included narcotics, public intercourse, parking on private property and severe traffic congestion. They anticipated the same problems at Bullfrog 2, in addition to a lack of sanitation facilities for the estimated 25% of concert-goers who would be camping overnight. They also feared local law enforcement would not be able to handle the estimated crowd of 6,000 people. Williams stated, “This entire situation has painted a grim picture to law enforcement and health personnel. We couldn’t handle that many people if it was a convention of Eagle Scouts.”

Late Wednesday morning, August 20th, Circuit Judge Glen Heiber made the decision that the concert would not take place, citing the inadequacy of overnight camping and sanitation facilities and traffic concerns. The new fairgrounds had never been used for a group that large and it was believed the festival would impose a hardship on the community. Lou Williams, appearing on behalf of the fair board, said the county would rather face a damage suit than allow the use of the fairgrounds. He stated, “The county must protect the rights and property of its residents.”

That decision was not the most popular among those who were planning on attending the concert, some of whom traveled as far Vancouver, B.C. and San Francisco. The hippies started trickling into town about 8:00 Wednesday evening to stage a peaceful demonstration to voice their disapproval of the cancellation. At first, they gathered on the courthouse steps and then the 100 or so who had assembled moved to the nearby grassy plaza. Before long local youth and some adults showed up to witness the scene, bringing the crowd to 250 or 300. The local police called in their reserves and began circulating around downtown at 9:00. Barricades were placed to block the plaza streets and traffic was routed out St. Helens Street. The police initially kept their distance but before long were talking with the visitors. When the courthouse clock rung out at 10:00, the crowd stood looking at the building and applauded. A short time later one of the unofficial leaders of the group who had been leading the singing, remarked about how cooperative and polite the police force was being. When he asked, “Don’t you think we owe them some thanks?” his remarks were met with a standing ovation.

Later that night the police requested that the group quiet down because there were elderly residents trying to sleep in a nearby hotel, and their demands were met immediately. Tents began popping up and sleeping bags were sprawled throughout the plaza. Those with extra blankets shared with their neighbors, and food such as soup was also shared among the group. Some went to sleep while others stayed up talking, singing and playing guitars. The atmosphere became charged a few times, and according to the news, when locals became involved in arguments, one of the hippies called him “brother” and reminded him that this was a peaceful demonstration. Several arrests were made but they were all local youth, and charges included minor in possession and being drunk on a public street. Later that evening the police again requested that the volume level be reduced and it was complied with.

Thursday when locals showed up downtown to go to work, they found many still asleep throughout the plaza. Richard Munday, a local barber, said he wouldn’t want business from any of them. He remarked, “I don’t cut that kind of hair. If somebody lets his hair grow for a couple months and comes to me, I send him somewhere else. And I feel better about it inside.” Pointing to the 100 or so hippies waking up on the nearby lawn he said, “I don’t know what kind of city ordinances they’re breaking, but there must be some.” Some of the sleeping bags had only one occupant, while others had two. After the group had awoken, one of their spokesmen announced that Bullfrog 2 would indeed take place in St. Helens as planned. Since the fairgrounds was deemed an unacceptable venue, he announced that the concert would take place in the plaza instead. It wasn’t long before music began to fill the air and some began dancing, while others just listened. As the morning went on, more and more locals began pouring into the downtown area to watch from the sidelines and see what all the fuss was about. By noon, traffic was backed up all the way to 6th St. on Columbia Blvd.

An emergency meeting of the county commissioners and District Attorney Lou Williams was called Thursday. An offer of the Scappoose Airport had been made but was withdrawn by the commissioners. Bob Wehe announced that a venue had been secured, and that the new concert, complete with top rock bands, would be known as Bullfrog 3. He offered his full cooperation, but Williams wasn’t convinced, saying “Your type of attraction draws both types, the Hell’s Angels and your type. When can you distinguish between them?” Wehe and companions Seth Booky and Billie Bye pointed to the peaceful demonstration taking place nearby and asked, “Have you seen what’s going on out there?” Williams contested, “At this point, all we know is that you have arranged for some private property and we don’t even know where it is.” Wehe reported that he had contracted to use the rural property of Melvina Pelletier for a flat fee and assured the group, “By Friday night, we will have met all the sanitation requirements, all of our amplifiers will be in, and I’ve already told you what our private police arrangements are.”

Outside, the hippies enjoyed the music being played from the rock groups, including Portland Zoo, while awaiting word about whether the concert would take place or not. The sounds rattled nearby windows but many merchants were delighted, claiming that the streets had never been so full and business had never been so good. One merchant however was not so excited, saying if he played music like that he’d be arrested. He also complained about the parking situation. Food donated from locals began showing up, including loaves of bread, apples, hot tea and soft drinks. Police officers even supplied the group with popcorn. When the garbage began to pile up, garbage cans were provided and the group placed all of their trash inside. Throughout the demonstration, attendees were reminded to pick up after themselves. Kathleen Lomato from Deer Island showed up in her station wagon and gave away four half-Collie puppies, concluding “This is better than the humane society.” All the while St. Helens Police Chief Glenn Ray and Sheriff Roy Wilburn kept a watchful eye on the events of the day. Deputy Ernie Thompson remarked, “We’ve got more of our own people circling the square for a look at the hippies than we’ve got hippies.”

At 9:00 that evening, Bobe Wehe made the announcement to the estimated crowd of 500 that a location had been secured for the concert and that it would begin on private property outside of town at 6:00 the next day. Described as “long haired and intense,” Wehe announced that Faucet International Productions had taken over the concert after Moquin and Walsh washed their hands of the situation. Walsh admitted, “This is no longer my festival. I was up until 3 a.m. this morning trying to figure out a way to go ahead. I even considered using a barge to haul people to the island. Nothing worked out.”

Things did work out for Jay Lackner, owner of the nearby St. Helens Café. He spent Thursday night over the stovetop cooking for the hippies and concluded that the group was “the greatest.” He said they were “first rate in every respect,” and admitted, “I may have been a little nervous when I first heard they were coming to St. Helens and a little nervous when they first started to flock in here. But there was no cause for worry – I have nothing but the greatest respect for them. There was absolutely no vulgarity. There wasn’t an off-color word the whole night – and that’s really something.” Jay’s mother, Rovina Tutt, helped out as a waitress that night and agreed, “These are just wonderful people. They were even courteous when they pointed out that I hadn’t charged them enough one time.” Also enjoying the crowd and additional business was Rose Morehouse, operator of the Do-Ra Café. Usual closing time was 7:30 PM but they stayed open an additional two hours to meet the needs of “the very mannerly group of people.” She concluded, “I think they’re great, and I think they certainly deserve a better place to meet than the courthouse lawn.”

Barricades went up again that evening to eliminate some of the congestion in the downtown area. By this time much of the local interest had died down. Only one unpleasant interaction took place and a young man was arrested. Law enforcement patrolling the highway seized narcotics and other drugs from person believed to have been heading to St. Helens from Portland. All of them were in small quantities, leading authorities to believe that the drugs were intended for personal use.

The next morning, the youth arrested the night before was sentenced to serve ten days in jail but the sentence was suspended. The police escorted him to the city limits and he wasn’t seen back in town. The local police were informed that the Oregon State Police would be arriving in St. Helens soon and they told the hippie spokesman the news and asked that in order to avoid trouble they prepare to leave. Since the police force had been so good to them, they happily obliged and began packing up. Before long, small cars and vans alike, crowded to the brim, were making their way into the hills outside of town. When there were 35 or 40 people left downtown, Officer Dick Dresler informed the crowd that the City of St. Helens charted a bus to transport them to the concert site. He told them, “You’ve got a place to go now, so how about taking a look at it?” When the last of the group was preparing to leave, the hastily constructed Bullfrog 2 flag that had been flying with the Stars and Stripes and the state flag was lowered and presented to Officers Dresler and Dave Novak.

The young men presenting the gift stated that their faith in law enforcement had been restored. “I’ve met a lot of cops,” one said. “Them I’ll call cops. The ones in your town deserve to be called policemen. They’re great.” Another said, “We thought about putting up a flag that says ‘St. Helens – We Love You’ but we’ve kind of run out of time. It’s a great little town. You’re lucky to live here.” Chief of Police Glenn Ray admitted, “They did everything they could to avoid trouble,” and with that they boarded the bus and were gone, but not before making sure the plaza looked the same or better than it had before they arrived. Young men and women alike swept the street gutters and picked up trash, including cigarette butts and even matches. The news reported that the grass in the plaza was trampled, but “cleaner than a church school picnic.” And just like that, the hippies left just as fast as they had appeared, but not without leaving a mark on the community that many remember to this day. The demonstration cost the City of St. Helens $390 - $360 for the additional law enforcement and $30 for the bus.

BULLFROG IN ST. HELENS – Part 2

Mrs. Pelletier’s farm, located in a little valley known as Happy Hollow, was located five miles from the highway in the hills past Yankton. The concert was to take place in a large meadow behind her home, and when asked what in the world she was thinking, she replied “I know how much some of these kids have worked to put this thing together. They have behaved real well in town, and I think they will take care of things on their own.” She felt the young people got a “raw deal” when they were left without a concert site, and said anyone that went through so much trouble to have a festival should be able to have it. “I think it’s fine, and I’ll be awfully glad when they get the music going.”

The first vanguard of rock enthusiasts split up into work parties and began filling potholes on access roads, painted warning signs, and began inflating a half-acre “plastic bubble” that would be used to display a light show. Hippies started trickling in at first, and soon were showing up by the hundreds. Some brought sleeping bags and others began building shelters of wood and brush found on the property. Some started setting up shop to sell beads, candles, medallions, blacklight posters and homemade clothing and bread. Police officers began showing up as well to patrol the roads, and District Attorney Lou Williams called in narcotics specialists to assist. All the while Mrs. Pelletier kept a watchful eye on horseback, stopping at one campsite to order two young men to fly their American flag right-side-up to which they complied.

By 5:00 that evening, traffic was backed up on Pittsburg Road for four miles, all the way to the city reservoir. Light music began playing around 6:00 and traffic continued to move slowly once the festival was underway. The Sheriff’s Department kept busy with 24-hour patrols, and the Oregon State Police had twenty men on duty patrolling the highway. Parking at the Pelletier farm was at a premium. Vehicles were parked in neighboring fields and driveways, lined both sides of Pittsburg Road, and were abandoned as far as four miles away as young people with sleeping bags hopped out of the back of pickup trucks and began the long walk. Those showing up didn’t bring much food or warm clothing, but no one appeared too worried about it. Portable toilets were being set up at one end of the large field that would serve the needs of the thousands who would be showing up.

Amplified rock music from Mixed Blood began ringing throughout the valley at 8:00 PM. People listened intently, some of them with children and babies, and many started to dance. Within an hour, 2,000 people had paid the $5 entrance fee and there were at least that many outside waiting to enter. Co-promoter Seth Booky estimated the crowd might reach 6,000, with the main influx expected on Saturday. Participants and others just driving by to take a look contributed to the major traffic congestion. Sheriff Roy Wilburn said his personnel were so busy with traffic-related issues that they never even made it onto the Pelletier farm, and even called in three men from Washington County to assist. Lou Williams made his way through the crowds with two narcotics specialists from Multnomah County. The female member of the team was recognized by some in the group and her life was reportedly threatened. A conscious effort was made to prevent any arrests during the event for fear of rioting. Sheriff Wilburn remarked, “I just don’t want to try it here.” Some law enforcement officials patrolled the perimeter on horseback.

Before long people were settling down for the night, some in tents and many under the stars. One young man from Seattle built a wigwam with woven ferns and sat down for a meal of boiled crawdads from the nearby creek. A young girl from Bridal Veil hitchhiked to the event and was enjoying herself. She washed her face with water from a hose before settling down in her tent made of ferns. A young man from Iowa, who said he lives wherever he is, danced quietly in the field. An agent for the Jasmine Security was pleased that so far there was no trouble, and most of their time had been spent directing traffic. He said “the biggest thing we’re watching for is outsiders looking for trouble.” The security guards kept the gate crashers to a minimum, and the surrounding woods filled with poison oak assisted in that effort. All the while, several hundred locals watched from the roadside above.

Saturday was the big day. Pittsburg Road was closed to assist with traffic control and to allow emergency vehicle access to the site. Anyone wishing to join the fun would need to walk about three miles. The Grateful Dead arrived to join the likes of Mixed Blood, Portland Zoo, Sabatic Goat, River, Sand, Notary Sojac, Searchin Soul, The Weeds, New Colony, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Chapter Five, The Trilogy, Bill Feldman, Donn Ross and Ron Bruce. The bands played throughout the day and into the evening. The Grateful Dead, who had performed just a week prior at Woodstock, performed “Mama Tried” and “Casey Jones” among other songs. After performing for 85 minutes, they closed with “And We Bid You Goodnight,” and remarked to the crowd, “See you all later. Thanks a lot, you’ve been really too much.”

All in attendance seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. For those that had never been to such an event, it was definitely an eye-opener, the likes of which the area had never seen before. Not only were many attendees sporting long hair, but some were not sporting their bras or tops, and many went barefoot during their time on the farm. Some recall this being the first time they had smelled marijuana and remember the fog of smoke that hovered over the event. Many locals were curious about what was going on in the farm, and others were downright disgusted. Many recall not only watching the line of cars make their way slowly into the country, but also hearing the many motorcycles that were in attendance. For those that took hours to get home from work it was a nightmare. The younger generation seemed to enjoy all the excitement, but their parents and grandparents not so much.

One who wasn’t enjoying himself was Lou Williams, who was again onsite with investigator Phil Jackson. They reported transactions of marijuana and various other drugs taking place in the open. Williams had arranged for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department’s scientific investigation van. It contained everything needed to analyze suspected drugs and narcotics which might be seized. One of his biggest concerns was the number of youngsters, from thirteen up, who were there observing the open use of drugs. He counted many who appeared to be in the 13-15 age range who were staying onsite and saw marijuana and LSD in use and he was even offered some.

Among those who was enjoying the show was 55-year-old Mrs. Pelletier, who remarked “I’m having a ball.” She didn’t claim to understand “their kind of long hair music,” but was “enjoying their good time.” The festival was scheduled to end Saturday night, but as one young man said, “If Sunday comes around and Sunday is your thing, you can probably hear a little music Sunday morning.” Mrs. Pelletier stated that the contract for use of her 35-acres ran up to Sunday midnight and she was sure “they’ll be going at least till then, and that’s fine with me.” According to her, “Everything’s okey-doke up to now, and if I don’t’ see anything more going on than I’ve already seen, then I’d have to say I’m mighty pleased with the conduct of those here.” Concert-goers and neighbors alike went to sleep, or didn’t, to the sound or rock music reverberating through the hills.

A light rain started to fall Sunday morning and by noon most of the crowd had packed up and left “Hippie Hollow” – the new nickname for the area. Unlike Bullfrog 2 in the Courthouse Plaza, which was a relatively peaceful and uneventful demonstration, Bullfrog 3 was reportedly characterized by “loud music, traffic problems, motorcycle clubs, lots of people, and the open use and sale of narcotics.” One neighbor said the hippies on the Plaza might have been okay, but there was “a different element in evidence at the festival on Saturday.” Overall, Mrs. Pelletier was pleased with the way things turned out and didn’t see any major problems. She enjoyed the festival but thought she would “talk to her neighbors” before hosting another one. Of the music she said, “I liked some of it… they had good rhythm. If I were younger, I might have jumped to that music. My old lady’s bones have limbered up a little bit – in my mind that is.”

Trash littered the roadside after they were gone and neighbor Mrs. Harrison said trespassers were a major problem. It started Friday afternoon and continued throughout the weekend as people wandered onto her property, some saying they were lost or looking for a place to sleep, and others who were obviously trying to get in without paying. Mrs. Harrison said, “We finally threatened to use a gun to get them off the property. It was a real nightmare for us.” She said the noise was almost unbearable at times and her husband got no sleep over the weekend. They spent Sunday fixing up fences and closing their gates in the hopes that no one would come back, but people were still showing up in their driveway as late as Sunday night.

About ten people were arrested on narcotics charges in the early morning hours on Sunday, with four or five of them being held in the county jail. Two people, a 27-year-old Portland man and a 17-year-old Portland woman, were being treated in the local hospital for adverse reactions to drugs. County Health Officer J.B. Steward said the young man had taken his first dose of LSD, and the girl had consumed wine, speed and LSD. He was also treating a young man who was beaten up by a motorcycle gang after taking some kind of drug. D.A. Williams stated that while meandering through the event he was offered both marijuana and LSD and stated, “Once you started in there to cope with the situation, you would have needed a small army. It was one of the worst situations we’ve been confronted with.” Mrs. Pelletier said she didn’t see any drugs, but admitted “I wouldn’t recognize a cigarette with marijuana in it if I tripped over it.” Her son supposedly smelled some marijuana but she added, “There wasn’t a lot of it.” When asked Monday about how such situations could be avoided in the future, Williams replied, “Go in there last Saturday and start arresting people.” He was seriously concerned about the attitude of local news outlets in reporting that there was “no problem” just because there were no riots or serious incidents involving drug use. He said, “If you call the open use of narcotics and drugs ‘no problem,’ then I guess there wasn’t a problem.”

By the time Monday morning rolled around there were still 142 rock and roll fans in St. Helens to answer charges stemming from arrests over the last five days. Judge Thomas O’Connell of the St. Helens Justice Court reported a “much larger than normal” docket but admitted not all of them were from out of town, “some of them were local people.” Nine charges of illegal possession of marijuana resulted from traffic stops, thirteen were charged with minor in possession of alcohol, four for drunken driving, two for reckless driving, two for being drunk on a public highway, three for being drunk in a public place, and nearly 100 minor traffic violations. According to officials, Bullfrog “accounted for one of the biggest weekends arrest-wise in the history of Columbia County.” Most of the arrests were made by the Oregon State Police who had twenty officers on duty, with their main focus being traffic control on Highway 30.

On Monday, a card arrived at City Hall after being mailed from Portland. It was addressed to the mayor and said simply, “Thank you, people of St. Helens. May you be blessed with peace and love.” Even though fifty years have passed, many still remember when the hippies came to town. Even though this sounds like an unforgettable experience, many of those same hippies now say that the event sounds familiar, but for one reason or another they can’t quite recall whether they were in St. Helens for Bullfrog 3 or not.

(This article was compiled by Brandon Sundeen from first-hand accounts and information published in the St. Helens Sentinel Mist-Chronicle, Longview Daily News and The Oregonian)

From the Vernonia Voice Facebook Page:

When the Circus Came to Town

Scott Laird

Forty-five years later locals remember when hippies, the Grateful Dead and the counterculture invaded Columbia County

August 15-18 2014 marked the 45th anniversary of one the watershed moments in American history when hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

One week later a much smaller version of Woodstock took place in Columbia County. This gathering has become an interesting bit of local Columbia County history and lore. Called Bullfrog III, it is remembered hazily by some who attended, with fondness by others, and remains unknown to others. Almost as interesting as the details of the concert itself is the story of the few days prior to the actual music and gathering.

Woodstock, with its star-studded line up of sixties rock stars, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, The Who, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, was the pinnacle of the 60s counter-culture movement. 1969 was the ‘Summer of Love’ and the hippie movement was in full swing. Use of drugs, sex and nudity and outlandish clothing was on open display by teenagers. The summer was marked by large rock music festivals all over the country and in England with massive numbers of young people gathering together to celebrate peace and music. Bullfrog I was held near Estacada in Clackamas County on July 4-6, that same summer.

A concert, called “Bullfrog II,” was scheduled for August 22 and 23 but ended up never happening. Instead, the event morphed into Bullfrog III and was held at an alternative location on the same weekend. According to original articles published in The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle newspaper in the week prior, Bullfrog II was booked by Walsh and Moquin Productions at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens and was scheduled to include national acts Taj Mahal and the Grateful Dead along with local performers “Portland Zoo,” “Sabatic Goat,” “The Weeds,” “New Colony,” and several others. The plan called for twenty-four hour a day entertainment for two days. Advertising for the concert also called for “petite mall lites, space balloons, rides and fireworks.” Tickets were $6 in advance, $7 at the gate.

On Wednesday morning August 20, just days before the event was scheduled and crews were showing up to prepare the event site, Circuit Judge Glen Heiber ruled that the facilities at the fairgrounds were not adequate for overnight camping and sanitation and adequate traffic control was not available.

Bruce Moquin and Steve Walsh had entered into a contract on August 6 with the Columbia County Fair Board, represented by their chairman Paul DeShazer, to hold a rock music concert. Columbia County District Attorney Lou L. Williams disputed the contract and on August 16, Walsh was told the contract was cancelled. When Walsh and Moquin sued for breach of contract on Tuesday, August 19th, Williams contended that a contract required the signature of both the president and secretary of the Fair Board, that only DeShazer had signed and that there was no evidence that any other Fair Board member was aware of the arrangements for the concert.

According to The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle, Williams noted problems with Bullfrog I, which Walsh and Moquin also promoted and cited concerns about, “…narcotics, intercourse in the open, and parking on private property, as well as a severe traffic congestion problem.” In regards to specific problems that might exist at the Columbia County Fairgrounds site, Williams and the Fair Board cited, “…sanitation, parking, and the lack of sufficient law enforcement personnel to cope with a large influx of people, estimated to be about 6,000.” Also noted was lack of juvenile detention facilities and no “chaperoning” arrangements for the festival. Williams indicated that he had no knowledge of the county ever entertaining a gathering of this magnitude.

Peg Tarbell, a resident of the Yankton area at the time as well as a current resident and local history buff, remembers the time well and graciously shared her memories of the event with Vernonia’s Voice.

“It was a well-organized and very squared away group,” recalls Tarbell about the promoters of the concert. “But when they [Columbia County officials] realized what it was, they kicked them out.”

On Wednesday evening, August 20, after the decision to cancel the festival was announced, ‘hippies’ began arriving in St. Helens, and set up camp on the steps of the courthouse and in Plaza Square, staging a peaceful demonstration to show their disapproval.

According to The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle, “The ‘hippie’ element numbered perhaps a hundred that evening. The local youth, and a few adults, who converged upon the scene brought the number to perhaps 250 or 300. St. Helens Police called in their reserves, and began circulating in the downtown area about 9 p.m. At first they stayed away from the crowd in the square, then as the evening wore on, they began walking among the group and talking to them.”

On Thursday, August 21, the gathering continued. A spokesman for the group said the Bullfrog II concert would be held right there in Plaza Square. “Portland Zoo” played on Thursday afternoon. According to The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle, “Some danced, others just sat back and listened.

Local people jammed the downtown area, stood on the sidelines and just ‘watched.’”

Some local merchants said business had never been so good. The hippies gathered any garbage they created and put it in receptacles that were provided. When police requested that the sound be reduced in the evening, the group complied.

Tarbell, who was fourteen at the time, says the locals were dumbfounded by the excesses they were witnessing. She and her mother walked downtown to go to the Library, which was on the square at the time, in the middle of the gathering, unaware that this event was taking place. In the span of one block they witnessed a girl walking topless and Tarbell herself was offered a drink from a bottle in a brown paper bag by a passing young man.

“Mother was appalled and never got over it,” explains Tarbell. “I thought she was going to have a stroke. This was the beginning of girls going around with no bras and half naked. Certainly for this farm community no one had ever seen anything like this. It was the first time we had ever seen a girl going without a bra or someone drinking beer out a brown paper bag or smelling pot smoke.”

Around 9:00 PM on Thursday evening Mrs. Melvina Pelletier of St. Helens offered her property in the Happy Hollow area of Yankton for the festival. Details of the newly created Bullfrog III were worked out on Friday. Original promoters Walsh and Moquin had already pulled out of the event, and Bob Wehe of Faucet International Promotions took over as promoter, agreeing to provide sanitation and security.

Tarbell remembers Mrs. Pelletier as “…a unique person.” Tarbell says Pelletier was probably in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of the festival. “One of my great regrets was never asking her why she agreed to take this on,” says Tarbell. She was a bit different. She ran her own farm and thought her own way and dressed her own way. I think she just wanted to rattle everyone’s cage. And quite frankly I think maybe she felt bad that this well organized group had been screwed over by Columbia County.”

The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle reported that as the youths left the Plaza Square to head to Yankton they said the police had been “cooperative, polite, and hadn’t tried to make trouble.” When they took down the Bullfrog II flag, which had been flying along with the American flag and the State of Oregon flag at the Courthouse, they presented it to St. Helens Police officers Dick Dressler and Dave Novak. “They told the officers that their faith in law enforcement officials had been restored in St. Helens. That the people had been nice, hadn’t tried to cause trouble, and moreover, the police were the finest people they’d met,” stated The Sentinel-Mist Chroniclereport. ‘We thought about putting up a flag that says ‘St. Helens — We Love You’ but we’ve kind of run out of time,’ said one of the youth. ‘It’s a great little town. You’re lucky to live here.’”

The City of St. Helens paid to charter a bus to transport the remaining thirty-five to forty hippies left in the square to the new concert site. Reports note that the gathering cost the City of St. Helens about $400, including $360 for extra police patrols and $30 to charter the bus.

On Friday evening the County again geared up to be invaded for a rock festival. Oregon State Police arrived and twenty officers patrolled the roads in the Yankton area and along Highway 30 throughout the weekend. District attorney Williams called in narcotics specialists.

The concert began on Friday night and ended Sunday morning in the newly dubbed “Hippie Hollow.” Reports indicate the festival was, “…characterized by loud music, monumental traffic problems, motorcycle clubs, large numbers of people, and the open use and sale of narcotics.” Vehicles were parked in local fields and lined local roads and were parked as far as four miles away. Columbia County Sheriff Roy Wilburn was reported as saying that his officers were too busy dealing with local traffic issues to ever enter the festival and make any arrests.

According to Tarbell, who lived about three miles down the road from the festival site, the Hells Angels motorcycle club were turned away at the City limits. She also remembers cars lined up bumper to bumper on her little country road trying to get to the concert site. She says she sat several times in her front yard and counted 300 cars an hour crawling by. “Almost everybody had to pass by our house to get there,” says Tarbell. “It was a nightmare.”

Tarbell says a lot of the traffic was locals driving by to get a look at the craziness. “It was a big deal around here because none of us had ever seen those things,” she explains. “Everybody was driving out from town to drive past to see if they could see a naked girl exposing her breasts. It was crazy. Little old ladies and their husbands were driving out here to see the horror that was going on in Yankton.”

Tarbell says security was tight and you had to buy a ticket to get into the festival, but she gained entrance by riding in on the back of a garbage truck. “For the most part locals weren’t allowed in,” says Tarbell. “A guy I know well and grew up with was in charge of the garbage service. I went in with him one time.”

Little is reported about the actual music and concert, although there are numerous locals who still live in the area who say they were in attendance. Many say their memories are hazy about the festival.

Tarbell says she remembers a lot about the weekend. “It was a blast…but the grown-ups hated it!,” remembers Tarbell. “The rest of us had a ball.”

The Grateful Dead, the headliners for the event, didn’t take the stage until very late Saturday night. Tarbell says twenty years later, she was backstage at a Grateful Dead concert in Eugene when the topic of the Bullfrog III festival came up. “I met several people that had come from all over the country to see the Grateful Dead in Columbia County.”

Tarbell was home and safe in bed when the Grateful Dead finally took the stage. “Me, I listened to them in my bedroom, live at 2:00 AM.”

Fortunately the Grateful Dead are well known for letting their fans freely record their concerts. Live recordings exist for almost all their shows beginning in 1965. For true Grateful Dead fans there are three different recordings of the 8-23-69 show at Pelletier Farm on the Grateful Dead archive website. The show features an extended version of Hard to Handle to open the two hour, single set performance. The set includes versions of ‘Casey Jones’, a bluesy ‘Easy Wind’, a typically spacey ‘Dark Star’ into rousing versions of ‘St. Stephen’, ‘The Eleven’ and an extended and rambling twenty-seven minute jamming version of ‘Turn on Your Lovelight’ to close the show, followed by an encore of ‘We Bid You Good Night.’

By Sunday mid-day, The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle reported most of the crowd had left the farm. Their follow up to the event mostly reported on drug use during the event. “Narcotics Prevalent at Rock Festival” was the headline to the last article, in which District Attorney Williams was quoted as saying , “…one of the aspects which concerned him most was the number of youngsters — from 13 years on up — who were at the festival, and thus were subjected to observing the use of narcotics…Williams said he saw marijuana, LSD, hashish and various other narcotics and drugs in use, and was even offered some of them.”

Tarbell remembers the festival being a seminal moment for small town St. Helens and rural Columbia County.

“This small town was so out of the loop,” says Tarbell. “This was big stuff to us. It really changed the whole dynamics of St. Helens for many years. It really shook us up, especially the older generation.”

Following is a running account of the Bullfrog Festival scheduled to take place in St. Helens, Oregon August 22 & 23 1969. Deadbase shows that the Dead played Bullfrog 3 on August 23^rd.

The Articles below are an interesting chronicle of events which will explain exactly what Bullfrog was, why it didn't happen and why Bullfrog 3 occurred instead. Although somewhat lengthy, it's interesting reading to get a perspective on what the fledgeling Dead scene was about to become. Thanks once again to Thayer Jennings for locating and scanning these articles.

Bullfrog 2 Festival St. Helens, Oregon

---------PRE-SHOW-------

'BULLFROG 2' ROCK FESTIVAL FUTURE UNCERTAIN, CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE CONSIDERS CASE

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Thursday, August 21, 1969)

Whether or not the giant voice of Bullfrog 2 will be heard in Columbia County this weekend remained a question at press time on Wednesday morning.

Circuit Judge Glen Heiber was still hearing arguments in a hearing on a suit in equity which Walsh and Moquin Productions brought against the Columbia County Fair Board.

The suit was filed late Tuesday afternoon by the Portland-based promoters of the three day rock music festival scheduled for this weekend. Bruce Moquin and Steve Walsh contend that they entered into a contractual agreement with the Columbia County Fair Board, represented by its chairman Paul DeShazer, on August 6 for the use of the Fair Grounds for August 22 and 23 for a rock music festival. The agreement, signed by DeShazer, calls for the use of the grounds, with the exception of two horse barns and the 4-H dormitory, for a fee of not less than $300 or 10 percent of the gate, should that sum be greater.

Attorneys for the producers contend that the court should enforce the contract, and provide "specific performance" -- in other words, require that the Fair Board open the grounds to them for the music festival. The contract, which Columbia County District Attorney Lou L. Williams contends is not valid because it does not meet statutory requirements for signatures, called for the grounds to be opened to the producers on August 16 for construction of necessary facilities, with the festival to be on August 22 and 23.

The agreement was signed on August 6, according to information presented in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday morning, and on August 16 Walsh received information in a letter from DeShazer that the agreement had been cancelled. Moquin and Walsh's attorney said since that was a Saturday there was little that could be done, but that on Monday they came to St. Helens to discuss the matter with the Fair Board. They returned Monday afternoon, the attorney indicated, and discussed matters of insurance, sanitation, concessions and the estimated crowd. "There were some insurance problems at that time," he said, "but it has been worked out now and all that remains is to sign the necessary papers." He contended that the contract is enforceable, and that the reasons for voiding it which the county presented were "after thoughts." He indicated that security would be adequate, in that Walsh and Moquin had arranged for the services of Jasmine Security Police on the grounds, both in uniform and plain clothes.

McCulloch said that perhaps the contract was signed "too hastily," but now that it is signed "if justice is to be done specific performance should be allowed." He indicated that in this particular case the court has the opportunity to step in before breach of contract is actually committed.

Williams indicated that the Board of Commissioners of the county has no authority to permit or not permit use of the Fair Grounds, that this is entirely up to the Fair Board. "They can express their opinions, however," Williams said, "just as the residents of the county can." He further stated that the Fair Board cannot lease, but rather give license to use the facilities which belong to all the people of Columbia County. Williams cited a statute which requires that agreements be signed by the president and the secretary of the fair board, then showed the agreement which Walsh and Moquin contend is a legal contract, and indicated that it was signed only by the chairman of the Fair Board. There was no signature of the secretary, he said, and no evidence that the board had concurred in the decision. Williams later indicated that to his knowledge only the chairman of the board had knowledge of the matter, not other Fair Board members.

In a discussion as to whether or not certain information should be introduced regarding Walsh and Moquin's previous production, Bullfrog One which was staged near Oregon City, Williams said he felt the court should realize certain problems which had existed there which might also exist here because of the type and magnitude of the event. He mentioned problems with narcotics, intercourse in the open, and parking on private property, as well as a severe traffic congestion problem. Judge Heiber asked what specific problems Williams and the Fair Board felt might exist here, and they cited sanitation, parking, and the lack of sufficient law enforcement personnel to cope with a large influx of people, estimated to be about 6,000. Williams said sanitary facilities on the grounds are not sufficient to handle the overnight campers expected. Some 25 percent of the crowd is expected to stay on the grounds. He said the Sheriff’s Department is not adequately staffed to handle the traffic problems.

Juvenile detention facilities, Williams said, were adequate for the county but not for any large number of additional people. There are no "chaperoning" arrangements for the festival, he said, and the security police are not actually police but rather a private agency. "This entire situation has painted a grim picture to law enforcement and health personnel," Williams said. He indicated that Columbia County is not a convention or vacation center, and to his knowledge the county has never experienced a gathering of this magnitude. He said the county is totally unprepared to handle such an influx of people. "We couldn't handle that many people if it was a convention of Eagle Scouts," Williams said.

The case was continuing at presstime.

Bullfrog 2 has been advertised in Portland media, and in the newspaper "Willamette Bridge" as a three day festival featuring such musical groups as the "Grateful Dead," the "Taj Mahal," "Portland Zoo," "Sabatic Goat," "The Weeds," "New Colony," and several others. Advertising also promotes "petite mall lites, space balloons, rides and fireworks." Admission is $6 for advance ticket sales and $7 at the gate. Persons leaving must pay admission again to enter, according to the publicity. Walsh and Moquin's attorney indicated that the festival was planned for a 24-hour a day schedule for two days.

Crews arrived Tuesday at the Fair Grounds, seeking to begin work on a stage, but were not allowed entrance. The suit was filed late Tuesday, and whether or not the festival would be held depended on the outcome of that court case.

*****

Bullfrog 2: BULLETIN! ROCK FESTIVAL STOPPED

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Thursday, August 21, 1969)

The rock music festival "Bullfrog 2" will not be held at the Columbia County fairgrounds this weekend, according to a decision made late Wednesday morning be Circuit Judge Glen Heiber. Judge Heiber ruled that facilities at the Columbia County fairground are not adequate for overnight camping, that sufficient sanitation facilities are lacking, and that adequate traffic direction is not available. He further stated that since the facility has never been used for a group of this anticipated size, holding the festival would impose a hardship on the community.

Columbia County District Attorney Lou Williams, who appeared on behalf of the fairboard, said the county would rather face a damage suit than allow the use of the fairgrounds for the festival. "The county must protect the rights and property of its residents," Williams said.

*****

------POST-SHOW------

Bullfrog 2: HIPPIES INVADE PLAZA, STAGE PSEUDO-FESTIVAL

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Sunday, August 24, 1969)

Some people called it the greatest thing that ever happened in St. Helens. Others called it the worst. Some said it was entertaining. Others said it was moral decadence at its peak, an absolute disavowal of all law and order. "It" was the arrival in St. Helens of the gentle people, the element of society referred to as the hippies, the flower children.

They came into town about eight o'clock Wednesday evening to stage a peaceful demonstration to show their disapproval of the cancellation of "Bullfrog 2," a rock music festival scheduled here over the weekend. First they gathered on the steps of the historic Columbia County Courthouse, then moved out onto the Plaza Square. The "hippie" element numbered perhaps a hundred that evening. The local youth, and a few adults, who converged upon the scene brought the number to perhaps 250 or 300.

St. Helens Police called in their reserves, and began circulating in the downtown area about 9 p.m. At first they stayed away from the crowd in the square, then as the evening wore on, they began walking among the group and talking to them. As the courthouse clock chimed 10 p.m., the group stood, turned toward the building, and applauded.

A short time later one of the unofficial leaders of the group, who had been leading singing, told his compatriots that the St. Helens Police were an extremely cooperative and polite group, and weren't trying to cause any trouble. "Don't you think we owe them some thanks?" he said. The reply was an immediate standing ovation.

When Police asked the group to quiet down late in the evening because there were elderly residents in a nearby hotel, the request was obeyed immediately. A tent was pitched, sleeping bags appeared, and some people settled down for the night. Some stayed up singing and playing guitars till the wee hours of the morning.

Although the atmosphere was charged with electricity at times during the evening, the demonstrators proved that they were there to be "peaceful." When local persons became involved in arguments, one of the "hippies" would call him "brother" and explain that this was a peaceful demonstration. When debris began to stack up, garbage cans were provided, and the "hippies" proceeded to place all the bottles, cans, cigarette butts, apple cores, and other rubbish in the containers provided. Food began appearing -- popcorn, soft drinks, apples -- all donated.

Thursday morning when people began going to work, they found sleeping bags in evidence throughout the square. Some were occupied by one person, others by two. Thursday morning a spokesman for the group said that "Bullfrog 2" was going to be staged in St. Helens, and since the Columbia County Fair Board, Commissioners and the Circuit Court had deemed that the fair grounds were not to be used, the Plaza Square Park would be used.

So the music began. Some danced, others just sat back and listened. Local people jammed the downtown area, stood on the sidelines and just "watched." At noon traffic was backed up to Sixth Street on Columbia Boulevard.

Wednesday evening, and again Thursday evening, St. Helens Police blocked the Plaza streets to eliminate traffic congestion, and began routing traffic out St. Helens Street. The "Portland Zoo," one of the rock groups scheduled to appear at the festival, played on Thursday afternoon. The sound of the music of the new generation reverberated throughout the downtown area.

Some of the merchants were delighted. Business had never been so good. The streets had never been so full. One complained. If he played music like that, he said, he'd be arrested. Parking, too, was a problem in his estimation.

Thursday afternoon and evening were filled with music and people observing. In the evening, after barricades eliminated traffic in the downtown area, some local enthusiasm died down. Only one incident marred the evening. One youth was arrested. Friday morning, in Municipal Court, he was sentenced to serve 10 days in jail but the sentence was suspended. St. Helens Police escorted him to the city limits, and he wasn't seen back in town.

On Wednesday evening several arrests were made, but all were local youth. Charges were minor in possession and drunk on a public street. Late in the evening the Police again requested that the sound be reduced, and the request was complied with again.

Some people went to sleep early, others sat about and talked. Food? What they had they shared. Some who had money bought soup and food for the group. Those with extra blankets shared with those who had none.

About 9 o'clock Thursday evening, Mrs. Melvina Pelletier of St. Helens offered her property in the Happy Hollow area of Yankton for a festival. The details were finally worked out Friday, and Bullfrog 3 was born.

Sometime Thursday, an offer of the Scappoose Airport facility was made as a possible site for the music festival, but that offer was withdrawn by Columbia County Commissioners.

The original promoters of Bullfrog 2, Bruce Moquin and Dick Walsh, said they washed their hands of the entire situation. Bob Wehe, of Faucet International Promotions, who lined up the talent and advanced payments for Bullfrog 2 bands, said he would work out something so a festival could be held. He agreed to provide portable sanitary facilities, security officers and whatever was needed to make the festival a success. Friday morning the St. Helens Police officers were told that Oregon State Police officers from throughout the area were coming to St. Helens. The Police informed one of the "hippie" element spokesman of the fact, and asked that in order to avoid trouble, the group prepared to leave the square. The request was complied with, again. The youths told police that since they (St. Helens Police) had been so cooperative, polite, and hadn't tried to make trouble, they would pack and leave. The youths began putting their gear together. They piled six and seven into small cars, middle-size cars, vans and the like, and headed for Yankton.

When there were still 35 or 40 of the young people left, St Helens officials chartered a bus to take the rest of them to the site of Bullfrog 3. When it came time to leave, the Bullfrog 2 flag which had been flying with the American Flag and the Oregon State flag came down. Some of the youths presented the flag to St. Helens Police officers Dick Dressler and Dave Novak. They told the officers that their faith in law enforcement officials had been restored in St. Helens. That the people had been nice, hadn't tried to cause trouble, and moreover, the police were the finest people they'd met.

"I've met a lot of cops," one of the youths told this reporter. "Them I'll call cops. The ones in your town deserve to be called Policemen. They're great." One of his compatriots echoed the statements, then said "We thought about putting up a flag that says 'St. Helens -- We Love You' but we've kind of run out of time. It's a great little town. You're lucky to live here." With that he boarded the bus, and was gone.

Before they left the gentle people made certain that the Plaza Square was in the same, or better, condition than when they arrived. Throughout the time they were "camping" they kept announcing to pick up the trash. Friday morning boys and girls alike were out sweeping up the gutters of the street, picking up trash, and filling trash cans. Before they left on the bus, several made certain that they picked up the cigarette butts and the matches, even those they hadn't dropped there.

So at noon on a bright Friday, Aug. 22, the sun was shining on St. Helens. The gentle people had spent perhaps 40 hours in town. The grass on the Plaza Square was trampled, but cleaner than after a church school picnic. Music had filled the area. The St. Helens people had come out and looked at a way of life different than their own. Some were slightly envious. Others were disgusted.

*****

BULLFROG 3 UNDERWAY

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Sunday, August 24, 1969)

Bullfrog 3 began Friday evening in Happy Hollow near St. Helens.

Rock music buffs began pouring in, and law enforcement officials were coming in by groups, as well. Oregon State Police officers from throughout the area were patrolling the roads in the Yankton area. Columbia County District Attorney Lou Williams called in narcotics specialists from other areas to assist after narcotic and dangerous drugs were seized earlier this week in the county.

The rock music festival, which was to attract up to 6,000 people from all parts of the west coast, actually began Friday evening. Court decisions prevented Bullfrog 2 from being staged at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. Instead, it was staged after a fashion, in the Plaza Square. Bullfrog 3, being represented by Faucet International Productions instead of Moquin and Walsh Productions who began with Bullfrog 1 and 2, was still underway when this newspaper went to press.

Further information and photographs will be in Thursday's paper.

*****

NARCOTICS SEIZED

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Sunday, August 24, 1969)

Law enforcement officials in Columbia County have seized quantities of narcotic and dangerous drugs, according to Columbia County District Attorney Lou L. Williams. The District Attorney said Thursday evening that drugs were seized from persons believed to have been headed toward St. Helens from Portland. He indicated that the cases would be presented when the Grand Jury meets sometime next month. With one exception, Williams said, the amounts of narcotics indicated that the drugs were intended for personal use only. One seizure of hashish was packaged in one-gram packets, William indicated. Names have been withheld pending the Grand Jury hearing.

He said that narcotic enforcement efforts would be stepped up immediately, and that specialists from outside the county would be assisting.

*****

HIPPIES COST CITY ABOUT $400

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Thursday, August 28, 1969)

Although the visit of the hippies to St. Helens will doubtless be worth thousands of words of conversation for years to come, the dollars and cents cost to the City of St. Helens has already been computed. St. Helens City Recorder Leo Mickelson said the cost of additional law enforcement personnel on Wednesday and Thursday, plus the cost of chartering a bus to haul the last stragglers to Yankton on Friday, amounted to about $400. Police protection accounted for $360, and the bus was $30.

During last Tuesday night's Council session, when the influx of hippies was expected for a rock music festival then scheduled for the Columbia County Fairgrounds, the Council gave Police Chief Glenn Ray the authority to do what was necessary to maintain law and order in the city.

*****

TRAFFIC JAMS AND LOUD MUSIC CHARACTERIZE BULLFROG 3 HERE

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], Thursday, August 28, 1969)

Bullfrog 3 sounded its last amplified croak Saturday night. midday on Sunday most of the estimated crowd of six to seven thousand persons had left Hippie Hollow, the new name applied to the Yankton area where the rock music festival was staged.

The complexion of the event was in marked contrast to Bullfrog 2, the pseudo-festival staged in the St. Helens Plaza Square. Where Bullfrog 2 was a peaceful demonstration, Bullfrog 3 was characterized by loud music, monumental traffic problems, motorcycle clubs, large numbers of people, and the open use and sale of narcotics.

Bullfrog 3 was, some people have theorized, only a sampling of what Bullfrog 2 might have been, had a Columbia County Circuit Court decision not prevented its staging at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. The rock music festival, which began at 6 p.m. Friday on the Happy Hollow farm of Mrs. Malvina Pelletier, was hurriedly put together by Bob Wehe of Faucet International Productions after Bullfrog 2 was ruled out by the court. Wehe, who had booked a number of the bands which were to perform at Bullfrog 2, accepted Mrs. Pelletier's offer of her property for the festival. Walsh and Moquin Productions, the Portland promoters who sponsored Bullfrog 1 in Clackamas County and planned Bullfrog 2 eliminated themselves from the management of the festival.

At 5 p.m. Friday, traffic was backed up on Pittsburgh-Vernonia Road from the site of the festival to the City Reservoir near town. Traffic began moving slowly once the festival was underway but the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department kept nearly 24 hours a day patrols on duty on the county roads. Oregon State Police had 20 men on duty around the clock patrolling Highway 30.

Friday night parking was at a premium. Vehicles lined both sides of the road, filled fields and were parked as much as four miles from the festival site. Young people, armed with bedrolls and sleeping bags, filled the roads heading to Bullfrog 3. Columbia County District Attorney Lou L. Williams called narcotics personnel from outside the county to offer assistance and guidance, should county officials here wish to make arrests.

Columbia County Sheriff Roy Wilburn said his personnel were so occupied with traffic problems that they were not able to go onto the Pelletier property to make any arrests. Wilburn indicated that with his limited manpower, he had to call in three men from Washington County to assist with traffic alone. The Sheriff indicated that all his men were on duty in the Yankton area at one time or another during the festival, with the exception of one who is on vacation. The Sheriff said he did not want to chance making arrests where the festival was in progress, even though he could have had extra personnel from other counties.

Wilburn said he did not know how many additional men he could have had, but would not have wanted to try arrests with any number. He indicated that the possibilities of a riot starting in such a situation are great, and "I just don't want to try it here." He further states that arrests have not been made inside the grounds of such festivals to his knowledge.

Oregon State Police Sgt. Harold Kreger said the additional men which were called into the St. Helens area for the weekend came from surrounding State Police offices. Their efforts were limited to traffic control on Highway 30, Kreger said. Some 108 tickets were issued over the weekend, and ranged from possession of narcotics to defective equipment on vehicles and motorcycles, driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor, and routine traffic violations.

Wilburn said that his worst problems were from about dark until after midnight on Saturday. Traffic in volumes like the Yankton area has never seen crowded the back county roads. Festival participants and persons "just driving by" contributed to the monumental problems. "We learned a lot on Friday night," Wilburn said, "but we still had our hands full just keeping the road open."

Bands played throughout Saturday afternoon and evening. District Attorney Williams said that the use of narcotic and dangerous drugs was common on Saturday, but that without adequate numbers of law enforcement personnel it was impossible to cope with the problem. Williams and his investigator Phil Jackson, and Columbia County Sanitarian Robert Jackman were the only county officials who were inside the festival grounds during the weekend.

By Sunday morning, when a light rain started falling, most of the participants had packed up and left Yankton. Residents of the area complained of the voluminous amounts of trash left along the roadside. Mrs. H.W. Harrison, a neighbor of Mrs. Pelletier's said that trespassers on her property proved to be a problem. She said difficulties began at noon Friday when people began leaving St. Helens, and continued throughout the weekend. She said people wandered about on her property throughout the weekend, some saying they were lost, others saying they wanted a place to get into the festival at no cost, some asking for a place to sleep. "We finally threatened to use a gun to get them off the property," she said.

"It was a real nightmare for us," Mrs. Harrison commented. She asked the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department to come out to help, but said that the department couldn't put in enough men to protect them. She said that the noise was almost unbearable all the time, and that she and her husband got virtually no sleep during the weekend. Mrs. Harrison said on Sunday that she and her husband fixed up fences, closed the gates, and hoped that no one would come back again. Even as late as Sunday night, Mrs. Harrison said, there were people in her driveway.

Another resident of the area called the newspaper office to say basically the same thing. He indicated that although the hippies who were in the Plaza Square on Wednesday night, Thursday and part of Friday might have been alright, there was a different element in evidence at the festival on Saturday.

*****

District Attorney Says: NARCOTICS PREVALENT AT ROCK FESTIVAL

(from The Sentinel-Mist Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], August 21, 1969)

"If you call the open use of narcotics and drugs 'no problem,' then I guess there was no problem." The speaker is Lou L. Williams, Columbia County District Attorney. The subject is Bullfrog 3, a rock music festival staged on Friday and Saturday at a Yankton farm. The reaction is in reference to articles presented by the metropolitan area news media that there was "no problem" at Bullfrog 3.

District Attorney Williams, his investigator, and the county sanitarian were the only officials who went onto Mrs. Malvina Pelletier's property in Yankton where the festival was held. On Friday night Williams was accompanied by two persons from Multnomah County who are specialists in narcotics work. The female member of the team was recognized by some of the persons attending the festival, Williams said, and her life was threatened.

On Saturday, Williams and his investigator, Phil Jackson, were at Bullfrog 3 again, but only as observers. No arrests were made inside the boundaries of the farm, Williams said, because law enforcement officials in Columbia County either did not wish to or did not feel they were adequately prepared or staffed to make arrests. Transactions of marijuana and various other drugs were taking place in the open, the District Attorney said. "That doesn't mean 'no problem' to me," he said.

The only effort made toward curtailing the narcotics traffic was by Oregon State Police who charged nine persons with having marijuana in their possession. Those arrests, made during routine traffic violation stops, were all on Highway 30, since State Police did not work in the Yankton area. County roads were patrolled by Columbia County Sheriff’s Department Deputies, and three men were borrowed from Washington County to work traffic. They made no narcotics arrests.

Williams arranged for several specialists in the narcotics field to be present in Columbia County over the weekend of the festival. These arrangements were made after quantities of narcotics were seized Wednesday evening by some city law enforcement officials at Scappoose. The narcotics specialists were willing to work with law enforcement officials, had their services been desired. In addition to the manpower, Williams arranged for the Washington County Sheriff's Department mobile scientific investigation van. The van contains all the necessities for analysis of suspected drugs and narcotics which might be seized during arrests for traffic violations.

Williams said one of the aspects which concerned him most was the number of youngsters -- from 13 years on up -- who were at the festival, and thus were subjected to observing the use of narcotics. The District Attorney said he counted numbers of groups of young people in the 13 to 15 age bracket entering the grounds, preparing to stay for the duration of the festival. Williams said he saw marijuana, LSD, hashish and various other narcotics and drugs in use, and was even offered some of them.

Asked on Monday how such situations as the narcotics problem at Bullfrog 3 could be avoided in the future, Williams replied: "Go in there last Saturday and start arresting people."

If Columbia County, and other counties which have similar situations, become known as an area where such conduct is not condoned -- or let exist because of understaffing -- then the same type situations are likely not to arise there again. Williams said he was seriously concerned at the attitude of the metropolitan news media in saying there was "no problem," simply because there were no riots or serious incidents involving persons who had used narcotics during the festival. Williams and Jackson said they had observed several transactions involving narcotics during the music festival, and that the largest amount of such dealings were on Saturday.