Dutch Canyon History

In 1976 Pearl Becker wrote about Dutch Canyon in her column for the St. Helens Chronicle. Following WW I, John and Pearl Ross Becker purchased a farm in Dutch Canyon from a relative, Mrs. Davey. "At that time, there was timber close to the house. Lumber was being hauled from the Watts & Price mill several miles farther on up the hill. Some loads were carried by wagons pulled by horses, but most of the lumber was carried by truck. The road was planked most of the way, and the planks shifted downhill continually, keeping several men busy putting them back or putting in new ones. Rudoph Tetz had two wagons hauling, and Fred Rabinsky hauled by truck. Another truck hauler was an Italian called Atterbury Joe, because he had an Atterbury truck. One day a cousin of Joe's came to our place hunting for him. This young man had just arrived from the old country and couldn't talk English. I had quite a time telling him directions, but, after giving him a lunch, I sent him on his way to the mill. He surely was surprised when I went to the well, and he saw me pull up a bucket of water to make him coffee.

Roy and Minnie VanCleave lived in the house we had bought, so they were the first neighbors we became acquainted with. By inquiry at the courthouse, I have learned that the VanCleave family settled in this area in 1869 when they bought part of the Poppleton Donation Land Claim. They acquired more land in 1873. Minnie is a daughter of the Gutave Lange family who came here in 1890, according to county records. Others coming at about the same time or a little later are Tetz 1891; Kammeier and Tom Grant, the same year, George Grant came in 1876, the Adams family in 1881, and Jacob Skuzie in 1889. The last two settled on what is known as the Mountain View road. The Skuzie place was later owned by the Rickert family, who lived there when we moved to the community. The Rabinsky family came in 1895 and took land farther back on the mountain. The land still belongs to the family, Henry and his sister Frieda Duffy, are still living there. All have interesting stories of their pioneering. No doubt Dutch Canyon was so named because most of the settlers were German.*"

"During the 25 years we lived in the Dutch Canyon area, we witnessed the cutting of most of the timber on the surrounding hills, with my husband working in the woods most of the time and farming on the side, as did most of the other men."

*The term "Dutch" is a misnomer, as it refers to the German word "Deutsch," meaning "German."

In 1996, Marcella Anderson remembered Dutch Canyon:

I remember many years ago, the oil well tower up by our place where they were drilling for oil. It looked so big and exciting. What I can't remember (but my mother told me) is that her younger sister, my Aunt Stella, who was cook for the crew, couldn't make biscuits so she would come get me to do the job - I was 7!!

In later years, my grandma and I used to go down there and put our feet in the hot salt water that came out of the ground where the hole was drilled. She said it was good for our feet!

What I can remember is what a long walk it was to the Dutch Canyon School and how much fun it was except for some dogs and geese chasing us, what great times we had on Saturday nights when we all gathered at the Wolf Creek Hall for eating, dancing and of course, a bit of hard drinking!

I remember the baseball games we played in Tetz's field followed by a jump into one of the best swimming holes in the creek. Back then, we had lots of water in the creek and that meant lots of fish. My cousin, Tom Kirkland, could sure catch 'em too! Now, when my doctor tells me to lie down, close my eyes and think of something relaxing, I always imagine going up the creek and sitting under a great big, old, mossy maple tree and listening to the birds singing and creek merrily running by. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THERE WAY BACK THEN.

1919! Bad Investment. Oil well tower which struck only hot salt water (at 88 feet). Was located near Anderson farm up Dutch Canyon

Dutch Canyon Band

Henry Lange, Roy Van Cleave, Fred Lange, Fred Rabinsky.

Charles van Cleave. "Ma van Cleave. "Ma van Cleave's mother, Baby Fern van Cleave. Van Cleave's homesteaded on Dutch Canyon. Property presently owned by Dave & Debbie Miller. Source: Bunty Rabinsky Hamilton & Marge Rabinsky Martin

Sitting: Margaret Jane "Jen" Walker Rabinsky. Taught at Dutch Canyon School before marrying Fred Rabinsky/ Standing: Marie Paisley van Cleave (Charlie's wife). Source: Bunty Rabinsky Hamilton & Marge Rabinsky Martin

Dutch Canyon, Raymond Creek area. Rudolph Tetz driving. Henry Lange beside him. Fred Lange in back seat (light complected one)

Putting up hay at the Tetz homestead on Dutch Canyon. Rudolph Tetz on top of the load, and Wilhelm Tetz standing on the right. Source: Vi & Otto Tetz (Rudolph Tetz's son)

Gustav & Ottilleo Lange's homestead in Dutch Canyon, Scappoose. 5 oldest children. About 1893

School History

Dutch Canyon School was built in c.1912 (Hamilton 2002; Watts 1984, 67). An earlier one-room school, built in c.1885, was located approximately 500' north of the 1912 school; local residents remember playing in the old schoolhouse (Hamilton 2002). Dutch or Deutsche Canyon was given its name because most of the settlers were German (Becker 1962, 28; Hamilton 2002). Many of the families farmed and worked in the lumber mills; the Watts & Price mill was several miles up the canyon (Becker 1962, 27).

Dutch Canyon School added students when South Scappoose, the community one mile south of Scappoose, grew after 1905. South Scappoose expanded after the J. J. Havlik family, the first Catholics in the community, settled there. Local resident Jennie Shatto wrote: Mrs. Barbara Havlik determined to write to papers in the Midwest and try to get some more people of her faith to come to this community in the hopes that eventually if enough came, they would be able to build a church here. She wrote to papers in Chicago and also to some European papers and magazines, telling them of this wonderful country and of the South Scappoose community. Her writings brought results. In 1906 people started coming (Shatto 1962, 33).

South Scappoose Grange No. 844 organized on January 30, 1936, at the Artisans' lodge hall known as Wolf Creek Hall in Dutch Canyon. The Grange purchased Dutch Canyon School when it became available after a 1949 school district consolidation (Becker 1965,12). Local historian and Dutch Canyon resident Pearl Becker wrote: "We have seen the small country schools consolidate to meet changing conditions, and realize it is necessary to fill the requirements of the times" (Becker1962, 29). After painting and cleaning Dutch Canyon School, South Scappoose Grangers held their first meeting on April 16, 1949; other community groups also used the building (Becker 1965,12). Beginning in c. 1960, vandalism plagued the building. Grangers put shutters on the windows, new locks on the doors, and added a gate. The 1962 Columbus Day storm tore off the building's shutters and broke five windows. The building continued to serve as the South Scappoose Grange Hall until 1989. (Hamilton 2002)

Most photos of the school and school children are from the Jepson Shatto/Weiman CCMA Collection, others from Scappoose Historical Society collection.

Spotlight 1991 Dutch Canyon.pdf

Weiman Album 1003.pdf

Fire

Sentinel-Mist August 8, 1939

FLAMES DESTROY VALUABLE TIMBER

Pisgah Home Occupants Flee When Fire Comes Close To Buildings

A roaring forest fire which started at the Clifford Kittleson Logging Company property last Saturday was late yesterday unchecked after destroying more than 2000 acres of timber in the vicinity of Dutch Canyon and Pisgah Mountain Home. The flames had crept up the mountain slope within 800 feet of the Pisgah home, which has more than 60 elderly inmates.

Mrs. Ray F. Pushon, matron of the home, and two other women employed there, left the house late yesterday afternoon upon advice of George McKay, assistant fire marshall. Several of the elderly men, who have reached a feeble state, were also taken to temporary homes in Portland until the fire hazard is over.

More than 150 loggers from the Clark-Wilson Lumber Co. were rushed to the scene of the devastating conflagration at noon yesterday to assist the 100 CCC men from Saddle Mountain on the fire fighting line. C.O. Marston, civil engineer for Clark-Wilson company reports the fire has already destroyed more than 1,000 acres of virgin timber. The other 1,000 acres was cut-over land. The fire was believed to have been started by a carelessly tossed cigarette in Dutch Canyon.

The fighters had the blaze under check Sunday afternoon, but a 30-mile wind flamed it into a roaring inferno and the flames jumped the canyon into the virgin timber.

The timber destroyed is on the Gerber-Bunker Lumber Company holdings, says Frank Bergstrom, owner. The company lost a gasoline loader, a 180-Diesel yarder and 1,500,000 feet of bucked timber.

For a time yesterday, the 30-mile wind caused the fire to spread at the rate of 100 acres every 10 minutes. Unless it is checked soon, the flames will eat their way into Washington county toward North Plains.

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Sentinel-Mist, August 11, 1939

RAGING FOREST BLAZE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL

14,000 Acres Blackened Ruins With Loss Set At Thousands

1500 MEN FIGHTING

Lumber Concerns Suffer Heaviest Losses

More than 14,000 acres of timberland in Columbia and Washington counties are charred ruins, many logging concerns face staggering losses, and ranchers were forced to flee or keep constant vigil in their homes during the most disastrous forest fire to occur in this section of Oregon. The conflagration, which started last Saturday in Dutch Canyon, was today being carefully guarded by 1,500 fighters engaged in constructing fire trails.

Fire camps to provide food and sleeping accommodations for the fighters were established Wednesday evening and Pisgah Mountain Home and J. W. Dixon's sawmill near North Plains in Washington county. Of the 1,500 men engaged in fighting under the northwest Oregon forest protective association, 800 men are stationed in the vicinity of Dutch Canyon.

The fire today was well under control, and forest officials were hopeful that it will be completely checked during the coming weekend. About one-half of the estimated 14,000 acres were ravaged by fires Tuesday afternoon, when the humidity dropped to 9 per cent and the section was fanned by an extreme east wind.

While many farmers and woodcutters lost their homes and equipment, the most serious blow is to the lumber interests operating in the district. Concerns affected are those of Arthur and Clifford Kittleson, Gerber-Bunker Timber Co., Fred Rabinsky, John LaMarr, J. W. Dixon mill, Central Fuel Co. The Schmand equipment burned Wednesday, and the Burt Lampa holdings were threatened by fire.

Constant patrolling, with the Hillsboro fire department tank truck and a forest patrol pumper participating, found the Dixon mill and surrounding building intact. The fire was being held a bay a few rods away.

Six members of the J. H. Miller family were trapped for several days in a 200-yard space on Pumpkin Ridge road. The four men and two women by constant fighting saved their cabin, shingle mill, barn and two horses. Charles Griffiel lost two barns, a car and hay crop in the barn. His blacksmith shop, several other outbuildings and another car were saved. Giffiel lives in Dutch canyon.

A car belonging to a Clark and Wilson employee was burned while he was in the fire zone. Dixon lost a camp on South creek and considerable bucked timber. The mill was saved by back firing.

The only inmates of Pisgah Mountain Home to leave were the matron, two women employees and an elderly invalid The other 45 inmates remained in the home to assist in protecting the property. On Tuesday evening the fire crept within a few hundred feet of the central buildings, and the 100 men started backfiring along the blazing front.

Hundreds of Columbia county residents motored to Pisgah home for a night view of the raging conflagration, which is believed to have been started last Saturday by a carelessly tossed lighted cigarette.

Considerable mechanical equipment owned by logging interests and household goods of ranchers were saved by burying them.

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Sentinel-Mist December 10, 1943

HEARING SET ON SUIT OVER CANYON FIRE

Realty Company, Logging Outfits To Argue Decision

Legal action in the case of the State of Oregon vs. Ruth Realty Co., and a pair of logging companies will be resumed next Thursday in Circuit Judge Howard K. Zimmerman's court. At that time arguments will be heard on "matters of the settlement and entry of findings of fact, conclusions of law and judgements . . . and consideration of any counter findings of fact, conclusions of law and judgments . . and objections thereto."

A circuit court jury, sitting on the case last July, in a directed verdict found for Clifford Kittleson, one of four defendants named by the state, and against the realty company and its co-defendants, West Coast Logging Co. and the Dutch Canyon Logging Co. The court ordered the defendants to pay damages totalling $37, 817.10 as a result.

The action initiated by the state arose as the result of a fire which broke out Aug. 5, 1939 in lands owned in Dutch Canyon by the realty company and logged by the other defendants. According to the complaint filed in the matter the defendants failed to make any effort to put out the fire and the state was forced to control the blaze. Cost of the job was $41,971.63, according to the state's complaint.

In its complaint the state also alleged that the loggers created fire hazards by failing to clean up slashings and by failure to fell large snags.

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