Saturday, February 20, 2010

History of Deadman Creek

Gale had a Dr.'s appointment today to see what's wrong with his shoulder. It has given him the fits since he fell skiing several weeks ago. While in town, he picked up a book called Kettle River Country in hopes that I can find more information about Deadman Creek. There was an old stage route through here and a school house. What I needed to know was dates. Also, need history of Boyds and the bridges or ferry's crossing the Columbia. My story, Cat in the Window will have a little history in it if I can find what I need.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Candy!
    Maybe a LITTLE help on the school house. When we lived on the ranch way back in the early 50's, the school was pretty much the social center for the area. My mom and dad, Mary and "Pappy" Price would often play for dances at the old school. Mom would play guitar and my dad played banjo, and I think a guy by the name of Flett played fiddle. The desks would be moved to the side and chairs would be lined along the walls to clear the floor. They would put down a mixture of soap flakes and sawdust to make the floor slick and the place would be ready for dancing. Us kids loved to run and slide across the floor, because they would of course always bring us to the dances.... no babysitters were available because no way would they miss the dancees. So we would play and the grown ups would dance, and the guys would slip out for a nip or two.
    The teacher lived in that tiny log cabin that's still on the school property and is now used by hunters.
    Kids going to school there would walk or ride horses to school, and I think there were never more than a dozen kids in the school at a time.
    Other events at the school that I remember were box or pie socials where goodies were boxed up and auctioned off, I suppose to raise money to pay the teacher.
    The school was a white single story wood structure with a porch and several steps leading up to the door where the teacher stood to watch over the kids at recess. Not much in the way of a playground, I don't even recall there was a yard, just a clearing in the trees but always something to do outside.
    My sister and I never got to go to the school as students, although we were both looking forward to going there. Mom worried about Sandy walking the two miles to school alone (she's a year older than me) because there were plenty of cougars around in those days. But my dad's health deteriorated and we ended up selling the ranch and moving to Northport and he died two years later. VERY fond memories abound about that little school house and i'll bet if you scout around you'll find a fair number of folks who were students there. Louie Delp for one, and some of the Snyders.
    Characters from the crick that I recall were Blackie Snyder, Curley Graves, Pappy Price, Lance Rhodes (my half brother), Buck Cates, Johnny Moore, the Andersons, Flets, Carsons and more that I forget.
    That help at all???
    Hope all's well and your books are progressing

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  2. Oh, and I'll bet you can find out more from my relatives who spent lots of time up on the ranch. Doris Cumbo (husband Bob) in Colville and Bev Daily (husband Vic) in Orient both have good memories of the place. They're my nieces who, believe it or not, are older than me, and I'd bet they would be happy to chat with you about the old Deadman Crick days.

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