Ontario 125

OUR HISTORY• Keith purchased the Ontario, Oregon Ford dealership in 1958 andformed Gentry Ford Sales, Inc. He subsequently sold his share in theWeiser dealership. • The current dealership on SW 4th Avenue in Ontario wasbuilt in 1968. It was extensively remodeled in 1995. • The Subaru franchise was added in 1982 and in 1992Gentry purchased the Payette, Idaho Ford dealershipand subsequently consolidated the Payette operationinto the Ontario store. • In 2002, Gentry purchased the assets of PhillipsLong Ford in Baker City, Oregon and operates GentryFord Sales, Inc. in Baker City as a satellite of the mainstore in Ontario. • In 2006, Gentry Auto Group purchased, PowderRiver Motors, Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Baker City.

OUR MISSION:Our mission and philosophy embraces both customer satisfaction and prof-itability; profits and returns are a measure of how well we satisfy our cus-tomers and manage our business. We will conduct our business in supportof a superior purchase and service experience embracing the following stan-dards:• Treating every customer as a potential lifetime purchaser.• Communicating a professional image which embraces honestyand concern for our customers wants and needs.

• Providing a pleasant and non-pressured purchase and ownershipexperience.

• Providing a thorough explanation of all of our products and serv-ices.

• Provide continuously improving products and services to meetthe changing conditions in the marketplace.

• Provide continuous support to the communities, which we serve.“We are committed to excellence by conducting business with high moralstandards and professionalism, reached through teamwork, pride in our com-munity, our workplace and ourselves.”

KEITH GENTRYKeith and his brother, Eugene “Bus”

Gentry, established the Gentry organiza-tion in Weiser, Idaho in 1952. In 1954“Bus” sold his share of the business toMilan Ryder and the business wasrenamed Gentry Ryder Ford Sales.

RYAN GENTRYJoined the organization in 1998. Ryan

took over as General Manager of theGentry organization in 2002.

Ryan currently serves as President ofthe business.

JOHN GENTRYJohn joined his father Keith in the

business in 1972 and subsequently took overthe operation upon Keith’s retirement in 1983.

1802 SW 4th Ave., Ontario • 889-9694 www.gentrymotors.com

| CELEBRATING 125 YEARS |SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2008 ARGUS OBSERVER 1

PAT CALDWELLARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOInside the Argus Observer’s

archive vault shadows historyhides.

The vault is not really a vault.In fact it is more of a big cage.

Plywood paneling encircles theenclosure off from the rest of thepressroom.

The press itself stands in itsown pool of shadows at the otherend of the huge room. The pressis a testament to history, too. Thebig Goss press is older than someof the people who now toil insidethe newspaper. A sturdy, con-stant companion, the presschurns out thousands of papersevery day.

On this day, though, my atten-tion settles on the archive. It isinside the plywood walls wherethe history of a community and,with it, a newspaper rest in tall,wide-open wooden shelves.

Like modest tubes of history,books — one or two year’s worth— sit on the shelves, and withinthem, inside the tattered, yel-lowed pages of newsprint, flowsthe soul of a community all theway back to before World War I.

It is a quest that begins insidethose books that has hauled mybody from my office on this lateafternoon in August, and it is his-tory that surrounds the archiveroom like an invisible mist.

The books tell our story, ourtale. Newspapers are the firstquick glimpse or report of histo-ry. The books exude names andevents and disasters and tri-umphs and failures. There arescandals and wars and deathsand births and new schools andhighways. And there is alwaysthe sense of history happening toa people in a secluded part ofOregon moving forward into thefuture.

America is good at spending lit-tle time looking into the past.Unless it is to rightfully glorifymilitary heroes or to rememberan epic event, we tend to refrainfrom fashioning views about yes-teryear.

Partly, I believe, that is our na-ture. We are a forward-thinkingpeople. We believe in the nextfrontier, the next challenge.Reaping the past can be mun-dane.

But it is in our past, deep in theshadows of history, where les-sons about the future, about ourspirit, reside.

Stories fill those tomes alongthe walls. Stories that, individu-ally, are average, run-of-the-milltales, but collectively they repre-sent a vibrant, growing area ofOregon.

On this day and on this after-noon, I stand alone inside theroom and stare up at the tattered,battered tomes of books with edi-tions of the Argus Observer in-side, and I wonder about all theother people who worked hereonce and then left. I think aboutthe leaders of the communitywho made a mark, or didn’t, andpassed on.

For a moment — just a moment— I contemplate the waveringribbon of time and mortality as Irecall reading other editors at theArgus Observer give their ownintroductions to special sections.I perceive names and read thewords, but I have no faces to linkto the text. Just words. There areevents in each newspaper upthere on the shelves that resem-ble events of today but are whollydifferent.

New schools or the prospect ofbeefing up a police departmentare there, tucked inside the booksfrom the 1950s and 1960s. The rea-sons for and against each planare hauntingly familiar, the rhet-oric memorable.

We face, in many ways, similarproblems and list parallel tri-umphs as those townsfolk fromthe 1950s or 1960s.

The trip to the archives is al-ways a good one. It reminds me,as editor, of the rich history of

Ontario. The journey also rein-forces the notion that history,progress, is larger and more re-silient than any one person.

It was this sense of history, thisfeeling of “place,” we so carefullysought when we started out onthe Ontario 125th history project.

Right off, though, we knew thiswould be a wholly different proj-ect than any other we’d produced.

We also understood, I believe,by the time it was all over, wewere not only writing for ourreaders today but for those of thefuture.

Some day, I imagine, some edi-tor will be reading through thisintroduction or rifling through atome from the year 2008. In asense, then, we are putting to-gether a bridge through time,linking what was with what willbe.

There is no way this projectcould have reached its stage ofsuccess without the assistance ofour readership advisory board.

It is impossible to accuratelyconvey how important these indi-viduals were, and are, to us at theArgus Observer.

The board met every month,sometimes twice a month, at theArgus Observer to choose the 25most prominent people inOntario’s history and assisted uswith choosing the 25 most histori-cally-significant buildings.

Yet the input went deeper thanjust helping choose who deservedto be covered in this special sec-tion.

The board consisted of former

Argus Observer Publisher FranMcLean, area residents MarciaLieurance, Eunice Guerrant andHugh and Lorriane Lackey, for-mer Argus Observer Editor ChrisMoore, Mike Blackaby, KathyHoch, Argus ObserverAdvertising Director JohnDillon, Argus Observer consult-ant Casey Clark Ney, ArgusObserver reporter Larry Meyer,Argus Observer News EditorJessica Keller and myself.

While he never attended one ofthe meetings, we would also liketo thank Malheur County SheriffAndy Bentz for his insight re-garding the area history.

I, too, grew up as part ofOntario. This was where I trav-eled to see my grandmother whenI was 4 or 5; this is where mygrandfather met my grandmoth-er when she came fromPittsburgh, Pa., to start a life on asheep and cattle ranch inJuntura.

There is a photo in my mother’spossession snapped the day mygrandmother came to Ontario.My grandfather is in the photo,and behind him, looming proudand fine, is the Ontario TrainDepot.

The photo means a lot to me forreasons I’m not even sure I canconvey. Along with the silver wa-ter towers, though, I’ve knownthe photo for many years. As I’veknown Ontario.

Like silent, constant compan-ions both have hovered on theedge of my memory since I was aboy.

Searching through the depths of time

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS MOORE

Ontario, pictured here on July 4, 1902, was founded in 1883.

Commemorativesection highlightsOntario’s history

Ontario’s Notable People

ONTARIOHarold “Hap” Logue moved to Ontario in

1940 with his wife, Jean, and daughter,Barbara.

The Logues relocated to Ontario so Hapcould take a position with the OntarioCommercial Club as its secretary. The clubserved as a foundation for what is now theOntario Chamber of Commerce, which wasfounded in December 1947.

During his time with the club, Hap assist-ed with numerous activities including thefootball jamboree and the Pacific NorthwestCorn-husking Contest. Logue was also in-strumental in assisting the club and localgrange with the construction of the fair-ground’s 4-H Building.

Logue was fond of the fairgrounds andspent much of his time lining up rodeo andcarnival events for the week-long fair heldeach year.

Along with the fairgrounds, Logue was al-so invested in the local golf course. Built bythe Works Progress Administration, Loguehelped keep the golf course open.

As times grew serious throughout the

country, and World War II erupted, represen-tatives from Ontario and its surroundingcommunities gathered at the famous MooreHotel.

The group formed the Malheur CountyDefense Council on Dec. 8, 1941. Logue wasnamed the council’s coordinator. Logue trav-eled on behalf of the council to Salem,where coordinators from other councils met.The group organized practice countywideblackouts.

Ontario’s first coordinated blackout tookplace on Dec. 21 of that same year.

Along with the council, Logue served onthe area’s rationing board.

Logue’s community service, however, didnot stop here. He was also interested in bet-tering Eastern Oregon’s roadways. Logueworked with Charles Reynolds of the StateHighway Commission to improve local high-ways.

In all, Logue served as the chamber’s sec-retary until 1976. The Logues eventually re-tired in Ontario, where they worshiped atthe Methodist Church and participated invarious community organizations.

Hap Logue, public servant

CASEY CLARK NEY ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOKnown as a pioneer and Ontario

developer, Thomas Homer (T.H.)Moore was born in Michigan.Prior to landing in Ontario,Moore gained a formal educationwhere he studied law and mathe-matics. Moore moved from hisbirthplace to Washington and lat-er Oregon. He resided in Medfordfor many years, where he raised a

family with his wife, LillianSimmons. The couple had threesons, Theo, John and Martin.Simmons died at a young age, andMoore remarried to a womannamed Nellie McIntyre. They hada son, Homer. Moore also marriedMary Morris of Weiser, and thecouple had two sons, Paul andBill.

Following McIntyre’s death in1909, Moore moved to Ontariowhere he began building busi-nesses. Most notably, he foundedthe Moore Hotel, which was builtin 1910-1911. Moore also had ahand in the construction of thePeterson’s Furniture building

Moore also operated the SugarBowl and various other restau-rants throughout town.

In all, it is estimated he built 20buildings in the Oregon Street-area of town.

Moore also had an interest inagriculture. In all, he developedfive ranches and was most activeat his ranch near Vale.

According to an article in theMid-Century Edition of theOntario Argus Observer, “Helived to operate, to expand, and toimprove, and to this goal he re-mained faithful.”

Moore died Feb. 16, 1943, inOntario.

T.H. Moore, Ontario’s entrepreneur


T.H. Moore, pictured here with his son, was one ofOntario’s first major developers.

Developer built famousMoore Hotel

ONTARIOAnthony (Tony) Yturri, a Basque and na-

tive Oregonian raised and educated in JordanValley, was born Oct. 19, 1914. He became thefirst Basque in the United States to become alawyer and was the first elected to public of-fice.

In 1946, Yturri formed the Yturri Rose LawFirm, in Ontario.

His contributions as a public servant beganin 1956, when he began a 16-year career as anOregon state senator.

During his time in the Legislature, he alsoserved as chairman of the Oregon CriminalLaw Revisions Commission, the Highway

Interim Committee and the LegislativeHighway Committee. Yturri also served onthe Senate Judiciary Committee from 1969until his retirement from the Senate in 1973.He was chairman of that committee for threelegislative assemblies. Gov. Tom McCallnamed Yturri to the Oregon TransportationCommission in 1973.

In 1979, Yturri succeeded Glenn Jackson ascommission chairman.

After completing his governmental servicein 1987, Yturri continued to practice law untilhis retirement in 1989. He later died in 1999.

In 2001, Yturri was honored for his manyyears of service to Oregon. The Tony Yturri

Memorial Beltline was dedicated in recogni-tion of Yturri. The beltline was part of a $14million Ontario Transportation SolutionProject that links Interstate 84 with U.S.Highways 20/26.

“He was a person of enormous intellect. Hewill be remembered as one of the great ora-tors and debaters of the Oregon Senate,”Portland attorney John D. Burns said in anarticle printed in the March 2, 2001, edition ofthe Argus Observer.

Former Oregon House speaker Bob Smithonce said, “If there was anybody who repre-sented the melting pot of America, TonyYturri did.”

Yturri was first Basque to be elected into office

ARGUS OBSERVER FILE PHOTO

Hap Logue, pictured here with his wife, Jean, was an instrumentalmember of the Ontario Commercial Club and Ontario Chamber ofCommerce.

Argus Observer 3Sunday, October 5, 2008

| CELEBRATING 125 YEARS|4 ARGUS OBSERVER SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2008

FAST SERVICE ON DRIVELINESCairo Junction, Ontario 889-5797

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CONNIE’S SERVICEDRIVELINE AND GEAR SPECIALIST

Owned by Connie & Gloria Shimojima for 60 years

ONTARIODaniel and Elizabeth Purcell came to the

Treasure Valley in 1884 by way of train. Therailroad, which was only recently construct-ed, ended at Washoe, just south of Payette.The couple, and their first-born, Iva, moved tothe area to be close to Elizabeth’s sister, Mrs.Jacob Stroup, who lived off Washoe Road.

At the time, Elizabeth had a bad case ofmalaria she was unable to overcome. Jacobbrought the family west because he could notafford the medical bills and house maid billsassociated with his wife’s illness.

Interestingly enough, Elizabeth used all ofher medicine after moving to Ontario and

never found a need to refill herprescriptions. For whateverreason, she recovered.

The Purcells establishedtheir homestead about fourmiles west of Ontario a yearlater.

As the Purcells became partof the Ontario community,Daniel, a trained carpenter, be-

came instrumental in constructing numerousbuildings throughout the young town. Hehelped build the Peterson FurnitureCompany building (the third dwelling intown) among many other businesses and

homes.In 1888, the Purcells left their homestead

and moved into town.Feb. 2, 1938, the year Daniel died, The

Observer published an article about the pio-neer that talked about his connection toOntario’s many buildings.

“He told of seeing Ontario grow from a hud-dle of shacks to the town it is today, and he al-ways envisioned a still greater future for thetown. When old buildings were torn down, heremarked that each one going down seemedlike an old friend.”

Prior to Daniel’s death, Elizabeth passedaway in January 1925.

Purcell helps build city’s buildings

Purcell

CASEY CLARK NEYARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOThe story of the Boyer brothers

begins with their parents,Abraham and Fanny Boyer. TheBoyer family was made up of pio-neers who traveled to the Westfrom Kansas, via a covered wag-on, in 1881.

On the way to Washington, thefamily passed through theOntario area, spending an

evening at the Dead Ox Flat, justoutside of what is now town.

In 1895, the family, which con-sisted of six sons — H. Clifton,Ornin, Arthur, Howard, Chelceyand Wilmer — moved to Ontario.The family welcomed a seventhson, Ray, shortly after arriving.

In 1896, Boyer Bros. & Companywas founded. The business servedas a general mercantile.

The mercantile was housed inat least one other building beforefinding a permanent place to call

home on the corner of SouthOregon Street and SouthwestFourth Avenue, whereIntermountain Community Banksits today.

The Boyer building was con-structed of bricks made by Orninand was the first brick store inOntario.

H.C., Wilmer and Ray were allactive in the management of thestore.

The Boyer Mercantile was aunique feature among Ontario’s

downtown businesses.The company sold a variety of

products including householdgoods, shoes, groceries, clothingand wholesale items.

The Boyer family supplied mer-chandise to merchants inMalheur County and neighboringGrant, Baker and Harney coun-ties.

In all, the company was in busi-ness for 50 years. It came to anend in the late 1940s following thedeath of all three brothers.

Boyer brothers open large retail store

| CELEBRATING 125 YEARS|SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2008 ARGUS OBSERVER 5

Peterson opens furniture store, funeral home


ONTARIOFormer Ontario Police Chief Jim Jones was

born in Nebraska, Oct. 25, 1935. Jones moved tothe Treasure Valley as a young boy, when hismother took a teaching position with theFruitland School District. He graduated fromFruitland High School in 1953 and headed toBoise Junior College, where he played football.

In 1956, Jones left school and joined the Navy,serving two years. Originally, Jones intendedto continue his education following his stint inthe service.

However, upon returning to the area, he wasasked to work for OPD until his classes starteda few months later. Jones found his job at thepolice department so enjoyable, he opted tostay instead, a move that would turn out to be a

wise choice.Jones quickly rose through the ranks of the

department, and by 1961, he was police chief, aposition he held until his retirement in 1990.

Jones is perhaps mostly known for his role atthe police department. He, however, has alsodedicated countless hours to the community. Aformer president of the Ontario Chamber ofCommerce and Lions Club, Jones said he en-joys being an active part of the community.

Additionally, Jones has served with theJunior Chamber of Commerce and, in 1965,was one of three people honored with the“Outstanding Men of Oregon” award.

Jones is also a dedicated Help Them To Hopevolunteer, having helped found the charity.

In 1965, Jones began teaching criminal inves-tigation at Treasure Valley CommunityCollege, a job he continues to hold and cherish.

“It’s been real rewarding,” Jones said. “To

see those young people become successful isawfully meaningful.”

While Jones technically retired long ago, hecontinues to utilize his law enforcement ex-pertise as needed. When the Snake RiverCorrectional Institution first came to Ontario,Jones worked as an adviser for the state. He al-so ran the Milton-Freewater and Baker policedepartments for a short period when they wereexperiencing difficulties with their operations.

Today, Jones remains in Ontario with hiswife, Sue Patrick. The couple has been marriedfor 29 years.

When he is not working at the college, theformer police chief enjoys spending time out-doors hunting.

Jones said he is glad to have lived in Ontariofor so many years. “It is just a good place tobe,” he said. “It’s probably one of the bestplaces in the country to live.”

Former police chief continues role in community

ONTARIOIf it weren’t for a chance encounter with

Ontario entrepreneur T.H. Moore, H.L.“Harry” Peterson would have never settledin Ontario, and Peterson’s Furniture wouldhave never been founded.

In 1910, Peterson was traveling throughOregon from Kansas. He was on his way toMedford where he intended to open a furni-ture business.

Peterson, however, met Moore along theway, and, upon learning of his destination,the entrepreneur convinced Peterson toopen his store in Ontario instead.

The original Peterson’s Furniture beganas a partnership with Moore and opened un-der the name Ontario Furniture.

The store opened in 1911 and changednames in 1925.

Peterson’s Furniture was handed down

through two generations before closing itsdoors in the 1950s.

Not only was Peterson’s store one of thefirst furniture stores in the city, it also boast-ed a mortuary service that was later sold toGeorge Bechler.

Today, the mortuary service has evolvedinto Lienkamper-Thomason FuneralChapels, which serves a large part ofMalheur, Payette and Washington counties.


Joseph A. Morton helps open first schoolCASEY CLARK NEY ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOJoseph A. Morton was a farmer

and entrepreneur who residedaround the Ontario area startingin the late 1800s. Originally hail-ing from Virginia, Morton cameto the Malheur Valley in 1872with his wife, ClementineIreland. The Mortons residednear the mouth of Bully Creek.During this time, Morton helpedconstruct the famous Old StoneHouse in Vale.

Two years later, the couple relo-

cated to an area on the SnakeRiver. At the time, the MalheurValley was largely uninhabited,making the Mortons pioneers ofthe valley. The location was abouttwo miles southeast of what isnow known as Ontario. Today, thearea is called Morton’s Island. Onthe farm, Morton raised horsesand other livestock. He alsofarmed hay and built a ferry thatwas used to access the island.

Morton sold his farm and pur-chased the Horseshoe Bend TollRoad situated on the PayetteRiver in 1895. Just three years lat-er, however, Morton returned to

the Ontario area after selling thetoll road to his son, L.M. Morton.He then purchased a home andfarm approximately two milessouthwest of town.

According to his great-grand-son Hugh Lackey, Ontario resi-dent and local historian, Mortonhad a major hand in the establish-ment of Ontario’s first post office.The office was located in a smallstore called Siding, close to theOregon Short Line railroad. TheSiding was later renamedMortonville in honor of itsfounder. Eventually, however,nearby Ontario was deemed the

up-and-coming city of the area.Mortonville was torn down. Thepost office and other businessesrelocated to Ontario. Accordingto Lackey, Mortonville was theforerunner of Ontario.

According to an article writtenby Argus Observer reporterDottie C. Edwards in February1950, local parents, including theMortons, who wanted to see theirchildren grow up with an educa-tion, founded Ontario’s firstschool. The school opened in 1883,at the home of the J.S. Millikenfamily. Four of the Mortons’ eightchildren attended the school.


ONTARIOThe story of George Blanton begins in

1832, when he was born in Tennessee.Blanton, the son of a farmer, marriedFannie Oliver in 1853. The couple had 12children. In 1881, George and Fannie de-cided to make the long trek west with sev-en of their children. The trip took threemonths.

The Blantons were headed to theWillamette Valley, but when they arrivedin Malheur County, they stopped to visitwith some area settlers. The settlers weretrying to build a diversion ditch from theMalheur River. The Blantons, who madetheir journey with a team of 10 mules,opted to stay in the area and help com-plete the ditch with the assistance oftheir team.

The Nevada Ditch would later become

known as the Warm Springs Ditch. In re-turn for his hard efforts, Blanton waspaid in ditch shares. In 1886, Blanton wasnamed the first president of the ditchcompany.

A wise businessman, Blanton built hishomestead and called the area home.

He later helped build the first lumberhouse in the valley. It is also said he had ahand in constructing Ontario’s firsthouse. Active in the community, Blantonwas elected county commissioner in 1898.He was then re-elected in 1902.

Blanton was also instrumental in theorganization of the A.F. & A.M. AcaciaLodge No. 118. He assisted the Knights ofPythias, Odd Fellows and Masons withthe establishment of EvergreenCemetery. The cemetery was later donat-ed to the city.

Blanton retired in the early 1900s andbuilt a home in Ontario. He died inFebruary 1923.

Blanton treks to OntarioPioneer was instrumental in founding of Nevada Ditch


George and Fannie Blanton stand in this undated photo taken inOntario.

Smith plays critical role in government


ONTARIOOregon’s former Gov. Elmo

Smith, came to Ontario, straightout of the College of Idaho, in the1930s. Smith began working forthe Ontario Argus before publish-ing his own newspaper in 1937.Smith helmed The EasternOregon Observer for many years.According to an article printed inthe April 23, 1953, edition of theArgus Observer, The Observergrew and prospered under Smith’smanagement.

When he later sold the paper,

Smith pulled in about $40,000 forhis investment of a few hundreddollars.

“He puts out an unusually goodnewspaper for his readers inGrant County, but his really out-standing quality as a newspaperpublisher is his business ability. Iknow of no other weekly publish-er who has his financial ability,and at the same time gives thereaders as good a product as hedoes,” Argus Observer Editor DonLynch wrote in his weekly col-umn. “He has one other unusualability that he doesn’t get to prac-tice very often. He is the best ad-vertising salesman I have known

in the weekly news-paper business andhe is as good as thehigh-poweredHearst men I usedto work with on theExaminer in SanFrancisco.”

In 1940, Smithwas elected mayor

of Ontario. He resigned threeyears later to join the Navy. Afterexiting the Navy, Smith was backat City Hall, where he completedtwo more years as mayor.

Smith became popular not onlyin Ontario, but the surroundingcounties as well and in 1948, hewas elected to represent Grant,Malheur and Harney counties inthe Oregon State Senate.

As a senator, Smith lobbied to in-crease state highway taxes in an

effort to launch transportationprojects. In 1952, he was namedchairman of the Senate Roads andHighways Committee, and, by1955, he was elected President ofthe Oregon Senate.

In January 1956, then-Gov. PaulPatterson unexpectedly died.Smith was promoted to governor.He served out the remainder ofthe term and launched a cam-paign for the upcoming election.Governorship, however, was not inthe stars for Smith, who lost theelection to Robert Holmes.

Serving his entire career, Smithcontinued to focus on his newspa-per enterprises. He purchased sev-eral weekly newspapers through-out his lifetime. Smith died at 58,from cancer.

He is buried in the WillametteMemorial Park Mausoleum.

Smith

Former governor bought and sold severalnewspapers throughout the state


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Blackaby becomes city’s first full-time insurerCASEY CLARK NEY ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOBorn in 1893, Earl Blackaby

came to Ontario by way of JordanValley. A young boy at the time,Blackaby came from a family ofentrepreneurs. In fact, prior tomoving to Ontario, Blackabyworked at his father’s store, theJ.R. Blackaby Co. that laterevolved into the Bank of JordanValley.

In 1904, the Blackabys relocatedto Ontario because the populationof Jordan Valley was shrinking asOntario grew. Earl Blackaby con-tinued his academic studies andgraduated from Ontario High

School at the age of16. The followingyear, Blackabyheaded to theUniversity ofOregon.

Blackaby met hiswife, BerthaKincaid, while at-tending OSU. They

married following her graduationin 1916. The couple moved toOntario and in 1917, Blackabyjoined the Army. By 1919,Blackaby was out of the Army andreunited with his wife and new-born son, Bill. The couple re-turned to Ontario, where theybuilt a house and welcomed a sec-ond son, Jim.

It was at this time Blackabystarted to focus on his career. Hebegan work as an assistantcashier for the Bank of Ontario.On the side, Blackaby also starteddabbling in insurance. By 1921, hedecided to purchase a small insur-ance business. He did, however, al-so remain at the bank, and in 1925,Blackaby and Harry Petersonfounded the First MortgageSavings and Loan Association.Blackaby also served as the bank’streasurer. Thanks to the servicesprovided by Blackaby andPeterson, many of Ontario’s firststructures were erected, includingthe city’s first motel, apartmenthouse and produce-packing plant.

By 1932, however, the banking

industry was struggling. Blackabysold his bank to U.S. National andbecame the city’s first full-time in-surance agent.

Blackaby also assisted theOntario Livestock CommissionCompany as its operations manag-er. He worked for the company andsaw it grow to become the largestweekly auction in the Northwest.

In 1928, Blackaby was electedOntario city treasurer. He held hisposition for 60 years, resigning in1989, when he retired.

Blackaby was such an influen-tial member of the city of Ontario,the high school dedicated its newtrack to him. The Earl BlackabyTrack at Ontario High School offi-cially opened in 1978.

Blackaby


ONTARIOJames Anderson Lackey came to Oregon

in 1880 when he was in his 20s. Lackeyjoined his brother, John, in the horse-trad-ing business.

Five years later, Lackey married AddieLocey. The couple settled near Ontario

around 1892, and Lackey immediately be-came involved in civic affairs.

Along with serving as the fourth mayor ofOntario, Lackey was a member of the CityCouncil and School Board.

He also served on the commissions tobuild the Snake River Bridge and the city’sfirst high school.

Lackey’s dedication, however, did not stophere. The pioneer also served on the state

Legislature and was theCounty Fair Association pres-ident. He is said to have devot-ed much of his time to thebuilding of the fairgroundsand its racetrack.

Lackey was also interestedin irrigation. He believed thefuture of Ontario dependedon it. Lackey died in 1930.

James Lackey dives into Ontario’s civic affairs

Lackey


Grigg brothers spawn Ore-IdaCASEY CLARK NEY ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOGolden T. and F. Nephi Grigg, also known as

the Grigg brothers, are two important figuresin Ontario’s long history. As teenagers in theearly 1920s, the Grigg brothers sold fresh pro-duce in and around Ontario. Little did thebrothers know they would embark on a jour-ney that would eventually result in creatingone of the city’s largest employers.

As youths, the brothers began to realize asignificant demand for fresh produce existed.They grew and sold their produce door-to-doorfrom a horse-drawn wagon.

With time, the brothers’ business, the GriggBrothers Produce Company, grew, and soonthey were selling their produce in surround-ing states. Then one day, something extraordi-nary occurred. A quick-freeze factory wasbuilt in Ontario, and the brothers began freez-ing their product. As sales tripled, the broth-ers increased their output. News was not sopleasant for the quick-freeze factory, whichfound itself going bankrupt.

In January 1950, Nephi and Golden organ-ized Oregon Frozen Foods, a predecessor tothe Heinz Frozen Food Company. The compa-ny took over the quick-freeze factory from thebankruptcy court.

Nephi served as the company’s presidentand his brother as vice president.

Over time, Oregon Frozen Foods becameOre-Ida. The brothers retained their titles. In1965, the H.J. Heinz Company purchased Ore-Ida. Again, the brothers maintained their po-

sitions in the administration.Nephi Grigg left the company four years lat-

er in 1969. Following his departure, he left on athree-year stint as president of the ScottishMission for the Church of Latter-day Saints.

Nephi most notably dedicated a significantamount of time and interest in the financesand marketing of his once small produce com-pany. According to an old issue of “TaterTalk,” Grigg was known to pack his producein suitcases filled with dry ice and personallytravel to visit with his many customers.


Nephi Grigg poses with some hashbrowns in this undated ArgusObserver file photo.

‘Rainwater’ Jonesopens modern

laundry businessin Ontario


ONTARIOR.W. “Rainwater” Jones was an active par-

ticipant in the community of Ontario. He is,however, most notably known for buildingthe first modern laundry facility west of theMississippi River.

Jones came to Ontario sometime between1912 and 1913. He later founded the OntarioLaundry Service, which housed state of theart laundering equipment. The building canstill be seen today at its original location onFirst Street.

During his life in Ontario, Jones alsoserved as the city’s mayor and as a planningcommissioner. As a commissioner, Jones lob-bied for better streets in Ontario and was in-strumental in getting the streets paved. Jonesargued the community should be responsiblefor funding the project because the new roadswould benefit everyone in town.

After Jones’ retirement, his son, Wally, tookover the laundry business that eventuallyclosed up shop.

“He was just a normal type of guy,” localhistorian Hugh Lackey said of the entrepre-neur.


36 NE 6th Avenue • Ontario • 541-889-9666

George Iseri gives backCASEY CLARK NEY ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOLongtime businessman George Iseri has

been making headlines for years.Originally from Washington state, Iseriand his wife, Dixie, were relocated to aTreasure Valley internment camp duringWorld War II.

After they were released, the Iseris re-turned to Washington for a short time butultimately decided to call the valley theirhome.

In 1945, Iseri moved to Ontario after re-siding in Weiser for a few years. The fol-lowing year, he transitioned from farmerto businessman. By the early 1950s, Iseriand his brother, Mun, opened IseriInsurance Agency in Ontario. This wasjust one of the many businesses Iseriwould start during his career.

While creating businesses was a largepart of Iseri’s contribution to Ontario, heis also known for his dedication to com-munity service. Some of the many organi-zations he has participated in includeLions Club, Chamber of Commerce, HelpThem To Hope, Ontario City Council,Presbyterian Community Care Centerboard and Snake River JapaneseAmerican Citizens League.

Perhaps most notably, Iseri helped foundthe Osakasayama Sister City program inOntario.

In January 2008, the Ontario Chamber ofCommerce recognized Iseri as “Man of

the Year.” Even more recently, theJapanese Foreign Ministry honored thelongtime citizen. The organization pre-sented him with a “Foreign MinistryAward” in recognition of his efforts to im-prove relations between Japan and otherforeign countries.

Despite his obvious efforts, Iseri re-mains humble. “We are all one. It was easyto have friends and be friendly,” he saidwhen accepting the “Foreign MinistryAward.” “I didn’t have anything to do withit. Everybody else did it.”

Today, Iseri is 88 years old. According tohis son, Mike, he has slowed down a bit af-ter a stroke last year, but he still continuesto give back to Ontario whenever possible.


George Iseri, pictured here in a recent Argus Observer photo, cameto Ontario during World War II. Iseri has been instrumental in thecommunity as both a professional and volunteer.

Van Pettenestablishes

lumber yardsCASEY CLARK NEYARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOHailing from the Midwest, E.C. Van Petten

came to Ontario around 1913 with his wife. Theentrepreneur founded Van Petten Lumber Yard,one of the city’s first major suppliers of build-ing materials.

The lumber yard was situated on SouthwestFourth Avenue where Brewskey’s Broiler sitstoday.

The lumber yard served as a main office forVan Petten’s nine other lumber yards situatedthroughout the valley.

The Van Pettens had two sons and a daughter.The sons, Frank and Paul, helped run the lum-ber yard as their father neared retirement age.

In 1954, however, Frank died in a plane crashnear Cascade, leaving Paul to run the companyalone.

Along with his area businesses, Van Pettenwas also active in the development of theOwyhee Dam. He spoke to Congress on at leastone occasion on behalf of the effort. He was al-so a representative for the Commission onConservation and Administration.

Van Petten died in the 1950s. He and his wifeare buried in Ontario. His lumber yards eventu-ally shut down.


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ONTARIOOntario has seen its share of exceptional

doctors, one of whom was Dr. RodericBelknap.

Belknap came to Ontario in 1928 duringtough economic times.

Fresh out of school, Belknap was recruited

by Dr. Weese and Dr. Charles Palmer.Belknap’s wife, Vera, joined him and the

couple quickly integrated into the communi-ty. Belknap was known for traveling into theback-country to treat patients who were tooill to come into town. After practicing inOntario for a few years, it became apparent

the area was in need of an obstetrics special-ist. Belknap and his brother-in-law, Dr. GeneJohnson, Ontario, traveled to Chicago wherethey worked in the city’s slums while servingas residents at the Lying-In Hospital. Belknaplater returned to the city and delivered manyof Ontario’s new residents.

‘Doc’ Belknap moves to Ontario to practice medicine

Kirby continues Kinney & Keele legacyCASEY CLARK NEYARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOJohn Kirby hails from a family of pioneers

who traveled the Oregon Trail and settled inBaker County. Kirby’s father, Randall, wasthe oldest of his siblings. He made his way toOntario by way of Boise, where he opened aCC Anderson store.

The elder Kirby opened a CC Andersonstore in Vale and at the location whereFiesta Guadalajara sits in Ontario. As itwould turn out, retail is in Kirby’s blood.

Born in Ontario Jan. 23, 1948, Kirby beganworking at Kinney and Keele as a junior inhigh school. Little did he know the earlyfriendships he made would ultimately endwith him heading the store himself.

Kirby worked for the hardware store whileattending classes at Treasure ValleyCommunity College. After graduating from

the school with an associate’sdegree in business, the entre-preneur went to PortlandState College (now PortlandState University), where hecompleted a bachelor’s degreein business.

While in college, Kirby con-tinued working in retail atWeimer Hardware and

McCreigt Hardware. Kirby said he alwayshad a fascination with the Kinney and Keelestore.

“It was a place that was full of all kinds ofneat things. I just kind of fell in love withit,” he said.

His senior year in college, the Keeles cameto visit Kirby and his wife, Judith (ofAdrian), in Portland. The couple made Kirbyan offer to return to Ontario and join theKinney and Keele venture. Kirby accepted.

Upon graduation, Kirby joined the Idaho

National Guard and attended basic trainingbefore stepping into a position with thehardware store.

Kirby’s brother-in-law, Mike Pratt, part-nered with him in the venture. Later downthe line, Bob Reid, who runs the store’s stoveshop, also teamed up with Kirby.

Today, as Kirby nears retirement, hisdaughter, Mara, and her husband, BobSlinker, continue to run the store.

Kirby’s other son, Randall, an aspiring car-toonist, works in a hardware store inPortland.

While he is not quick to speak about hiscommunity contributions, Kirby has partici-pated in a variety of organizations through-out the years.

To name a few, he has been active in theOntario Chamber of Commerce and theFour Rivers Cultural Center. Kirby alsohelped establish the St. Peter’s CatholicSchool.

Kirby


2008

1983


ONTARIOFran McLean was 36 years old

when he moved to Ontario withhis wife, Joy, and their two chil-dren, Scott and Heather. Theyoung couple relocated toMalheur County so Fran couldtake a position with the ArgusObserver as its new publisher.

Born in Ohio, McLean graduat-ed from Bowling GreenUniversity with a degree in edu-cation. From 1956 to 1959, McLeanwas a pilot in the United StatesAir Force. After leaving the AirForce, McLean began working inthe newspaper industry whicheventually led him to Ontario.

After assuming the helm of theArgus, McLean quickly becamepart of the community. He was ac-tive with the Malheur CountyFair Board, Malheur CountyWater Resources Committee,Malheur Mental HealthGoverning Board, Boy ScoutsGoverning Board, TreasureValley Patrons of the Arts,Oregon Newspaper Publisher’sAssociation (president), OntarioChamber of Commerce (presi-dent) and Ontario Industries, Inc.

McLean also has won a vast as-

sortment of awards during his ca-reer, including the Holy RosaryHospital Appreciation Award,Ontario Chamber of CommerceDistinguished Citizen Award,American Business Women’ sAssociation Boss of the Year,Oregon Citation Award, OregonBusiness Leader of the Year, JT-PA Governor Service Award,Oregon Human DevelopmentCorporation Individual ServiceAward and Ontario Chamber ofCommerce Man of the Year.

While McLean’s many awardsstem from the hard work he putinto the community, he most no-tably is remembered for helpingto establish the Help Them ToHope campaign in 1973, a projectthe newspaper took on after theElks dropped its Christmas chari-ty program.

McLean retired from the Argusin Dec. 31, 1997, making way forcurrent publisher Steve Krehl.

Prior to his retirement, howev-er, McLean was sure to make hismark on the paper. Since takingover the paper from formerPublisher William F. MacKnight,McLean saw the paper increaseits circulation from 3,000 to 8,000.In 1994, the paper was honored bythe ONPA for the largest circula-tion increase in a single year. The

Treasure Valley Reminder alsoexpanded its circulation from3,000 to 15,000.

While McLean was heavily in-volved with the community, heshrugs off his service claiming it

was simply something that need-ed to be done.

“I did that because it was im-portant,” he said. “It is importantto give back personally and pro-fessionally.”

McLean fosters newspaper, HTTH

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRAN MCLEAN

Fran and Joy McLean on their wedding day, Nov. 16, 1957, in Lakewood, Ohio.


Lawson takes opportunity to ‘give back’ONTARIO

Originally from Manchester, England, PeterLawson moved with his family to the WesternTreasure Valley when he was 2 years old.Lawson’s parents, Stuart and Nancy, situatedin Payette before calling Ontario home around1976.

As a young boy, Lawson was diagnosed withleukemia at the age of 4 — an event he said ul-timately connected him with the community.Dr. Bonnie Vestal of St. Luke’s MountainStates Tumor Institute and pediatrician Dr.Nora De La Paz treated Lawson through thetrying time. Lawson became one of the first pa-tients at MSTI in Boise. According to Lawson,he and his mother developed numerous rela-tionships within the community as a direct re-sult of his illness. By the time he was 12,Lawson’s doctors decided he was “cured” ofthe disease.

Lawson went on to graduate from OntarioHigh School in 1991. He attended classes atTreasure Valley Community College where heearned an associate’s degree. He then earned a

bachelor’s degree in theater ad-ministration for the Universityof Oregon.

After college, Lawson took aposition with New York Life inEugene. In 1999, an opportunityarose for Lawson to join GrantBaugh’s New York Life office inOntario. He took it.

According to Lawson, he re-turned to Ontario because of the many friendsand colleagues who still resided in his home-town. Lawson worked for New York Life forseven years before taking a marketing positionfor Jolts and Juice. He worked for Jolts andJuice for a short stint before stepping into thebranch coordinator position with theSoutheast Oregon Regional Food Bank inOntario. “It was an opportunity to give back tothe community,” Lawson said of his decisionto take the job.

During his spare time, Lawson continues hismantra of giving back by staying active in thecommunity and church. Today, Lawson serves

on the TVCC board and is a liaison for theRelief Nursery program. Lawson has also beenactive in the Ontario Lions Club, OntarioChamber of Commerce, Meals on Wheels,Young People’s Concert Series, Help Them ToHope and TVCC Magical Dinner fundraiser. Athespian at heart, Lawson is also fondly knownas the “non-singing, non-dancing old man” inmany TVCC plays. In all, he has assisted withmore than 26 productions at the college.

Lawson is a member of the St. Paul LutheranChurch and will soon begin duties as a boardmember for the Harney/Malheur CommunityAction Agency.

He also noted Jack Ogilive, John Kirby andBaugh have all been important influences inhis life.

Lawson said he will continue to be an activeparticipant in the Ontario community, and heis thankful for the support the community gavehis family during his battle with cancer.

“It is nice to be able to give back personallyand professionally,” Lawson said. “I won’t beleaving anytime soon.”

Lawson


ONTARIOPerhaps the most amazing part

of Dr. Benjamin Tanaka’s story ishow he managed to survive the 57years of his life prior to settlingin Ontario.

Tanaka, who helped found theTanaka Clinic, faced many chal-lenges throughout his 87 years.

Born in Hawaii, Tanaka’s par-ents sent him to Japan to livewith his grandmother. Before his10th birthday, however, the youngboy returned to Hawaii to workon a planation. Just a few yearslater, Tanaka stowed away on aboat. He would never see his par-ents again.

By the time he was 15, Tanaka

was living in Spokane where amadam housed him at her broth-el. The teen earned his highschool diploma and was eager toearn a college degree.

Because he was poor, Tanaka re-searched the cheapest college,which was the University ofNorth Dakota, and moved there.While in North Dakota, the aspir-ing college student met a Chinesewoman, Min Hin Li, who was alsofrom Hawaii.

Both of the students were poor,so they made a decision to sup-port each other while in college.With a flip of a coin, it was decid-ed Li would work the first year ofschool while Tanaka attendedclasses. The following year,Tanaka worked, and Li went toschool. The duo kept at it for eight

years and in 1920, Tanaka estab-lished his first medical practicein Portland. Shortly after, theyoung doctor married a womanfrom Japan, Michiye. The couplehad three children, Augustus,Marian and Karl.

Tanaka continued to work athis practice, but tough timesquickly approached. Followingthe bombing of Pearl Harbor,Tanaka was picked up by the FBIbecause he was considered a na-tional security threat.

He was shipped to an intermentcamp in Oklahoma and laterresided in camps in Louisianaand New Mexico.

While in the camp, Tanaka con-tinued his profession, performinginduction physicals for the Armyand tending to Army hospital pa-

tients.In 1954, the war ended, and

Tanaka was free to go. Tanakawas 57 years old and was essen-tially left to start his life over.

The doctor decided to return toPortland, but stopped in Ontarioon his way home. After visitingwith some friends, he was per-suaded to stay and open a medicalpractice.

The first five years of his prac-tice, Tanaka worked out of a con-verted house on the east side oftown. Then, his son, Gus, whowas also a doctor by now, came totown, and the two founded theTanaka Clinic.

Tanaka continued to practicemedicine until his retirement in1970.

He died five years later at 87.

Tanaka moves to Ontario, opens clinic

Cathy Yasuda gives Ontario her allCASEY CLARK NEY ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOA longtime area resident, Cathy Yasuda was

born and raised in Ontario. Today, the daugh-ter of Kay and the late George Maeda, Yasudaresides in Fruitland with her husband, Roger,and daughter, Allysha.

After graduating from Ontario High Schoolin 1975, Yasuda attended the University ofOregon, where she earned a bachelor’s degreein telecommunications and speech. During hersummer breaks, the aspiring journalist wouldreturn to Ontario, one year serving as an in-tern at the Argus Observer.

Yasuda moved back to Ontario after earningher degree and quickly gained employmentwith KSRV radio. She worked on air and soldadvertising for a few years. Then, a cable tele-vision station came to Ontario, and Yasuda

gained employment with thestation as its news director andanchor. Happy to be in broad-cast journalism, Yasuda cov-ered events across the WesternTreasure Valley for five years.

Next, Yasuda took a positionwith Treasure ValleyCommunity College as the pub-lic information director.

Through the years, she has worked in variousjobs at the college including student servicesand outreach and support services. Today,Yasuda is the executive director of the school’sfoundation and she recently celebrated her20th anniversary with the college.

Along with her dedication to the school,Yasuda has been an active member of theOntario community. Through the past years,she has served the Ontario Chamber ofCommerce, Japanese American Citizens

League, Ontario Chapter of the AmericanCancer Society, Help Them To Hope, AmericanAssociation for Women in CommunityColleges, TVCC Diversity Council, OntarioLadies Golf Association and AmericanBusiness Women’s Association. Yasuda was al-so a charter board member for the Four RiversCultural Center and Center Ball committee.

According to Yasuda, she returned toOntario after college because she has deep tiesto the community, an attribute that was in-stilled by her parents.

“I felt an obligation to try to enrich and en-hance the community to the best of my abili-ty,” she said.

However, Yasuda is quick to dismiss her com-munity efforts as anything but ordinary.

“I think I am no different from a lot of peoplethat live here,” she said. “I could not see myselfliving in a community without doing all that Icould to make it better.”

Yasuda


Michael Pratt Robert Reid John Kirby

Irene & Bill Keele

John Kirby1965

460 SW 4th Avenue • Ontario, Oregon 97914 541-889-7629

After J.C. McCreight sold his store to Kinneys

and Keeles in 1926. He opened a store in southwest

Portland. His son, Cal, later operated the store.

During the late 60’s, John worked for McCreight while

attending Portland State. John returned later in the

1970s. Mike returned from the Navy in 1970 and

worked for Cal McCreight until 1976 at which time

he joined John (his brother-in-law) at Kinney & Keele.

Robert Reid served in the Army until 1971. He

came to Kinney & Keele after working for Consumers

Co-op in Weiser.

John Kirby became a partner in 1970, Mike in

1976, Bob in 1983. John and Mike bought out the

Keeles in 1981.

In 1970, Kinney & Keele affiliated their

store with True Value Stores (the nations largest

independent hardware chain.) They joined with

6,000 other independent dealers in volume buying

and national advertising to provide greater goods and

services at competitive prices.

Today, Kinney & Keele is among the top 10% of

True Value’s stores in the nation.


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ONTARIOThe Ontario Depot has a special place in Joe

Mollahan’s heart. A longtime Ontario resi-dent, Mollahan has spent countless hours andyears of his life dedicated to the restoration ofthe train depot.

Mollahan was born in Ontario, in Decemberof 1927. He spent the first several years of hislife growing up in Ontario.

His family later moved to San Francisco,where he attended high school. In 1954,Mollahan left his secondary studies and joinedthe United States Marine Corps., where heserved for two years during World War II.Following the war, Mollahan returned to highschool and earned his diploma.

With a G.I. Bill in hand, Mollahan decided toattend college in Chicago. He would later take

classes at San Diego Junior College andTreasure Valley Community College.

While in Chicago, Mollahan joined the po-lice department and served as a policeman. In1955, Mollahan married Catherine Jean “Kay”Anderson, the daughter of Scottish immi-grants.

Three years later, a friend of Mollahan’s con-vinced him to return to Ontario, where he em-barked on a heating and plumbing business.

As he progressed in his career, Mollahan be-gan teaching apprenticeship courses at TVCC.

During their years in Ontario, theMollahans have been very active in the com-munity. The couple had four children — DavidJohn, Andrew James, Patricia Janet and MaryKay. Mary Kay was handicapped and died at ayoung age. Following her death, Kay Mollahanhelped establish the Mary Kay School. She al-so was active in 4-H, FFA and served on theMalheur County Fair Board. In 1969, Kay re-

ceived the Ontario School District’s EducationCitizen of the Year award.

While Kay was busy giving back to the com-munity, Joe did too. A member of the JuniorChamber of Commerce, Mollahan also servedon the School Board, Presbyterian NursingHome board and Ontario City Council. It washis time with the City Council that sparkedJoe’s affection for the train depot.

“A number of people had approached me andwanted to know why anyone wasn’t doing any-thing about the depot,” Mollahan said.

As a city councilman, he dedicated himselfto the improvement of the facility. Eventually,the Ontario Restoration Committee wasformed and both Joe and Kay served on it. Kayran the group’s books and helped facilitategrant applications. In all, the organizationraised about $200,000 to restore the depot.

Today, Joe Mollahan is retired. After 53 yearsof marriage, Kay passed away Jan. 15, 2007.

Mollahan helps restore train depot

Palmer relocates to Ontario to practice medicineCASEY CLARK NEYARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIODr. Charles Palmer came to

Ontario around 1927, with hiswife, Narcissa. The couple hadtwo children, Edith Woodward

and Ellen Hyde.Edith, 93, still resides in the

Ontario house her father builtso many years ago. The PalmerHouse stands near the hospitalat the corner of SouthwestSecond Avenue and Southwest10th Street.

According to Woodward,Palmer came to Ontario for sev-eral reasons.

“He always wanted to comewest, Woodward recalled of herfather. Palmer was also heavilyrecruited by Dr. William Weese.The Weese and Palmer families

became good friends.Another reason Palmer came

to Ontario was to be near a hos-pital where he could work as asurgeon.

“He cared about his patients,”Woodward said.

Palmer passed away in 1975.


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ONTARIODr. John Easly came to Ontario straight out of college, his arrival would

eventually lead to the founding of Treasure Valley Community College.Born in Missouri while his mother was on vacation, Easly grew up in

Portland where he earned his secondary education.Easly earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Oregon State

University. He then enrolled at Pacific University where he received a de-gree in optometry.

Easly eventually ended up in Ontario, where he opened his first medicalpractice. He and his wife, Eleanor, had five children — John, Rick, Bill,Janet and Ann.

Today, Ann, John and Rick continue to reside in Ontario. Ann Easly-DeBisschop also practices optometry in town.

As Easly settled into the community, he became active in several organi-zations including the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (president) andOntario School Board.

Most notably, however, Easly harbored a deep desire to establish a com-munity college in Ontario. He and some colleagues conceived the idea andspent several years researching how to execute the plan.

In the mid-1950s, a committee was formed to promote the idea to the com-munity. In 1962, the college was founded.

“That was his dream come true,” Easly-DeBisschop, said. “He justthought that it was something the community needed. He really dedicatedendless time and energy and effort.”

Easly-DeBisschop said her father, who trained pilots in the service,“loved” flying. In 1986, Easly died while jogging. He was 72 years old.

“He wanted to give back to the community,” Easly-DeBisschop said of herfather’s dedication to the city. “It had been good to him ,and he returned thefavor. He really cared about Ontario.”

Easly’s dreamcomes true

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUGH LACKEY

A moment in timeIn this 1915 photo, the road between Ontario and Nyssa can be seen.


The Ontario Municipal Airport was founded by private citizens in the early 1900s. The airport began with a single runway and an office building.

Historical Events

An evolving airport

LARRY MEYER ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIO Perhaps not surprisingly, cattle

and cattle feed were among thefirst agricultural productsaround the Ontario area, andtheir presence had a great impacton the development of the com-munity.

According to historical recordsand history published by theMalheur Country HistoricalSociety and the Argus Observer,Louis Rinehart was the firstwhite man to have cattle out graz-ing in the grasslands north ofpresent-day Ontario.

That was in 1886, and a year lat-er, David Dunbar started a wildhay ranch along the Snake River,to the southeast. They were fol-lowed by Brinnon and WilliamEmison, who took up ranchingalong the Malheur River.

Before Ontario came into being,huge cattle drives came throughMalheur County on their way to

eastern markets, with some cross-ing the Snake River at the WashoeFerry, while others spread up anddown the Snake River to suitablefords.

However, the arrival of the rail-road, with connections to theeast, proved to be a boon to live-stock growers in the interior tothe west who diverted livestockdrives from Winnemucca, Nev.,and other points, along theOverland routes, to Ontario. Thesiding became a loading centerfor rail cars.

In 1866, 673 cars of livestockwere shipped, and in 10 yearsthere were 1,039 cars hauled fromOntario. When there were notenough stock cars, cattle washerded in the vicinity until carsbecame available.

Large herds from Todhunterand Devine (Whitehorse Ranch),the French-glenn Company andPacific LiveStock Company cameto Ontario.

One of the largest shippers wasBill Hanley, Harney Valley, who

started buying herds he hadshipped from Huntington orOntario. He related at the timeOntario had six saloons, twostores, a blacksmith shop and abig livery stable.

According to historian JacobGregg, when the cattle herds werein, many residents were keptawake by the bellowing cattle,and Ontario was an open town

with 24-hour gambling gamesrunning in the saloons.

In the 1902 “History of Baker,Grant, Malheur and HarneyCounties,” it is reported theOregon Short Line (UnionPacific) Railroad purchased 80acres of land near Ontario andbuilt the “most extensive stock-

Cattle helped facilitate growthLivestock and feed had major impact

on community development


According to the Malheur County Historical Society, Louis Rinehart was the first white man to graze cattle in theOntario area.

SEE AIRPORT | PAGE 24

LARRY MEYERARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIO The establishment of the

Ontario Municipal Airport is a sig-nificant news event in the city’shistory as the facility has evolvedfrom a single runway with an of-fice building into an ongoing workin progress that contributes to thecity’s growth and is still consid-ered important in the efforts to at-tract more business.

The airport has an unusual his-tory. It was started by private citi-zens who, confronting a huge task,then transferred the property tothe American Legion. In turn theLegion turned it over to the countywith the understanding it can onlybe used as an airport, according toAlan Daniels, airport manager.

“It is not the city’s to give awayor sell,” Daniels said. “They (the

Ontario MunicipalAirport began as a single runway

SEE LIVESTOCK | PAGE 24


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ONTARIOThe city of Ontario celebrated the end of

World War II in early August 1945.The message was brought to Ontario by ra-

dio, as President Harry S. Truman an-nounced Japan’s surrender and declared theday a national holiday.

Similar to patriotic events today, Americanflags dotted the downtown cityscape.

“Church bells and the city’s fire siren start-ed the noise making,” an Eastern OregonObserver article from the period reported,“which was quickly taken up by the hornsand popping exhausts of automobiles.”

Those cars then formed an “impromptuand extremely haphazard” parade to cele-brate guns falling silent in the Pacific. Somemembers of the collection of people fillingthe downtown area had saved up dynamite,which they set off upon hearing the news.

The mayor and the Commercial Club origi-nally planned to announce stores would closeimmediately and remained closed throughthe following day. However, those plans wereoverridden by Truman’s announcement of anational holiday to commemorate the war’s

end.The crowd’s boisterous energy lasted into

the night, reports said. The UnitedChurchman’s Council held a prayer andthanksgiving at a Baptist church the nextday at 9:30 a.m.

Rev. J. Burton Salter gave an address to thegathered congregation, asserting “the world

must in the future refrain from the selfishmaterialism which caused this most terribleof wars.”

Reports from the time assert the audienceattending the service overflowed thechurch’s main auditorium. Members of the

Ontario celebrates V-J DayResidents party into the night

after Truman announces the end of WWII

KATIE PIZZA | ARGUS OBSERVER

Just two days after President Truman announced the end of World War II, the city continued to celebrate the big event. In this photo, a picture ofthe Argus Observer, Thursday, Aug. 16, 1945, edition, the top headline reads ‘Victory Celebration Is Joyous.’

SEE WWII | PAGE 22


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ONTARIO According to the Bureau of

Reclamation Histories of theOwyhee Project, completion of theOwyhee Dam and the subsequentnetwork of canals and ditches hada major impact on the valley,bringing in farmers and buildingup the agriculture industry, whichthe Ontario area continues to de-pend on for most of its economy.

Records show, in 1937, farm pop-ulation on the project totaled 2,383.Nearby towns recorded a com-bined population of 12,850. By1938, farms gained 900 people,while towns increased by 1,850.Farm population grew to 5,695 by1940, but the neighboring townsonly gained 287 more people.

The immediate post-war yearshad a greater impact on the area.In the peak years of 1946-47, farmpopulation expanded to 7,520.Towns on the project recorded acombined population of 21,250.

However, during the next coupleof decades farm populations fluc-tuated. Towns retained this popu-lation through 1948-49 as the farmsdecreased to a population of 7,310and 6,202 in 1948 and 1949 respec-tively.

Farm population dropped to ap-proximately 5,600 and towns to18,701 in 1950-51. Population fig-ures on farms increased to 9,417 inthe 1960s and stayed between 9,000and 9,500 through the 1970s.

Crop values rose from $253,000

in 1936 to more than $1 millionduring World War II. The post-waryears yielded crop value increasesto more than $10 million. By theend of the 1960s, crop values to-taled more than $23 million. The1970s’ crop values peaked at more

than $50 million. After each in-crease, crop values dropped asmall percentage by the end of thedecade. Along with the farms andthe crops they produced came thepacking sheds and processingplants to handle those crops.

Owyhee Dam sparks growth


The construction of the Owyhee Dam expanded irrigation opportunities in Malheur County, thus sparking growth in the rural areas and the city of Ontario.


ONTARIO Nearing its 100th anniversary,

the Malheur County Fair andthe fairgrounds continue to playan important role in the Ontariocommunity and MalheurCounty.

John Bertram, who developedthe fairgrounds master plan,wrote the Malheur CountyAgriculture Association was or-ganized in 1909 and held the firstfair, which was situated at theBoise-Payette lumber yard andthe Old Red Front Livery barnon South Oregon Street, aboutwhere Andrews Seed is now situ-ated, Janeen Kressly, fair execu-tive director, said.

In 1912, the fair was taken overby the county and is one of theoldest shows in the West.

The fair moved to its presentsite in 1911. Once the agricultur-al association obtained the land,the first fair board added suchfacilities as the 1,500-seat grand-stand built in 1911, the Big RedBarn, a half-mile racetrack andan infield for various sportingevents. While the grandstandstill exists, the racing is longgone, and the infield is now usedfor the rodeos, included one heldduring the fair.

Exhibit halls, 136 box stablesand holding pens were also con-structed. A deep well equippedwith electric pumps and a com-plete water system furnishedservices seldom found on othercounty fairgrounds, Bertramwrote.

The Oregon State UniversityExtension Service was estab-lished and became an integralpart of the county fair, and oneof the first activities of the ex-tension service was to organize acounty corn show to promotecorn production. Agents helpeddevelop the fair because of itsconnection to agriculture.

Products displayed at the earlyfairs qwew much the same asnow — corn, potatoes, grains,onions, sugar beets and fruits.The early displays were oftenheavily decorated.

Besides the county fair, otheractivities at the grounds have in-cluded horse shows, livestockauctions, dances, circuses, re-ceptions, education programs,farm and business shows. The

log building on the fairgroundswas built in the late 1930s by vol-unteers who saw a need for aboys dormitory. Work parties cutlogs in Idaho and hauled them tothe site.

In 1915, the population ofMalheur County was a littlemore than 8,000, and attendanceat the fair on the best day was5,000 people. The fair has beenheld every year except for thewar years — when there was on-ly a junior livestock and exhibitshow — and in 1947 when thefair was called off because of apolio epidemic.

In 1914, the fair was called theOntario Corn Festival and in the1930s it was referred to as theMalheur County Air andOwyhee Stampede.

Girvin Hall was built in 1960and, early on hosted many of theanimal judging events, but addi-tional arenas have been devel-oped since then. Girvin Hall isstill the site of the annual fairlivestock auction.

The Commercial Building wasconstructed in 1963 and hostscommercial exhibits during thefair as well as a wide range of ac-tivities. The Red Barn has beenreroofed and re-sided.

“Approximately 23,000 attendthe fair annually,” Kressly said.“Many of the booth proceeds gotoward scholarships and helpingthe community. 4-H and FFAMembers sell their animals tohelp pay for their college educa-tion. The fair brings many peo-ple to shop, stay in motels.”

MCAA formed in 1909Association

organized firstMalheur

County Fair


The Malheur County Fairgrounds, pictured here in the early 1900s, was founded by the Malheur County Agriculture Association in 1909.

American Legion and CompanyB of the Oregon State Guard at-tended in uniform. The UnitedChurchmen’s Council did nothave plans to hold a service untila few days before the Mass, withquick preparations made the daybefore the service.

Currently, Aug. 14 is known asV-J Day, or Victory over JapanDay.

Emperor Hirohito signed thePotsdam Declaration issued bythe allied powers, consisting ofthe United States, China, Russia

and the United Kingdom.In the document, which

Hirohito read on the radio, theallied powers issued an ultima-tum.

“We call upon the governmentof Japan to proclaim now the un-conditional surrender of allJapanese armed forces, and toprovide proper and adequate as-surances of their good faith insuch action,” the document said.“The alternative for Japan isprompt and utter destruction.”

Japan had already faced a greatdeal of destruction prior to thesigning, with atomic bombs

dropped on the Japanese citiesHiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug.6 and Aug. 9 after the country’sinitial rejection of the document.

In the document, the alliedforces said they would not devi-ate from the terms outlined,which included setting up pointsthroughout Japan.

“The time has come for Japanto decide whether she will con-tinue to be controlled by thoseself-willed militaristic adviserswhose unintelligent calculationshave brought the Empire ofJapan to the threshold of annihi-lation,” the document said, “or

whether she will follow the pathof reason.”

Unlike in some larger cities,Ontarioans waited until thewar’s end was officially pro-claimed before they celebrated inthe streets.

The war’s end marked the con-clusion of four years of U.S. in-volvement in the conflict, start-ing with a Japanese-led surpriseattack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7,1941, which left 2,345 militaryand civilians dead and 188 air-craft destroyed. U.S. forces re-mained in Japan for six years fol-lowing the conflict.

FROM PAGE 20

WWII: Emperor Hirohito signed the Potsdam Declaration on Aug. 14, 1945



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yards in Eastern Oregon. Thisstep was necessitated because ofthe heavy livestock shipments,cattle, horses and sheep beingdriven from the ranges ofMalheur, Harney, Grant andCrook counties.”

Ontario was also the wool ship-

ping center of the period.In 1913, the Malheur Valley rail-

way was extended through theMalheur Canyon, and Juntura be-came the main stock shippingpoint in the interior. Ontario be-came more sedate.

Later, in the 1930s, the livestockshipping industry returned, asmore cattle were raised on irri-

gated lands. In 1935, a large live-stock auction yard was estab-lished during the depression,when both livestock producersand buyers were willing to exper-iment with changes in buyingand selling.

Morgan Beck, manager of theOntario Livestock CommissionCompany, said almost overnight

it became the largest auctionmarket in the Northwest.

Business continued briskly fortwo decades but declined duringthe 1970s. In the1980s, large pro-ducers changed the way livestockwas handled and marketed, andbusiness continued to decline. Afire eventually destroyed the busi-ness, and it was never rebuilt.

FROM PAGE 18

LIVESTOCK: After a lull, the livestock shipping industry picked up in the 1930s

American Legion) donated it toMalheur County,” he said, whichturned the airport over to the Cityof Ontario in 1933.

The land was cleared and a run-way built with city funding andthe help of the local pilot’s associ-ation, according to history com-piled for the Airport Layout Plan.In the mid-1930s, the city im-proved the runway and built asmall office building that still ex-ists.

During 1937 and 1938, CaseyJones started Ontario FlightService as a full-time flight-train-ing school, and in 1939 and 1940,the Civil Pilot Training Programprovided the flight training at theairport.

Toward the beginning of WorldWar II, in 1941, Bessie Halliday

leased Ontario Flight Service andresituated her flight trainingschool inland, to Portland, be-cause of the war.

The airport was also used by theNavy for a flight school.

The runways, as they currentlyexist, date from 1943, when con-structed by the Works ProgressAdministration as an emergencyalternate airport for B-17bombers.

A runway lighting system wasinstalled in 1950, and the FederalAviation Administration andWeather Bureau and FlightService Station were resituatedthere from the Weiser area.

Commercial air service came toOntario with the arrival ofEmpire Airlines, which becameWest Coast Airlines, which itselfwas bought out by and became

part of Hughes Air West.Commercial air service to

Ontario was discontinued in theearly 1970s, and the flight servicestation and FAA weather stationwere closed.

Private pilot training peakedduring the 1970s when the fixedbase operator enrolled about 100students, but by the end of the1970s and early 1980s, interest inprivate flight training droppedsignificantly, as did enrollment.

A significant change since theearly 1970s was the closure of theeast-west runway, which allowedfor the development of a 14-acreindustrial park.

Of that acreage, 7.7 acres wasthen sold to OzawaResearch,which is still operatingat the site.

A section of the original east-

west runway is still used as part ofthe primary runway apron, whereplanes are parked.

“We have 84 planes based here,”Daniels said.

Most recently, the runway wasextended to 5,015 feet to accommo-date larger private and businessjets and help make the airport andcommunity more attractive tocompanies that operate businessjets.

The project was funded primari-ly through the ConnectOregonProgram.

Airport and city officials ap-plied for a second Connect Oregongrant to enlarge the apron tomake room for larger planes, cre-ate a new apron for the largestplanes and provide an overlay onthe existing apron and runway,but did not receive the funding.

FROM PAGE 18

AIRPORT: Malheur County turned over airport facility to city in 1933


ONTARIOAs it nears the 100th anniver-

sary of its construction, HolyRosary Medical Center continuesto be an important part ofOntario’s past and future.

“I’ve had three children bornthere,” Malheur CountyHistorical Society President TomGray said.

The hospital began as an ideadwelling deep within the minds ofsix Dominican sisters of theCongregation of St. Catherine ofSienna. These sisters — includedMother Mary Catherine Roth,Sister Superior Mary DominicMurphy, Sister Mary AntoninusMcCabe, Sister Mary PatrickMcGuire, Sister Mary AugustineCollins and Sister Mary CatherineClayton — were forced to leavePortugal after the nation’s govern-ment took over convents andschools. A majority of those inthe Portuguese Republican partywere against Catholicism andjailed the sisters, releasing themon the condition they would leavethe country. After returning totheir native Ireland, the nunsspoke with Father Peter Bowe,provincial of the Irish CapuchinFathers, who had returned fromthe Baker City Diocese. He saidthe displaced nuns should look atmaking Eastern Oregon their newhome because of a shortage ofnuns and priests in the area. Thegroup left Drogheda, the Irish citywhere they first received trainingto be nuns, Feb. 11, 1911. After vis-iting New York and Chicago, thesix arrived in Ontario, where theywere met by Rev. Hubert A. Campoand local businessmen at the traindepot. One of the men in thegroup, Dr. Jacob Prinzing, sup-ported construction of a hospital.

The sisters originally set up atent for patients in need of med-ical treatment and spent $5,000 topurchase the land where the hos-pital now stands, 351 S.W. NinthSt. in Ontario. Members of thecommunity then banded togetherto help fund the hospital. The com-munity donated $10,000 of total$25,000 price tag. The rest was ob-tained through a loan. When itwas first constructed near OldOregon Boulevard, nowSouthwest Fourth Street, the hos-pital’s three stories and a base-ment included a single operatingroom. The hospital was completedon April 5, 1912, by the contractorsMallory & Mallory.

“I believe it was originally builton a hill overlooking the town,”

Holy Rosary Medical CenterVolunteer Coordinator LindadeBoer said.

The hospital was built withlarge verandas for patients to en-joy. The first patient was admittedApril 17, 1912, a woman fromPayette.

After the hospital was construct-ed, the sisters moved into thebuilding, with their previoushome remodeled and turned into aschool, which held 20 pupils andsix boarders. The school was dis-continued, however, when thenuns learned there were notenough people to operate both theschool and the hospital.

However, all was not rosy for thesisters after the hospital was con-structed. In 1961, a sister relayed astory from Dr. W. J. Weese, whichstated the sisters were so short onfood they only had one egg to splitbetween the six of them.

Documents from the time sup-ported Weese’s claim.

“Though the people of Ontariowanted and needed a hospital,they did not fully live up to theirobligations to the nuns,” a hospi-tal recorder at the time said. “Thesisters were in a strange land andwere taking up work completelynew to them. Yet they were forcedto beg for a meal. Though food wasnever denied them, it could havebeen more generously given.”

The sisters, Weese said, mulledthe problem over for quite awhilebefore opting to make puddingwith said egg. The sisters also ac-cepted payment of three rabbitsand a hutch in exchange for treat-ment. In February of 1913, thehospital saw the addition of achapel. In 1915, a training schoolfor nurses was opened, served bythree nuns and two nurses. Thefirst graduating class emergedfrom the school May 24, 1917. In

1927, an elevator was installed,with the previous method oftransport involving staff carryingpatients up and down stairs onstretchers. The money for the ele-vator was willed to the hospital byElizabeth Poole from Payette uponher death.

Gray said the hospital has un-dergone a number of changessince it was first constructed.

“The whole front part ischanged,” he said. “They used tohave the nuns live in the front partof the building and now they livein a whole separate area.”

A convent, which cost $50,000was built in 1941.

The late 1940s represented a pe-riod of change for the medicalcenter, then called Holy RosaryHospital. In 1947, the hospital sawan addition of a $200,000 wing anda maternity ward. This helped toalleviate a bed shortage, whichhad previously forced the hospitalto prioritize admittance. In 1950,the hospital had 15 sisters, 24 doc-tors, 10 graduate nurses, 40 regis-tered nurses and nurses aides, 72beds and 20 bassinets. The 1950salso saw the first meeting of a vol-unteer force, called the auxiliary,which met March 6, 1950. In theyears that followed, the auxiliaryheld dances, bake sales, rummagesales, bazaars, card parties, silverteas and chili feeds. The moneyraised in these events — $24,867from 1950 to 1954 when adjustedfor inflation — was donated to thehospital to buy equipment such asfood conveyors, an emergencylamp, and an incubator. The auxil-iary also donated equipment for alaboratory renovation in 1955,which had a total cost of $9.047.83.Retiring auxiliary president Mrs.Hugh Gale presented the hospitalwith a check for more than $700 tohelp fund the effort, which includ-

ed new sinks, gas outlets, shelvesand benches.

Currently, the auxiliary, whichhas its own board of directors, hasan average age of 67. It operatesunder the Holy Rosary Board ofDirectors.

As for the hospital itself, in the1950s the hospital saw the additionof an x-ray department, after thechapel was converted to house themachine and a new chapel built tobetter serve worshippers.

In 1959, the hospital saw thecompletion of a $1 million wing,which contained 28 beds, amorgue, autopsy room, physicaltherapy department, a recoveryroom and a laboratory. Accordingto Argus Observer articles nearthe time of the wing’s grand open-ing, another draw was its “mod-ern, high speed elevator (which)connects the entrance with emer-gency rooms and surgeries on thetop floor.”

In the 1960s, Holy Rosary sawnew X-ray and dietary facilities,and a third-floor was added to thewing constructed in the 1940s. AnApril 13, 1961, Catholic Sentinelarticle reported the hospital con-tained 88 beds, with 26 doctorshelping the patients those bedscontained.

In 1964, the center received cryo-stat equipment to help detect can-cerous tissue. The cryostat equip-ment would keep tissue belowfreezing temperatures and othermodels are still used today tofreeze cells for later use.

The 1964 equipment was pur-chased with $1,700 in donationsfrom a funding drive headed byPaul Van Petten, the chairman ofan advisory board for the hospital.In 1969, babies were the focus ofhospital administrators, and a


Dominican Sisters found HRMC


An undated photo of the Holy Rosary Medical Center, then called Holy Rosary Hospital. Holy Rosary has undergone a number of changes since its creation in 1912 bysix nuns from Portugal, while still treating the medical needs of the Oregon/Idaho community.

SEE HRMC | PAGE 26

Hospital opened itsdoors in April 1912

$500,000 maternity wing, whichincluded an acute nursery carecenter, added at the time.

In 1977, construction began onan emergency room for the hospi-tal. It was completed in 1978.

In the 1990s, a 10-bed outpatientsurgical suite, a new physicaltherapy department and new

kitchen and dining room areaswere built.

The ‘90s also welcomed HolyRosary’s current two-story park-ing facility in front of the hospi-tal. This facility more than dou-bled the establishment’s parkingcapacity — from 138 spaces to 289.In 1994, contractors completedconstruction of a covered drive-through area, which made it easi-

er to pick up and drop off patients.The remodeling also included anew chapel, which utilized thestained glass from the old chapel.The construction also includedthe current two-story vaulted en-tryway in the front of the build-ing.

Currently, Holy Rosary MedicalCenter is a 49-bed acute care hos-pital.

As for the equipment inside,Holy Rosary administrators con-tinuously work to keep up withthe times, from prenatal servicesto hospice care. DeBoer said themedical center is currently look-ing toward the future, namely2011, when HRMC will celebrateits 100th anniversary, though shesaid no activities have been slatedas of yet.


ONTARIO A vision to supply people with

the freshest vegetables possibleled to the formation of Ontario’slargest company in the early1950s, which continues to be thetown’s largest employer, althoughit now operates under a differentname. Packaging with the Ore-Ida label can still be found on thegrocery store freezer cases asfrozen — easy to prepare — pota-to products continue to be themainstay of the Ontario plant.

According to a history of thecompany, F. Nephi Grigg andGolden Grigg were selling freshcorn as teens, a business that ex-panded into fresh packing andshipping of corn to places likePortland, Salt Lake City andButte, Mont. The corn was pre-cooled and then shipped underice in truck and railroad cars.

In the latter 1940s the Griggswere supplying their sweet cornto a quick-freeze factory inOntario, a facility which wouldlaunch them into the frozen foodsindustry in a short period of timeas the company which built theplant went bankrupt.

Having first sold fresh frozencorn in 1947, the Grigg brotherswere shipping corn to the EastCoast and Los Angeles by thenext year and in two years saleshad doubled.

In the 1950s, the quick-freezeplant owner from Californiawent into bankruptcy, and theGrigg brothers formed OregonFrozen Foods with a group of lo-cal businessmen and continuedto lease the quick-freeze plantfrom the bankruptcy court andthen the Reconstruction FinanceCompany. During that time thecompany also began canningcorn as well as freezing it, and of-ficials began planning to pur-chase the plant they were leasingwhen it came up for sale.

As the plant was updated andnew equipment brought in, com-pany officials realized anothercrop was needed to extend theprocessing season. It was in 1952the company first used the Ore-Ida name, forming Ore-Ida PotatoProducts, and began producingfrozen potato products despitethe reluctance of some banks tofinance the project.

The company had to use theraw product from the growers,accounts receivable and finishedproduct to get a loan, and it wasoff and running. Potatoes wererun through a carrot peeler.

About a year later, 1953, one ofOre-Ida’s most famous productsTater Tots was developed. Othercompanies now produce theirown similar products under dif-ferent brand names.

By 1960 the company was pro-ducing nearly a quarter of thenation’s finished product. In 1961,Ore-Ida Foods Inc. was formed,and 1962 the company began pro-cessing onions, producingFrench fried onion rings.

In 1963, company officialsmoved into a general office build-ing, and the company, which alsohad plants in Burley, began tolook further east to expand. In1964, the company began build-ing a plant at Greenville, Mich.

One of the biggest changes inthe company’s life was its pur-chase by the H.J. Heinz Companyin 1965. Golden Grigg continuedon the Ore-Ida managementboard until 1967, and Nephi Griggwas president of the companyfrom 1951 to 1967 and continuedon the management board until1969.

Corporate headquarters weremoved from Ontario to Boise in1968.

In 1969, the Ontario plant expe-rienced a major fire, which de-stroyed the entire potato packag-ing area, all but two of the facto-ry’s freezing tunnels and the en-tire refrigeration compressor

room.Plant officials and staff were

able to get the facility ready forcorn processing in time for itsregular run, and reconstructionplans were launched to providefor a enlarged and improved pro-duction facility. The project cost$3.5 million.

Another expansion in 1975,which mainly focused on installa-tion of new equipment, providedanother 350 jobs.

Managers of the Ontario facto-ry have included E.M. “Slim”Burton, Joseph Hodges, GlennSchwarting, Joseph Holbrookand LeRoy Cammack, who laterserved as mayor of Ontario.

The name Ore-Ida is still on thelabel, but with further corporatechanges, including the transfer ofmanagement from Boise toPittsburgh, the name of the com-pany is now Heinz Frozen Foods.It continues to employ more than1,000 people from Oregon andIdaho and is a major presence in

Ontario and contributor to itseconomy.

“It’s had a huge impact,” LynnJensen, Malheur CountyExtension Office, said about Ore-Ida Foods. He described the com-pany “as the backbone of the agindustry of the area.”

“It was a good stable crop forthe area,” he said about potatoes.“Farmers were able to stay vi-able.”

What has changed, he said, isthe cost of production comparedwith return on investment, asprices of fuel, fertilizer and othercosts have gone up.

“Potato prices have been verydepressed over the last seven to10 years,” he said. This trend hasleft the industry to the large-scalegrowers. “I would like to see thistrend reversed,” Jensen said.

Ore-Ida has provided a localmarket for growers and stableprices, Jensen said.

“People were able to make mon-ey,” he said.


Entrepreneurs form Oregon Frozen Foods


Originally Oregon Frozen Foods, the Heinz Frozen Food Company is one of the western Treasure Valley’s largestemployers.

FROM PAGE 25

HRMC: Local facility has undergone several remodels and constructions

Heinz Frozen Foods continues to serve as a large valley employer


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ONTARIOIn a real way, Ontario owes its

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the influence of the railroad de-clined during the past fewdecades as trucks became the

transport of choice to haul com-modities.

Yet in Ontario’s early years,the railroad was a major enginepushing growth. The railroadgenerated the development ofOntario as a major shippingpoint for livestock and othercommodities.

One key idea behind the estab-

lishment of Ontario centered onthe railroad. Founded on June11, 1883, developers WilliamMorfitt, Mary Richardson,Daniel Smith and James Virtueeyed the new city as a key stopfor a railroad designed to gothrough western Idaho and

SEE RAILROAD | PAGE 29


The railroad and train depot, pictured here in this Argus Observer file photo, generated the development of Ontario as a major shipping point for livestock and other commoditiesduring the mid-1880s.

Access to trains allowed city to serve as a major shipping point

Eastern Oregon.A large donation of land to

the Oregon Shortline Railroadfor a right of way by Morfitt,Virtue and a third party pavedthe way for construction of thefirst railroad depot in Ontarioin 1883.

The depot was part of a proj-ect to connect the OregonShortline Railroad to theOregon Rail and NavigationCompany line at Huntington.

The first passenger train ar-rived in 1884, and passengerswere able to travel to connectwith the TranscontinentalRailroad in Utah.

The existing railroad depot isnow used as a community centerand houses the Basque Center.

According to a story printed inthe Ontario Argus-ObserverDiamond Jubilee Edition, therailroad, along with Ontario’slocation near the mouth of theMalheur River, made the area anatural place to ship cattle.

By 1885, two years after thetown was started, Ontario wasthe largest cattle-shipping pointin the Northwest.

Not only did the railroad im-prove travel for people inOntario and the surroundingarea, it also delivered more com-

mercial business, particularlyin agriculture. The railroadlinked Ontario and the westernTreasure Valley to major mar-kets in the Midwest and the EastCoast.

At one point, the Ontario rail-road depot employed 50 peopleto handle the freight and live-stock that came from the outly-ing areas and from as far awayas Burns and John Day.

Cattlemen brought their herdsto Ontario to be shipped off tomarket, but the railroad alsohandled wool and other com-modities from the interior coun-ties on heavy freight wagons.

Ontario was also a leadingwool-shipping center.

According to figures obtainedby the Argus Observer, 673 carsof livestock were shipped out ofOntario in 1886, and 10 years lat-er, 1,039 cars, mostly cattle, wereshipped.

One year later the number ofcars was 1,892, and during a six-week period in 1899, $1.5 millionworth of cattle was shipped outof Ontario.

The existing Ontario railroaddepot structure, which turned100 years old in 2007, was builtin 1907 and became a focal pointfor all communication and com-merce.

Ontario’s depot has had its

time in the limelight as nationalnotables, including FranklinRoosevelt and Harry Truman,have stopped in Ontario at thedepot.

The depot was its busiest dur-ing the two World Wars, han-dling both civilian and militaryfreight and passengers. AfterWorld War II, cars and airplanestook away passenger traffic, andmuch of the freight traffic nowgoes by truck, especially insmaller communities.

Without the railroad, however,Ontario might not have existed.

“There was nothing here untilthe railroad arrived in 1883,”Ontario resident Joe Mollahansaid.

Mollahan was one of the manyvolunteers who helped in the ef-fort to restore the railroad de-

pot.“It was a tank town,” he said of

Ontario.He explained that was the

name for towns that grew uparound railroad water tanks,every 13 miles at the time.

“Some of them died out,” hesaid. “Ontario grew.”

Noting that Ontario was a ma-jor shipping center, Mollahansaid, at one point, the railroadran out of cars because theamount of commodities beingshipped.

Besides the cattle and wool,small farmers were attracted tothe area and shipped their pro-duce and hogs, he said.

“It grew this area,” he said.There were also plans to build

the line to Burns, over themountains to the coast, he said.

“The railroad is still very im-portant,” John Breidenbach, ex-ecutive director of the OntarioChamber of Commerce, said.“Heinz uses it. Americold usesit. Packing sheds use it.”

Breidenbach said he is hopefulthe shortline from Ontario toVale can still be used to boosteconomic development.

“We’re still an ag-based com-munity,” Breidenbach said,adding railroads still haul agcommodities.

“It’s vital,” he said.

FROM PAGE 28

RAILROAD: Depot employed 50 individuals at one point in its history


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JOHNA STRICKLANDARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIORaymond Westcott saw his first

TV in Boise, and he wanted one.“Dad was just taken with it,” his

daughter, Cheri Phillips, said ofthe 1953 encounter.

Completely enthused, he soonpurchased one for himself, bring-ing the first TV to Ontario.

“Dad found a TV he could haveat the shop ... he put it on a benchand would keep it on all day,”Phillips, 67, Portland, said of herfather, who died in 2007 at the ageof 91. “And then there were peoplewho followed behind when Boisewas getting their station.”

Westcott worked with his father,Roy Westcott, at Westcott ElectricService — later Westcott Radio &TV Service — repairing appli-ances and radios and checkingheadlights among other serviceson South Oregon Street.

Mostly, he watched snow be-cause Ontario didn’t receive a tele-vision signal yet. Occasionally, tohis delight, the weather wouldblow in a 15-minute program thatoriginated hundreds of milesaway.

After a while, Westcott took theset home to his wife, Maxine, andchildren, Cheri and Lynn. Thenthey watched snow all day.

“Mom would do her ironing infront of the TV, and it was justsnow,” Phillips said. “If some-thing came on, she’d call him, andhe would rush home in no time tosee it.”

On the final weekend in May1953, more than a single 15-minuteshow flickered onto the Westcott’ssnowy screen. An unusual seriesof storms that weekend blewbroadcasts from Omaha, KansasCity and Oklahoma City toOntario, the Ontario Argus-Observer reported June 1, 1953.

“Viewers gathered around setsin increasing numbers this morn-ing to watch the ‘Guiding Light’program and news broadcast fromOmaha. Earlier the Westcotts hadseen the ‘Strike It Rich’ program,”the newspaper reported in itsMonday edition. Recently, LarryL. Lynch, son of 1950s Argus pub-lisher and editor Don Lynch,wrote about this story in his blog,RememberingTheArgus.blogspot.com.

“After a weekend of occasionalviewing, she (Mrs. RaymondWestcott) was hoping the phenom-enon would continue long enoughfor her to watch ‘I Love Lucy’

Monday evening and ... the coro-nation of Queen Elizabeth later inthe week,” Lynch wrote in hisJune 20, 2008, post.

Cheri Phillips, who was 14 or 15at the time, remembers the excite-ment of catching the spotty pro-gramming and wondering howthe picture got in the box she satbefore.

“It was just like you’d expect,”she said of the community’s reac-tion to television. “It was some-thing new and wonderful, lots ofexcitement.”

TV COMES TO ONTARIOLocal TV reception possibly

rode the airwaves to Ontarioaround June 18, 1953, whenIdaho’s first television station,KFXD-TV in Nampa, was sched-uled to air pattern tests, the Argusreported June 15, 1953. RayWestcott expected Ontario to pickup the signal, though furtherArgus stories did not detail the re-sult.

As the people of Ontario await-ed TV’s arrival, local merchantsstarted selling advertisementsand stories in the Argus. In fact,the city observed Saturday, May23, as TV Day to give “an adequateintroduction for television,” aMay 18, 1953, article shows.

Advertisements from July 1953offer a 17-inch Zenith TV for$199.95 and a 21-inch for $279.95. Inthat same issue, July 16, 1953, theclassified page displayed a 1940Pontiac with a radio, heater andnew paint for $225 or a “1940 Buick

Super 4 door sedan, heater. Readyto go (for) $195.”

A month after TV Day, a Boisestation began pattern tests andbroadcast for the first time July12, 1953 — a Sunday. People gath-ered in homes and public placeslike the lounge in the MooreHotel, where a group watchedwrestling, an Argus photo pub-lished July 16, 1953, on the frontpage shows. Another photo pub-lished in the same issue showedthe Hathaway watching its televi-sion set.

“We were just, it was magic,”Sue Hathaway, 70, Ontario, said ofthat day when she was 15. “It wasentertainment, something we nev-er had before. ... kinda a miracle.We didn’t understand how the pic-ture got from here to there. ... Ofcourse, everyone had to have a TVset.”

Braving the hottest weather in13 years, thousands of peopleflocked to watch KIDO-TV’s dedi-cation day programs, the Argusreported.

“Viewers occupied virtually allof the available space in show-rooms throughout the city,” a July16, 1953, story shows. One store re-ported more than 1,500 people vis-ited as the Boise station beganbroadcasting at 2 p.m. Idaho Gov.Len Jordan, Boise Mayor R.E.Edlefsen and Philo Farnsworth,“the nation’s foremost TV inven-tor, were principal personalities”in the televised dedication serv-ice, the Argus reported.

Farnsworth, who as a high

school student in Rigby, Idaho, fig-ured out the present basis for TVin 1921, solving the problems oth-er inventors encountered. Later,he developed the TV from thoseblackboard drawings he did in1921. He came to Idaho “for thededication of the first TV show inhis home state,” an Argus July 16story reported.

An 8 1/2-hour block of programs— including “Dennis Day,” “HitParade,” “Cisco Kid,” “Two for theMoney,” a news broadcast and afeature film, “Don’t Trust YourHusband” — followed.

‘GLUED TO THE TUBE’As Ontario sat down before the

tube, KIDO-TV broadcast for onlya portion of each day — abouteight hours, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.or 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday andSaturday and four hours, fromabout 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday.Americans now watch 8 hoursand 3 minutes on average of tele-vision per household a day, ac-cording to The Nielsen Company.

Phillips said she remembers theexcitement of regular TV pro-grams.

“That was the thing, a big timein town,” she said. “Of course, astime wore on, it just became a fix-ture.”

Bill Oxnam, 62, Ontario, remem-bers coming to town as a kid withhis parents to watch his first TVbroadcast at a store’s promotional


Westcott brings TV to OntarioResident was first in town to buy a

television set

ARGUS OBSERVER PHOTO

Philo Farnsworth, who as a high school student in Rigby, Idaho, figured out the present basis for TV in 1921, solving the problems other inventors encountered. Later,he developed the TV from those blackboard drawings he did in 1921. He came to Idaho “for the dedication of the first TV show in his home state,”according to an ArgusJuly 16 story seen above.

SEE TV | PAGE 33

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ONTARIOThe Snake River Bridge has

represented a constant connec-tion between neighboring statesfor decades.

“It used to be one old, narrowbridge,” Malheur CountyHistorical Society President TomGray said.

Gray also said, when he came toOntario, two cars could barelypass on the small bridge.

“If someone tried to have twocars go across, you’d scrapepaint,” he said. “I heard the highschool kids used to see if theycould cross without scrapingpaint.”

However, in the 1960s the bridgewas updated to accommodatemore traffic.

“The freeway changed every-thing,” he said.

At the beginning of 2008, theIdaho TransportationDepartment, in conjunction withthe Oregon Department ofTransportation, began work on anew Snake River bridge as part of

a collection of projects to repairor replace four bridges on I-84 inthe Ontario area.

This project is part 2 of theOregon TransportationInvestment Act’s five-partprocess, which also involves re-constructing roads leading fromthe Eugene area to Washingtonand bridges in the ColumbiaRiver Gorge National ScenicArea. The agency planned to re-habilitate a total of 300 statebridges. The $1.3 billion projectsare funded through titles, vehicleregistration and driver’s licensesfees, with this money allotted bythe 2003 Oregon StateLegislature.

The departments used the olderSnake River Bridge to detour traf-fic away from the newer bridge asconstruction continued.

The departments originallyplanned to rehabilitate the land-mark but opted for demolitionwhen they discovered building anew bridge would carry only aslightly larger price tag.

The new bridge will includesidewalks and bicycle paths to ac-commodate pedestrians.

THE FIRST BRIDGE“The first bridge was built

around 1905,” MCHS TreasurerHugh Lackey said. “People inIdaho didn’t want it built.”

Lackey said mostly Ontario resi-dents funded the bridge becausesome Idaho residents feared com-merce would travel across the riv-er to shop at Ontario businesses.

After the bridge was built, Idahoresidents indeed began to come toOntario to shop. Lackey said thefirst bridge was narrow but waswidened when cars became popu-lar.

The recent construction illus-trates the importance of this con-nection between the two states.The original bridge went directlyto the river bank on the Idaho sideand did not connect with theWashoe Road on the other side ofthe river in Payette. Ontario resi-dents took up a collection to buythe right-of-way through farms

near the proposed bridge area.They then built their own road tothe Idaho Junction. In 1909, thecity of Ontario took out a bond for$10,000 for the bridge’s construc-tion and formed the Snake RiverBridge Commission, which wouldbe allowed to “borrow money onthe faith of the city.” The commis-sion, the council said, would alsobe trusted to work on “purposesthat are in the best interests of thecity.” The 1909 council further de-cided if the bridge cost exceeded$50,000, all bonds and warrantstaken out for the bridge would bevoided.

Shortly after the bridge’s con-struction, ferries that had previ-ously transported residents backand forth across the river were nolonger in service. Residents fromthe time reported the bridge’scompletion was the cause of muchcelebration, with Ontario’s firstfair held shortly thereafter.

Bridge connects statesSnake River Bridge serves as a vital

link between Idaho and Oregon‘IT USED TO BE one old, narrow bridge. If someonetried to have two cars go across, you’d scrapepaint.’Tom GrayMalheur County Historical Society

SEAN HARTARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOStories were once a common

method of spreading informationand passing down history throughthe generations.

The founding of Ontario is oneof these stories, a historic gempassed down by the ancestors ofthe city that gives insight, if notan exact record, of how Ontariocame to be.

Ontario was founded June 11,1883, east of the Snake River andsouth of the Malheur River, nearwhere the two meet, according toOntario historian Hugh Lackey,whose family was among the firstin the area.

Lackey said a couple woodenbuildings existed south of Ontarioprior to that in an area known asthe Siding, which was later re-named Mortonville after Lackey’srelative Joseph Morton whoowned one of the buildings, butthe coming railroad helped deter-mine the present site of Ontario.

“Before Ontario was started therailroad was building throughhere,” Lackey said.

The Oregon Short Line railroad

was being constructed westwardfrom Wyoming to meet up with theOregon Railway and NavigationCompany’s eastward lines fromPortland, and several settlers in-tended to take advantage of theenhanced domestic infrastruc-ture, the Ontario Chamber ofCommerce Web site reports.

“William Morfitt, James W.Virtue, Daniel Smith and Mrs.Mary Richardson each exercisedtheir desert land right on four sec-tions that had a common meetingpoint — behind the old Ontariocity hall,” according to the article.

The four settlers were living inthe Malheur City area, north ofOntario toward Baker City,Lackey explained, and in thosedays, the government would allowwhite males and married womento claim 160 acres of land that wasunoccupied as their own property.

“Morfitt was smart enough to re-alize they needed a town along therailroad,” Lackey said. “He wasthe one who brought the others.”

With four 160-acre quadrants,the group could create a town thatwas one square mile, large enoughto establish a formidable stop forthe railroad.

Morfitt, who was a civil engi-

neer in addition to owning a storein Malheur City, surveyed the site,Lackey said.

Morfitt, he said, took the north-east quarter, while Richardsonclaimed the northwest quarter,Smith the southwest and Virtuethe southeast.

Prior to the completion of therailroad, which would eventuallypropel the growth of the smalltown, the builders of the railroadwere contemplating running therail through the area on the eastside of the Snake River.

In an attempt to protect hissquare-mile, homesteaded busi-ness venture and town-to-be,Morfitt persuaded the railroadcompany to take the railroad onthe west side of the river.

“Morfitt went over to Caldwelland talked to this guy that ran therailroad, and they traded some ofVirtue’s land on the southeast sideof town,” Lackey said. “I guessthat made it worth it for them tocome on the west side of the riv-er.”

As though persuading the rail-road to actually come through thetown that was being built to pros-per from it wasn’t enough of a has-sle for its founders, they disagreedon what it should be called, mostlybecause they wanted the town’sname to reflect something aboutthemselves.

Virtue wanted to name the newtown after his old homeland,


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SEE FOUNDING | PAGE 33

‘MORFITT WENT over to Caldwell and talked to thisguy that ran the railroad, and they traded some ofVirtue’s land on the southeast side of town. I guessthat made it worth it for them to come on the westside of the river.’Hugh LackeyLocal historian


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screening in the fall of 1953.“They sat us all in front of a TV

and all the parents in the back try-ing to figure out how to buy one ...This is a movie in a box. Gosh,this is amazing,” he remembersthinking. “This was like the 20thcentury coming to Ontario.”

Oxnam, though, like Phillips,found the excitement changed toroutine as he came home fromschool and watched TV withfriends before his family’s set, the

only one in the neighborhood.During the winter, they alsowatched more often.

“It became part of our lives.Just like everyone else. Beforethat you were reading books ordoing whatever, then you wereglued to the tube. ... It kindaopened the world up and madeeasy access,” he said. “I can re-member when we got our thirdchannel. We thought we had theworld.”

Hathaway noticed TV broughtnew careers to Ontario and

“opened up people,” she said.“It really changed the way

things were done. We had thenews and we had pictures. ... It re-ally propelled things.”

Information arrived faster,Hathaway said, noting newsreelscould be shown a month laterwhile newscasts came on TV dai-ly. And it became possible for thenation to witness something atthe same time, she said.

“I think it started to changelives when it got to be such an in-stant communication,” Hathaway

said. As a child growing up,Hathaway remembers listening toFranklin Roosevelt’s firesidechats, then realizing how differ-ent it was to be able to see things,not just hear the programs. Whileothers watched black and whiteTV, Phillips said her father addedcolor to their set.

“You had a green plastic filmthat stuck to the screen,” she said,describing Westcott’s purchase as“chartreuse Saran wrap” that cre-ated no distinguishable colors,just green.

FROM PAGE 30

TV: ‘I remember when we got our third channel ... We thought we had the world’

Ontario, Canada, according to theChamber of Commerce Web site,but Morfitt wished for the town tobe named after his daughter, Ione,who came to be the town’s firstteacher, and Richardson also sug-gested a name.

“The three of them were sayingthey wanted to name the town,”Lackey said, “The history bookssay that the name was drawn froma hat.”

While other stories contend theflip of a coin settled the settlers’dispute, Virtue’s moniker,Ontario, was chosen.

Each would have an initialstreet named after them, though.Roads running east and west,which are now referred to as av-enues in Ontario, were named af-ter states, and those runningnorth and south were named afterpeople.

What is now West First Streetwas originally Richardson Street,Lackey said, and West SecondStreet was Virtue Street.

“I was born and raised on VirtueStreet,” the 84-year-old recounted.

West Third Street was MorfittStreet, and West Fourth Streetwas Morton Street, Lackey said.Smith was honored with his street

on the other side of the trackswhere East Second Street is today.

Lackey said present-day OregonStreet is the only street in townwith its “original name and origi-nal location.”

“Idaho Avenue was south onestreet of where it is today,” hesaid, explaining the name waschanged in 1937 with the installa-tion of the railway underpass tothe road that traveled out of townacross the bridge to Idaho.

The founding of Ontario provedto be a profitable venture forMorfitt, Virtue, Smith andRichardson. When the railroadwas completed, Ontario began to

grow into a well-utilized port.“It was the biggest cattle ship-

ping point west of the Mississippi(River),” Lackey said. “It stayedthat way until they built the rail-way toward Burns,” at which timeVale and other towns reducedOntario’s rail monopoly in thearea.

Now, 125 years later, the citybuilt in anticipation of the rail-road — which may have ended upin Idaho, if not for the proactivepersuasion of the town’sfounders, is still known by thename that was chosen at random,and the story of the founding ofOntario lives on.

FROM PAGE 32

FOUNDING: City’s name was through chance by its four founders

34 Argus Observer Sunday, October 5, 2008

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ONTARIOOntario has long been the

largest city in Malheur County,but despite several attempts byOntario merchants and heateddebate in local newspapers, thesmaller community of Vale,about 15 miles east of Ontario,has kept the status of countyseat, which it was granted, albeittemporarily, when the countywas created.

In 1887, Baker County was di-vided into two separate counties,a southern portion of the initialcounty being devoted to the newMalheur County, according to thecity of Vale Web site.

The county was named afterthe Malheur River, which derivedits moniker from trappersaround 1813.

After successful beaver trap-ping in the area, trappers wereforced to leave behind some oftheir furs because they had a fullload. When they returned, the

trappers found their furs hadbeen taken by local NativeAmerican tribes and named theriver “Malheur,” which is Frenchfor “bad hour.”

When the Oregon legislaturedivided Baker County, Vale wasgiven temporary county seat sta-tus of Malheur County, and thefirst county court session washeld April 7, 1887, according toJournal A of the commissioner’sproceedings of the time, which isstill available for viewing at theMalheur County Court House inVale today.

“Sealed proposals will be re-ceived up to and including May 2,1887,” according to the proceed-ings report the day following theinitial session, “for furnishing abuilding suitable for a CourtHouse said building to be situat-ed at Vale, Malheur County,Oregon.”

According to the County Courtproceedings on May 4, 1887, thecounty did not receive any bidsfor a building to be rented to thecounty as a court house, so the

county clerk was to advertise forbids to have one built by June 20,1887. Also that day, L.B. Rinehartoffered to lease the county forfour years a 200-square-foot par-cel of land at a fee of $1 per yearfor a court house.

Malheur County’s first courthouse was constructed in Vale,the city’s Web site reports, at acost of $1,400 in 1887.

The following year, a county-wide election to determine thecounty seat was held, with sever-al local communities — includ-ing Vale, Ontario and JordanValley — on the ballot hoping tobe honored with the title. Vale re-ceived the most votes in the firststage of the election, with JordanValley in second place andOntario receiving third. Vale didnot receive the majority of votesnecessary to win, so a run-offelection was held between the toptwo contenders, with Vale earn-ing its majority, 459 votes, overJordan Valley, which received138, according to MalheurCounty’s Web site.

This election did not put an endto the county seat dispute, how-ever.

According to information fromthe Oregon Historical CountyRecords Guide, there were “sev-

eral years of rivalry between lo-calities” about the county seat lo-cation prior to the constructionof the county’s second courthouse in 1902.

Malheur County’s second courthouse, according to informationfrom the county’s Web site, was atwo-story, stone structure builton land donated by Rinehart, anda committee raised $10,000 to do-nate toward the building.

The county seat dispute againresurfaced in 1914, spurred bythe citizens of Ontario and theOntario Commercial Club.

“To the tax payers of MalheurCounty Oregon,” a documentfrom the Ontario CommercialClub signed by club PresidentJames A. Lackey and SecretaryHarry B. Grauel reads,“Whereas, the citizens of TheCity of Ontario, Oregon, are cir-culating a petition for a CountySeat election in November, 1914,this is to certify that if the elec-tors vote to move the County Seatto The City of Ontario, the citi-zens of The City of Ontario willerect a Court House free of costto the taxpayers of MalheurCounty, said Court House to costTwenty Five Thousand


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ONTARIO Among the dignitaries to visit Ontario, the

one person who most likely remains in thememories of many was Robert F. Kennedy.Kennedy visited Ontario in the late 1960s,while on the campaign trail for the presi-dential elections. Two weeks following hisvisit, he was assassinated in Los Angeles.

During 1968, when there were fewer stateprimary elections and Oregon was still amajor player in presidential campaigns,Kennedy, who was seeking the Democraticnomination for president, made a swingthrough Eastern Oregon, stopping inOntario, May 22.

Kennedy landed at the Ontario airport,and Terry Thompson, a Malheur CountySheriff deputy, was appointed by SheriffBob Ingram to drive the convertible carKennedy would ride in from the airport tothe rally, which was conducted on the streetin front of the Ontario Train Depot.

Thompson, now Malheur County justice ofthe peace, recalls several car dealers inOntario donated vehicles for the Kennedymotorcade.

Thompson said, as the motorcade made its

way through town, it would stop occasional-ly so Kennedy could greet people on thesidewalks.

“There was quite a crowd,” Thompsonsaid.

The Argus Observer reported approxi-mately 2,000 to 6,000 people attended the ral-ly, and 300 people greeted Kennedy and hisentourage, who arrived in a 4-engine DC-4,after a stop in Baker City.

Though Kennedy joked during the rally itwas his “life ambition” to visit Ontario,Thompson said he overheard a remark byKennedy to a campaign aide that revealed adifferent attitude.

“I’ll be glad when we get out from theseone-horse towns,” Thompson quotedKennedy as saying.

“People around him were very demand-ing,” Thompson said. “He had SecretService.”

Other than that, there was little drama tohis duty in driving the presidential candi-date, Thompson said.

One of Kennedy’s major campaign themeswas his opposition to America’s involve-ment in Vietnam.

Two weeks later, the Argus Observer re-ported on the shooting of Kennedy in LosAngeles.

Kennedy wasn’t the only famous politicianto visit Ontario.

Four years prior to Kennedy’s visit,Ontario welcomed another famous politi-cian running for the Republican nominationfor president, Nelson Rockefeller.Rockefeller rolled into town, March 30, 1964.Following breakfast at the Eastside Cafe, theNew York governor spoke to about 1,500 stu-dents and people from the public.

He was introduced by state Sen. TonyYturri.

The Ontario visit was the opening stop ofRockefeller’s swing through Oregon andCalifornia, in his attempt to win the nomi-nation against Barry Goldwater.

Kennedy visits OntarioPresidential candidate camethrough city just two weeks

prior to his death in L.A.


Robert F. Kennedy greets patrons as he makes his way to the Ontario TrainDepot on May 22, 1968.

PAT CALDWELLARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOThe first emotion local histori-

ans and Ontario residents HughLackey and Eunice Guerrant re-call after hearing about theJapanese Imperial Navy’s attackon Pearl Harbor on Sunday, Dec.7 1941, was shock.

Lackey and Guerrant stood atdifferent ends of the age spec-trum and therefore viewed thehistoric day through a differentlens.

Guerrant found out about thenews when she and her familyreached her grandparents’house at Washoe.’

“They told us Pearl Harborhad been bombed,” Guerrantsaid.

The news however, was impor-tant not that important for theeighth-grader.

“It didn’t make that much ofan impact on me,” she said.

Lackey, then a senior in highschool, said there was a hugeamount of uncertainty aroundthe valley in the wake of thenews of the attack.

“We were worried about whatthe Japanese were going to do,”he said.

Rumors, he said, were epidem-ic.

“There was a rumor they (theJapanese Navy) was going to at-tack the West Coast,” he said.

Lack of information hauntedeveryone, Lackey said.

“We didn’t know what to do.

We did not have good informa-tion,” he said.

If there did not appear to be alot of information readily acces-sible early on, by Thursday thefront page of the weekly OntarioArgus, was full of war news.

“Entire county, as is nation,Aroused by Unprovoked Attackby Japanese on PacificPossession — Civilian DefenseOrganizations are Perfected”blared the top headline, acrossthe front page on the Thursday,Dec. 11 Ontario Argus.

The front page of the Dec. 11edition contained 11 stories re-garding the new war.

The stories ran the spectrum.Some were focused on the inter-national aspect of the event(“Hundreds sign for enrollmentunder civil defense program”),to a piece on local ties with thehistorical happening (“OnlyOntarian Receives Cable fromWar Zone”).

In “Only Ontarian ReceivesCable from War Zone,” the read-ers learned of Mrs. Harry Fullerwho discovered her husband,who was on Midway Island, wassafe.

Another story reflected onGene Stewart, a WillametteUniversity football player withlocal ties. Stewart, according tothe Dec. 11, 1941, Ontario Argus,was in Honolulu, during the at-tack. Stewart’s team, along witha gridiron squad from San JoseCollege, was in Honolulu for theweekend for a series of footballgames.

Stewart, along with the rest ofthe players on the Willamettefootball team, was enlisted aspart of the Honolulu policeforce, according to the story.

In another front page story, theOntario Argus reported armedguards would patrol Ontario’stiny airport.

“No person now is permittedto enter the municipal airportduring daylight hours underany conditions without firsthaving received written permis-sion to do so from either CaseyJones, manager, Mayor ElmoSmith or Marshall H.C.Farmer,” the story said.

Another story described howall funds of Japanese aliens ondeposit in the Ontario Branch ofthe United States National Bankof Portland were frozen.

Despite the war news, moremundane information was alsoon the front page that Dec. 11, in-cluding a story about a straypronghorn in Juntura named“Orphan Annie” that had died.

The pronghorn apparentlywas something of a local town

mascot and some speculated theanimal died of a “broken heart”because a motorcar that servedthe railroad branch line fromOntario to Burns was discontin-ued.

“Folk at Juntura are not cer-tain that Annie did not die of abroken heart, grieving for thepassing of the ‘the GallopingGoose,’ the motor car that for-merly served the branch linefrom Ontario to Burns. Sinceshe was but a tyke, so to speak,Annie met ‘the Goose,’ twiceevery day. She was certain ofher reward, lumps of sugarfrom Paul Cayou, the conductor,for faithful appearance. Everyday after the train was pulled offAnnie appeared on the scene.Soon she demonstrated that shemourned. She started to growthin, and Saturday she died,”the Ontario Argus reported.

According to the paper, thewhole community turned out tosee the pronghorn buried and tomourn her passing.

Meanwhile, the war in thePacific churned on.


Valley shakes in wake of Pearl HarborResidents recall historic moment

($25,000.00) Dollars.”The petition to remove the

county seat from Vale to Ontariowas filed at the county court byOntario resident W.E. Lees, ac-cording to a Sept. 5, 1914,Malheur Enterprise newspaperarticle.

The petition had 2,508 signa-tures from county residents —more people than had voted inthe previous election and enoughto be placed on the ballot — ac-cording to a Sept. 10, 1914,Ontario Argus article.

During the next severalmonths, until the general elec-tion, Nov. 3, 1914, newspapersthroughout the area — theOntario Argus, the OntarioDemocrat, the Parma Review, theJuntura Times, the FruitlandBanner, Vale’s MalheurEnterprise and Nyssa’s Gate City

Journal — began reporting onand debating the issue with read-ers’ letters, political cartoons, ed-itorials and articles.

The Taxpayers League, formedin Vale, provided consolidatedopposition to OntarioCommercial Club’s promotion ofthe county seat change and as-serted moving the county courtwould cost taxpayers $200,000,which was an estimate that wasless than the cost of court housesin Baker City and Caldwell, ac-cording to a publication circulat-ed by the Taxpayers League.

Notice of an Ontario specialbond election, in which Ontarioresidents would vote whether ornot to levy a bond for $30,000 topurchase a site and construct acourt house and jail for the coun-ty — was published in a Sept. 17,1914, Ontario Democrat article.

The bond measure passed and adrawing of the proposed court

house Ontario would build free ofcharge for the county appearedin an Oct. 1, 1914, article in theOntario Argus.

The debate heated up amongthe press in the coming month,with headlines like “Charge thatcourt house offer is a bribe ex-ploded,” Ontario Democrat, Oct.2, 1914, “Vale knocks the MalheurCounty farmers all the time,”Ontario Argus, Oct. 8, 1914,“Some Easy Money Grabbers atVale,” Ontario Democrat, Oct. 8,1914, and “A cheap bunch ofnewspapers at Ontario,”Malheur Enterprise, Oct. 10,1914.

A group of 39 Ontario citizenshad a “Bond to GuarantyConstruction of Court House”notarized Oct. 19, 1914, whichsought to place those citizenspersonally reliable for the cost ofa court house — not the county— if it was moved to Ontario.

But attorney’s Lionel R.Webster, Portland, John L. Rand,Baker City, and circuit judge GeoE. Davis, Vale, claimed such abond was not legally valid in a re-sponse.

Calls for debates between thepromoters of each side of the ar-gument and allegations of mis-statements continued to be print-ed in the papers until after theelection.

Atop the front page of the Nov.7, 1914, edition of the MalheurEnterprise, the headline put anend to the dispute: “The countyseat remains at Vale!: Vale re-ceives 80 per cent of all the coun-ty vote.”

The final count came in withVale receiving 2,688 votes andOntario getting 2,362 votes, with80 percent of the county popula-tion, not including the two townsin question, voting in favor of thecounty seat remaining in Vale.

FROM PAGE 36

SEAT: Final vote concluded with Vale receiving 326 more votes than Ontario

‘WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT what the Japanesewere going to do. There was a rumor they (theJapanese Navy) was going to attack the WestCoast. We didn’t know what to do. We did not havegood information.’

Hugh LackeyLongtime Ontario resident


Malheur Bell has a very rich historywith roots dating back to the early daysof Malheur County. We have alwaysbeen your hometown telephone compa-ny. Throughout the years, our goal hasbeen to provide the absolute best quali-ty service possible to the folks in ourpart of the Treasure Valley.

The first telephone service in MalheurCounty was established in 1895 at Vale,OR by the Malheur TelephoneCompany. It was not until 1898 that thisexchange was connected to the outsideworld, at which time the RockyMountain Bell constructed a toll linebetween Boise and Weiser, Idaho.

Throughout all the changes, one thinghas remained the same... Malheur Bellhas always been a local phone companywhere the people making the decisionand providing the service are yourneighbors. Malheur Bell is your localphone company, and the team atMalheur bell is always working to pro-vide you the best possible servicebecause you are important to us. Westrive to keep every interaction person-al and professional because we value thetrust you have placed in us.


ONTARIOTreasure Valley Community

College has provided many arearesidents with the opportunity topursue higher education. Therehave been many improvements tothe school through the years, butthe attitude under which it wasestablished remains the same.

“The school was started back in1962,” Abby Lee, TVCC’s directorof public information, said. “For40 years, we have served studentsfrom this entire region.”

According to TVCC’s Web site,the college was founded as part ofthe Oregon Community Collegesystem. Classes were originallyheld outside of regular schoolhours at Ontario High School.

“Members of the (Chamber ofCommerce) put up $200 to pro-mote the plan (to construct acampus for the college),” accord-ing to an article in the ArgusObserver’s “Ontario’s 100 Years”centennial edition publication,which also stated it took John

Easly seven years to persuade theChamber of Commerce to sup-port the effort.

Lee said the college moved toits current home, 650 CollegeBlvd., Ontario, in 1965. She saidthe 90-acres TVCC sits on used to

be a golf course.“The city owned the golf course

... (and) gave this land to the col-lege district,” she said. “For themost part, I think the neighborshave been pleased. The wholecommunity enjoys the campus.”

The first students at the cam-pus attended classes at the newlocation’s only structure, the ad-ministration building, which wasrenamed Barber Hall in 2000.


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In this old photo, two Treasure Valley Community College students sit inside the once-open air fountain area of the administration building, which was renamed BarberHall in 2000, that now has a roof and is the location of the Barber Bistro.

SEE TVCC | PAGE 41

During its sophomore year, the college be-gan to expand with the addition of morebuildings, according to its Web site, and hasgrown to include 13 structures.

Recently, the college added a residence hallto replace the old dorms. Lee said this wasthe first construction on campus since theWeese building, which houses the library,was completed.

The college has grown, though, with the ad-dition of an educational center in Caldwell in2003 that serves about 500 students annually,Lee said.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug.27 for a new TVCC Caldwell Center in the SkyRanch Business Center, south of U.S.Highway 20-26, east of Exit 29 on Interstate84.

Construction on the new facility will beginthis fall, and students should be able to attendclasses there in the fall of 2009.

Plans for new growth at the Ontario cam-pus continue to be developed.

“We have a building we are working to-ward,” Lee said. “It will be called theUniversity Science Center.”

Upon its completion, Lee explained, scienceclasses will be moved from Barber Hall to thenew state-of-the-art facility.

Lee said the state has agreed to pay half ofthe $5.5 million projected cost, and the collegeis hoping to begin construction of the build-ing in 2010.

Even with expansion, Lee said, TreasureValley Community College continues to pro-vide students with “a variety of experiencesthat you might not be able to have at a larger

school.”“It’s still a welcoming place. Students are

able to have a one-on-one relationship with

the faculty,” she said. “Some teachers havebeen known to go up to the dorms and wakestudents up.”

In addition to the interaction with the pro-fessors, Lee cited the school’s size as an asset.Rather than large, auditorium classes taughtby graduate students, Treasure ValleyCommunity College provides a more involvedatmosphere.

“We offer small classes with teachers thatactually teach the classes and I don’t see thatchanging,” she said.

A few things, though, are noticeably differ-ent now at the college than when it began.

Treasure Valley used to have a football pro-gram until about 1980, Lee said. The 1967team finished the season undefeated andranked third in the nation among junior col-leges.

“Some of our programs have changed,” Leesaid. “One of our (first) P.E. classes was disco,and now we have yoga.”

Lee said the core programs at the school,such as agriculture, have remained the samebut have kept up with industry-wide changes,such as technology.

“Technology plays a role in all our pro-grams,” she said. “Ten years ago, teachersdid not use PowerPoint.”

Because of its close relationship to the com-munity, TVCC is also able to quickly fine-tuneits programs to provide a greater benefit toarea students.

“In 1999, within six months, we had a fully-developed an early childhood education pro-gram in response to No Child Left Behindmandates,” Lee said. “Whenever there is acommunity need ... we are able to adapt tomeet those needs.”


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FROM PAGE 40

TVCC: College has plans to continue its structural growth in the following years

PHOTO COURTESY OF TVCC

Throughout the last four decades, Treasure Valley Community Collegehas adapted to changes in education, technology and culture. ‘One ofour (first) classes was disco,’TVCC’s Director of Public Information AbbyLee said. ‘Now we have yoga.’


District shuts down Lindbergh


ONTARIOThe former Lindbergh

Elementary School has been afixture in the hearts of minds ofmany Ontario residents, as nearand dear to their hearts as otherelementary keepsakes such asmacaroni necklaces and hand-made Valentine’s Day cards. Withthe help of one state agency, theschool building still serves as abase to educate the youth who en-ter its doors.

Lindbergh Elementary Schoolwas built on the eastern part ofOntario in 1913 and called EastSide School. The building is stillsituated at its current location —482 S.E. Third St. in Ontario.Early in its history, the schoolhad its name changed toLindbergh School after the fa-mous aviator Charles Lindbergh.In 1945-46, there were four teach-ers employed at the school andGertrude More serving as princi-pal. The original building was re-placed in 1949, according to theArgus Observer Mid-Century edi-tion.

In the 1990s, the school becamethe focus of discussions as the 8CSchool District decided to consol-idate its resources from the six el-ementary schools open at thetime — Alameda, Aiken, MayRoberts, Lindbergh Pioneer andCairo — to five, closingLindbergh. However, accordingto Argus Observer articles fromthe time, this was not the only op-tion.

One option was to enlargeAiken, Alameda, and MayRoberts to serve all elementaryschool students, with students inkindergarten through secondgrade attending May Roberts,and grades three through five at-tending Alameda and Aiken. Theplan proposed closing Cairo,Lindbergh and Pioneer Schools.

Another option was to teachkindergartners at Aiken, enlarg-ing Alameda to teach grades firstthrough third, and designatingCairo and Pioneer as “traditionalschools”, allowing parents tochoose what school they wouldlike their child to attend. In thisplan, similar to the first option,Lindbergh was slated to beclosed.

Another option was to create anew high school on a new site,with the old high school remod-eled to serve as the new middle

school and the middle schoolcampus used to teach students inthird through fifth grades. MayRoberts would then be expandedto teach students in kindergartenthrough second grades. In thisplan, Alameda, Aiken, Cairo, andPioneer schools would be closed.

During the Jan. 25, 1994, schoolboard meeting, resident and cur-rent mayor Joe Dominick, wholater served on the school board,asked why having 1,300 childrenin six schools was not economi-cally sound, as officials had as-serted.

“We don’t believe it’s economi-cally efficient to operate six ele-mentary schools if we could con-solidate resources,” Chair JaneBrabb responded.

At the meeting, Director AlanDaniels asserted the districtwould save $180,000 initially byclosing Lindbergh.

Ultimately, the district opted toclose Lindbergh , stating it wouldbe better for the district finan-cially to close the school, ratherthan spending funds to bring thefacility up to code. Currently, theOregon Child DevelopmentCoalition, a non-profit organiza-tion based in Wilsonville, whichhelps the children of farmwork-ers across 12 Oregon counties, oc-cupies the building.

The organization utilizes thebuilding as a Migrant andSeasonal Headstart.

Program Director Lori Clarksaid the building underwent “ alot of work” when OCDC tookover.

“We put bathrooms and sinksin about every classroom,” shesaid. “We painted inside and

out.”Clark said the Oregon State

Child Care Division certifies thebuilding annually, which in-cludes inspections by the firemarshal and the county sanitari-an.

The facility has also undergonemore recent changes, with a play-ground remodel last year.

Current Ontario SchoolDistrict Superintendent DennisCarter said some residents ques-tioned why it was financially vi-able for Oregon ChildDevelopment Coalition to revampthe establishment, while theschool district opted to close thefacility.

“Federal grants would not letthem build a new school but al-lowed them to remodel it,” Cartersaid.

Because building a new schoolwould not allow OCDC to takesome of these grants, Carter saidOCDC opted to remodelLindbergh.

“It needed a lot of work,”Carter said. “The work that itneeded was more than it was go-ing to be worth had they not got itfunded.”

Clark said the school now hasaround 120 students, who have to

qualify for the program in orderto enroll. This program, she said,means the family has to have 50percent of its income comingfrom agriculture.

She said also she has seen en-rollment drop from about 350when she first started to its cur-rent numbers.

The reason for this change, shesaid, is because workers are nolonger paid by the amount ofwork they do, rather they nowfall under Oregon’s minimumwage law.

“The farmers can’t afford it,”she said, citing a move to moremachine-based farming.

The school remains open formuch of the year, with Decembermarking a month-long break forstudents, allowing teachers toprepare for the next school year.Throughout the year, the pro-gram works to educate the chil-dren who come through the largedoors with a sign still proclaim-ing the building as LindberghSchool.

In the midst of the woodensign, a tiny air plane heralds dayslong past while the overlappingvoices of children echoingthroughout the building signifywhat is yet to come.

KATIE PIZZA | ARGUS OBSERVER

The exterior of the former Lindbergh Elementary School, which currently functions as a Migrant and Seasonal Headstart operated by the Oregon Child DevelopmentCoalition, a non-profit organization based in Wilsonville, Oregon. After a great deal of discussion in the mid-90s, the 8C School District closed the school, stating is wasnot financially viable to keep six Ontario elementary schools open.

Oregon ChildDevelopment Coalition

continues to utilizebuilding

‘THE WORK THAT IT needed was more than it wasgoing to be worth had they not got it funded.’

Dr. Dennis CarterOntario School District


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ONTARIOSitting on a hill above Ontario

and the valley below looms SnakeRiver Correctional Institution,the largest correctional facility inOregon and a structure that oncesparked widespread controversybut has now evolved into a localfixture.

SRCI administrators say theybelieve the prison facility has be-come a good neighbor since itopened in August 1991.

Many would agree. Back in1991, however, the entire prospectof a prison nearby created tur-moil among many residents.

In 1991, opponents did not be-lieve the prison could be a “goodneighbor,” but proponents advo-cated the prison would provide aneconomic boost to the area by cre-ating many jobs. The controversythat resulted was just as big asthe construction itself, makingthe opening of SRCI one of thetop 25 news events in the city’shistory.

THE CONTROVERSY“Oh, it was a huge deal at the

time,” Ontario Police Chief MikeKee, who was still an officer then,recalled.

Kee said the issue divided thecommunity and admitted he“bought into the hype” and wasvehemently opposed to the idea ofthe multi-security facility beingbuilt on the edge of town.

“I remember because it was go-ing to affect our quality of life,”Kee said with a bit of a laugh.

Kee said, at the time, the com-

mon fears and arguments againstthe prison were it was going tobring all the prisoners’ familiesto the area; Ontario residentswere going to be in danger be-cause of inmate escapes; the ex-convicts were going to be releasedin Ontario; and the crime ratewas going to go through the roof.

“Geez, there were all kinds ofthings,” he said. “I just can’t re-member all of the issues, but,geez, it was huge.”

Kee can laugh at himself whenhe remembers he believed all of

those arguments because, as itturns out, they all were wrong. Inreality, he said, it’s too expensivefor prisoners’ families to followthem to the area, and few have.The inmates, once released, arenot turned loose in Ontario butare returned to the county theywere sentenced in. The crime ratehas not jumped through the roof.And escapee inmates are notlurking in the streets of Ontario,hiding from the law. In fact, Keesaid, he has since learned es-capees are not likely to head to-ward the lights and well-populat-ed areas, and escapes have notbeen a common occurrence any-way.

“I think they’ve had one escapethat I can remember,” he said,adding, if he recalls correctly, theprisoner was caught in ruralIdaho, and a resident had severe-ly injured the man in the process.

The controversy even sparked arecall of a county judge and coun-ty commissioner who had helpedpush Ontario as the site for theprison.

Judge Maxwell T. Lieuranceand Malheur CountyCommissioner Don Cox were in-

SRCI opens in August 1991Prison project created

turmoil amongresidents


The Snake River Correctional Institution is the state’s largest correctional facility. Built in 1991, the prison wasa point of controversy among area residents.

SEE SRCI | PAGE 45


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SRCI: Group of residents collected signatures in an effort to launch a recall votestrumental in getting the prisonbuilt in Ontario and worked withstate officials in Ontario being se-lected as the location, Lieurance’swidow, Marcia Lieurance, said.

“They went to bat and took allthe guff from everybody who did-n’t want the prison,” she said.

She said a small group of localresidents who were opposed tothe prison went so far as to collectsignatures on a petition for a re-call of her husband and Cox.

The group successfully gath-ered enough names to hold a re-call election, but on March 13,1990, the group’s effort failedhandily. Of the votes, 1,622 werein favor of recalling Lieurance,with 3,799 opposed, and Cox gar-nered 1,664 yes votes, 3,768against.

Marcia Lieurance said her hus-band and Cox advocated Ontarioas the site of a prison becausethey wanted to help stimulate thefailing local economy.

“Well, this county was a countyin a deep decline,” she said,adding buildings were closing bythe dozen. “It was really goingdown hill.”

In the late 1980s, then-Gov. NeilGoldschmidt announced a num-ber of new prisons would be builtin Oregon, and Lieurance andCox completed all of the neces-sary paperwork and advocated

Ontario during the selectionprocess.

“And you know how successfulit is,” Marcia Lieurance said. “Idon’t know where Ontario wouldbe right now without that prisonout there.”

While she said Payette andFruitland may have benefitedmore because of the housinggrowth the prison spurred inthose two cities, the prison creat-ed a great number of jobs, whichshe thinks helped stimulate thelagging commercial retail sectorin Ontario.

“There was nothing out there inthat K-Mart/Wal-Mart area,” shesaid.

THE PRISON AND COMMUNITYThe first phase of the prison

was completed and opened inAugust 1991 with 576 medium-se-curity and 72 minimum-securitybeds. Phase 1 cost a little morethan $42 million. In 1995, the stateLegislature approved an expendi-ture of $175 million — the largeststate general funded public worksproject in Oregon’s history — tocomplete phase 2.

Phase 2, which was completedin November of 1998, includedconstruction of the remaining2,376 beds. The prison, which sitson 538 acres and is 1,025,000square feet, is the largest in the

state and houses 2,930 inmateswith nearly 900 employees, 45contractors and 270 volunteersworking there, according to infor-mation from prison officials.

“We’re really the second largestcity in Malheur County,” SRCIPublic Relations CoordinatorAmber Campbell said.

“It’s quite an impact on thecommunity,” SRCI Director MarkNooth agreed.

Nooth, who came to SRCI fromNew Jersey in 2003 as the assis-tant superintendent and who hasspent his career working in cor-rections, said, in his experience,prisons can make large impactsin smaller cities and counties,which he thinks has been done inOntario.

“Prisons tend to be good neigh-bors,” he said.

Both he and Campbell agree, af-ter housing and trying to rehabil-itate inmates, being a good neigh-bor is one of the top priorities ofthe prison, and SRCI has formedbusiness partnerships in the com-munity, such as with Holy RosaryMedical Center.

Inmates do various public serv-ices and projects with inmatework crews, such as setting upthe fairgrounds, shoveling snow,feeding senior citizens, doingwork for Help Them To Hope,Festival of Trees and Four Rivers

Cultural Center. They also workon inmate firefighting crews forthe state. One of the first big proj-ects prison inmates worked onwas the Treasure ValleyCommunity College Ore-Idasports complex.

“We can provide a lot of com-munity services,” Nooth said.

The prison also has an annualfundraiser in February that bene-fits the local food bank, and otherfundraisers. Campbell estimatesthe prison donates enough for ap-proximately 75,000 to 100,000pounds of food.

“We do events all year long,”she said.

Nooth said, overall, SRCI triesto be a very good neighbor toOntario, and the service projectsand other partnership programsbenefit both Ontario and the in-mates.

And Kee, who freely admits hewas wrong about SRCI, has re-vised his opinion since the prisonhas opened.

He said, from everything he haswitnessed as an Ontario residentand through an OPD agreementwith prison officials to use its fir-ing range, SRCI has contributedgreatly and positively to Ontario.

“I think it’s been a fantastic ad-dition to our community,” Keesaid. “I think it’s done nothingbut enhance our community.”



ONTARIOThe dedication of the “new”

Ontario High School was heldwith much fanfare and ceremony,Nov. 11, 1952, on the 50th anniver-sary of the original constructionof an Ontario High School, with aspeech from then-StateSuperintendent of Education RexPutnam.

According to the Nov. 13, 1952,edition of the Argus Observer,Putnam dedicated the school to“the future of young people andthe future of the nation.”

“If people maintain the basicideas the nation is built on it isnecessary for young people to be-come grounded in the preceptsand principles of American gov-ernment and American institu-tions,” he is quoted as saying inthe article. “That will be one ofthe important things learned inthis building.”

The dedication ceremony, whichaccompanied tours of the facilityby more than 1,000 school districtpatrons, however, was just the ex-clamation point to one of the topnews stories in Ontario’s history.

The construction of OntarioHigh School was significant on anumber of levels. The need for anew high school came right after aperiod of tremendous growth inOregon.

In 1950, when the concept of anew school was first consideredpublicly by local school district of-ficials, Ontario’s population hadgrown by 24 percent since the 1940census was taken, according toArgus Observer archives.

The influx of people in the area,and the subsequent growth of thetown and rural schools, led to thevoter-approved consolidation ofthe rural country school districts— Cairo, Pioneer, Valley View,Lincoln and Park — with theOntario School District. The con-solidation and restructuring ofthe school district boundaries, en-larging the tax base for theOntario School District, was cru-cial at the time because ruralschool students eventually madetheir way into the Ontario schoolsystem at the middle school orhigh school levels to completetheir education.

At the same time, the three-storybrick building that was the origi-nal high school was deemed insuf-ficient because it was overcrowd-ed and could not accommodatemore students; it did not meet

state standards for educational fa-cilities; and it was also fallingapart.

“The old high school? You’ve gotto be kidding. That old highschool, it was a piece of junk,” EdAspitarte, one of the teachersmade up the first faculty to teachat the new high school, said,adding the old school had pigeonsin the rafters, and the agricultureclass was shoved in a small class-room over the school’s boiler. “Itwas a piece of crap really.”

The consolidation of theschool’s district into one, and theenlarged tax base to support theschool district, however, meantOntario district officials couldadapt to the future.

“For the first time now, we are ina position to plan the size of thehigh school we will need,” then-Superintendent Arthur Kiesz wasquoted as saying in a January 1950Argus Observer article. “Every ef-fort will be made to get startedsoon. We are a little behind sched-ule on it now, but because of thesituation we have never been ableto proceed until now.”

Local architect CharlesJohnston, who worked for aPortland company, had alreadydrafted preliminary sketches, butwith the consolidation, the effortto build a new school pushedahead. The current location, onIdaho Avenue, was deemed idealbecause the 20 acres purchasedwas plenty of room at the time,and it was the biggest piece ofproperty available that was closestto town.

Voters approved the purchase ofthe ground for $25,000 in a bondmeasure. They approved a $663,000

bond for the construction inSeptember of 1950. Constructionbegan in 1951, and the buildingwas completed in time for schoolin 1952 at a cost of $718,000.

At the time, the 70,000-square-foot high school was consideredstate of the art, although membersof the 1953 OHS class, the first sen-ior class to graduate from thebuilding, were just pleased theyhad a new school that featured itsown auditorium, in-house library,3,000-square-foot agriculture shop,cafeteria, draftshop, classroomsand gymnasium.

“Well, we thought it was reallyneat because we came from athree-story stone building,” 1953OHS graduate Harold Griffin said.“It was all ground level, so it wasreally great.”

Griffin’s classmate CharleneJackson concurred and said theauditorium was a stand-out fea-ture at the school.

“It had a lot better acousticsthan Four Rivers CulturalCenter,” she said. “I mean, it wasjust like a theater. It was reallyneat when we walked down theaisle at graduation.”

While Jackson viewed the newbuilding from a teenager’s stand-point at the time, she said shethought the building was prettyimportant for the community.

“It was all new and modern,”she said. “I think everybody waspretty respectful of it. I think thekids appreciated it.”

Aspitarte, 84, however, said thebuilding meant a lot to the com-munity overall.

“The school was really a beauti-ful school in comparison to any-thing else in the valley,” he said.

“It was really quite a feat.”He said it featured the best gym-

nasium, which was built with aregulation-size basketball courtand could seat more than 800 withthe ability to seat more in the fu-ture. Overall, he said, the highschool signified the community’sstrength.

“I think it meant a lot. Gosh,” hesaid. “We were strong in every-thing. We were strong because wehad some of the nicest new facili-ties in the state.

“The community thought it wasan asset to the area,” he contin-ued. “It’s just like anything. Thenewer that it is, the better it’s go-ing to be.”

The high school looks much dif-ferent now as it has adapted fur-ther through the years to accom-modate additional growth and ed-ucational needs. The auditoriumis gone, and in its place is the cur-rent high school commons/cafete-ria. The switch was made becausethe original cafeteria and kitchenwere needed for classroom space.

The agriculture shop was alsoreplaced by classrooms, and theVo-tech building was constructedseparately from the main build-ing. A fourth wing, or the 400 hall,has since been added to the highschool. Other rooms originallyused for different purposes wereconverted into classrooms. Yetother things remain the same. Thescience rooms, for example, usedby high school students today arethe same as they were in 1952.

“Right now, if you look at the sci-ence area, it’s no good,” Aspitartesaid. “You have to have better sci-ence facilities. They were good sci-ence facilities at the time.

OHS celebrates new schoolState Superintendent ofEducation Rex Putnam

attends 1952 event


The construction of Ontario High School, which was built in 1951-1952, was a significant event for the students and community.


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ONTARIONight had settled in Ontario

when flames erupted in a vacantdowntown building on OregonStreet sometime before 11 p.m.Friday, Oct. 13, 1995. Within a cou-ple of hours the fire turned intoan inferno that swallowed thewhole of the building, and bySaturday, a longtime Ontario land-mark — the once imposing andgrand Moore Hotel — was reducedto rubble.

While the building had been va-cant since 1984, after another fireseverely damaged the interior, theblaze in 1995 wiped away the re-mainder of the building that hadpersevered and evolved sinceOntario’s early days, making itone of the top historical events ofOntario’s 125 years of history.

THE GLORY DAYSThe Moore Hotel was built in

1910 and 1911 by prominentOntario businessman T.H. Moorejust as Ontario was beginning totake its shape as a regional hub forEastern Oregon and WesternIdaho. While originally more mod-est in size than it later became,

with 45 rooms to start that soongrew to 60, the hotel was designedas a more upscale establishmentthat catered to the numbers ofpeople who came to Ontario dailyat the time to take their ranch live-stock to auction or conduct otherbusiness.

As a girl, former editor of theArgus Observer Chris Moore, whowent on to marry T.H. Moore’sgrandson Bill, stayed at the hotel anumber of times when her familytraveled from their ranch inJordan Valley so her father coulddo business in the area. Shelaughs when she remembers din-ing in the establishment’s granddining room with her mother, twoyounger brothers and sister. Shesaid the restaurant was fancy,with nice tablecloths, plates, sil-verware and even finger bowls.Moore said she and her siblingsdid not know what the little bowlssitting on the tables were, so theirmother explained they were sup-posed to dip their fingers in thebowls and dry them off with anapkin before eating.

“Well, my brothers weren’tabout to do that, and I just pre-tended to rinse my fingers,” shesaid. Moore also said the hotel hada “fantastic, huge” fireplace in the

“enormous” main lobby that wasfaced with Indian artifacts andfossils. A large room used fordances, meetings and conventionswas situated next to the diningroom, and throughout the hotel,she said, nice wooden furnitureand other pieces, some antiques atthe time and all antique now, deco-rated the building.

“It was kind of the showplace ofsoutheast Oregon,” she said. “Andit was a fashionable thing to stayat the Moore Hotel, and it was

quite plush. It was quite a show-place.”

While popular for cattlemen’sconventions and other ranchersand farmers to stay at, the hotelbecame a gathering place for thelocal community as well, Mooresaid. The Ontario Chamber ofCommerce used the building forquite awhile, she said, and the ho-tel also housed the local bus depotin the 1940s through 1960s.

City loses historic landmark in 1995 fire


The Moore Hotel was destroyed Friday, Oct. 13, 1995, by a fire. The building had stood empty since 1984 after an-other fire claimed the interior of the building.

Moore Hotel goes up in flames

SEE MOORE HOTEL | PAGE 53



ONTARIOA series of beeps — some short,

some long – famously set outacross a wire from Washington,D.C., to Baltimore May 24, 1844,carrying with it a message —“What hath God wrought” — andthe beginning of a new era incommunication.

Samuel F. B. Morse created theelectrical telegraph that sent themessage that was transmitted inthe code named after him, whereeach letter of the alphabet was as-signed a unique identifier usingshort and long beeps.

Based on that series of beeps,the United States’ telephone sys-tem has grown even beyond thewires that were instrumentalwhen the telegraph was intro-duced, and now cellular phonetowers dot the country, grantingaccess to the mobile communica-tion network even in many ruralareas.

When telephones first came tothe Treasure Valley, though, theywere not like cellular phones oftoday or even modern landlines.

As far as having a telephone, ithung on the wall. A person servedas the operator.

Longtime Ontario resident andlocal historian Hugh Lackey saidoperators still connected each callin 1946 when he returned fromWorld War II and got his firstphone.

“She was the one that connectedyou to the line you wanted. You

said a number, and she would plugit in,” he said.

Prior to having his own phone,Lackey said his family sharedphone services in Ontario whenhe was a youngster.

“In (1928) or ‘29, we moved nextdoor to my grandma who had aphone,” Lackey said.

He added that was the phonenumber his family could bereached at.

“It wasn’t any great problemother than she would have tocome out on the porch and shoutat whoever she needed to comeover,” he said.

Lackey recalled the phone bill

was around $4 per month in thosedays, the same as the monthlycost for city water but a lot ofmoney at the time.

Phones were only available incities at first, Lackey said, prima-rily because of the financial diffi-culties of running electrical andphone lines to residences in thecountry, until the federal govern-ment stepped in to create agreater rural infrastructure withthe implementation of the RuralElectrification Administration.

The REA was established in1935, according to informationfrom the U.S. National Archivesand Records Administration, and

was administrated by Morris L.Cooke from 1935 to 1937.

“(The REA) had to put tele-phone poles out there (in thecountry) with a line on it,” Lackeysaid. “Prior to that, the electricitywould be for the town. They wouldhave generators for the town.”

Lackey said Ontario’s electricalgenerator, along with a water tow-er, sat near where the underpassfor the railroad tracks on IdahoAvenue is today.

Lackey’s wife, Lorraine Lackey,lived with her family nearMalheur Butte when the first elec-

Telephone service came early to OntarioOperators connected

callers via switchboard


Telephone lines hang at an intersection on South Oregon Street. The train depot stands in the background.


ONTARIO While there have been floods

from time to time in MalheurCounty through the years, none ofthem covered so much territoryand caused as much damage asthe Malheur River flood of 1957.The flood, which hit Vale hardestand heavily damaged Ontario, iso-lated the county from the rest ofOregon.

“The Malheur River on theworst rampage in its history cov-ered Vale this morning (Feb. 25,1957) and roared on to Ontario,”the lead story in the Feb. 25 edi-tion of the Ontario Argus-Observer said.

Two bridges over the Malheurwere washed out north ofOntario. A dozen homes near the

mouth of the river, where it flowsinto the Snake River, also flooded.A photo shows a home four mileswest of Cairo Junction surround-ed by water.

Traffic from Ontario to mostparts of Oregon was cut off, asVale had been cut off sinceSunday afternoon (Feb. 24) andtravel north of Ontario wasstopped by Oregon State Police at9 a.m. Feb. 25.

One fatality connected to theflood was E.M. Lanterman, whodied of a heart attack while at-tempting to help with an evacua-tion.

Ontario photographer JohnEstano took pictures for the localand regional media via truck andairplane. Estano rode around andtook pictures of the flood from theback of a flat-bed truck.

“He was a good little driver,”

Estano said of the man who drovehim. “We were worried about get-ting flooded out, but only once didwe have to back up and go another

way. It was a mess.”But the two were also good

Malheur River floods in 1957Water isolates county from state


Water surrounds the Malheur Butte during the flood of 1957.

SEE TELEPHONE | PAGE 50

SEE FLOOD | PAGE 50



ONTARIO Construction of the interstate highway by

Ontario began in the late 1950s, and though ittook several more years to complete links toPortland and Boise, the freeway has had a ma-jor impact on the development in and aroundOntario. Not surprisingly, changes are continu-ing as the freeway expands on a regular basis.

Originally Interstate 80N (north), a northernbranch of Interstate 80, directional designa-tions were removed to avoid confusion acrossthe country, and Ontario’s I-80N was changedto I-84.

One of the most visible impacts the inter-state has made on the city can be found nearthe East Idaho interchange and the SnakeRiver, which even into the 1970s, was still fairlyundeveloped but is now bursting with ho-tels/motels, restaurants, stores and offices, aswell as car dealerships.

For several years, there was only one motel,now the Rodeway Inn, next to the freeway.Today, the area boasts at least eight hotels/mo-tels in the vicinity of exit 376, including thenew Holiday Inn Express & Suites, which

opened at the end of August.At four-stories high, the Holiday Inn Express

is one of the taller structures in Ontario, andhas more rooms than the former Moore Hotel.Other lodgings include Super 8, Motel 6, theBest Western, Colonial, the Holiday Inn andthe Sleep Inn, which was the last hotel to bebuilt before 2000 and the first one south of EastIdaho Avenue. Along with several hotels, twobig box stores have claimed homes in Ontario— Wal-Mart and Home Depot — positioningthemselves within a short-distance of the free-way and near the Oregon-Idaho border. Theeasy access to and from the freeway has con-tributed to other development, including theOntario Market Place, which has a variety ofsmall shops and eating establishments.

Motorists coming off the freeway have a vir-tual smorgasbord of fast-food chain restau-rants to choose from within a short distance,and there is more to come.

“It has to do with access to the freeway,” JohnBreidenbach, executive director of the OntarioChamber of Commerce, said about the devel-opment on the east side. Breidenbach noted thefreeway has brought business to Ontario at theexpense of other towns not on the freeway.

While there has been a great deal of develop-

ment around the East Idaho Avenue inter-change, the west and north sides of Ontariohaving been stirring again with the comple-tion of the Yturri Memorial Beltline in 2004and the North Ontario Interchange this fall. Adirect connection of Oregon Highway 201 tothe freeway had been discussed for more than30 years before it was accomplished and is hav-ing a major impact on traffic patterns, particu-larly now that motorists and truck drivers by-pass the major part of town to go north onOregon Highway 201 or get to the freeway.

Nearly 50 years after its original construc-tion, the North Ontario Interchange has beenrebuilt and is already boasting a major impacton the immediate area as a new truck stop andother businesses are moving in and estab-lished businesses have had to relocate. Oldroutes have been cut off and new ones are nowin place. “We’re going to have more develop-ment,” Breidenbach said.

Ontario’s location along Interstate 84, abouthalfway between Portland and Salt Lake City,is touted as a major benefit for companies look-ing for a place to locate and wanting access tomajor markets.

“It has brought the tourists,” Ontario MayorJoe Dominick said.

Interstate construction began in the 1950s

trical and phone lines were constructed thereand remembers the lack of privacy the firstphone lines provided.

“There’d be several people on one line,” shesaid adding neighbors could hear any conver-sation just by picking up the receiver in theirhome.

“You would hear the phone ring for yourneighbor’s number,” Hugh Lackey continued.He explained the different numbers on thesame line would have different patterns ofshort and long rings to distinguish the call’sintended recipient, similar to the Morse codethat inspired the system.

“When you picked up the phone and heardpeople talking that, meant the line was busy,”he said.

TELEPHONE TIMELINEWhen the phone systems were first con-

structed, the various lines in various placeswere not all connected, so calls could only bemade within a local network until lines were

created to connect the independent networks.According to information from the Malheur

Bell telephone company, Ontario’s currentphone service provider, the MalheurTelephone Company established the first tele-phone service in the county in Vale in 1895,but it only provided service locally untilRocky Mountain Bell created a toll line fromBoise to Weiser in 1898.

In 1900, the Malheur Bell Web site states,Rocky Mountain Bell began operating an ex-change in Ontario, serving 10 initial cus-tomers, and an exchange in Nyssa in 1903.

A competing company, the IndependentLong Distance Telephone Company of Idaho,also constructed a line between Weiser andBoise in 1907 that went through both Ontarioand Nyssa, according to the Web site, and localcompanies were created in both towns by 1910that competed with the original RockyMountain Bell companies.

The competition lasted about two years, theWeb site states, until the Malheur HomeTelephone Company, which was incorporatedin 1910, purchased the Malheur Telephone

Company in Vale — the Ontario and NyssaRocky Mountain Bell companies and theIndependent Long Distance TelephoneCompany’s Ontario and Nyssa locations by1912. Malheur Home Telephone Company gaveshares of its own stock to purchase the localRocky Mountain Bell companies, which leftRocky Mountain Bell holding a “controllinginterest” of the Malheur Home TelephoneCompany, according to Malheur Bell’s Website.

When Rocky Mountain Bell merged withother companies to create the Mountain StatesTelephone and Telegraph Company, this newcompany acquired primary ownership ofMalheur Home Telephone Company.

Through the years, according to the Website, Mountain States Telephone andTelegraph Company, which was commonlycalled Mountain Bell, purchased MalheurHome Telephone Company’s remaining stock,and the company operated under theMountain Bell name elsewhere and came to becalled Malheur Bell in Malheur County, thename by which it is still known today.

FROM PAGE 49

TELEPHONE: Neighbors could hear each other’s conversations by picking up receiver

Samaritans, helping people whowere stranded in their homes asthey drove around.

“What was nice was helping theolder people,” Estano said.

The flood victims were taken in-to town where they could get as-sistance.

Pilot Casey Jones took Estanoairborne for some of his shots.Estano’s pictures were publishedin the Argus Observer, IdahoStatesman, Oregonian, SeattleTimes and the wire services.

“They were sent all over the

country,” Estano, who also docu-mented the events via video, said.

A combination of warm rainsand snow sparked the great flood.Ontario schools remained open,but more than one third of thestudents were unable to get totheir classes, as roads were im-passable.

Longtime county resident LoisPage said her family lived on thenorthside of the Malheur River,near Malheur Butte, at the time.

“We had snow the day before,about 8 inches,” she said, addingthen there was also a Chinookwind. “We went to church and

couldn’t get back home.”The family stayed with her hus-

band’s parents for a few days untilthey could go home.

The local Union Pacific Railroadagent was quoted in an Argus sto-ry as saying the City of Portlandwas running eight hours behindschedule because of high waterfarther north up the line atHaines.

Pacific Railways had suspendedbus service, as its central Oregonroute was cut off.

Greyhound Bus Lines, however,was able to continue its service toPortland through the Columbia

Gorge, using Idaho highways toget past the flooding.

The Feb. 28 Argus reportedclothes and bedding supplies werebeing gathered at the Ontario FireStation. U.S. 20 to Burns was stillclosed, as was U.S. 30 at Ontario.

Local and state officials request-ed a federal disaster declarationfrom President Eisenhower. Thatdeclaration came March 1, andthe president allocated $300,000for disaster relief.

By March 4, traffic was allowedback on to Oregon Highway 201over a temporary connection viaChester Boulevard.

FROM PAGE 49

FLOOD: Local photographer Estano documented disaster with pictures and video


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ONTARIOWhen did the City of Ontario

become a municipal corporationby officially incorporating?

The date of Ontario’s founda-tion may actually be easier for thecity to celebrate than its incorpo-ration because, according to dif-ferent sources, Ontario incorpo-rated in two different years.

According to the Oregon BlueBook, Ontario incorporated in1899, whereas other sources stateOntario’s incorporation was actu-ally in 1896.

That Ontario incorporated at allis a newsworthy event in its 125-year history regardless of whichyear it took place, but because ofthe mystery behind its actual in-corporation date, it becomes allthe more significant.

The confusion behind the incor-poration dates may actually beeasy to understand, as well as thelack of information by local histo-rians and city officials regardingthe real answer. And, as it turns

out, the incorporation date of 1896as well as the 1899 date may bothbe correct.

According to two different docu-ments at the Oregon StateArchives, Ontario incorporated in1896 and in 1899.

The first document for the arti-cles of incorporation for the cityis in 1896 when the MalheurCounty Court acknowledged avote to incorporate the town ofOntario — 27 in favor, 3 opposed,named the city’s mayor and alder-men as well as the marshal, treas-urer and recorder, and declaredthe town incorporated by Oregonstatutes of 1893. That documentwas signed by county officialsSept. 9, 1896, and was signed byOregon’s Secretary of State onSept. 12, 1896.

Two days later, Sept. 14, 1896, theOntario Board of Aldermen, un-der Mayor E.H. Test, the city’sfirst mayor, passed the city’s firstordinances — the issuance of li-cense permitting people to sell“spirituous, malt and vinous”liquors. The first recipient of thelicense was to J.H. Wright, whoprompted the ordinance to be en-acted.

According to the MalheurCounty Web site, under Test’sleadership, the first jail was builtin Ontario for $100.

The city’s first trees were also

planted during Test’s administra-tion.

For whatever reason, however,according to the state law book,Ontario incorporated as a city in1899 through an act of theLegislature. That document in-cluded the city’s charter and rec-ognized the need for the city to in-corporate, but also stated all ofOntario’s previous ordinances,elected leaders and monies col-lected would carry over.

Stephen Beckham, history pro-fessor at Lewis and Clark Collegeand specialist in PacificNorthwest history, said, at thetime, the incorporation of citiesin Oregon required an act of leg-islature through recognition ofthe city’s charter, which was whatthe 1899 document accomplished.However, he said, it is possible the1896 election and the city’s incor-poration document may have ac-tually been the first step in theprocess, announcing the intentionto incorporate, and for whateverreason, the state legislature didnot take any official action in theform of an act of legislature untilit met in the next biennium, sign-ing off on the articles of incorpo-ration Feb. 11, 1899.

The fact Ontario announced itsincorporation first as a town andthen as a city may or may not haveplayed into the 1896 and 1899 ac-

tions. Don Hamilton, OregonSecretary of State director ofcommunications, said in Oregon,at least currently, cities or townsare either incorporated or unin-corporated, and the state does notdifferentiate between the title ofcity or town in terms of powers.

“In Oregon, you simply haveone or the other,” Hamilton said.

It is not clear whether the statedid differentiate between cities ortowns in any specific way or whythat might have required two sep-arate incorporations in 1896 andin 1899.

Local historian EuniceGuerrant, who was not aware ofthe two different years of incorpo-ration for Ontario, said otherplaces differentiate through popu-lation, although she is not sure ifOregon did at the time. If it did,however, she suggested it may bepossible Ontario grew to such anextent between 1896 and 1899 itmay have had to incorporateagain as a city if it crossed somethreshold.

“That’s the only thing I canthink of,” Guerrant said.

Tom Stave, head of the docu-ment center at OSU libraries, saidthe 1893 law regarding incorpora-tion does not clearly distinguishbetween cities or towns through

Ontario’s incorporation remains a mysterySources claim city

incorporated in 1896and 1899

SEE INCORPORATED | PAGE 54

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Through the years the hotel had been re-modeled a number of times. The last majorrenovation took place in 1975. FormerOntario Fire Chief Randy Simpson, nowdeputy state fire marshall, said he remem-bers going to the lounge in the bottom floor ofthe building as a 21-year-old and the place be-ing packed with people. He also said otherbusinesses were situated in the building,which the Moore family had sold before then,as well, and it was always busy.

The hotel was hit by two fires in the early1980s, and Simpson was at both, respondingas a firefighter. The first was put out quicklyand caused minor damage, he said. The sec-ond caused extensive damage, Simpson said,and led to its closure.

The building then sat vacant for a numberof years, and the abandoned building becamean eyesore, with plywood across the en-trances to keep out homeless people lookingfor shelter and others causing mischief. Thatinfrequently worked, however, as OntarioPolice Chief Mike Kee, who was then a pa-trolman, recalls.

“We would go in there sometimes at nightand chase folks out,” he said. “So it wasn’tuncommon for people to be in there.”

The building had gotten to be such a prob-lem, city officials and downtown business-men discussed the state of the structure andwhat should be done to remedy the situation.According to an October 1995 Argus Observerarticle, the city manager at the time, the po-lice chief and downtown business communi-ty members agreed at a meeting Oct. 3, thebuilding was an “eyesore” and recommended

the building be torn down and a rehabilita-tion effort launched on that section of thestreet. Coincidentally or ironically, perhapsboth, the building burned down 10 days later,and by Oct. 14, a crane from Boise was al-ready dismantling what was left of the build-ing.

When the final fire struck, Moore was com-pletely unaware — sleeping peacefully in her

bed. She, instead, heard the news from afriend the next morning, and she and herhusband, who has since died, broke the newsto his mother, who was very fond of the build-ing, Moore said.

“My husband and I were really shocked andunhappy,” she said.

FROM PAGE 48

MOORE HOTEL: Former Ontario fire chief recalls spending time at establishment

SEE MOORE HOTEL | PAGE 56


Construction on the Moore Hotel began in 1910. The hotel served as a hotspot in Ontario for many years.



ONTARIOFrom the first one-room school

building to the seven schools situ-ated in Ontario at present time,through Ontario’s history, educa-tion appears to be one of the cor-nerstones on which the communi-ty was built, making school con-struction and the evolution of thedistrict today a top news stories inOntario’s 125 years of history.

Today, construction of newschools is significant to communi-ty residents because it usually re-quires a bond of some sort. In re-cent years, school bond effortshave polarized the community, buthaving good schools has been apriority for Ontario residents.

“Really, the people of Ontariohave been very interested in edu-cation and having a good place fortheir children to go to school,”Chris Moore, former editor of theArgus Observer, said. “And I thinkfor the most part, the people havebeen very well satisfied.

“I think that the Ontario peoplehave been very, very liberal withtheir money to build what’s neces-sary and to repair what they have,and they take great pride in theirschools,” she continued.

As Ontario resident and localhistorian Eunice Guerrant point-ed out, schools have always been acornerstone to the Ontario com-munity because without the edu-cation provided, and without thedesire of the early pioneers tohave their children educated,where would Ontario be today?

“Without education, how wouldthe community have beenshaped?” she said.

It wasn’t long after Ontario wasfounded in 1883, that the firstschoolhouse was built. Accordingto a submission to the MalheurCounty Review in 1980, written byLeora Blanton Davis, the firstschool building was a one-roomschool house, and the materialsand labor to construct the build-ing were donated by her grandfa-ther, G.W. Blanton, her uncle, DickRutherford, J.A. Morton, A.H.McGregor and G.W. Brinnon. Theschool was run by subscriptionsfrom parents, and it was only open

for three months. According to anarticle in “200 Years in theMaking — Bicentennial edition,”the schoolhouse was taught byIone Morfitt. The article went onto say, while only 13 people residedin what was then Ontario, 23pupils, most from ranches sur-rounding the town, attended.

That school later went on to be-come a residence, and a second,brick school, the first in the coun-ty, was built in 1894 and was twostories high with four classrooms.

According to “200 Years in theMaking,” in 1902, four more roomswere added onto the school, afterthe population jumped in Ontariofrom 445 to 700 in a two-year span.According to the book “PioneerDays in Malheur County,” byJacob Ray Gregg, that school wasfirst known as Westside School be-cause it was on the west side oftown.

It was later named ConklinSchool after Ontario’s first super-intendent E.B. Conklin. In 1912, ahigh school was built across fromthe grade school, becoming thecity and county’s first high school.

As Ontario expanded, a secondgradeschool was built on the east-side of town in 1913 in what was tobecome the Lindbergh School, al-though it wasn’t called Lindbergh

at the time. It was replaced in 1949,according to the Argus ObserverMid-Century edition.

According to an Oct. 8, 1951,Argus Observer, the Ontario areahad seven schools: the high school,middle school and five elementaryschools — Conklin and Lindberghin town, Valley View, Lincoln andPioneer. Outside the front doors ofPioneer Elementary School is asign stating the school was estab-lished in 1896, although accordingto “200 Years in the Making,” theoldest part of the actual schoolbuilding today was built in 1904.

According to “200 Years in theMaking,” the middle school wasbuilt between October 1938 and1939, and four buildings on thewest side of the Conklin Schoolwere used by the middle school.The middle school’s CubGymnasium was originally builtfor use by the Conklin School in1927. In 1964, the article goes on tosay, the Conklin School was incor-porated into the junior highschool.

After 1950, new school construc-tion began again, with the presenthigh school built in 1951 and 1952;Aiken was built in 1957; MayRoberts in 1960; and Alameda in1964. The first Cairo-area schoolwas originally known as Valley

View, according to “200 Years inthe Making,” and has its own his-tory. The first Cairo school wasbuilt in 1901, and Lincoln, a thirdcountry school, was built in 1934.All the country schools were in-corporated into the OntarioSchool District and elections wereheld locally approving a mergerwith the city school district, ac-cording to the Argus Observer atthe time. According to “200 yearsin the Making,” the Cairo schoolwas abandoned in 1950, and in1956, Valley View and Lincolnmerged and a new CairoElementary School was built.

Ontario Superintendent DennisCarter said Ontario’s school con-struction has shaped the city ofOntario through the years, in hisopinion.

“Well I think that the schoolshave been important through thehistory of the community,” hesaid.

Carter said, when people aremoving into an area, schools andeducational prospects are one ofthe components they look at whendeciding where they want to situ-ate.

“The same thing happens whenbusinesses move into a communi-

Education began with one-room school


People gather outside Conklin School, Ontario’s second school building, in the early 1900s.

any definitions, but simply refersto both throughout the documentwithout specifying what any dis-tinction may be.

And the populations may not bean indicator at all, he said.

At least, according to censusrecords of the early 1900s, popula-tion may not have played a part inwhat a city was called, Stave said.

According to the 1900 census,Ontario is still referred to as atown, although census takers ap-parently weren’t aware of an up-grade to city, and the populationwas listed as 445 persons, whichwas about doubled from 1890.Harney City, however, only had apopulation of 82 in 1900, andMedford, he said, was calledMedford Town, and had a popula-tion of 1,700.

“So there’s no population-relat-ed pattern here to the naming ofit, as far as I can tell,” Stave said.

Newspapers, both he andBeckham said, may be the bestclue behind the two incorporationdates, but Stave also pointed out,the mystery may never be solved.

Regardless, one Ontario officialfinds the two separate incorpora-tion dates to be more interestingthan anything else.

Mayor Joe Dominick said thesituation appeals to him and lendsthe city an air of mystery. Exceptfor the possibility of the first 1896document not being legal in someway, he can’t think of any reasonwhy the city would incorporateagain in 1899.

“I think it’s interesting,” hesaid. “It’s great. It gives some fla-vor to the history. I’m not a histo-ry buff, but it’s interesting.”

FROM PAGE 52

INCORPORATION: Ontario may have incorporated as a town and later as a city

SEE SCHOOLS | PAGE 56


Ontario High School - 1920

Aiken ElementaryOpened 1957

Alameda ElementaryOpened 1964

Cairo ElementaryOpened 1958

May Roberts ElementaryOpened 1960

Ontario High School

Ontario Middle School

Pioneer Elementary

MOORE HOTEL: ‘We had heavy, heavy smoke boiling out of all the floors’


Our church celebrated its one hundred yearanniversary in September of 2004 and looksforward to many more years of service in this

community.

Past participation in the community includessponsorship of a Hungarian family from Germany,formation and governing of the present PresbyterianCommunity Care Center, development and constructionof a community shelter for the abused, establishment ofassisted housing facility behind West Park Plaza Mall,building of Riverside Manor, an assisted living facility,Lenten luncheon hosts, financial partner in theCommunity Assistance fund and partner in the work ofLove INC.

We offer two Sunday services; an informal service at 9a.m., and a traditional service at 10:30. We gladly welcomevisitors to our church located at 1712 West Idaho, phone541 889-5752.

“Our mission is to serve God, share the message of God’s love and forgiveness,

teach the Word of God, and develop andstrengthen our relationship with God.”

BETHANY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

ty,” he said.In addition, he said, schools affect a commu-

nity as an economic driver because they pro-vide a pretty big payroll and help keep a com-munity going. Lastly, he said, schools are a cor-nerstone of any community because of the

service they provide: education.“We are, of course, a part of the employment,

but we also provide for education of the stu-dents now, who are the citizens in the commu-nity later,” he said. “It provides them theirstart for being able to be an educated society inthe future.” While new construction of schools

has happened in spurts, the school district andthe schools have evolved through the years,never-the-less. Carter said, each of the schoolshas changed through added construction orrenovations. “The May Roberts that is there to-day isn’t the same one that was first built,” hesaid.

FROM PAGE 54

SCHOOLS: Ontario School District continues to expand and grow over the years

Kee and Simpson rememberthe fire very well, however.According to the Oct. 1, 1995,Argus Observer, the fire was re-ported by a police officer on pa-trol who saw white smoke billow-ing from the buildings. The firedepartment arrived shortly after,and Simpson, who was thendeputy fire chief, said all or al-most all neighboring fire depart-ments arrived on mutual aidsoon after that.

Simpson was one of the firstfiremen to enter the buildingthrough the basement door nextto the alley, and he said, by thattime, the fire had already spreadto other levels of the five-storystructure.

“We had heavy, heavy smokeboiling out of all the floors,” hesaid, adding the heaviest fire wasin the basement and was proba-bly the largest amount of firecontained in one building that hehas seen during his career.

He said, when he and a few oth-ers entered, they saw a 4-inchcast iron pipe glowing red andsagging, it was that hot. WhenSimpson and his crew turned anozzle upward, a big chunk ofcharred ceiling fell down on thefloor, and the firefighters knew itwas time to beat a hasty retreatbecause nothing could be donefor the building. Instead they di-rected their attention to prevent-ing the fire from spreading toneighboring buildings. Once onfire, he said, it was ripe for disas-ter because of an elevator shaftthat ran through the center ofthe building acted as a flue, car-rying the fire up from the base-ment quickly.

“It was just a nice little chim-ney for it,” he said.

Simpson said the north wall ofthe building collapsed early inthe morning, and it was fortu-nate no firefighters were underthat section at the time, although

bricks did hit a few of Simpson’screw, who were standing acrossthe street.

Meanwhile, Kee and other po-lice officers were at the perime-ter of the scene keeping peopleand vehicles away through thenight, although a large crowd ofmore than 100 people flocked tothe street and watched, Kee said.

It was a sad ending, Kee andSimpson both said, but bothpointed out the building hadbeen vacant for a long time be-fore then and was no longer thecrowning glory of Ontario’slandmarks.

“And, unfortunately, for it to beabandoned that many years, itlost the aura that it had,”Simpson said. He said, whilethey could never prove it andeventually labeled the circum-stances behind the fire as un-known, fire officials suspectedpeople had something to do withthe start of the blaze, either set-

ting it by accident or intentional-ly.

Moore, who has only memories,pieces of furniture from thebuilding’s glory days that went toher children and photos of thefire she says still make her sickto look at, said Ontario lost morethan just a building when theMoore Hotel burned down.

“It lost a fair-sized part of his-tory,” she said. “It was a land-mark.”

‘AND, UNFORTUNATELY,for it to be abandonedthat many years, it lostthe aura that it had.’

Randy SimpsonFormer Ontario Fire Chief

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OHS Valedictorians From The Past

Kayla Yano Class of 2007

Kayla Yano, 18, currently at-tends the Rose-HulmanInstitute of Technologywhere she studies mechanicalengineering. “I’m basicallywanting to work in the aero-dynamics aspect of the field,”she said.

During her years at OHS, Yano participat-ed in softball, Future Business Leaders ofAmerica and National Honor Society. Yano’sparents and siblings still reside in Ontario.

Yano’s future plans include remaining fo-cused on her formal education.

“For right now, just going to school. I’vegot an internship this summer with a com-pany called Cummins.” As for Ontario, Yanosaid she misses her old teachers and friends.

J.J. Anthony Class of 2005

J.J. Anthony, 21, attends theUniversity of Pennsylvaniain Philadelphia where hestudies communications. “Iwould like to get into some-thing in public relations orbusiness management,”Anthony said. During his

years at OHS, Anthony was active in foot-ball, wrestling, track, band playing trom-bone, choir, FFA, FBLA, National HonorSociety, and Spirit Club.

In the future, Anthony said he is lookingforward to his later years.

“I will probably retire as soon as possible.So I guess, looking forward, I would have tosay graduate and then go straight into worka year or two before I go to graduate school.My goal would be to become as outgoing aspossible to get my name out there. I’vethought about running for office also,” hesaid. Anthony said his favorite part of liv-ing in Ontario was the fact the communityis tight knit and has a focus on progress.

Philip Terry Class of 2003

Philip Terry, 23, graduated with a pre-en-gineering degree from Treasure ValleyCommunity College. He is also working oncompleting his degree in drafting through

TVCC. Terry currently worksat Staples and is in manage-ment training.

He resides in Ontario.During his time at OHS,Terry was involved in choir,National Honor Society andthe Technology Club. In the

future, Terry said he hopes to complete hisdegree and may go back to school for busi-ness management.

Terry said he likes the low-key atmos-phere in Ontario.

“I like the fact that it has a low crime rate.It is a sleepy town. It’s kinda cool,” he said.

Steve Boyd Class of 2002

Steve Boyd, 23, Eugene, graduated from theUniversity of Oregon in 2005 with bachelor’sdegree in psychology. He currently works at

the Oregon Research Instituteas a research assistant.

Boyd expects to attendArizona State University inthe fall where he will pursue aPh.D. in clinical psychology.While at OHS, Boyd was in-volved in cross country and

track, student government, National HonorSociety, video production, mock trial andband. He was also the student body presi-dent and participated in plays at TVCC.

Boyd says he enjoyed growing up inOntario.

“I enjoy going to the store or walkingaround town and always knowing somebody.It’s welcoming, and it speaks by itself that alot of people care about you.”

In the future, Boyd plans to move forwardwith his academic career.

“Once I’m done with school I’d like to stayin academia probably and teach college levelclasses and possibly have a small privatepractice on the side,” he said.

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Greg Contreras Class of 2001

The oldest of four children, Greg Contreras,25, was named after his father.While attending classes at OHS,Contreras was involved in bas-ketball, track, cross country,National Honor Society and theart club. Contreras attendedclasses at TVCC after graduat-ing from OHS. He later graduat-

ed from Oregon State University with a bache-lor’s degree in human development and familysciences. He went on to earn a master’s degreein counselor education. Currently, he works forOSU where he teaches career classes and aca-demic success classes. Contreras said he en-joys coming home during his school breaks.

“One thing I really look forward to is BurgerWest. It has that homey feel to it. Even as a fam-ily we’d get it,” he said. “I also love the rural-ness and the country.”

In the future, Contreras said he wants to get ajob assisting university students in their pur-suit to earn a degree. He also hopes to earn aPh.D. and become a college professor. Lastly, helooks forward to starting a family.

“I want to live a nice simple life. I would liketo have a good name for myself and be respect-ed in the community,” he said.

Melanie (Dame) IversonClass of 2000

Melanie (Dame) Iverson, 26, Spanish Fork,Utah, graduated from Brigham YoungUniversity in 2006 in humanities with a minorin business. She married Paul Iverson inDecember 2005 and is currently a stay-at-homemom. The couple has an infant daughter,Hattie. During her OHS career, Dame partici-pated in orchestra and was the National Honor

Society president. In the future, Dame said shelooks forward to her growing family.

“We are moving to Texas togo to medical school for myhusband. So my goals includehaving more children and get-ting through the next years ofschool and residency,” shesaid. Dame said she liked howOntario is a rural town with a

close community.“I loved Ontario because it was a small town

so that you could get to know people prettywell, and you felt a strong sense of community.It was a good place to raise a family and to havea country hometown background and values. Ithought it was a great place to grow up,” shesaid.

Matt Ogawa Class of 1999

Matt Ogawa, 27, attended Oregon StateUniversity following his graduation from OHS.He earned a degree in English and educationand is currently pursing a master’s degree ineducational policy and administration through

Portland State University.Ogawa also works full time inthe admissions office atOregon State University,Corvallis.

While at OHS, Ogawa partici-pated in soccer, National HonorSociety, Smile Club and tennis.

He was also involved in the science and mathinvestigative learning experience throughOSU. In the future, Ogawa plans to focus on hiscollegiate goals.

“I want to complete my master’s degree. Thatis definitely on the list and for the immediatefuture,” he said. “Other future goals: stay in-

volved in education — either in administrationor higher education admission side. I wouldlike to get my doctorate in education. I like theadministration side.” As for Ontario, Ogawasaid there is no place like home.

“I’ve lived a lot of different places, and I’vecome back to Oregon, but you know, whereever the world takes me, I’m open to going pret-ty much anywhere,” he said. “The fact that it isa type of town that no matter where you areyou will always call it home. I have familythere, and all of my relatives live on the samestreet now, Triand Drive. It’s a safe community.I was born and raised there, and no matterwhere I am I will always call it home.”

Keesha (Blaylock) BrownClass of 1998

Keesha (Blaylock) Brown, 27, graduated fromRicks College with a degree in elementary edu-cation before earning her bachelor’s degree atBrigham Young University. She married David

Brown in March 2005, and thecouple has a 2-year-old son andbaby girl. The couple currentlyresides in Caldwell.

While at OHS, Brown partici-pated in National HonorSociety, dance team and FutureBusiness Leaders of America.

As for the future, Brown said she is focused onraising her children.

“I might go back to teaching after our kidsare older and are in school themselves. Rightnow, we are kind of just doing the familything,” she said. “My husband just graduatedfrom Boise State, so he will go back and get hismaster’s.” Brown said she liked the small townfeeling of Ontario.

“I like that kind of farming community,” shesaid.



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Laura (Dame) Bernard

Class of 1996

Laura (Dame) Bernard, 30, graduated fromBrigham Young University in 2000, with ahistory degree. She met her husband, AaronBernard, in college.

The couple married and have three chil-dren between the ages of 4 and 7, and tod-dler twins.

Currently, Bernard is a stay-at-home mom.The couple resides in Iowa.

During her time at OHS, Bernard partici-pated in student government and NationalHonor Society.

Bernard said she is focused on raising“good kids” and hopes to return to collegesomeday to earn a masters degree.

“My goals really are just about my familyright now,” she said.

Bernard said she enjoyed growing up inOntario. “There is something appealingabout knowing all of your classmates andfeeling like it’s intimate enough to have per-sonal relationships to know people byname,” she said.

Michael Daniels

Class of 1995

Michael Daniels, 30, graduated MagnaCum Laude from the University of Idahowith a bachelor’s degree in mechanical en-gineering in 1999.

That same year, he commissioned as a 2ndLieutenant in the United States Air Force.Daniels was stationed at Kirtland AFB, New

Mexico, from 2000 through2004. He graduated in 2004with a master’s degree in me-chanical engineering fromthe University of NewMexico.

He separated from the serv-ice and took a position with

the Idaho National Laboratory.Currently, Daniels continues his work

with the INL as a principal investigator/en-gineer in the National Homeland SecurityDivision. Daniels married Becky Stewart,Idaho Falls, in August 1999.

The couple has four children. During hiscareer at OHS, Daniels participated inspeech, debate, golf and baseball.

“I wasn’t a great athlete in high school,but I learned a lot from the experience,” hesaid. “Speech and debate helped me greatlyimprove my communication skills, whichhave been some of the most important skillsfor my career.”

Moving forward, Daniels stays focused onhis family and career.

“My goals are to continue to serve mycountry as a national laboratory engineerand to raise my children to be upstanding,well-rounded citizens,” he said.

Daniels said growing up in Ontario was ablessing.

“My favorite part of Ontario was the peo-ple. I was fortunate to be in a class full ofgreat people, and from that class I have life-long friends,” he said.

“I was also blessed with some really excel-lent teachers who had high standards,which made the transition to college mucheasier.

Last and most important, my parents,grandparents and brothers made Ontario agreat place to grow up.”

Chad Hartley

Class of 1993

Chad Hartley, Ontario, graduated from theCollege of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree

and Northwest NazareneUniversity with a master’sdegree in educational leader-ship and administration cer-tification following his exitfrom OHS.

Today, Hartley works as ateacher at OHS where he has

been employed for the past eight years.While attending OHS, Hartley participat-

ed in National Honor Society and wrestling.He was also a quarterback for the Tiger

football team and an all-state baseball play-er.

Hartley continued his baseball career,playing all four years of his undergraduatecareer.

Hartley also served a two-year mission forthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints in St. Louis.

Hartley married a Nyssa High School stu-dent, Erin. The couple has been married for10 years and has five children.

“I love being an educator, and I want to bethe best husband and father I can,” Hartleysaid.

As for remaining an Ontarioan, Hartleysaid, “I just love the people here. I have a lotof good friends in Ontario.”


Erick Fry Class of 1992

Erick Fry, Charleston, S.C.,attended Brigham YoungUniversity following his gradu-ation at OHS. He earned a de-gree in electrical engineeringand later a master’s degree inengineering management fromthe University of Alabama.

A civilian, Fry works for the United StatesNavy as a senior manager in engineering fieldactivity.

“SPAWAR Systems Center is an engineeringfield activity for the U.S. Navy and otherDepartment of Defense entities,” he said.

Fry and his wife, Christina, have resided inCharleston for nine years. The couple has fourchildren.

While at OHS, Fry participated in theNational Honor Society and basketball.

In the future, Fry said he hopes to advance inhis current career and would like to become asenior executive service.

As for Ontario, Fry said growing up in thesmall town with a lot of friends is one of hisfondest memories. “I had a bunch of friendsand we hung out and had a lot of fun,” he said.

Curtis Fry Class of 1990

Curtis Fry, 36, earned a bach-elor’s degree in mechanical en-gineering from Brigham YoungUniversity.

Today, he works for NavigatorBusiness Solutions, a businesssoftware provider, where he hasbeen employed for nine years.

Previously, fry worked for Boeing as a struc-tural design engineer for the 777 jet.

Fry and his wife, Heather, live in Orem, Utah,with their four children.

During his career at OHS, Fry participatedin track, Spanish Club, basketball andNational Honor Society. He was also StudentBody President and donned the Tiger mascotcostume.

Following his high school graduation, Fryserved a two-year mission for the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina.In the future, Fry hopes his company growsand prospers.

“I helped start this company so I’m hopingthat it continues to grow and we’ll sell it andI’ll retire. That won’t be for a few years,” hesaid. Fry said he most remembers aboutOntario the small town atmosphere.

“The small town atmosphere, the rural smalltown feel. You knew most people,” he said.

Heather (Hart) Kennedy

Class of 1988

Heather (Hart) Kennedy, 38, attendedBrigham Young University and received abachelor’s degree in social work with a minorin psychology following her graduation fromOHS.

Kennedy later earned her master’s degreefrom University of North Carolina at ChapelHill in social work with an emphasis in mentalhealth.

Today, Kennedy works three, 13 hour shifts aweek as a counselor and therapist with theMidwest Center for Human Services. “I like thecross section that my practice has,” she said.Kennedy married Bryan Kennedy in April1994. The couple has three children. They re-

side in Wisconsin, where they have lived thelast seven years. While at OHS, Kennedy par-ticipated in National Honor Society, volleyball,tennis and Spanish Club. In the future,Kennedy said she will continue to focus on herfamily. “My goal is to keep growing the prac-tice and developing it and raising kids,” shesaid.

Kennedy said she was always fond ofOntario. “It’s a good place to raise kids,” shesaid. “I remember my parents’ farm, memoriesof all the fun activities in the communitythrough the years. I bring my kids back everycouple years and we do stuff.”

Molly (Blackaby) HarderClass of 1986

Molly (Blackaby) Harder, 39, Boise, earned abachelor’s degree in psychology and econom-ics from Salem Oregon Willamette University

following graduation at OHS.Today, she works as a freelancerin advertising.

Harder said her primary fo-cus is her two children, and vol-unteer work.

Harder married Rick Harderin August 1997.

While at OHS, Harder participated in dramaclub, National Honor Society, and was presi-dent of Girls League. In the future, Harder saidshe thinks she will return to school and earn amaster’s degree.

“I am contemplating going back to schooland a career change now that my kids are go-ing to be in grade school full time,” she said.

As for her favorite memories of Ontario, it’sall about food. “Burger West. Every single timewe go to Ontario we go to Burger West,” shesaid.


Paul Gering Class of 1985

Paul Gering, 41, Ontario, attended theCollege of Idaho following his graduation

from OHS. Gering earned hisbachelor’s degree in musicand zoology with a minor inchemistry. He went on to earna doctorate of medicine fromthe Oregon Health SciencesUniversity.

Today, Gering operates hisown practice out of the Tanaka Clinic. Hehas worked as a family practice physicianfor the last 11 years.

Gering and his wife, Tracy, have been mar-ried for 18 years. The couple has three chil-dren.

While at OHS, Gering participated inmarching band, jazz band, chess club andNational Honor Society. He was also the ac-companist for the OHS Swing Choir.

Gering’s future goals center on his career.“Currently I’m working on obtaining my

certification in hospice and palliative care,”he said.

Gering said family is a primary reason forreturning to the Ontario area.

“Part of why I came back is because I mar-ried a girl from Adrian, so family is close,”he said. “Being close to family is a huge partof it and the kind of people that live inOntario.”

Gering also enjoys the recreational oppor-tunities the city boasts.

“The outdoor activities that are available... being able to go out fishing or hunting.There are so many different things that areclose,” he said.

Tom Shigeno Class of 1980

Tom Shigeno, 46, Newcastle, Wash.,earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical

engineering from OregonState University after exitingOHS.

Today, Shigeno works forAirbiquity, a software andservice company, where he isemployed as a senior embed-ded software engineer.

He has been with the company for eightyears. Shigeno said his mother still residesin Ontario, and his father is deceased.

As for Ontario, Shigeno said he misses thefriendships he made while living here.

“I just loved being with the differentfriends at school. It’s a fun time in life, andlater on in life you realize how much pres-sure and time commitment you are havingto deal with. It’s really a carefree time. Imiss the friendships,” he said.

Kareen Kido Class of 1975

Kareen Kido, 51, Pflugerville, Texas, at-tended Oregon State University and earned

a bachelor’s degree in musicand piano performance.

She later received a mas-ter’s degree from theUniversity of Maryland.

Today, Kido works with ahealing prayer ministry atHope Chapel in Austin,

Texas. While at OHS, Kido participated inband and National Honor Society. Kido hashigh hopes for the future.

“I am continuing to do work as God leads

me to, and of course, I’m interested in see-ing worship developed which involves mu-sic and the arts,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to many, many goodyears ahead.”

Kido said she recalls Ontario’s small townatmosphere and agriculture characteristics.

“I really love Ontario. I come back. Myparents still live there. I guess I love that it’sa small town and there’s a wonderful com-munity there. I like small towns becausepeople know each other, and they care abouteach other and there is a sense of closeness.My dad was a farmer, and I love the farmcommunity in the country,” she said.

Tim Grim Class of 1969

Tim Grim, 57, received a degree in civil en-gineering from Oregon StateUniversity after graduatingfrom OHS. Today, Grim worksfor Holladay Engineering,Payette, as a design engineer.Grim and his wife, Judy, havebeen married for 35 years.

They have two children andthree grandchildren. During his career atOHS, Grim participated in golf, NationalHonor Society and was the basketball man-ager.

In the future, Grim looks forward to retir-ing and traveling. As for Ontario, Grim said,“It was home. It is home.”

Clifford Harris Class of 1943

Clifford Harris, 84, had work to do follow-ing his graduation from OHS. “I was farm-ing before I ever got out of high school,”

Harris said. “My older broth-er was farming the place, andhe joined the Army in the ear-ly fall of 1942, about the time Istarted my senior year ofhigh school, and I stayedhome and took care of thefarm.”

Harris said he farmed for about 20 years.He also worked for Northwest Farm Creditbefore retiring and selling part of the farm.While at OHS, Harris refrained from mostextracurricular activities. “I had to ride thebus, so I didn’t stay in for activities afterschool,” he said. “I was in FFA, and my sen-ior year I was the student body vice presi-dent.”

Harris went to school just three days aweek, staying home on Tuesdays andThursdays to farm.

“Things were different in those days.Everybody was sacrificing for the war,” hesaid. “Things were going so bad that year wedidn’t have a yearbook for 1943.”

After high school, Harris said he re-mained single for about 10 years before mar-rying a “beautiful gal” from Payette. Thatgal was Marilyn Solterbeck.

“We lived in the old farm house that we re-modeled a time or two but still live in. We’vebeen married for 53 years,” Harris said.

The couple has four children and sevengrandchildren. Harris said he has enjoyedhis years in Ontario.

“We enjoy living out here. We have a bighome and garden, and we travel quite a bit,and we visit our kids and our grandkids. Wedon’t have any real goals in mind, but we doa little bit of volunteer work every now andthen and try to be a good neighbor,” he said.

“We have supported the college (TVCC),

and we are a little bit proud we have a goodcollege. All of our four children went thereat least a year.”

James R. Blackaby Class of 1939

James R. Blackaby attended OregonUniversity and Washington University fol-lowing graduation from OHS. Blackabyserved in World War II with the UnitedStates Army for less than two years beforeearning his bachelor’s degree in aeronomi-cal engineering.

“I was in the Army a year and a half. I wasin various branches of the service. I workedas an engineer,” Blackaby said.

Later, Blackaby worked for the NationalAdvisory Committee for Aeronautics, whichtoday is known as NASA.

Today, Blackaby lives in Portland.Blackaby’s wife, Mary, passed away in 1990.The couple married in 1943. The couple hastwo children and two grandchildren.

While in high school, Blackaby played bas-ketball and was senior class president. Asfor the future, Blackaby plans on simply liv-ing his life.

“My goal is just to stay alive. I’m very com-fortable, and I’m just enjoying living inPortland,” he said. “My wife and I did a lotof traveling, and since her death I have trav-eled even more.”

Blackaby said he recalls some fond memo-ries about growing up in Ontario. “I used topal around with a kid down a block or twoaway, and we would build stuff because hisfolks owned a greenhouse. We had all sortsof building materials with,” he said.

William Earl Blackaby

Class of 1935

William Earl Blackaby graduated from theUniversity of Oregon in 1939 with a bache-lor’s degree in business. Blackaby served in

World War II as an officer inthe Army Air Corps.

He later returned toOntario, where he joined hisfather in operating BlackabyInsurance.

Blackaby was married toMary Gail, who passed away

in November 2005. Blackaby recently passedaway. Blackaby’s son, Mike, recently spokeon behalf of his father, prior to his death.“Right now all Dad can talk about is hisyears growing up in Ontario. I think that itwas his best, favorite memory,” MikeBlackaby said. “He liked to travel, butOntario was home.”

Chester TheodoreLackey

Class of 1907

Chester Lackey wasOntario’s only high schoolgraduate in 1907.

Ten years later, he marriedRuth Bracewell, Fruitland.The couple homesteadednear Cairo Junction, raisingpotatoes and lettuce.

Lackey, whose father was mayor in 1903,owned a gravel pit near the Snake River. Thepit provided the city with gravel used to fixits roads.

Lackey was also instrumental in the con-struction of the Malheur CountyFairgrounds.

• Phone & Radio Communications • Portable Music• Cameras & Camcorders • Power & Batteries

• Home Entertainment • Cables, Parts & Connectors• Car • Home & Office • Computers • Toys & Games

CONGRATULATIONS ONTARIO!We look forward to the next 125!

Serving the Treasure Valley Since 1975

ONTARIOONTARIOCHIROPRACTICCHIROPRACTIC

— Accident & Injury Physicians —• Auto, Work, & Sports Injuries• Neck, Back, & Extremity Pain

• Disc Injuries & Degenerative Arthritis • Over 24 Years In Ontario

Douglas E. Williams, D.C.Hilary Bjornson, D.C. Paul Bjornson, D.C.

Member of American Chiropractic Association Christian Chiropractic Association

200 S.W. 2nd Ave. • Ontario • 889-7797

Serving you

since 1984

JESSICA KELLER | ARGUS OBSERVER

Ontario’s water tower

Notable Buildings & Places

When Ontario’s water filtration systemnext to the Snake River was completed in1935, this water tower, situated between

Southwest Fourth and Fifth avenues inOntario, was the only one in the city. The

water tank held 100,000 gallons of water,and it served the household needs of city

residents. In 1952, Ontario constructed itssecond water tower that held 400,000 gal-

lons to alleviate its water needs.

While not Ontario’s first newspaper, the Ontario Mattock was actually the third or fourth to be established inthe city and the sixth in Malheur County, March 14, 1899. Founded by G.L. King, the newspaper was short-

lived in Ontario, open for less than a year before the owner disappeared in the dead of the night for unknownreasons.


Ontario Mattock Printing Office



Malheur Butte, one of the area’s most recognizable landmarks, situated between Vale and Ontario, is an extinct volcanic crater.


Malheur Butte

The Snake River Bridge (pictured here facing Ontario) was was built in the early 1900s with a great deal of op-position by Idaho residents who feared their business patrons would look across the river for consumer goods.

Shortly after the bridge’s construction, which was approved by the 1909 Ontario City Council, ferries that werepreviously utilized to transport riders across the river were discontinued.


Snake River Bridge


Gary Trick

DebbyTrick

Gary Meeker

Brady Gamble

Carole Kunz

Since 1919 The Ontario area deaths were originally handled by the Petersonfamily who owned the Peterson Furniture Store. In 1935-36 they built a new“modern” funeral home on Northwest First Avenue. Soon after, the Peterson fam-ily sold the funeral home to George Beechler. On February 15, 1961 Bob J.Bertelson and John A. Lienkaemper purchased the business. Bert & JoyceLienkaemper started Nyssa Lienkaemper Funeral Home in 1933. Their son, Johnand his wife Norma later ran the businesses, buying out the partners. In 1971 theHigh Funeral Home was built in Vale, Oregon. In 1985 the Lienkaempers pur-chased the High Funeral Home. In October 1989 Malletta-Vertin partnership pur-chased the 3 businesses and sold them to the Lowen Corporation in August1993. In June 2007 Gary & Debby Trick purchased the 3 businesses, Ontario,Nyssa and Vale Chapels, back from the corporation to return them back to beingfamily owned and operated. Gary was born and raised in the Ontario & Fruitlandarea and Debby was born and raised in the Payette area. Gary while in HighSchool at Fruitland in 1969 was hired by John Lienkaemper to help around thefuneral home and later served his apprenticeship under John. Gary and DebbyTrick together with Gary Meeker, long time director at Lienkaempers are proud toserve the needs of area families.


Carpet • Vinyl • Hardwood Cabinets • Countertops Cultured Marble & Granite Tile • Hardware Sinks and more!

Congratulations Ontario on 125 Years!

Owners...Jodi & Cory Petero andJustin & Vanessa Turrentine. (Vanessa not pictured.)

80 SE 2nd St., Ste #1, Ontario, Oregon

541-823-0033(Next to Napa Auto Parts)

Hours: 10 am to 5:30 pm Monday-Friday

10 am to 2 pm Saturday Closed Sunday

A photo of the Holy Rosary Medical Center, then called Holy Rosary Hospital. Holy Rosary has undergone anumber of changes since its creation in 1912 by six nuns who were forced to leave Portugal after the nation’s

government took over convents and schools. After returning to their native Ireland after the expulsion, theyopted to come to Ontario and began to treat the medical needs of the Oregon/Idaho community.


Holy Rosary Medical Center


889-8528 • 227 S. Oregon Downtown Ontario

Serving you since 1966Old TurfLater renamed

Don’s Place1967

Spuds N Suds 1991

Spuds N Suds 1991

Spuds-N-Suds 2008

Don & Peggy Stout

Peggy Stout

Snake River Correctional Institution, Oregon’s largest correctional facility, opened in August of 1991.The first phase of the prison featured 576 medium-security and 72 minimum-security beds and cost alittle more than $42 million. In 1995, the Legislature approved an expenditure of $175 million — thelargest state general funded public works project in Oregon’s history — to pay for phase 2, which wascompleted in November of 1998. Phase 2 included construction of the remaining 2,376 beds. The

prison, which sits on 538 acres on the outskirts of Ontario, is 1,025,000 square feet and houses 2,930 in-mates and employs nearly 900 workers, 45 contractors and 270 volunteers. The prison was built follow-ing a push by former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt for more correctional institutions to be built in the state inthe late 1980s. Two Malheur County officials promoted Ontario as a site for one of those facilities be-cause they wished to jump-start the county’s floundering economy.


Snake River Correctional Institution


The Canfield House, now the White House Yarn and Fiber Shop, situated on the corner of West Idaho Avenue and Southwest Second Street, has the distinction of being Ontario’s oldest house, built in 1885.


Ontario’s oldest house

The Blackaby House, built by J.R. Blackaby in 1908, was the home to Blackaby, one of Ontario’s first bankers, and his family.

The Blackaby HouseRENDERING COURTESY OF THE BLACKABY FAMILY


1101 Park Ave. • Nyssa, OR541-372-4024

[email protected]

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

Ontario Dental Arts“Complete Denture Service”

Kevin Tatlock, Denturist473 SW 12th St., Ontario

Behind Chevron

541- 889-3282

Stark Medical, PC932W. Idaho Ave., Suite 100 • Ontario, OR 97914

541-889-2244Fred R. Stark, M.D. Jody Stark, FNP, PMHNP

Internal Medicine, Allergy Immunology Family Nurse Practitioner, Infectious Diseases

PsychiatricMental Health Nurse Practitioner

Mary Stark, FNP, DNP Nani Jane Cabrera, DOFamily Nurse Practitioner FamilyPractice Physician

Doctor of Nursing PracticeNew Patients Welcome

Nora F. De La Paz, M.D., P.C.Infants, Children and Adolescent Medicine Diplomate

TheAmerican Board of Pediatrics Fellow,The American Academy of Pediatrics

New Patients Welcome932 W. Idaho Ave., Suite 101

Ontario, OR 97914541-889-6476

Dr. Jay B. Wettstein D.M.D.478 S.W. 12th Street, Ontario, OR

541-889-6666541-889-6666www.docwettstein.com

Sleep while we give you the smile of your dreams.

Foot & Ankle Clinic, PCStephen K. Parris, DPM© Reconstructive Foot Surgery © Diabetic Foot Care © Therapeutic Shoe Program © Ingrown Nail, Corn & Callous Removal © Conservative & Surgical Treatment of Heel Pain © Ankle/Foot Orthotics & Prosthetics

Local Practice Since 1980

541-881-1319Located in Holy Rosary Medical Office Building, Suite 600

Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC“Where Hearts Come Home”

1100 NW 12th Street • Fruitland, ID

208-452-2663Toll Free 1-866-278-3662heartnhomehospice.com

Ronald E. Carroll, MDLisa Phillips, FNP

Natural & Alternative Therapies Holistic Medicine

Most insurance accepted

823 Center Avenue • Payette, Idaho

208-642-3396

omen’s C L I N I C

T R E A S U R E VA L L E Y

W

1-208-740-9793 www.ashleycares.com861 Beverly Hills Dr., Payette, Idaho

Where you find the comforts of home, the feeling of family, and a meaningful way of life.

• Individual care • Certified caring staff• Furnished private room

- residents welcome to bring personal items• Community kitchen & living room

• Cozy home (9 residents maximum)

Ashley Manor Care Centers OntarOntar io Physicalio PhysicalTherapyTherapyontariopt.com

541-889-4550Glenn Dodge, DPT

Doctorate of Physical Therapy

Ontario Clinic 335 SW 13th St.

Ontario, OR541-889-8410

Weiser Clinic 36 East Idaho

Weiser, ID208-549-0672

FURM M. DUNCAN, JR., ROBERT MARIS, M.D. FACOG D.O., FACOOG

Specializing in Women’s Health CareOBSTETRICS • GYNECOLOGY

800-449-6667 541-889-22291219 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 2 • Ontario, Oregon


Fruitland, Idaho • 452-2808www.campbelltractor.com

Celebrating 125 YearsWith Ontario, Oregon

The original train depot in Ontario was built in 1883 and was first used in 1884.


Original Ontario Train Depot


Andrews Seed, founded by Al Andrews in 1919, moved to its present site in 1928, and has processed and sold seed and grain all over the country. In later years the business expanded to in-clude a garden center and sale of landscaping supplies.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREWS SEED

Andrews Seed Company

The Pix Theatre opened for business Sept. 19, 1937. Its first show was ‘Artists and Models’starring Martha Rayeand Jack Benny. The theater seated 550 spectators. It boasted fully-upholstered chairs and a 15 feet by 20 feet

screen. The upstairs lounge featured heavy carpets, chairs for resting, floor- to-ceiling mirrors and indirectlighting. The theater closed in 2001.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY SHIMOJIMA

Pix Theatre


The building in which Alvarado Jewelers is situated is one of Ontario’s oldest in the building district on OregonStreet. It was built in 1902 by James Lackey, who had purchased the two corner lots that were vacant after a

devastating 1899 fire that destroyed seven buildings in downtown Ontario. Prior to the construction of the building, the Railroad Hotel, a lodging house and a post office were situated at the site.


Alvarado Jewelers

While the name hasn’t always been the same, Quisenberry’s, situated on Oregon Street , has endured as a men’s clothing store in downtown Ontario. It was first called ‘Toggery Bill’s’when it was established by William Laxsonin either 1910 or 1911 in the very location the current business is situated.


Quisenberry’s


29522 Highway 95 • Parma, Idaho 83660

208-722-6401www.parmamotorvu.com

Benjamin T. Peterson, DDSRhett M. Tipton, DMD

271 SW 13th Street

Ontario, Or. 97914

541-889-6614

Comprehensive Dentistry

for the Entire Family

Cattle helped Ontario get started and grow as the city, at one time, was one of the largest cattle shippingpoints in the Northwest. They have continued to play a major part in the city’s economy. Playing a part in thatwas the Ontario Livestock Commission Company, which began in the 1930s and became the largest auction

market in the Northwest, doing brisk business until the 1970s. A fire destroyed the business in the 1980s, andit was never rebuilt. The Simplot Soilbuilders and the south overpass now occupy part of the area formerly tak-en up by the auction company.

LARRY MEYER | ARGUS OBSERVER

Ontario stockyard


203 E. Idaho Ave. • Ontario, OR • 889-3135

“We’re proud to be a partof Ontario’s

past and present”

Hunting • Fishing • Guns • Archery Camping • Watersports • Clothing

YourOutdoorsmanTeam

Now for sale and mostly vacant, this cement building on First Street was originally Ontario’s first modern laundry service, called Ontario Laundry, and was owned and operated by businessman and former Mayor ‘Rainwater’Jones.


Ontario Laundry Service


The Moore Hotel, shown during its original construction in 1910 and 1911, was built by Ontario businessmanT.H. Moore. In its glory days, the hotel was a popular place to stay for visiting ranchers, farmers and otherswho came to town to do business. It also hosted conventions and was a community gathering place that

housed the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the local bus depot in the 1940s through 1960s. While a show-piece in its time, the five- story building was eventually left vacant after a fire damaged its interior. The building was demolished entirely after a huge fire in October of 1995.


Moore Hotel

Railroad Hotel, Ontario’s first hotel, opened just one year after the town was founded. It was built by Oscar Scottand opened to much fanfare Thanksgiving Day in 1884. The hotel, which also housed the city’s post office whenScott became postmaster in December of 1884, served the early railroad community and visitors to the area. Scottalso built a lodging house next door to the hotel, and a saloon, also built by Scott, sat on the other side. The

Railroad Hotel and six other buildings burned down in Ontario’s first major fire, Oct. 5, 1899. According to JacobGregg’s ‘Pioneer Days in Malheur County,’ the fire started on the second floor of the Railroad Hotel, and all thebuildings ‘fronting east on Oregon Street in the block between Nevada (Third) Avenue and Washington (Second)Avenue, except the Corner Saloon, were burned to the ground.


Railroad Hotel


Here at The Aspen Grove our simpledesire is to equip, bless & encourage allwho enter in our store with a peaceful& relaxing environment, while givingyou the best possible prices.

Great selection of inspirational gifts...Willow Tree •Yankee & Salt City Candles & much more

Church supplies and Greeting Cards.

176 S. Oregon St.

Downtown Ontario

(541) 889-2998

We’ve Been With You Since 1977!Congratulations Ontario!

Bargainson

BrandsYou Trust!

2670 SW 4th Ave.Ontario

889-3738

Since 2001


The journey for the NicholsAccounting Group started in1974 when Pete Nicholsopened an accounting officein the basement of the IseriTravel Agency in Ontario.

The present offices are locat-ed in Nyssa and OntarioOregon and Nampa Idaho. TheOntario office was the oldOutdoorsman building, a landmark in Ontario. It was remod-eled for the accounting firm in1994 and became the newhome of the NicholsAccounting Group in June of1995

The First Congregational Church was the first church built in Ontario, in 1892, and the second in the county. The church also served the Methodists and Baptists in Ontario before their own respective churches were built. Itwas eventually purchased by the Pilgrim Lutheran Church in 1944.


Ontario’s first church


20 S.W. 3rd St., Ontario • 881-169062 Years of Charity Work in Ontario for the benefit of the community

In 1876 a small group of New YorkCity actors and entertainers began tomeet socially on a regular basis.Shortly before Christmas one of theirmembers died, leaving his widow andorphans destitute.

This sobering event convinced theothers the Jolly Corks should have amore noble purpose. Two months lateron February 16, 1868 they emerged asthe Benevolent and Protective Order ofElks with a statement of serious chari-table purpose and an impressive set ofrituals. For the next 140 years theyhave been deeply devoted to charitableworks at the local, state and nationallevels.

Chartered in 1946 under their first Exalted Ruler Anthony Yturri, Ontario Lodge #1690 first held their meetings in a dance hall abovePaul Roberts’ garage at 81 South Oregon Street. Soon though, with a rapidly growing membership and the need to expand they purchasedproperty from the Latter Day Saints at 20 SW Third Street. After additions and remodeling of the former church, they moved into their pres-ent location in 1953.

Ontario’s Elks Lodge sponsors and supports numerous charitable programs like the Children’s Eye Clinic in Portland, one of the mostoutstanding such facilities in the world. They also support the Meadowwood Camp near Pendleton: a summer camp for speech and hear-ing-impaired youngsters.

Locally the Ontario Elks were the beginning sponsors of Babe Ruth Baseball in the area, and have continued to do so for the last 62years. They are the only lodge in the country enshrined in the Babe Ruth Hall of Fame.

They are district-leading supporters of the Elks’ National Fund: the largest sponsor of privately endowed scholarships in the country, sec-ond only to the United States Government. They also sponsor and foster a vigorous program for the care, visitation and counseling of ArmedForces veterans in the community.

Their national motto is “ELKS CARE - ELKS SHARE,” and indeed they do.

The Jolly Corks, 1867

William Reed opened the city’s notable blacksmith shop in 1914 on Southwest First Street. Ontario residents came to Reed for plowshares, horseshoes and equipment repairs. One example of Reed’s work is the arch at theentrance of Ontario’s Evergreen Cemetery.


Reed’s Blacksmith


Jim & Lyn JunglingOwners since 1997

812 SW 4th Ave.Ontario

(Next to the new Rite-Aid) 889-3550Open Daily at 7:00 am

Congratulations to Ontario on its 125th Anniversary

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner Specials Everyday

The existing depot was built in 1907 and was a major shipping point for livestock and freight and also handled lots of passengers. Notable trains stopping at Ontario included the Portland Rose and the City of Portland.


Ontario Train Depot


It’s about lives. It’s about family. It’s about caring.

It’s about giving more.

DebbieBlackaby Owner

Mike Blackaby Owner

Kim Kimball Agent

Kristie York Agent

Tami Cornett Agent

Cindy EidsonCSR

Paul BentzNew Agent

280 S. Oregon,Ontario 889-8693

Insurance is “WHA“WHAT”T” we do, Service is “HO“HOW”W” we do it.

Store 1892 J. Valley

Bank 1919

House 1908 Built by J.R. Blackaby


“Stitch” with us forgreat prices on a top-quality selectionof sewing notions, fabrics, tools, booksand patterns. We’reproud to carry products from thebest names in thebusiness, likeHusqvarna, Vikingand much more.

249 So. Oregon Street • Ontario • 541-889-9183 6555 Overland Road, Suite 110 • Boise • 208-322-4211

Husqvarna VIKING

usicM

(541) 889-2844 45 S. Oregon, Ontario

it will last a lifetime..

Prior to the Moore Hotel, Hotel Ontario was the grandest in the city and described as the ‘finest of its kind between Boise and Baker City.’Early Ontario businessman David Wilson began construction of the hotel, situated onthe northwest corner of Oregon Street and Southwest Fifth Avenue in 1894, and it opened to the public in a big ceremony on July 4, 1897. According to the Ontario Argus Observer Mid-Century Edition in 1950, ‘The openingin 1897 was a social event never before equalled in Ontario; guests came from as far as Ogden, Utah.’Many notable people were reported to have stayed at the hotel, including William Jennings Bryan in 1912. The buildingwas torn down in 1944.


Hotel Ontario


General Contractor Design/Build Excavating Self Perform ConcreteConstruction Management

CCB #124559 RCE 1200 DEQ #38229 Idaho Public Works 16417-AAA-1-2-3

www.midvalleyconst.com218 SW 19th Avenue • Ontario, Oregon 97914

541-881-1608

“Safety is an ATTITUDE, get one!” Proud to be Drug Free

The Competition is just one of many Ontario businesses to open in this building on Oregon Street. Known as the Lackey Building, it was constructed in 1905 or 1906 by Andrew Lackey, and was the first home of OntarioPharmacy for many years, as well as Kinney Bros. & Keele Hardware.


Lackey Building


The Malheur County Fair was started in 1909 and was relocated to the city’s northside in 1911. The 1,500-seat grandstand and the Big Red Barn were the first facilities to be built.


Malheur County Fairgrounds

The Basque Boarding House was opened and run by Maria Echanis, the wife of one of Ontario’s first Basquesettlers, Jack Echanis. The boarding house, situated at 115 Oregon St., served hundreds of Basque laborers

who worked with sheep during the grazing season. The first building burned down after just seven years, buta new one was built in 1930.


Basque Boarding House


The signature facility of the Western Treasure Valley

676 S.W. 5th Avenue, Ontario, Oregon 97914 541-889-8191 www.4rcc.com

They come from the East, the West, the South and the North - four rivers that converge in theWestern Treasure Valley, where Oregon borders Idaho.

For centuries, the Snake, the Malheur, the Owyhee and the Payette havesupported life here, attracting people from all points of the compass.Four Rivers Cultural Center is named for these waterways. The rivers,in turn, represent the constant flow of people of varied ancestries -American Indian, Basque, European, Hispanic and Japanese - peoplewho have made this a diverse and vital region that has opened its arm tomany cultures and accepted their differences.

The stones featured in our logo come from each of the four rivers thatflow into the Western Treasure Valley. Like the cultures that have settledhere, they are each distinctive, yet connected.

BENSON’S GLASS & PAINT, INC

510 E. Idaho Ave., Ontario 889-8604

Don Benson opened the glass shop in 1946 andby 1950 Don Benson Glass Shop became thelargest glass concern between Boise & Portland.

Carl Knapp, G.E. “Brit” Brittingham, andArchie Bennet bought the business in 1969 whenDon Benson retired. The business is now ownedand operated by Jim Brittingham, who assumedhis fathers interest in the business.


This picture shows a Decoration Day Parade, May 30, 1915, in front of Ontario’s first City Hall, whichwas built in 1913. The building served the city from 1913 until 1976, when a replacement was built.According to the History of Malheur County, Volume II, the first City Hall was situated ‘approximate-ly near the four corners of the four adjoining desert claims taken up for the original townsite’andserved the city for 64 years. City officials, including City Council members, the city marshall and city

recorder all occupied the building’s first floor, as did the city fire department. The second floor wasoccupied by the Commercial Club — a precursor to the Chamber of Commerce — the MalheurCounty Fair Board and the Malheur County Extension Agents. The building had become too smallby the 1940s, and an addition to house the fire department was built, but by the 1970s the build-ing, again, was too small necessitating the construction of a new one


First City Hall

RAY RODRIGUEZARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOIn 2006, the Ontario girls soft-

ball team (8-12 overall, 5-11league) finished one game shortof state playoff contention aftersuffering a 13-3 loss in a tie-breaker game to Baker City.

The team underwent a mid-season coaching change andovercame several off the field is-sues during the season.

In his first full year as headcoach, David Hopper led thesquad to its first state berthsince 1999, and for the first timesince 1998, the Ontario softballteam claimed a Greater OregonLeague championship.

The Tigers clinched the divi-sion with a 13-1 win over theBaker Bulldogs in the regularseason finale.

Hopper was also named GOLco-Coach of the Year had nineplayers named All-GreaterOregon League selections andadd on four all-state selections.

“I had a lot of help, and I amhappy for the girls,” Hoppersaid.

“They’re the ones that cameout every day and worked hardand continued to improve alongthe way. It ended up being theywere successful, and they were

GOL Champions.”Senior Sarah Wharton re-

ceived honorable mention forher play in the infield, while twofreshmen and a sophomorebrought home some more all-state hardware.

Ontario sophomore JordanBarnett and freshmen Alli Yanoand Francine Hussey alsoearned recognition for solid 2007seasons and received all-statehonors.

Barnett started the season atthird base and, late in the year,stepped in to play the catcher’sposition.

The season ended in the sec-ond round as the Tigers, who al-so hosted a state game, lost toScappoose 13-9 in second-roundaction at the 4A state champi-onship tournament at Ore-IdaRegional Sports Complex inOntario.

Tigers finish short of state playoff


The Ontario softball team poses for a photo in 2006, moments after leading the squad to its first state berth since 1999, and for the first time since 1998, the Ontariosoftball team claimed a Greater Oregon League championship. The Tigers clinched the division with a 13-1 win over the Baker Bulldogs in the regular season finale.Hopper also was named GOL co-Coach of the Year and had nine players named all-Greater Oregon League selections.

Memorable Sports Moments

SCOTT FORDARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOThe Treasure Valley

Community College baseballteam pitched, hit and ran its wayto a fifth-place finish in the 1990Junior College World Series.

The Chukars run at the titleended on May 30, 1990, with an 16-1 loss to the top-ranked SeminoleJunior College Trojans.

In a game Mother Nature par-ticipated, causing a delay withthe Trojans leading 2-1.

Following the rain delay, theTrojans plated 14 runs in the fifthand sixth innings.

The Chukars were coming off atightly-contested 8-7 win over

Louisburg, N.C., which sentLouisburg home.

In that game, TVCC picked upthe winning run in the bottom ofthe ninth inning off a solo homerun from Cody Kosman.

The Chukars began the gamewith five runs in the first inning,which was highlighted by a BoeSimmons home run and RBI sin-gles off the bats of ShawnBarrett and Kosman.

Getting to the World Series forTVCC was no picnic. After win-ning the Region 18 tournament,the Chukars had to take onTrinidad, Colo., in an inter-re-gional play-in game, in a best ofthree series. In the three-gameset, the Chukars plated 44 runs.

Following the win, TVCC head

coach Rick Baumann was quotedsaying, “We accomplished whatwe set out to do. So many timeswe’ve had our back against thewall, (but) as soon as that (18-17)game was over (Game 2: Trinidad18, TVCC 17), the kids said ‘Hey,we’re going to win tomorrow.’ Ijust think they are a tremendous-ly mentally-tough team.”

The two teams split the firsttwo games, and in the thirdgame, TVCC pulled out the 13-1win to advance to the WorldSeries for the first time since themid-1970s.

Leading the Chukars to victorywas Kosman on the hill, where hestruck out 13 batters, and allowedonly five hits and three base onballs in nine innings of work.

Baumann said Kosman pitchedan outstanding game and was incharge from the first inning.

Galen Evans went 3-for-3 at theplate with a two-run home run inthe sixth inning.

“It was in those years that webegan to change some thingshere at Treasure Valley as far asour baseball program goes,”Baumann said in a interview inJune 2008.

Since their fifth-place finish in1990, the Chukars have moved on-to a new level of play. Now TVCCcompetes in the NorthwestAthletic Association ofCommunity Colleges, where ithas been a contender, but is stillsearching for its first NWAACCchampionship.

Chukars finish fifth at World Series

Ontario girls softballteam loses to

Baker in tie-breaker

‘I HAD A LOT of help,and I am happy for thegirls ... They’re the onesthat came out everydayand worked hard ...’David HopperTiger coach

Ontario was created on June 11, 1883. The name was chosen by a drawout of a hat. The four individuals who originally settled in Ontario - WilliamMorffit, James Virtue, Daniel Smith and Mary Richardson - filed desertclaims on four sections of land that grew into the City of Ontario. JamesVirtue won the draw and named Ontario after his birthplace, Ontario,Canada.

Ontario was incorporated in 1899 with a population of 445. The firstmayor in 1886 was E.H. Test.

90 Argus ObserverSunday, October 5, 2008


The current population of Ontario stands at 11,325. Ontario isconsidered the heart of the Western Treasure Valley and theGateway to Oregon. Ontario offers many gatherings, festivitiesand special events.


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ONTARIO Led by the state’s Most

Valuable Player, Greg Garza,head coach Brian Hoffman, as-sistant coach Jerry Gray and a22-year-old assistant coach DaveParsons, the 1995 Ontario base-ball team slashed and dashedthrough state competition withits first and only state champi-onship.

With a roster of brainiacs, JoshDalton, Luke Fritts, RyderHolderman, Carl Grovner, broth-ers Jason and Josh Wood, BenPeterson and Brian Redman, theTigers amassed 25 wins andclinched a league title.

In the first state tournamentgame, Ontario walloped Staytonby a 25-2 margin and kept the rungoing in the quarterfinals with a4-0 win over La Salle.

In the semifinals, the Tigersslipped past a pesky Douglassquad and earned a spot in thechampionship game againstBrookings-Harbor.

In the championship game,Luke Fritts hit an inside-the-park home run, and Garza tosseda complete game to seal the win.

The 1995 season was memo-rable in many ways for Parsons.

Parsons, who was just startinghis long run as a coach atOntario, learned the many in-depth details of what it takes tobe a successful coach fromHoffman.

“He was the type of coach

where every kid on the team ab-solutely loved him,” Parsonssaid. “He was the consummatecheerleader. He wanted everyoneto be happy and fired up aboutbaseball.”

Just a few years later, Hoffmandied of a heart attack from com-plications from Non-Hodgkin’sLymphoma.

“I talk about Hoffman all thetime. Here I was just a snot-nosedkid fresh out of college, and he

put the confidence in me. I stilluse those lessons of how to takecare of kids and how you usedthem throughout the season. Hewas great guy.”

Another highlight for Parsonswas a game at home againstBurns, where Garza stole theshow.

In the game, Garza threw a no-hitter and hit for the cycle to leadthe Tigers to the win.

In his final at-bat, Garza, aright-hander, switched aroundand cracked a bomb all the wayto the wall. Instead of racingaround the bases, he stopped atsecond base for the two-bagger tocomplete the rare feat.

Many of the stars of 1995 stilllive in the area, includingHolderman, who is a veterinari-an.

The Wood brothers are part ofBoston Beef, and Peterson is adentist.

“The two things I say aboutthis team is they went on to bespecial people. They didn’t liveoff that memory,” Parsons said.“They are good carriers of thefuture, and they still contributeto the community that broughtthem up. They all went on togood things. They were all smartkids, they all supported each oth-er and when it was game time,they were good friends.

1995 Tiger baseball team snags state titleWin was the first and

only state baseballchampionship for school


The OHS baseball team celebrates after winning the school’s first state tournament game in 1995.

MATTHEW NEALARGUS OBSERVER

COTTAGE GROVESisters stopped Tiger running

back Loren Stewart on a two-point conversation attempt at theend of the fourth quarter to pre-serve a 50-49 victory in a 4A statesemifinal contest where the twoteams combined for more than1,000 yards of offense.

“It’s the luck of the draw,”Ontario coach Randy Waitesaid. “Both teams playedhard, and you can’t take ourseason away. Somebody hadto lose. Unfortunately, it wasus. I feel bad for the kids.They all played hard andsome of them had some greatperformances. Really, it was justa great high school footballgame.”

The see-saw offensive contestboiled down to the two-point con-version with just more than aminute remaining after Ontariocut Sisters lead to 50-49 onBryson Sap’s 14-yard touchdownrun.

Waite decided to go for two toclinch the victory, but the

Outlaw’s swarmed Stewart andended the threat with 1:41 to go.

The Outlaws then let the clockrun out to claim the win.

While this game was highlight-ed by offensive fireworks, it didnot start out well for theTigers.

TheOutlawsput two onthe board inthe first quarterwith a safety when Tiger quar-terback Bryson Sap fumbled inthe end zone with 58 seconds lefton the clock.

In the second quarter, Sisters

again scored on a 6-yard JarredHasskamp pass to NathanJackson for a touchdown, fol-lowed by the PAT from TannerHodges, bringing the score to 9-0.

With 11:33 left on the clock inthe second quarter, Sisterskicked off. Tiger Loren Stewartreceived the kick and smashedthrough everything in his way to

score a touch-down on

an83-

yardreturn. Jacob Haueter’s kick wastrue, and Ontario was on theboard, trailing by two, 9-7.

Sisters came back with a five-play scoring drive. The extra

kick was good, giving Sisters a16-7 lead.

Ontario devised its own four-play retort with a 1:05 drive end-ing with a 35-yard Stewart endzone run to cut the margin to 16-13.

Ontario soon took possessionof the ball again, and an offen-sive surge put the Tigers in afirst and goal situation. Sapdrove it straight in for the score,and Jake Turner ran in the two-point conversion to put Ontarioout in front for the first time, 21-16 ,late in the second quarter.

The lead tipped back in theOutlaws’ favor, however, when,with 3:30 on the clock, Sistersbattled its way back downfield and into the end zone foranother McCaffrey touch-down. The Outlaw’s two-pointconversion failed, but they

still had a 22-21 advantage.Ontario organized a drive after

taking possession of the ball butcouldn’t capitalize for a touch-down. With 2.8 seconds left in thehalf, Haueter tried for a 50-yardfield goal, but his kick was wideright, aided by gale force winds.Sisters took a 22-21 lead into thelocker room.

In the third quarter, Ontario


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State championship decisionTigers come up one yard short of reaching

championship game in 50-49 loss to Sisters

SEE ONTARIO | PAGE 94


ONTARIORudy Marostica has a long and deserv-

ing title: “Exalted Ruler of the ElksLodge and Godfather of Babe Ruth base-ball.”

In his 27 years in Babe Ruth baseball,Marostica has seen some quality teamsgrace the diamonds of the TreasureValley.

From those quality teams in the 1960sthrough 2008, Marostica has seen many ayoung athlete capture the imagination ofthe community.

Back in 1968, a Babe Ruth teamcoached by Jim Cody and Don Gonzalesopened the eyes of the Treasure Valleywith a berth in the Babe Ruth WorldSeries. Ben Plaza, Jim Gonzales andRandy Frates were just three of the play-ers that set the standard for Babe Ruthathletics. Marostica said he still hasmany conversations about that team.

“People are going to be talking aboutthis team for a long time,” Marosticasaid. “They still talk about the teamcoached by Cody and Gonzales. Peoplewill always remember good things. Wehave had some good teams come throughhere. Every time we have a good teamcome through here, they are just a littlebetter than the ones before. We have al-ways been a thorn in the side of every-one over there on the west side of thestate.”

In 1993, Ontario’s Elks Lodge No. 1690was inducted into the Babe Ruth Hall ofFame, and in 2006, two Ontario BabeRuth teams made their mark in thePacific Northwest through the statetournament.

That year marked the first time in sixyears Ontario has hosted a Babe Ruthstate championship tournament.Marostica, who was instrumental in thetournament taking place in Ontario,said he is anticipating more district andstate tournaments in the future.

For the last few years, Marostica saidthe Babe Ruth baseball league has beensuffering through stagnant enrollmentnumbers, but with its recent success, theleague should get the necessary shot inthe arm it needs.

“These kids are a product of Malheur,Payette County and a product of goodcoaching through the little leagues,”Marostica said. “The coaches teach these

kids the fundamentals of baseball, andwhen they come up through the deal,they are polished up. They are going tocome through Babe Ruth and they aregoing to do a good job. We have a goodbunch of kids. We have always had agood bunch of kids in the area.”

This year, four teams earned a berthinto the state tournament, two fallingone win short of the regional finals.

Chelsey Warrington’s 15U Babe RuthNationals took their game a round fur-ther to the regionals, missing out on theBabe Ruth World Series after an 8-5 lossto Josephine County, Ore., Aug. 3 in thechampionship round of the Babe RuthPacific Northwest Region Tournamentat Harris Field on the campus of Lewisand Clark State College in Lewiston.

Even with the loss, head coach ChelseyWarrington said he told his team howproud he was.

“I told them not to hang their heads.They are one of the top 16 teams in thenation, and that’s pretty good,”Warrington said. “I’m very proud of thegroup. I think we were the best team onthe field tonight. The nine-inning gamebefore took a little bit out of us. Givethem credit. The kids battled hard all theway to the very end. In my mind, they’rethe champs.”

The team was a mix of two from Idahoand nine from Oregon, headlined byVale’s Ryan Nyborg and Kyle Barras andOntario slugger Tony Trejo.

Zach Stratton, Coleson Warrington,Jake Mellenthin, Cole Huffman, EddieLopez, Brian Navarette, Carlos Barba


Babe Ruth baseball leaves lasting memoriesMarostica recalls 27 years of baseball


Rudy Marostica stands near the ticket booth wearing his ‘Cooler Cop’ T-shirt dur-ing the Babe Ruth 13-year-old state championship tournament. Marostica, anOntario Elks Lodge No. 1690 member, has participated in Babe Ruth baseball for27 years.

scored first on a 48-yard run by Sap. Sapthen ran the two-point conversion, givingOntario a 29-22 lead. Sisters answered on thenext possession, but the PAT failed andOntario lead was cut to one point 29-28 gamewith 1:57.

On the Tigers next possession, and afterone play, Stewart was back in the end zonewhen he rumbled off a 73 yard score. The

kick was good and the third quarter wasover with Ontario ahead 36-28.

The fourth quarter saw Sisters scoretwice in the first four minutes to claim thelead again, 43-36, and putting the Outlawsright back in the game.

The Tigers answered with a touch downpass from Sap to Ryan Laubacher andHaueter’s kick tied it up 43.

The Outlaws once again hit the markwhen wide receiver Tanner Hodges scored

on a 24-yard pass from Hassknat. The kicksailed through the sticks and Sisters tookthe lead again 50-43.

Sister’s head coach Bob MaCauley hadnothing but good things to say aboutOntario. “The community, the staff and theplayers are a 10 in my book. I love the waythey play with heart and class. I have a lot ofrespect for them. We won by one play. Hatsoff to them. It was a great game with no mis-takes and 99 points scored,” MaCauley said.

FROM PAGE 93

ONTARIO: Sisters coach lauded team for a ‘great’ game with no mistakes

‘PEOPLE ARE GOING to betalking about this team for along time. They still talkabout the team coached byCody and Gonzales. Peoplewill always remember goodthings. We have had somegood teams come throughhere.’Rudy MarosticaBabe Ruth baseball

and Matt Esplin made up the final roster of the 15UBabe Ruth squad.


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ONTARIOThe Treasure Valley

CommunityCollege baseballteam had one ofits own make it tothe big leagues.Jason Hammelplayed for theChukars and hailsfrom Washingtonwhere he attended

South Kitsap High School.According to Chukar head

baseball coach Rick Baumann,Hammel chose TVCC becausethe school was known for put-ting out quality pitchers.

“TVCC is known as a pitchingschool, and we have a limitedamount of scholarship moneyso we put that towards pitch-ers,” Rick Baumann said.“Jason Hammel came to TVCCbecause of the Rick Bauers. Jeff

Zimmerman came here becauseof the Jason Hammels and soon.”

With Hammel moving on tothe major leagues, he helpedsupport the pitching tradition atTVCC.

Hammel now pitches for theTampa Bay Devil Rays, and hemade his Major League debut onApril 11, 2006, against the

Baltimore Orioles.Hammel got his first victory as

a starter on Sept. 2, 2007, againstthe New York Yankees.

The 26-year-old former Chukarwas recalled from AAA Durhamon June 11, 2008 and joined theRays’ rotation in July, but re-cently was moved in to the bullpen to make room for anotherstarting pitcher. Hammel

recorded his first career saveSept. 10, 2008, over Boston.

Hammel pitched a combined161.1 innings between the Raysand AAA.

In his 13 starts, he had com-piled a record of 2-5, with a 6.15ERA in 67.1 inning.

He has given up 79 hits, 46runs and has issued 27 base onballs to go with his 46 strikeouts.

Hammel stands on the moundwith his 6-foot, 6-inch, 220 poundframe and delivers the heat toopposing hitters.

One of Hammel’s MajorLeague highlights was beatingAndy Pettitte at YankeeStadium, 8-2, on Sept. 2, 2007,(his 25th birthday) for his firstwin as a starter. In that game hepitched five innings, gave up fivehits and only one run as hestruck out seven and walkednone.

Pettitte had won 12 straightagainst. Tampa Bay and had a13-1 career mark against theRays until Hammel got the win.

Hammel earned his secondwin as a starter on the last dayof the 2007 season when he wonat Toronto on Sept. 30 over A.J.Burnett who had a 6-1 lifetimemark against the Rays.

Hammel plays the big leaguesFormer TVCC

Chukar now a pitcher for the Tampa

Bay Devil Rays

NAM Y. HUH | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tampa Bay Devil Rays catcher Shawn Riggans (left) talks to closer Jason Hammel during the 10thinning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 24, 2008, in Chicago. The WhiteSox won 6-5 in 10 innings.

Hammel



ONTARIONot many young men get the op-

portunity to live out their child-hood dreams of playing in theMajor Leagues, but for one Idahoathlete, Clayton Mortensen, thedream is now a reality.

Mortensen grew up in Rexberg,where he attended Madison HighSchool before coming to TreasureValley Community College.

At Madison High School,Mortensen earned a varsity letterplaying both baseball and basket-ball. He posted a 9-1 record with anERA (earned runs average) of 1.86and 76 strikeouts. He hit .500 witheight home runs as a senior andwas named first-team All-HighCountry League his senior year.

It is his connection with TVCCthat has dubbed his story as one ofthe 25 greatest sports stories in thehistory of Ontario.

Mortensen said he attended theAlbertson’s College pitching camphis junior year in high school, andthat was when the wheels for hissoon-to-be pro career began toturn.

The TVCC head baseball coachat that time, Russ Wright, took no-tice of the lanky right-handedhurler and decided to pursue him.

“I think he took a chance on usbecause of the history TVCC hashad with pitchers in the past,”Wright said.

In Mortensen’s freshman year atTVCC he posted a 6-2 record withan ERA of 2.47, he recorded 50strikeouts and walked only 23 bat-ters in 58.3 innings pitched.Mortensen was named second-team All-Northwest AthleticAssociation of Community

Colleges.As a sophomore,

in 2005, the right-handed flame-thrower posted a 7-5 record with anERA of 2.36,recorded twosaves, 89 strikeoutsin 88.1 innings of

work and was named first-teamAll-NWAACC.

Mortensen was drafted by theTampa Bay Devil Rays in the 24thround of the 2005 Major LeagueBaseball draft after his sophomoreyear at TVCC, but he decided itwas not his time to come out — hewanted to move on to a Division Ischool.

Oklahoma State, BYU, Portlandand Gonzaga were all wooing thefuture pro, but in the end,Mortensen liked what Gonzagaput on the table. During his junioryear at Gonzaga in 2006,Mortensen posted a 6-8 record in17 appearances, including 14starts. He led Gonzaga pitcherswith 54 strikeouts in 81 innings,struck out a season-high eight bat-ters against New Mexico State andcombined with four otherBulldogs pitchers for a shutoutover Chicago State.

As a senior, Mortensen droppedhis ERA to 3.92, and posted a 9-2record in 16 starts. He tossed sixcomplete games during 119.1 in-nings of work while collecting 42strikeouts.

Mortensen was drafted by the St.Louis Cardinals in June 2007 inthe First-Year Player draft andwas selected 36th in the firstround. He is now currently play-ing for the Cardinals double-Afarm team, the SpringfieldCardinals, in Springfield, Mo.

He is sitting on a 1-1 record witha 2.89 era and has struck out 18 op-posing professionals in his bud-ding professional career.

Mortensen began his careerwith a short-season at Batavia in

the New York-Penn League. In hispro debut for the SpringfieldCards, Mortensen tossed two in-nings and allowed one run. Henotched his first career win withfive scoreless frames on June 30,2007, against Mahoning Valley.Then, he set a career-high sevenstrikeouts in 32⁄3 innings on July 8against Staten Island. July 19,2007, Mortensen was promoted toClass A Quad Cities in theMidwest League, where he hurledfour innings and allowed two runsin his first outing.

Later in 2007, he matched hisprevious career high of sevenstrikeouts in back-to-back appear-ances on July 30 and Aug. 4

“He is a great kid, and when hegets to the bigs, I will be one of thefirst ones to go watch him play,”Wright said.

Mortensen said his time atTVCC was filled with great memo-ries, but it was also an importanttime for him to develop into thepitcher he is today.

“Coach Wright showed me howto work,” Mortensen said. “Heused to tell us to bring our lunchpail to practice because we weregoing to work.”

The pitcher said the staff atTVCC worked his tail off, and he isglad they did.

“Now, every time I am on the dia-mond, I hustle everywhere I go,”Mortensen said. “And my coaches

now, notice that.”In addition to the work ethic

Mortensen built at TVCC, he saidhe made a lot of great friends aswell.

Mortensen said he enjoys com-ing back to TVCC for the alumnigames and plans to return for fu-ture games as well.

“I believe that everything hap-pens for a reason, and if you workhard at it and are dedicated,things will go your way,”Mortensen said.

Mortensen said the different lev-els of play from TVCC to double-Aball are huge, but he knows hewould not have been able to makethe adjustments with out thecoaches he had at TVCC andGonzaga.

The scouting reports onMortensen list him as a legitimateprospect on the rise, with three us-able pitches and a body frame (6’4,180 lbs.) that appears able to han-dle added strength, which wouldmake his good fastball even better.

“Follow your dreams, and withhard work those dreams can be-come reality. You have to get afterit and take no shortcuts. This ismy story, and now I am in double-A and I am knocking on the doorto play in the bigs,” Mortensensaid.

“But I will never forget TreasureValley because that is where it allstarted for me.”

Living the dreamMortensen credits

TVCC for his success asa baseball player

Mortensen

‘FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, and with hard work thosedreams can become reality. You have to get after itand take no shortcuts. This is my story, and now Iam in double-A and I am knocking on the door toplay in the bigs. But I will never forget TreasureValley because that is where it all started for me.’Clayton MortensenFormer TVCC baseball player


ONTARIOIn the spring of 2003, a Treasure Valley

Community College Chukar trackster flew tonew heights at the Northwest AthleticAssociation of Community Colleges Trackand Field Championships. That Chukar wasJames Rynearson of Payette.

Rynearson won the high jump competitionwith a leap of 6-feet, 10-inches at theNWAACC championships.

“James was one of my first recruits here at

Treasure Valley as we brought the track pro-gram back,” TVCC head track coach RonTalbot said.

TVCC cut the track and field program in1993, and then, in 2001, the program wasbrought back and was in competition in 2002.

Talbot said Rynearson was a very motivat-ed athlete.

“Motivation is what it takes to be a champi-on,” Talbot said. “In the NWAACC track andfield there is some very tough competition. Itis as good as the junior nationals, if not bet-ter. You have to be a great athlete to win.”

As a freshman, Rynearson was clearing thebar at 6-foot, 2-inches, and Talbot said he im-proved by leaps and bounds in the course ofthe season.

“By the end of the season, he was clearing6-feet, 10-inches,” Talbot said.

Rynearson just missed a jump of 7-feet atthe NWAACC championship.

According to Talbot, in Rynearson’s 7-footattempt he cleared the bar, but just bumped itenough to get it wiggling, and it eventuallyfell to the mats below. Rynearson did nothave a fault until he attempted the 7-footjump.

“He was a 7-foot jumper. He was a strongjumper,” Talbot said.

But Rynearson’s jumping career soon cameto an end. At the first meet of his sophomoreyear, against Boise State, Rynearson suffereda stress fracture and was sidelined.

“He was a positive athlete and he did every-thing he was told to do,” Talbot said.

“There is no doubt in my mind, if he wouldnot have been injured, he would have takenback-to-back NWAACC championships.

Rynearson leaps to championshipPayette track star

leaves his mark at TVCC


ONTARIOJust 38 years before the

Ontario boys golf team of BenBrittingham, Jason Smith,Chris Jensen, Erik Snyder andJerell Wilhelmson battled backfrom third place after the open-ing day to shock the state withits first-ever team state champi-onship in 1997, there was localOntario High School hero LynnYturri doing damage on the golfcircuit with back-to-back statechampionships in 1959 and 1960.

The first of the individualstate championship occurred onMay 26, 1959, at Glendoveer GolfCourse in Portland, when the

Ontario athlete faced off againsttop competitors from 24 schools.

Yturri carded a nine underpar, 139, to earn a first-place in-dividual medal for the Tigers.

Finishing in second place wasSt. Francis’ John Kerr, whocarded a two-day total of 147,finished in second place.

Yturri’s 1959 run was a longstanding record before theOregon Schools AthleticAssociation classified eachschool based on student popula-tion.

The 139 score by Yturri wasmatched only twice in 1967 and1968 before classifications tookhold.

With Yturri’s effort in 1959,the Tiger team (655) finished10th overall, 49 strokes behindstate champion Beaverton.

In 1960, Yturri was at it againon the same Glendoveer GolfCourse in Portland, this time

Tiger golfer is first to win state

championship for OHS

Lynn Yturri swings back-to-back titles



ONTARIOOntario High School graduate

Michael Lissman can be calledone of the better baseball playersever to slap on the cardinal andcorn colors.

Lissman was a two-time first-team all-state player and was al-so part of Oregon StateUniversity’s back-to-back nation-al championships in 2006 and2007.

As a senior at Ontario in 2003,Lissman led the offensive chargewith a .529 batting average,slammed 10 home runs and drovein 45 runs. Those numbersearned him all-league and all-state honors, a repeat feat sincehe accomplished those honors asa junior in 2002.

The final two seasons atOregon State were nothing shortof a dream for Lissman, who inhis senior year in 2007 wasnamed to the all-NCAA tourna-ment team as he led the Beaverswith 57 RBIs.

OSU became the first back-to-back College World Series cham-pion since LSU in 1996-97 and thefifth overall.

Oregon State rallied overVirginia and propelled theBeavers to their 5-0 mark in theCWS, which concluded with a

sweep of North Carolina in thebest-of-three finals on June 25,

2007.With the 9-3 victory, Oregon

State capped a dominant run thatsaw the Beavers only trail for oneof the 45 innings in Omaha.

The Beavers were the firstteam in MCWS history to winfour straight games by six runsor more, and OSU was the firstteam to win the MCWS that wasseeded in the lower half of thetournament field since regionalseeding began in 1988.

Oregon State was the first No. 3seed to ever win a national titlesince the current 64-team formatwas introduced in 1999.

On the field, the righty was fo-cused on the prize, while off thefield Lissman went through amajor ordeal where he was ac-cused of, and later charged with,four misdemeanor counts of sec-ond-degree theft, in connectionto swiping $200 or more from anelderly family member betweenAugust and October 2006.

Lissman’s mother, MargieYasuda, 53, pleaded guilty to firstdegree aggravated theft April 10,2007, for taking $10,000 or morefrom the same elderly familymember between July 2006 andFebruary 2007, according tocourt documents.

Since the nasty ordeal,Lissman has been able to put allthe struggles aside and has madea jump to the professional base-ball ranks.

Playing for the Arizona LeagueAthletics Lissman was hitting.223 with 12 RBIs as late as May29, 2008.

On July 11, 2007, the CWS starhit his first professional homerun.

The legacy of LissmanFormer Tiger madeheadlines for all the

right and wrong reasons

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Former Ontario High School baseball standout and Oregon State University graduate Mike Lissman headstoward third base in this Associated Press file photo taken during the College World Series.

SEE YTURRI | PAGE 101


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ONTARIOThe Treasure Valley Community

College baseball program has ahabit of sending players to the nextlevel, and even on to the profession-al ranks. One such player andTreasure Valley native, Rick Bauer,came through TVCC’s baseball pro-gram and is now playing in the ma-jor leagues. Bauer graduated fromCentennial High School in Eagle in1995 and then came to TVCC andpitched for two seasons.

“Rick came out of CentennialHigh School. I had seen him play.He was throwing about 75 MPH andwas a skinny young kid who hadnot grown into his body,” TVCChead baseball coach Rich Baumannsaid. “Then I saw him during thesummer in legion baseball and theball was exploding.”

Bauer red-shirted his first year atTVCC, and Baumann said he wasdedicated during his workouts andbegan to improve daily.

“During the summer he pitched

on the Meadow Larks and did verywell,” Baumann said.

So well in fact, Baumann saidduring the summer, when he wouldpitch, the scouts came out in heavynumbers.

“He turned out to be one of thefinest pitchers in the PacificNorthwest,” Baumann said.

After his stint in Ontario, Bauerwas drafted by the BaltimoreOrioles in 1997 in the fifth round,where he became a starting pitcher

TVCC’s Bauer takes game to next levelTreasure Valley native pitched

for two seasons at local college beforemoving on to the Major Leagues

SYRACUSE CHIEFS FILE PHOTO

Rick Bauer, now with the Cleveland Indians organization, delivers a pitch while a member of theBaltimore Orioles. Bauer was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, where he is now playing on their AAAteam, the Syracuse Chiefs.SEE BAUER | PAGE 101

‘HE TURNED out to be oneof the finest pitchers inthe Pacific Northwest.’

Rick BaumannTVCC head baseball coach


Andrew’s Seed was founded in 1922 by Alvin Andrews at a livery stable location at corner of South Oregon Street andSW 6th Avenue in downtown Ontario. The flooring of the old livery stable is still part of the flooring within the exist-ing retail establishment at this corner.

In 1955, Al Andrews sold his business to John Stubstad. John streamlined the business by adding seed conditioning facil-ities in the adjacent 600 block of South Oregon Street and incorporated the use of metal boxes for receipt of seed vs.bags. In the 1980’s adjacent property to the east was acquired from Union Pacific railroad for grain storage and secondseed conditioning facilities. Additional properties were acquired throught the acquisition of Dyer Lumber Company tothe north and Wilsons Warehouse market to the west side of Oregon Street.

Andrews Seed Co. is the only local company with retail seed, lawn and garden products and nursery stock, but are stillconsiderate of our wholesale seed market which has supported the core of the business for the past 85 years. With thepassing of John Stubstand in 2003, Dave Polhemus and Mike Kurth have assumed ownership of the business. Both Mikeand Dave are both totally dedicated to the founders ideals of stable agricultural enterprise within the City of Ontario andto support local interests.

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in the Orioles farm system from 1997 through2001. There he compiled a record of 41-39 in119 games. His earned run average was a 4.39in 6662⁄3 innings of work.

Bauer made his Major League debut in astart against the Seattle Mariners on Sept. 2,2001, a 1-0 loss in which he surrendered justone run on three hits and two walks in 61⁄3 in-nings. He pitched primarily in relief forBaltimore from 2001 through 2005, making 116relief appearances and nine starts and com-piling an 8-13 record with a 4.58 ERA in 240 in-nings pitched. He was released by the Oriolesafter the 2005 season and signed a minorleague contract with Texas in November 2005.

On April 7, 2006, he was called up to theRangers and remained with the team for therest of the season.

In 57 relief appearances and one start,Bauer pitched 71 innings and posted a 3-1

record with two saves and a career-best 3.55ERA. He was not available to pitch the finalweek of the season because of tendonitis inhis pitching shoulder.

In January 2007, the Rangers avoided salaryarbitration with Bauer when they signed himto a $730,000, one-year contract. But after apoor spring training, he was designated forassignment and waived by the club. He signeda minor league deal with the Phillies April 6,2007 but was released by their InternationalLeague affiliate, the Ottawa Lynx, June 20. Hesigned another minor league contract withthe Dodgers on July 1, playing for their PacificCoast League affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s.Bauer signed a minor league contract with aninvite to spring training with the ClevelandIndians on Nov. 30, 2007.

Bauer found his way to AAA Buffalo in 2008,but on June 6, the Indians called him up to theteam. In Buffalo, Bauer was 0-0 with a 1.54ERA (23.1IP, 17H, 4R/ER, 10BB, 30K) and 15

saves in 22 appearances out of thebullpen. He converted 15 of 17 saveopportunities, and his 15 saves aresecond most in the InternationalLeague. Opposing bat-ters are hitting just.200 (17-85) withrighties battingjust .167 (7-42)against him.Bauer hasnot al-lowed arun in hislast four ap-pearances(4.2IP, 5H, 0R, 7K)and 20 of his 22appearanceson the yearare score-less.

FROM PAGE 100

BAUER: Former Treasure Valley CC star now plays for the Cleveland Indians

taking top honors with a two un-der par 146 to defeat Roseburg’sChuck Allen (148) by twostrokes.

Yturri’s 36-hole total of 146and first-place finish was a nail-biter through and through andkept many fans on the edge oftheir seats.

Just four strokes separated thetop five finishers.

Twenty-five schools and a fe-male competitor made up the en-tire championship game.

As a team, Ontario managed abetter finish with sixth-placehonors and a team score of 643.

South Eugene ended up takingthe team title with a score of614, 19 strokes better than

Oswego.Until 1997’s championship run

where Ontario ended the cham-pionship seven shots better thanthe field with a 635 and were ledto victory by Brittingham with atwo day score of 157, which puthim in a tie for ninth place inthe individual scoring, theTigers could never get withinstriking distance of many of the

state’s top programs.Yturri’s back-to-back champi-

onship run set the bar high formany in the Treasure Valley andset the expectations for solidplay in a sport that had neverreached the worldwide populari-ty among minorities it has todaywith many names like TigerWoods, Vijay Singh andAnthony Kim.

FROM PAGE 98

YTURRI: As a team, the Tigers managed to finish sixth out of 25 teams in 1960


ONTARIOWhen thinking of American Legion base-

ball, it is hard to imagine anyone who can topthe accomplishments of head coach MattEchanis.

From 2002 through 2004, Echanis skipperedArea B’s most successful program.

Under Echanis and assistant coach LukeFritts, the Stars compiled a 119-27 record, cap-tured two ‘AA’ State American Legion Baseballtitles and two Northwest Regional appear-ances.

The 2003 state champs boasted MichaelLissman, Greg Keim and Drew Echanis.

Lissman, Keim and Echanis combined fornearly 40 home runs during the magical 2003campaign, leading the Stars to the regionaltournament.

In 2004, Matt Echanis’ group was headlinedby former local standouts Aaron Sutton, T.J.Presley, Shane Schiemer, Cole Dennett, TyGrant, Ty Smith, Zack Park, Tugger Roberts,Drew Johnson, Kyle Bates, Cole Dennett, MattMejia, Brandon Coley, Mitch Holliday, TravisWilliams, B.J. Yaeger and Nathen Yamamoto.

The Treasure Valley ‘AA’ Stars went 31-9 in2004 after losing several key players from the2002 and 2003 state title teams.

During the regular season, the Stars scored320 runs in 30 regular season games, scoringbetter than 10 runs a game, while belting out 25home runs.

Treasure Valley Community College base-ball coach Rick Baumann, who coachedEchanis in the mid-1990s at TVCC, saidEchanis and the Stars put together one the best

performances by any team in AmericanLegion baseball history.

“I think it was the best stretch in the historyof American Legion, outside of Lewis-Clarkwhen Dwight Church was coaching way backwhen,” Baumann, who coached AmericanLegion for more than two decades, said. “Theywon something like eight state titles in a row inthe 1960s and 1970s. It might have been evenmore than that.”

Rick Clark, an assistant baseball coach atTreasure Valley, said Echanis set the bar high

for future teams.“Matt did a great job. To win back-to-back

state titles, I mean to win one is tough enough,but two. And to be in contention for a third, it’sunbelievable,” Clark said.

Echanis said the first title was special be-cause no one knew about the Stars. “The sec-ond one we were supposed to win it. In 2004, thekids just thought that was the way it was sup-posed to be,” Echanis said. “They worked sohard, they never, ever, gave up. That’s what im-pressed me with this group.”



In 1990, Canadian born JeffZimmerman came to theTreasure Valley to play baseball;little did he know that less than adecade later, he would be a MajorLeague all star.

During his stay at TVCC — oneseason — Zimmerman found hisway into the record books. As afreshman, Zimmerman and theChukars qualified for the Jr.College World Series in GrandJunction, Colo. Although theChukars did not win the tourna-ment, Zimmerman logged the firstever Chukar College World Serieswin against Appalachian State.

Following his stint at TVCC,Zimmerman took his future allstar arm to Texas ChristianUniversity.

Undrafted, Zimmerman spentseveral years with Team Canada.In the 1994 Baseball World Cup, he

was 0-1 with a 4.87 ERA in threegames as Canada’s workhorse,throwing 20 1/3

ofthe

club’s 62 in-nings. He eventually wan-

dered into the independentNorthern League in 1997, where

he struck out 140 batters in 118 in-nings.

Texas scouts remembered himfrom his Ft. Worth days, andZimmerman signedwith the

Rangers. He over-matched minor-league competi-tion at three levels in 1998, and in1999, as a rookie, was an AmericanLeague all star as the Rangers’ set-up man.

In 2001 Zimmerman saved 28games as the Ranger closer, andthen his career ended as suddenlyas it had begun, with a devastatingelbow injury. While Zimmermanhas technically not retired, he hasbeen in rehabilitation since the2001 season through the end of the2005 season. Zimmerman holds abachelor’s degree from TCU andan MBA from Simon FraserUniversity in British Columbia.He was named to Baseball Digestmagazine’s 1999 Rookie All-starTeam.

In 1997, Zimmerman wasawarded as the IndependentLeague’s all star starting pitcher,and was the Northern LeagueDivision Rookie Pitcher of theYear. In 1999 he was theAmerican League Rookie ofthe Year and played in theMajor League Baseball All-star Game. In addition

Zimmerman also won the TipO’Neill Award (Canadian player ofthe year).

Zimmerman had only playedthree years in the Major Leagueswhen the arm injury ended his ca-reer.

Pitcher posts only win for TVCC at World SeriesArm injury puts Canadian-born

Zimmerman’s career to a halt

Matt Echanis sets bar for Legion baseballIn three years, AA Stars compile

119-27 record


Matt Echanis (left) and an unidentified American Legion baseball player are pictured in this file photo.


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ONTARIOThe 1997 Ontario boys golf team will forever

be etched into the history of Ontario HighSchool after winning the school’s first-everstate championship at the par 72 Eagle CrestResort Course in Redmond. Ontario pulled offits historic moment just seven strokes betterthan Hidden Valley.

The Tiger golf team members, BenBrittingham, Jason Smith, Chris Jensen, ErikSnyder and Jerell Wilhelmson, battled backfrom third place after the opening day to winthe 1997 title.

Leading the Tigers to victory wasBrittingham with a two-day score of 157, whichput him in a tie for ninth place in the individ-ual scoring, just six shots off the lead.

Wilhelmson ended the two-day event with ascore of 160. Jason Smith finished with 163,Chris Jensen carded a 164 and Eric Snyder fin-ished with a 165.

Brittingham said when the team first teed upin 1997, it had expectations to go a long waythat year.

“We had a pretty seasoned group of threeseniors — Brittingham, Snyder andWilhelmson, one junior and a sophomore thatwere the core of the team,” Brittingham said.“We saw another 3A team, Enterprise HighSchool, win it all the year before, and we hadhigh expectations going in.”

Brittingham said the reality of winning it allbecame clear early in the season in 1997 afterthey attended a few events against some of thebigger schools in Boise.

“We did not beat those bigger schools, but wecontended with them,” Brittingham said.“That’s when we knew that we would be able tohandle any of the 3A schools in Oregon.

Brittingham recalls the day the school hungthe banner in the OHS gymn. He said it feltgreat to know the team was forever going to bea part of history at Ontario High School.

Since that historic day, Brittingham said, allthe members still keep in touch, and they still

talk about that championship run.“It is fun to visit with those guys and talk

about that year,” Brittingham said.Ontario has never won another state golf

tournament since. Brittingham said headcoach Lee Derick played an enormous role dur-ing the championship run.

“He knew when and where to do his coach-ing,” Brittingham said. “But he also alwayshad everything in order for us.”

Tiger linksters win first-ever state title


The 1997 Ontario golf team claimed the Tigers’first and only golf state championship. The championship trophy stands alone at Ontario High School.Members of that 1997 team include Ben Brittingham, Jason Smith, Chris Jensen, Erik Snyder and Jerell Wilhelmson.



ONTARIOIn 2007, the Treasure Valley Community

College Chukar track and field team wit-nessed one of its own win the NorthwestAthletic Association of CommunityColleges track and field championships inthe 10,000 meter and 5,000 meters races andbe named a Junior College All-American.

Pam Ward, Idaho City, came to TVCC in2006. During her freshman year, Wardplaced third at the NWAACC champi-

onships.“Pam was an extremely hard worker. She

ran cross-country with Blas Guerra,” TVCChead track coach Ron Talbot said. “Blastrained and worked with her, and by the endof her sophomore year, she ended up win-ning the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races.”

After Ward left TVCC, she moved on toBoise State University on a partial scholar-ship where she continues to run.

Talbot said Ward is in the building stage atBoise State as the Broncos prepare her fordifferent events.

“Ward did have success at Boise State lastseason, and will continue to run her senioryear,” Talbot said

Another Lady Chukar who found successat TVCC was Michelle Neal, who ran for the

Chukars in 2002 and 2003.“Michelle came in as a sprinter, and we

moved her over to the hurdles,” Talbot said.“In her freshman year, she won the 110-me-ter and 400-meter hurdles and set schoolrecords at TVCC in 2002. Then in 2003, shebroke her own records, and those still standtoday.”

Neal’s record time in the 110-meter hurdleis 14.8 seconds and in the 400 meter hurdle itis 1:03.3, breaking former Lady ChukarCathy Osborn’s records which were set in1983. After her stint at TVCC, Neal alsomoved on to Boise State, but she is not run-ning anymore.

“Both of these girls were positive athletes,and they both worked very hard for ourtrack team,” Talbot said.

TVCC track fosters two top athletesWard, Neal make their

mark at local college


ONTARIOOntario High School can lay

claim to another state champi-onship in its history. The historicmoment took place in 1997. It wasmore than just a title year — itwas the prefect year.

The Tigers wrestling team pow-ered by Nathan Navarro, TylerMalstrom and Perren Baker toname a few, won every dual, everytournament, claimed a districtchampionship and continued therun all the way to a state crown.

Such an accomplishment is rarein the world of sports, and, accord-ing to longtime head coach

Charlie Anthony, the feat willprobably never be duplicated.

With a roster stacked with 38grapplers covering all weights,Ontario staked claim to top tour-nament finishes in the OregonClassic, the Caldwell Tournament,the Bend Tournament, the NyssaTournament, claimed a 42-18 dualmeet win over Vale and a 34-27 winover Weiser.

In districts, Navarro, Jeff Hall,

Malstrom, Freddy Hansen andBaker finished first, and eight oth-ers finished in the top three.

As a group, the Tigers amassed arecord of 404-161, racked up 196pins, 15 technical falls and 1957team points.

Navarro, a three-time statechampion, was a senior in the1996-1997 campaign and won 80

The perfect yearOHS wrestlers make history in 1997

SEE TIGERS | PAGE 108


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ONTARIOOn Nov. 15, 1987, Treasure

Valley Community College stu-dents and staff, and the commu-nity of Ontario were torn at theseams when coach BobMcAlpine lost his life in an air-plane crash.

Two members of the TVCCtrack team were also on boardthe deadly flight. Bob’s son, JeffMcAlpine, and Arthur Guerrasurvived the crash with burns.

The Continental Airlines flight1713 crashed on take off fromStapleton Airport in Denver, asit was en route to Boise.

Flight 1713 took off in blizzardconditions and was airborne foronly five or six seconds accord-ing to a report given by Navy Lt.Curtis Renfro, who was landinghis plane on a runway parallel tothe runway Flight 1713 took offof.

Just after the plane was air-borne, it came tumbling down,killing 28 people and injuring 56.

McAlpine was a legend at

TVCC for building a solid trackprogram in addition to a greatcrosscountry team. He beganworking at TVCC in 1968 andwon TVCC teacher of the year.He was an English and litera-ture professor as well as the

track coach.Current head coach and then

assistant track coach Ron Talbotsaid the day McAlpine died wasthe worst day of his life.

“I lost a great friend, and theschool lost a great coach and

leader,” Talbot said.Talbot said McAlpine’s legacy

is comprised of the records pro-duced by the teams he coached.

“He knew how to motivate ath-letes on the track and in life,”Talbot said. “Most of the ath-letes Bob coached have movedon to be successful in life. I donot know any one of the kidsthat found success on the trackwith Bob not find success inlife.”

Talbot said there were not justone or two great athletes thatcame through McAlpine’s pro-gram. He said there were a num-ber of the illustrious.

“Bob made sure all his athletesattended school and did a goodjob in the classroom,” Talbotsaid.

“The message was for the ath-letes to get their education first,then run track second.”

McAlpine perishes in plane crashFlight 1713 was in the

air just a few secondsbefore crashing

‘I LOST A great friend,and the school lost agreat coach and leader.’

Ron Talbot

TVCC Track Coach


After working for Shell Oil Company for ten

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In 1970 Norm purchased four retail stations and

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matches in a row spanning twoand a half years. Once he graduat-ed, Navarro walked away with acareer record of 119-9 and contin-ued his run at Oregon StateUniversity. Today, Navarro is anassistant coach at Nampa HighSchool.

Of the eight 1997 state qualifiers,all but two placed and led the wayfor Ontario. Navarro was followedup by Malstrom (second), Baker(second), Hall (fourth), DustinBurton (fifth), Ben Mathews(fifth), Joe Pahl and Hansen as theTigers’ qualifiers.

Navarro, Baker and Malstromcapped the season with AcademicAll-American honors for theirachievements not only on the mat,but also in the classroom.

“They were a pretty good groupof kids,” Anthony said. “A lot ofthem had wrestled for many years.They had supportive parents whobacked them and supportedOntario wrestling. Throughoutour season, the success came notonly from the state qualifiers, butit took a lot of other kids to windual meets and tournaments.”

Such was the case when theTigers faced off in a dual againstVallivue. Ontario used four deci-sions, a pin, a major decision, atechnical fall and a forfeit to claima 32-25 win. OHS was up 20-9 and

watched as the Eagles stormedback to 20-19. Hall, who wrestled at187-pounds, sealed the deal with afirst-round pin.

“It was just one of those things,”Anthony said. “That dual withVallivue we probably shouldn’thave won, but we had some youngkids who won some matches tohelp us win that. Everything justfell together for us.”

Everything did fall together, andnot only was Anthony blessedwith the talent, but the veterancoach had one of the best coach-ing staffs with assistant coaches

Chris Mejia, Tony Roberts andDave Parsons.

For Parsons, the words thatcome to mind when reflecting onthe 1997 season are magical, teamdedication, toughness and an un-stoppable force.

“The thing that strikes me themost is, as a coach we preach youget out of it what you put in,”Parsons said. “They put in the ex-tra time during practice, did somerunning outside of the wrestlingroom and they were dedicated tothe goal. It’s kind of rare thesedays. It’s just “magical” to where a

whole group of people made uptheir minds that they were goingto go in one direction to become an“unstoppable force.” That’s whatthey were, an unstoppable force.”

The perfect season, state cham-pionships and all the other acco-lades are fine, but Anthony takespride in the fact many of hiswrestlers walked out of thewrestling room, and into the realworld as solid citizens.

“Team-wise to have a season likethat was great, but most impor-tantly, the kids were great people.All of them have been successful,and all of them are doing wellnow,” he said. “That’s what I workfor, to help the kids grow up to begreat citizens and all of them are.”

FROM PAGE 105

TIGERS: Navarro finished his high school career with 80 wins over 2.5 years


The Ontario Tiger wrestling squad laid claim to the school championship in 1997. The trophy stands as a re-minder to future grapplers at OHS that the goal of winning a championship is still alive on the Tiger mats.

‘THEY PUT IN THE extratime during practice, didsome running outside ofthe wrestling room andthey were dedicated tothe goal.’

Dave ParsonsAssistant Coach


ONTARIODid you ever wonder how many

young athletes have played in theback yard, imagining they wereplaying in the Super Bowl withtheir favorite team as the starquarterback?

There probably have been liter-ally thousands of backyard SuperBowls won in the minds of theseyoung athletes. But for most, thatis as far as it ever goes. Some getto play in college, and then thereare very few who get to move ontothe professional level.

Ontario’s A.J. Feeley was one ofthose athletes who has gone allthe way. Today, Feeley is a quar-terback with the PhiladelphiaEagles.

A well-rounded athlete, Feeleywas a two-time Greater OregonLeague Offensive Player of theYear, and a first team All-StateClass 3A selection at OntarioHigh School. During his highschool career, Feeley threw for5,428 yards and 59 touchdowns,adding 12 more scores by rush-

ing. He also played safety as a sen-ior, intercepting six passes.Feeley also starred in basketballand baseball for the Tigers.

“My time in Ontario wasgreat,” Feeley said. “I could notimagine growing up in a differentcity. Ontario was perfect for me.”

After high school, Feeley at-tended college at the Universityof Oregon where he red-shirtedhis freshman year and served as areserve in his sophomore season.

When Feeley reached his juniorPHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

A.J. Feeley (14) looks for daylight in a game against the Baltimore Ravens in 2007. Feeley, a graduate of OntarioHigh School, has served as a backup quarterback most of his NFL career.


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Ontario’s A. J. Feeley makes the big showFormer OHS football player realizes

dream of playing pro football

SEE FEELEY | PAGE 112

‘MY TIME IN Ontario wasgreat. I could notimagine growing up in adifferent city.’

A.J. FeeleyProfessional football player


ONTARIOFormer Ontario High School

post Stephanie Hawk stompedthe hardwood for four years as astarter on the Tiger basketballteam.

Hawk earned first-team allGreater Oregon League nomina-tions and led her squad to thestate playoffs in every one ofthem.

The tell-tale sign Hawk wasdestined for great things was inher sophomore campaign in2001, where she averaged 17points a game leading Ontario toa fifth place state finish.

Hawk was named the 3AOregon player of the year in hersenior season at Ontario, averag-ing 18.6 points and 9.3 reboundsa game and leading the Tigers toa 21-2 overall record and afourth-place finish at state.

“She led by example. She was-n’t boisterous, but on the court,she was intense,” Ontario HighSchool head girls basketballcoach Jon Buck said. “Therewere many games where thegame was on the line, and shewould hit the big shot. She nevergave up. Her intensity spilledover to everybody. She didn’t liketo lose.”

And once the 6-foot-3 inchHawk graduated from Ontario in2003, she had big plans in mind,signing with Division I Gonzagawhere she also starred.

“Stephanie looked at a lot ofplaces,” Buck said. “Going toGonzaga turned out great forher.”

Buck said Hawk always had abig fan in head coach KellyGraves, who Buck said hadwatched her progress since herfreshman year.

Hawk received first-team all-West Coast Conference honorstwice, was named to the AP All-American squad as an honorablemention for her solid 2007 seasonand became just the 11th playerin school history to grab morethan 600 rebounds and only the

sixth to score 1,000 and grab 600boards in her career.

Hawk is also the Bulldogs’ ca-reer leader in blocks, with 153 toher credit.

On Feb. 8, 2007, Hawk earnedfirst-team academic, all-districthonors and was named to the ES-PN The Magazine academic all-district team.

In 2007, Hawk led the Bulldogsin scoring and rebounding, aver-aging 14.4 points, eight reboundsand 2.3 blocks a game and alsospearheaded Gonzaga’s firstWest Coast Conference champi-onship.

In her final season, Hawk hit168-of-364 field goals, tallied 77blocked shots and pulled down272 rebounds in her 34 gamesplayed and led the Bulldogs to aNCAA tournament berth.

Hawk graduated with a 3.60GPA in business administrationand was a graduate student.

“It’s probably one of my proud-est moments as a coach to seeher sign on at Gonzaga,” Bucksaid. “As a coach, you always liketo see players move on to whatev-er level, and having one play atthe Division I level is alwaysgreat.”


Stephanie Hawk goes to GonzagaFormer OHS Tiger

‘led by example’


Ontario basketball player Stephanie Hawk looks for a teammate during an inbounds play in an Argus Observer file photo taken at the state tournament. In 2003, Hawkwas named the 3A Oregon player of the year in her senior season at Ontario. She averaged 18.6 points and 9.3 rebounds a game and led the Tigers to a 21-2 overallrecord and a fourth-place finish at state.


ONTARIOWhen it comes to sprinting and jumping,

there are few better than Treasure ValleyCommunity College’s Keith Williams.

Williams, a graduate of Borah HighSchool, attended TVCC from 2004 through2006 to run track in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles.

“Keith was a great athlete and a reallyhard worker,” TVCC head track coach RonTalbot said. “He never missed a workout andhad the self-determination that it takes to bea champion.”

Williams broke the TVCC 110-meter hur-dles record with a time of 14.5 in 2006 whilerunning for the Chukars and was a four-timeNorthwest Athletic Association ofCommunity Colleges champion. Williamswon the NWAACC 110-meter hurdles and the

400-meter hurdles championship twice. Forhis championship efforts, Williams wasnamed Junior College All-American in both2005 and 2006.

“Williams motivated a lot of the other ath-letes on the team with his work ethic,”Talbot said. “He is a great athlete and he dida lot in representing Treasure Valley whilehe was here.”

Williams’ time in the 400-meter hurdles atthe NWAACC championships was .14 sec-onds behind Tim Stewart’s TVCC record of52.56. Talbot said Stewart, who ran for TVCCin the mid-80s, was the best runner in thehistory of the school.

After leaving TVCC, Williams earned afull-ride scholarship to Utah State, where hered-shirted his first year. In his junior year,2007-2008, Williams qualified for the NCAAWest Regional Championships. Williams ranthe 400 meters in a time of 52.58 and the 110-meter hurdles in 14.63, but did not qualify

for the finals at the NCAA West RegionalChampionship. Williams won the WesternAthletic Conference championships in the400 meters with a time of 51.8.

“After he (Williams) won the WAC champi-onship, he gave me a call to thank me for be-ing able to work with him during his twoyears at TVCC,” Talbot said. “That’s whyyou coach, to get those rewards where youare able to help somebody fulfill theirdreams. I expect great things from Williamsin the future and it would not surprise me tosee him qualify for the Olympic trials in thefuture.”

Williams hurdles his way to back-to-back championshipsBorah High student attended TVCC from 2004 to 2006

‘KEITH WAS A GREAT athlete anda really hard worker.’

Ron TalbotTVCC Track Coach


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year at Oregon he won the start-ing job and called out the signalsfor the first eight games. An el-bow injury sidelined him for theremainder of the season. Beforethe injury, Feeley was up for theDavey O’Brian award, which isgiven to the nation’s top passer.

Then in his senior year atOregon, Feeley found himself asthe backup to Joey Harrington.In 22 career games (eight starts),Feeley completed 149 of 282 pass-es for 2,175 yards, 15 touchdownsand only six interceptions. He ap-peared in only two games as asenior, completing 5-of-13 passesfor 87 yards. In his junior season,he connected on 136-of-259 passattempts for 1,951 yards and 14touchdowns.

“Playing in Eugene was a toughexperience for me,” Feeley said.“I did not play that much, onlyeight college games, but I learneda lot while I was there.”

Feeley was drafted to theEagles in 2001, and spent his en-tire rookie season as the Eagles’third string quarterback.

“When I got drafted, I felt verylucky since I did not play verymuch in college,” Feeley said.

In the final game of the seasonin 2001, Feeley saw his first NFLaction against the Tampa BayBucs. Feeley did not let the team

down. Trailing 13-3 with less thansix minutes to play, Feeley led theEagles on two scoring drives andthe 17-13 win.

In 2002, Feeley started thefinal five games of theregular season forthe Eagles andposted a 4-1record,and hegothis

firstcareer

win as astarter on Dec.

1 against the St. Louis Cardinals.In 2003, Feeley found himself

once again playing third fiddle,but in 2004, the Ontario nativewas back in the action, this timewith Miami. In 2005, Feeley wason the trading blocks once again,and this time he was on his wayto San Diego where he served asthird-string quarterback for 10weeks.

By 2006, Feeley was back inPhilly. On Dec. 31 of that year,Feeley entered into a gameagainst Atlanta after the starterswere pulled, and he threw for acareer-high 321 yards with threetouchdowns on 23-of-33 attemptsand a quarterback rating of 128.5.

In that game Feeley connected onan 89-yard touchdown pass toHank Baskett,

whichended

up be-ing the

longestpass playin the NFL

in 2006.This past

season, Feeleyset career highs in

completions with 27and in yardage with 345. He al-

so tied his personal best withthree touchdowns in a gameagainst New England on Nov. 25,while starting for the injuredDonovan McNabb.

For his career, Feeley hasthrown for 392 completions in 655attempts for 4,070 yards and 27touchdowns. He has been pickedoff 29 times and has a careerpasser rating of 69.6.

“I feel fortunate that I am stillplaying football. A lot of the guysthat were drafted before me arenot playing football any more,”Feeley said. “I have a role as thebackup and to groom the youngerquarterbacks in the system,”Feeley said. “I have to lead by ex-ample, and I have to be ready togo at any time.”

Feeley said his message to the

football players in the TreasureValley would be, “If you do theright things, good things willhappen for you. If you’re puttingeverything into it and putting inthe effort good things will hap-pen.”

Feeley said it is a privilege to beselected as one of the top 25sports stories in the history ofOntario.

“I want to thank everyone whohas supported me over my ca-reer,” he said.


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FROM PAGE 109

FEELEY: ‘When I got drafted I felt very lucky ... I did not play very much in college’‘I FEEL FORTUNATE that Iam still playing football.A lot of the guys thatwere drafted before meare not playing footballanymore. I have a role asthe backup and to groomthe youngerquarterbacks in thesystem.’A.J. FeeleyProfessional football player


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ONTARIOKnown for her quiet demeanor

and unheralded work ethic, for-mer Ontario High School basket-ball standout Stephanie Babijspoke loudly with results on thehardwood.

Obviously someone was pay-ing attention.

In 2007, Babij was one of 20 fe-male basketball players inOregon to be nominated to the2007 McDonald’s All-Americanteam and was the first Ontarioathlete to earn such honors.

“I’m the first one from Ontarioto receive it, so it’s quite an hon-or,” Babij said in an earlier in-terview.

Ontario Girls BasketballCoach Jon Buck has had manystar athletes come from his pro-gram, including StephanieHawk, Maggie Smith-Davidsonand others in his 19 years at thehelm, but Babij’s nominationwas an extra feather in the capfor the program’s success.

Buck said, typically the play-ers selected are from larger ar-eas, and for several years the

recognition has been given toathletes playing at a higher divi-sion and primarily on the west-ern side of the state.

Starting in 2006, with Burn’sKaty Torland, Babij can alsoclaim her name to the list.

“I think it’s great recognitionfor anybody,” Buck said. “Youdon’t have many in the state thatearn such honors, but I think ithas something to do with the lev-el of play at the 3A level and playat Ontario. It brought the spot-light down to all of us andStephanie was well deserving.”

Babij is no stranger to the bas-ketball court, where she hasbeen playing since a young age.Many that know Babij can clas-sify her as a gym rat, who prac-tices her craft for hours on end.

Buck joked that many of hisformer athletes needed to find away to sneak into the gym, butBabij probably had her own setof keys.

“She’s always finding a way toget in the gym,” the coach said.“She always found the time toshoot. I tell some of my girls tomark down on calendars when

Ontario Tiger the first OHS student to receive award


Ontario basketball player Stephanie Babij drives past a defender in this Argus Observer file photo. Babij wasthe first Ontario athlete to earn McDonald’s All-American honors.SEE BABIJ | PAGE 120

Babij earns All-American honors



ONTARIONo team could stop the

Treasure Valley CommunityCollege football squad duringthe junior college regular sea-son in 1967, as the Chukars com-pleted a perfect 9-0 record andfinished the fall campaignranked third in the nation.

The 1967 junior college grid-iron crusade also marked an in-teresting fact: The Chukar foot-ball squad posted wins over thefreshman teams from theUniversity of Oregon, 21-0, andOregon State, 30-26. TVCC alsodefeated Boise State, 26-23, thatyear.

The Chukars averaged 354.8yards per game, while their de-fense gave up a stingy 202.2 pergame.

Several athletes from the 1967team also gained national acco-lades, former head coach GaryFarnworth said.

TVCC players Carter Campbelland Bryce Huddleston were bothnamed All-Americans, andCampbell was also named thejunior college defensive linemanof the year.

Gary Kamo at fullback, RandyNelson at wide receiver andHuddleston also pitched in tomake the Chukars’ potent of-fense go.

“Campbell was the best defen-sive lineman I saw play at thejunior college level in my yearsof coaching,” Farnworth said.

Campbell went on to play foot-ball for Weber State, where heearned All-American honorsagain. Then following his col-lege career, Campbell played inthe National Football League forthe San Francisco 49ers, theDenver Broncos and the NewYork Giants.

Local talent Joe Yraguen an-chored one end of the D-line,and the defensive coordinatorDick DeBisschop led the de-fense.

On defense, the Chukars werea tough team to run against asthey only allowed 96 yards pergame. The defensive secondaryalso put in a good performancethroughout the year, giving up106 yards per game.

The season was punctuated bykey games, Farnworth said.

“The game against OregonState was a great game. Theywere tough,” Farnworth said.

“The stadium was packed, andthey got to see us improve to 8-0on that day with a 30-26 win.”

Another big game for the 1967Chukar football team was thecontest against Boise State.During the 1966 season, theBroncos defeated TVCC 56-7.The next year, though, tableswere turned.

The Chukars defeated BoiseState — then known as BoiseJunior College — 26-23 duringweek four of the season.

“We pretty much outplayedthem the entire game,”Farnworth said. “Huddlestonran back a kick-off that solidi-fied the game.”

TVCC finished the year as theonly undefeated junior collegein the country but was snubbedregarding a bowl game.

“The school lobbied for us togo to a bowl game as much as

they could, but there was onlyone bowl game that year, the na-tional championship,”Farnworth said.

Following the 1967 season, theTVCC football team had put itsname on the football world map.

“That season was one of thetop stories in the state,”Farnworth said.

When Farnworth took thefield in the summer of 1967 forthe team’s first practice, he saidhe believed he had a team thatcould go a long way.

“I was a young man back then,and, yes, I did believe we couldwin it all,” Farnworth said.“When our quarterback showedup, I knew it was going to be agreat year.”

He added that year really sur-prised the community, and, thecommunity supported theChukars well.

TVCC team was unstoppableChukars completed the 1967campaign third in the nation

‘I WAS A YOUNG MAN back then, and, yes, I didbelieve we could win it all. When ourquarterback showed up, I knew it was going to bea great year.’

Gary FarnworthFormer TVCC Football Coach


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ONTARIOFive years at the helm of the Ontario High School foot-

ball program, and coach Randy Waite is gone.Gone, not because he didn’t like Ontario.Gone, not because he got a better offer somewhere else.Gone, because the Ontario School District could not se-

cure a spot for Waite’s wife in an administrative position.Waite submitted his resignation during the off-season

in 2008.“It was not my family’s intention to look for employ-

ment outside of Ontario. We had hoped to raise our kidsin this great community, but the powers to be saw a dif-ferent vision for us,” Waite said in an e-mail to the Argus.

“We would have loved to have been in Ontario for along, long time, however, the opportunity for growth inthis district was not there. The people at the district of-fice felt they should go in another direction.”

When Waite’s wife could not secure a position in ad-ministration, the Waites began to look elsewhere forwork, and that work was found in Myrtle Creek.

Waite will work as an assistant coach at Myrtle CreekHigh School, while his wife will be a principal at an ele-mentary school.

In Waite’s five years at Ontario, he helped build a pro-gram that had 25 athletes at the end of his first year, to aprogram that now has more than 80 athletes on the team.

The Tiger football team has seen success under Waite’sleadership with an overall record 34-22 with two semifi-nal appearances. In Waite’s first season, 2003, the Tigersfinished with a 6-3 regular season record and a berth in


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Ontario’s Waite leads team to 12-1 seasonCoach resigns in off-season

SEE WAITE | PAGE 120

After leading theTigers to a 12-1 finishin 2007, head footballcoach Randy Waite resigned as coach because of decisionsmade at the school dis-trict office. Waite andhis family moved toMyrtle Creek where hiswife took a positionwith the school districtthere.



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MATTHEW NEALARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOWhen the dust settled and the

crowds calmed, Ontario’s KalaeNawahine held the 3A statechampionship trophy highabove his head. For the first andonly time in its history, theTigers were the state footballkings. Albeit briefly.

The decisive 47-16 victory overJunction City on Saturday, Dec.6, 1997, would soon go down inhistory as the game that neverwas. But that was just the begin-ning. Soon a shroud of mysteryenveloped the ensuing eventsand, to this day, the truth has yetto be uncovered.

As it turned out, because ofplayer ineligibility, the champi-onship game and the entire sea-son had to be forfeited. It’s easyto say where the problem start-ed. According to varioussources, the correct paperworkfor the transfer of KalaeNawahine’s transfer fromHawaii to Ontario was neverfiled. A minor technicality atbest. On the other hand, nobodyknows for sure how this “minor

technicality” was uncovered,and by whom, which caused thedomino effect that eventuallystripped Ontario of its champi-onship title and the 3A statefootball trophy.

Poof. A whole season gone inthe blink of an eye, like it nevereven existed. Maybe that’s whatthe person(s) responsible forblowing the whistle wanted.Maybe it was jealousy, as it hasbeen speculated. Maybe it wassomething else, something evenmore sinister. We will neverknow. We can only add morespeculation to the pile.

“I’m not sure how they foundout about it, but the A.D. at thetime who happened to be thefootball coach (Harry Hedrick)didn’t really know what theproblem was,” Dave Parsonssaid. Parsons, who is currently ateacher at OHS, was an eye-wit-ness to the 1997 championshipgame.

Although it was more than 10years ago, he recalled the gamevividly. “The kids had a greatseason, and they played reallywell on the field that day. Nomatter what, you cannot takethat away from them. It wasn’t

their fault. They played and wonthe game. Whatever communica-tion that didn’t happen concern-ing the transfer was the adults’responsibility. They were reallya great group of kids,” he said.

Of course, for the governingbody of high school sports, theOSAA (Oregon SchoolActivities Association), it didnot matter how hard the stu-dents played, or how good of aseason they had, or what theyaccomplished that year. Tothem, it only mattered that lighthad been shed on the fact that aplayer “the HammeringHawaiian” turned out to be inel-igible.

And they were bound and de-termined to do something aboutit. And they did. With one fellswoop, OSAA erased Ontariofrom the books, including allgames Nawahine participatedin, most notably the one thatmattered most: the state champi-onship game.

To punctuate its actions andpour salt on an already-festeringwound, OSAA asked the trophybe returned.

The players, thinking other-wise, decided to just keep thetrophy, and to this day nobodyknows where it is or what hap-pened to it. It’s a blood secretthat will be taken to the grave of

those who know.Some say the trophy was

buried. Others say it was melteddown. The two most reoccurringrumors, however, are legendary.It is said the trophy was cut intopieces and each player of thatgame got to keep a chunk of it,to always be reminded that, nomatter what minor technicality,or no matter what satisfactionsome jealous person derivedfrom the usurpation ofOntario’s crown, they would al-ways be champs, they would al-ways share the bond of battle.

The second rumor is the tro-phy remains intact and it con-tinues to travel from player toplayer, and each athlete on theroster of the 1997 team gets tokeep the trophy for a certainamount of time until it is againpassed on to the next player.Forever.

Not only in the spirit of defi-ance that they were the best de-spite what some OSAA officialsthink, but in the spirit of thechampions they are and contin-ue to be. One after the other,each player gets to hold dear thetrophy of champions.

The trophy that never was fora game that defined the onlystate football championshipOntario ever held high over itshead.

Champions forever, if only for a moment1997 state football mystery lives on

RAY RODRIGUEZ ARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOWhen many ask about the

Ontario girls tennis team, theycan only shake their heads atthe successful run they had.

The Tigers, led by head coachDennis Gill, won nine SpecialDistrict 4 titles in 12 years, sixstraight district titles from 2001to 2007 and three straight statechampionships from 2004 to2006.

In his 12 years as the girls ten-nis coach, Gill has led the Tigersto nine district titles and a topfour placing at state from 2002 to2007.

In 2007, the Tigers compiled anoverall record in varsity match-es of 154-14 under Gill, winningat a 92 percent clip.

Less than a week after leadingthe Ontario girls tennis team toits sixth straight district tennistitle in 2007, Gill was named the4A/3A/2A/1A Oregon AthleticCoaches Association Coach ofthe Year.

“I have been very fortunate tohave had a lot of talented andhardworking athletes comethrough the program,” Gill said.

The run of state champi-onships ended in 2007, as the

Tigers wereknocked off 9-8 byVale.

Nine times anOntario singlesplayer has wonthe district titleunder Gill’s tute-lage, includingAmanda Iseri,who won three in

a row, and Stephanie Babij, whoclinched her fourth consecutivedistrict crown in 2007.

Babij finished fourth at stateher freshman year and secondin the three years from 2005 to2007.

“You want to do well,” Babijsaid. “They are watching thecompetition and all eyes are onyou. Ontario winning stateshows we are a good tennis pro-gram, with good athletes andwe’re competitive.”

Gill agrees.“I have some good athletes and

some good talent here,” Gillsaid.

“We get a lot of support fromparents, the community andfrom the school.

“This program is successfulbecause we work very hard. Imay not have the greatest ath-letes, but I have good athleteswith a lot of heart.”


Tigers snag championships


The Ontario tennis team poses for a photo moments after winning its sixth straight district tennis title in 2007. Less than a week after leading the Ontario girls tennis team to its sixth straight district title , Dennis Gill wasnamed the 4A/3A/2A/1A Oregon Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year. The Tigers won nine Special District 4 titles in 12 years, six straight district titles from 2001 to 2007 and three straight state championships from2004 to 2006. In his 12 years as the girls tennis coach, Gill has led the Tigers to nine district titles and a top four placing at state from 2002 to 2007.

Gill

Girls tennis team wins six district titles between 2001 and 2007

‘WE’VE GOT A LOT OF support from parents, thecommunity and from the school. This program issuccessful because we work very hard. I may nothave the greatest athletes, but I have good athleteswith a lot of heart.’Dennis GillCoach


Ontario High School tennis player Stephanie Babij takes a swing in the Argus Observer file photo.


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the playoffs where Maristknocked them out in the quar-terfinals.

Then, in 2004, Ontario cameback with a 6-5 overall recordand revenged its loss to Maristin the opening round of thestate playoffs with 36-14 win, be-fore losing in the quarterfinalsto Central 28-18.

Then in 2005, the Tigers suf-fered through a long 1-8 season.The team that year was made upof mostly sophomores, and theytook their knocks, according toassistant coach and athletic di-rector Trever Wilson.

The Tiger football teambounced back in 2006 with an 8-4mark and its first trip to thesemifinals under Waite. Buttheir run stopped there with a

34-7 loss against Siuslaw.In 2007, the Tiger football team

looked as if it would run the ta-bles. Ontario swept its regularseason, with a perfect 10-0record, then won the first twogames of the playoffs with winsover Henley (28-7) and Sutherlin(55-7).

Reaching the semifinals forthe second straight season, theTigers played one of the morememorable games in their re-cent history against Sisters.

The game came down to oneplay from the 1-yard line asthese two No. 1 seeds battled tosee who would play to be the No.1 team in class 4A.

Waite called on No.1, LorenStewart, to carry the ball.Sisters made the play andOntario lost the game 50-49.

In an email to the Argus

Observer sports department,Waite said, “We are very sad tobe leaving Ontario. We will missour friends. I am grateful toMark Cornwell who hired me ashead football coach for the op-portunity to be a part of some-thing great. We are sad for thekids and sad to leave this com-munity.

“However, we are excited forthe opportunity that my wifehas been given.”

The reaction from the commu-nity on the resignation by Waitewas one of disbelief. Even sur-rounding towns were amazedthat Waite was not retained ascoach.

Vale Viking head coach JeffJacobs said he could not believethat the district would let acoach with that much successleave.

FROM PAGE 116

they shot the ball, and she wouldalways fill hers up.”

The tall, lanky Babij, who iscurrently playing basketballand tennis at OccidentalCollege, earned first-team all-SCIAC basketball honors and av-

eraged 10.6 points and 7.6 re-bounds a game in her freshmanyear. She also aided theOccidental Tigers to a 21-6record, which was the bestrecord in the school’s history.

“That was a great thing,” Bucksaid. “She was definitely lookingat that school for the academics

first. I knew she was very capa-ble and it was great to see thatshe had made a great impact.”

Buck said the honor Babij re-ceived will provide goals for fu-ture Tiger roundballers whostrive to take their game to thecollege level and beyond.

“I think it makes them realize

they can do this and move to thenext level,” Buck said. “As longas they work hard, they can com-pete at the Division I or commu-nity college level.

“We have some kids that aretalented and have a good enoughshot if they work hard enough atit.”

FROM PAGE 113

BABIJ: Tiger’s basketball legacy encourages other OHS players to do their best

‘WE ARE VERY SAD to beleaving Ontario. Wewill miss our friends. Iam grateful to MarkCornwell who hired meas head football coachfor the opportunity tobe a part of somethinggreat. We are sad for thekids and sad to leavethis community.’Randy WaiteFormer OHS Coach

WAITE: Coach and family leave after his wife finds employment in Myrtle Creek

CongratulationsCity of Ontario

Celebrating OurService & Commitment

To Our CommunitiesSince 1952

VALE • 473-3282 225 Main St. North

WEISER • 549-2534 250 E. 1st St.

NYSSA • 372-2297204 Thunderegg Blvd.

ONTARIO 889-9651

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Cruising Through The Years

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