Told by the Pioneer's - Washington Secretary of State

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Told by the Pioneers In true pioneer fashion, Mr. Nelson determined to locate far from neighbors. They traversed the valley, on and on through miles of sagebrush and came finally to a spot near the mouth of the Naches River where they camped. From there he made excursions, but found no place more satisfying. They built a cabin and remained for a time, but the same disaster overtook them which many times since has caused settlers to flee for their lives. Down the Naches Valley a flood of waters threatened to carry away their frail house. At midnight, Nelson and the boys carried the younger children and their mother to safety, wading waist deep through the rushing, swirling river, out of its banks, uprooting trees, carrying everything in its path. March 26, 1864, they moved for the last time. Nelson and his wife, their six SallS and fin daughters, like the patriarchal families of old, entered the vallev which was to them the" Promised Land". Past the • historic Painted Rocks, the wonderful formation covered 'with Indian hieroglyphics, "'hich none can translate, the family made their way to a spring, again repeating Biblical history when men camped by springs that they might have 'water for man and beast. Today a stone clairy stands over the spring. First Settlers The Xelsons were the first settlers in the Naches Valley. Typical pioneers, they possessed an unusual measure of compassion for the homeseekers who followed - some of them poorly equipped for the first hard months of frontier life. With this big-hearted family the community and its needs came first, their own advancement secondary. It is said of Jasper, the oldest son, that twice he gave the roof over his head to newcomers, victims of unfortunate circumstances, who seemed unable to cope with situations bound to prevail in the new land. Mrs. Nelson gTieved because there "'as 110 ~cllOOJ. The\' . broug'ht i1: ~. . ., i1 teacher from The Dalles; a young FrenchmUlI named Lang. L:1ter they secured the services of George Jackson. Alice went to The Dalles and attended the Sisters' School, preferring it because it was so neat and orderlv. .' '1'he Nelsons were thrifty and illdustrious; they were progressive, too, could see ahead and made preparations. '1'heir cattle and horses roamed all oYer Wide Hollow. Supplies of food ,,,ere laid in for the \\Tinter months, but sometimes the flour and molasses gave out. Meat and fish were plentiful, of course. Mrs. 'V. H. Arnold, a granddaughter, recently prepared a historical sketch of the family. She relates that a root of the old hop vine her grandmother brought from Virginia, was carried from Oregon and f'E't out beside the cabin in the Naches. 94
Told by the Pioneers Orchards In 1871 or 1872 they set out fruit trees. The Kelsons g'ave some ~eedlings to the Gleeds, neighbors, and to this day they speak of these trees as the Nelson plums. The fruit trees were a disappointment to Ihe Nelsons for a long time as they had no pollination. They would be loaded with blossoms, but no fruit would appear. We can scarcely realize the disappointment to the pioneer fam~IT. They craved fruit. The eldest daughter, married and living in Portland, sent them basl:('ts of fruit. .Mrs. Sinclair tells of their joy when such a treat arri,oed. .Mrs. Arnold's sketch, which was read before the Yakima Valley Historical Society, mentions the old inn built of cottonwood slabs from trees along the river. This inn was a stopping place on the trail from The Dalles to Ellensburg. Mail was distributed from the inn, and guests were accommodated. Jasper Nelson, the eldest son and .:IIrs. Arnold's father, drove the stage. Later when her grandfather \\ as appointed probate judge in 1875, court 'was held at the inn. Looking back through the haze of time, the descendants of ox-team pioneers gTieve over the loss of old landmarks. The log cabin with its puncheon floors, rude furniture, window glass bronght around the Horn in a Yankee clipper, home-made tools, spinning wheels, early ..,I,.merican china and glass, ladder-back chairs, all have gi,-en wa~v to modern furnishings. The chairs in the old Xelson cabin were ladder-backed, 'with buck ;;kin seats. There was a little rocker to match these chairs. Ko doubt th0se were all fashioned of Douglas fir from the woods of Oregoll. Bridge So the old inn was torn down; the old bridge for which Nelson and his sons hewed the timbers from cottonwood trees along the river, is gone, too, but the present structure bears their name. There was a ferry before the bridge was built, the Nelson ferry. A neighbor, Elisha Tanner, was drowned while crossing. A stockade was built on the Nelson homestead. One day the family \',as warned by a friendly Indian that Indians were coming to kill e\" l'ry "Boston" man, as they called these first settlers. Nelson grabbed the Indian and threw him flat on the hearthstone telling him that every Indian would be treated the same. The Indian wars were over, but there were anxious days at times when rumors came of Indians having committed crimes, such as the Perkins' murder in 1878. Threshing Primitive methods were used in threshing the wheat grown in the early days. A threshing' ground was prepared by removing some of 95
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Vol. I 1937 • , ~ .~ .. .... -
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--- TABLE OF CONTENTS-- Foreword ..
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Told by the P'ioneers collection is
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Told by the Pioneers t ilis part of
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Told by the Pioneers come in again
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Told by the Pioneers from the south
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Told by the Pioneers 20th. Saturday
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Told by the Pioneers Thursday 15th.
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Told by the Pioneers ('mployed in s
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Told by the Pioneers some degree a
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Told by the Pioneers Sunday 27th. T
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'fuesdav 26th. , Told by the Pionee
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Told by the Pioneers to see how aff
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Told by the Pioneers obtain supplie
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Told by the Pioneers Jigence that a
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Told by the Pioneers Weather mild a
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Told by the Pioneers 180 Large Beav
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Told by the Pioneers a vessel of th
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Told by the Pioneers am happy to sa
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Told by the Pioneers said that fear
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Told by the Pioneers Htep has cause
Page 44 and 45: Told by the PiGl1eers HOW about thr
Page 46 and 47: Told btl the Pioneers • I really
Page 48 and 49: Told by the Pioneers Saturday 4th.
Page 50 and 51: Told by the Pioneers stormy day, we
Page 52 and 53: Told by the Pioneers ground near ou
Page 54 and 55: Told by the Pioneers Rook comes and
Page 56 and 57: Told by the Pioneers doors all day
Page 58 and 59: Told by the Pioneers take the party
Page 60 and 61: Told by the Pioneers was both emplo
Page 62 and 63: 73 large beaver :27 small do. 1 Ibs
Page 64 and 65: Told by the Pioneers the Deael is b
Page 66 and 67: Told by the Pioneers Three bushels
Page 68 and 69: Told by the Pioneers Ron '8 Bay Com
Page 70 and 71: Told by the Pioneers here, as we co
Page 72 and 73: Told by the Pioneers half perhaps u
Page 74 and 75: Told by the Pioneet·s Used Jerked
Page 76 and 77: Told by the Pioneers eompany were o
Page 78 and 79: Told by the P'ioneers INCIDESTS OF
Page 80 and 81: Told by the Pioneers gTuesome remin
Page 82 and 83: Told by the Pioneers charge of his
Page 84 and 85: Told b:1j the Piolleers pered that
Page 86 and 87: Told by the Pioneers we had gone ou
Page 88 and 89: Told by the Pioneers "Tobacco was t
Page 90 and 91: Told by the Pioneers was not compul
Page 92 and 93: Told by the Pioneers 1Jy his descen
Page 96 and 97: Told by the Pioneers the dirt from
Page 98 and 99: Told by the Pionee1's Fred Lockley
Page 100 and 101: Told by the Pioneers "Another boy a
Page 102 and 103: Told by the Pionee1's is in Idaho,
Page 104 and 105: Told by the Pioneers with them. Thi
Page 106 and 107: Told by the Pioneers "In due time '
Page 108 and 109: Told by tll e Pirl1 eel'S FROM AN I
Page 110 and 111: Told by the Pioneers From All Inter
Page 112 and 113: Told by the Pioneers folks. There w
Page 114 and 115: Told by the [->,iollcers .YASCY TVI
Page 116 and 117: Told by the Pioneers Arrow lakes CO
Page 118 and 119: Told by the Pioneers Once or twice
Page 120 and 121: Editor's ,,"ote: A Told by the P'io
Page 122 and 123: Told by the Pioneers impos:siblc to
Page 124 and 125: Told by the Pioneers Poor Sargent h
Page 126 and 127: Told by the Pioneers ,,,eleomc nC"'
Page 128 and 129: Told by the Pioneers than the oxen.
Page 130 and 131: Told by the Pioneers and a pair of
Page 132 and 133: Told by the Pioneers farm of Da,-id
Page 134 and 135: Told by the Pioneers to meet only s
Page 136 and 137: Tuld by the Pioneers tons" were had
Page 138 and 139: Told by the Piotleers Indians well,
Page 140 and 141: Told by the Pioneers ries. 'When I
Page 142 and 143: Told by the Pioneers After this tim
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Told by the Pionee1's FROM AN INTRR
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Told by the Pioneers I was married
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Told by the Pioneers age, and I com
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To~d by the Pioneers was slowly and
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Told by the Pioneers And trade. clo
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Told by the Pioneers "I will just a
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Told by the Pioneers the ,vater. It
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Told by the Pioneers saw a herd of
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Told by the Pioneers pulled out to
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Told by the Pioneers cine, I was pu
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Told by the Pioneers that on the bo
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Told by the Pioneers brother Frank,
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Told by the Pioneers for ourselYes,
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Told by the Pioneers blows, bringin
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Told by the Pioneers she knew an en
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Told by the Pioneers of their own,
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Told by the Pioneers them thought t
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Told by the Pioneers it became nece
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Told by the Pioneers their lives as
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Told by the Pioneers plunging, twis
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Told by the Pioneers way before he
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Told by the P'ioneers stricken from
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To7d by the Pioneers three thousand
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Told by the Pioneers er till about
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Told by the Pioneers The Indians di
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Told by the Pioneers coat with epau
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Told by the Pioneers of Cascade Rap
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Told by the Pioneers endurable to t
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Told by the Pioneus had fifteen val
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Told by the Pioneers swearing' and
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Told by the Pioneers bell, I saw th
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Told by the Pioneers count of numbe
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Told by the Pioneers would he accom
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Told by the Pioneers been in camp a
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Told by the Pioneers Trade they wou
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Told by the Pioneers only stole a p
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Told by the Pioneers run in the nig
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Told by the Pioneers bel' returned
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Told by the Pioneers cia!." In rece
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Told by the Pioneers Traveled by Ca
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OCCURRENCES INDEX AT NISQUALLY (Ref
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INDEX McGillivery, S., 37-June 27.
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IKDEX I Ceder. (Cedar) Iowa. 120 Ce
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INDEX Immigration, 73, 74, 75, 76,
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INDEX Nelson Bridge, 95 N Elson Fer
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INDEX Sweet Water River, 162, 218 S
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Told by the Pioneer's - Washington Secretary of State

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