Monroe Postal Route II

This post continues with the reminiscences of L. A. Peek, written around 1916 about his years as a mailman on route one out of Monroe, Oregon. The last post ended in Glenbrook, after which Peek turns and moves along the north side of the valley past a large prune orchard.  He notes passing several farms, many of which, like those mentioned in the prior post, changed hands during the eleven years Peek delivered mail.  He continues his account:

“Next is the old Cross Roads Market, now on the rural map as Church.  Here, perhaps, is found the greatest change of any on the whole route.  In November, 1905, when Inspector Clements laid out this rural route, the Church was the only building near these cross roads.  Now a fine school house stands just across the road, and just beyond is the thriving little town of Alpine consisting of two general merchandise stores, one hardware store, post office, pool hall, barber shop, blacksmith shop, two churches and the S. P. depot. 

 

Alpine School, 1915

Alpine Railroad Depot, Benton Co., Oregon

“I do not suppose that Alpine will ever become a large city, but with its beautiful surroundings ad splendid natural resources, there is no reason why it should  not become a nice little residence town.  The founders of Alpine are the Webster Brothers, whose energy and enterprise have had much to do with the forward movement in this section, and Alpine in a few more years will be the center of a large orcharding industry.” Indeed, Peek mentions passing a big apple orchard of the Oregon Apple Orchard Co. just before arriving in Alpine and the Apple Orchard Applehurst as he leaves the area.  From Alpine he climbs a hill to his own home. “Here we stop twenty minutes for dinner, and change horses.”

The afternoon portion of the route takes him to Bellfountain.

“Bellfountain is a thrifty little village, has one general merchandise store, and a hotel and blacksmith shop.  Here also is located the central office of the Bellfountain telephone exchange.  But the greatest institution and the pride of the people is its school.  They have a fine modern school house and a large gymnasium.  Prof. L. Mack is at the head of the school and its success is largely due to his energy and ability.” [Note:  H.L. Mack was the father of Dorothy Mack, whose account of life there was featured on this site last fall.]

“Turning west, it is about half a mile to a group of boxes on a wheel and covered by a shed.  My former substitute, Norman Miller, called it “Tin Town,” and that name still clings to it.  Here we leave the mail for the Bunker Hall neighborhood of about a dozen families.

“And I want to say right here that I hope the day is not far distant when these people may have better mail facilities than they now have.  Some of them have to come three miles or more for their mail.”

After heading west past the Bellfountain park and the large prune orchard of the Sims Fruit Co., “the country becomes more rugged and tall fir trees begin to appear—the outer fringe of the forest` that stretches away to the summit of Green Peak, which is seen directly ahead....we come to the site of the old Oliver mill.  Here, many years ago, lived an eccentric old man by the name of S. H. Oliver, who built and operated the mill and for whom the stream was named.  No trace of the mill remains, and the queer old man, after squandering quire a fortune, finally died in the poorhouse....This is the end of the route in this direction and is also the terminal of the Bellfountain branch of the S. P. R. R. and is called Dawson.”

Peek then notes the households at each of the stops along the rest of the route until crossing the bridge over the Muddy River at Bailey Junction and passing by the “far-famed Oaco orchard” to “swing off down the hill to Monroe.”

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon