Westside Stories

During a recent visit to the Appelo Archives Center, Anita Raistakka lent me the book Recollections of Deep River by Mildred Evans McLean. Throughout her life, Mildred shared numerous stories with her friends and family about the school year of 1913-1914, when she taught in the Salmon Creek District near Deep River. Encouraged by her grandchildren, she decided to write this book about her experiences.

Coming from the wide-open plains of Nebraska, Mildred found the Finnish logging community in southwest Washington to be an exciting new world for a young, single woman. On her first day, in Sept. 1913, she stepped off the little riverboat, the Gen'l Washington, onto the Deep River Landing, where the weather was overcast and rainy.

Her recollection of her first moments off the boat reflects her apprehension, "No one from the small groups of men and women standing at the other end of the walk came to greet me," she said. "I felt a little panicky. Maybe I was in the wrong place. Maybe there was no Salmon Creek and maybe the rain would never stop. The low-hanging drizzly rain was making my clothes soggier by the minute, and the lack of someone to greet me further depressed my soggy spirits."

Fortunately, a kind woman named Mrs. Ross finally approached her and helped arrange transportation for the six-mile journey to her lodgings with a local family. During the ride on a railroad speeder, the young man driving didn't say a word. Upon her arrival, she discovered that the adults in the home, along with many in the community, spoke only Finnish. The language barrier became a constant struggle throughout her year of teaching there.

"I had to cope with the language barrier without much help," she recalled. "It was baffling at times. It also had a funny side. We sometimes managed to put across an idea without knowing words. One afternoon, I came home dripping wet. No words could express how miserable I felt walking that long mile from school in drizzly rain. I even looked miserable. I did not take an umbrella that morning. The kitchen door swung open before I even reached the doorknob. Mrs. Larson was there to greet me and gave forth with a volume of Finnish far from my understanding. I answered her with the same volume of English that she could not understand. There must have been some communication for we both laughed, and then I proceeded to my own room in a much better mood to change into dry clothing."

Throughout the book, Mildred captivates the reader with various stories and anecdotes. She describes the white, one-room schoolhouse in Salmon Creek, "There was room for 30 single desks. The teacher's desk was in the front of the room, and a pump organ was to one side. The windows were all on one side to allow the light to come over each child's left shoulder. A large wood-burning stove stood in the corner at the back, and shelves for our library books were across from it. There was no electricity in the neighborhood, so the schoolroom, like the homes, was lit by oil lamps."

Travel within the community for Mildred primarily involved walking or occasionally catching a ride on the milk train. For journeys outside the community, riverboats transported travelers across the Columbia River, with Astoria serving as the main hub. Most of the time, passengers were required to stay overnight before continuing on to their next destination.

On one journey, Mildred traveled from South Bend to Deep River by train. During one leg of the trip, she recalled, "We crossed Willapa Bay to Nahcotta where a train was waiting at the dock to take us down the peninsula on a narrow-gauge track to Meglar. The railroad followed the shoreline most of the way. We were told that sometimes during the stormy season, spray from the high waves splashed against the windows of the passenger cars. The storms interfered with the arrival time. That was probably why this notice was posted on the wall of the waiting room: 'Train leaves Ilwaco Dock when it gets ready. Train arrives in Nahcotta when it gets there."

The book is a short read, only 90 pages long, and offers an interesting look at our community's history from over 100 years ago. Mildred's stories transport readers back in time, showing what daily life was like back then. Each tale is engaging and well-written, making it enjoyable to explore the past through her perspective.

April

25 – Pajama Storytime at Naselle Library,

5-6 p.m.

26 – Cemetery Forum at Naselle

Community Center, 9-11 a.m.

26 – Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt, all ages,

Okies Park, 9 p.m.

27 – FAFF Meeting at Naselle

Community Center, 4 p.m.

May

2 – Adults Create, Naselle Library, 3:30 p.m.

3 – Painting Party at Naselle Community

Center, 2 p.m., Cost is $40/person.

9 – Messy Art, Naselle Library, 3:30 p.m.

4 – Chicken Dinner at Rosburg Hall,

11:30 a.m.

17 – American Legion Breakfast at

Rosburg Hall, 8-11 a.m.

To include an event on the calendar or to give feedback, contact me at writerlisayeager@outlook.com. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Writer Lisa Yeager.