Nadine McElyea, who is the Mental Health Services Act worker with the Family Resource Center , introduced Captain Betts from the Sheriff’s Department. Betts said with losing funds and resources, meetings like this are important to open lines of communication and see how we can partner up to achieve goals. He did want to emphasize that the deputies will not be leaving the area, as that had been the concern of a previous meeting.
Captain Betts introduced John Gaustad who is a Deputy Probation officer and Truancy officer for Siskiyou County . Gaustad explained and answered questions about the juvenile justice system in Siskiyou County . He is one of three juvenile probation officers in Siskiyou county working with about 15 to 20 youths in Happy Camp area. There is another juvenile probation officer doing South County with 20 to 30 juveniles under supervision and a third officer with another 20 to 30 juveniles. So,from the juvenile probation load of 55 to 80 youths, Happy Camps juveniles from the Klamath River Corridor might amount to 25-27% of the youths under supervision in the areas covered by Siskiyou County juvenile officers..
Officer Gaustad mentioned that they rarely get kids who are active in sports programs and other activities who don’t have time to get into mischief. There were suggestions for the youth sports programs, scouting, and hobby groups like model airplane hobbyists can help kids find things to do. His statement of there being no excuse for “nothing to do” was echoed by Nadine and other parents whose kids grew up hunting, fishing, rafting and hiking as well as other activities in Happy Camp. We used to have an award winning music program in Happy Camp and many of the kids would like to learn music again.
Alan Dyar, principal of Happy Camp High School , had opened the gym (and the weight room) to about thirty students that evening. He reminded those assembled that 95% of the youth in our community don’t start trouble, and do what asked. We need to reward those kids who make it worthwhile. We want the kids to go out, get an education and come back to make the community better.
Dyar also mentioned the schools have gym mats, so that the Deputy who volunteered to coach wrestling.could have a program. What is holding up wrestling is having a couple of assistant coaches to help out, especially if the Deputy is called out. Someone mentioned college scholarships are readily available for a girl who goes into wrestling!
Other concerns expressed were about adults giving drugs and alcohols to minors. Call Narcotics Task Force out of Yreka at 842-6116 with information to report on such activities. Citizen watch program (involving a phone tree) if there were volunteers, could take place of the Neighborhood Watch that disbanded a few years ago. Todd Drake mentioned the deputies suggested additional lighting would help after his break-in. There was interest in having a light at the top of High School Trail on Head and Reeves. Cleaning up trash for people to feel more self respect was discussed.. Pat, who was code enforcement officer, lost her job in July. Adopting a dysfunctional family was a possible idea. Other items discussed were curfew, and identification of house numbers.
Tom Mopas also suggested that everyone have their address prominently displayed on their home in case the fire, ambulance or sheriff needs to locate your place. He suggested calling Glenn Briggs of Seiad Fire Safe Council about signs with house numbers. Next meeting will be March 10th at the Log Memorial for Community Solutions. Potluck will begin at 5:30 with meeting to follow about 6 PM.
by Charles S. Graves
from Before the White man Came c1934
The redwood canoe as made by the Indians of the lower Klamath is the most artistic of all the caoes used by the different tribes, and is made in this manner:
They select a log of suitable size and split it in half. They then take one half and trim it down, top and bottom un til they get it in proper shape. They then hew out the inside until they have it on an equal thickness. then they cut out the seat, leaving two cleats to brace the feet afainst when rowing or when using the paddle. The paddle is used for rowing, they do not use oars. A hole is made in each corner of the canoe, through which a haxel withe is put around the end of the canoe and drawn very tight. Thius prevents the canoe from splitting should it strike a rock.
In operating the canoe, the Indians believe that it should have a heart, otherwise it would be a dead boat. So he leaves a round knob about three inches across a short distance back from the bow and so long as the heart is there he feels safe, knowing that the canoe is alive.
The canoe pictured here is the property of the author (Charles S. Graves).
by Judy Bushy
The Log Memorial Building on 4tth Avenue & East Street is an important part of Happy Camp’s History. It shows how one man with a vision of giving the young people of Happy Camp an education, and enlist the support of many community members that out of the unity of working together towards that purpose, great things could be accomplished. Times looked bleak in 1933 and the country was in the great depression, but that obstacle didn’t stop the community from completing a high school in Happy Camp.
In 1922 Gorham Humphreys had started a school for Happy Camp Students that included the first two years of high school. The classes were held at the local grammar school. Mr. Taylor was the school’s first teacher. He was followed by Miss Rudd, who taught for four years. The two year course was discontinued in 1928 for about three years, according to Justice Court Judge Philip Toleman. He was speaking at a dinner served by high school home economics department.
Humphreys obtained re-establishment of the two year high school after campaigning at his own expense to the district board. There were about 30 students then and they needed a four year course and a separate place from the grammar school which was also overcrowded. On March 3, 1933 with all the banks in the country closed and the depression in full swing, Gorham Humphreys, Dr. Mason and Judge Toleman presented to the district board the Grange plan to get the people together to build a school for Happy Camp. Toleman said that, “the board had a really a tough row to hoe, taxpayers were broke and appeared to request all expenditures be cut to the bone.” Still, Ed Kaupp of Mt. Shasta helped turn the board in favor of the project and they promised $500 for the purpose.
Bert Newton donated the land, helped build the Log High School and lost his life due to illness contracted when serving at a school activity. Bert Newton had started freighting with horses from Hornbrook to Klamath River points in 1910. From 1919 to 1930 he carried mail and parcel post from Hornbrook to Happy Camp, burying freighter franchises from Walter Bower and George Howard. By 1927 a new era had arrived—the automobile was replacing horses everywhere. So that spring he turned 57 head of stage horses loose with a herd of wild horses on the Bogus Range. He couldn’t even give them away!
Meanwhile, in 1920, he and his partners, his brother I.S. Newton and Harry Pence, had purchased most of the unimproved land in Happy Camp, erected a store, some cabins, a campground and a saw mill. He built the first building on what is now the Happy Camp Ranger Station at 2nd Avenue and Airport Road, and leased it as headquarters to the Forest Service for many years. The Log High School was then where the present high school is located.
Gorham Humphreys initiated the idea of the high school building and must have been able to convince many in the community of the value of proceeding to build, as it seems the community worked together with uncommon unity.
Logs for the new log high school were donated by the Forest Service and cut under the direction of Bob Titus. Toleman was in charge of the building operations. Milt Fowler set the foundation forms. Gravel was hauled by Ralph Gordon. Pete Grant, Mike Effman and others chopped notches in the logs. When things got “bogged down” in August (of 1933) men weren’t able to come when needed and a few forgot that they had pledged a certain amount of labor and many in town thought maybe they had “bitten off more than we could chew…” That is when the women of the Grange put on a couple of noon picnics to get a large group together to put on thee roof. Other women encouraged the work on optimistically. Ora head (Mrs. Guy Head) encouraged the workers to stay with it, urging all to remember that “Rome wasn’t built in a day>”
In September, two large classrooms were ready for Mr. Lowe and Miss Fite, the teacher, to begin classes. The people of Happy Camp had built a high school for education of its young people with only about $1,000 from the District Board.
In November of 1933 a dedication was held. At that time, Toleman said, “we were hearing a lot about the age of rugged individualism that was past. At this time I would like to say that it was that spirit, combined with a will to help each other that did the job. And in passing I believe that it is proper to note that the teachers who lead in the education of our youth and who at times may wonder if their efforts are really appreciated cannot help but feel that the answer is YES, when they have occasion to work in or even hear of a high school that has grown under the conditions that this one has here in Happy Camp.”
The first graduating class in 1935 included Mae Barney, Marshall Vanhoy, Ruth Baker, Robert Humphreys, Nina Sedros, Edna Fowler, Paul Good, Geraldine Titus, George Logan and Florence Sutcliffe.
Gorham Humphreys must have felt great happiness when his son, Robert was one of the first graduates of the school. He had seen a need for a high school and enlisted others to work with him to bring his vision to reality. Several children had died but his surviving four daughters and son had a great example of a father concern for their education. Of his daughters, Bertha married Tom Carter who was Forest Ranger. Viola became a nurse, Aurelia was a teacher and Hazel went to college in Marin County and then married Finley Joyner. The son, Robert who graduated in 1935 died in Italy on the last day of the war in Europe.
Eventually a new high school building was needed. The principal, Arthur French, said “For two and one-half years teachers and equipment have been crowded together into 2,400 square feet of floor space.” The new building was expected to cost $438,000 and the bond bill was to be voted on according to the April 16, 1955 Klamath River Courier. “The new facility provided large modern home economics room and a complete science room. It would also allow development of a commercial department and library.” Dr. Jere Hurley, Superintendent of Siskiyou County’s Joint Union High School District gave the speech dedicating the new building to “the principles of democracy and the constitution of the United States, to all students –past, present and future.” Short addresses were also given by Sharon Titus, Carol Evans and Gene Erskin of the High School Student Board.
The old Log Memorial Building was to be moved to another site, and perhaps used for a library or museum. It was believed to be the only high school building constructed of logs still in use at the time. When “Old Timers” look at the Log Memorial Building they recall how the whole community united in the effort to bring education to our children.. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when we work together toward our goals!
Siskiyou Pioneer Annual printed on Klamath River families.
It’s a beautiful, cool but sunny day in Happy Camp, although there were rumors of a dusting of snow over Greyback Tuesday. It was a clear moonlit night last night coming home. Still, it is now October first, so we must enjoy these sunny days while we can! It was a great quickly trip out of town–Learned a lot and accomplished a lot of errands.
The best part was stopping by the Siskiyou County Museum and got a brand new “hot off the press” issue of The Siskiyou Pioneer from the Siskiyou County Historical Society. This issue (2009) is Gold Rush and Mixing of Cultures in Western Siskiyou County .
The front cover has a photo of Fred Emet Johnson at 17 with his mother. Fred is “third generation from the first white man into the Klamath River area.” His mother is “Tall Julia,” also known as Julia Goodwin Stanshaw Johnson Bell. Since Fred was born in 1905, that means the photo was taken about 1922. After reading “Land of the Grasshopper Song” Fred took a notebook full of notes which his daughter Joy shared.
Rumors had been floating around that Hazel Davis Gendron was writing new history information about this area and this is it. I was greatly looking forward to it. She was joined by Cheryl M. Beck in compiling the book.
First of all it was the photo of Hazel Humphries Joyner holding a photo of her brother, Robert (in the information about Karuk men who had been killed in action in past wars) that was of special interest. Then the forward was a wonderfu8l tribute to the enduring Karuk people.
The balance of the book tells of ten or eleven families, mostly from the Klamath River . One of the difficulties in writing about these families is the belief of some that even mention of the name of deceased relatives may bring bad luck. But the ladies are good genealogical detectives/trackers and found data in formal BIA records which helped.
There are also stories of Squirrel Jim, Tribal Basket Makers and how important music was to people.
If you have membership in the Siskiyou County Historical Society, you are in for some interesting reading when this new edition comes to you. If not, you could join for $25 and receive the new issue next year. Last year’s issue centered on Doris and each issue is a different topic about the history of Siskiyou County.
Stella Walthall Patterson
October 14, 1866 –
December 23, 1955
By Judy Bushy
This weekend we took a drive down Highway 96 just to enjoy the sunshine on the River, and the forest and blue skies. We came to the pullout near where Stella Patterson had her cabin and stopped to enjoy the view.
At the time of her eightieth birthday, Stella W. Patterson was faced with a dilemma. Her decision involved when a person is OLD and how she wanted to live her “senior years.” Stella made a surprising decision and became a hero to seniors who have since loved her book, Dear Mad’m.
Stella was born October 14, 1866 in the bustling city of San Francisco. Stella enjoyed the urban opportunities for social and cultural life, but after the earthquake of 1906 she left the city.
At the time of her 80th birthday, while visiting friends in Arcata on the northern coast, she was invited to live with relatives eager to do for her and take care of her in “declining years.” When a doctor told her that she had “young legs” it set her thoughts in a different direction. She owned a cabin on a mining claim in the wilds of Clear Creek near the friendly little town of Happy Camp, on the Klamath River. She decided to give living in that little cabin a try for a year. She wrote to the caretaker and set off for Willow Creek where she rode with the mail delivery up to the mailbox on Highway 96 below the cabin.
The title of her memoir of life on the Klamath came from, perhaps a senior moment, when Fred, the caretaker arrived, and she’d forgotten his name. In her correspondence she had said, “Dear Sir,” so she fell back upon that salutation. Fred replied, “Dear Mad’m,” and thus the nickname, which was later to become the title of the book, began.
The book tells of her life in that solitary and somewhat primitive cabin in its beautiful surroundings. She lived alone there with her dog, Vickie, and it turned out she had many adventures.
While Stella Patterson still traveled some, her delight was to return to her little cabin on the Klamath. She loved to garden and put up jams and jellies. She sent the memoir of the year she moved to the cabin to agents, critics, and finally a New York publisher who edited it. She called it “slashing,” her story. In the fall of 1955 she moved to an efficient little travel trailer, near Everett and Thelma (who had been like a daughter to her) in Redding. Her life drew to a close there in December 23, 1955 at the age of 89. It was just two weeks before Dear Mad’m was to be published, January 6, 1956.
The book had far reaching effects. It became a popular book club selection. Three ladies from Chicago retired from the Telephone Company and came to live near Happy Camp, because of reading her story. They enjoyed gardening and artistic endeavors and were active in the community. They were loved and appreciated in the community although they too are gone now. When Highway 96 was improved and straightened (Yes, it is possible that there were more curves and corners!) the road went right through her cabin, which was moved out of the way.
Naturegraph, a local Happy Camp publisher, kept the book in print since that time, for which we are grateful. Stella was a hero of sorts to persons of mature years, who still have more years to appreciate life and blessings. It’s a good book to read to remind a person of all the wonderful reasons we love life on the lovely wild Klamath River at the top of California.
One strange phenomena of small towns, is the rumors! Rumors can fly faster, spread quicker and be more unbelievable, yet believed, than you could imagine. The rumor that has been flying around our community since economic times have hit the nation, California and especially Siskiyou County: “Will Sheriff Riggins shut down our Sheriff substation?”
At the July meeting of the Community Solutions to Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse meeting, he sent a representative to say that they would not be abandoning the Happy Camp substation. The problem is that there will no doubt be cuts in personnel, including within the Sheriff Department. This will be determined after California passes a budget. If there are personnel cuts, the last hired are the first to go. there is no choice in that as by regulations, last hired go first. We have some very good deputies here, but they are young men who have just moved to Happy Camp. If they have to be laid off, staffing will have to be sent out from Yreka. This means extra travel time for a Deputy. They also work together with the California Highway Patrol and Fish and Wildlife officers in the community to be sure we have law enforcement personnel here on call when needed.
While the situation looks discouraging with the thought of losing the officers, there was talk of reviving the Neighborhood Watch program that successfully kept crime down during a short time of increase in home break-ins. Patrolling had gotten too expensive and the volunteers were mostly senior citizens. That aspect of the program was seen as less desirable than educating the public on how to be a good witnesses and on what suspicious activities to watch for and report. Community action was looked upon as the best way to supplement Sheriff’s deputies, as long as it didn’t evolve into vigilantism!
Happy Camp and the other small communities along the beautiful wild Klamath River aren’t immune to the problems of other communities, including alcohol and other drug abuse. However, an active body of the citizens concerned for the health and safety of our young people has begun meeting to take action to say “It is not OK” for our youth to be lost by tragedy caused by alcohol and other drug use.
The First meeting in November at Room 3 at the Happy Camp High School was a potluck followed by a spirited discussion by the community members who overwhelmed the room. There were no desks left to sit at the kitchen was full of standing people who came to see that something is done to rescue our children from this scourge
The second meeting in December was moved to the Happy Camp Grange but also included a potluck before the meetingl Sueanne Thurman from McCloud facilitated the meeting as the group brainstormed for solutions to the community problem.
The Happy Camp community is closely knit, almost like a family. Like a family, we have our differences and disagreements, but we also know that our Klamath neighbors care when we face sorrows and hardships. They’ve proven themselves in the past.
It is going to take all of us working to gether to reach the goals that we want to see for our children’s lives. One of the greatest concerns is death and other serious consequences of the impact of alcohol and other drug use by our young people.
As a community we will be seeking ways to reduce access, educate, and support recovery of young people. There will be a potluck dinner Thursday, Nov. 20th at the Happy Camp High School. Potluck dinner will ber served at 5:30 and if you come for dinner, please stay for the meeting at 6:45. See you at Room 3!
Further information may be obtained from Happy Camp Family Resource Center 493-5117.
by Judy Bushy, Happy Camp. CA
It was a busy weekend in Happy Camp with the Krauk Tribal Reunion as well as the Klamath River Watershed Art & Music Festival.
It wasn’t required that one be Karuk to attend the reunion, only to vote in the election that was taking place at the same time. The thing I noticed most was how considerate they were to all. They served breakfast for those who got there early, without charge. They were offering everyone bottled water and asking them to be sure not to become dehydrated. Since temperatures had been in the triple digits the week before, Saturday didn’t seem all that hot. The consideration that they expressed was what one appreciated! They were also inviting all to the dinner at three o’clock. A welcoming attitude pervaded the day at the Reunion .
Susan Gehr had a large Karuk Dictionary that she was making available to those who wanted to play a little game. Eager youngsters enjoyed the game and even wanted to play again without the reward of another dictionary once they had earned one. It looks like a fascinating book and it is good to see all the enthusiasm from youngsters learning to speak Karuk. There was basketry going on both in the People’s Museum (where the language game was taking place also) and on the grass elsewhere. I noticed the addition of many photographs to the museum displays and hope to go back and look at them further another time. The Gift Shop in the People’s Museum was also a very busy place and had hats and t-shirts as well as their usual assortment of interesting wares for the event. They have such a good collection of books available and handmade note cards and so many things.
Dion Wood kindly invited me into the room where youngsters were decorating neat tote bags with stencils and markers. I didn’t get any art done due to taking photos of the beautiful children who were doing better art work than I could, but they offered a tote bag to carry all the literature, pens and color books that I’d collected. My kids always humored my having more coloring books than they did, but we always shared or copied a page they liked. Having child care business over twenty years, with CareAlot Child & Family Resources 1989-1991 made that more practical. Right behind that building you could hear gleeful sounds of children and on a hot day there was a long line at the waterslide. In fact, some bigger “kids” carried down little ones, and didn’t mind the splash in the cool water in the pool at the bottom at all!!! Then they could bounce in the bounce house until they were dry and slide down the water slide again!!! Great idea for a hot day.
The “techie’s” from the Tribe were cooking up hamburgers and cheeseburgers that looked delicious despite the jokes about keyboarding on the beautiful grill. The Happy Camp Community Computer Center had a booth as well. They have a lot of college classes available right in town here to help community members get an education! Eddie Davenport had a booth on the financial helps that are available to buy or remodel a home or to help a business. One area just for Tribal members were kits for emergency preparedness that were prepared for the elders and other members in case of flood, fire or catastrophe, but everyone was welcome to information on how to prepare for such an event. Here in Happy Camp we are accustomed to a week without electricity around New Years although we haven’t had one like the 1964 flood lately. This year the fires have so far been eighteen miles west of us but last year we were faced with the possibility of evacuation from wildfire. Being seventy five miles—long and winding road miles—from a hospital in the winter makes us more aware of needs to be prepared for handing some difficulties on our own before we are able to get to outside help.
The Health Tent had displays and information on all sorts of health issues and handouts of all sorts of helpful information. There was a beautiful horse painting being raffled off and opportunities for the youngsters to do their own art of horses. The Red Cross people were there with first aid information. You could learn your blood pressure or information on diabetes or other ailments. There was information on alcohol and other drugs. It seemed like there was information on any area of life that you wanted to become more aware of and healthy from dental to safety.
There were crafts and homemade jewelry and articles available for purchase of course. There was a raffle for everyone who came and registered as well as a raffle for a beautiful blue scooter, which received a lot of interest. Horseshoes, volleyball, and all sorts of games were available. Later on in the day there was music planned and after the Reunion many went over to enjoy performances of musicians at the Watershed Festival.
Some lucky students of Happy Camp High School took a class called “Life Skills.”
Some lucky guests that they invited to “sample” the final exam were delighted!!! For the Final exam these students made a delicious lasagne with garlic chicken, fresh corn on the cob and delightful salad. It was definately a grade A+ final exam!!
They prepared a dish fit for a king, and enjoyed by the principal and other guests!!!
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