Morrow County Judges
by Lucile Peck
1999 Morrow County Chronicles Volume XVIII
Morrow County became a county in 1885 and was formed out of a portion of Umatilla County. At that time, Governor Zenas Moody appointed temporary officers to serve until general elections were held in 1887. (It is interesting to note that Governor Moody had done much of the surveying of the south end of the new Morrow County.) Those appointed were Judge Augustus Mallory, Sheriff George W. Harrington, Clerk S. Parker Garrigues, Treasurer W. J. Leezer, School Superintendent W.R. Ellis, Commissioners J.L. Fuller and Frank Gilliam, Surveyor Julius Keithley, and Assessor T.R. Howard. The early judges in the county were pioneers, of course, but many later judges were from local pioneer stock. The county judge and the commissioners oversee many activities and services. Among their several responsibilities are the juvenile justice system and the roads of Morrow County. Since WW II, many changes have been mandated by federal and state governments, as well as by popular demand.
1885-1886: August Mallory
Judge Mallory was an early settler on Balm Fork. He
arrived in about 1870. He was a notary public, and he and O.H. Hallock
located land for homesteaders. There were several ways pioneers could
obtain land, and they were eager to own land, and the government at that time
were eager to get land into pioneer hands. For this service, Hallock and
Mallory were paid. In 1883, John W. Redington arrived in Heppner, and he
bought the newspaper, The Gazette. (This paper had been started
earlier with the backing of several prominent citizens.) To make an
interesting story short, Redington accused Hallock and Mallory with charging
homesteaders too much. The attack was vicious and probably was the reason
that William Mitchell defeated Judge Mallory in 1887. Mallory was
re-elected in 1895. (Redington left Heppner in 1901 and was always a
thorn.)
1895-1896: August Mallory
Judge Mallory was re-elected and served two more years as
County Judge.
1887-1890: William Mitchell
One of the big events in Judge Mitchell's term was the
arrival of the Oregon Rail and Navigation Company Railroad (OR & N). This
was cause for celebration and had a big influence on the local economy, as
farmers were able to move their crops more economically, and the train was a
mode of transportation for people. During this term, bids were let for two
bridges: one on Rhea Creek at the Hayes Ranch, and one across Butter Creek
at Gallaway.
1896: William Mitchell
Judge Mitchell was re-elected and died in office.
1891-1895: Julius Keithley
Another early settler was Julius Keithley, born in
Missouri in 1832. He settled near Heppner in 1878 and raised sheep.
Then, he became a partner with Parker Garrigues in a small sawmill. He
moved into Heppner in 1882. As noted above, he was appointed the county's
first surveyor. Later, he was appointed by the governor to fill the
vacancy of Judge Mitchell.
In 1903, at the time of the Heppner Flood, his home was
located on the corner of Willow and Chase Streets, about where the bowling alley
is now located. "He found himself on a part of the roof (of his home)
tearing downstream on the flood. He saw his wife in the water on some
floating lumber near him, and he put out his had to her but her feet were held
fast and she could not be saved." (French). Her body was found a mile
below Lexington. Judge Keithley also drowned, and a Keithley grandson is
listed as lost.
1896-1903: A. J. Bartholomew
Alba Bartholomew was born in Illinois in 1845. He
served in the 132nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He and his family moved
to Milton, Oregon, in 1883. In 1886, they moved to Sand Hollow in Morrow
County, where they raised livestock. In 1896, he was elected Morrow County
Judge, and the family moved to Heppner, where they bought the home owned by
William Ayers.
Two items of special interest occurred during his term.
First, the Morrow County Court House was built in 1902, and it is still one of
the premier court houses in Oregon. It is made of native basalt from a
quarry on Balm Fork. The trimming is sandstone quarried near Elgin,
Oregon. The second event was the Heppner Flood, June 14, 1903. None
of the Bartholomew family was lost, although some had harrowing experiences
escaping the raging water. Restoration and cleaning up the area and grief
over all those lost consumed the community all that summer, and Judge
Bartholomew died of stress and overwork, November 3, 1903.
1904-1908 Thomas W. Ayers
Judge Ayers located on Butter Creek. He bought lots
in Heppner from Stansbury, the man who had the claim where Heppner is located,
and moved to town in 1870's. He had helped Redington finance his purchase
of the newspaper. He lived on the west side of the creek and was protected
by a row of poplar trees that grew on the bank. His home floated away in
the flood of 1903.
1908-1918: C. C. Patterson
Cornelius Patterson was born in Pennsylvania and came west in 1895. He
spent three years in the lumber business, returned to New York, and then
returned to Oregon in 1901 and was in the retail lumber business with T.C.
Wells. He was elected judge in 1908, and during his term, the Oregon State
Extension Office was established in Heppner, and Morrow County enjoyed its first
county fair.
1919-1924: William Campbell
William T. Campbell was born in Canada, and he and his
wife lived in Walla Walla before moving to Morrow County. They took up a
homestead on Social Ridge out of Lexington in 1887. He helped organize the
Social Ridge School District in 1892. He owned the first threshing machine
on Social Ridge. He retired from farming and moved to Heppner in 1917.
He served as County Commissioner from 1908 to 1910 and was elected judge in
1919. He was very interested in road building and attended many meetings
of the State Highway Department in Portland at which time a contract for
$146,493.50 was accepted by the State Highway Commission for grading the Willow
Creek Highway from Heppner to the Morrow County line. A survey of the road
from the Morrow County line to the Columbia River Highway through Gilliam County
was also ordered. (This would complete the survey of this artery.)
1931-1936: William Campbell
Judge Campbell "wrested" the judgeship from Benge and, as
both were "very diligent at road building," during the seventeen years of the
Campbell-Benge tenure, the road of Morrow County continued to expand and improve
(McMillan). The Civilian Conservation Corps came into being during the
30's, established first at Tupper and then where the rodeo grounds are located
in Heppner.
1925-1930: Ralph Benge
Ralph Benge defeated Judge Campbell in 1925. They
were neighbors on Social Ridge, and both were dedicated to improving the roads
in the county. Both attended many meetings of the State Highway
Commission. Benge was born in Indiana. His father homesteaded at
Cottonwood Creek, Oregon, near Walla Walla. When his father died, his
mother moved the family to a homestead on Social Ridge. Ralph was twenty
years old when he and his partner, Theodore Cork, were awarded the contract for
construction of the railroad grade between Lexington and Heppner. Benge
managed the farm on Social Ridge all his life.
1937-1948: Bert Johnson
Judge Bert Johnson resided in Ione. He presided as
judge during the very difficult WWII year. The people in Morrow County
"sent men, gathered scrap, sold bonds, did without sugar and other commodities,
supported the Red Cross, submitted to daylight saving...all in a spirit of
patriotism" (Morrow County Historical Society). The government took land
in the north end of the county as a bombing range over the protest of Judge
Johnson, who said the county was losing a tax resource. In 1940, the
Columbia Basic Electric Association was formed. Of course, because of the
war, little could be done to bring electricity to the farm community at this
time. In 1941, the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District was
formed. Judge Johnson worked on several of these committees.
1949-1948: Garnet Barratt
William Barratt, Judge Garnet Barratt's father, arrived
in Morrow County in 1883. He established a homestead and became one of the
most prosperous sheep and cattlemen in the county. Judge Barratt assisted
his father and then managed the Barratt properties. In 1937, Judge Barratt
served in the Oregon Legislature. He was elected judge in 1949, and it was
in 1949 that the long-awaited electricity was turned on. Also, work was
starting on the hospital on the land donated by Garnet Barratt. Judge
Barratt resigned as judge because of ill health.
1959-1964: Oscar Peterson
The Peterson family settled in the Valby areas of Morrow
County in 1885, after coming from Sweden. Judge Peterson was born in
Morrow County and attended Reed College before coming back to farm. He was
appointed to fill out the term of Judge Barratt. He had helped organize
the Columbia Basin Electric Coop and worked to organize the Mid-Columbia
Association of Counties. He organized Port of Morrow and worked in the
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association promoting navigation on the Columbia
River. Judge Peterson was also interested in building the dam on Willow
Creek and made several trips to Washington, D.C. to promote that project.
1965-1978: Paul Jones
Judge Paul Jones's father arrived in Morrow County in
1904 and homesteaded a claim in the Blue Mountains. In 1941, Paul Jones
and a brother took over the farm operation. He was elected judge in 1964,
and this was the beginning of much change. During his administration, he
was chairman of the newly formed Eastern Central Oregon Association of Counties.
With the advent of circular irrigation systems, many new acres were brought
under cultivation, and the sale of Bureau of Land Management acres increased
these acres. Also, during his tenure, General Electric built a coal-fired
generating facility near Boardman. Boeing, which owned several thousands
of acres of land in the desert, released much of this land, which is now farmed,
and still retained some of their land for the Boeing Bombing Range. Judge
Jones resigned in 1978.
1978-1979: Delwin O. Nelson
Judge D.O. Nelson was one of the pioneers in irrigation
that brought the growing of potatoes to Morrow County. In 1969, he
successfully put in circles of irrigation near the Base Line, after drilling
deep wells. Governor Straub appointed him judge after the resignation of
Judge Paul Jones. He served on the Governor's Task Force on Juvenile
Corrections and was elected chairman of the East Central Oregon Association of
Counties. He resigned in 1980 for personal reasons.
1980-1986: Donald C. McElligott
Judge McElligott is a third-generation Morrow County
resident. His grandfather settled in the Eightmile Canyon area in 1888.
Governor Vic Atiyeh appoint Judge McElligott after the resignation of Judge
Nelson. It was during his time in office that an IBM computer system was
installed to serve all departments in the county. New road department
shops and offices were constructed in both north and south Morrow County,
and enough equipment was obtained to maintain almost 1,100 miles of county roads,
including 350 miles of paved road. By contracting the rock crushing
(milling), the cost-per-yard of gravel was reduced from $7 to $3.51.
"Requiring boys to spend several Saturdays chopping wood for seniors seemed to
solve some of the minor juvenile problems," said Judge McElligott. A BIG
event was the completion of the Willow Creek Dam. Senator Mark Hatfield
attended the dedication ceremony in 1984. Judge McElligott served a County
Commissioner from 1992 to 1994.
1997-1998: Louis Carlson
The Carlson family homesteaded in the Gooseberry area in
1883, after arriving from Sweden in 1880. Judge Carlson represents the
third generation. He was elected in 1987. Juvenile justice problems
have become most important and time consuming, and Judge Carlson said "I think
they took up one-quarter of my time." Judge Carlson endeavored to
provide equal services to the north and south of Morrow County. (This is
one of the most contentious issues in Morrow County.) He helped develop
the Emergency Management System for this area, in the event of a chemical
leak at the Umatilla Chemical Depot or other emergency. In 1987, the
railroad to Heppner was dismantled, the rails were taken up to be used
elsewhere, the ties were sold locally, and the land was put up for sale.
1999: Terry Tallman
Judge Tallman is the first Judge in Morrow County to
reside in Boardman. He is a self-employed farmer and came to Morrow County
in 1974. He grew up in Adrian, Oregon. This is a time of many
changes in the county. The Kinzua Mill was recently shut down with the
loss of many jobs. The great of dam breaching caries an image of economic
ruin for the Port of Morrow and the agricultural community. A proposed
road from Ione to Boardman is a long-standing project, and the road easements
are being acquired. The plan to incinerate chemicals at the Umatilla Army
Depot will have a big impact as more people move into the area, putting a bigger
burden on the schools, police, housing and medical facilities. A new
regionalization study is being made to more closely unify the Northeastern
Oregon counties. Judge Tallman works as one of three members of the Morrow
County Court as it addresses these many issues and works toward resolutions that
will enhance Morrow County.
Bibliography
French, Giles, Homesteads and Heritages: A History of Morrow County,
Oregon. Portland: Binfords and Morts, 1971.
Gazette-Times files. Morrow County Museum
Morrow County Historical Society. The History of Morrow County, Oregon.
Taylor Publishing Company, 1983.
McMillan, Sam G. The Bunchgrassers. Irwin-Hodson Company, 1974.
Parsons, Colonel W. and W. S. Shiach. An Illustrated History of
Umatilla and Morrow Counties Oregon. W. H. Lever 1902.
Sether, Mary. The Judge's Family. Private Publication
Copyright © 1999 Morrow County Historical Society