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