By Buddy Rose – February 7th, 2024 A recap of his presentation at the February 7th Mossyrock Historical Society meeting and Buddy’s Facebook post on that Presentation.
Mossyrock Area Historical Society members and guests enjoyed a slideshow presentation on Mossyrock history at the Feb. 7 meeting. The show followed a tasty dinner of chili dogs and fixin’s plus the usual delicious desserts brought by members.
Hwy. 12 sign, part of White Pass Scenic Byway
The first settlers included Landon Busey, near the Birley Road, and Joseph Mitchell, where the town is now. They both had 160 ac. Donation Land Claims (1850 law), which were intended to encourage settlement of Oregon Territory and preceded the Homestead Act of 1862.
The presentation on Mossyrock, “The Heart of Lewis County,” began with information about the first European settlers coming to Klickitat Prairie. The fertile prairie was occupied by the Cowlitz and had been by their native ancestors for centuries. Landon Busey and Joseph Mitchell came there in the early 1850s and filed 160-acre Donation Land Claims. Busey’s claim was near where Birley Road now intersects Hwy. 12. Mitchell’s claim was in the area that eventually became the town of Mossyrock. Donation Land Claims were authorized by Congress in 1850 to encourage settlement of the Oregon Territory, which had been established in 1848. The Homestead Act of 1862, which followed, had similar aims for the entire Western U.S.
The blockhouse on Busey’s land, near where Julia Justice lived, north of the Hendrick’s property. Busey committed suicide on Klickitat Prairie in late October of early November, 1855. He apparently feared he would be tortured after seeing a painted band of hostile Klickitat Indians approaching.
Busey built a blockhouse for protection on his land near the west end of Klickitat Prairie during the Puget Sound area Indian uprising in 1855. However, when a painted band of potentially hostile Klickitats approached, Busey feared he would be captured and tortured and committed suicide on the prairie near his blockhouse.
View from the rock sometime between 1912 and 1917. Original HS built in 1912 is visible, but not the addition of 1917.
View looking east from Main Street, after HS was built in 1912.
Much of the early history of the Mossyrock area was recorded in a detailed paper authored by well-known pioneer Daniel Shaner in 1913 and based on his personal knowledge and experience. Shaner was a Civil War veteran from Pennsylvania who came to the Mossyrock area in 1890. He died in 1926 and many of his descendants lived in the area around Mossyrock. Shaner’s paper was included in the Mossyrock Grange book about the histories of families in School District 206 (Mossyrock) published for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976.
J.J. Kelly, General Merchandise store, 1914. John Kelly bought the store from F.H. Thorne in 1903.Ghosn store at Ajlune, established in 1911. It was located across from what was later the Gilbert Aust farm.
This circa 1920s photo shows William McKinley’s ,ossyrock sawmill. Sitting on the wagon is Roy McKinley, second son of William Edward and Sharon Addie McKinley. Henry and Reuben are also in the picture. Henry is the firstborn son of William and Sharon McKMossyrock auto stage, early 1920s. The stage made daily trips between Chehalis and Mossyrock.
The slideshow included a number of photos taken from the namesake “mossy rock” overlooking the town from the east that chronicled the growth of the town through the years. The first one was taken sometime between 1912 and 1916 and showed the original high school building beneath the rock that was built in 1912.
Mossyrock Garage, operated by Lundy Adkins during the late 1920s.Mossyrock schools in Sept. 1942. Elementary was built in 1938.
Looking west from the rock 1925 or 1927. Community center next to HS was added in 1924. It burned down in 1931.Mossyrock High School in 1941. It was built in 1931.
Mossyrock became an incorporated city in 1948. Percy Birley was the first mayor and Laurence Deacon was the first city treasurer, a post he held until his retirement from the city in 1975. Deacon was also high school principal at Mossyrock from 1934 until 1967. The first city council members were Lewis Duncan, Lee Childers, Lloyd Carson, Walter Greear and Lowell Redmon. Duncan was also Mossyrock school superintendent from 1929 until his death in 1952.
Mossyrock Associated service station and garage, about 1940.
Bartley’s fire in 1943, from Laurence Deacon photos.
Bartley’s fire in 1943. From the angle of rock hill in the background, it looks like this was about where the trailer park is now at Main and Court Streets.
Former Mossyrock postmaster Gus Tornow was a POW in Germany after being shot down in 1943 over France as a tailgunner in a B-17. He was severely injured and was in the first group of 14 American POWs exchanged for German POWs in October, 1943.Football game between Mossyrock and Onalaska in 1944.
Repatriated POW Gus Tornow next to a poster at the Mossyrock school in 1944 showing where former students were serving during WWII.Daily Chronicle newspaper dated Jan. 13, 1948 announcing a charter making Mossyrock an incorporated town. First mayor was Percy Birley; treasurer was Laurence Deacon; council members were Lewis Duncan, Lee Childers, Lloyd Carson, Walter Greear and Lowell Redmon.
Softball game in 1948 with Mossyrock HS Girls Athletic Association athletes.View from the rock with heavy snow, probably winter of 1949-1950.
Mossyrock HS cheerleaders and crowd at a football game in 1948.View from the rock in 1950. By that time, State Street had become the main route through town on White Pass Highway.
June 3, 1949 fire next to Ghosn Theater. Ghosn added another brick building next to the G Theater after the fire with apartments upstairs and three businesses downstairs that included a café on the end that is now Lemon Tree Café and Espresso. It was Ray’s (Lester) Café in the 1950s.View of State Street looking east, 1950.
Pioneer Days, a popular celebration in Mossyrock, took place in late July beginning in 1946. It lasted until about 1956. It featured a kids parade and a grand parade with pioneer themes, costumes and prizes. There were many other activities and contests and usually a baseball game or two.
1950 Pioneer Days court. Queen Nancy Church (m. Calvin Core), Princesses JoAn Duncan, Elaine Belcher and Arlene Gerschick.Pioneer Days, 1950.
Pioneer Days, 1950. First one was in 1946.Pioneer Days parade, maybe 1951.
Pioneer Days, 1950.Pioneer Days parade, maybe 1951. Leading is WWII vet Marion
Pioneer Days program, 1951.
Pioneer Days, 1950. (oldest pioneer?)
Jim Redmon, MHS basketball, 1951.
Big log, 30,000 lbs. on Sandy Grasseth truck in front of Lewis Duncan home, 1953. Supt. Duncan had died during Christmas vacation in 1952.Pioneer Tavern with owner Mack Hanley.
Jack Childers’ Signal service station at Isbell Road and State Street, late 1940s or early 1950s. Later, became Myers’ Texaco.Bud and Emma’s Tavern. Dot’s Café next door (Dorothy Moore).
Malley Damron’s hardware store. It is now Mossyrock Hardware. Malley D. on right. Maybe Pete Doumitt in center (had shoe repair shop).Brick front added to Darnell Drug Store to cover crack from 1949
Darnell Drug Store. Glenn and Nona Darnell, Charlie Shaner.Community Church congregation in 1954, with names.
Pioneer Days parade, 1955.Pioneer Days parade, 1955.
Pioneer Days parade, 1955. Pioneer Days parade, 1955.
Pioneer Days parade, 1955. Theodore (Vic) Victorino and wife, Myrtle1956 Pioneer Days ad in Chronicle. Probably last year of Pioneer Days.
State Street, looking east. It says 1956, but parked on the left is a ’57 Ford and ’57 Buick.Myers’ Bros. Texaco Service, 1956, at Isbell Road on State Street.May Day celebration at Mossyrock schools.
Dewey McClaskey’s M&M Materials hardware store, June 1956. Now Hair Remedy, Retro Phoenix and 4U Realty.Roy Pearcy’s Union 76 service station on State Street at Godfrey Rd.May Day celebration, 1958, Buddy Rose and Sharon Clark.
Rock‘N Roll Bowling Alley, 1961. Moved to Mossyrock Rd. West in 1956 from Winston Creek after fire destroyed bowling alley there.
Arland Rose, 1960. Part of state 2B champion football team.
Mossyrock Dam construction. Completed in 1968.New Mossyrock HS, constructed in 1959 to accommodate additional students due to construction of Mayfield and Mossyrock dams.Mossyrock townspeople gathered on State Street in 1986 for Christmas Greeting to President and Nancy Reagan.
Single span concrete arch bridge over Cowlitz River at Mossyrock, completed 1969. When built, it was the longest (550 feet) bridge of that type in North America.
Painting of Mossyrock Grange on Isbell Road. The Grange published Memories from Family Albums of School District #206 in 1976 to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial.Entry to Klickitat Prairie Park parking area for 2022 Freedom Fest on 4th of July weekend.
New guests attending the society meeting included Christel Nixon and her daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Brent Bradley; all visiting from Kelso. Christel was married to Dean Nixon, a 1950 graduate of Mossyrock High School and lifelong resident of the area who died in 2015.
The next meeting of the Mossyrock Area Historical Society will be on March 6 at the Community Center, beginning with a short business meeting at 5:00 p.m., followed by a fried chicken dinner and a historical slideshow program with the topic to be announced later. Everyone is welcome to attend. Payment for dinner is by donation.
