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The Mt. Adams Sun, Bingen, WA., July 28, 1955, page 7

SQUATTER SETTLED SITE OF LYLE, ONCE OWNED BY ENGLISH NOBILITY

White men have owned the Warren McColley ranch, one-fourth mile west of Lyle, for well over a century. The first owner was a squatter named French who established title to a rich strip of land, half a mile wide and stretching for two miles along the Columbia River.
But French sold out to another short-timer. In 1865, Jim Lyle, a California gold miner bought the place, 1600 acres in all, and operated it as a cattle ranch until 1892.
According to Mr. and Mrs. Bob Chamberlain of White Salmon who owned a ranch from 1925 - 1946, Jim and Martha (Snipes) Lyle built the huge house. The 14 oversize rooms, one 24-foot square, were heated with three fire places and wood stove.
At one time the rear end of the Lyle residence was a store and the post office, but this part was razed years ago. Later owners tore down the hazardous stone fireplaces and remodeled the interior to cut down the size of the rooms.

THE BALFOURS

In 1892, the Lyles sold the ranch to Lord Balfour of England who sent his two sons, Tom and Montie to develop it. According to Mrs. Oscar Mogren of Lyle, "Montie was nice and Tommy still nicer."
They employed no women and their houseservants were Japanese houseboys. Because Lyle had no hotel, the hospitable brothers opened their home to travelers until the servants refused to run a boarding house.
In 1898, Tommy and Montie solved their dilemma by persuading Mrs. Mogren and her first husband, John Kure, to build a hotel. It was finished a year later. The young Balfours were frequent collars, often coming to eat dinner with the cowboys at 25 cents a plate.
All Lyle belong to the Balfours who planted the entire town site to fruit and grapes. Both crops grew well, but of the project failed for lack of market.
Lord Balfour, whom Mrs. Mogren called "the old gentlemen" came once to see how his sons where getting along. The night he arrived there was plenty of excitement.
A traveler crawled up in the Balfour stables, undoubtedly smoked and burned the barn down. Balfours beautiful thoroughbreds died in the blaze.
Tommy remained in charge of the ranch while Montie was called to fight in the Boer war (1898 - 1901). Eventually management of the estate was turned over to Malcolm Moody, and English gentleman who ran a flour mill and wheat warehouse in The Dalles.
Acting as agent for the Balfours, Moody sold the Lyle ranch to Jim Staack who operated it until 1925 when the Chamberlains bought it.

SIGNS OF PAST

"If the old rocks and hills of Lyle could talk, you'd have a terrific story," says Jack Mathias of Sunnyside, Mrs. Chamberlain's uncle.
Any enterprising reporter could dig up enough history on the Warren McColley property to write a book. The Balfour's Osage orange hedge, one of only two in the country, still produces chartreuse fruit for fall table decorations.
Rectangular depression near the drowned meadows marked the spot where Hudson Bay traders built their shelters over 100 years ago. There is apparently no truth to the rumor that a tunnel, half a mile long extended from the basement; or that the place was once haunted by the ghost of an occupant who hanged himself.

CASH CROPS

According to Warren McColley's wife Bonnie, their most profitable crop at present is renting trailer space to dam workers. Attracted by good TV reception, ample water, the scenic location and proximity to Lyle, the McColley place resembles a trailer city.
In addition to having a big garden for their own use, Warren and Bonnie market the best sweet corn in the area and have planted a commercial asparagus field.
To raise cash to improve his farm, Warren works on nearby projects. Last week he was helping construct a new fish ladder on the Klickitat River.
The McColley's were married July 9, 1949, at his father's home 32 miles from Tacoma. They have three children: Darlene, 5; Kathleen, 4; and Donald 2½ months.
Since Warren is commander of Lyle's American Legion Post and Bonnie President of the Auxiliary, they have little time for other organizations although they belong to the Grange and Soil Conservation.
"Taking care of the kids, washing and ironing keeps me busy," says Bonnie. "I use so much water I expect to died by drowning.
Fortunately the McColleys have plenty of water. Before winter sets in and they are going to build a new reservoir to serve their trailer neighbors and eventually irrigate all their fields.
"The McColleys are hard working and progressive people. They'll succeed," says Mrs. Mogren. She speaks from experience, 66 years to a resident of Lyle.