The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., May 11, 1972, page 6
TOWNSITE OF APPLETON IS 60 YEARS OLD
The town site of Appleton is officially 60 years old,
this Monday, May 8, 1972. In the early years of the settling of this part
of the county it was called "New Missouri", because of the many families
coming from Missouri, with friends to settle in Klickitat county.
It is assumed that George C. Howard, a real estate promoter
gave Appleton its name officially when he platted the town and recorded the
survey area for a town. He and his wife recorded the site on May 8, 1912,
in the Klickitat county court house, Goldendale, Washington. H.J. Marshall
was county treasurer, also recorder.
June 22, 1912 George C. Howard and his wife Ellen M.
Howard filed the description of the town site at the court house in Portland,
Oregon. The Notary Public for Oregon was: T.J. Rourke.
This is a map of the town site drawn by Ruby Johnson
(Mrs. John Johnson) a former school teacher.
There was an old log a school approximately where the
two story school stands where Mr. E.B. Hylton held his Sunday school and
church services once a month in 1890's until the Methodist domination came
and built a church building and the parsonage where Louis Nagel now lives.
The church building was used as a school, with high school classes held in
the upper part of the store, till the new school was built in 1910-11. Mrs.
Edith Cox Pearson says: "On February 14, 1911, we children had regular classes
in the morning, had a Valentine party and lunch. At 1 p.m., we marched into
the Methodist church building, gathered our books and marched across the
yard into the new building."
Appleton, the town, hasn't grown any over the years.
Mr. Bud Loving lives in the teacher's cottage, Louis Nagel owns the parsonage
and it also houses the post office. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Parker and family
live in the Johnson place. Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Smith and family own the Cox
place. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Riggle and family rent the O'Neal house, which is
owned by Lester Jewell. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Shurtz own the Dillon house. Mr.
and Mrs. Gene Tuttle own the Howard place.
The store, well house, school barn, Methodist church,
black smith shop, and Merriemaids house are gone.
The urban area, where all of the large apple orchards
where, even in the early days has changed much. Most all the apple orchards
are gone, with a few trees still struggling to live. Houses have been torn
down, or burned down. Many names have changed, this has been the big turn-over;
families have moved in and moved out. The only true native is Louis Nagel,
whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Nagel homesteaded east of Appleton about
a mile and a half. He has spent his bigger share of his life here. Blair
Shippey has been here most of his life also. Evelyn Nagel Shurtz returned
in 1964, from Klickitat where they had lived all their married life.
The high school children went to school in Lyle to school
in 1937 or 38, the grades, 1-6, were held here till 1965-66, then they were
bussed to Lyle. The last teacher was Mrs. Tillie Bronsch, who, with her husband
Herman, also was the last teacher at the Mt. Brook school.
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© Jeffrey L. Elmer