sixty.html

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