Posted By:	Mildred Woodward
	Email:
	Subject:	JOHN MONROE OREGON Articles
	Post Date:	October 23, 2007 at 15:09:43
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/monroe/messages/2551.html
	Forum:	Monroe Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/monroe/

Glacier Newspaper Hood River, Oregon In 1886 John ran two adds in the classified as follows: 100 acres, 50 in cultivation good house and barn, 100 bearing fruit trees, well watered. Price $20. acre. John Monroe 50 acres, 3 acres cleared, 10 acres deadened ready to burn, new barn perpetual steam of water running through the land. John Monroe November 3, 1889 John Monroe of the East Side was a caller at the Glacier office on Wednesday. Mr. Monroe is probably the oldest man in Hood River. He was born in Ohio, Sept. 27, 1815, and is now in his 85th year. Mr. Monroe retains his faculties to a wonderful degree and his memory is as keen as ever. Last June he had an attack of vetigo and fell against against a horse and was kicked in the head, but he recovered from the injuries and bids fair to live many years. From Pine Grove Memories in The Hood River Valley by J. Patricia Krusso, 1989, Pine Grove, Oregon In January of 1900, Mr. Mickelson bought 30 acres from John Monroe. In February 1900 William Davis from Mosier came to visit his step-father Mr. Monroe. (William Davis died at Harrisburg Or. where he resided many years.) By that year, John's son, Joseph Monroe, bought the old gentelman's farm on the East side. John, at 85 had decided to retire from farming. However he didn't concider himself too old to take an active part in politics. He was still serving as Judge for the East Hood River Precinct, at the last election in 1900. John Monroe died February 2, 1903 and is buried at the Pine Grove Butte Cemetery.(Often refered to as Butte Cemetery) On June 30, 1901, Carl Gilmore bought a farm from John and Nancy Monroe. This farm was on the corner of East Side Road and Fir Mountain Road, and was part of John's homestead His son Levi homesteaded on Fir Mountain Road. Levi sold his place to Lucius Clark in 1902. In 1900 the section of road along the Monroe property was improved and widened. The plan was to construct a road from what is now known as Wells Drive straight south to the Jackson Cemetery corner. Not quite as designed! The front steps to Levi's cabin were in the right of way! The congenial workers made a wide swinging curve and saved his steps. The curve remains to this day! All of this land is now set to pear trees. John Monroe, Early Pioneer of Pine Grove Hood River History Vol.II Pages 328 & 329 For limited space I am combing like info Pine Grove Memories in The Hood River Valley by J. Patricia Krusso, 1989, Pine Grove, Oregon John Monroe bought up a relinquishment on the property in the Pine grove district,and later made proof of title under the homestead laws, which permited a credit for purchases of relinquished rights. Mr. Monroe was living on the property in 1889 (1886 as per adds above). When the Butte Cemetery was set up John was one of the original Trustees. His house was the first to have running water in the kitchen in Pine Grove. Others had a pitcher pump on the porch or near the kitchen to draw water from the spring or well.Mr. Monroe early installed a water ram in the spring that bubbled from the earth at the head of a deep gully that traversed nearly the full length of his property probably washed out by the continual flow from the spring, together with the heavy annual run off. The ram lifted the water to a wooden sink in his kitchen. The water flowed continually throught the sink, escaping by way of an auger hole through the wall into wooden troughs, that carried the water to the barnyard for the stock, and to the garden for irrigation. In the winter, the overflow was dumped back into the creek in the gully by way of wide wooden troughs which were anchored to it's bank. His wife, Nancy Monroe, an ambitious little person, lived for the most part in town, where she owned a house and worked as a dressmaker. She came frequently to clean up those bachelor quarters of Mr. Monroe and his son Levi. The men were none to particular, but I do think if they had been forwarned of her coming they might have cleaned up a bit.I recall one time going to this home on an errand for Mother, and remember watching in popeyed amazement while Mrs. Monroe between flying trips to hang out the wash and prepare a dinner of fried chicken and hot biscuits, direct Mr. Monroe to mop the floor and son Levi to carry out an accumulation of ashes. Several five-gallon cans of ashes always stood near the fireplace. Mr. Monroe was one of the best of neighbor, always ready to exchange labor in the harvest or to bring things from town for a neighbor whenever he made a trip to supply his own needs. He was an inveterate tobacco chewer, and not too particular where he expectorated. I recall my sister and myself once came to a bit of difficulty in an effort to help our Mother by attempting to see that Mr. Monroe used a spittoon when he came to pay us a visit. He alway liked to sit near the fireplace, and use that place for a depository. Of course he would not always reach the firebox, and our Mother was much exasperated would have to scrub the resulting decorations off the bricks of the hearth. Our grandfather always used a makeshift spittoon whenever he visited us; therefore we reasoned, if our Mother didn't like to clean the bricks, Mr. Monroe should use a pan that could be set so close he could not miss it. Accordingly, the next time Mr. Monroe visited at our home, we proceeded to get one of Mother's nice new milk pans and after filling it up with ash from the fireplace, we set close by Mr. Monroe on the right, and watched for results. Busy talking with Father he never even saw the pan, and continued his trail of sputum toward the fire; whereupon one of us moved the pan to his left, with exactly the same results. By this time I was stopped in my tracks, but my more daring sister promptly picked the pan up and placing it on the knee of Mr. Monroe, announced in a loud voice; "Mr. Monroe, My Momma don't like her fireplace all dirty, and we want you to spit in this pan." Our somewhat flustered Father hurried us pan and all out to the kitchen for Mother to supervise.Mr. Monroe enjoyed the joke on himself and remonstrated with Father for shooing us away. He was a very good gardener and planted a very complete home orchard, which came into bearing sometime before most of his neighbors were able to bring their orchards to fruit. With these products he was more than generous. I recall may trips to his orchard for fruit we did not yet have in our own. Mr. Monroe had been a tanner of hides in his old hometown in Iowa and also owned and opperated a sawmill. I do not remember that he ever worked at either of these trades after coming to Oregon country, although he could have. At the time he purchased his lot in the Butte Cemetery he stipulated that, that portion of the lot not reserved for his own burial space be used for those persons whose people were unable tp puchase burial space for their loved ones. Both of his sons left Hood River but a step-son Judd Ferguson remained to become one of Hood River's most substancial citizen. by Arline Winchell Moore Marrige License issued State of Iowa, Carroll County to: John Monroe and Nancey A. Ferguson 5th day of September 1870 Marriage Certificate 6th day of september 1870 at the parsonage in Carroll City Mr. John Monroe and Mrs. Nancy A. Ferguson Married 6th September 1870 both signed by ? Deal Clerk Circuit Court