Thursday, April 13, 1972
Visiting in the Sam Mickey home over the Easter weekend were Mr. and Mrs. Russel St. John from Hermiston, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Mickey from Central Point, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Shaw, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Day, and Mary Davis and sons Billy, and twins Bernie and Ernie all of Medford. Also visiting were Charley and Nina Mickey and Ed and Jewell Hubbard of Cave Junction.
Mr. and Mrs. St. John and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Mickey went to Medford to visit Jerry and Jean Lunsford and to see the Mickey’s new grandson Dale Edwin Lunsford, born March 26.
Members of the Bridgeview Community Church received an announcement this week that Rod and Pat Jones are the new parents of a baby Mark Leslie, born March 27. The Joneses now have three sons and one daughter. Rod is a former pastor of the Bridgeview Church. The family is living in Rice, Washington.
Osmond and Margaret Henry received a letter from their grandson Lawrence Jones, who visited them last month. He is now at Fort Ord, California taking basic training in the Army, after which he will go to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for ten weeks of schooling before going to Japan.
Margaret Evans called to give me this message from Marie Wilson. Dave is home from the hospital and can have visitors. If you are in Grants Pass stop in and see Dave, it will brighten his day. Their address is 745 NE 11th St. Dave and Marie were long time residents of the Valley.
Kjeld and Evelyn Grimsgaard were delighted to have their son Ingvar, Los Angeles, visit them last week. Ingvar brought his mother a gift of a rock tumbler so she can polish the many small rocks she is always bringing home. He helped his father with some of the harder chores around the place and the garden and greenhouse. One day they had a picnic at Panther Flat Campgrounds then went to Crescent City and down to the beach where they beach combed. On their way home they stopped to see friends of 30 years when they lived in Los Angeles, Mr. and Mrs. Ingvald Larvik, who now own Blue Berry Farm.
The Warren Wisham home on Old Stage Road was “full up” for the Easter weekend. Warren’s birthday coincided with the holiday this year, and friends and relatives descended with their good wishes.
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Roberts of Whidbey Island were house guests over the holiday, also spending the night were Mr. and Mrs. Zena Dobbs of Seattle. Mr. and Mrs. Chris Reddish were present Easter morning to attend church and spend the day.
The Mesdames, Roberts, Dobbs, and Reddish are Fern Wisham’s sisters, so it was almost a family reunion.
A surprise visitor was Fern’s niece Betty Pepperinger of Medford. Warren received many calls wishing him many happy returns.
The day following Easter, all motored to Crescent City and the Pacific Shores and enjoyed beachcombing for driftwood and just relaxing in the sunshine.
Bob and Beverly Cournoyer and sons went to Pendleton Easter weekend where Bob bowled Saturday and Sunday in a tournament. They also went to Baker where they visited Beverly’s three brothers.
I have often been asked, “Where is Bridgeview?” or “Why is it called Bridgeview? There is nothing to show that there was ever a town there.” The place called Bridgeview is the area around the junction of Holland Loop Road and Takilma-Waldo Road. It was called Bridgeview because in the early days the bridges over Sucker Creek and Althouse Creek could both be seen. Now there are too many trees and shrubs for them both to be seen. I called several friends and asked them what used to be at Bridgeview. I am indebted to Sam and Sophia Bunch, Ashby Fulk, Mrs. Earl (Florence) Wockner for the following information: In the very early days there was a tannery in the vicinity but it was only remembered there used to be a large pile of hair and a few old hides where the tannery stood. George S. Mathewson, grandfather of Florence Wockner, built a creamery about 1908, a two-story building located near the present home of Sam and Sophia Bunch. The creamery was later bought by Ray Briggs. It is said he bought it with money from a gold strike he had made. Also, that one time he was delivering butter to Grants Pass, his home Fort Briggs burned. The creamery had two more owners, Carl Johnson and Linnie McVey. Mrs. McVey had a grocery store upstairs. It was while she owned it that the building burned.
George S. Mathewson had a large two-story house across from where the James Boys’ Home is located. James and Mattie Seyferth built a two-story house on the north side of Holland Road, but it burned several years ago. Sam and Sophia built the home right at the junction of Holland and Takilma Roads, and later built their present home where the flowers are in bloom all year. There was also the Kitterman home where Ed Holland lived for a number of years.
In 1909 James Seyferth, father of Sophia Bunch, built a blacksmith shop which he operated for many years. Mattie Seyferth’s cousin, Walter Smith of Holland, built a store right at the junction. Later, William Tresham, Roland Tresham’s grandfather, bought the store and put in a gas pump. Now all traces of the store are gone, and Harold Trefethen’s son Bill is the new owner of the property.
Illinois Valley Grange #370 was reorganized in 1907 and the Grange Hall was built in 1910. It was a two-story building then but has been recently remodeled and is now one story. About 1911, before the Spence School was built, school was held in the Grants Pass Hall. Edna Russ was the first teacher in the new school and had nine grades. Dr. Spence donated the land for both the Grange Hall and the school. The school has been remodeled into a residence and is the home of Leta James and her son Ray. George E. and Leta James built the James Boys’ Farm Home in 1941 in the same location where their former home had burned. They moved in and established it as a Boy’s Home in 1942.
When I called Mrs. James to ask about the time the Boys’ Home was built, she said I should include the three-story building built by Mrs. Leo Martin. It was supposed to be a hotel, but it was never used as such. When it burned, it collapsed onto Thresham’s store and that burned too.
The Bridgeview Community Church is also a part of Bridgeview. It is the oldest Protestant church building in the Valley.
After writing the Bridgeview story, I could only come to one conclusion—we should all appreciate our efficient fire department!