Amanuensis Monday: Soil Stabilization District

This week I am transcribing an article which touches only briefly on my family history. Instead, my interest in the article stems more from a familiarity with the geographical area and its history.

First, the family history portion: Walter Underwood is stated to be the president of the Netarts and Oceanside Community club. I am not certain at this time whether it is Walter Underwood, Sr., my great-grandfather, or Walter Underwood, Jr., his son, but it is one or the other. They both had homes in Netarts.

The beach at Netarts, looking toward Happy Camp, August 2015

Group Urges Soil District

NETARTS, March 30. (Special)—Members of the Netarts and Oceanside Community club expressed a desire at a meeting of the club here this week for a soil stabilization district to extend from the one recently organized in the Sandlake area, north along the coast and taking in Bayocean.

With considerable sliding along the coast line, including extensive erosion on the Bayocean peninsula, it was felt a soil stabilization district is needed. Mich Provo, Netarts; Robert Brady, Oceanside; Bob Watkins, Bayocean, and Walter Underwood, Netarts, president of the club, were chosen to look into the matter of getting a soil stabilization district established.

Developments in the Cape Lookout area, including a state park under development, also were discussed. Mrs. Robert Brady of Oceanside was elected secretary to complete the unexpired term of Quentin Terry, Oceanside, who resigned from the office.

The article mentions “extensive erosion on the Bayocean peninsula,” which makes anyone with a knowledge of Bayocean history nod sagely. The town of Bayocean no longer exists. It was founded as a vacation resort town, but the building of a new jetty on only one side of the bar caused a change in the ocean currents, and the town was eaten by the sea.

At the time that this article was published, the natatorium had already been swallowed, but some buildings yet remained. The town was still a town, albeit a suffering one. The worst was yet to come. Eventually every building would fall, and the spit on which the town had been built would become an island.

Today, the spit has been reestablished as a spit due to the building of a second jetty, which caused the sands to re-accumulate. It is again connected to the mainland, but its glorious past is long gone. The only building on it now is an outhouse for the convenience of boaters and those who come to walk or ride their bikes up its single gravel road. It is now a county park, closed to vehicular traffic.

Walking down Bayocean Spit, August 2012

I also find the mention of “developments in the Cape Lookout area, including a state park under development” to be interesting. Nearly every summer a large group of friends and I enjoy the campground at that state park and hike the trail that runs to the bluff. It seems almost strange to realize that the park was still new in 1940.

The beach at Cape Lookout State Park one misty July morning, also in 2012

Citation:

“Group Urges Soil District,” The Oregonian, 31 Mar 1940, p. 26, col. 4; digital images, America’s GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com/ : accessed 23 Jun 2012), Historical Newspapers.

Wedding Wednesday: William George Snell & Maud May Amos

For the same reasons articulated in the previous post, here is another Wedding Wednesday.

This article announces the marriage of Maud May Amos, a daughter of my great-grandmother Flora (Amos) Underwood’s brother Arthur Amos.

St. Mary’s Church, where the marriage took place.
Robert Edwards [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

THE MARRIAGE took place at St. Mary’s Church, the Vicar officiating, of Mr. William George Snell, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Snell, of Torquay, with Miss Maud May Amos, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Amos, of Silver Road, Burnham. The bride wore white satin, with wreath and veil, and carried white carnations. She was attended by her sister, Miss Rose Amos, whose dress was of ankle-length mauve floral georgette. Mr. Jack Raven was best man.

Citation:

“Burnham-on-Crouch,” The Chelmsford Chronicle, 6 Oct 1939, p. 4, col. 7; digital images, British Newspaper Archive (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 26 Dec 2012), Brightsolid in partnership with the British Library.

Wedding Wednesday: Richard Stebben Turner and Lilly Filby

It seems summer has been getting in the way of my blogging. And not just my blogging, but also my translating of Luxembourgish documents, so that I am not ready with the next installment of my Luxembourg record project. But transcribing English newspaper articles is easy, so here’s a Wedding Wednesday for you!

This article describes the marriage of Lilly (or Lily) Filby, the daughter of William Filby, my great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Filby’s brother.

MARRIAGE. --The marriage of Miss Lilly Filby, eldest daughter of Mr. William Filby, of Wantz-road, with Mr. Richard Stebben Turner, son of Mr. R. C. Turner, of Market-hill, took place at St. Mary’s Church, on Tuesday. The bride, who was given away by her father, was attired in a handsome dress of white nun’s veiling, trimmed with white silk and ribbon. She wore a tulle veil and carried a bouquet of lovely flowers, the gift of the bridegroom. She was attended by three bridesmaids, the Misses Charity and Florrie Filby, sisters of the bride; and Miss C. Eavery, cousin. The bridesmaids, who also carried bouquets, the gift of the bridegroom, were dressed in eau de nit nun’s veiling, and wore white hats, trimmed with white ribbon and marguerites. The marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. A. L. Hunt. The wedding breakfast, at which some 20 guests were present, was subsequently served at the bride’s home. The happy couple left during the afternoon for Yarmouth, where the honeymoon will be spent. Mr. Allen’s band played a selection of music outside the house in the evening. The presents were numerous.

Citation:

“Maldon: Marriage,” The Chelmsford Chronicle, 22 July 1892, p. 7, col. 7; digital images, British Newspaper Archives (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ : accessed 26 Dec 2012), Brightsolid in partnership with the British Library.