APPENDIX A. Wells Station

APPENDIX A

The following summary of the history of Wells, Oregon was written in longhand by Velma Rawie for Lorna Grabe of the Soap Creek Schoolhouse Foundation, c. 1985. A copy of the original is on file with the Cultural Resources Manager for OSU Research Forests. A note on the manuscript states that 'Wells was an early town located where the [E. E.] Wilson Game Farm is now."

Wells Station

Historical Notes by Velma Rawie

I am the great-granddaughter of Tolbert and Angelina Carter, the granddaughter of John A. and Mary C. Carter and the daughter of E.P. (Pearl) and Rose E. Carter. My name is Velma P. Rawie and I was born at Wells, Oregon. I was asked to write about my recollections of that town. My grandfather J.A. Carter was store owner and post master for forty-eight years. The store was the center of the community. A wood stove at the back of the store was surrounded by chairs, nail kegs and benches and many stories and discussion were held as the men of the community met to wait the mail trains. These was a minimum of four mail trains a day. If there was no passengers or freight, the trains merely slowed for the exchange of mail bags. The first passenger and mail trains were electric, sort of like the trolley cars. They ran between Portland and Corvallis. There was a substation at Wells. Later the trains were steam with a mail car, passenger cars and freight all in one train.

The freight and passengers depot was across the street and tracks from the street and post office and was called Wellsdale to keep it from being confused with Wells, Nevada. My father E. P. (Pearl) Carter was freight and passenger agent before he and my mother bought a farm nearby. There was a switching track so trains could pass on load and it was always a treat when a refrigerated car was parked on the siding. We were able to climb on top and open the ice compartments and get ice. This meant we might be able to have homemade ice cream.

As I think back, I'm sure granddad gave away or had taken, all of his profit. The kids all stopped by after school and all seemed to get a hand in the cookie container and bulk candy jars.

Across the tracks at the depot there was outside toilets----one side for men, the other for women. Every Halloween, Granddad's buggy wound up on top of the outhouse. He had to pay (Irma Price, the same kids that put it up there) to have it taken down. This was almost a ritual every year and the kids weren't considered delinquent either.

There was also a community Church where Sunday school was held every Sunday and visiting preachers held church nearly every Sunday. The Artisan Hall was the social Center. Dances and parties, quilting bees, elections, the Christmas program and of

course lodge meeting were held here. There was a large grain elevator and warehouse where farmers brought their grain. My father worked at the warehouse during harvest after he moved to the farm.

The school house was a two room school. Four grades in each room. It was District #1 in Benton County. It was located about where the present game farm managers home is.

We closed the store and post office in January 1936 because of Grandpa's ill health. My great-grandmother died in February 1936, grandpa in July of 1936, Grandma in June of 1937 and my father December, 1937.

My husband Ralph and I moved from Corvallis to Wells to help mother with the farm after dad passed away and our two sons David and Melvin were born in 1939 and 1941 while we lived at Wells.

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 there was much confusion in the area about condemnation of land for a military base---soon and the old timers were removed from their land and homes. This we included my family and so came an end to Wells, Oregon. Early in 1942 the first flag was raised over Camp Adair.

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