Dorothy H Evans

My name is Dorothy Helen Thrornton Evans. I am the second youngest of nine children. My father was William Saul Thornton and my mother was Helen Marie Congdon. They were married in 1910 in Idaho.

I was born April 22nd, 1925 in Maxville, Oregon, a small logging town near La Grande, Oregon. Her father’s parents’ Mr and Mrs. James Thornton had moved from Michigan around 1850 or 1870 to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho and were successful in starting a logging company. The logging company became quite big and had trains for hauling logs.

My dad learned from an early age all about the logging business. Grandpa had sent him to business school. My dad was upset that grandpa wasn’t using him in the business office. My Dad was a great fighter. He was called the “Bull of the Woods”.

My mom’s father drove a passenger train, his name was Willard Congdon. He drove train from Chicago, Illinois to the Southern states. They lived in Elkhart, Indiana. He was driving train one day when the boiler exploded. He was scalded to death –this happened about 1888.

My mom’s mother Ella Congdon, with daughter Helen and son Claude moved out West around 1900 to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Grandma Ella met Henry Seabrook, who, by chance, drove trains for my grandpa James Thornton! Ella and fell in love and were married. Grandma Ella became head cook at the logging camp and she sure could cook a good meal.

My Mom Helen and my dad William (Saul) were destined to meet! After my parents met and married in 1910 they took the train to Spokane, Washington for their honeymoon. Grandpa James Thornton built them a large log house in 1911 or 1912.

People are living in it today! The next few years my parents started a family; James, Donald, Douglas and Rex were born then my sister Evelyn was born in 1920. Evelyn had natural curly hair (like Dad) and dark eyes. My mom was worried that the Indians would kidnap her because of her looks.

My Grandpa James Thornton became ill. He hired a book-keeper to help him with his books. My Dad was suspicious and figured that the book-keeper was a crooked. Dad told Grandpa his concerns but Grandpa did not believe him. Grandpa’s health worsened and he passed away around 1918.

In 1921 my folks moved to Enterprise, Oregon where the twins Doris and Esabell were born. They looked like Mom but were premature. Esabell died first in about a month and was buried in the yard. A few weeks later Doris passed away; and was buried in the Enterprise Cemetery.

In 1923 our family moved to Maxville, Oregon so my Dad could work in the logging business. The Wallowa and Whitman mountains were nearby. I was born April 22nnd 1925 in our log home. We were still living in Maxville in 1929 the Depression started. My mom and Dad lost everything and we packed up and found a one room blue and white house not far away in glass Hill. We lived a few blocks from the school. Since we lived on a hill the rain would fill up the road and sidewalk. Our brothers would put Evelyn and I on their shoulders sow we could get to school safely.

When I was four years old or so I recall that the windows of our house didn’t have any glass so we had to hang blankets over them. One day Mom was washing the wooden floors with the pale of lye water. I was pushing my doll cart and backed up into the pale of wash water. I sat in it and scaled my back! Mom got my clothes off as fast as she could and took me to the doctor.

I was hurt so bad that the doctor didn’t know if I would live or not. I still have scars on my back.

My sister Evelyn and I were very close. We had moved to La Grande where we lived on a ranch. Dad had become friends with a man who owned the ranch. He had asked Dad to move there and take care of it for him. There were dogs, horses and big bulls on Ladd Canyon Ranch. The bulls would make a lot of noise and paw the ground. Evie and I would get on top of the tool shed and watch them. My Dad and brothers would instruct the dogs to go out and round up and bring in our sheep and cows. Dad and the older boys would use the horses to log in the woods.

One evening Mom and I and Evelyn were alone at home it was dark. We heard the horses making a lot of noise. Mom was worried that something out there was going to attack them so she lighted the lantern and we walked close to mom down the road to the barn. We walked around the barn with the lantern and the horses calmed down. We never learned what spooked them that night.

If a horse got sick Dad would often stay up all night working with it and watching it. He would put a heavy blanket over it and feed it certain things like grain. The horse would sweat a lot but would recover. Evelyn and I would watch the herds of sheep going down the road near the house. We told Mom and Dad that we would each like to have one. Dad surprised us by bringing two lambs home. My lamb was white with black ears and nose. I called him “Walter”. Evelyn’s lamb was all white and was called “Charlotte”. We were so excited at the time and had a lot of fun with them over the year. It was not too long before they were full grown. Sometime Walter would see me coming and chase me up the stairs onto the porch and into the house!

All of us kids walked the 1½ - 2 miles to school.

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My Life - Writtten by Mrs. Dorothy Helen Thornton Evans -

My name is Dorothy Helen Thrornton Evans. I am the second youngest of nine children. My father was William Saul Thornton and my mother was Helen Marie Congdon. They were married in 1910 in Idaho.

I was born April 22nd, 1925 in Maxville, Oregon, a small logging town near La Grande, Oregon. Her father’s parents’ Mr and Mrs. James Thornton had moved from Michigan around 1850 or 1870 to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho and were successful in starting a logging company. The logging company became quite big and had trains for hauling logs.

My dad learned from an early age all about the logging business. Grandpa had sent him to business school. My dad was upset that grandpa wasn’t using him in the business office. My Dad was a great fighter. He was called the “Bull of the Woods”.

My mom’s father drove a passenger train, his name was Willard Congdon. He drove train from Chicago, Illinois to the Southern states. They lived in Elkhart, Indiana. He was driving train one day when the boiler exploded. He was scalded to death –this happened about 1888.

My mom’s mother Ella Congdon, with daughter Helen and son Claude moved out West around 1900 to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Grandma Ella met Henry Seabrook, who, by chance, drove trains for my grandpa James Thornton! Ella and fell in love and were married. Grandma Ella became head cook at the logging camp and she sure could cook a good meal.

My Mom Helen and my dad William (Saul) were destined to meet! After my parents met and married in 1910 they took the train to Spokane, Washington for their honeymoon. Grandpa James Thornton built them a large log house in 1911 or 1912.

People are living in it today! The next few years my parents started a family; James, Donald, Douglas and Rex were born then my sister Evelyn was born in 1920. Evelyn had natural curly hair (like Dad) and dark eyes. My mom was worried that the Indians would kidnap her because of her looks.

My Grandpa James Thornton became ill. He hired a book-keeper to help him with his books. My Dad was suspicious and figured that the book-keeper was a crooked. Dad told Grandpa his concerns but Grandpa did not believe him. Grandpa’s health worsened and he passed away around 1918.

In 1921 my folks moved to Enterprise, Oregon where the twins Doris and Esabell were born. They looked like Mom but were premature. Esabell died first in about a month and was buried in the yard. A few weeks later Doris passed away; and was buried in the Enterprise Cemetery.

In 1923 our family moved to Maxville, Oregon so my Dad could work in the logging business. The Wallowa and Whitman mountains were nearby. I was born April 22nnd 1925 in our log home. We were still living in Maxville in 1929 the Depression started. My mom and Dad lost everything and we packed up and found a one room blue and white house not far away in glass Hill. We lived a few blocks from the school. Since we lived on a hill the rain would fill up the road and sidewalk. Our brothers would put Evelyn and I on their shoulders sow we could get to school safely.

When I was four years old or so I recall that the windows of our house didn’t have any glass so we had to hang blankets over them. One day Mom was washing the wooden floors with the pale of lye water. I was pushing my doll cart and backed up into the pale of wash water. I sat in it and scaled my back! Mom got my clothes off as fast as she could and took me to the doctor.

I was hurt so bad that the doctor didn’t know if I would live or not. I still have scars on my back.

My sister Evelyn and I were very close. We had moved to La Grande where we lived on a ranch. Dad had become friends with a man who owned the ranch. He had asked Dad to move there and take care of it for him. There were dogs, horses and big bulls on Ladd Canyon Ranch. The bulls would make a lot of noise and paw the ground. Evie and I would get on top of the tool shed and watch them. My Dad and brothers would instruct the dogs to go out and round up and bring in our sheep and cows. Dad and the older boys would use the horses to log in the woods.

One evening Mom and I and Evelyn were alone at home it was dark. We heard the horses making a lot of noise. Mom was worried that something out there was going to attack them so she lighted the lantern and we walked close to mom down the road to the barn. We walked around the barn with the lantern and the horses calmed down. We never learned what spooked them that night.

If a horse got sick Dad would often stay up all night working with it and watching it. He would put a heavy blanket over it and feed it certain things like grain. The horse would sweat a lot but would recover. Evelyn and I would watch the herds of sheep going down the road near the house. We told Mom and Dad that we would each like to have one. Dad surprised us by bringing two lambs home. My lamb was white with black ears and nose. I called him “Walter”. Evelyn’s lamb was all white and was called “Charlotte”. We were so excited at the time and had a lot of fun with them over the year. It was not too long before they were full grown. Sometime Walter would see me coming and chase me up the stairs onto the porch and into the house!

All of us kids walked the 1½ - 2 miles to school.