From 50 years ago: Mrs. Elizabeth Cant has been named the Pioneer Queen of the 1970 ‘62 Days Celebration.

75 years ago

New landing field was once a rock pile

A strip of property just west of the John Day city limits, which for many years has been nothing but a rock pile — dredge tailings — has been converted into a fine private aircraft landing field. Jim Lyons and his wife “Cookie,” owners of the John Day Flying Service, acquired this property some time ago and, during the past few months, have had the rocks leveled off by caterpillar. Dirt was hauled in and a runway 1,500 feet long has been constructed. When fully completed the runway will be 2,600 feet in length, Mr. Lyons states. “It is taking a lot of work, the leveling is quite expensive, so it will be some time before the project is completed just as we would like to have it,” Mr. Lyons said.

One hanger has already been built, and when materials are available, several more will be constructed for rental to local plane owners.

50 years ago

Pioneer Queen Selected

Elizabeth Cant of Dayville has been named the Pioneer Queen of the 1970 ‘62 Days Celebration by the Grant County Pioneer Association.

As in past years, local groups in differing geographical areas of the county help make the selection. This year the Dayville-Kimberly area is responsible for making arrangements for this year’s pioneer observance.

The wife of 91-year-old James Cant Sr., Mrs. Cant was born in Eglin (pronounced Egg-lin), Scotland, in 1885. She will be 86 this November.

Mrs. Cant came to this country in 1907, and the couple was married in 1908 in Canyon City.

Mr. Cant, who was born in 1879 in Morayshire, Scotland, left his home in 1900 after the Boer War to seek his fortune raising horses in Patagonia, South America, a plateau region encompassing what is now Argentina and adjacent countries.

Mr. Cant returned to Scotland after several years and then sailed for this country in 1905 to join a growing Grant County Scots community. He herded sheep for a few years.

Within a short time Mr. Cant acquired 680 acres of land along the John Day between Dayville and Kimberly that has been the couple’s home ever since.

They occupy a roomy 16-room white frame house which the Cants built in 1918-19. To this day the couple doesn’t know what it is like not to have company of some kind on Sundays. When their four children were growing up as many as 40 would swim in the river out the back door, play tennis and stay for Sunday dinner.

The top floor of the three-story home was used as a school in the early years. The school was known as the Cant District, and as many as 14 Cant and neighboring children attended at one time.

The couple had known each other in Scotland, and Mr. Cant sent for is future wife after he got settled in Grant County. The couple exchanged their wedding vows in the old Elkhorn Hotel, a victim of the 1937 Canyon City fire.

Four children were born to the couple. James Cant Jr. lives nearby, and Mrs. Lillian Mascall lives just a short distance away east of Picture Gorge. They are the oldest and eldest children, respectively. Two others, Charles Cant and Christina Forrest, are now deceased.

The Cants count nine grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

Called “Grandma” by her large family, Mrs. Cant leads a busy life at the ranch and is not strong for show or ceremony. When her daughter teased her by calling her “Queen Elizabeth” Sunday, she replied with feeling, “Not yet!”