75 years ago

Searchers again fail to find body of little girl believed drowned

An exhaustive search was made of the John Day River from John Day to Cole Bridge near Mt. Vernon, by boat Monday, by state police, sheriff’s office and city police of John Day for the body of the little 4-year-old daughter of the Hinley family of John Day who was, in all probability, drowned in Canyon Creek a few weeks ago.

It was hoped that the body, if in the river, might be found lodged in brush or pools along the river. The officers report no results. It was thought for a few moments the body had been found, but it turned out to be a part of an animal. Hope is about abandoned that the little body will ever be found. There was, about a week ago, much agitation that the little girl was seen, by another child, climbing into a car at the Hill auto court: in other words an abduction. But, investigation by a representative of the Eagle-Ranger developed no dependable data in that story.

50 years ago

Memorial Poppies Sold

Mrs. Dean Rogers of Mt. Vernon purchased a Memorial Poppy on Friday from Mrs. Elmer Johnson of Mt. Vernon, a past president of the Ellis Tracy Unit No. 77, American Legion Auxiliary, as Mrs. Etna Boe watched the proceedings. The Legion ladies moved the poppy sales inside Chester’s market when chill winds made street sales difficult. Girls Staters assisted with poppy sales later in the day.

25 years ago

Raft race adventures

One of the more exciting events during this past weekend’s Cinnabar Mountain Rendezvous Celebration in Mt. Vernon was the first running of a raft race that started behind the WR 2 small sawmill in John Day and continued down river toward the finish line Mt. Vernon. Several crews of adventuresome rafters took to the water, and some were luckier than others.