Did you know?
http://www.oregonbeacon.com/CoquilleSentinel/articles/1422/1/Did-you-know/Page1.html
Dorothy Taylor
By Dorothy Taylor
Published on 06/30/2009
I think I fell into a rabbit warren when I thought it would be interesting to see who had been Coos County's judges. I have found that there are judges, judges and judges. One is simply is called judge, Judge Thomas or whatever and has no relationship to the courts and how they got the name was not determined. Another judge (meaning of the word - to form an authoritative opinion about, to determine, to decide, or public official authorized to decide questions brought > before a court) is one who judges a contest. It is my intention to stick to the officials who were and are authorized to decide questions brought before the Coos County court.
There were persons who were justices of the peace who were called judges. There were persons who officiated in city courts called judges, but I shall not include those. At first there was only one elected judge and as the population grew more were needed during a given period of time. I find weeding these time consuming, even worse than digging in some of the flower beds. What I was hoping for was information regarding some interesting murder or other trials occurring during their term on the bench. So far there has been no information on trials connected to a specific judge, but I will keep looking. Maybe I should read Andi Jensen's book on hangings in Coos Co. I could probably tell who the judge was if Andi has the year a 'happening' took place. Hmmm. I know where I can buy one - the Sentinel, ha! Okay, Andi, I will do that.
(I did) I frequently get more information from you readers. I was told that > the front right-hand Corn Fed Canary was Spike Leslie's father. Paula Conn sent a message as follows" My father was Oscar Fred Mintonye born 12/28/1910. He was the son of Oscar Alvarero Mintonye spoken of in the recent article about the Gay 90's celebration and Amzy Mintonye. Amzy was, of course, my dad's brother. I enjoyed the article immensely and thank you for it. I have the same picture of the Corn Fed Canaries framed in my home. I want to tell you that the front row middle person is OSCAR MINTONYE. If you knew my father and his brothers Ross and Keith, you would know they look just like their father." Someone also reminded me that the just before Gay 90's the event had been called Myrtlewood Jubilee. I think I even have some old Myrtlewood wooden leaves advertising the event somewhere. They were key chains and drawing numbers.
Thank you very much readers for your informative help!! The SECOND judge to be elected was JUDGE GILBERT HALL. I can find little about him. There is nothing in the Coos County histories that I have available. There is nothing in the internet resources. The only thing I could find was information in the census records. He was born in New York and in 1860 at age 42 he was living in Empire, listed as a farmer, running a hotel, married to Emily who was 34. A Leonard Hall, age 52 was living about two doors from them, but there is nothing to indicate a relationship to Gilbert, if any. In 1870 He was still in Empire, married to Emily, running a hotel, living next door to Dr. Tower and Charles Metcalf. In 1880 he had moved to "Coos City" and was listed as a farmer.
He and Emily were living with the J.R. Lightner family and someone had pared a few years off their ages. Who ever gave the information may not have known and simply guessed. Since the 1890 census burned, the next record was 1900. By then they were apparently no longer living. No children had been listed in any of the census reports for them. His time on the bench apparently was either so short or so uneventful or both, that nothing has been recorded regarding it. Orvil Dodge's book, which is written in a rather rambling form mentions Judge Hall in this manner, "We left in a day or two for the Coquille. Our course was up to Judge Hall's place and then across the Isthmus to the head of Beaver Slough waiting for several hours in a lonely place "....(now known as Coaledo!) Dodge's remarks could be this Judge Hall, but I know there are a couple more Judge Hall's, one of them a justice of the peace. Judge Gilbert Hall seemed to have stayed in the Empire vicinity. No picture that I can find. The THIRD judge was D.J. LOWE. Sometimes he's listed as J.D. Lowe. His name was David J. Lowe.
His information frequently appears with the initials reversed and one has to read carefully to see if it is the judge or someone else. David Lowe came to Port Orford in November 1856 with three other men and writes "Port Orford looked quite gloomy to us. There was what they called a hotel, kept by one Billy Craze. The menu consisted mostly of potatoes and a southwest gale blew for several days. This tore the kelp off the Port Orford reef and the kelp formed a kind of seine. When it was tossed back up on the beach it held all manner of fish in enormous quantities. Then there was plenty to eat, so with the potatoes and that fish bank and Billy Craze to chowder it up, we lived fine." Judge Lowe was born in Maryland in 1823, coming to California in 1849.
In 1856 he located on the Coquille River, married Eurilla Slaylack in 1857. Their children were Annie, Alice A. , Mary Lee, Maggie, Frank L., and David John. Annie Lowe born in April 1858, was the first white child born on the Coquille. Peterson and Powers says the Lowe's were well known for their hospitality especially to all new settlers. He also was the first president of the newly formed Coos County Pioneer Association established 5 November 1891. A younger brother of Judge Lowe , Yelverton M. Lowe born in Maryland 1826, married another Slaylack (Mary) in 1857 coming to Port Orford and then going to Coquille, to a farm in Myrtle Point and then to the mouth of Beaver Slough where he built a guest house for travelers. I saw that old hotel before it was torn down. I think Boyd Stone has a picture of it in one of his books. It had no windows by then, but was different enough looking and by it's self that I wondered how that building happened to be there A postoffice was established and named Freedom with Yelverton Lowe as postmaster.
As much is said about Yelverton as about Judge Lowe. Judge Lowe served on the Parkersburg school board, was a justice of the peace, and a county commissioner as well as county judge. His son Frank was his only surviving child. Frank was a shipbuilder and in the boat business in Coos County, retiring to Coos Bay. Judge David Lowe died in 1911. He should have a picture somewhere, but it hasn't come to light. Time is going by too rapidly to spend anymore time looking. I have to dig up another judge (figuratively speaking). That's three judges of over a dozen I found listed.
I think I fell into a rabbit warren when I thought it would be interesting to see who had been Coos County's judges. I have found that there are judges, judges and judges. One is simply is called judge, Judge Thomas or whatever and has no relationship to the courts and how they got the name was not determined. Another judge (meaning of the word - to form an authoritative opinion about, to determine, to decide, or public official authorized to decide questions brought > before a court) is one who judges a contest. It is my intention to stick to the officials who were and are authorized to decide questions brought before the Coos County court.
There were persons who were justices of the peace who were called judges. There were persons who officiated in city courts called judges, but I shall not include those. At first there was only one elected judge and as the population grew more were needed during a given period of time. I find weeding these time consuming, even worse than digging in some of the flower beds. What I was hoping for was information regarding some interesting murder or other trials occurring during their term on the bench. So far there has been no information on trials connected to a specific judge, but I will keep looking. Maybe I should read Andi Jensen's book on hangings in Coos Co. I could probably tell who the judge was if Andi has the year a 'happening' took place. Hmmm. I know where I can buy one - the Sentinel, ha! Okay, Andi, I will do that.
(I did) I frequently get more information from you readers. I was told that > the front right-hand Corn Fed Canary was Spike Leslie's father. Paula Conn sent a message as follows" My father was Oscar Fred Mintonye born 12/28/1910. He was the son of Oscar Alvarero Mintonye spoken of in the recent article about the Gay 90's celebration and Amzy Mintonye. Amzy was, of course, my dad's brother. I enjoyed the article immensely and thank you for it. I have the same picture of the Corn Fed Canaries framed in my home. I want to tell you that the front row middle person is OSCAR MINTONYE. If you knew my father and his brothers Ross and Keith, you would know they look just like their father." Someone also reminded me that the just before Gay 90's the event had been called Myrtlewood Jubilee. I think I even have some old Myrtlewood wooden leaves advertising the event somewhere. They were key chains and drawing numbers.
Thank you very much readers for your informative help!! The SECOND judge to be elected was JUDGE GILBERT HALL. I can find little about him. There is nothing in the Coos County histories that I have available. There is nothing in the internet resources. The only thing I could find was information in the census records. He was born in New York and in 1860 at age 42 he was living in Empire, listed as a farmer, running a hotel, married to Emily who was 34. A Leonard Hall, age 52 was living about two doors from them, but there is nothing to indicate a relationship to Gilbert, if any. In 1870 He was still in Empire, married to Emily, running a hotel, living next door to Dr. Tower and Charles Metcalf. In 1880 he had moved to "Coos City" and was listed as a farmer.
He and Emily were living with the J.R. Lightner family and someone had pared a few years off their ages. Who ever gave the information may not have known and simply guessed. Since the 1890 census burned, the next record was 1900. By then they were apparently no longer living. No children had been listed in any of the census reports for them. His time on the bench apparently was either so short or so uneventful or both, that nothing has been recorded regarding it. Orvil Dodge's book, which is written in a rather rambling form mentions Judge Hall in this manner, "We left in a day or two for the Coquille. Our course was up to Judge Hall's place and then across the Isthmus to the head of Beaver Slough waiting for several hours in a lonely place "....(now known as Coaledo!) Dodge's remarks could be this Judge Hall, but I know there are a couple more Judge Hall's, one of them a justice of the peace. Judge Gilbert Hall seemed to have stayed in the Empire vicinity. No picture that I can find. The THIRD judge was D.J. LOWE. Sometimes he's listed as J.D. Lowe. His name was David J. Lowe.
His information frequently appears with the initials reversed and one has to read carefully to see if it is the judge or someone else. David Lowe came to Port Orford in November 1856 with three other men and writes "Port Orford looked quite gloomy to us. There was what they called a hotel, kept by one Billy Craze. The menu consisted mostly of potatoes and a southwest gale blew for several days. This tore the kelp off the Port Orford reef and the kelp formed a kind of seine. When it was tossed back up on the beach it held all manner of fish in enormous quantities. Then there was plenty to eat, so with the potatoes and that fish bank and Billy Craze to chowder it up, we lived fine." Judge Lowe was born in Maryland in 1823, coming to California in 1849.
In 1856 he located on the Coquille River, married Eurilla Slaylack in 1857. Their children were Annie, Alice A. , Mary Lee, Maggie, Frank L., and David John. Annie Lowe born in April 1858, was the first white child born on the Coquille. Peterson and Powers says the Lowe's were well known for their hospitality especially to all new settlers. He also was the first president of the newly formed Coos County Pioneer Association established 5 November 1891. A younger brother of Judge Lowe , Yelverton M. Lowe born in Maryland 1826, married another Slaylack (Mary) in 1857 coming to Port Orford and then going to Coquille, to a farm in Myrtle Point and then to the mouth of Beaver Slough where he built a guest house for travelers. I saw that old hotel before it was torn down. I think Boyd Stone has a picture of it in one of his books. It had no windows by then, but was different enough looking and by it's self that I wondered how that building happened to be there A postoffice was established and named Freedom with Yelverton Lowe as postmaster.
As much is said about Yelverton as about Judge Lowe. Judge Lowe served on the Parkersburg school board, was a justice of the peace, and a county commissioner as well as county judge. His son Frank was his only surviving child. Frank was a shipbuilder and in the boat business in Coos County, retiring to Coos Bay. Judge David Lowe died in 1911. He should have a picture somewhere, but it hasn't come to light. Time is going by too rapidly to spend anymore time looking. I have to dig up another judge (figuratively speaking). That's three judges of over a dozen I found listed.