1904: Grandma Hawk sings Chinook by request
I wonder whether “Grandma Hawk” was Sarah Ann Isobelle Griffith Hawk(s) (1832-1916)?
Main Street in Fossil, Oregon, in the vicinity of this pioneer gathering (image credit: Wikipedia)
That seems likely. A female Oregon Trail pioneer of 1845 by that name is well documented.
Most folks who came to Oregon that early…it was still Fort Vancouver days, for Pete’s sake…knew Chinuk Wawa well.
Pioneer Meeting.
The 6th annual meeting of the Wheeler County, Oregon, Pioneers was held on their grounds on Sarvice [sic, for Service] Creek, beginning on the 20th and closing on the 24th of June. As early as 9:00 a.m. people began to arrive and soon what was previously a solitude assumed the bustle and stir of an embryo city. Tents went up like magic and when all were domociled [domiciled], by actual count 31 tents were in evidence.
Tuesday the meeting was called to order by President Frizzell and Secretary J.D. McFarland delivered the address of welcome. An invocation to Diety [Deity] by Sister R.W. Donnelly and the meeting was declared duly opened by the President. The roll was called and committees appointed and an adjournment was taken for dinner. In the afternoon music vocal and instrumental, appropriate speeches and essays were volunteered and a paper was read by the secretary who chose for his subject “The discovery of gold and early gold mining in Eastern Oregon and Idaho” which, being a history at first hands, was listened to with interest and was well received by the audience.
Rev. Atkinson and Hon. J.A. Collier were the speakers of the day. Not being pioneers they did not speak on pioneer lines but many were the well timed compliments theese gentlemen bestowed on those worthy old people who in turn took them to their hearts and gave them of their best, gratitude and good cheer.
The reminiscences of the pioneers at the meetings as well as at the camp fires were very interesting coming as they did from people who crossed the plains as early as 1843 and 1845. Not the least entertaining was Grandma Hawk a pioneer of 1845 who recounted incidents of the plains and privations which were the lot of the settlers and by special request sang a hym[n] in the Chinook Indian dialect (Jargon) greatly entertaining the younger generation especially. She with Mrs. Vickers, of Lone Rock, who crossed the plains in the same year, 1845, as did Mr. McCoy, of Pine Creek, was the center of interest throughout the meetings.
The election resulted in the choice of W.J. Edwards, 1852, President; Mrs. R.N. Donnelly, Vice-President; J.D. McFarland, 1853, Secretary and Historian, W.W. Steiwer H.H. Hendricks and I.A. Henderson, 1853, Directors; B. Kelsay, 1853, Treasurer.
Committee on condolence reported on the death of Sister M.E. Powell and expressions of sympathy were extended Bro. Wm. Keys, sr., of Mayville.
It is estimated that fully 500 people were in attendance. M.
— from the Condon (OR) Globe of June 30, 1904, page 2, columns 1-2
