Route 1, Box 475, St.Helens, OR

1950s Oregon

Here are some old Photos from Brooks Rd., at Route 1, Box 475, St. Helens, Oregon (now Jaime Drive, 97051), where I attended Yankton Grade School.

I lived here on Cox Creek in 1956 and 1957, when it was owned by my father, Fred Aubuchon. Back then, we had about 4 acres in strawberries, which we sold to Bird's Eye in Scappoose (or was it Warren?). Our next door neighbors were the Trippletts, who were big-time strawberry farmers. All the high school kids would come out and pick strawberries during strawberry season. They were paid by the "flat" - 6 boxes. I also dug Tripplett potatos, in the soggy field down by the creek.

I pulled a lot of trout out of the creek, and hunted pheasants and grouse here. I also bagged my first deer here, at age 12, in the Tripplett's ridge-top strawberry field. Some of the trout I caught, I released into our well cistern, that was just up the hill.

My dad Fred Aubuchon was a logger at this time, before he became a developer, and we moved closer to town to Aubuchon Dr., off of Sykes Rd., near the "new" McBride Elementary School. I lived in 5 houses in that development, in just 3 years. Everytime dad finished a house, we would move into it. It helped the houses to sell more quickly.

1953 - Before Fred started work on the house
The cow "Jaynie" lived in one of the rooms - essentially a barn.

1957 - Me, Fritzi and the calf Jaynie
That's our woodshed/ garage/ chicken house in background -
I put a lot of wood through that door in the background -
and later, took out just as much. Many wheelbarrow loads.

1958 - Getting off the Yankton School bus
The Reverend Wheeler was our school bus driver.
Billy Parsons, Carolyn Hahn, Danny Mock, Don and John Mickey, Lauralee Middleton, Leeann Wilhoft, Robert Tice, and Sharon and Larry Olson all lived on this Bunker Hill bus route. And earlier, Reba Boozer.

That's the barn of Ernie Jauron (1897-1982) in the background.
He had me shoot rats in that barn.
His Doberman used to chew up my Springer Spaniel.
Ernie was a longshoreman, and used to get my dad gigs from time to time -
the hours were long and irregular, but the pay was great.
Ernie said he liked to drive his supercharged Studebaker 100MPH along the 32 mile drive to work in Portland.

1958 - Me and man's best friend
Looking downstream, or east, toward town. Looks pretty nice, looking back.

Fred Aubuchon, Vaughn Aubuchon, Louise Aubuchon

1958 - Fred Aubuchon, Fritz the dog, Louise Aubuchon, Vaughn Aubuchon, Fred Aubuchon senior
Note the Silver Maple, and the strawberry patch behind it.

Then - 50 years ago

Now - 50 years later

Jaime Drive house, St, Helens, Oregon

April 1, 2006 - Before the Fire
The St. Helens Fire Department prepares the house for the "practice" burn down.

April 1, 2006 - Before the Fire
This is what the house looked like after everyone took what they wanted to salvage - windows, siding, etc.

Box 475, St. Helens, OR old house after fire

April 1, 2006 - After the Fire
A new house will be built upon the same spot as the old house.

. . . . .

Old Box 475 before April 1, 2006 . . . . . . Old Box 475 after April 1, 2006 . . . .
It looks like the garage and barn (workshop) are still doing fine.

Ahhh. The fond memories of Brooks Road and Cox Creek.
And 7th and 8th grade at Yankton Grade School.

Many thanks to Sharon Olson Oliver who provided the great photos and information,
and to Google Maps for the non-commercial fair use of the aerial photos above.

I remember going hunting, and walking up that hill.
Along the trail were these really weird "thermal" things.
All of a sudden, as you were walking, the temperture would DROP 10 degrees,
and then a few feet later, you would hit warm air again.
It was really strange, because of the amount of change.
I have experienced similar things since, but never as pronounced as on that hill.

And what ever happened to the UFO debris that rained down all over the countryside in 1957? And the Air Force helicopter that landed on the grass at Yankton Grade School, and started collecting all the little pieces of metal that we were all picking up, over a 10 square mile area?
I think that Larry Olson found the biggest piece - maybe 10 inches long. Most of the pieces were an inch or so. It was very light, and very strong - perhaps titanium.
What was the final explanation on that? Engine cowling? I don't remember.

Class of 1962 - St.Helens High School, St.Helens, OR - 2002 Reunion Photo

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This Route 1, Box 475, St. Helens, OR Photos webpage was last updated on 2009-10-02.