Courtesy of www.museum.bmi.net

Our goal is to research the pioneers that came into the Walla Walla Valley Area, as a starter for those doing their family genealogy; we are not related.

Head Researcher: Sarah Olsen,

August 12, 2006

http://www.eastoregonian.info/Main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=350&ArticleID=31835

Century Farmers honored

By AMYJO BROWN of the East Oregonian

More than a century and a half ago, a 14-year-old boy from France ran away from home, became a cabin boy on a ship, sought his fortune in the California gold mines, married and then settled in Milton-Freewater to raise cattle.

Today, his family still herds cattle on the land — 160 acres bought in 1876 for $5 an acre, paid for in gold coins.

"That was a pretty good price," said 73-year-old Robert Estoup, chuckling as he sat inside a house built on the same property, his family’s history spread in papers and photos across a kitchen table.

It’s been 128 years since Estoup’s great-uncle, Michael, bought the land, making the Estoup farm one of the oldest in Umatilla County to stay under continuous ownership and operation of its original family.

Tonight, the Estoups, along with four other farmers/ranchers, will be honored at the Umatilla County Historical Museum with a reception for those inducted into the state’s Century Farm and Ranch Program. Recipients receive a metal road sign designating their status, and a certificate signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski and the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Katy Coba.

There are more than 58 Century Farms and Ranches in the county. Two, the Estoups and the co-owners of the Sandhole Farm in Athena, were selected this year.

Umatilla County wanted to recognize the families, said Julie Reese, executive director of the historical society.

Tonight’s celebration includes 2004 and 2003 recipients, she said, noting all will be asked to share stories about the challenges they’ve faced hanging onto the family farm.

"The program is important because this is an agriculture-based state, and the fact that so many family farms have flourished over 100 years is impressive," Reese said.

The Estoup family had their share of hardships, Estoup said, but no more so than what was to be expected. To ride out fluctuations in prices and demands the family experimented with a variety of crops.

"Anything to make a few dollars," Estoup said.

The Estoup family has raised both beef and dairy cattle, grown asparagus, raised chickens, and planted a prune orchard. Only the beef cattle, about 80 head, remain today. Estoup’s cousin, Tom, 55, lives on the property and the two family members oversee the operation. The day-to-day work is handled by hired workers.

Mick Kilby, one of the owners of the Sandhole in Athena, still does the work himself. The Sandhole farm has been in his wife’s family 100 years this year, he said. It has always been a wheat farm, bought in 1904 by his wife’s Norwegian ancestors, growing from it’s original 320 acres to about 2,000 acres today.

He said he is pleased with the recognition by the state and the county.

"I don’t suppose that happens everywhere," he said.

Keeping the farm hasn’t been too much trial, he said.

"There’s been ups and downs, but we’ve always weathered the storm," Kilby said. "The big challenge is that you farm for the lifestyle, not the money."

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PIONEER TRAILS VOL.29, NO.2 - SUMMER 2005

ESTOUP CENTURY FARM - By Robert Estoup

Michael Estoup was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1833. He ran away at the age of 14 and shipped aboard a schooner as a cabin boy. Where he landed and made his way to California is unknown, but he worked in the gold fields as a teamster and freighter.

Both gold and freighting brought him to Oregon and the Walla Walla Valley in 1865-1866. He ran a freight line to the gold fields in Baker County. At this time he formed a partnership with Charles E. Lewis to run cattle. A disastrous winter of 1872-1873 wiped out the cattle and the partnership.

February 18, 1866, he married Nancy Johnson. Little is known of Nancy and her background except that she was a colorful character who chewed and smoked a corncob pipe.

Michael purchased half of the northeast quarter of Section 28, July 24, 1876, and the other half in December 1878 for $800 gold coin. The gold was said to be hidden behind a loose rock in the chimney during the Cayuse War.

The Estoup's maintained a cordial relationship with the Indians. A main trail from the Whitman Mission to the Umatilla River ran in a southeasterly direction though the farm, and a permanent campground was located in the southeast corner. Several graves lay along the route, and artifacts could be found in the cultivated ground every spring.

Eight children were born and six survived. Of the surviving sons George and Frank stayed on the land. George married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Chapman in December 1895. A home was constructed and a barn built about this time and the young couple began dairying. This house is still in use and the barn is still standing. Hay and grain crops were grown to support the dairy operation.

Two sons were born: John in 1903 and Warren Mitchel (Mitch) in 1909. Demands of family and a bank closure shrunk the original 160 acres to 60.

John stayed on the farm and in July 1929 married Osie Black. A son, Robert, was born in January 1931.

Mitch left the farm, became an accomplished mechanic, and served in the Marines in WWII. He married Ernestine Fiddes in 1934, and three children, Jerry Warren, Cindy Kay, and Thomas Edwin were born.

George deeded half of the 60 acres to John and Osie and the other half to Mitch and Ernestine. The farm was always operated as a single unit however. George continued to live in the house until his death in 1942.

Dairying was the principal enterprise until after the war. Twenty-five cows were milked by hand, by George, John and Robert. Electricity came in 1937, a DeLaval milking machine in 1939 and a John Deere "H" in 1940. A commercial asparagus acreage of 25 acres, a laying hen flock and a prune orchard were established. It was truly a diversified farm.

After the war, Mitch and Ernestine returned to live in the original house. John and Osie built the second house in 1929, remodeled and enlarged it in 1940. Cost to upgrade the dairy facilities was prohibitive (besides everyone was tired of milking cows), so the livestock operation was switched to beef cattle. A purebred Shorthorn herd, known as "Meadowmoor Shorthorns" developed. The herd was converted to commercial production when Robert finished at Oregon State and entered the Army.

John and Osie continued to raise cattle and ran a custom bailing operation. Later they established a pet boarding and grooming business. After John's death in 1980, Osie lived in the house and operated the business until ill health forced her to leave in 1922. Robert settled in Hermiston to work with livestock producers. Semi-retired now, he hopes to relocate on the farm and develop it into a producing unit once again.

Mitch and Ernestine continued to live in the original house. An untimely death took Mitch in 1957, leaving Ernestine to raise the children, the oldest of whom was 14.

Ill health forced Ernestine to leave her home, and shortly thereafter, Tom and his wife, Ruth, located on the premises where they reside today. The families have been active and well-respected in the Fruitvale-Milton-Freewater community.

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1870 Census OR Umatilla Walla Walla Pg 372B

Line 29

13 13 Stoup Mitchel 32 MW Farmer 700 1230 France

----------, Nancy 21 FW Keeping House IL

----------, Leola 3 FW OR

----------, Martha J 2 FW OR

----------, Carline 8/12 FW OR (Sep)

Lewis, Charles 35 MW Farm Laborer NY

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1880 Census OR Umatilla Milton Pg 12D

Mitchell Stoup Self M Male W 50 FRA Farmer FRA FRA

Nancy Stoup Wife M Female W 37 IL Keeping House IL IL

Leola Stoup Dau S Female W 14 OR At School FRA IL

Martha J. Stoup Dau S Female W 12 OR At School FRA IL

Caroline Stoup Dau S Female W 10 OR At School FRA IL

Robert M. Stoup Son S Male W 9 OR At School FRA IL

George H. Stoup Son S Male W 7 OR At School FRA IL

Charles E. Stoup Son S Male W 6 OR FRA IL

William F. Stoup Son S Male W 4 OR FRA IL

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1900 Census OR Umatilla Valley Dist 113 Pg 105B

Line 99

243 244 Estoupe Mitchall Head WM Oct 1833 66 M 35 France France France 1845 54 Na Farmer

-----------, Nancy Wife WF Sept 1868 51 M35 (8 Children 6 Alive) IL IL IL

-----------, Frank Son WM April 1876 24 S OR France IL Farm Laborer

-----------, Etta V Daughter WF April 1884 16 S OR France IL

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1910 Census OR Umatilla Valley Pct Dist 267 Pg 235B

Line 98

69 74 Estoup, Michael Head MW 77 M1 46 France France France 1846 Na Farming Farm

------------, Nancy Wife FW 72 M1 46 (8 Children 5 Alive) IL IL IL

------------, Frank Son MW 34 S OR France IL Laborer Farm

Burial: Ford (Valley) Cemetery, Umatilla, OR⁴

Census 1: 1870, OR Umatilla Walla Walla Pg 372B

Census 2: 1880, OR Umatilla Milton Pg 12D

Census 3: 1900, OR Umatilla Valley Dist 113 Pg 105B

Census 4: 1910, OR Umatilla Valley Pct Dist 267 Pg 235B

Pioneer Step: 1866, Step #163

1920 Census OR Umatilla Pct 3 ED 147 Pg 4B

Estoup,Nancy,head,71,wd,IL,IL,IL

Frank W.,son,42S,OR,FRA,IL

Burial: Ford (Valley) Cemetery, Umatilla, OR⁴

Census 1: 1870, OR Umatilla Walla Walla Pg 372B(See Husband)

Census 2: 1880, OR Umatilla Milton Pg 12D(See Husband)

Census 3: 1900, OR Umatilla Valley Dist 113 Pg 105B(See Husband)

Census 4: 1910, OR Umatilla Valley Pct Dist 267 Pg 235B(See Husband)

Census 5: 1920, OR Umatilla Pct 3 ED 147 Pg 4B

Marriage: 18 Feb 1867, Walla Walla, WA⁵