Memories

I will continue to share information about the Tie Creek community with an article by Wesley Brewer who told about the company that came to the area to cut trees, made railroad ties, built dams, and in the spring of 1884 with high water and blown dams started the ties down Tie Creek to the Little Missouri River with a destination of Medora. What was the result? Wesley gives us the answer.

“The trees were to be stopped at Medora and about half of them reached their destination. Some of the others were gathered up and hauled to Medora with Oxen or mule teams. Ranchers along the way made good use of some of the stranded ties.”

Those who live there now and in past years including my grandparents, Fred and Eva Townsend and family, can’t vision that much water going down Tie Creek.

Wesley continues his article about homesteaders who settled the area, schools that were built, post offices that were established and other activities.

“By 1903-04 several families had settled in the Tie Creek area including the Zeb Volins, Franks Durms, William Foster, Rickets, Willard Paddens, Tom Sparks, Ray Bossford, Wrights, Ray and Vere Allans, Dave Whickhams, Gabriel Lendes, Joe Wash, Fran Fisher, Tip Sarbys, Sam VanSchyvers, and Warren Brewers.”

Yes, some of those names are familiar to a few of us today including Volins, Drums, Paddens, Sparks, Allans, Lendes and Brewers. Some of those families have reached four generations on Tie Creek. Jess Brewer is mentioned in the Warren Brewer “Shifting Scenes” article. He was my granddad who had a daughter named Jessie, who was my mother.

Let’s let Wesley finish his information on the area:

“As the years went by more families moved into the area. The homesteaders settled on small acreage and many didn’t withstand the elements. Their homesteads were abandoned or sold, giving some ranchers larger holdings.

School houses were built so the children could have an education. The Tie Creek School built on the Ray Allan Ranch was one of the first. These buildings were moved sometimes to accommodate the most families. Electa and Nellie Padden were two of the early day school teachers of the Tie Creek area.

The school house served as a place for social gatherings such as dances, spelling bees, literary societies, and debates. Dances and parties were often held in homes.”

February 4, 1915 a post office was established called Rema on land now owned by Joseph Padden. The post office flourished for a time, but was closed in 1920 and most of the families got their mail from Camp Crook.”

As I was born in Camp Crook and spent some time in the Tie Creek area, I found this article by Wesley Brewer very interesting and I trust you have also.