C. W. E. Jennings

Jennings was born in Bunker Hill, Kansas, on February 4, 1877. He was the son of James and Cly Jennings.[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF5K-NZD "Charles Jennings"], United States Census, 1880, Bunker Hill, Russell, Kansas, United States (household of James Jennings, enumeration district 290, sheet 70B, NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 0395, FHL microfilm 1,254,395), National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, District of Columbia, accessed via FamilySearch, May 11, 2015.[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6Z5-LNC Charles William Emanuel Jennings draft registration card], World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration 1917-1918, citing Lake County, Oregon, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,852,059; accessed via FamilySearch, April 25, 2015. He was self-educated. His schooling included several correspondence courses in railroad engineering. As a young man, he worked on various railroad construction jobs.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AyhPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8B8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5455,2325311&dq=Jennings+Valley+Falls&hl=en "Two Lake County men running for Legislature in Two County Districts"], The Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, May 7, 1938, p. 1.

Jennings arrived in Lake County, Oregon, in 1907 after working on Harriman railroad surveys in Oregon and California. He settled at the southern end of the Chewaucan Valley, where he established a new town site in 1908. He named the community Valley Falls for a small falls on the Chewaucan River approximately {{convert|1|mi|km}} north of the town site.McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "Valley Falls", Oregon Geographic Names (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003 (1928), p. 988.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/95060309/?terms=C.W.E.%2BJennings "Jennings Rites Held Wednesday"], Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, June 9, 1949, p. 8.

A post office was established at Valley Falls in 1909. The first postmaster was Ernest L. H. Meyer. However, Jennings later took over from Meyer. In 1910, Jennings and Meyer formed a business partnership to promote development in the Valley Falls area. The company was called Jennings-Meyer Realty Company.[http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071141/1910-12-29/ed-1/seq-5/#sort=relevance&index=17&rows=20&words=Jennings+Jennings-Meyer+Meyer&sequence=0&proxtext=Jennings-Meyer&y=8&x=15&dateFilterType=range&page=2 "Valley Falls News"], Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, December 29, 1910, p. 5.[http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071141/1911-06-08/ed-1/seq-4/#sort=relevance&index=4&rows=20&words=JENNINGS+JENNINGS-MEYER+MEYER&sequence=0&proxtext=Jennings+Meyer+&y=11&x=13&dateFilterType=range&page=2 Valley Falls Lots], Jennings-Meyer Realty advertisement, Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, June 8, 1911, p. 4.[http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071141/1912-11-21/ed-1/seq-1/#index=6&rows=20&words=C+E+Jennings+W&sequence=0&proxtext=C.W.E.+Jennings&y=10&x=18&dateFilterType=range&page=1 "New Town Improving"], Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, November 21, 1912, p. 1.

Jennings did not always get along with his neighbors. In 1911, the local Valley Falls blacksmith accused him of assault. The blacksmith told Lake County's district attorney that Jennings had struck him on the head with a gun, causing the weapon to discharge. The district attorney did not charge Jennings because there were no other witnesses to the alleged assault.[http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99063812/1911-10-26/ed-1/seq-2 "Lakeview Laconics"], The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, Oregon, October 26, 1911, p. 2.

In 1913, Jennings married Besse Howe in Lakeview. She had recently arrived in the community from Los Angeles, California. She was living with her brother near Valley Falls prior to their marriage.[http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071141/1913-02-27/ed-1/seq-1 "Cupid Works Overtime"], Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, February 27, 1913, p. 1.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Jennings continued to serve as the Valley Falls postmaster while he operated a grocery store, co-located with a gas station and tourist cabins. He also ran the Valley Falls weather station for the United States Weather Bureau, served as water master for the Chewaucan River and Silver Creek water district, and was the clerk for the local school district. In addition, he served as the chairman Lake County's Democratic Committee for two terms.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PBNWUZP8NUYC&dq=%22C.+W.+E.+Jennings%22&pg=RA6-PA6 "Climatological Data: Oregon"] (Volumes 30-38), Weather Bureau, United States Department of Agriculture, Portland, Oregon, February 27, 1933.Cupper, Percy A., [https://books.google.com/books?id=qaYPAQAAIAAJ&dq=%22C.+W.+E.+Jennings%22&pg=PA34 Seventh Biannual Report of the State Engineer to the Governor of Oregon], State Printing Department, Salem, Oregon, 1918, p. 34.

Jennings, known as "Pop" to his neighbors, ran as a Democrat for the Oregon House of Representatives in 1936.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/94851870/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 "Candidates in Election Listed Here"], Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, October 7, 1936, p. 1.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/94852591/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 "On the Ballot"], Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, October 29, 1936, p. 4.Juillerat, Lee, [https://www.newspapers.com/image/525234158/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22%2B%22Valley%2BFalls%22 "Store Stocks it All"], The World, Coos Bay, Oregon, 4 March 1980, p. 19.{{subscription required}} He defeated the incumbent Republican, Warner B. Snider, in the general election. In that election, Jennings received 1,011 votes while Snider received only 943.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/94790000/?terms=Snider "Baer Stand Alone as GOP Collapse"], Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, November 4, 1936, p. 5. He took his seat as a state legislature in early 1937, representing Deschutes and Lake counties. He served in the legislature's 1937 Regular Session.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/96929365/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 "Lakeview Man Runs for Representative"], Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, February 11, 1938, p. 1.[https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/Pages/records/legislators_guide.aspx "1937 Regular Session (39th): January 11-March 8"], Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, Oregon Secretary of State, Salem, Oregon, November 28, 2013.

When he ran for re-election in 1938, he was unopposed in the Democratic primary.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/79819280 "Bulk of Contests Appear Settled"], Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, May 22, 1938, p. 2. However, he lost the general election to the Republican candidate, Burt K. Snyder.[https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/Pages/records/legislators_guide.aspx "1939 Regular Session (40th): January 9-March 15"], Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, Oregon Secretary of State, Salem, Oregon, November 28, 2013. After the election, Jennings reported that he only spent $58 on his campaign.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/79951381/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 "$740.81 Spent by Mahoney Club"], Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, November 13, 1938, p. 3.

After leaving the state legislature, Jennings returned to his business in Valley Falls. Even into the 1940s, Valley Falls was an isolated place. For example, in 1943, a local newspaper reported that several airplanes landed on the highway near the Valley Falls store and then taxied up to the store's gas pump to refuel.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2537928// "Lakeview"], Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, April 26, 1943, p. 8. {{open access}}

Jennings sold his Valley Falls businesses to Steven and Bessie Carroll in 1948.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/97303837/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 "S. V. Carroll Services Held"], Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, January 12, 1961, p. 8B. Jennings and his wife then moved to the Oregon coast. He died on June 5, 1949, in Pacific City, Oregon.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/95060623/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 "Paisley"], Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, June 17, 1949, p. 2.[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZHB-HF6 Oregon, Death Index], 1903-1998, Charles W Jennings, June 5, 1949; citing Tillamook, Oregon, certificate number 6949, Oregon State Archives and Records Center, Salem; accessed via FamilySearch, April 25, 2015.

After Jennings died, his wife contested his will which left her only one-third of his assets. She claimed that the assets were jointly accumulated and had originally included significant property inherited from her family which entitled her to one-half of the estate. The probate was not settled until 1952 when the case was finally decided by the Oregon Supreme Court.[http://law.justia.com/cases/oregon/supreme-court/1952/194-or-686-2.html “Jennings v. Conn, as Administrator”], 194 Or. 686 (1952), 243 P.2d 1080, Supreme Court of Oregon, submitted on briefs April 10, 1952, reversed with directions April 30, 1952.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/96989087/?terms=%22C.%2BW.%2BE.%2BJennings%22 High Court Ups Judgement for Damages], The News-Review, Roseburg, Oregon, May 1, 1952.

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• [https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/Pages/records/legislators_guide.aspx "Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide"]

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Category:1877 births

Category:1949 deaths

Category:Democratic Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives

Category:People from Lake County, Oregon

Category:People from Russell County, Kansas

Category:Businesspeople from Oregon

Category:20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly