Westfall, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westfall, Oregon
Unincorporated community
The Moses and Mary Hart Stone House and Ranch Complex, near Westfall
Westfall, Oregon Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Westfall, Oregon Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Malheur
Elevation	2,995 ft (913 m)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	97920
Area code(s)	541
GNIS feature ID	1136892

Westfall is a small, unincorporated community located in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It is situated about 30 miles (48 km) west of the town of Vale. Westfall has its own post office and uses the ZIP code 97920.

History of Westfall

Westfall was founded in 1870 by a person named Levi Westfall.

A historic building called the Moses and Mary Hart Stone House and Ranch Complex was built near Westfall in 1898. This building is so important that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 1912 Gunfight Incident

In its early days, Westfall was known as a lively town where disagreements sometimes turned into fights. Over time, these incidents became less common, and life in Westfall was mostly peaceful. However, this changed on May 10, 1912.

On that day, a Blacksmith named Asa Carey started a serious argument in the middle of Main Street. This argument led to a shootout that ended the life of Marshal Jasper Westfall, who had only been the town's Marshal for three days.

Asa Carey had been known for causing trouble for many years. He was not a very tall man, standing about 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) and weighing 170 pounds. But he was strong and quick, and he had a very short temper. This temper had caused problems before. In 1906, Carey was involved in an incident where a cowboy named Frank Cammann died. Three years later, he was involved in a fight where 20-year-old Dan Brady was seriously injured and later passed away. In both cases, Carey claimed he was defending himself, and with the help of his friends, he was not found guilty.

Carey was often seen as a bully and a troublemaker, especially when he had been spending time at the local saloons like Frank Jones's or Ivan Harts's.

In 1912, Carey made it known that he wanted to become the Town Marshal. This job paid $75.00 a month, which was a good amount of money back then. He argued that since he often dealt with rowdy cowboys in the saloons, he should be paid for it.

When Ben Corbett resigned as Marshal in April 1912, Carey wanted the job. The town council, after much persuasion from Carey and his friends, offered him the position. This happened because Mayor William West, who usually chose the Marshal, was away.

Carey's way of handling the job quickly showed he was too harsh. His time as Marshal was very short. When Mayor West returned on May 7, he immediately removed Carey from the job. He then appointed Jasper Westfall as the new Marshal. Jasper, who was 40 years old, was related to the town's founder. He was known as a fair and sensible man. He had built a new home in Westfall in 1910, where he lived with his wife Daisy and their two young children. Asa Carey was very angry about this decision and only gave up his badge unwillingly to the Mayor.

May 10 started as a quiet, warm spring day. The townspeople went about their usual business, greeting each other and enjoying the peaceful morning.

Around noon, Asa Carey went into Frank Jones's Saloon with a revolver. After having several drinks, Asa crossed the street to Hart's Saloon, where he continued to drink with his friend Art Ricketts. All day, he kept moving between the two saloons, saying he was the best person for the Marshal job. He then went out onto the porch of the Jones Saloon and started making a lot of noise, yelling for Marshal Jasper Westfall to come and quiet him down.

Jasper, who was at home about a block northwest, heard the commotion Carey was causing. He headed towards the saloons to calm things down. As he got closer, Jasper saw many people watching from safe places.

Jasper, who was not carrying a weapon, walked calmly up to Carey and asked him to quiet down. Carey looked at Jasper and warned him not to try and arrest him. Again, Jasper told Carey to go home and be quiet, but his words had no effect. Jasper then calmly turned and walked home. There, he put on his Colt revolver and quickly walked back to Main Street. Carey was now standing in front of Jones Saloon. Jasper approached him and told him he was under arrest. Carey stepped back a few feet, and Jasper pulled his gun, ordering Carey to come with him. Carey quickly moved away and pulled his own gun.

Witnesses could not tell who fired first. Jasper's gun fired one shot, which missed. Carey fired three times, hitting Jasper twice. As Jasper fell, Carey pointed his gun around, challenging anyone nearby. He then bent over the Marshal and took his gun.

Climate

Westfall has a semi-arid climate. This means it is generally dry, but not as dry as a desert. On climate maps, this type of climate is often shown as "BSk."