27669
OREGON
END OF THE TRAIL
Compiled by Workers of the Writers* Program
of the Work Projects Administration
in the State of Oregon
AMERICAN GUIDE SERIES
ILLUSTRATED
DY THE PACIFIC
Sponsored by the Oregon State Board of Control
BINFORDS & MORT ; Publishers : PORTLAND
STATE OF OREGON
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
THE OREGON GUIDE is the major accomplishment of the Oregon Writ-
ers' Project of the WPA. More than the conventional guide book,
this volume attempts to present the history and heritage of Oregon as
well as its numerous points of interest and the contemporary scene.
Though designed to portray Oregon to visitors, it is also intended, as
it were, to present Oregon to Oregonians,
As Governor of the Commonwealth I am happy that this valuable
work is being made available to the citizens of Oregon and the nation.
(Signed) CHARLES A. SPRAGUE.
March i, 1940
FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
JOHN M. CARMODY, Administrator
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
F, C. HARRINGTON, Commissioner
FLORENCE KERR, Assistant Commissioner
E. J. GRIFFITH, State Administrator
PREFACE VII
Preface
THE OREGON GUIDE is the pioduct of many hands and minds work-
ing joyously, without hope of individual reward or recognition, to ac-
complish something of which by and large they are proud, and diffi-
dently offering it to the public of travelers and scholars and general
readers. In contributing this volume to the American Guide Series, the
members of the Oregon Writers' Project of the Work Projects Admin-
istration, speak collectively and anonymously. Most of them would
rather have had some small part in its creation, working as carpenters
of language with words as tools, finding facts and fashioning them into
sentences and paragraphs and chapters, than to have built a fast highway
or an impressive public building. For, generally, the writer believes that
long after the best road of his day has been supplanted by a straighter
and wider one, and long after the highest building has crumbled with
time or been blown to bits by air bombs, this book will remain. And
the makers of this Guide have faith, too, that their book will survive;
in the future, when it no longer fills a current need as a handbook for
tourists, it will serve as a reference source well-thumbed by school chil-
dren and cherished by scholars, as a treasure trove of history, a picture
of a period, and as a fadeless film of a civilization.
It was easy to write about Oregon. The state has something that
inspires not provincial patriotism but affection. California has climate;
Iowa has corn; Massachusetts has history; Utah has religion; and New
York has buildings and money and hustle and congestion; but that
"lovely dappled up-and-down land called Oregon" has an ever-green
beauty as seductive as the lotus of ancient myth,
It is not only the native son of pioneers who feels this affection for
the land. The newcomer at first may smile at the attitude of Oregonians
towards their scenery and their climate. But soon he will begin to refer
to Mt. Hood as "our mountain" significantly, not as "The Moun-
tain/* as Seattlites speak of Mt Rainier. Soon he will try to purchase
a home-site from which he can view it And before a year of life in
Oregon has passed, the sheer splendor of peaks and pines, the joy of
Vili OREGON
shouting trout-filled mountain streams, the satisfying quiet of Douglas
firs, the beauty of roses that bloom at Christmas, the vista of rolling
wooded hills and meadows always lush and green, the scenic climax
of a fiery sun sinking into earth's most majestic ocean all will have
become a part of his daily happiness, undefined and unrecognized in
his consciousness, but something so vital that he can never again do
without it. And he will even, as do the natives, find merit in the long
winter of dismal skies and warm but chilling rains, calling himself a
"webfoot" and stoutly proclaiming that he likes it when all the while
he means that he considers it poor sportsmanship to complain, since he
knows that this is the annual tax he pays for eternal verdure^ for trees
and grass and ferns and ivy and hydrangeas and holly, and for the
privilege of appreciating by contrast the short bright rainless summer
cooled by the softest yet most invigorating northerly winds.
These tributes are generally inspired by only a part, not even a
third part, of Oregon. Beyond the wall of the Cascades, which cuts
the state into two sections sharply contrasting topographically, stretches
a land whose character is that of the plateaus and deserts and mountains
of the Rockies country. Yet even the climate of this eastern region has
its enthusiasts, and has been thus described by Claire Warner Churchill:
"It rains. It snows. It scorches. It droughts. It suspends itself in celestial
moments of sheer clarity that hearten the soul. Whatever eke it may
do, it challenges rather than enervates. Rather than complacency it
breeds philosophy."
So Oregon offers, it is claimed, the greatest variety of climate and
scenery and vegetation of all the states,
It was this very diversity that occasioned a lively controversy in the
selection of a subtitle for the Guide. In a public contest many Ore-
gonians offered tides dripping with ardor. Such phrases as "The Land
of Perpetual Spring" and "Land of the Midwinter Rose'* were viewed
by out-of-state critics with arched eye-brows as cither un-factual or
over-sentimental. Stolid history lovers suggesting "The Beaver State,"
were countered with the quip, 'Why not call it the Rodent State o
as not to discriminate against our rabbits and prairie dogs?" Others
argued that the subtitle should derive from the state stone, which is
agate, or the state bird, the meadow-lark, or even the state flower, the
Oregon grape, which has an unromantic but highly practical history*
Geographically-minded persons, aware that Portland z the farthest
west of America's large cities, advised "Oregon Farthest West." An-
other group wanted "Oregon Nearest Japan/* and their argument
PREFACE ix
political. Finally, an amateur artist drew a dust cover depicting the set-
ting sun and proffered "The Sunset State."
And what of Oregon's future ? It is, after all, only a few short years
between the time when William Cullen Bryant wrote in one of his
greatest poems about the primitive country "Where rolls the Oregon
and hears no sound," and the present, when Bonneville Dam has made
a great gash in beautiful Columbia Gorge, and when the greatest struc-
ture in history, Grand Coulee, looms portentously to the north. Oregon
today is still the most unspoiled and most uncluttered spot in America
partly because the gold rushes of California and Alaska left it undis-
turbed. Soon, perhaps, it will be changed by the coming of Power, the
inrolling of immigration from the dust bowl, the devastation of timber-
cutting and forest fires, and the boosting activities of chambers of com-
merce. It may be regrettable to see this peaceful beautiful land trans-
formed into a network of highways, clogged with cars and defaced
with hot dog stands, the groves littered with tin cans and papers, the
hills pock-marked with stumps, and the cities cursed with the slums that
seem to accompany industrial progress.
The sons of Oregon today are tall and sturdy, and the complexion
of the daughters is faintly like that of the native rose a hue gained
from living and playing in a pleasant outdoors. Will the sons of the
impending industrial age be shorter and shrewder, and the daughters
dependent for their beauty upon commodities sold in drug-stores; and
will Oregonians become less appreciative of nature and rooted living
and more avid and neurotic in the pursuit of wealth? These are some
of the questions and misgivings in the minds of native Oregonians,
including some of those who wrought the Oregon Guide.
Yet the writers of the Guide worked hard and gladly, though aware
that their names would never be known. And only here can acknowledg-
ment be made of their zeal and devotion. They were aided and en-
couraged by many citizens of Oregon who served as consultants, and by
many institutions which gladly and courteously opened to them their
stores of history and tradition and current fact. Among those who
helped arc: Leith Abbott, Dr* Burt Brown Barker, J. R. Beck, C. I.
Buck, Dr, V. L* O- Chittict Dr. R. C Clark. H. L. Corbett, Dr. L. S.
Creaaman, Dr. H. C. Dafce, Wnu L. Fmley, George H. Flagg, Dr.
James A* Gilbert, Frederick Goodrich, Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Griffith,
Mrs* Charles A* Hart, M. T, Hoy, Herbert Lampman, Mrs. Katherine
Lawton, Lewis A McArthur, Roi Morin, Glen W. Neel, J, A,
Qrmandy, Dr* EX L, Packard, Jamieson Parker, Phil. Parrish, Professor
K OREGON
Morton E. Peck, Miss Nellie B. Pipes, Alfred Powers, Charles P.
Pray, Ralph J. Reed, Professor Wm. A. Schoenfeld, Leslie Scott, Earl
Snell, Dr. Warren D. Smith, V. D. Stanberry, Oswald West, F. B.
Wire; also the State Library, the Portland Public Library, the Oregon
Historical Society, the Portland Art Museum, the State Planning
Board, the State Highway Commission, and the U. S. Forest Service.
T. J. EDMONDS, State Supervisor.
Contents
PAGE
PREFACE Vli
GENERAL INFORMATION XXI
CALENDAR OF EVENTS XXVn
Part I. Past and Present
OREGON YESTERDAY AND TODAY 3
NATURAL S BITING , . . 9
INDIANS . , 33
HISTORY .... .... ... 40
AGRICULTURE . -52
INDUSTRY, COMMKRCH AND LABOR ... ... 60
TRANSPORTATION .... 69
RACIAL ELEMENTS . 75
TALL TALES AND LEGENDS .81
HUCKLEBERRY CAKES AND VENISON 86
SPORTS AND RECREATION 91
SOCIAL WELFARE 95
EDUCATION 102
RELIGION 107
LITERATURE no
THEATER, Music AND ART 118
NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO 135
ARCHITECTURE .141
Xli OREGON
Part II. Cities and Towns
PAGE
ASTORIA .... 149
CORVALLIS . . 158
EUGENE .... 167
HOOD RIVER . . 177
KLAMATH FALLS .... .... 182
MEDFORD . . ... . 187
OREGON CITY , . . . . .191
PENDLETON . . .... . 200
PORTLAND . . . . 206
SALEM . ... 228
THE DALLES 238
Part II L All Over Orego?/
T0UR I (Caldwell, Idaho) Ontario Baker La Grande Ptndleton
tTmatilla The Dalles Portland Astoria [US 30] , . 249
Section a, Idaho Line to Umatilla .,.'.... 249
Section K UmatHla to Portland ....... a6$
Section c. Portland to Astoria ..*...,. 276
TOUR I A Baker Hereford Unity [State 7] 183
TOUR iB Baker Richland Homestead [State 86] 86
TOUR rC Orande-- Enterprise Wallowa Lake [State Sa] . * . a^o
T0UR iD Arlington Condon Fo8i! Junction with US aS [State 19] 394
TOUR lE Hi**! RiverJunction with State 50 [State 35} * - * *97
TOUR 2 (Vancouver, Wash.) Portland Salem Junction City
Kugeae Roebrg Grants Pass Medford * (Vreka>
Calif,} [US 99E-99] 300
Section a (Vancouver, Wash*} to Junction City , . , 301
Section b* Junction City to California Line * . . . * ti$
TOUR aA Oregon City SHverton tebanon -* Brownsville Eugene
(State 215! 33*
TOUR aB Jutio with 0$ 99*^Gerva! $t LouJi-* $* PaJ**Cham*
poeg (State aK$] and County Road* .*.,. j$<5
CONTENTS Xlll
PAGE
TOUR 2C Salem Ricki call Dallas Junction with State 18 [State 22] 341
TOUR 2D Albany Corvallis Toledo Newport [State 26] .... 344
TOUR 2E Philomath Junction Alsea Waldport [State 34] ... 347
TOUR 2F Junction with US 99 Blachley Florence [State 36] . . . 349
TOUR 2G Drain Elkton Reedsport [State 38] . ... 351
TOUR 2H Coos Junction Myrtle Point Coquille [State 42] . . , 354
TOUR 2! Grants Pass California Line [US 199] 258
TOUR 3 Astoria Tillamook Newport North Bend Marshfield
Gold Beach (Crescent City, Calif.) [US 101] ... 363
Section a. Astoria to Newport ... .... 364
Section b Newport to California Line .... . 376
TOUR 4 (Maryhill, Wash.) Biggs Jnct Redmond Bend Klamath
Falls (Dorris, Calif.) [US 97] 3^7
Section a. Washington Line to Bend 388
Section b. Bend to California Line . 394
TOUR 4A Junction with US 97 Maupin Government Camp Portland
[State 50] .... 4oi
TOUR 46 Bend Elk Lake Junction with US 97 [The Century Drive] 407
TOUR 4C Junction with US 97 Oakridge Goshen [State 58] . - 4*o
TOUR 4D KLlamath Junction Fort Klamath Crater Lake National Park
Medford [State 62] 4H
TOUR 5 (Wallula, Wash.) Pendleton John Day Burns Lakeview
New Pine Creek [US 395] 4*7
Section a* Washington Line to Burns 4*7
Section b. Western Junction with State 54 to Calif ornia Line 423
TOUR $A Burns Crane Follyfarm Fields Denio [State 78 and un-
numbered roads] 4^8
TOUR $B Burns French Glen Blitzen Fields [State 78 and 205] . 431
TOUR 5C Valley Falls Paisley Silver Lake Junction with US 97
[State 31] 435
T0U& sD LakeviewKlamath Falls Ashland [State 66] ... 438
TOUR 6 Ontario Vale John Day Redmond Sisters Springfield
Junction with US 99 [US a8l 44*
Section a* Ontario to Redmond 443
Section b, Redmond to Junction with US 99 .... 453
PAGE
TOUR 6A Cairo Jordan Valley "Rome [State 201] 458
TOUR 7 Vale Burns Bend Sisters Albany [State 54] .... 464
Section a. Vale to Bend , 465
Section b. Bend to Albany . 471
TOUR 7 A Little Nash C niter Junction Detroit Sta^ton Salem
[State 222\ 475
TOUR 8 Pmtland Hillsboro Forest Grove Tillamook [State 8-tf] . 477
TOUR 9 Junction with State 8 Wolf Creek Elsie Necanicum Junc-
tion [unnumbered roads, State zl 484
Torn TO Pottland Nc\vber McMinnvillf Oorvalh's Junction Cit\
ITS 99\V| '.486
TOUR IDA Junrtinn t\S 99\V Grand Ronci? Junction t*S 101 I Stan* i8l 493
MOUNT HOOD RECREATION AREA 496
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK . 502
NATIONAL FORKSTS 511
Part IV. Appendices
CHRONOLOGY .... 521
A SKLKCT RHADINC LIST 529
....... 536
1LLUSTRATJLUJ\J>
Illustrations
Mural, U. S. Post Office, Ontario
Treasury Dept. Art Project*
Oregon Trail in 1843
U. S. Bureau of Public Road*
AsStoria in 1811
U. S. Army Signal Cor pi
Discovery of the Columbia Rivei
Drawn by W. E. Rollins
Joe Meek, Mountain Man
Angelus Studio
Indian, Pendleton Round-up
Grctcken Glover
Indian Chiefs, Pendleton Round-
up
Gretchen Glover
Pioneer Homestead (from old
print)
Angelus Studio
The Dalles Methodist Mission
(old print)
Angelus Studio
Providence Baptist Church
West Union Baptist Church
Verne Bright
St. Paul Catholic Church
Tualatin Plains Presbyterian
Church
Verne Bright
Old Fort Dalles, Historical
Museum
Scth Luelling House, Milwaukee
Joel Palmer House, Dayton
Ladd and Reed Farm, Reedville
Verne Bright
Umatilla, 1864
W. S* Bowman
Portland, 1854
Angelus Studio
Cattle Ranch
Alfred Monner
Owyhee Project Farm
U. S. Department of Interior
Main Intake Klamath County
Project
[7. S. Department of Interior
Irrigated Field, Owyhee Project
U. S. Department of Interior
Linn County Flouring Mill
Pea Harvest
Genevieve Mayberry
Klamath Irrigation Project
[7. S, Department of Interior
Settlers on Owyhee Project
U. S. Department of Interior
Hop Pickers Willamette Valley
U. S. Department^ of Interior
Onion Harvest, Ontario
[7. S. Department of Interior
Turkeys, Redmond
Oregon Journal
Washington County Farm
Alfred Monner
Central Oregon Sheep Ranch
Farm Security Administration
Central Oregon Sheep Herder
Farm Security Administration
Oregon State Capitol, Salem
Frank L Jones
Dayton Farm Family Labor Camp
Farm Security Administration
Farm Boy
Farm Security Administration
Pioneer Logging
Angelus Studio
Cut-over Land, Siltcoos
Farm Security Administration
XVI OREGON
Early-day Loggers, Tillamook
Tillamook Pioneer Association
Sea-going Log Raft
Angclm Studio
Forest Fire in Coast Range
Tillamook County Chamber
of Commerce
Paper Mill, Oiegon City
II. S. Forest Service
Bridal Veil Lumber Flume
Angelus Studio
Indians Fishing for Salmon, 1856
Harpers Monthlv Magazine
Columbia River Salmon Fisheries
Columbia Empire Industries
Pilchard Fishing Fleet
Oregon State Game
Fish Nets Drying
Anaclus Studio
Aerial View, Poitland
//'. (L liritbakcr
Aerial View, Oregon State Col-
lege
W\ C. Brub&tvr
Old Administration Building, O.
g C
Deady Hall, U. of O.
Main Entrance, Timberline Lodge
Aiktson : Photo Art Studio
Main Door, Timberlinc Ix)dge
Atktttn i Photo Art Studio
Mam lounge* Timberline Lodge
Atktmn : Photo Art Studio
Newel Post, Timberline Ix>dge
Atktson : Pkoio Art Studio
Isaac Jacob House, Portland
Orepon Art Project
Entrance Public Library, Portland
Qregraman
Art Museum* Portland
Portland Public Market
Qregonian
Auditorium, Portland
Ortponian
State Foreitry Building, Salem
Union Station, Portland
First Presbyterian Chuich, Port-
land
Qregoma?!
Temple Beth Israel, Poitland
Oregonian
Mount Hood and Interstate
Bridge
Angclus Studio
Indian Teepees Molalla Buckaioo
Farm Security Ad ministration
Waim Springs Indian Boy
Farm Security Administration
John Day Country
Oregon State Highway Com-
mission
Basalt Bluffs Along John Day
River
An$du$ Studio
Highway Sign Near Madras
Farm Security Administration
Ontario
Oregonian
Old Boones Ferry, Wilsonville
Covered Bridge near Dillard
A nodus Studio
Battleship Searchlights, Fleet
Week, Portland
F. . filclntotk
Portland and Mount Hood
Angelus Studio
Basque Girls, Malheur County
Oregonian
Columbia River Indians
Angelus Studio
Indian Burial Ground Memalome
Island
Angclus Studio
Early Day Vehicles, The Dalles
Indian Teej*es UmattH* Reserva-
tion
Astor Column, Astoria
dngelus Studio
Coming of the White Man, Poit-
iand
Angelus Studio
Eliot Glacier, Mount Hood
Oregonian
Rogue River National Forest
U. S. Forest Service
Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood
Punch Bowl Falls, Eagle Creek
U. S. Forest Service
Plaque "The Beaver"
Angelus Studio
Battleship Oregon
Angelus Studio
Mount Hood from Lost Lake
Angelas Studio
Bonneville Dam
27. S. Army Engineers
Oregon Coast Curry County
Frank L Jones
Wai Iowa Mountains
Cecil V. Ager
Holland Grass Plantings Oregon
Coast
Farm Security Administration
Mitchell Point Tunnel Columbia
River
Angelus Studio
Snake River Canyon
Cecil V. Ager
Bonneville Dam and Mount Hood
[7. S. Army Air Corps
Sheep Mountain
Shell Oil Company
Multnomah Falls Columbia River
Angelus Studio
Phantom Ship Crater Lake
Sawyer Photo Service
Ice Stalagmites in Malheur Cave
Dr. PL C. Dake
Bunchgrass Central Oregon
Alfred A, Monner
Wheat Fields Grande Ronde Val-
ley
Cecil V* A$er
ILLUSTRATIONS XVli
Mount Hood in Winter
Albert Altorfer
La Grande
Oregon Journal
Roseburg
Oregon Journal
Mount Washington
U. S. Forest Service
Game Studies Survey
L7. 5. Forest Service
Indians Fishing at Celilo Falls
Oregon State Highway Com-
mission
Surf Fishing Oregon Coast
Shell Oil Company
Elk at Wallowa Lake
U. S. Forest Service
Salmon Jumping Willamette Falls
Ralph J. Eddy
Deer Tracks in Snow
U. S. Forest Service
Oregon Beaver
U. S. Forest Service
Black Bear, Fremont National
Forest
17. S. Forest Service
Coyote
U. S. Forest Service
Wild Cat
17. S, Forest Service
Proof of a Tall Tale
F. E. Mclntosh
Sea Lions Oregon Coast
Sawyer Photo Service
Archers* Camp with Deer
17. S. Forest Service
One Month's Catch
U. S. Forest Service
Fishing in Deschutes National
Forest
[7. S. Forest Service
MAPS XIX
Maps
STATE MAP back pocket
TRANSPORTATION reverse of state map
PORTLAND . ' reverse of state map
TOUR KEY MAP front end paper
PAGE
ASTORIA I54-I55
CORVALUS . , . . 162-163
EUGENE 172-173
OREGON CITY - 196-197
SALEM 234-235
THE DALLES 242-243
GENERAL INFORMATION XXI
General Information
(State map, showing highways, and maps
giving railroad* air, bus, and water transpor-
tation routes in pocket, inside back cover.)
Railroads: Great Northern Ry. (GN), Northern Pacific Ry. (NP),
Southern Pacific Lines (SP), Union Pacific R. R. (UP), Spokane,
Portland & Seattle Ry, (SP&S), Oregon Electric Ry. (OE) (see
TRANSPORTATION MAP.)
Bus Lines: Pacific Greyhound Lines, Union Pacific Stages, North Coast
Transportation Co., Spokane, Portland & Seattle Transportation Co.,
Oregon Motor Stages, Mount Hood Stages, North Bank Highway
Stages, Boyd's Dollar Lines, Independent Stages, and Benjamin Frank-
lin Line serve all but most remote sections. Pacific Greyhound and
North Coast are principal carriers N. and S., operating over US 99,
the former S, of Portland into California, the latter to Seattle and
points N. Union Pacific Stages and Spokane, Portland & Seattle line
(US 30), are chief lines E. and W., the former operating E. and the
latter W, from Portland: all lines listed above enter Portland; average
fare, ac per mi. (see TRANSPORTATION MAP).
Air Lines: United Airlines (Vancouver, B. C., to San Diego) stops
at Portland and Medford; United Airlines (Portland, Pendleton, Salt
Lake City, Omaha, Chicago, New York) connection at Pendleton for
Spokane (see TRANSPORTATION MAP).
Waterway* i : Principal waterways are Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
Portland on the Willamette, is a regular port of call for coastwise
vessels between Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle and for com-
bination freight and passenger vessels to the Orient, and to South
American, Atlantic Coast and European ports. Freight and passenger
river boats operate between Portland and Astoria, and Portland and
The Dalles,
XXII OREGON
Highways : Eight Fedeial highways, six of them transcontinental or
with international connections. State highways connect all sections.
State police patrol highways. No inspection ot cars into Oregon, but
cais from Oregon entering California undergo inspection for horti-
cultural diseases. Water or gasoline scarcity possible only in high desert
region of southeastern Oregon. Gasoline tax, 6c (for highway routes,
w STATE AMP).
Afotor J r chide Laws (digest) : No fixed speed limit, but no person shall
duve at a speed inconsistent with prudent control of car; "indicated
speeds," which are accepted as reasonable, are 45 m. p* h. on open high-
way, 25 m. p. m, in city icsidence districts, 20 m. p h. in business dis-
tnm and at intersections where vision is obscured, and 15 m. p. h. while
passing school grounds. Speed in excess of 45 m* p. h. on open high-
ways permitted, but driver operates at his own risk. State licenses not
required of non-residents, but cats must be registered within 24 hrs,
after entry into state; registration may be made with secretaiy of state
or his agents, which include chambers of commerce and the American
Automobile Assn.; no fee chatged. State police supply information;
they drive blue cars with state insignia on the doors and are easily
recognised by their blue uniforms.
Headlights must conform with 8-point adjustment system. Accidents
icstilting in injury to person or property must be reported within 24
hrs. to nearest chief of police or sheriff. Minimum age for drivers 15
yis., unless special permit has been granted. Full stop required while
streetcars are loading or unloading passengers, except where safety
rs have been established.
Unlawful : To drive while intoxicated, to carry any person on any
external part of automobile* to coast in neutral, to park on paved or
main-traveled portion of highway, to cany more than three persons
over 12 on front seat, to pass streetcars on L,, to display windshield
stickers other than temporary licenses and registration tags,
dcwmmodations: Hotel accommodations are adequate; tourist cainp*
along all main highways; U. & Forest Service camps within forest
areas; beach accommodations along US 101 at ail seasons; eight dude
ranches, the four most elaborate ones being in Baker and Wallow*
Counties. At Portland, during Rose Festival in June, and Pacific Inter-
national Stock Show In autumn? Salem, during State Fair in Septem-
GENERAL INFORMATION XX111
her ; Pendleton, during Round-Up in September ; and at Astoria, during
Regatta in late summer, advance hotel accommodations should be ar-
ranged.
Climate and Equipment : Moderate temperatures prevail W. of Cascade
Mountains; medium weight clothing sufficient the year around; top-
coats needed in the valleys in all seasons but summer, and along Pacific
Coast even in wannest weather; rain general during fall and winter,
when water-proof clothes will be appreciated.
East of the Cascades temperatures are more extreme: summer days
hot, nights cool; summer travel equipment should include medium-
weight clothing; snow and sub-zero weather in winter.
Special outdoor clothing, cooking utensils, and bedding required for
hiking and pack-horse trips; equipment available in any county seat
town ; drinking water wholesome and plentiful in Cascades and western
Oregon, but water from rivers not recommended except in most primi-
tive areas.
Recreational Areas : Thirteen national forests (see STATE MAP) ; of
these > Wallowa, Mount Hood, Willamette, and Rogue River have
primitive areas, all have recreational areas. Crater Lake National Park
and Oregon Caves National Monument, both in southern Oregon, are
other National playgrounds.
Recreational areas visited to best advantage in summer; guides avail-
able for primitive areas; any U. S. Forest Service headquarters 01
ranger will furnish information; national forest campers between July
I and Sept. 30, except at improved campgrounds, required to obtain
campfire permits from rangers and to carry ax, water container, and
shovel; all campfires must be put out before camp is abandoned, or
campers are liable to heavy fine; smoking while traveling in national
forests forbidden except on paved or surfaced highways.
Poisonous Plants, Reptiles, Dangerous Animals, and Insects : Poison
oak prevalent E. of Cascades and in valleys between Cascade and Coast
Ranges; rattlesnakes only poisonous reptiles, not common but found
occasionally E. of Cascades, in southern Willamette Valley, and south-
ern Oregon; none has been found W. of Coast Range; bears, mountain
lions, and timber wolves, found in the mountains, generally harmless
unless molested.
Poisonous insects arc the Rocky Mountain or Spotted Fever tick,
3DQV OREGON
found in cattle country of eastern Oregon from March to June ; Black
Widow spiders, active in late summer months, found occasionally around
rock and lumber piles; mosquitoes attain pest proportions only in high
Cascade foicsts when snow is melting in early summer.
State Liquor Laws: State controls liquor traffic; hard liquor purchas-
able only from state stores or agencies; permit, costing 500 and good
for i yr., must be obtained by residents and visitors for purchases; hard
liquor sold only in original packages and may not be consumed on
premises; beer, ale, and unfortified wine may be purchased \vithout a
permit from privately owned and operated depots, licensed by the
state, and may be consumed on the premises.
Fishing Laws: Nonresident angler's license, $3; special vacation license
for two consecutive days, $i ; unnaturalized persons must obtain $25
alien gun license before purchasing angling or hunting license; ail per-
sons 14 yrs. and more must have license to hunt or angle; licenses may
be obtained from any county clerk, the State Game Commission, or its
agents, usually drug and sporting-goods stores ; complete copies of state
game laws available at any agency.
Open season for trout, fixed by Oregon Game Commission, usually
from April to November; bag limit, 15 Ib and I fish, but not to ex-
ceed 20 fish in i day; or 30 Ib. and i fish, but not to exceed 40 fish
in 7 consecutive days, except special bag limits for certain lakes and
streams (for which see complete state game laws) ; for trout more than
io in,, season open all year in Pacific Ocean, its tidewaters, and Coast
lakes,
Open season for salmon, 15 in. and more, entire year; bag limit
salmon 20 in. and more > 3 such fish in any i day, but not to exceed io
such fish in any 7 consecutive days; bag limit on 15 in, salmon, 15 Ib*
and i fish, but not to exceed 20 fish in any i day; salmon under 15 in*
classified as trout and may be taken only as such.
Bass season open entire year except in Oswego Lake, where it runs
from Apr* 5 to Oct. 31, both inclusive*
Grapples, catfish, perch, and sunfish seasons open all year except in cer-
tain waters, for which see complete state laws.
Hunting Laws\ Nonresident's license $15 including deer tag; elk tag,
$25 additional* Licenses may be obtained in same manner ai fishing
GENERAL INFORMATION XXV
licenses (see above) ; open season for game animals and birds, all dates
inclusive :
Bear: Entire year, except in Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath coun-
ties, where open season is Nov. i to Nov. 30. Buck deer, Sept. 20 to
Oct. 25 ; bag limit, 2 Columbia blacktail deer or i mule deer having
not less than 3 forked horns. Bull elk, having horns: Nov. 8 to Nov. 18.
Chinese pheasants: Oct. 15 to Oct. 31 in most counties; bag limit 4
birds in i day, 8 in any 7 consecutive days, with i hen pheasant in bag
of 8. Hungarian partndges: Oct. 15 to Oct. 31 in Wasco, Sherman,
Morrow, and Wheeler counties; Sept. 15 to Nov. 15 in Malheur,
Baker, Wallowa, Union, and Umatilla counties; bag limit 6 birds in I
day, 12 in any consecutive 7 days. Quail: Oct. 15 to Oct. 31 in most
counties except Klamath, where season is from Oct. i to Oct. 31, bag
limit IO birds in any consecutive 7 days. Grouse, native pheasants : Oct.
15 to Oct. 31 W. of Cascade Range summit, Sept. 10 to Sept. 30 in
eastern Oregon, bag limit 4 birds in i day, or 8 in consecutive 7 days.
Ducks, geese, brant, coots, Wilson snipe, or jacksnipes; Nov. i to Nov.
30, bag limit on ducks 10 in i day or in possession at any one time,
geese and brant 4 in I day or in possession at any one time, snipe 15 in i
day or in possession at any one time.
Unlawful i To kill whitetail deer, sage hens, to hunt at night, to hunt
on any game refuge, to hunt deer with dogs, to waste game wantonly,
to shoot from public highway or railroad right-of-way, to hunt on lands
without permission of owner and to lie in wait for deer at or near licks,
to possess more than 30 lb and i fish (trout) or more than 40 trout
at one time. The provision as to trout, permits angler to have i fish
in excess of 30 Ib, provided the aggregate does not exceed 40 trout
(In view of frequent changes in regulations tourists should check with
latest editions of hunting and fishing laws.)
Picking wild flowers is not forbidden in national forests, and timber
may be removed from certain areas under a sustained yield system ; but
picking flowers along highways in national forests or in dedicated
recreation districts is not allowed.
General Service for Tourists : A publication of value is the Oregon Blue
Book, an official state publication, available in public libraries, or for
sale by the Secretary of State, Salem, 250 per copy; chambers of com-
merce, state troopers, automobile associations, forest officers will supply
inforaation at any rime-
No toll bridges or toll ferries within Oregon, but toll charges arc
OREGON
made for intei state crossings at several points between Oiegon and
Washington. Thiee bridges and seven femes cross Columbia River be-
tween Astoria and Umatilla, levying chaiges vaiying from 500 for cai
<md all passengeis to $i toi car and drivei (w Tm/rs). Travel ovei
Integrate Bridge at Poitland is free
CALENDAR OF ANNUAL EVENTS
Calendar of Annual Events
Only events of general interest listed* for descriptions consult index. Many
opening dates vary with the years and are placed in the week in which they
usually occur.
Third week
Fourth week
Fourth week
Fourth week
Second Friday
Third week
Third week
Fourth week
Fourth week
First week
Third Sunday
No fixed date
Easter
No fixed date
First Sunday
First week
Third week
Fourth week
JANUARY
at Kaniela La Grande Ski Tournament
at Government Camp Cascade Ski Club Tournament
at Portland Olympic Bowman League Shoot
at Eugene Olympic Bowman League Shoot
FEBRUARY
Statewide Arbor Day
at Government Camp Winter Sports Carnival
at Government Camp Pacific Northwest Slalom
Tournament
at Government Camp Champion Ski Jumps
at Vale "El Campo" Celebration
MARCH
at Portland Salmon Fishing Derby
at Prineville Old Timers' Reunion
at Portland Dog Show
at Portland Easter Services in Mt. Tabor
and Washington Parks
APRIL
at The Dalles Indian Salmon Feast
MAY
at Champoeg Oregon Founders' Day
at Klamath Falls Flower Show
at Milton Pea Festival
at Klamath Falls Upper Klamath Lake Regatta
XXVU1 OREGON
First week
Fhstweek
First week
Second week
Second week
Second week
Second week
Second week
Third week
Third week
Third or Fouith
week
Fourth week
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
JUNE
at Lebanon
at Union
at Independence
at Canyon City
at Portland
at Salem
at Government Camp
at Weston
at Brownsville
at Portland
atTaft
at St. Helens
at Sheridan
at Gold Beach
at Beaverton
at Newberg
at Florence
Strawberry Fair
Eastern Oregon Livestock Show
Jersey Jubilee
'62 Gold Rush Celebration
Rose Festival
Oregon Trapshooters'
Association Meet
Summer Ski Tournament
Pioneer Picnic
Pioneer Picnic
Oregon Pioneer Assn.
Celebration
Redhead Round-Up
St. Hellions Days
Phil Sheridan Day
Fat Lamb Show
Flower Festival
Berry Festival
Rhododendron Show
JULY
First week
First week
First week
First week
First week
Second week
Third week
(biennial)
Third week
Third week
(every 3rd yr]
Third week
Third week
Third week
Third week
at Hillsboro
at Molalla
at Bend
at Klamath Falls
at Vale
at Marshfield
at Oregon City
at Portland
at Eugene
tt Tillamook
at Hood River
at Gcarhart
at Stayton
Happy Days Celebration
Buckaroo
Water Pageant
Rodeo
Rodeo
Paul Bunyan Celebration
Frontier Days Celebration
Fleet Week
Oregon Trail Pageant
Tillamook Beaches Jubilee
American Legion Mt Hood
Climb
Oregon Coast Golf Tournament
Santsani Spree
CALENDAR
Third 01 Fourth at Baker
week
Fourth week at Grants Pass
Fourth week at Ocean Lake
No fixed date at Corvallis
OF ANNUAL EVENTS
Mining Jubilee
XXIX
No fixed date
No fixed date
at Tillamook
at Portland
No fixed date at Coquille
Gladiolus Show
Devil's Lake Regatta
Pacific Northwest
Horticultural Show
March of Progress
Outdoor Portland Symphony
Concerts
Flower Show
AUGUST
First week
at Silver ton
First week
Fhst week
Second week
Third week
(biennial)
Third Sunday
Fourth week
Fourth week
No fixed date
at Nyssa
at Mount Angel
at Bend
at Oregon City
at Falls City
at Ashland
at Independence
at Portland
Fourth week at Astoria
American Legion Baseball
Playoff
Owyhee Canyon Days
Flax Festival
Flower Show
Territorial Days Celebration
Old Timers' Picnic
Shakespearean Festival
Hop Fiesta
Outdoor Portland Symphony
Concerts
Astoria Regatta
SEPTEMBER
First week
First week
First week
First week
First week
First week
First week
Third week
Fourth week
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
at Lakeview
at Ontario
at The Dalles
at Heppner
at Salem
at Caves City
at Prairie City
at Pendleton
at Enterprise
at Condon
at Siletz
at Monmouth
Round-Up
Stampede
Fort Dalles Frolic
Rodeo
Oregon State Fair
Miners' Jubilee
Round-Up
Round-Up
Race Meet and Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo
XXX OREGON
First week
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fixed date
Second week
No fixed date
No fixed date
Fourth week
OCTOBER
at Portland
at Milton-Freewater
at Newberg
at Merrill
at Duf ur
Pacific International Livestock
Show
Apple Show
Farm Products Show
Potato Show
Ex-Service Men's Reunion
NOVEMBER
at Coquille Corn Show
at Corvallis State Horticultural Show
DECEMBER
at Oakland Northwestern Turkey Show
at Roseburg Turkey Show
at Portland Cat Show
at Simnasho Indian New Year's Celebration
No fixed date
No fixed date
L&tweek
Last week
Fourth week
First week
Kirt week
First week
First week
First week
Second week
Fourth week
Fourth week
Fourth week
No fixed date
No fixed date
No fix* A date
No fixed date
COUNTY AND DISTRICT FAIRS
AUGUST
at Gresham Multnomah County Fair
at Tillamook Tillamook County Fair
at Toledo Lincoln County Fair
at Eugene Lane County Fair
at Hermiston Hermiston Project Fair
SEPTEMBER
at Canby
at Ontario
at Moro
at Dallas
at Hillsboro
at Lakeview
at Redmond
at Enterprise
at La Grand?
at Woodburn
at Halfway
at St. Helen*
at Myrtle Point
Clackamas County Fair
Malheur County Fair
Sherman County Fair
Polk County Fair
Washington County Fair
Lake County and 4H Club Fair
Deschutes County Fair
Wallowa County Fair
Union County Fair
Community Fair
Baker County Fair
Columbia County Fair
Coot County Fair
CALENDAR OF ANNUAL EVENTS XXXI
No fixed date at Gold Beach Curry County Fair
No fixed date at John Day Grant County Fair
No fixed date at Burns Harney County Fair
No fixed date at Gold Hill Northwest Jackson County Fair
No fixed date at Grants Pass Josephine County Fair
No fixed date at The Dalles Northern Wasco County Fair
No fixed date at Tygh Valley Wasco County Fair
OCTOBER
First week at Pnneville Crook County Fair
PIONEER ASSOCIATION MEETINGS
FEBRUARY
Fourteenth at Portland Sons and Daughteis
of Oregon Pioneers
MAY
at The Dalles
at Hood River
First Saturday
Second week
First week
Second week
Second week
Third week
Third week
Third Sunday
No fixed date
Wasco County Association
Hood River County Association
JUNE
at Tillamook
at Canyon City
at Burns
at Portland
at Brownsville
at Hillsboro
at Weston
Tillamook County Association
Grant County Association
Harney County Association
Oregon State Pioneer
Association
Linn County Pioneer Association
Washington County Association
Umatilla County Association
JULY
Last Sunday at Coquille Coos County Association
Last Sunday at Dayton Yamhill County Association
Last Wednesday at Enterprise Wallowa County Association
AUGUST
First Sunday at Prineville Crook County Association
Third Sunday at Toledo Lincoln County Association
No fixed date at Canyon City Eastern Oregon Pioneer
Association
X'XXII O R E G O V
SEPTEMBER
No fi\a\ date at Oiegon City McLoughlm Memoi ml
Association
OCTOBER
\oiixeddate at r,exme;ton \Iono\\ County Association
PARTI.
Past and Present
Oregon Yesterday and Today
OREGONIANS pridefully point out that theirs is the only state
for which a transcontinental highway is named. It is the Oregon
Trail, which began at Independence, Missouri. Even yet there travel
along US 30, which in part roughly approximates and in part coincides
with the original trail, a continuous caravan of folk whose purposes par-
allel those of the pioneers who sought adventure, profit or release from
economic pressure. This third objective they have realized, it is said,
because the Trail's End State, although slow to respond to the impetus
of prosperity, has been correspondingly resistant to the effects of de-
pression,
Oregon's topography, as well as its location, has importantly affected
its development. The ninth largest commonwealth, it is divided physical-
ly by the Cascade mountain range, and metaphysically by economic,
political, and sociological Alps of infinitely greater magnitude. The
Cascades cut the State into two unequal portions from the northern to
the southern boundary lines. If the geologists are correct, the mountains
owe their eminence to a terrific vulcanism that sent the great peaks
hurtling up through the ooze and miasma of prehistoric Oregon. The
disturbance gave the modern state a scenic grandeur that has exhausted
even the superlatives of the gentlemen who write recreational brochures,
but it walled eastern Oregon away from the humid winds, the warm
rains of the coast, and turned most of the land, through countless aeons
of slow dehydration, into a country of drought and distances, of grim
and tortured mountains and high desert grown sparsely with stunted
juniper and wind-blown sage.
The mountain range stood as a colossal veto of whatever motions
the early eastern Oregon settlers might have made toward economic
equality with the pioneers of the lush country west of the Cascades. It
turned them, out of sheer necessity, into cattlemen and sheepmen and
miners and "dry" farmers, just as more benign circumstances made
western Oregon residents into lumbermen, dairymen, fishermen and
farmers, and in the more populous centers into artisans and politi-
4 OREGON
cians and financiers. At once the hero and the villain of the early Ore-
gon piece, the Cascade Range still imposes a dozen divergent viewpoints
upon the modern State; and it is therefoie unlikely, if not impossible,
that there be any such thing as a typical Oregonian.
The history of the State has been an essay in dramatic counterpoint
that did not in itself make for homogeneity. The epochal journey of
Lewis and Clark into the wild country still stands as a monumental
achievement. The explorers live as shining examples of men who had a
difficult job to do, and who did it with resounding thoroughness. But,
while they pried open the dark doorway to the unknown West, the
reports that they brought back of the Oregon Country's teeming animal
life opened the tenitory also to some precious scoundrels.
The fur traders who came after Lewis and Clark were as realistic
in their approach to the country as were Cortez to Mexico and Piezaro
to Peru. They plagued the Indians with whiskey and social diseases,
salted the very beaver skins with coiruption, and yearned to be quit
of the savage land as quickly as possible. The missionaries who followed
were, in the main, devout if somewhat severe men who stiove mightily
to invest the natives in spirituality and trousers; but even among these
a few learned to sing upon both sides of the Jordan, and to deal more
briskly in real estate than in salvation. While the great overland migra-
tion to Oregon has been sanctified by tradition it seems foolish to pre-
sume that the covered wagons carried nothing but animated virtues into
Oregon.
The great migration, as a matter of fact, contained every sort of
human ingredient. Here came craftsmen from the Atlantic seaboard
cities, uprooted by cheap labor from troubled Europe* journeying across
the yellow Missouri, the great deserts and the towering mountains, So,
also, came eastern farmers whose soil had worn thin from the sowings
and reaping of two hundred years, doctors who lacked patients, lawyers
who lacked clients. They came because they thought that they might
better themselves and their families. No sane person would question
their courage, or the hardihood of those who survived; but it is barely
possible that they were not all either simbonneted madonnas, or para-
gons of manhood jouncing westward with banjos on their knees.
The better of those who came may have lived longer. They certainly
toiled harder, and they left the stamp of their fierce industry upon
everything they touched* Had they been given time, had immigration
ceased with them, they might have fused and welded the traits of a
dozen eastern localities and produced something a mode of speech, a
YESTERDAY AND TODAY 5
style of architecture, a form of culture, or even a set of prejudices
uniquely then own. Subsequent waves of immigration, however, washed
again and again over them, to warp the sober pattern of living that
they laid down. The discovery of gold m southwestern Oregon and in
the eastern portion of the State in the fifties and sixties brought the
living prototypes of Bret Harte's fictions into the country by the
thousands during the next two decades. The argonauts, like the Federal
troops who came to fight a half dozen bloody Indian wars, had the
irresponsibility of men who live lonely and dangerous lives anywhere,
and they sowed their seed from Port Orford, on the southern Oregon
coast, to the Wallowa foothills, on the State's northeastern boundary
line. Veterans of Lee's shattered Army of the Confederacy, spared their
horses by Grant at Appomattox, rode the starveling beasts into the
country that had irked the Union commander as young lieutenant at
Fort Vancouver years before, and men of his own victorious army
pushed westward to settle side by side with their vanquished foes.
Then General Howard's troops blew out the last determined Indian
resistance with a single gust of black powder smoke at Willow Springs
in 1879, and eastern capitalists began to read some significance in the
tumultuous Oregon scene* The transportation kings arrived, to wrestle
for supremacy like embattled bulls, and while their methods may have
shocked students of ethics, the shining rails went down, so that men
along the Deschutes might ship some of the largest and finest potatoes
in the world, and Jackson County fruit growers might find a market for
their golden pears, and the lumber barons might hack at the State's
timber resources* Lumberjacks from the thinning pine woods of Michi-
gan swarmed into the Oregon wilds, just as in many cases their fathers
before them had come into the Middle West from the hardwood forests
of Maine, and the great epoch of Oregon lumbering was begun*
It is an interesting genealogical fact that the grandsons of Maine
residents sometimes married the descendants of men who had come
from that state a half century before; but there were not enough of
these to make a Yankee sampler of Oregon. Swedes had come in too,
and Norwegians; German and Bohemian immigrants were planting
garden plots and pulling stumps as the forest wall receded. In Astoria
Finnish fishermen adapted themselves to a climate less rigorous than
that of their native land, while on the hills of southeastern Oregon,
Spanish Basques were raising sheep, to the disgust of cattlemen who
ruled like feudal lords over ranches larger than the lesser Balkan states,
The ranchers and the cowboys who served them, were as pungent
6 OREGON
a set of personalities as the Noith American continent ever knew. Their
manner of living was Oregon's last link to the fabulous West that has
vanished foiever. Many of the cattlemen rode into the unmapped conn-
tiy with no other possessions than their nfles and blankets and the
clothing that they woie. Their successful efforts to wimg livelihoods
fiom the hostile land is an unwritten epic of the frontiei. Although the
financial wtzaid, Hemy Miller, might swallow their ranches event-
ually, they held things with a short lein while they lasted, and weie
quicker to icsott to the nfle than to the couits of law. Some of them
were pillars ot rectitude who manied eaily, begot large families, and
grew gaunt and giay and old in sobei monogamy. Others punished
their hveis with bad whiskey and pin sued their amouis in the Indian
lodges as well as in the brothels of Pendleton and the settlements of
the Klamath Basin, A woman tavern keeper on Applegate CrccL in
Jackson Count} wrote to her niece in 1854: "Em, I should like to have
you here, but a young lady is so seldom seen here that you would be in
danger of being taken by foice."
This leckless era wore itself down with its own sheer animal vigor,
and died, figuratively, in its tiacks> like a spent bull. There followed
the homesteading migration of the early 1900*8 when thousands of
easterners settled upon lands that often failed to yield a living. Some
of them ultimately beat then way back to the Kast, many found foot*
holds in the productive soils of the western part of the State, and Oregon
cities absozbed the rest. Then the World War was fought ami finished,
Oregon troops came back from overseas, and the State passed through
the golden twenties and the lean nineteen-thirties to immediate time.
The forces of good and evil, as we know them, have hammered one
another through every hour of the State's history. Balanced against
cfcbaucherfcb, failures and land frauds are the solid accomplishments of
men and women who had honesty of purpose ami vision, vast courage
and friendliness, and generosity that sprang watm from their hearts.
Politically* the individual Oregonian may be certain that he under-
stands himself, but he cannot always be so sure of his neighbors Citi-
xtm of conservative opinion may declare solemnly that a .staunch and
inflexible conservatism is the bone and bowe! and sinew of the State's
body politic, but the body politic has never patiently endured a tight-
ened belt, and there has been no lack of faithful followers to heed the
chant of every economic mue/^ni from Henry George to Dr. Town-
send. 'Htroughout the State, a preponderantly conservative press voices
at least an editorial approval of the status quo; but there is always a
YESTERDAY AND TODAY 7
play of heat-lightning and a rumble of distant thunder along the politi-
cal horizon, and champions of new causes emerge each year.
Oregon politics have been matters of both comedy and melodrama.
The State was harshly dictatorial in its treatment of Chinese immi-
grants, with whose descendants the commonwealth now finds no quar-
rel ; but it was also the first to introduce the initiative and referendum,
and the breath of liberalism has never entirely failed. Unpredictable as
are voteis elsewheie, Oregonians sometimes make strange uses of their
franchise. The Ku Klux Klan burned its fiery crosses over a hundred
hills, and its propagandists sowed racial intolerance in every county of
the state, but the Oregon electorate, unmoved by these activities, plodded
to the polls and elected a Jewish governor. The voters of Salem en-
thusiastically accepting a plan for a new courthouse as proposed in a
primary measure, marched forth at the general election to reject the
tav levy with which the structure was to have been built. The general
elections of November, 1938, found the Oregon electorate voting down
a sales tax which was intended to have financed an extended old-age
pension plan, approved in the preceding pnmaiy. The commonwealth's
true political picture reads from Left to Right, with all deviations and
all shades of opinion represented, and in the very vociferousness of
dissenting voices, Oregon may count its democracy secure.
Oregonians have expressed themselves well in the fields of art,
letters and music. Although Portland has been called the "Athens of
the West," only a few persons are inclined to be disagreeably emphatic
about the matter, or to make a fetish of culture. The State's painters and
sculptors show strength and imagination and skill, and men and women
employed by WPA have executed some of the most forthright work
among contemporary artists. Oregon writers delve into a wealth of raw
source material, and do well with what they withdraw and refine; and
if it is not precisely true that there are more writers in Portland than
in any other American city, as has been contended, there are at least
an astonishing number of poets and novelists and journalists for so small
a municipality* Besides these, there are sailors who come from the sea
to write of what they have seen, and former lumberjacks who wade as
zestfully into the world of letters as once they did into the Oregon
mill-ponds.
All this promises well for a rich and full and native culture in the
future, but it should not be supposed that the state has yet abandoned
itself utterly to the refinements of the arts* The pulp magazines sell as
well in Oregon as anywhere else, the cinema offers as many ineptitudes;
8 OREGON
and while the Portland Junior Symphony, or the touring Monte Carlo
Ballet, may attract large audiences to the Portland Auditorium, the
beer hall* ate filled also with citizens who frankly prefer "swing"
rhythms, Peihaps the gieatcst cultural achievement of the common-
wealth is expressed by the fact that only one state, Iowa, has a greater
degiee of litciacy, although higher edxication in Oregon was long re-
taided by peisons opposed to any institutions more advanced than the
most elemental y of schools.
Pictoriidly Oiegon is this: tidy white houses and church spires of
the Willamette Valley settlements, like transplanted New England
towns, among patfoial scenery warm and graceful as the landscapes of
lnne&; the Alicc-ihtougli-the-looking-glass effect of a swift incredible
grogiaphic change that lifts the motorist out ot lush green forests and
over the wiml-scouied ridgepole of the Cascades, and plummets him
into a grim Ncver-Never land of broken rim-rock and bone-bare plains
beyond the range; the lamplit fiontier towns of eastern Oregon, the
rolling, golden wheatlands, great ranches where booted and spuired men
still ride; Cratei Lake, with its unbelievably blue waters trapped for-
ever in a riiattried mountain peak; Newberry Crater, the Lava Fields
and the Columbia (Jorge; and the Wallowa Mountains where the last
big-horn .sheep in Oiegoa browse among mile-high lakes and meadows
of alpine flowers* Or if the bird's-eye view is toward the west coast;
a humid, forested, mountainous region, fronting the Pacific, to which it
presents, abruptly, a precipitous escarpment, relieved here and there by
long stretches of sand beaches, an occasional lumber port or fishing
village, or a river mouth. Southward toward California the land rises
in a jungle of ranges dented by narrow valleys where live and work
miners and lumbermen.
If symbolism may be needed to complete the picture, let there be
two symbtih for Oregon: a pioneer of the covered wagon epoch, and
beside him likewise grim and indomitable, the plodding figure of a
modern farmer driven from middle-western soil by years of drought*
Thousands of dust-bowl refugees have drifted into Oregon since 1930,
If hunger and hardships and uncertainty are the essences of the pioneer *
tradition, they are a part of it already; and as the bearded early immi-
grant! brought a first cohesion to the territory, these latter day American
pioneers may strengthen that cohesion and make their own distinctive
contribution to the future state*
Natural Setting
RUGGED coast line, sandy beaches, heavily timbered ranges, snow-
capped peaks, broad river valleys, rough drainage basins, lava
fields, gigantic geologic faults, and rolling upland plains cut by deep
gorges, spread out in changing panoramas in this land of scenic surprises.
Rugged masses, but slightly changed from the form of their volcanic
origin, stand out in contrast to wide areas with lines softened by
erosion,
Oregon is a land divided by great mountain barriers into regions of
productive faims and desert wastes; it is a land of crowded habitations
and scanty settlements, of lofty eminences and deep depressions,^ of iso-
lated mountain-hemmed areas and open plains beyond the limit of
vision, of deep lakes and barren playas, of rushing rivers and dry water
courses, of dense forest undergrowth and park-like stands of timber.
The present State, formerly part of a vast area known as the Oregon
country, is bounded on the north by the State of Washington, on the
east by Idaho, on the south by Nevada and California, and on the west
by the Pacific Ocean. Forming the larger part of its northern boundary
line, the historic Columbia River gives the State somewhat the shape
of a saddle, with its pommel near the river's mouth. The Snake River,
with a rugged gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon of the Colorado,
forms more than half of the eastern boundary. These two rivers, with
the three hundred miles of coast, make more than two-thirds of Ore-
gon's boundary line.
The state's extreme length, along the I24th meridian, is 280 miles;
Its extreme width, between Cape Blanco and the eastern boundary
line, is 380 miles- Including 1,092 square miles of water surface, its
total area is 96,699 square miles, making it the ninth largest state m
the Union- With the exception of the far eastern portion, it lies in the
Pacific Time Belt; and it embraces 36 counties.
The lofty and frosty-peaked Cascade Range divides Oregon into
two unequal parts. To the cast is , the broad plains-plateau section; to
the west, add comprising about one-third of the state's area, lies the
IO OREGON
more fully developed and more densely populated valley and coast
section.
Although the dominating mass and altitude of the Cascade Range
are responsible for major differences in climate, topography, and much
else within the state, geographers subdivide Oregon into eight natural
regions, or physiographic provinces, differing in soil, climate, plant life,
and other characteristics. From west to east, these are the Coast, South-
ern Oregon, Willamette, Cascade, Deschutes-Columbia, Blue-Wallowa,
Southeastern Lake, and Snake River regions.
The Coast Region, extending from the backbone of the Coast Range
to the Pacific Ocean, is a long strip of less than 25 miles in average
width. The Coast Range is low and rolling, with a mean elevation of
less than 2,000 feet and occasional peaks up to 4,000 feet. Its western
foothills leave but a narrow margin of coast plain, varying from a few
miles wide to a complete break where precipitous promontories jut out
into the ocean. Many streams rise in this range and flow westward
into bays and estuaries or directly into the Pacific. Two southern rivers,
the Umpqua and the Rogue, penetrate the Coast Range from the west-
ern slope of the Cascades. Seven of the streams are navigable for river
ciaft from ten to thirty miles, and were once picturesquely active with
steamboat commerce. A little stern-wheeler used to go up the deep but
narrowing Coos until passengers on the deck could almost reach out
and touch the damp and mossy walls on either side. A pioneer doctor
at Florence, on the Siuslaw, owned a motor boat but no horse and
buggy. Seven jetties have been built along the coast, but there are few
good harbors. The old Spanish mariners passed them by, and Drake
claimed that he anchored in a "bad bay." Rainfall averages about
seventy-two inches annually, the climate is made mild by the closeness
of the Pacific, and luxuriant vegetation, green the year around, affords
a natural grassland for dairy farming along the lower valleys. Dairy-
ing, fishing, and lumbering are the principal industries. There are few
railroads, but the region has a good network of highways, including the
scenic Oregon Coast Highway, which roughly parallels the coast line
for its entire distance. Astoria, Tillamook, Marshfield, and North Bend
are the towns of major importance in this region.
The Southern Oregon Region, extending fiom the Calapooya Moun-
tains southward to the state line between the Cascades and the Coast
Range, is of rough topography, with heavily timbered mountainsides,
dissected plateaus, and interior valleys of fine fruit, nut, and vegetable
land. Portions of the Rogue River Valley are famous for pears and
NATURAL SETTING II
of the Umpqua River Valley for prunes, the former being raised largely
with irrigation, the latter without. Game is plentiful in its many wilder-
ness areas, and fish abound in its streams. It is one of the richest min-
eral regions in the state, and has abundant potential waterpower. Can-
ning and preserving of fruits and vegetables, lumbering, and mining
are the chief industrial activities. Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford,
and Ashland are the principal towns. A number of fine highways pene-
trate the region, but there will long remain many remote and primitive
areas. Although the climate is varied, there are no extremes.
The Willamette Region comprises the famous Willamette Valley, a
rectangular trough of level and rolling farm and timber lands, about
one hundred and eighty miles long from the Columbia River to the
Calapooya Mountains, and sixty miles wide from the Cascades to the
Coast Range. The Willamette River and its tributaries drain the entire
region, which has a widely diversified agriculture, the greatest com-
mercial and industrial development in Oregon, and two-thirds of the
state's population. Its particularly favorable soil and climatic condi-
tions, and the availability of the Willamette and its tributaries for
water transportation, made it the goal of most of the early immigrants.
This early settlement and the region's natural advantages have main-
tained its position as the most important area of the State. Together
with the Coast Region, it contains some of the finest stands of market-
able timber now remaining in the United States, making lumbering an
important industry. Manufacturing covers a wide variety of products,
many of which have a national distribution. The region enjoys a mild
climate and abundant rainfall, and has an excellent network of high-
ways, railroads, waterways, and airways. Scenically, it is considered
by many travelers to be one of the most beautiful in the West. Port-
land, Oregon City, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, and Eugene are the
principal towns of the Willamette Valley.
The Cascade Region, extending along both sides of the Cascade
Range, is an area of rugged grandeur. The western slope is the more
precipitous, leading down into the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue
River valleys. The eastern slope merges into a high plateau, which
differs in climate and rainfall from the western slope because of the
mountain barrier to the warm moisture-laden winds from the Pacific.
Drainage is largely into the Deschutes River. Flora and fauna are
distinctly, almost abruptly, different on the two slopes. With its moun-
tain lakes and tumbling streams, the region has tremendous possibili-
ties for irrigation and waterpower. Some irrigation developments have
12 OREGON
already been made, and a number of valley cities have power dams along
the water-courses. It is an important grazing area. Lumbering flour-
ishes, and immense stands of timber still await the saw. Of the 13,788,-
802 acres of national forests in Oregon, more than one-third are in
the Cascade Region. The two most important agricultural districts
are Hood River County, in the extreme north, with its famous irrigated
apple orchards, and Klamath County, in the extreme south, prolific in
potatoes, barley, and dairy products. Increasing accessibility has caused
extensive use of the region as a playground. Being near to Portland,
Mount Hood is the main focus of recreation, although Crater Lake,
the Three Sisters, and other attractive natural areas are becoming in-
creasingly popular. The Klamath lakes and marshes are famous shooting
grounds, and the Pacific Crest Trail along the backbone of the Cas-
cades is a notable hiking and saddle route. Climate and rainfall vary
with the slope and altitude. Klamath Falls and Hood River are the
principal cities.
The Deschutes-Columbia Region is a great interior plateau between
the Cascade Range and the Blue Mountains. Most of the northern
boundary is the Columbia River. The entire course of the Deschutes
River and most of the John Day River are within its boundaries. It
is a country of rolling hills, interspersed with level stretches of valley
and upland. It is situated in the great Columbia lava flow, said to be
the largest and deepest in existence. Canyon walls, from fifteen hun-
dred to two thousand feet in height, reveal as many as twenty super-
imposed flows. The climate is dry and hot in summer, moderately cold
in winter, and the region has from ten to twenty inches of annual rain-
fall. Irrigation is practiced wherever conditions warrant, but dry fann-
ing predominates. The wide uncultivated sections support large herds
of sheep and cattle. There are some magnificent pine forests, mostly in
the foothills, and regional lumbering operations are carried on. The few
towns are supported largely by trade in livestock and agricultural com-
modities, and by the manufacture of flour, lumber, and woolen products.
There are several good highways, along with two main railroad lines
and a number of branch lines. The Dalles, Bend, and Pendleton are
the principal towns.
The Blue-Wallowa Region is an area of about twenty thousand
square miles in the northeastern part of the state, with two great moun-
tain masses the Blue Mountains, with the reverse L of the Strawberry
Range, and the Wallowa Mountains* The Blue Mountain section con-
sists of rolling terrain, covered with park-like stands of timber; the
NATURAL SETTING 13
other is rugged precipitous country, with beautiful mountain lakes and
other striking scenery. The climate is less temperate than in the west-
ern part of the State, and the annual rainfall is from ten to twenty
inches. The only farms are on the broad river bottoms, with livestock,
wool, and hay as the most important products. There is much gold
mining, principally by dredging. Parts of five national forests lie within
the region. Industrial activity is restricted largely to lumbering, flour-
making, and gold and copper refining. Highways are being extended
as the recreational advantages of the region become more widely recog-
nized. There is one main-line railroad. Baker and La Grande are the
largest towns.
The Southeastern Lake Region, including the High Desert, gives
a first impression of being an immense wasteland of little value for
human use, but it has many undeveloped resources. It extends south-
ward from the Blue-Wallowa Region to the southern state line and
contains many lakes, some of which dry up altogether or shrink greatly
during the summer. Even some of the larger lakes have been known to
evaporate entirely, then fill again. A striking example of this is Goose
Lake on the southern boundary. For years settlers had seen the weath-
ered wagon ruts of early emigrant trains leading up to the lake shore,
and continuing from the water's edge on the opposite shore, although
the lake was too deep to ford. One of the emigrant-train pioneers was
asked how the wagons got across. They didn't cross any lake, he said,
in their journey. The mystery of the tracks remained ; but years later
the lake dried up, and there were the wagon ruts leading across its bed
and connecting with those on the two shores. Precipitation in most parts
of this region amounts to about 10 inches annually. Livestock, prin-
cipally sheep, is the chief product, although some farm crops are raised
in scattered sections, and there is some wild hay. Surface streams and
underground water are both scanty. Minerals other than salts from
the dry lake beds are rare. There are few improved highways and but
one branch railroad. Although the area is generally treeless, portions
of the Deschutes and Fremont National Forests have fair stands of
pine, in which some lumbering is done. The population is sparse. Burns
and Lakeview are the chief towns.
The Snake River Region is a strip along the eastern boundary of the
State, consisting of an open plateau from thirty-five hundred to four
thousand feet in altitude, with narrow and deeply-cut river valleys,
low ranges of mountains, detached buttes, rim-rock, and sagebrush
plains. It is semi-arid, with only about ten inches of annual rainfalL
14 OREGON
The Vale and Owyhee irrigation projects have brought a considerable
acreage into high agricultural productivity; and in other sections, such
as the Jordan Valley, there are several smaller irrigation projects. The
northern portion has a number of adequate highways and railroads,
but in the south there has been little transportation development of any
kind. The area has considerable mineral wealth, great herds of sheep
and cattle, .and some horses. Except in the irrigated sections, the popu-
lation is very sparse. Ontario and Vale are the principal towns.
Altogether, Oregon has a geography of immense diversity and notable
contrast. In what is now Lake County, in December, 1843, John C.
Fremont ascended to an altitude of seven thousand feet amid snows and
howling winds Suddenly, from a rim, he looked down three thousand
feet upon a lake, warm and smiling and margined with gieen trees
and grass. He and his party on that December day picked their way
down the declivity, from winter into summer. He named the two points
Winter Rim and Summer Lake.
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY
Two distinct bodies of land, washed by the primal sea, were
the nuclei from which, at an extremely remote period of time, the
present state of Oregon was formed. One of these was in what
is now the Bald Mountain region of Baker County and the other in
the piesent Klamath-Siskiyou area of southwestern Oregon. The sub-
sequent geological history of the state is chiefly the story of their exten-
sion and topographic variation by elevation of the sea bed, by lava
flows, by deposits of volcanic ash, and by erosion.
For millions of years these islands alone stood above the water, but
during the Tnassic period (one hundred and seventy to one hundred
and ninety million years ago) the sea, while it still covered most of
the present state, had become shallow around the Blue Mountains.
Sedimentary beds of this period are found on the northern flanks of the
Wallowa Mountains, and typical exposures are seen along Hurricane
Creek, Eagle Creek, and Powder River. Rocks of the Jurassic period
(one hundred and ten to one hundred and seventy million years ago)
are widespread in both the Blue Mountain and the Klamath regions.
Fossils of the flora of this period, found at Nichols in Douglas County,
and consisting of conifers, cycads and ferns, point to a tropical climate
for the region at that time.
At the close of the Jurassic period, or perhaps a little later, there
NATURAL SETTING 15
was a great upheaval in the legion. The low-lying land and adjacent
sea bed were thrust up by forces below the earth's surface, and about
the site of Baker became what were probably Oregon's first mountains ,
while the shallower sea bed, with its lime shales and volcanic rocks,
became the Powder River Mountains.
At the opening of the Cretaceous period (sixty-five to one hundred
and ten million years ago), sea surrounded the Klamath Mountains,
flowing in from California over the site of Mount Shasta to what is
now Douglas County and thence to the main ocean by a passage near
the mouth of the Coquille River.
The close of the Cretaceous period saw the Blue and Klamath
regions, with their accretions, separated by a sea dike that had been
slowly rising out of the ocean bed from Lower California to the Aleu-
tian Islands. The elevation of this barrier, the Sierra Nevada Range
in California and the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington, di-
vided the State into two geologically, geographically, and climatically
dissimilar parts. It made the region to the west a marine province, in
which geologic changes were brought about by agencies existing in and
emanating from the sea; it made the region to the east a continental
province, the development of which was bound up with the large land
mass of the continent.
Rising slowly, the dike shut out the sea from the interior and cre-
ated three great drainage areas: one to the south, which in time became
the Colorado River; one to the north, which in a later age formed the
Columbia River Basin; and a third, in what is now southeastern Ore-
gon, whose outlets were cut off and whose waters disappeared through
evaporation. At the close of the Cretaceous period, the sea retreated
and never again advanced farther than the present axis of the Cascades.
At the dawn of the Tertiary period or age of mammals, fifty mil-
lion years ago, eastern Oregon was a region of lakes. The Blue Moun-
tains and the Cascade hills were green with forests and beautiful with
large flowering shrubs. Magnolia, cinnamon, and fig trees flourished.
Sycamore, dogwood, and oak appeared. The Oregon grape, now the
state flower, grew densely in the hills. Sequoias towered to imposing
heights.
The earliest, or Eocene, epoch of the Tertiary period is represented
by the first upthrust of the Coast Range, by the Monroe, Corvallis,
and Albany hills, and by the Chehalem and Tillamook coal beds^ The
development of coal, however, was greatest along the Coos Bay coast
New land was forming in the next epoch, the Oligocene, ^ks shown by
l6 OREGON
the structures in the John Day Valley and in northwestern Oregon.
In the former region these are sedimentary rocks known to geologists
as the John Day series. Late in the same epoch or early in the Mio-
cene, vast flows of lava, now known as the Columbia lava formation,
began to well up from the earth. This was an age of volcanism, when
the Cascade hills, later to become mountains, belched clouds of ashes
that were carried eastward to take part in filling the great eastern
Oregon lakes ; when vents opened in hillsides to pour out gigantic rivers
of molten rock that filled the lakes and valleys to the east and sur-
rounded lofty mountain peaks with a sea of basalt; when the great
plateau now encompassing most of Oregon from the west slope of the
Cascades eastward was formed. The Blue and Wallowa Mountain
ranges of today rise above the plateau, but the effect of their height is
minimized by the thick strata of lava surrounding their bases. Geologists
pronounce the formation to be one of the three greatest lava flows of
the world. Twenty-five successive flows have been counted in the Des-
chutes Valley, and as many as twenty in the Columbia River canyon.
Changes other than volcanic were also taking place in the Miocene
epoch. The Umpqua Valley was being elevated above sea level. The
Calapooya Mountains, which had been rising late in the preceding
epoch (as indicated by recovered shell fossils), were extending to join
the slowly developing Coast Range, thus excluding the sea from what
is now southwestern Oregon. Toward the middle of the epoch com-
parative quiet returned. The old animal life of the earlier epochs of
the Tertiary period had perished, and new types succeeded. Forests
blossomed in new glory. By the close of the epoch the Coast Range
had formed a solid wall paralleling the Cascade hills, and the Willam-
ette Valley had been elevated above the sea.
During the Pliocene epoch which followed, land was elevated over
all the area of western United States. The Oregon coast extended
many leagues farther west than it does today. A period of coastal de-
pression followed, and land which once was mainland is now sub-
merged far out at sea. Volcanic activity reappeared in the Cascades,
and toward the end of the epoch there was great activity in mountain
building both along the coast and in the Cascade region. It was then
that the Cascades attained their great height, erected their superstruc-
ture of peaks and castles, and were crowned with snow. The barrier
thus raised shut out from the interior the warm moisture-laden ocean
winds, and turned the climate colder. By the middle of the following,
or Pleistocene, epoch, the glacial age had come on.
NATURAL SETTING 17
Oregon was never under a continuous coat of ice during the Pleisto-
cene epoch, as was much of continental North America. At this time
glaciers formed on Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, the Three Sisters,
and sky-piercing Mount Mazama in southern Oregon, and were scat-
tered through eastern Oregon and along the Columbia River gorge.
Among the largest moraines is a lateral one on the east side of Wallowa
Lake, m extreme northeastern Oregon. It is approximately six miles
long, one-fourth of a mile wide, and between six hundred and seven
hundred feet high.
An event of importance at the close of the ice age was the violent
eruption of Mount Mazama, which either blew up, scattering its sub-
stance over the surrounding countryside, or collapsed and fell into its
own crater. Perhaps both explosion and collapse occurred. This cata-
clysm resulted in the formation of the huge caldera now occupied by
Crater Lake.
Another period of land depression followed, during which Oregon
lost still more of its western coastal area. The Willamette Valley be-
came a sound or fresh-water lake formed by the damming of the
Columbia by ice, at which time water flowed 300 feet above the present
level of Portland, 165 feet above that of Salem, and 115 feet above
that of Albany. An important development of this period was the fault-
ing in the Great Basin area of southeastern Oregon, when the impos-
ing Steens and Abert Rim Mountains were formed.
During recent time, deposits found in Oregon have included stream
gravels, silt washed from the valley sides, dunes along the coast and in
the lake region of eastern Oregon, peat bogs in the coastal dune area,
volcanic deposits m the Cascade Mountains, shore deposits along the
beaches, and many others.,, The shifting dune sands damming sluggish
streams have created a chain of beautiful fresh-water lakes along the
ocean shore,
In many parts of the Cascade Mountains there are cinder cones that
have the appearance of recent origin. Some of them may be not more
than a hundred years old. The Portland Oregonian reported an erup-
tion of Mount Hood as late as 1865.
Since 1862, when Dr. Thomas Condon, Oregon's noted pioneer
geologist, discovered and made known to the world the now famous
fossil beds of the John Day Valley, Oregon has been an important
center for paleontological research. Exploration has been rewarded by
yields of a number of the most highly prized specimens of prehistoric
plant and animal life uncovered in the United States, and has revealed
l8 OREGON
the fascinating story of Oregon's ancient eons. Plant life of the Plio-
cene epoch was not represented in Dr. Condon's finds; but in 1936
the discovery of flora fossils of that epoch, in the Deschutes River
gorge nine miles west of Madras, filled the one gap existing in the
record.
The oreodonts, an interesting group of animals now extinct, were
formerly abundant in the lower lake region of the John Day Valley
Oreodonts ranged in size from that of a coyote to that of an elk. These
animals had the molar teeth of a deer, the side teeth of a hog, and the
incisors of a carnivore. Oreodonts, rhinoceroses, and peccaries are in
the Condon collection of fossils. The well defined metacarpal bone of
a camel was found in the gray stone of a former lake bed near The
Dalles, and fossils found in other regions of the State indicate a prob-
ability that the camel once roamed much of the Pacific Northwest.
The fossil head of a seal found in 1906 and that of a giant sea
turtle found embedded in sandstone near the Oregon coast in 1939
prove that these primitive species lived in that section when the ocean
still covered western Oregon. Seal fossils have also been found in the
Willamette Valley. In southeastern Oregon, in the vicinity of Silver
(or Fossil) Lake, were discovered the fossil bones of a wide variety
of birds. This region has also yielded the remains of a mylodon a
great sloth as large as a grizzly bear four kinds of camel, a mammoth
elephant, three species of primitive horse, and many smaller animals.
A notable fossil recovery was that of the mesohippus, a tiny three-
toed horse, found in 1866 by men digging a well near the Snake Rivei
not far from Walla Walla in eastern Washington. Taken to The
Dalles and given to Dr. Condon, who identified them, these bones
brought attention to the "equus beds" of eastern Washington and
Oregon.
The mastodon and mammoth have left abundant fossil remains in
Oregon. A fine specimen of the broad-faced ox, precursor of the bison,
was dredged from the Willamette River. Fossil remains of the ground
sloth, though rare, have been found in Yamhill County and in the
John Day Valley. Remains of the rhinoceros are plentiful in the large
lake beds. The Suidae, or hog family, is represented in the lower lake
regions by several species, the largest of which is the entelodont. Fossils
of a musk deer and of the head of a primitive cat about the size of the
present-day cougar were found in the north fork of the John Day
River. This area also abounded in early ages with saber-toothed cats.
NATURAL SETTING IQ
The dog of the Miocene epoch is represented in fossils indicating an
animal about the size of the Newfoundland breed.
In the northeastern part of the state, and in the vicinity of Burns,
Canyon City, and Prineville, various groups of important fossil shells
of the Jurassic period have been found. In Baker and Crook Counties,
and in the Siskiyou region of southern Oregon, the carboniferous rocks
have yielded many interesting groups of fossil shells of the Paleozoic
era. The trigonia, a bivalve shell of Cretaceous times, is abundant in
both southern and northeastern parts of the state.
A gioup of marine shells of great interest to the geologist and
paleontologist is that of the chambered cephalopods. Of highest rank
in this group are the ammonites, which became extinct at the close of
the Cretaceous period. Both the chambered nautilus and the ammonite
have been found widely distributed in the rocks of the Siskiyou region.
At Astoria and in the vicinity of Westport, the Columbia River, cut-
ting into the Eocene belt, has exposed specimens of another beautiful
shell fossil, the atuna.
Submerged groves of trees in the Columbia River near the Upper
Cascades indicate that this river between the Cascades and The Dalles
was more than twenty feet lower when these trees were living than it
is today. These submerged forests are in a slow process of decay and
are not "petrified," although they have been thus termed by some lay-
men. The upright position of the trees affords evidence that rising water
covered them where they stood.
In Columbia Gorge, near Tanner Creek, were found fossil frag-
ments of a leaf of the gingko tree, a beautiful species known previously
only in sacred groves around the temples of China and Japan. Since
discovery of these fragments, test plantings of gingko trees imported
from Japan have been found to thrive in the vicinity of Portland. Near
Goshen, on the Pacific Highway, is an assemblage of fossil leaves, en-
tombed in fine-grained volcanic ash, resembling trees of the lower
Oligocene epoch, whose counterparts now flourish in Central America
and the Philippines. This evidence seems to establish unquestionably
the existence of a tropical climate in the Oregon region at some re-
mote time.
FLORA AND FAUNA
In the moist valleys, on the craggy mountains, and on the semi-
arid deserts of Oregon, grow a multitude of flowers, ferns, grasses,
shrubs, and trees. One authority lists more than two thousand species
2O OREGON
and subspecies that flourish within Oregon's 96,000 square miles.
Western Oregon offers a warm and sheltered conservatory for the
development of plant growth. A large area is covered with Douglas
fir, interspersed with cedar, yew and hemlock, while along the coast
grow gigantic tideland spruce and contorted thickets of lodgepole pine.
In the southern Cascades and in the Siskiyous, firs give place to the
massive pillars of the sugar pine. Near the southern coast are extensive
groves of Port Orford cedar, redwood, and the rare Oregon myrtle
found nowhere else in America. Eastward of the Cascades are the
widely distributed forests of yellow pine, lodgepole pine and Englemann
spruce. On the desert uplands grows the western juniper, hardy and
sparse, furnishing the only shade. In the valleys and on the adjacent
hills of the Columbia, Willamette, Umpqua, Rogue and other rivers,
appear numerous hardwoods and deciduous trees oaks, maples, alders,
willows, and those unsurpassed flowering trees, the red-barked madrona
and the Pacific dogwood.
Along the sea beaches and on the wave-cut bluffs are verbenas and
wild asters, tangled thickets of devil's club, laurel, sweet gale, and
rhododendron, and watery sphagnum bogs lush with the cobra-leaved
pitcher plant and the delicate sundew. In June, on the windy headland
of Cape Blanco, a party of visitors picked sixteen varieties of flowers
within a single acre.
In Oregon valleys great fields are seasonally blue with the wild
flag, pastures are bright with buttercups, and the moist woods with
violets, trilliums, and adder's-tongues. Alpine regions are deeply car-
peted with sorrel, and orchids lend their pastel shades. Deeper in the
forest grow the waxy Indian pipe, the blood-red snow plant, and the
rare moccasin flower. In the Siskiyous are more than fifty plants found
nowhere else in the world.
Both on the coast and in the interior valleys Scotch broom glows
goldenly, but is regarded by fanners as a pest In the spring and early
summer, the wild currant's crimson flame, sweet syringa, ocean spray,
and Douglas spirea form streamside thickets of riotous blossom; and the
glossy-leaved Oregon grape, by its omnipresent neighborliness, justifies
its selection as the State flower.
Eastward of the Cascades there is a decided topographical and botani-
cal change. A hiker on a mountain trail will sometimes notice an almost
knife-edge break between the two floras. A high inland plateau, broken
by deep river canyons and small scattered mountain ranges, stretches
away to the state's borders. This seeming waste is an empire of fertility.
NATURAL SETTING 21
Sagebrush and juniper abound, and beneath their branches the sage lily
develops in splendor. Along the bluffs of the Columbia, wild clover
covers many dry hillsides, and distant fields take on a misty, purplish
hue, like wafted smoke. Lupines and larkspurs tint the landscape for
miles, while locoweeds, some of them of great beauty though of evil
fame, are very abundant. Here, too, are the yellow-belled rice root, the
blazing star, and the Lewisia and the Clarkia, named for the adven-
turers who discovered them.
Among early botanical explorers, besides Lewis and Clark, were
Douglas, Nuttall, Pickering, Brackenridge, and Tolmie. Douglas re-
lates that in hunting for cones of the sugar pine, after he had shot
three specimens from a 3OO-foot tree, he was confronted by eight un-
friendly Indians. By offering tobacco he induced them to aid him in
securing a quantity of the cones. As they disappeared to comply with
his request he snatched up his three cones and retreated to camp.
The flora of Oregon plays an important part in the Indian lore of
the region. Nearly two hundred plants found place in the commercial,
industrial, medical, culinary, and religious economy of the Northwest
tribes. With the passing of winter, camps became active with prepara-
tion for the annual food gathering. Tribes migrated to the camas
prairie, the wappato lake, or the wocus swamp, for the yearly harvest.
Throughout the State there is a great variety of wild fruit, which
formed a principal article of subsistence for the natives. A dozen varie-
ties of berries, wild crab apple, plum, Oregon grape, ripened in their
season. Bird-cherry, salal, and wild currant grew in profusion in forests
and along the seashore. Nuts of various kinds were stored for the lean
months, and seeds of numerous grasses and rushes added the important
farinaceous element to the diet
The Indians also utilized a great many varieties of nutritive roots.
Camas, the most extensively used, is an onion-like bulb with a spiked
cluster of blue flowers. In some parts of the State, great fields are azure
in April with its bloom. Townsend says, "When boiled this little root
is palatable, and somewhat resembles the taste of the common potato;
the Indian mode of preparing it, however, is the best that of fer-
menting it in pits underground, into which hot stones have been placed.
It is suffered to remain in these pits several days; and when removed,
is of a dark brown color ... and sweet, like molasses. It is then made
into large cakes ... and slightly baked in the sun." Another root is
the wappato, a marsh bulb growing in great quantity along the low-
lands of the Columbia, on Chewaucan Marsh in Lake County, and in
22 OREGON
many other shallow lakes. This was one of the chief commercial roots of
the tribes, much sought after by those whose country did not produce it.
Numerous other roots lent variety to the diet blue lupine, which, when
baked, resembles the sweet potato; Chinook licorice, bitterroot, the
tuber of the foxtail, wild turnip, lily bulbs, and onions.
A host of plants was included in the medical kit of the Indians.
Roots of the wild poppy were used to allay toothache. The dried ripe
fruit and the leaves of the scarlet sumac were made into a poultice for
skin disease. A tea from the bark of the dogwood was imbibed for
fevers and colds. Wild hops and witch hazel aided in the reduction of
sprains and swellings, and rattlesnake plantain was efficacious for cuts
and bruises. Oregon grape and sage brush, buckthorn and trillium,
death camas and yarrow, false Solomon's seal and vervain, went into
the pharmacopoeia of the tribes, while the juice of the deadly cowbane
augmented the supply of rattlesnake virus as a poison for arrows.
Mats, baskets, nets, and cords were made of the fibres and leaves
of grasses, nettles, Indian hemp, tough-leaved ins, milkweed, dogbane,
and scores of other fibrous plants. Cedar was the favorite lumber tree,
because of the ease of working the long, straight boles. Canoes, from
the small one-rnan craft to those of sixty feet in length, were wrought
from single cedars, while the great communal houses were made of
huge slabs split from cedar logs and roofed with the bark. Drawing
and casting nets were woven of silky grass, the fibrous roots of trees,
or of the inner bark of the white cedar. Bows were usually made of
yew or crab-apple wood, while arrows were shaped of the straight
shoots of syringa or other tough stems. Fish weirs were made of willow,
as were the frames of snowshoes. Fire blocks were of cedar and twirling
sticks of the dried stems of sagebrush or manzanita.
Many of the Indians of Oregon still continue in this ancient economy.
Each season the Klamaths reap the wocus seed from the yellow water
lilies of Klamath Lake, the Warm Springs Indians journey into the
mountains for the berry picking, and some tribes still dig the wild roots.
On the Warm Springs Reservation a root festival is held in the spring
and a huckleberry festival when the huckleberries ripen in late summer.
These are thanksgiving feasts bringing out colorful costumes and con-
sisting of dances, speeches, and religious ceremonies that are parts of a
well defined ritual, the meaning of which is preserved in the tribal life.
Following the customs of their red neighbors, the pioneers drew
a portion of their subsistence from the wilderness. Wild berries and
fruits of all kinds went into the frontier larder, as well as many of the
NATURAL SETTING 23
wild roots used by the Indians. One comestible of the early Oregon
housewife was camas pie, a delicacy dwelt on remmiscently by more
than one longbeard at pioneer gatherings. Miners' lettuce took the place
of the cultivated vegetable, and so often did our forbears substitute the
dried leaves of the yerba buena for "store tea" that the plant has be-
come known by the common name of Oregon tea.
Not only did the pioneer draw heavily upon the floral resources
of the State for food and shelter but his modern descendant continues
to utilize these products extensively. Wild berries are gathered by the
ton, chittam bark, digitalis or foxglove, and other medicinal plants are
collected for the market, and flowers and shrubs are brought in from
forest and crag for rock garden, park, or lawn.
The bird and animal life of Oregon is fully as varied as the plant
life. Eliot lists over three hundred species: song birds, game birds, and
birds of prey; mountain dwellers, valley dwellers, and dwellers by the
sea. Perhaps a third of them are permanent residents, a third part-time
residents, and a third 'transient visitors to the region. Great contrasts
are found, for the dry eastern areas are incongruously intermingled
with large marshlands and lakes. One may observe the aquatic antics
of grebes, cormorants, pelicans (see KLAMATH FALLS), herons and
coots, and almost simultaneously, on the high arid lands round about,
catch glimpses of the great sage grouse, the sage thrasher, and the desert
sparrow.
Best loved by Oregonians is the state bird, the western meadow
lark, heard from fence or tree at almost any season of the year. Another
favorite is the robin, abundant in field and garden, foraging in winter
orchards, lighting the chill gray months with his song. The blackbird
lingers through the year, his notes ringing in gay orchestration. Numer-
ous also among the permanent residents are the willow goldfinches, the
Oregon towhee, the chickadee, sparrow, and bluebirds.
Less frequently are seen the great blue heron, the killdeer, and the
mountain quail; hawks and owls and the Oregon jay; the varied thrush
or Alaska robin; the water ouzel of perfect song. Yearlong one may
hear the drum of flicker or woodpecker, the hoarse caw of the crow,
the screech owl's hoot. Along the seashore curve on swift wings, gulls,
fulmers, petrels, and the myriad other dwellers of cliff and marsh.
And, climaxing all, the great American eagle still sometimes flies darkly
against the sky. A popular children's story is of a log schoolhouse on
the Columbia, where, on the Fourth of July, an eagle swooped down,
took in his talons the school flag that floated from the summit of a
24 OREGON
tall fir, and flew away with the banner over mountains, rivers, and
valleys.
More than fifty summer residents return to Oregon after southern
winters. The more numerous of these are the rufous humming bird, the
russet-back and the hermit thrush, the swallows, warblers, and many
finches. Among the shyer and less frequently encountered are the band-
tailed pigeon and the mourning dove, the lazuli bunting and the west-
ern tanager, the Bullocks oriole and the clown-like chat, the horned
lark and the magpie of Eastern Oregon, the sandpiper, and the plover,
with scores of lesser biids. From the far north come many others for
the winter months, including the ruby-crowned and the Sitka kinglet,
the cedar and Bohemian waxwing, the junco, and a host of sparrows.
Foremost among the numerous game birds is the China pheasant,
which was imported into the state in 1881, when twenty-six birds were
turned loose in the Willamette Valley. This hardy stranger now re-
ceives the larger part of the sportsman's attention, thus giving the more
timid birds the ruffed and sooty grouse, the sage hen and lesser
quails a greater margin of hope for survival. The aquatic game birds,
including the Canadian goose, the mallard, canvasback and wood duck,
and the teal, have greatly decreased but are now protected by strict
Federal laws.
With six more names this incomplete roll call must close the
Stellar jay, mythical demigod of the Chinook tribes, the sand-hill crane,
the pelican, the whistling and trumpeter swan, the white heron. Plume
hunters visited Malheur and Harney Lakes in 1898 and perpetrated a
carnage that amounted almost to annihilation of the white heron, known
to commerce as the snowy egret.
Many other winged inhabitants, worthy of description, must go even
without mention. Pages would not suffice to list all the myriad swim-
mers and fliers that make up the vivid pageant of Oregon bird life.
Within the borders of Oregon there now live, or were formerly
found, characteristic varieties of almost all North American temperate-
zone mammals. Of the fur bearers it may be said that the state was
founded on the value of their pelts. The sea otter is gone, and land
otters are now scarce, but mink, bobcats, foxes, muskrats and racoons
are still plentiful ; and the beaver, for all the high hats to which he was
a sacrifice in the old days, also remains. This gnawer, the backbone of
the early fur trade, was once so plentiful in Oregon that Franchere,
in 1812, took 450 skins of it and other animals on a 20-day trip up
the Columbia from Astoria. In 1824, Peter Skene Ogden said of his
NATURAL SETTING 25
seventy-one men equipped with 364 traps: "Each beaver trap last year
in the Snake Country averaged 26 beavers. Was expected this hunt
will be 14,000 beavers/' Two years later in the Harney country, a band
of six trappers averaged from fifty to sixty beavers a day. As late as
1860 many of the Eastern Oregon streams were "thronged with
beavers," but later the animals were almost exterminated. During the
last quarter century, however, due to rigid protective laws, they have
increased in numbers until colonies are now found in many counties of
the State.
The king of the Oregon forests is the cougar, and in many sections
still lives the black bear, venerated by the early Indians and reverently
called "grandfather." Some tribal myths taught that the bear was the
ancestor of all Indians. In rare instances is found the fierce grizzly or
silvertip, the great "white bear" of Lewis and Clark.
Most abundant among the larger animals are members of the deer
family the Columbian black-tailed of mountain and coastal forest;
the larger mule deer, an inhabitant of the dryer Eastern Oregon sec-
tions; elk or wapiti in the Wallowa region and the coast mountains;
and, in the extreme southeast part of the State, some of the largest
remaining herds of pronghorns or American antelope, graceful and fleet.
In the southeast, also, numerous skeletal remains of the buffalo have
been found, and small bands of bighorn or Rocky Mountain sheep still
inhabit the wild crags of the Wallowa Range.
The Cascade timber wolf continues in some numbers, but the chief
representative of the wolf clan is the shy and crafty coyote.
Oregon has a number of interesting smaller animals. The porcupine
is common in almost all sections at high altitudes, as is the peculiar
mountain beaver or sewellel, not a true beaver but a burrowing rodent,
which seems to have no very close allies elsewhere in the world. Wood-
land sections are inhabited by varieties of wood rats, called by the
natives "pack" or "trade" rats because of their predilection for carrying
off small articles and leaving in their stead a pine cone, a nut, or a
shiny pebble as apparent compensation. At very high altitudes lives the
pl t a little chief hare or cony rock-inhabiting creatures that gather
and dry large amounts of "hay" for winter provender. Chipmunks,
squirrels, hares, and rabbits are numerous. Jackrabbits in the sage lands,
like the stars above, frustrate all census takers because they "count too
high." An Italian settler in Eastern Oregon left the country and gave
gastronomic reasons for doing so: "I no like da Eastern Org. No
sphagett, no macarone, too mucha jacka-da-rab."
26 OREGON
The coastal headlands and locky promontories present many inter-
esting glimpses of the life habits of seals and sea lions, and the rocks,
wave-washed and scarred, harbor a marine fauna that is of interest to
scientist and common observer alike.
Oregon snakes consist mostly of the harmless garter snakes, the King
snakes, and the Pacific bull snakes. The deadly rattler is now confined
largely to the dryer eastern counties.
The fishes of the state are of three types those living entirely within
the salt waters of the Pacific; the migratory fish which spend most of
their life in the sea but enter the rivers to spawn; and the fresh-water
fish living in lakes and rivers. Of the first, the coast fisheries of halibut,
herring, pilchards, and other lesser fish add greatly to the wealth of the
state. Aside from this, sportsmen find profitable recreation in surf fishing.
Of the migratory fishes, the salmon is of first importance. Myriads
of the five great species the chum, the humpback, the silversides,
the sockeye, and the royal chinook travel up streams for great dis-
tances, those of the Columbia deep into the fastenesses of its moun-
tainous watershed. The salmon is the chief commercial fish of the state.
In marked contrast to the gigantic salmon is the smelt or eulachon,
called anchovy by Lewis and Clark, and also known as candlefish be-
cause their small dried bodies, rich in oil, were formerly utilized as
torches. Each spring they still run the Sandy River in countless thou-
sands and are taken by Portlanders with bird cages, nets, and buckets.
The prince of all the fresh-water fishes is the great steelhead trout,
the fighting spirit of which is so renowned that fishermen have crossed
oceans and continents to pit their skill against its strength. All of the
cold water streams of the State are well stocked with smaller trout,
the principal ones being the rainbow, the cutthroat, the brook, and the
Dolly Varden.
Bass, sunfish, and crappies have been introduced into most lowland
streams, and give the angler abundant sport. Fishing for catfish fur-
nishes contemplative recreation for whole families, particularly on
Sauvie Island, where on Sundays the wooden bridges across the slug-
gish streams are double-lined with Portlanders. Of the plentiful suckers,
especially noteworthy are the multiple varieties inhabiting the Klamath
Lakes and river and adjacent waters. To the Klamath and Modoc
Indians these were formerly a source of wealth second only to the great
salmon runs.
A red fish that abounded fifty years ago in Wallowa Lake and Wal-
lowa River has mysteriously disappeared. In early days white men
NATURAL SETTING 27
found this food fish in almost limitless quantities in spawning season.
It is said to have existed nowhere else except in one small body of water
in Idaho. It was "probably a very small variety of salmon now extinct."
In the summer of 1937, visitors to Bonneville Dam saw the blocked
migration of the Columbia River eels it had never before been con-
ceived that such countless masses of them inhabited this current. The
new white concrete, in a wainscot reaching several feet above the water
line, was dark and wet with spray, and this damp area was compactly
fringed with eels, hanging like extensive drifts of kelp. Driven by their
relentless upriver urge and obstructed by the temporarily closed flood-
gates, they attempted to scale the sheer and massive walls. Side by side
and one below the other, they climbed up until they reached the dry
portion of the masonry, upon which their bodies had no clinging suc-
tion. Then they slid down, leaving the ones below to try, then return-
ing themselves to make the effort again and again. An eastern scholar
came away disturbed and sick at the sight, and saying, "It is such a
terrible demonstration of futility as to haunt the mind."
Salmon, "netted, hooked, trolled, speared, weired, scooped salmon
taken by various sleights of native skill " composed the chief diet of
the Columbia Indian tribes and was also a principal object of trade.
Certain ceremonies were observed with the first fish taken: he was laid
beside the water with head upstream and with salmonberries placed
in his mouth ; his meat was cut only with the grain ; and "the hearts of
all caught must be burned or eaten, and, on no account, be thrown into
the water or eaten by a dog." The catches were cleaned by the women,
dried and smoked, and often pulverized between two stones before being
packed away in mats for trade or for winter consumption. Lewis and
Clark described in great detail the fishing, curing, and packing, at Celilo
Falls, where today remnants of the tribes continue to stand on the
jagged rocks and spear the salmon in the rapids or dip them out
with nets.
The natives also depended much on the sturgeon, and took many
smaller varieties of fish to fill the winter larder. They trapped or shot
wild fowl, and caught elk and deer in covered pits dug along favorite
runways or feeding grounds.
The dress of the Columbia River Indians consisted principally of a
,robe fastened by a thong across the breast and made, usually, of the skins
of cougars, wildcats, deer, bear, or elk. The most esteemed of the
women's robes were made of strips of sea otter skin, interwoven with
silk grass or the inner bark of the white cedar. The upriver Indians used
28 OREGON
the hides of elk and larger animals in the construction of their tepees.
The folklore and mythology of the Oregon Indians contains a verita-
ble "key" to the fauna of the State. Their gods and demigods, their
spirits of good and evil, took on the forms of birds and beasts, while
their own origin was usually explained by naming some tribe of animals
as their ancestors. The animal people, they said, were here first, before
there were any real people.
The birds were always a source of wonder to the red men because
of their musical songs and their ability to soar into the skyey regions
where dwell the supernatural beings. The eagle was regarded with vene-
ration and was the chief war symbol. The fierce electric storms raging on
the high peaks were personified as incarnations of the mysterious "thun-
der bird." Bluejay was a mischievous, impish deity among the Chinooks.
He was the buffoon of the gods, always playing pranks on others and
as often as not becoming the victim of his own folly.
The chief animal deity of the Columbia tribes, however, was the
coyote. He was the most important because when he was put to work by
the chief Supernatural Being, he did more than any of the other animals
to make the world a fit place in which to live.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR CONSERVATION
The fur of wild animals was the first natural resource of Oregon
to be utilized by white men. It was the fur trade that brought this
northwest coast region to the attention of the world. A hundred years
ago beavers were abundant in every creek, river, and lake m the state.
In 1812 it is said that a small group from Fort Astoria returned to the
post after a twenty-day expedition with "450 skins of beaver and other
animals of the furry tribe." As late as 1860 a traveler on the head-
waters of the Deschutes reported that "every stream thronged with
beaver."
Although fur was the first natural resource of Oregon it is by no
means its most prominent, but the fur trade is still a stable part
of the state's industry* Oregon is a green land of forests and grassy
wilderness teeming with wild life ; a land of rich-soiled valleys maturing
to golden harvests; a land of minerals; of streams that hold a vast
potential water power; of timbered areas immensely valuable for lumber*
Agricultural lands are the most important on the list of Oregon's
many natural resources. Of the state's total land area of 61,188,489
NATURAL SETTING 29
acres, land in farms comprise 17,357,549 acres, according to the U. S.
Agricultural census of 1935* There were in that year 64,826 individual
farms which, with land and buildings, were valued at $448,711,757.
In 1934, 2,831,742 acres of crop land were harvested, while there was
crop-failure on 280,426 acres, Idle or fallow crop land amounted to
1,085,286 acres; 723,585 acres were in plowable pasture; woodland
pasture took in 2,778,314 acres; other pasture 8,536,677 acres; wood-
land, not pastured, 571,630 acres, and all other land in farms, 549,889
acres.
In general, eastern Oregon has the most extensive grain lands and
the greatest grazing areas, while western Oregon is devoted to diversi-
fied fanning and fruit growing. The use of agricultural land is steadily
increasing. The growth of all land in farms between the years 1930
and 1935 was about 809,000 acres.
According to the U. S. Census of 1930 (the latest figures available)
Oregon's population was 953,786. Persons gainfully occupied numbered
409,645. Of these, 81,879 were workers in agriculture, about 20% of
the whole. The total farm population was 223,667. In 1935, according
to the U.S. Agricultural Census, Oregon's total farm population had
grown to 248,767, an increase of 25,100 or more than ten per cent. In
the same year the value of products for all manufacturing industries
was $265,437,000, while the estimated gross income from farm produc-
tion (crops and livestock) was $99,800,000 and the cash income
$89,300,000.
Next to agricultural lands in importance to Oregon are the forests*
In 1935 (according to figures of the U. S. Forest Service and the U.S.
Agricultural Census) of the state's 61,188,489 acres, a total of
28,217,000 acres were covered with forest. Of these forest areas,
19,278,160 acres were covered with saw-timber trees of more than 12
inches in diameter inside the bark.
The total volume of saw-timber in Oregon in 1934 was 300,793
million feet, board measure. Of this, 137,043 million feet, or 46 per
cent, were privately owned; 112,599 million feet, or 37 per cent, were
in National Forests; and 51,151 million feet, or 17 per cent, were on
other public or Indian lands. Privately owned saw-timber covered
10,756,447 acres; saw-timber in National Forests 5,481,163 acres;
and saw-timber on other public and Indian lands 3,040,550 acres.
Of Oregon's 300,793 million feet of saw-timber, 213,114 million
feet grew west of the Cascade mountains and consisted mainly of
Douglas fir, West Coast hemlock, spruce and cedar; and 87,679 million
3O OREGON
feet grew east of the Cascades, with Ponderosa pine, Douglas and White
fir, and Western larch the most important species.
Forests furnish the raw materials for Oregon's largest manuf acturies :
lumber, shingles, pulp and paper, veneers, plywood, doors, masts, spars
and square timbers, besides supplying the special woods used in cooper-
age plants and for the making of furniture, wooden boxes, automobile
bodies, ladders, etc. In 1929 some 50,000 persons were employed in for-
est industries, or about 12 per cent of all gainfully occupied. An esti-
mated 300,000 people, a large proportion classified as rural non-farm,
are directly or indirectly dependent for their living on forest activities
and industries. The 1929 value of products from Oregon's forest indus-
tries was $181,231,473, while these products provided about two-thirds
of the out-going freight tonnage.
In 1937) according to figuies of the State Fish Commission, 27,689,-
805 Ibs. of fish were taken from Oregon waters, of which 26,578,712
Ibs. were salmon, 522,620 shad, 472,121 smelt, 82,207 sturgeon and
24,145 Ibs. bass. Of the salmon more than 16,000,000 Ibs. were of the
chmook variety, and the rest silversides, steelheads, bluebacks and chums.
Of lesser commercial importance are cod, flounder, black snapper, tuna,
crabs, clams, and oysters. The smelt were caught in the Columbia River,
as were about 90 per cent of the salmon, while the remainder of the
take came from bays and inlets of the Pacific Ocean and Oregon rivers
emptying into them. The average yearly yield of Oregon fisheries (ac-
cording to the U.S. Department of Commerce) is valued at some
$2,500,000, while approximately 4,500 persons are employed in catching
and handling the product.
Oregon (according to the State Department of Geology & Mineral
Industries) produces in metals, gold, quicksilver, silver, copper, lead,
zinc, and platinum, important in the order named, and in non-metals,
stone, sand, gravel, cement, and clay, besides coal, diatomite, lime,
pumice, and mineral waters. Production figures for 1938 were: metals
$3,318,000; non-metals $5,500,000; total $8,818,000.
Production of metals in 1936, in detail, amounted to: gold $2,126,-
355 J quicksilver $329,750; silver $65,880 ; copper $52,808 ; lead $7,268 ;
zinc $6,100; platinum (estimated) $2,100; total $2,590,261.
Oregon is second only to California in the production of quicksilver.
Baker County leads in gold production. Next in rank are Josephine,
Douglas, Coos and Curry counties. Copper comes from Josephine
County. Southwestern Oregon has several chromite properties.
In spite of predatory loss and the 68,612 hunting and fishing licenses
NATURAL SETTING 31
ssued during 1938 by the State Game Commission (according to report
>y the U.S. Wildlife Bureau) big-game animals increased in numbers
Between 10 and 15 per cent.
Of deer ranging the state outside of National Forests there were in
[938 an estimated 135,000 mule and 60,000 blacktail, while in the
National Forests there were 141,860 of all species. Elk in the state
lumbered 22,000 of which 19,000 were in the National Forests.
Predatory animals in National Forests were estimated to number as
ollows: coyotes 23,200; bobcats 8,500; lynx 1,260; cougar 660 and
solves 130.
According to the State Game Commission there were in Oregon in
[938 some 1 6 state hatcheries for the propagation of game fish, mostly
rout of various species. Oregon is an all-year fishing country, meaning
:hat there is an open season for some sort of game fish every month in
he year. Game fish, which were threatened with depletion some years
igo, are now increasing, through regulation as to catches, and through
stocking. Fishing in tidal waters is permitted the year around.
Beside wildlife in National Forests in Oregon in 1938, the range af-
orded grazing for 82,547 privately owned cattle and 587,000 sheep.
Oregon's greatest power source is the energy of falling water. Accord-
ng to the report of the State Planning Board of 1936, 16,000 miles of
jtreams hold 4,605,000 horsepower of potential energy available 90 per
:ent of the time, or third among states in potential electrical energy.
In 1889 the first long-distance transmission line in the world was con-
structed in Oregon, sending power 14 miles from a hydroelectric plant
it Oregon City to Portland. In 1936 there was in the state 254,000
lorsepower of installed hydroelectric capacity distributed among some
250 plants, large and small, privately owned and municipal and state.
The total share of Oregon from the Bonneville project will ultimately
'each 500,000 horsepower.
Besides power, the streams of Oregon furnish water for the reclama-
.ion of and lands. Among the most important irrigation projects are the
Dwyhee and the Klamath. The Owyhee project, according to the U. S.
Reclamation Service, embraces lands near the Owyhee and Snake rivers
to the extent of 115,383 acres, of which 48,100 acres were irrigated
n 1937-
The Klamath project provides for diversion of water from Upper
Klamath Lake for the irrigation of about 40,000 acres east of Klamath
Falls and for the reclaiming of 33,000 acres of the bed of Tule Lake
32 OREGON
and along Lost River, During 1937 about 51)468 acres were irrigated
and 50,439 cropped, including pasture.
Oregon's recreational resources are unsurpassed in the United States.
The green beauty of the country makes it constantly attractive, while
the ever-varying contrasts of mountains, streams, and valleys holds con-
tinued surprise. There are in the state more than 1,000 lakes, many in
settings that would make them famous for loveliness, were they bet-
ter known.
The U. S. Forest Service has built trails and roads in all parts of
the National Forests and dotted them with pleasant and well-equipped,
sanitary camps for the convenience of visitors, campers, and sportsmen.
Conservation with a view to perpetuation of Oregon's natural wealth
is the policy of both private and public interests. In the matter of agri-
cultural lands and forest domains, federal and state agencies are work-
ing hand in hand with private owners for beneficial regulations as to use
and preservation. Farm lands have come under scientific scrutiny as to
crop possibilities; the public range has been placed under official control
as to grazing; and the method long practiced in National Forests of
selective cutting and leaving of seed-trees has been adopted by many
private, forest-owning concerns.
A conservation program is being carried out by the Civilian Conser-
vation Corps for the forest service. Among the important work com-
pleted by the enrollees of some 17 camps in National Forests from
April 1933 to July 1937 were: 3,488 miles of truck trails; 3,593 miles
of telephone lines; 227 lookout houses and towers; 1,240,681 acres of
rodent control work; 327,691 man-days of fighting forest fires; and
764)775 acres of insect pest control.
A conservation plan of the utmost concern to Oregon is the Will-
amette River Basin Project, authorized by Congress June 28, 1938.
Preliminary mapping was done during the years 1935 to 1939, by U, S,
Army Engineers. The project embraces flood control, which is vitally
needed, the storage of water for irrigation, the development of water
power, and the improvement and deepening of stream channels for
commerce. Millions of dollars will be expended over a period of six to
ten years; reservoirs will be built to insure water for agricultural lands,
and modern locks will be constructed at Willamette Falls near Oregon
City. Actual work on three storage reservoirs is planned to begin in
1940, and to be completed before the end of 1941.
Indians
A RCHEOLOGICAL research has revealed evidences of numerous
* successive cultures in many parts of Oregon. Surviving the wear of
centuries on canyon walls and cliffs are rude designs daubed in red
ochre or outlined in primitive carving. Although often the subject of
fanciful interpretation, most of these pictographs and petroglyphs are de-
void of symbolic or esoteric meaning, being merely the groping efforts
of prehistoric man to give graphic expression to his experience. Burial
mounds in irregular patterns mark the places where the dead, with their
crude artifacts, lie buried. Along the coast, numerous kitchen middens
heaps of shells, bone and stone fragments, and miscellaneous refuse,
overgrown with grass and trees indicate the existence of prehistoric
homes. Where the Coast Highway cuts through such a kitchen midden,
as it does at several places, varying levels or strata in the heap are re-
vealed, denoting successive occupations of the locality.
Stone and obsidian weapons and bone fragments, frequently dis-
covered beneath layers of lava or volcanic ash, indicate human existence
in Oregon at a remote period. Near Abert Lake in Lake County, and
at the base of Hart Mountain in Warner Valley, are excellent examples
of prehistoric painting and carving. A local legend associates Abert Rim
with the retreat of an "Indian army" that ended in a plunge over the
cliff, at the foot of which are scattered many relics. Near The Dalles,
Arlington, and Forest Grove, and in the Cascadia Caves, are diverse
examples of prehistoric pictorial representations. The Linn County
mounds, the Deschutes region, the Malheur and Catlow Caves in Har-
ney County, and numerous other sites, have yielded weapons, utensils,
and other Indian artifacts.
The Indians who inhabited Oregon at the coming of the first white
men were members of twelve distinct linguistic families. Along the
south side of the Columbia, from its mouth to the Cascades, the Chi-
nookans held sway. Important branches of this family were the Clatsops,
who lived along the river to Tongue Point and along the coast to Tilla-
mook Head, and the Cathlamets, who dwelt a short distance farther up
34 OREGON
the river ; while numerous bands on Sauvie Island and about the mouth
of the Willamette were known by the collective name of Multnomahs.
The Clackamas tribe lived in the Clackamas Valley and about the falls
of the Willamette. In all, some 36 tribes of the Chinookan family occu-
pied the south shore of the Columbia, and as many others dwelt near
the north bank.
The Athapascans occupied two widely separated regions. On the
Clatskanie and upper Nehalem Rivers lived the Tlatskanai, a warlike
tribe. It is said that the early Hudson's Bay Company trappers did not
dare to traverse their lands in a group of fewer than 60 armed men.
In southwestern Oregon dwelt the other Athapascans the Tututni, the
Upper Coquilles, the Chastacostas, and the Chetcoes. Also in the south-
western region were the Umpquas and the Siuslaws, who together form
a separate family.
The Salishan family, although more numerous north of the Colum-
bia, was represented south of that river by the Tillamooks and the
Siletz. The Yakonians, consisting of the Yaquina and the Alseas, lived
on the two bays thus named; and on Coos Bay and the lower Coquille
dwelt the three tribes of the small Kusan family.
One of the most important families was the Kalapooyan. This nu-
merous people occupied the whole of the Willamette Valley above the
falls, practiced flattening of the head, and lived on game and roots. A
dozen tribes of this family inhabited the Willamette region at the com-
ing of the white man. The Atfalati or Tualati, numbering more than
30 bands, occupied the beautiful and fertile Tualatin Valley. Other
tribes of this group were the Yamhills, the Chemeketas, and the San-
tiams.
The southern part of Oregon was occupied by divisions of three
families: the powerful Klamath and Modoc tribes of the Lutuamians
or Sahaptians, the Takelmans of the upper Rogue River, and two "spill-
overs" from California the Shastas and Karoks of the Hokan family.
The upper Columbia River country was the home of other Sahap-
tians. The greater part of this family lived in eastern Washington and
the Lewis River district of Idaho ; but four tribes, the Willewah branch
of the Nez Perces, the Umatillahs, the Teninos of the Deschutes River,
and the Tyighs of the Tygh Valley, inhabited the uplands of eastern
Oregon. The Waiilatpuan branch was represented by the powerful
Cayuse or "horse" Indians, dwelling on the headwaters of the Umatilla,
the Walla Walla, and the Grande Ronde Rivers. A small offshoot of
this branch had in times past wandered over the Cascades into western
INDIANS 35
Oregon, and under the name of Molallas lived along the Molalla
River. Over the high desert country of the southeastern region roamed
the nomadic Snake and Paiute tribes of the Shoshoneans.
Intercourse between the various tribes and later with the white men
made it necessary for the Indians to supplement their many dialects with
a common language. Among merchant Indians at the mouth of the Co-
lumbia there grew up a pidgin language based upon Chinook, and later
intermixed with French and English words. This language became
known as Chinook jargon, and was widely used by all tribes, as well
as by the early settlers, traders, and missionaries. When the Indians
were removed to reservations, many who had not adopted the jargon
were obliged to learn it in order to speak with their neighbors.
^iThe local customs of Indians in the western valleys and coast re-
^ion differed greatly from those of the interior. The western tribes, be-
cause of the density of the forests, usually traveled by canoe. They sub-
sisted chiefly on salmon, roots, and berries. The opening of the salmon
season in June was attended with great formality. The first salmon
caught was sacred, and was eaten ceremonially in a long-established
ritual intended to propitiate the salmon and insure future runs. Before
the arrival of the whites, the coastal Indians were scantily clad. The
men went entirely naked in summer, and the women wore a flimsy
skirt of cedar bark fiber or grasses. In winter, the men wore a robe
made of skins reaching to the middle of the thigh; the women added
to their costume a similar robe reaching to the waist; or either might
wear a fiber cape.
Among the Chinooks, distinctions of rank extended to burial. The
bodies of slaves were tossed into the river or gotten rid of in some
other way, while the free born were carefully prepared for box, vault,
tree, or canoe burial, and were honored with rituals of mourning which
included periods of wailing during a certain length of time, cutting the
hair, and refraining from mentioning the name of the dead. Entomb-
ment varied according to the tribe and locality. Columbia River Indians
utilized Memaloose Island near The Dalles, Coffin Rock near the
mouth of the Cowlitz River, and other islands and promontories, with
ceremonial dressing and storing of bones. The coast Indians used
canoes supported on decorated scaffolds, and placed the head toward
the west so that the departed spirit might more easily find its way to
Memaloose Illahee, or the land of the dead, which lay somewhere to-
ward the setting sun. Valley Indians often placed their dead, wrapped
in skins, in the forks of trees.
36 OREGON
The houses of the western Oregon Indians were of the communal
type, from 40 to 60 feet long and 20 feet wide, constructed of large
cedar planks and roofed with bark or boards. The interior walls of
these great lodges, scattered in clusters along the coast, the Columbia,
and the lower Willamette, were tiered with bunks. Along the middle
of the floor ran a firepit, the smoke escaping through a gap left along
the ridgepole of the roof. Men, women, children, and dogs mingled in
the dusky interior. These houses were put together with lashings, and
when fleas and other vermin became intolerable the houses were dis-
mantled and the planks removed to a new location, supposedly leaving
the fleas behind.
The Indians of river and coast were skilled in fashioning canoes.
Each of these was made from a single log, their size varying from the
small craft capable of sustaining only one person to the great war canoe
in which as many as 60 warriors might safely put to sea. For these
graceful vessels, cedar and spruce were usually preferred, though fir
was also used.
The native bow, like the canoe, was beautifully and skillfully formed.
It was generally made of yew or crab-apple wood. The string was a
piece of dried seal-gut or deer-sinew, or consisted of twisted bark. The
arrows, about a yard long, were made of arrow-wood or cedar. House-
hold utensils included baskets of cedar root fiber or tough grasses often
woven so closely as to be watertight, and stone mortars and pestles for
pulverizing seeds and wild grains. The principal art displayed was in
the carvings on house posts and canoe figureheads, and in the fashioning
of woven mats and baskets. Basketry was a highly developed art, many
examples of which, richly colored with intricate and pleasing designs,
today grace museums or are offered for sale in Indian curio stores.
The culture of the northeastern Oregoo tribes had undergone a defi-
nite change a few decades before the invasion of the whites. Through
the introduction of the horse they had become a more or less nomadic
people. The Snakes, Nez Perces, and Cayuses counted their wealth in
horses, and because they were thus free to move about they evolved a
culture based largely on the chase and warfare* Buckskin ornamented
with dyed porcupine quills formed their dress, their moccasins, and
their shelters, and skins dressed with the fur intact made their robes
and blankets. Game, supplemented by roots and berries, was their food.
The Shoshonean culture of the southeast plateau was of a lower
order, owing to the nature of the barren and forbidding country. The
Klamath and Modoc culture, influenced by the same factors but modi-
INDIANS 37
fied by the tules (reeds) and wocus (yellow water lily) of the Klamath
and Tule Lake marshes, presented a definite departure from the cul-
ture in other sections of Oregon. The Klamaths and Modocs have been
termed "pit Indians" because their dwellings were little more than
roofed-over pits sunk about four feet below the surface of the ground.
These houses appeared as mounds of earth about six feet high, with a cir-
cular hole two and a half feet in diameter at the top, from which a lad-
der led down into the circular space below. The interior was 20 feet
across, with sleeping bunks and arrangements for storing dried meats,
seeds, acorns, and roots. The whole was substantially built, the roof being
of poles covered with rushes and with earth taken from the pit beneath.
On hooks from the rush-lined ceiling hung bags and baskets, laden with
such luxuries as dried grasshoppers and berries. About the bunks hung
the skins of deer and other game.
The dress of the women consisted of a skirt of deerskin thongs fas-
tened to a braided belt; the men wore breechclouts of deerskin, and the
children went entirely naked. When grasshoppers were abundant the
Indians scoured the valleys, gathered the insects in great quantities by
driving them into pits, and made preparations for a feast. A fire was
kindled in one of the pits, and after the latter had been thoroughly
heated the harvest was dropped in, covered with damp tules and hot
stones, and baked. Prepared in this fashion the insects were eaten with
great relish. They were also powdered and mixed with wocus meal in a
kind of bread baked in the ashes.
All tribes believed in an existence after death, and in a soul that in-
habited the body yet was distinct from the vital principle and capable
of leaving the body in dreams, faints, and trances, though if it stayed
away too long the body died. Other living things were also similarly
endowed. So it was that a canoe builder deferentially addressed the tree
from which he obtained his log, as though it were a conscious person-
ality, and a fisherman spoke apologetically to the first catch of the sea-
son as he took it from the water.
Creation myths varied from tribe to tribe. The creation of men and
animals was ascribed by one to Echanum, the fire spirit, by some to
Coyote, the transformer, who is given credit for creating the tribes
from the legs, head, belly, and body of his vanquished enemy, the
beaver. Stories of Coyote and Thunderbird were common to many
tribes. The Thunderbird was ruler of the storm, avenger, originator
of numerous taboos, and creator of volcanic activity. Coyote in a hun-
dred grotesque forms was the hero of many roguish stories, emphasizing
38 OREGON
his trickery, selfishness, and prurience, and the source of rigid taboos
regarding foods, domestic economy, and ceremonial observance.
Legends were invented by the Indians to explain the origin and form
of many geographic features. The story of Loowit, a beautiful Indian
girl, who was the subject of a quarrel between rival lovers, and who
dwelt on the natural rock Bridge of the Gods which once spanned the
Columbia River at the Cascades, tells of the destruction of the bridge
and of Loowit's transformation into Mount St. Helens, while her
lovers became Mount Adams and Mount Hood. Another legend has it
that Neahkahnie Mountain on the coast reached its present form from
a single blow of the hatchet of Coyote, who built a fire on the mountain-
side, heated rocks and threw them into the sea, where the seething
waters grew into waves that have been crashing against the shore ever
since. Mitchell Point, once called the "Storm King" by the Indians,
was believed by them to have been built to part the storm clouds that
hurried up the Columbia.
In 1938, Oregon's surviving Indian population was distributed as
follows: Klamath Reservation, 1,201; Warm Springs Reservation,
1,094; Umatilla Reservation, 1,117; Siletz River district, 1,140; and
on the public domain, 2,220. The population on the Umatilla Reser-
vation is composed of Cayuse, Nez Perce, and Walla Walla tribes,
with many full bloods and many mixed breeds, all of whom speak the
Nez Perce language. Wascos, Teninos, and Paiutes are chiefly concen-
trated on the Warm Springs Reservation. Klamaths, Modocs, Yahoo-
skins, Snakes, Shastas, and Pit River Indians are gathered on the
Klamath Reservation, Rogues (or Tututinis), Chetcos, Tillamooks,
and other mixed tribal remnants dwell in the Siletz River region.
There is an independent village of Paiutes a few miles north of Burns.
The Indians living on reservations dress in much the same way as
their white neighbors, live in the same kind of houses, and carry on the
same domestic and industrial pursuits. Their native handicrafts include
tanning and decorating of skins, fabrication of baskets, beadwork on
buckskin, and the making of cornhusk bags and mats. Each reservation
is served by church mission schools or by the public school system of
the State, the only government Indian schools being on the Warm
Springs Reservation and at Chemawa near Salem.
Four canneries care for the output from 5,ooo acres of upland peas
on the Umatilla Reservation, and on the Klamath Reservation contracts
between Indian owners and commercial interests have resulted in the
cutting and marketing of much timber. Fine horses, cattle, hay, and
INDIANS 39
grain are produced. All land has been allotted, and a business com-
mittee for each reservation has superseded tribal government.
Although Oregon Indians have abandoned most of their tribal ways,
at times drums still throb above the music and words of tribal songs
and busy feet pattern the ceremonial dances. The salmon festival on
the Columbia River is generally held in secret each year ; but the annual
root feast at Simnasho in the spring, and the Warm Springs and Klam-
ath Reservation huckleberry feasts in the fall, are open to the public.
The Umatilla Indians form an encampment at the Pendleton Round-
up and participate in the parade and Westward Ho pageant. The
Round-up, though colorful, is not a true picture of Indian life, but a
dramatized version of what the Indian thinks the white man wants to
see. As many as 2,000 natives in ceremonial trappings participate as
paid performers.
History
THE earliest explorers along the coast of what is now the State of
Oregon were Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese in the service
of Spain, and his chief pilot Bartolome Ferrelo, who are believed to
have sailed up from Mexico as far as 44 north in 1542-3. About the
same latitude was reached in 1579 by Sir Francis Drake, who there
abandoned his search for a northern passage to England and turned the
prow of his Golden Hind southward. Whether the Spanish navigator
Sebastian Viscaino sailed farther north than the 42nd parallel on his
voyage of 1602 is a moot question, though one of his ships under Martin
d'Aguilar proceeded another degree or two northward and reported the
entrance to a river or strait not far from Cape Blanco.
A century and three-quarters elapsed before further discoveries of
importance were made. The Spaniards Perez in 1774, Heceta on two
voyages in 1774 and 1775, and Bodega in 1775 sailed along all or most
of the present Oregon coast, and on his second voyage Heceta noted
evidences of a great river in the northern region. In 1778 the English
navigator Captain James Cook, seeking (as Drake had sought) a north-
ern sea passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic, reached from the south
what is now Vancouver Island and anchored for several weeks in a fine
harbor to which he later gave the name of Nootka Sound. Here he
traded with the Indians for furs, and learned much about their life and
customs.
Ten years later another Englishman, Captain John Meares, fitted out
a naval expedition in search of the great river that Heceta had reported
in 1775. Entering the broad mouth of the present Columbia, he de-
cided that this was no more than a large bay and departed after naming
the entrance Deception Bay and the promontory on the north Cape Dis-
appointment. It remained for an American sea captain and trader,
Robert Gray of Boston, to verify the existence of the hitherto legendary
"River of the West." In company with Captain John Kendrick, Gray
made a trading voyage to the Pacific in 1788; and the two ships com-
manded by these men, the Columbia and the Lady Washington, were
HISTORY 41
the first American vessels to visit the northwest coast. On a second voy-
age from Boston, in the Columbia, Gray again visited this region and
entered the long-sought river on May II, 1792, sailing for several miles
upstream, trading with the natives, and making notes about the sur-
rounding country. Before leaving, he named the river the Columbia,
after the first ship to anchor in its inland waters. Five months later,
Lieut. William R. Broughton, an English naval officer under Captain
George Vancouver's command, explored the river for nearly a hundred
miles inland, sighted and named Mount Hood on October 29, and for-
mally claimed the region for Great Britain on the grounds that (though
he knew of Gray's earlier visit) "the subjects of no other civilized
nation or state had ever entered this river before."
For a good many years both before and after Gray's verification of
its existence, the river was commonly referred to as the Ouragon, Ore-
gan, Origan, or Oregon. As early as 1765, Major Robert Rogers, com-
manding an English post in the upper Mississippi Valley, petitioned
King George III for permission to conduct an exploring party to the
Pacific Ocean by way of the river "called by the Indians Ouragon." As
now spelled, the name first appeared in Jonathan Carver's Travels in
Interior Parts of America, published 1778, in a reference to "the River
Oregon, or the River of the West, that falls into the Pacific Ocean at
the straits of Anian." Carver states that he got the name from the In-
dians, and most authorities believe it is derived from the Sautee word
oragan, meaning a birchbark dish. It remained unfamiliar to the public
at large until William Cullen Bryant popularized and perpetuated it
by the reference in his poem "Thanatopsis," published in 1817:
Or lose thyself in the continuous woods
Where rolls die Oregon, and hears no sound
Save its own dashings.
As the river was long known as the Oregon, so the vast northwest
territory of which it was one of the most prominent geographical fea-
tures acquired the name of "the Oregon country" or "the Oregon ter-
ritory." The region thus designated originally comprised all the land
between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, from the vaguely
delimited border of the great Spanish Southwest to the equally vague
delimitations of British America and the Russian possessions on the
north. By the Treaty of Florida in 1819, the southern boundary was
fixed at the 42nd parallel; and in 1846, Great Britain and the United
States agreed to a northern boundary along the 49th parallel. From
the area of more than 300,000 square miles within these boundaries
42 OREGON
were later carved the present States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho,
in their entirety, and Montana and Wyoming in considerable part.
Into this immense wilderness, inhabited only by scattered tribes of
Indians, came the American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark, heading an expedition authorized by President Jefferson and
Congress "to explore the Missouri River, & such principal streams
of it, as, by its course & communication with the waters of the Pacific
Ocean, may offer the most direct & practicable water communication
across this continent, for the purposes of commerce." Starting up the
Missouri on May 14, 1804, the party reached the headwaters of the
Columbia in October of the following year, journeyed down the river
to arrive at Cape Disappointment in November, and passed the winter
in a rude log fort which they named Fort Clatsop, after a neighboring
Indian tribe. In the spring they began the homeward journey, reaching
St. Louis on September 23, 1806.
The accounts of this expedition, the first to be made by white men
across the Oregon country, aroused widespread interest, particularly
in the immense opportunities for fur-trading offered by the northwest
region. In 1806 a British trading post was set up by Simon Fraser of
the North West Company, on what later came to be known as Fraser's
Lake, near the 54th parallel. But the first post in the Columbia River
region was that established by members of John Jacob Astor's Pacific
Fur Company in 1811 at Astoria, close to the log fort in which Lewis
and Clark had passed the winter of 1805-6. One group of Astor's com-
pany sailed from New York around Cape Horn, arriving in March
1811 at the mouth of the Columbia, where eight members of the party
lost their lives in an unskilful attempt to enter the riven Another group
took the overland route and arrived about a year later. After disem-
barking the men who built the post at Astoria, the ship in which the
first party had arrived proceeded northward along the coast to trade
with the Indians, and very soon thereafter was destroyed with a loss of
more than 20 lives in a surprise attack by hostile natives.
The fur-trading operations at Astoria were scarcely well under way
before war broke out between Great Britain and the United States, and
early in 1813 the Astonans received information that a British naval
force was on its way to take possession of the mouth of the Columbia.
This news was brought by agents of the North West Company, who
offered to buy the entire establishment of Astoria at a reasonable valu-
ation. Fearing confiscation if he delayed matters, the American factor
HISTORY 43
accepted this ofter, and the post was renamed Fort George by its new
owners.
Astoria was restored to American ownership in 1818, and the United
States and Great Britain agreed to a ten-years' joint occupancy of the
Oregon country. Spanish claims in the nebulous southern area were
eliminated a year later, when the southern boundary was fixed at the
42nd parallel; and Russia in 1824 renounced all interests below 54
40' north latitude. After its purchase of Astoria in 1813, the North
West Company continued to control the Oregon fur trade until 1821,
when it was merged with its British rival the Hudson's Bay Company.
Soon thereafter, American trappers and traders began to push westward
beyond the Rockies into the rich domain of the British traffic, and their
frequent clashes with men of the Hudson's Bay Company together with
the beginnings of organized immigration brought the vexed question of
sovereignty over the Oregon country increasingly to the fore. By the
late 1830*8 many Americans were demanding in bellicose tone that
Great Britain should relinquish all jurisdiction south of 54 40', and
"Fifty-four forty or fight" proved a popular slogan in Folk's compaign
for the presidency. The issue was finally settled in 1846, when the two
countries compromised on a boundary along the 49th parallel, and the
Oregon country between that and the 42nd parallel on the south be-
came undisputed American soil.
The treaty of joint control was in effect when Dr. John McLoughlin
destined to be the most powerful individual in the territory for 20
years, came down the Columbia to Fort George. Appointed Chief Factor
of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1824, within a year he built Fort
Vancouver on the north bank of the Columbia River, a few miles east
of the mouth of the Willamette. Six-feet-two, beaver-hatted, already
white-haired at 40, McLoughlin knew how to control his half-wild
white trappers; he made beaver-hunting vassals of the Indians and for
a long time succeeded in crushing all competition though many of his
competitors were given places in the Georgian mahogany chairs at his
table. With Fort Vancouver as the capital, he was king of a vast do-
main stretching from California to Alaska and from the Rocky Moun-
tains to the sea.
Jedediah Smith, a Yankee trader, reached Oregon by way of Cali-
fornia in 1828. Indians near the mouth of the Umpqua had attacked
his party, killing all but himself and three companions, and taking his
furs. McLoughlin sent an expedition to secure the pelts, which he then
44 OREGON
bought from Smith with the understanding that the Yankee should
thenceforth stay out of Oregon.
Nathaniel J. Wyeth of Boston came to the Columbia in 1832 with
the intention of starting a salmon fishery and packing plant. After
returning to the east coast in 1833, n ^ came again to the Oregon coun-
try in 1834 and established Fort William on Sauvie Island. With
Wyeth's second company were the Methodist clergyman Jason Lee and
his nephew Daniel Lee, the first of many missionaries to come to the
Northwest. They proposed to educate and Christianize the Indians, and
for this purpose they established in 1835 a Methodist mission station and
school m the Willamette Valley. The School was taken over in 1844 by
the Oregon Institute (now Willamette University), organized in 1842.
Other missionaries arrived, among them Dr. Marcus Whitman and
Henry Spaldmg in 1836.
Until early in the 1840*8 there was no local government in the Ore-
gon territory except that of the Hudson's Bay Company which exer-
cised feudal rights derived from the British Crown. McLoughlin en-
joyed the protection of British laws in the conduct of his company's
affairs, but Americans in the territory were for the most part ignored
by successive administrations at Washington. However, the missionaries
formulated regulations for themselves as well as for the Indians over
whom they assumed charge, and their leadership was accepted in a large
measure by the independent American settlers.
The Lees were discouraged by the indifference of the Indians to
religious salvation, but in letters to friends in the East they extolled the
wild western country, thus supplementing the publicity given to the
territory by Hall J. Kelley, a Boston schoolmaster who was one of the
first propagandists for Oregon. Jason Lee, on the first of two trips to
the Atlantic coast, presented a memorial to Congress asking for the Gov-
ernment's protection of its citizens in Oregon. Meanwhile, American
settlers were finding their way into the Willamette Valley. The "Peoria
Party" came in 1839, a few more arrived in 1840, and about 40 adults
and children in 1841. In 1842 Whitman made a difficult winter ride
across the Continent on missionary matters and also to enlist homeseek-
ers and invoke governmental aid in the settlement of the Oregon coun-
try. That year a larger immigration came across the plains, and in 1843
the first considerable wagon train made the long and trying journey
over the Oregon Trail. Thenceforward the population rapidly and
steadily increased.
Despite his misgivings concerning the effect of their arrival on the
HISTORY 45
business of the Hudson's Bay Company, Dr, McLoughlin had aided the
newcomers with credit and counsel* In 1845, however, the company
forced him to resign and his influence upon the development of the
region came to an end.
Life in the Oregon country was crude in the extreme, but despite its
difficulties, it was not without its favorable aspects. Pioneers hewed their
cabins and barns from the forest, and took their food from the newly
tilled ground or from the surrounding wilderness. The climate was
mild, and farm animals required little outlay for stabling or winter
feeding. The scarcity of money was a great inconvenience, somewhat
mitigated by the issue of what were known as "Ermatinger money" and
"Abernethy money," the use of wheat and peltry as mediums of ex-
change, and the coinage of "beaver money" at Oregon City. Chiefly un-
favorable to peace of mind in this life of primitive self-sufficiency were
the inevitable isolation and ever-present fear of the Indians. Of these,
the former was perhaps the harder to endure.
Attempts to form an organized government in Oregon antedated the
settlement of the boundary question by several years. When Jason Lee
went east in 1838, he carried a paper signed by 36 settlers petitioning
Congress for Oregon's admission to the Union. In the next year, the
Reverend David Leslie and about 70 others presented a similar petition
asking for "the civil institutions of the American Republic" and "the
high privilege of American citizenship." Congress, however, was hesi-
tant to act because of possible trouble with Great Britain, and the
Americans in Oregon became restless while awaiting a decision. Plans
for a provisional government became a matter of active discussion when,
early in 1841, Jason Lee made an earnest speech on the subject. Very
soon thereafter an event occurred which hastened the efforts to organize.
This was the death of Ewing Young, who owned a great part of the
Chehalem Valley and a large herd of Spanish cattle which he had driven
north from California. In the absence of a will and any legal heirs,
arrangements were made at his funeral to call a mass meeting of Ore-
gon's inhabitants south of the Columbia River for the purposes of ap-
pointing officers to administer his estate and to form some sort of
provisional local government. At this meeting, held February 17 and
1 8, 1841, at the Methodist Mission in the Willamette Valley, a "Su-
preme Judge, with Probate powers" and several minor court officers
were elected, and it was resolved "that a committee be chosen to form
a constitution, and draft a code of laws,"
At an adjourned meeting held four months later, it was moved "that
46 OREGON
the committee be advised to confer with the commander of the American
Exploring Squadron now in the Columbia river, concerning the pro-
priety of forming a provisional government in Oregon." The naval
commander, Capt Charles Wilkes, and his fellow officers were definite-
ly opposed to the settlers' plans, and assured the people that soon they
would doubtless be placed under jurisdiction of the United States gov-
ernment. The arrival in September 1842 of an official sub-agent of
Indian affairs, who contended that his office was equivalent to that of
Governor of the Territory, served further to retard the movement for
setting up a local government.
Several isolated Indian outrages, however, and the threat of a con-
certed Indian attack upon the American settlement in the Willamette
Valley led the inhabitants of that region to meet at Champoeg on May
2, 1843, "for the purpose of taking steps to organize themselves into a
civic community, and provide themselves with the protection secured by
the enforcement of law and order." On July 5 of the same year the
settlers again assembled at Champoeg and adopted "articles of compact"
as well as a detailed "organic law" based largely upon the laws of Iowa.
The provisional government thus organized was confirmed and came
into effect as the result of a special election held on July 25, 1845.
George Abernethy was chosen Governor, and remained so by re-election
throughout the three years of provisional government.
President Polk attempted to secure a territorial government for the
region before his term expired. On August 14, 1848, more than two
years after the boundary dispute was settled, and as the climax of a 24-
hour debate ; a dilatory Congress passed the bill admitting Oregon as a
territory. President Polk signed the bill the next day and then pro-
ceeded to appoint Territorial officers, including General Joseph Lane,
of Indiana, as Governor, and Joseph L. Meek as United States marshall.
Meek had gone to Washington to report the Whitman massacre, and
to function as a self-styled "Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo-
tentiary from the Republic of Oregon to the Court of the United
States." He returned by way of Indiana to inform General Lane of his
appointment, and the two hurried to the Northwest, reaching Oregon
City by boat and proclaiming the Territorial government on March 3,
1849, the day before Polk went out of office.
The new Territory of Oregon embraced all of the original Oregon
country between the 42nd and 49th parallels from the Rockies to the
Pacific. It was reduced to the confines of the present State of Oregon
in 1853, when the rest of the original area was organized as the Terri-
HISTORY 47
tory of Washington. From this latter, in turn, the eastern portion was
detached in 1863, to form the largest part of the Territory of Idaho.
With the discovery of gold in California in 1848, Oregon farmers,
soldiers, tradesmen, and officials joined in the mad rush to the gold
fields. Within a few months two-thirds of Oregon's adult male popu-
lation had left for California. Many of the stampeders acquired quick
and easy fortunes, returning with as much as thirty or forty thousand
dollars in gold dust and nuggets. This new-found wealth was badly
needed ; debts were paid, farms improved, houses built. And in addition
to the gold-rushers who became well-to-do, those who remained at home
also prospered. The miners in California required food, lumber, and
other supplies, and they turned to neighboring Oregon for them. The
price of wheat soared to $4 a bushel, flour to $15 a barrel, and lumber
to $100 a thousand feet. Oregon began to take on an atmosphere of
well-being. Log cabins gave way to comfortable dwellings of the New
England and southern type; many of these are still standing today.
The Indian population of the Oregon country, estimated at about
27,000 in 1845, was comparatively peaceful throughout the domination
of McLoughlin. But the rising tide of immigration in the 1840*8 filled
the red men with apprehension and resentment, increased by wanton
invasions of Indian rights by unprincipled whites. In November 1847
a band of Cayuses attacked the Presbyterian mission near the site of
Walla Walla, killed Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife, and 12 others,
and burnt all the buildings. The settlers immediately declared war upon
the Cayuse tribe, and after several battles the Indians were routed and
their villages destroyed. Another campaign, marked by a sharp engage-
ment at Battle Rock and desultory skirmishes in other places, began
against the Rogue Indians in 1851. Although Governor Joseph Lane
effected a treaty with them at Table Rock, attacks and reprisals con-
tinued until 1855, when Jackson County volunteers massacred 23 In-
dians, including old men, women, and children. This act drove the
Indians into a frenzy of resentment; they appeared everywhere, killing
the settlers and driving off their cattle. Culminating a year of bitter
struggle, the final battle of the campaign was fought at Oak Flat, on the
Illinois River, June 26, 1856. Three days later, Chief John surrendered,
and was subsequently imprisoned at Alcatraz. Meanwhile a similar war
had raged in eastern Oregon, but the defeat of the Spokane nation on
September I, 1858, and the execution of 16 Indians by Colonel Wright,
brought the hostilities to an end.
During the Territorial period, social and economic conditions in
48 OREGON
Oregon improved rapidly. Numerous ships discharged and loaded car
goes in the harbors, gold was discovered in several southwestern coun
ties, and roads and bridges were constructed. More than a score of aca
demies and two universities came into existence. A fire destroyed the
state house at Salem on December 30, 1855, and the seat of government
was moved to Corvallis; but the legislature, meeting in the latter citj
in 1856, decided to transfer the capital back to Salem, where it has
since remained.
The slavery controversy retarded the movement toward statehood,
presenting the main obstacle to unity at the constitutional conventior
in 1857. Finally a determination of the issue was left to a popular vote
to be taken concurrently with the vote on the constitution itself. At 2
special election on November 9, 1857, the people ratified the documenl
and defeated by a large majority the proposal to permit slave-holding,
The largest majority of all, however, was given to an article prohibiting
the admission of free negroes into Oregon. Though this provision was
a dead letter for many years, only in 1926 was it taken out of the con-
stitution.
The bill granting statehood to Oregon was signed by President Bu-
chanan on February 14, 1859, but the news did not reach Portland
until March 15. By noon of the next day the announcement found its
way to Oregon City, where it aroused little excitement. "A few persons
talked about it with languid interest/* said Harvey Scott, "and won-
dered when the government of the state would be set in motion." But
Stephen Senter of Oregon City, feeling the news ought to be speeded
to Salem, undertook to act as messenger, and like Paul Revere rode over
miry roads and through swollen streams, spreading the tidings that
Oregon was a State. The legislature was convoked and the organization
of the state government completed on May 16, 1859.
The brilliant and ambitious Edward Dickinson Baker came up from
California to stump the State for his old friend Lincoln and for himself
as United States Senator. Eloquent beyond most Pacific coast public
men of his time or since, he caused the congregated pioneers to wonder
that such glorious speech could come from mortal mouth. He was
elected, but soon joined the Army and made a final dramatic appearance
before the Senate in a colonel's uniform. He was killed in the early
months of the Civil War while leading a charge at Ball's Bluff. Little
Willie Lincoln at the White House commemorated him in a poem, and
the city of Baker and Baker County were named for him.
In general, Oregon's part in the Civil War was confined in the main
HISTORY 49
to protecting the frontier from marauding bands of Indians. Governor
Whiteaker proved dilatory in responding to President Lincoln's call for
volunteers; and after waiting until September of 1861 for the Governor
to act, Colonel Wright, who commanded the United States forces with-
in the State, requisitioned a volunteer troop of cavalry for three years'
service against the Indians in eastern Oregon. By 1862 there were six
companies in the field, forming a regiment known as the First Oregon
Cavalry. This unit, in addition to its service against the Indians, held
in check the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret order which opposed
the war. There was a good deal of secession sentiment in the state, and
several seditious newspapers were suppressed during the conflict.
Within a few years after the Civil War, Oregon was plunged into
Indian troubles that continued intermittently for more than a decade.
The Modocs went on the warpath in 1872, when attempts were made
to force them onto the Klamath reservation. A mere handful of war-
riors, under the leadership of "Captain Jack," they retreated to the lava
beds near Tule Lake, California, and there held out against a large
force of United States soldiers, upon whom they inflicted defeat after
defeat with little loss to themselves. They resisted* until the courageous
chieftain was captured and hanged, after he and some of his band had
treacherously assassinated General E. R. S. Canby and an associate dur-
ing a parley on April n, 1873.
In 1877, the younger Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces, incensed at
the government's attempt to deprive his people of the beautiful Wallowa
Valley, refused to be moved to an Idaho reservation. Several regiments
of United States troops were dispatched to force him into obedience.
After a number of sharp engagements and a retreat of a thousand miles
across Idaho and Montana, ending about fifty miles from the Canadian
border, Joseph was compelled to surrender. It is reported that he raised
his hand above his head and said : "From where the sun now stands, I
will fight no more forever." This great Indian warrior died in 1904
and was buried at the foot of Wallowa Lake, in the heart of the moun-
tains he loved so well.
Soon after the close of the Nez Perce war, the Paiutes and Bannocks
spread such terror throughout eastern and central Oregon that in 1878
the white farmers began moving into towns or erecting block houses
for protection* This outbreak, however, was short-lived, and by 1880
the Indian troubles in Oregon were for the most part ended.
With the completion of the Union Pacific to Promontory Point,
Utah, in 1869. and construction of a connecting line to Portland in the
3 -" 4 ' >r"r"V"** ^ .^
50 OREGON
early i88o's, a new era of population growth and economic expansion
began for Oregon. Homesteads were established in the more isolated
sections, and the eastern plains and ranges were utilized for large-scale
production of wheat and livestock. Industries for processing the mate-
nals from forests and farms came into being. Steamship as well as rail-
road commerce developed at a rapid rate. The Sally Brown, sailing
from Portland to Liverpool in 1868, carried the first full cargo of
Oregon wheat ever to be exported; since then Portland has become one
of the more important wheat-shipping ports of the world. In the three
decades between 1870 and 1900, the State's population increased from
90,923 to 413,526. Impressive evidence of a century's advance was pre-
sented in the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, held at Portland
in 1905.
The second Regiment of Oregon's National Guard was the first unit
of the American expeditionary force to support Admiral Dewey at
Manila, in the Spanish-American War of 1898. The regiment took
part in several engagements with the Spanish, and remained in the
Philippines throughout the campaign against Aguinaldo.
Oregonians were among the first American troops in active overseas
service during the World War, taking part with distinction in the en-
gagements at Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood, St. Mihiel, Cambrai,
Argonne Forest, and elsewhere. In the total of 44,166 Oregon men
enrolled m the American forces, more than 1,000 deaths were recorded,
and 355 were cited or decorated for distinguished service.
In the march of political and social progress, as expressed in legisla-
tive enactments and constitutional amendments, Oregon has kept well
abreast of her sister States. The Australian ballot system was introduced
in 1891, and a year later William S. U'Ren of Portland began an ex-
tensive campaign that resulted in adoption by the state of the initiative
and referendum in 1902, the direct primary in 1904, and the recall in
1908. Other progressive steps were taken with the adoption of woman
suffrage in 1912, workmen's compensation and widows' pensions in
1913, compulsory education in 1921, and a system of people's utility
districts in 1930.
Nothing in recent Oregon history is of greater significance for the
future than the construction by the Federal government of Bonneville
Dam and lock on the Columbia River 42 miles east of Portland* Begun
in 1933 and now ( 1940) nearly completed, this $70,000,000 project
will supply hydro-electric power to a huge area in the Columbia River
HISTORY 51
region and will permit navigation by ocean-going vessels as far east as
The Dalles.
With only 13,294 inhabitants in 1850, Oregon has developed into a
modern State of more than a million population, and its possibilities for
future development are as bright as those of any commonwealth in the
Union.
Agriculture
THE first independent and successful American farmer in Oregon
was Ewing Young, erstwhile fur-trader, who came in 1834 and in
the following year had crops growing and cattle grazing on the rich
acreage of the Chehalern Valley. Before his arrival, various ventures in
agriculture had been attempted, the earliest being by Nathan Winship
and his crew of the Albatross, who brought hogs and goats and did some
planting along the lower Columbia River bottoms in 1810. This ex-
periment was flooded out, and a year later the Astor expedition brought
hogs, sheep, and cattle, and planted vegetables at Fort Astoria. Dr. John
McLoughlin, of the Hudson's Bay Company, started a farm at Fort
Vancouver in 1825; and three years later he placed Etienne Lucier,
one of his trappers, who had become superannuated, on a tract of land
at the present site of East Portland. In 1829, James Bates established
a farm on Scappoose Plain, and three years later John Ball began wheat
growing in the Willamette Valley. These men were share-croppers for
the fur company. In 1835, Nathaniel Wyeth brought cattle, hogs, and
goats, with grain and garden seeds, to Sauvie Island, but later relin-
quished the land to Dr. McLoughlin, who established a dairy on the
island under the supervision of Jean Baptiste Sauvie.
Favorable reports concerning the fertile valleys of Oregon brought a
trickle of eastern farmers into the new and unclaimed country in the
late 1830*8. Thereafter, immigration increased rapidly, until the trickle
became a stream and then a flood. The cry of "Free landl" echoed back
over the Oregon Trail, and the route became crowded with long pro-
cessions of covered wagons.
Wheat was the pioneers' first and principal crop. Many of the early
homeseekers arrived in the Willamette country destitute, and Dr. Mc-
Loughlin, partly with an eye to future profit and the enhancing of
British influence, staked them to clothing, tools, and seed-wheat, to be
repaid in kind, so that thousands of settlers were at length in debt to
him. In 1846 more than 160,000 bushels of wheat were produced in
the Oregon country. By an act of the provisional government, wheat
AGRICULTURE 53
was declared legal tender and had a standard value of $i a bushel.
With the rush of the gold-seekers to California, the price soared to $6
a bushel, and by 1849 more than 50 ships had entered the Columbia
River seeking supplies of gram. This export commerce provided the
economic foundation for building towns and seaports, laying out wagon
roads, establishing steamship lines, and constructing railways. For the
next half century the Willamette Valley, with its brown loams and silty
clay soils, was predominantly "wheat country."
In 1861, gold was discovered in eastern Oregon and backtrailing
farmers, attracted by the possibility of finding fertile land near the new
diggins, followed the influx of miners to the region. Town sites were
staked out and agricultural development began. River steamers plying
the Columbia hastened the movement of fanners to the inland plateaus
and sagebrush plains. The first wheat grown in this portion of the state,
was harvested in 1863 by Andrew Kilgore in Umatilla County. Within
a few years, wheat was being sown over a large area of eastern Oregon.
Shipping centers sprang up along the river; and when, in the early
i88o's, the railroad came through, wheat-growing developed wherever
the soil was suitable and shipping possible.
It was inevitable that this extensive single-crop production should
make for exhaustion of the light basaltic soils and a consequent decrease
in the yield. In time it became necessary to reduce the seeded acreage
and to try various plans for restoring fertility. Summer fallowing or
dust mulching, a method whereby half of each ranch remains unseeded
in alternate years, is now generally adopted, and wheat still remains the
principal crop in Oregon. Production in 1937 was 20,424,000 bushels,
valued at $18,263,000 or slightly more than 30 per cent of the com-
bined income from all crops in the state. The average yield from the
993,ooo acres harvested was 20.6 bushels an acre.
Present-day wheat ranching in the rolling country of eastern Oregon
is a highly-mechanized industry. Each spring, tractor-drawn gang-
plows, harrows, and drills prepare and seed the moist earth. In late
summer, great combines move over the vast fields, reaping and threshing,
in a golden haze of chaff and straw, and leaving at measured intervals
bags of wheat stacked behind them. Day and night, trucks haul the grain
to towering elevators in nearby towns, or to freight sidings and ware-
houses, for shipment by rail or water to flour mills and export markets.
Of other grains than wheat, the principal crops in 1937 were oats,
10,360,000 bushels, harvested from 280,000 acres; barley, 4,160,000
bushels, from 130,000 acres; corn, 2,178,000 bushels, from 66,000 acres;
54 OREGON
and rye, 600,000 bushels, from 48,000 acres. In the same year, such
forage crops as clover, timothy, and alfalfa yielded a combined total of
1,428,000 tons, cut from 806,000 acres. Tame hay is now grown on a
much greater acreage than wheat; and 242,000 tons of wild hay were
cut in 1937 from 220,000 acres, principally in mountain valleys east of
the Cascade range and in the Klamath and Harney basins.
From the time farming began at Fort Astoiia until 1828, when
enough wheat was raised to support the inhabitants, potatoes were the
main substitute for bread. As settlement increased and spread it was
found that certain portions of the Oregon country were peculiarly adapt-
ed to potato culture, notably the Deschutes region, with a soil of vol-
canic ash and loamy sand, the Klamath Falls district of fine sandy loam,
and the sandy silt and humus of Coos County, on the coast. In 1937
Oregon produced 7,840,000 bushels of potatoes on 49,000 acres, or an
average of 160 bushels an acre.
There is scarcely a vegetable known to the temperate zone that does
not thrive in Oregon. Every ranch has its home garden and truck farm-
ing is an important commercial activity in certain paits of the state,
particularly on acreage near large towns. Onions head the list of truck
garden products, 660,000 sacks being marketed in 1937, Green celery
is a close second, with a 1937 output of 234,000 crates, grown chiefly
in the middle Columbia and Willamette Valley. Cantaloupes from
Douglas and Wasco Counties are of a superior grade.
Describing the Oregon country as he saw it in 1845, the Rev-
erend Gustavus Hines wrote: "Apples, peaches, and other kinds of fruit,
flourish, as far as they have been cultivated; and from present appear-
ances, it is quite likely that the time is not far distant, when the country
will be well supplied with the various kinds of fruit which grow in the
Middle States," The first extensive planting of fruit trees was done at
Milwaukie in 1847 by William Meek and the Lewellmg brothers, who
brought some 800 seedlings and a few grafted trees over the Oregon
Trail in boxes fitted inside their covered wagons. The venture paid well.
The first box of apples placed on sale in Portland realized $75, and
in 1851 four boxes were sold in San Francisco for $500. Seth Lewelling
set out the earliest Italian prune orchard in 1858; and the brothers
developed a number of distinctive fruit varieties now well known in
Oregon among them the Black Republican, Lincoln, and Bing cher-
ries, the Golden prune, and the Lewelling grape.
Fruit growing has become one of Oregon's major economic activities.
Hood River apples, Rogue River pears, The Dalles cherries, and Wil-
AGRICULTURE 55
lamette Valley prunes are famed thioughout America and Europe.
Only one other state (California) produces more prunes than Oregon,
the 1937 yield being 43,000 tons, valued at $1,414,000. Other principal
fruit crops of the same year were apples, 3,763,000 bushels, valued at
$3,010,000; pears, 3,621,000 bushels, valued at $2,350,000; cherries,
124,000 tons, valued at $1,525,000; grapes, 2,100 tons, valued at
$69,300; and peaches, 241,000 bushels, valued at $2,892,000.
Strawberries, raspberries, currants, youngberries, loganberries, and
evergreen blackberries thrive in various sections, though the best crops
are produced in the moist western valleys. Strawberries constitute the
most important item in this list, the 1937 crop amounting to 1,050,000
crates, was raised on 14,000 acres (an average yield of 75 crates to the
acre), and valued at $3,518,000. Cranberries have long grown wild,
principally on peat-bog land along the coast, but are now profitably cul-
tivated over a large acreage.
Nuts of various kinds, chiefly English walnuts, and filberts, are raised,
especially on the sandy loams and "red hill" lands of the Willamette
and Tualatin Valleys, one of the few regions of the world adapted to
filbert culture. There are approximately 9,000 acres of filbert orchards
in Oregon, or 85 per cent of the national total, and about 14,000 acres
of bearing walnut trees.
Hops are among the principal agricultural products of the Willamette
Valley. High green-hung hop trellises cover thousands of acres in
Marion County. Although over-production in recent years has reduced
the value of the crop, Oregon continues to produce more hops than any
other state in the Union. The value of the 1937 crop exceeded
$4,000,000.
Wild flax grew in Oregon before the first white men came, and has
been grown there almost continually from the beginning of settlement,
but not until recent years has a consistent effort been made to utilize
the product commercially. In 1915 a flax plant was established at the
state penitentiary; and recently the Federal Government, through the
Works Progress Administration, assisted in constructing scutching plants
and mills. In 1935, more than 2,000 acres were planted to flax. About
2,000,000 pounds of fiber are annually produced at the state plant.
Seed production provides the farmers of Oregon with some three
million dollars of annual income. Nearly a million pounds of alsike
clover seed, sown as a soil-restoring rotation crop in wheat growing
areas, are marketed annually; and west of the mountains, vegetable seeds
are produced on an extensive scale.
56 OREGON
Ornamental nursery stock yields almost a million dollars each year
for Multnomah County nurserymen alone. Field-grown roses are
shipped out of the state in carload lots. Daffodil, tulip, and gladioli
farms are numerous in western Oregon, and hothouses with thousands
of feet under glass supply cut flowers and bulbs to local and national
markets.
Until 1837 the only cattle in the Oregon country belonged to the
Hudson's Bay Company, which supplied milk to the settlers but refused
to sell any part of its stock to them. With the object of breaking up
this monopoly, a group of prominent men in the Willamette Valley,
headed by Jason Lee and Ewing Young, organized an expedition to
California "to purchase and drive to Oregon a band of neat cattle for
the supply of the settlers." The expedition sailed early in February
1837 on the U. S, brig Loriot, commanded by William A. Slacum, and
returned overland a few months later with some 600 head of cattle and
a number of horses, which were distributed among the settlers. The
supply of livestock was considerably augmented in 1841, when Joseph
Gale and others built the sloop Star of Oregon and sailed it from the
Columbia River to San Francisco, where they traded their vessel for
cattle, horses, mules, and sheep, which they drove north over the wilder-
ness trails to Oregon. Soon thereafter the long "cow columns" of the
eastern emigrants began to arrive in the Willamette Valley, and the fu-
ture of one of Oregon's principal economic resources was permanently
assured.
By the early 1870*8, cattle ranching had become a firmly established
and highly profitable activity in the vast range lands of central and
southeastern Oregon. For the next two decades, cattle had almost free
run of this semi-arid plateau country, where the bunchgrass grew stir-
rup-high; and the unfenced area of Harney County in particular con-
tained some of the most extensive ranches and largest herds in the West.
But it was not long before sheepmen began to compete for the open
range, and violent friction ensued between them and the cattle barons.
Sheep were maliciously slaughtered, and their owners retaliated by
burning the stacks, barns, and houses of the cattlemen. Into the feud
was injected another element inimical to both sheep and cattle ranchers
the invasion of homesteaders with their fences and land-speculators
with their townsites. The outcome was defeat for the hitherto dominant
cattle kings, restriction of their rights, and a gradual decrease in the
size of their herds. However, Harney County has remained a prominent
cattle region, and Oregon as a whole is still an important cattle state.
AGRICULTURE 57
In an estimated total of 945,000 head of cattle m Oregon at the
beginning of I937> nearly 260,000 were cows and heifers kept for milk
a notable contrast to the first little herd, owned by the Hudson's Bay
Company, which browsed the moist levels of Sauvie Island more than a
century ago. Adjacent to the principal cities and towns are many dairy
farms and creameries. The Tillamook, Coos Bay, and other coastal
areas, with their perennial green pasturage, are ideal dairying regions,
and the irrigated Klamath basin is also an important field.
The first sheep successfully driven across the plains were brought
to Oregon in 1844 by Joshua Shaw and his son. Saxon and Spanish
merinos were introduced in 1848, and purebred merinos in 1851. The
earliest herds were confined to the western region, particularly the Wil-
lamette Valley, but by 1860 many had been established in eastern Ore-
gon. As the favorable climate and range conditions became better known,
sheepmen from California and Australia swarmed into the State, and
by 1893 the herds had increased to two and a half million head. After
rising to 3,319,000 in 1930, the number declined to an estimated total
of 2,245,000 at the beginning of 1937. Besides the marketing of mutton,
a large annual clip of wool is sold. The 1937 production was more
than 17,000,000 pounds, the average weight per fleece being 8 $4 pounds.
Shipping of wool began in 1862, when the surplus clip of that year,
amounting to 100,000 pounds, was sent from the Willamette Valley
to New England. Many settlers brought goats with them across the
plains, but commercial goat-raising is a comparatively recent enterprise.
The most prevalent breed is the Angora, valued for its mohair wool.
Today more than half of the mohair wool produced in the United States
comes from Oregon.
Every pioneer fanner raised hogs to provide fat for soap, candles,
and cooking, and meat for his table. Purebred swine were brought to
the state in 1868, after which the importation of fine hogs became com-
mon. The number of hogs on Oregon farms at the beginning of 1937
was estimated at 242,000 as against only 169,000 in 1935-
Poultry has always been indispensable in Oregon farm life, since the
first leghorns were introduced in 1834* Not until the present century,
however, were eggs and poultry produced on a large scale. The tem-
perate Willamette Valley is a favored area. Commercial turkey raising
is comparatively new, but with its favorable summer climate and free-
dom from disease the state has already become an important producing
area.
In 1935 there were 64,826 individual farms in Oregon occupying
58 OREGON
I 7 ) 358 5 OOO acres or 28.4 per cent of the state's entire land area, and
with a collective value for land and buildings of $448,712,000. Of
these farms, 17,206 were under 20 acres each in size, 30,498 were
under 50 acres, 40,782 were under 100 acres, and 3,046 comprised 1,000
acres or more; the average acreage per farm being 267.8. In the com-
bined farm area, about 3,100,000 acres were used for crops and about
12,000,000 acres consisted of pasture land. Of the total number of
farms, 50,046 were operated by full or part owners, 715 by managers,
and 14,065 by tenants. The total farm population numbered 248,767;
and of the persons working on farms, family labor accounted for 83,102
and hired help for 15,287. Considerably more than 25,000 farm opera-
tors worked part time to pay off their farms during the year. Farms
to the number of 29,740 or 45.9 per cent of the total, were canymg a
combined mortgage debt of $119,670,000.
Although much sub-maigmal land cultivated during boom years in
the "high desert" of south central Oregon, and in the remote hill
regions elsewhere, is now abandoned, the total acreage of land in farms
increased 50 per cent in the quarter-century from 1910 to 1935 and
more than 22 per cent in the decade of 1925-35. Yet the total value of
land and buildings declined sharply from $675,213,000 in 1920 and
$630,828,000 in 1930 to $448,712,000 in 1935. The number of mort-
gaged farms decreased from 51.5 per cent of the total in 1930 to 45.9
per cent in 1935, with an accompanying decrease of nearly $2,500,000
in the total farm mortgage debt. The number of farms operated by
tenants increased from 9,790 in 1930 to 14,065 in 1935; and in the
latter year 21.7 per cent of the total number of farms and 17.1 per
cent of all land in farms were under tenant operation.
Government irrigation projects in the Owyhee, Klamath, Umatilla,
Vale, and three other districts have done much to increase the agri-
cultural resources of Oregon. More than a million acres are now under
irrigation in the state. Summer irrigation is rapidly supplementing
normal winter rainfall in portions of the Willamette and Hood River
Valleys.
The State Agricultural College at Corvallis, founded 1868, has
played a role of incalculable importance in Oregon's agricultural ac-
tivities. Besides the specialized training given to thousands of young
men and women, it conducts experimental farms in various parts of the
state, maintains a radio broadcasting station, publishes numerous bulle-
tins, and contributes in numerous other ways to the improvement of
farming and the conditions of farm life in general. A state agncul-
AGRICULTURE 59
tural experiment station has assisted Oregon farmers for more than 50
years, and the first quarter-century of farm agent work in the state
was celebrated in 1937. The State Agricultural Society, founded 1854,
was the first of several state-wide organizations of farmers, the most
important of which is now the Oregon unit of the National Grange.
The annual State Fair at Salem and Pacific International Livestock
Exposition at Portland are attended by farmers and stock breeders from
every part of Oregon.
Industry ', Commerce and Labor
INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE: Timber is the dominant factor
in Oregon's industrial and commercial life, and activities connected
with it spread over all but the grasslands and the high plateaus in the
southeastern section. So important is timber and its products that there
is hardly a community, in western Oregon at least, whose prosperity
does not depend upon it. Even the state's tax-supported schools derive a
good portion of their income from the forests. The importance of the
industry is symbolized in the state shield, which the founding fathers
inscribed with a forest and a ship.
V^ater-powered mills, with up-and-down mulay saws, cut the boards
for Oregon's earliest frame houses. The first steam-driven mill, with
a circular saw, was built in Portland in 1850, while teams of oxen
were busy hauling logs down skidroads which are now Portland streets.
Along the shores of the Columbia, inland as far as Hood River, were
great stands of timber. Here the lumber industry had its first real
beginnings. Skidroads were pushed from the river banks into the dense
forest. Over these the bull teams, driven by swaggering bullwhackers,
hauled the big butts to water, where they were made into rafts and
floated down to the mills.
By 1890, when the exhaustion of the forests of the Great Lakes
region was in sight, Oregon began to be prominent as a lumber state.
The lumberjacks followed the timber west. It is common to find
loggers in Oregon today whose fathers helped cut the pine of Michigan,
and whose grandfathers helped fell and saw the spruce of Maine.
Timber owners and sawmill operators, too, came from the lake
states to Oregon and built mills in the Willamette Valley and pushed
logging railroads into the foothills. The Coos and Tillamook Bay
districts were developed. When, later, lumber operators from the
southern states arrived, because the timber there was giving out, they
found Oregon forest land mostly taken up.
Shortly after 1900, widespread corruption in the lumber industry was
exposed in the great Oregon Timber Fraud cases. Men grew wealthy
INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND LABOR 6l
by acquiring forest areas through a system of "dummies* ', names of non-
existent people or of persons who for a few dollars signed fraudulent
homestead applications. A happy outcome was the setting aside later of
thousands of acres of forest, formeily public domain and open to home-
steading, to form national reserves within the state.
In eastern Oregon the lumber industry was slower in starting but
once begun it gathered great speed. There the timber is mainly pine.
Some of the largest sawmills in the world are now located at Burns,
Bend, and Klamath Falls. Others are near Baker and La Grande.
Waste has marked the lumber industry throughout its history, but
today pulp and paper manufacturing, which takes care of much lumber
refuse, seems to be developing into a major aspect of the lumber in-
dustry. Furniture making, utilizing Oregon oak, alder, maple and
walnut, is growing in importance. Several hundred persons in the Coos
Bay area are employed in making novelties from myrtlewood. In Marsh-
field and Coquille the manufacture of battery separators from the acid-
proof Port Orford cedar is a leading industry. This unique wood is also
used in airplane construction. In general, the utilization of forest prod-
ucts is greater in the pine than in the fir regions. One reason is that
pine is easier to "work" than fir. Much low-grade pine goes into box
"shooks", the pieces from which boxes are made. One pine mill furnishes
all the curtain rollers used by a large manufacturer of automobiles.
Small pieces of pine are made into toys. One mill specializes in ironing
boards.
Until 1930 the tendency was towards larger and larger sawmills*
Some of the pine mills in Bend and Klamath Falls have a rated eight-
hour capacity of 300,000 feet of lumber. A fir mill at Marshfield has
a capacity of 650,000 feet in the same space of time. Of late years,
however, because of the depression and because of the increased overhead
costs in large mills when on curtailed production, and because of the
loss of the European market for heavy timbers, few large mills have
been built. Instead, many cutting only from 10,000 to 50,000 feet a shift
have gone into operation, using logs hauled on trucks which have sup-
planted logging railroads.
The income from forest products in Oregon is about 177 million
dollars annually. Some 40,000 persons are employed who receive in
wages and salaries approximately 56 million dollars.
Fishing is still an important industry in Oregon, particularly so on
the Columbia River at Astoria, at Warrenton, and at The Dalles;
and on the Pacific Coast at Tillamook, Newport, Reedsport, and the
62 OREGON
cities on Coos Bay. Salmon is the leading catch, with halibut, pilchards,
cod, steelhead trout, shad, and oysters important in the order named.
The salmon-wheels in the Columbia River, a few of which are still
standing, are reminders of a past made obsolete by law. Formerly thou-
sands of salmon were taken in these ingenious contraptions. However,
horse-seining is still done on the lower river, where teams, neck deep
in water, pull in nets filled with struggling fish. The animals, most of
them old discarded work-horses, seem to be rejuvenated by the brine.
Astoria is the largest fish-canning center in the state. From here a fleet
of boats puts out to troll or seine in the river, or off the coast. For the
past few years the catching and processing of pilchards for oil and fer-
tilizer have become important activities during a two-month season at
Astoria and Coos Bay. This industry is so new that no reliable data
on it have as yet been collected. However, in 1936, a tax of 50 cents
per ton on pilchards taken in Oregon waters netted about $35,000. The
annual yield of all Oregon fisheries is about 25,000,000 pounds, valued
at over $2,600,000. The pilchard products are used locally and along
the Pacific Coast; salmon and allied products, canned, smoked, dried,
or kippered, are shipped to all parts of the world.
From mining, Oregon receives a small but steady income. Gold, cop-
per, silver, and lead rank in the order named. Mercury production
equals that of gold in value, or about $350,000 annually. Three thou-
sand persons are engaged in the production of minerals in the state,
and the total income is approximately $4,500,000 a year. Gold was
Oregon's earliest mineral discovery. In eastern and southern parts of
the state prospectors are still active in the mountains and along streams.
Tales of "lost" mines persist as part of local folklore. In Curry, Baker,
Jackson and Josephine counties are many ruins of "ghost towns," built
hurriedly and as swiftly abandoned and forgotten.
Manufacturing in Oregon has made slow but steady progress. The
lumber industry plays the role of a general stimulant through its de-
mand for logging locomotives, donkey-engines, steel cables, blocks and
timber-cutting tools, much of which equipment is made in the state.
In Portland a factory, in business since 1887, builds 13,000 stoves and
2,500 furnaces a year. Another plant specializes in automatic stokers
that are sold all over the world. Still another makes 2,000,000 tin cans
annually to meet the demands of the local fruit and fish-canning indus-
tries. Woolen goods have been made since earliest days. Though wool
in great quantities and of excellent grade is still produced in the state,
the industry has lagged somewhat in late years.
INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND LABOR 63
Oregon grows a fine grade of flax fiber, yet mills have come and gone
for fifty years. In 1935 an Oregon Flax Committee was appointed to
investigate the industry and make recommendations. In October of that
year the Works Progress Administration consented to earmark money
to build three flax-processing plants in the state. In December the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration granted a federal subsidy of $5 a
ton to flax growers. Committees which were granted WPA funds for
plants, furnished land and contributed cash to the enterprise, while
farmers and business men, backed by their bankers, organized coopera-
tives. The state engaged experts to supervise construction of the plants
and to help the cooperatives get started. The WPA agreed to construct
the plants and run them for one year, whereupon the state assumed re-
sponsibility,
Oregon exports, like the state's commerce in general, depend on the
activity of the timber industry, which in turn influences agriculture.
The bulk of water-borne shipments consists of lumber, flour, wheat,
paper, and canned goods, including salmon, in the order named. Next
in rank are logs, apples, dried fruits, pulp-wood, hides and leather; then
plywood, cereals, doors, milk, vegetables, cheese, and butter. Cattle,
sheep, horses, and hogs on the hoof, poultry and poultry products, and
wool in the raw, are shipped chiefly by freight car.
The total commerce of the Port of Portland, Oregon's chief com-
mercial terminal, which handles by far the largest share of the state's
shipments, was 7,353,378 tons in 1938. Some 1717 vessels entered and
cleared, carrying a tonnage of 5)556,535 tons. Total port commerce
value in 1938 was $273,258,096. Commerce along the inland waterways
and by train, truck and electric line, with shipments from Tillamook
and Coos bays, added vastly to the state's commercial figures.
The Bonneville dam on the Columbia, forty miles east of Portland,
completed by the Federal Government in 1937, had an immediate ca-
pacity of 115,250 horsepower, and foundations for 576,000 additional
horsepower. This gave inestimable impetus to Oregon industry and
commerce. The largest development to date (1940) is that of the Ameri-
can Aluminum Company that has purchased a 300 acre site and has
scheduled the opening of a plant in 1941. Public Utility Districts for
use of Bonneville power are being organized in many parts of the state,
and many private companies are negotiating for the use of power from
the dam.
LABOR: Romantic historians of the great migration to Oregon
have woven a stirring tale of a land-hungry yeomanry carving an em-
64 OREGON
pire out of the wilderness. The covered wagons, however, brought with
them also a number of mechanics and artisans driven from their homes
by chaotic industrial conditions in the East In Europe the great period
of unrest following the Napoleonic Wars set in motion a wave of emi-
gration that flooded America's Atlantic seaboard with thousands of in-
digent workers. Wage scales toppled and standards of living fell as the
Europeans entered every field of labor.
American workers, faced with the specters of unemployment and
poverty, chose westward migration. By the middle of the century the
trek to the Northwest was under way. In the wagon trains were Ore-
gon's first printers. These men carried pamphlets of craft unionism
among their gear, and became the pioneers of the Oregon labor move-
ment. From Oregon and Washington territories they came in 1853 to
Portland, then a town of about 1,000 inhabitants, and organized a
Typographical Society along the lines of the successful National Typo-
graphical Union formed in the East in 1850. Portland soon became an
important shipping point, and in 1868 the longshoremen set up their
Portland Protective Union. This was Oregon's second labor association.
Meanwhile there had arisen the problem of competitive Chinese labor
which was to harry the white workers of Oregon for many years. Driven
out of California by anti-Chinese feeling, the Orientals flocked north
as far as Portland. The Burlingarae Treaty, ratified in 1867, which
opened the country to coolies recruited for railroad construction, greatly
increased the number of yellow laborers. A crowded labor market re-
sulted, followed by decreased wages, at a time of rising living costs.
White laborers, threatened with the loss of their jobs, responded by
boycotting those who employed the Asiatics. Feeling ran high and for
the first time in Oregon a line was sharply drawn between those for
and against Orientals. Political destinies were shaped by the conflict,
which was fought out in the decades following, industry as a whole
staunchly favoring the low-wage coolie labor, and the white workers
forming organizations to effect its exclusion. In 1886 the anti-Chinese
agitation was at its height. Mayor Gates of Portland called a meeting of
protest in favor of the Chinese, but Sylvester Pennoyer took over the
meeting and declared that the Chinese must go. Partly because of his
stand on this question he was elected governor of the state at the fol-
lowing election. Heroic attempts were made to organize a central labor
body which might better handle the issue, but a confusion of economic
and political aims prevented united action.
Finally, however, labor did draw itself together within a framework
INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND LABOR 65
of united craft associations. These weathered the panic of 1873, and
by 1882 were ten in number. The unions learned to make use of the
strike, and, although most walkouts were lost, some, among them the
strike of the harnessmakers in 1889, gave union labor confidence and a
measure of badly needed prestige.
The period between 1880 and 1890 was one of tremendous expansion
in Oregon, and alternately harsh and kind to labor. As the Northern
Pacific Railroad, completed in 1883, linked the state to the great indus-
trial cities of the East, Portland grew from a town of 25,000 to a
marketing and shipping center with three times that many people.
Building construction reached unprecedented levels. Commodity prices
continued to mount until the minor depression of 1884.
Samuel Gompers visiting Portland in 1883 had to raise his voice to
make himself heard above the noise of the building operations in the
booming city. But he achieved his purpose, that of leading Portland's
300 organized craftsmen into forming the Portland Federated Trades
Assembly, the first central labor body in Oregon with a completely
unified membership. The assembly found itself opposed by the Knights
of Labor, James Sovereign's organization, established since 1880, which
had 600 members. The two bodies, one committed to rigid crafts union-
ism, the other to the policy of including all craftsmen in the same or-
ganization, engaged in a struggle for control of all Portland labor. The
Knights were temporarily left in possession of the field, and in 1885
the Portland Federated Trades Assembly was dissolved.
Although Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, this
legislation did not affect the Orientals already in the country. Their
number was augmented by smugglers, who found the closed immigration
channels easy to circumvent. Thus, during the depression of 1884, labor
found itself, in spite of the exclusion law, competing with an ever-
increasing number of Asiatics. Knights of Labor organizers led Oregon's
aroused workers to action and in 1885 a camp of Chinese coolies was
attacked by a mob at Albina. Oregon's Governor called the militia,
which refused to serve. More riots followed, an anti-Chinese convention
was called together, the boycott was again invoked and for the first time
in Oregon dynamite was used as a class-war weapon. As the result of
these events the Knights of Labor dominated the situation when Samuel
Gompers returned to Portland in 1887.
All attempts to revive the Portland Federated Trades Assembly, dead
for two years, had failed, but Gompers, now representing the American
Federation of Labor (formed the year before) succeeded in bringing
66 OREGON
the central body back to life. The A. F. of L. had only 250,000 mem-
bers in the United States to pit against the Knights of Labor's national
organization of 700,000 members, but the influence of the Knights was
on the wane in Oregon, while that of the A. F. of L. now rose rapidly.
In 1889 the Portland Federated Trades Assembly showed its strength
through a boycott in favor of locked-out brewery workers. In 1890 the
A. F. of L. called a general strike to obtain the eight-hour day, and
Portland's union carpenters won their fight, though they had to submit
to a wage-cut in return for victory.
The 1 890*8 were not happy years for Oregon workers. The "hard
times" of 1893-95 were levying a heavy toll upon the whole country,
and the plight of organized labor in general was desperate. Oregon's
unemployed grew in numbers, hunger marchers stormed Portland's city
hall, and hungry men joined Coxey's Army. The state's railroad workers
walked out in sympathy with Gene Debs' great transportation strike
and lost their jobs when the strike failed.
In its struggle for existence the Portland Federated Trades Assembly
clung to its A. F. of L. affiliation, and fought off the threat of the newly
formed Central Labor Council for control of Oiegon's workers. It
called a state labor congress to devise means of relief, and again ob-
tained undisputed leadership of the battered labor ranks, with new union
charters granted.
The need of a state labor body had become apparent and in 1902,
when 17 strikes disrupted Oregon industry, 175 delegates, representing
about 10,000 workers, met in Portland and formed the Oregon Fed-
eration of Labor. The Federation stood for economic and political re-
form, and was largely instrumental in obtaining legislation for the estab-
lishment of the state bureau of labor in 1903. Made strong by the
Federation, craft unionism felt more secure. Nothing now appeared to
challenge the authority of the A. F. of L.
However, the idea of the One Big Union advocating that labor, to
be effective, ought to set aside all distinctions of craft, color, sex and
nationality, and unite in one coordinated body began to attract attention.
This idea was reaffirmed by the Industrial Workers of the World, a
revolutionary organization formed in Chicago in 1905. Soon the world
was to hear much of the L W, W., or the "Wobblies" as members were
nicknamed.
The genius of the organization was "Big Bill" Haywood, a former
miner who knew conditions in western mining and logging camps. The
I. W. W. seemed peculiarly fitted to conditions in the Far West, and
INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND LABOR 67
among the miners and lumberjacks of Oregon the influence of Hay-
wood's organization was soon paramount. In 1907 that part of the
state's lumber industry centering about Portland was paralyzed by the
greatest strike in its history. The walk-out was brief, and although no
recognition was gained, strikers pointed to increased wages and improved
working conditions as results of the dispute.
The I. W. W. remained a power in the lumber industry until war
measures in 1917, gave to its members all they were fighting for, in-
cluding the eight-hour day, better sanitation and working conditions,
and beds provided by operators so no man would have to carry his
blankets on his back in order to obtain a job. With its objectives gone,
the organization lost its militancy and dwindled. However, it came back
again after the Armistice, when the threat of lowered wages and the re-
turn of the longer working day again menaced. Lumber and logging
operators, with the aid of the 4L, first a war-measure organization and
later a "Company Union," made strenuous war on the I. W. W., which
in 1919 retaliated with a general strike. This was unsuccessful, and
after much violence and bloodshed, and sharp division of sentiment
among the lumber workers, the I. W. W. gradually lost footing.
The 4.L the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen was formed
by the Federal Government through the War Board to do away with
unrest and dissatisfaction in the lumber industry of the Pacific Coast,
and thus to speed up the production to meet war-time needs. Barring
nobody because of previous affiliations, it was organized in the summer
of 1917 and soon included all persons in any manner engaged in camps
or sawmills. As long as the government ran the 4.L, peace was main-
tained between the workers and their employers. After the end of the
war, however, most of the loggers as well as many of the sawmill work-
ers dropped from the rolls. Members who remained belonged to the
better paid categories among the lumber workers. After 1919 the Loyal
Legion never possessed the confidence or support of the great mass of
workers, and is regarded by many as having taken on the character of
a "company union". The 4L continued to function in some sort of
manner until, pressed by changing labor conditions, it reorganized under
the name of the Industrial Employees Union, with an influence largely
confined to the pine-producing districts.
In recent years only two major strikes have taken place in Oregon
the International Longshoremen's Association strike in 1934, for better
conditions, and that of the Sawmill and Timber Workers' Union, in
1934-35. They were settled by the aid of Federal arbitration. Both dis-
68 OREGON
putes were tinged with the passions and prejudices of extremists on the
sides of labor and capital alike, but led to improved working conditions
and union recognition.
The Oregon Federation of Labor with a present membership of
approximately 70,000 represents craft unionism in Oregon, with its
corresponding purposes and motives. The idea of industrial unionism, or
the vertical plan of organization as opposed to the horizontal, has been
powerfully revived through the C.I.O. headed by John L. Lewis; and
the late 1930*5 in Oregon have been marked by spectacular struggles
between the two union systems. By initiative process a rigid anti-picket-
ing law was adopted at the general election of 1938.
Transportation
IN the late spring of 1837 a little company of men and women, sent
out from Boston to reinforce the four lonely brethren at the Metho-
dist mission station in the Willamette Valley, arrived in the lower
waters of the Columbia, after a voyage of ten months by way of Cape
Horn and the Sandwich Islands. Near the mouth of the Willamette
River they were met by Jason L/ee, who had made the journey of 75
miles from the mission by canoe, and with him they paddled up the river
to the station. In mid-July two women among the newcomers were
united in marriage to Lee and his co-worker Cyrus Shepard. "As the
sickly season came on," according to a contemporary record, the newly-
married couples "performed two tours through the country, for the
benefit of their health." The rst was a ten-days' journey on horseback,
southward along the Willamette River, eastward to the headwaters of
the Molalla, northward to Champoeg, and back to the mission. Very
shortly thereafter they set out on foot "to perform a land journey to
the Pacific coast," following a trail some 80 miles long from the valley
to the ocean that had been used by Indians and by retired Hudson's Bay
trappers. Though they found this route "exceedingly difficult, on ac-
count of the abruptness of the ascending and descending, and the numer-
ous large trees that had fallen across it," the party arrived at the Pacific
in four days ; and the same length of time was required "in crossing the
mountains, jumping the logs, fording the streams, and traveling over the
prairies" on the return. By the end of August they were back at the
Willamette station, "better qualified, from the improvement of their
health, to pursue the business of their calling."
Most of the common methods of travel available in the Oregon
country a century ago are represented in the above brief narrative by
canoe on the waterways, by horseback in the valley bottoms and level
open country, afoot through the mountains and other forested areas over
narrow trails cut by Indians and trappers. With the coming of the
homeseekers, however, the principal trails were rapidly broadened into
roads. Thousands of immigrants in ox-drawn wagons, with their leaders
70 OREGON
and guides on horseback, eventually fashioned a mam route of travel
from the lower Missouri River to the Willamette Valley. In its far
western course this route traversed the northeastern corner of what is
now the State of Oregon, entering from the valley of the Snake River
near the latter's confluence with the Malheur, and continuing past the
sites of Baker, La Grande, and Pendleton to the junction of the Walla
Walla River with the Columbia. This latter point was the end of the
original Oregon Trail, the rest of the journey being accomplished by
boat and portage down the Columbia. But in 1843 a roadway was
broken along the south bank of that river as far west as The Dalles;
and in the following year a route came into use from the site of La
Grande over the Blue Mountains to the Umatilla, along the latter to
the Columbia, and thence to The Dalles. From this point westward, the
river provided the only means of transportation until 1845, when Samuel
Barlow and Philip Foster cut a crude wagon road through the forests
and over the precipitous slopes south of Mount Hood to Willamette
Falls at the site of Oregon City. In 1846 they improved the grades and
secured a toll franchise. Travelers using this road of 85 miles in length
paid tolls of $5 a wagon and $i for each head of livestock. Today part
of the course is followed by the Mount Hood Loop Highway.
A second road, completed in 1846, led into the Willamette region by
way of the Malheur River valley and the Klamath country, thence
through the mountains and northward to the upper Willamette. By this
time relatively short stretches of primitive road had been constructed
between various adjacent settlements not connected by waterways. Some
of these were community affairs, built by the settlers to provide means
of local intercourse ; others were commercial enterprises, operating under
toll franchise. By 1846 there was a wagon road from Portland to the
fertile Tualatin Plains. Many of the early roads led to river landings
where boat service was available. Bridges, too, began to be built. On
May 8, 1850, according to a local record, "the court proceeded to let
by public outcry the bridge across the river near Hillsborough imme-
diately below the forks of Dary and McKays creek where the former
Frame bridge stood" ; and another bridge was built across the Yamhill
River, at the site of Lafayette, in 1851.
Popular demands for adequate mail service hastened the transforma-
tion of trails into vehicular roadways. A stagecoach line began operations
in 1851 up and down the Willamette Valley and to points in southern
Oregon; this line was taken over by the Wells Fargo company four
years later. In 1857 a Concord coach made the run of about 50 miles
TRANSPORTATION 71
from Portland to Salem in one day. Laiger vehicles, some of them diawn
by six horses, came into use as the roads were gradually improved. Dur-
ing the early i86o's connections were established with California stage
lines, and fast service was instituted to adjacent valley and mountain
points.
Until well along toward the middle of the igth century, freighting
on the Columbia River was chiefly controlled by the Hudson's Bay
Company, which operated fleets of large barges for carrying furs from
the upper tributaries of the Columbia down to the company's general
depot at Fort Vancouver, where the pelts were examined, dried, and
packed for shipment to London. Each of these barges had a cargo capac-
ity of five or six tons, and was manned by a crew of at least six French-
Canadian or half-breed oarsmen. At the Cascades, the boats and their
cargoes were carried across a short portage, while the rapids below were
"shot" by the sturdy voyageurs. Many of the early homeseekers and
their belongings were transported down the river in these barges. The
Hudson's Bay Company long maintained a similar service on the Wil-
lamette River as well.
There were few steamboats on either river before 1850. In that year
the Columbia, 90 feet long, was launched at Astoria and began operat-
ing on a semi-weekly schedule between Astoria and Oregon City, on the
Willamette. This service was supplemented later in the same year by
a larger vessel, the Lot Whitcomb, built and launched at Milwaukie,
near Portland. Steamer service above the falls at Oregon City reached
Salem in 1853 and Eugene in 1857. At Portland, ocean-going vessels
loaded shipments for California, the Sandwich Islands, and eastern ports
by way of Cape Horn.
Wagon wheels were still creaking over the mountain passes when
pioneer promoters in the Northwest began to organize railroad com-
panies. In the late 1850*3, Joseph S. Ruckel and Harrison Olmstead
gave Oregon its first rail service, selecting as their scene of operations
the portage trail around the Cascades of the Columbia River. Here, in
the summer of 1859, four and a half miles of wooden track were laid,
between the site of Bonneville and what is now Cascade Locks; and
over this track, mules and horses pulled trains of four or five small cars.
A few months later the wooden rails were given a bearing surface of
sheet iron, and the Oregon Pony, first steam locomotive to be built on
the Pacific coast, began transporting amazed immigrants past the Cas-
cades in a cloud of sparks and steam and smoke. The Union Transpor-
tation Company, later reorganized as the Oregon Steam Navigation
72 OREGON
Company, also came into being in 1859. Starting operations with eight
small river boats, it eventually acquired the portage railroad at the Cas-
cades and another higher up along the Columbia between The Dalles
and the mouth of the Deschutes River.
Oregon's railroad history begins with a project for a line from Oregon
to connect with the railroad already built from California to the East.
This intention resulted in plans for two lines, one from Portland up
the east side of the Willamette River, the other on the west side. A
group sponsoring each plan sought for land grants from the Federal
Government, and a conflict developed between the "Eastsiders" and the
"Westsiders" which involved much lobbying and trickery. In 1868 both
broke ground for their lines. A Kentuckian, Ben Holladay, a picturesque
character typical of the financiers of his time, thrust himself into this
struggle and pushed the fortunes of the East Side road. The backers
of the other line came at last to an agreement with Holladay that
victory should go to the line that first completed twenty miles of track.
Holladay won, and the rival road was sold to him. His road, the Oregon
and California, had, however, been built only to Roseburg when, in
1873, financial difficulties blocked further construction.
Henry Villard, whose gift for organization was of much importance
m the development of Oregon, was a German-American who had been
a newspaper reporter in the 1859 gold rush to Colorado and in the Civil
War. He had come to Oregon to represent German bond-holders in
Holladay' s enterprises. Villard took over the Oregon and California
Railroad, and resumed the building of the line. It reached Ashland in
1884 and was extended over the Siskiyous to connect with San Francisco
and the East in 1887, after Villard's control of it had ended.
Villard also acquired the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, which
controlled traffic on the Columbia River, and, reorganizing it as the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, began building a line on
the Oregon bank of the Columbia, intending to link it with a road being
built northwestward across Idaho by the Union Pacific. That road,
however, refused to join its tracks with Villard's. With Eastern backing,
Villard managed to gam control of the Northern Pacific, then being
built from Minneapolis toward the West. Confronting this opposition,
the Oregon Short Line (Union Pacific) and the O. R. & N. joined in
1884. Oregon now had its outlets to the East and to California.
The period from 1890 until well into the present century was one
of almost continual railroad expansion in the state. With trunk lines
established, branch lines were extended up many valleys where the set-
TRANSPORTATION 73
tiers had relied on stagecoaches or steamboats. Astoria, the state's oldest
city, had no railroad until 1898, Not until 1911 were coyotes on the
high plateaus of central Oregon startled by steam whistles, and then the
air was made doubly shrill by the construction race to Bend between
the Hill and Harriman lines, Marshfield waited until April 5, 1918, to
greet its first tram. Burns, center of the cattle country, had to wait
until 1924.
But the smell of gasoline was already heavy in the air. The good roads
movement opposed at the outset by many who were to benefit most from
it, was well under way by 1910. Auto travel demanded speedy and
accessible highways. Presently the first of the one-man stage and truck
lines appeared, automobiles that bumped over the still-dusty roads at
25 miles an hour, stopping anywheie and everywhere for passengers and
freight, and delivering them to cities or remote mountain hamlets. Rib-
bons of asphalt, macadam, and concrete radiated from the more populous
centers, and stretched out a few miles at a time across and up and down
the state. The Columbia River Highway was begun and completed.
The Pacific Highway became a hard-surface reality in 1932. By the end
of 1939? there were almost 50,000 miles of road in the state, of which
about 5,900 had medium or high type improvement.
Meanwhile the rail carriers were entering the bus and truck transport
business and were pulling up rails that had outlasted their usefulness.
Today, there are innumerable trucking lines, both interstate and intra-
state. Much of the inland freight trade of Oiegon's coast communities
was first made possible by trucking companies, and the vast spaces of
southeastern Oregon are still served entirely by motor.
Oregon was quick to grasp the significance of air transport. No sooner
had stunt flying in crude planes become a part of state and county fair
programs than adventurous individuals began buying machines for
private use. Pastures near population centers became landing fields. As
these pioneers showed the possibilities of flying, progressive cities started
building airports. By 1936 there were 32 established airports in 31
cities. Three of these Portland, Medford and Pendleton are trans-
continental lines and many of the others have been recognized as intra-
state ports. There are also many emergency landing fields. In recent
years the United States Forest Service has used planes for detecting and
fighting forest fires.
The year 1936 saw the development of important Oregon airports,
when the Works Progress Administration allocated one and one-half
million dollars for their modernization and improvement. The new Port-
74 OREGON
land airport was established on the Columbia River and the Medford,
Pendleton, and Astoria ports were improved.
Some 60 steamboat lines, operating in the coastwise and intercoastal
trade have ports of call in Astoria and Portland; with the early com-
pletion of improvement to the river channel below Bonneville Dam, The
Dalles is expected to become an important deep-water port. A total of
7,763,683 tons of outgoing vessel freight crossed the Columbia River
bar in 1934; rafted lumber reached 4,318,906 tons; a total of well over
12 million tons for the year.
Steamboatmg on the Columbia and lower Willamette Rivers is still
carried on by a few combination stern-wheel freight and towboats, craft
whose construction recalls the days when rivers were the chief lanes of
commerce and travel. There are also three small passenger boats plying
six times a week, between Portland and Astoria. They call at way ports
on both sides of the nver and a trip on one of them recalls the old
Steamboatmg days.
Racial Elements
OREGON'S racial background is principally American. The first
white inhabitants the hunters and trappers, explorers, traders
and farmers of 1800 to 1820, were either American-born or American
in their general outlook, habits and ambitions. The Hudson's Bay Com-
pany, which established Fort Vancouver in 1824-25, though British-
controlled and in part British manned, employed many French-Cana-
dians who, when their terms of service expired, settled on French Prairie
in Marion County, where their descendants can be found today. The
Hudson's Bay Company also prepared the way for the missionary set-
tlers, zealous Americans who endeavored to improve the lot of the Ore-
gon Indians.
In the wake of the Methodist missionaries, beginning about 1840, a
few American settlers began to cross the great plains, the number in-
creasing until the first large immigration arrived in 1843. From then
on, almost every year showed a steady numerical increase, Missouri
being the leading contributor to the population flow. These settlers were
looking for economic opportunities more favorable than could be found
in the older sections of the country and, regardless of their diverse
national origins German, English, Irish, Dutch, Scotch, Scandinavian,
French and Italian they were already Americans in their general out-
look, habits and ambitions.
During the 1850*3 gold hunters, adventurers and settlers drifted into
Oregon from California; merchants and mechanics, laborers and profes-
sional men arrived from New England, the eastern seaboard and the
Mississippi Basin, seeking more favorable economic opportunities than
could be found in those regions.
In 1860 Oregon had a population of 52,465, which increased by
decades to 90,923; 174,768; 317,704? 413,536; 672,765; and 783,389,
bringing the 1930 population to 953,786. In 1860 the per cent of
foreign born was 9.8, which mounted to 18.0 per cent in 1890 and fell
again to n.6 per cent in 1930. The increase of aliens corresponds to
the period of railroad construction when swarms of common laborers,
76 OREGON
including Asiatics, were impoited; and their decrease to the period of
adjustment and changing economic conditions that followed. Of the
1 1. 6 per cent of foreign born in Oregon in 1930, almost one-third came
from English-speaking countries; 13,528 from Great Britain and North
Ii eland; 2,802 from the Irish Free State; and 17,946 from Canada.
Immigration to Oregon had two peaks 1880-90, when 142,936
people arrived, and 1900-10, when newcomers numbered 259,229. The
first increase was largely due to the completion of the transcontinental
railroads and the construction of local lines, affording easy transporta-
tion for settlers; while the second was in the main the result of the
World's Fair held in Portland in 1905, which brought vast crowds of
visitors, many of whom remained or returned later to the state to live ;
the development of irrigation which opened large tracts of land for
settlement; and the modem exploitation of Oregon's great lumber re-
sources, with the consequent growth of all business.
Of Oregon's 953,736 total population in 1930, 937,029 were white
and 16,707 dark-skinned; 392,629 were born in the state and 450,667
in other states; and 110,440 were foreign-born. The native Oregonians,
though less than half of the number of inhabitants, comprise, culturally
and economically, the dominant elements in the state. The character
of the early settlers has, in numberless instances, been inherited by their
descendants, and pioneer names abound in the register of Oregon indus-
trialists, merchants, bankers, agriculturists, and public and professional
men. The thoroughly American character of Oregon's population is
emphasized by the few exceptions to the rule. Only in isolated instances
do groups of people maintain cultural habits that distinguish them from
the majority. Among these are the Basques of the southeastern part of
the state; the Germans of Aurora; the Finns and Scandinavians in and
about Astoria; and the Chinese of Portland. Of Oregon's 110,440
foreign-born, 12,913 came from Germany; 5,507 from Finland; 22,033
from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and 2,075 from China. The num-
ber of Basques is negligible. Japanese number 4,958, but they have
adopted occidental customs to a surprising degree. The negroes, num-
bering 2,234, are prone to live in colonies. All children in Oregon,
regardless of hue of skin, attend the same schools, and restrictions be-
cause of color in business or occupational activity are non-existent, In-
dians number 4>776, largely on reservations, the most important of
which are the Klamath, Umatilla, and Warm Springs (see INDIANS
AND ARCHEOLOGY). There remains a small sprinkling of Mexi-
cans, Filipinos and Hindus, insignificant in numbers.
RACIAL ELEMENTS 77
In Oregon, as in other states, there has been a shift in population
from country to city. In 1890 the urban inhabitants constituted 26.8
3er cent; in 1900, 32.2; in 1910, 45.6; in 1920, 49.9; and in 1930,
51.3 per cent. The total urban population in that year was 489,746,
tfhile the rural numbered 464,040. The tendency of urban centers to
ibsorb the native-born rural citizen is, of course, a familiar phenomenon.
The residence of the foreign-born, because of his occupation, is usually
determined before he leaves his homeland. Most of the state's immi-
grants from England, Scotland, Wales, and the north of Ireland,
locked to Portland because they were there likely to find work at the
ndustrial pursuits in which they were skilled. Similarly, a large portion
)f the immigrants from Scandinavia, Russia, Italy and Poland selected
"his city as their residence, largely because it afforded them the most
promising chances to make a livelihood in ways to which they were
iccustomed. Immigrants from Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland
md other agricultural countries, drifted to the dairy, fruit and farming
listricts by preference; while Finns, and to some degree Russians,
Swedes and Norwegians, sought regions where fishing, lumbering and
sailing were the principal occupations.
Among groups that differ from the rest of the population are the
Basques of Malheur County. More than forty years ago an immigrant
from the Basque provinces in Spain visited the Jordan valley in south-
eastern Oregon. He was a herdsman, and the sweep of country from
Crane in Harney County to the Nevada line, reminded him of home
; n its promise of fine pasturage for sheep. He wrote about the region
to his brother in Spain, who soon joined him. Thus was started an im-
migration that resulted in the establishment of several Basque com-
minities.
The people are thrifty and energetic and have become prosperous.
Ln manners they are courteous and pleasant, but reticent. They have to
a great degree maintained the cultural habits of their native country.
Besides English, most of them speak Spanish and their native tongue of
Escuara. Their appearance is marked by clear olive complexions, dark
eyes, fine teeth and red lips. With their Spanish love of color they enjoy
wearing bright sashes and vests. It is not unusual to find a group of
them gathered about an accordion or guitar player, singing and dancing
as many generations of Basques have done before them.
The German community at Aurora, Clackamas County, dates from
1856. The year before, because of marked Indian hostilities, migration
to Oregon had slowed down. A determined band of Germans, of Bethel,
78 OREGON
Missouri, decided to brave the danger of conflict with the redskins, and
set out on the long westward trek. They were thieatened on several
occasions but eventually arrived in the Willamette Valley.
They obtained land, settled down to an experiment in communal
living, and named their colony Aurora. Farms were established, fields
cleared, and crops and stock raised. Dwellings, a church, a community
house, shops and stores took shape; also a school and a park. A band
was organized, the finest in the state at the time. Being industrious and
frugal, the colony thrived.
The community developed on a communistic-religious basis, though
the details are not fully known. The products of farm and shop were
placed in a storehouse from which all members drew supplies as needed.
No money changed hands. So diversified weie the talents of the colonists
that their town was practically self-sustaining.
It flourished, a place apart, both as to vocational and recreational
life, for more than twenty years. Its religious leader was Dr. William
Keil, the colony worshipping in accordance with the inspirations he drew
from the Bible. When he died in 1877, a process of disintegi ation began.
In time, hastened by pressure from the outside world, the communal
property was divided and members of the Aurora colony embarked on
individual enterprises.
Finnish immigrants and in some measure Scandinavian were
drawn to Astoria because of the fishing and sailing, the shipbuilding
and lumbering, pursuits to which they were accustomed in the old
country. There had been a time, about 1870, when transient American
fishermen from California had done the fishing for the Astoria canneries
and caused a small "Barbary Coast" to grow up. The newcomers from
the north of Europe were a different class of people. They weie eager
to settle down as law-abiding citizens, save money and send for families
left behind. Besides being excellent workmen, they were steady and in-
dustrious. Gradually Astoria developed a Finnish-Scandinavian atmos-
phere. In 1930 more than half the city's population of 10,349 were
Finnish-Scandinavian born, or of Finnish or Scandinavian parentage,
with a sprinkling of Russian stock.
Chinese immigration to Oregon began in 1850. In that year the
scarcity of common labor, caused by the rush of able-bodied men to the
California goldfields, became so acute that Asiatics were imported. The
influx increased with the years and the construction of the railroads,
beginning in 1862, brought the Chinese pouring into the state*
At first everybody was satisfied. The Chinese were patient workers,
RACIAL ELEMENTS 79
willing to toil long hours for small wages. But a reversal of feeling came
with the completion of the first overland railroad in 1869. With swarms
of coolie laborers leleased to compete with white laborers for jobs that
were none too many, they were soon regarded as a menace by white
workers in general all along the Pacific Coast. In Oregon the idle
Chinese flocked to Portland, Oregon City, and other large towns.
For many years after 1870 anti-Chinese demonstrations were frequent.
In Portland men met in open lots and harangued against the Orientals,
while conservative newspapers defended them. Torch-light processions
marched through the streets, carrying anti-Chinese banners. A committee
of fifteen was chosen to notify the hated foreigners to "git up an' git."
Masked men terrorized the Chinese by dynamiting their dwellings.
Chinese lives were sacrificed and little done about it. The militia was
finally called out to cope with the situation, but did no permanent good.
It was only through the passing of the Chinese exclusion act in 1882
that violent race prejudice was finally appeased and the anti-Chinese
feeling died down.
In Portland, as in other cities of the state where Chinese live today,
they reside for the most part in a well-defined section. Portland's China-
town is about two or three blocks wide and seven or eight long. Chinese
is commonly spoken and Chinese dress frequently worn. Chinese funerals
are still magnificent spectacles, and debts are still liquidated on the day
of the Chinese New Year. However, these people are in general very
quiet, peaceful and self-sufficient and ask only to be permitted to live as
they see fit. With tong wars relegated to the past, the problems of work
and business constitute their principal interests,
Oregon's 4,958 Japanese are engaged chiefly in farming, gardening
and small commercial enterprises. A few are employed by industry or in
hotels and restaurants. As farmers, their ambition to own land raised
issues of national and international import. A quarter of a century ago
early orchard ists of the Hood River Valley hired Japanese laborers to
clear land. The Oriental stump-diggers saved money and began to buy
orchard land of their own, and to build homes. The act was resented
and m 1917 a Hood River senator introduced a bill in the Oregon
legislature, prohibiting Asiatics from owning land in the state.
The bill was withdrawn at the urgent request of the United States
Department of State, for fear that it might have serious international
consequences at a time when the country was on the verge of war in
Europe. A later legislature, however, adopted the bill, following the
example of California in this respect. In the meantime, a Hood River
8O OREGON
anti-Japanese association had been formed, and the Hood River Post
of the American Legion had lent its influence toward prohibiting Japa-
nese immigration to the United States. The American Legion Post
carried the issue to the state convention, and the latter obtained en-
dorsement of the principle at their national meeting in Minneapolis.
This was the beginning of a movement which resulted in Congressional
action prohibiting Japanese immigration.
Of late the anti-Japanese ownership laws of Oregon have been much
nullified, because Japanese children, bom in the United States and
guaranteed citizenship by the Fedeial Constitution, have acquired land
under white guardianship. Thus Japanese today successfully own land
in Oregon and till it with profit since they are expert gardeners and
orchardists.
The pioportion of negroes to whites in Oregon was greatest 111 1850,
being then 1.6 per cent. The 1930 total of 2,234 negioes in the state
is only 0.2 per cent of the inhabitants. In the pie-Civil War era negroes
were brought to Oregon by wealthy southern immigrants in such large
numbers that in June 1844, a ^ aw was enacted declaring all peisons
brought into the country as slaves must be removed in thiee years or
become free. In 1857 the State Constitution piovided that no fiee
negroes might enter Oregon. This law was, however, more honoied in
the breach than in the observance, and has long been a dead letter.
Of Oiegon's 2,234 negioes, more than half live in Portland, in a
colony, for the most part, on the east bank of the Willamette. The
men are chiefly employed as railroad porters. They have several churches
of their own, as well as lodges and other organizations.
Tall Tales and Legends
shakes, described as "shingles that are the same thickness
both ends," covered the log cabins of early Oregon. When Paul
Bunyan's loggers roofed an Oregon bunkhouse with shakes, fog was
so thick that they shingled forty feet into space before discovering they
had passed the last rafter.
Paul Bunyan performed notable feats in Oregon, eclipsing the prowess
of his famous predecessor Joe Paul, the Indian guide who lifted a
barrel of lead from the floor to the trading post counter. He created
Spencer's Butte, the Columbia River, and Crater Lake. Spencer's Butte,
near Eugene, represents one wagon load of dirt, upset when Paul was
making a road. The Columbia River was also something of an acci-
dent, being the deep, irregular furrow dug by Babe, the big blue ox,
when he peevishly broke away with a plow and rushed headlong from
the mountains to the sea. Into Crater Lake Paul dumped the last of the
blue snow, where it melted and produced the azure phenomenon that
greatly amazed early loggers.
Although Paul and Babe had ceased their exploits long before logging
became important in Oregon, tales of "bull teams" continue to circu-
late. A bull-whacker for a logging company near Knappa found that
sweet nothings, whispered in the oxen's ears, inspired them to prodigious
feats, and he would race from one animal to another with his confiden-
tial endearments. In contrast was the far-reaching vituperation of Little
Billy Ross, employed at Westport, whose voice could be heard for miles,
and his stage-driving counterpart in Eastern Oregon, Whispering
Thompson, whose ordinary conversational tones thundered across two
counties.
Joe Gervais, descendant of an Astor boatman, gravely explained a
Bunyanesque feat that he performed along the ocean. The Clatsops and
Nehalems, a little tired of their constant warfare with each other, asked
him to keep peace between them.
"I put the Clatsops at work on their side," he said, "and the Ne-
halems at work on the south, moving rocks and dirt. It was slow going
82 OREGON
because we had to have a solid rock foundation. That required patience
to fit the rocks together and yet allow space through the center so
that water forced in by the ocean waves would surge up through it and
trickle down the mountains, to irrigate the trees which we intended
to plant."
When Gervais sighted an elk, he gave directions to his hounds and
paddled his canoe home as fast as he could. Scarcely reaching his cabin
before the elk would lope into sight, closely followed by the dogs, he
would shoot it at his door.
Animals figuied largely in pioneer tall tales. A ravenous cougar met
a hunter on a mountain trail. When it sprang, the man rammed his
hand down its throat, caught it by the tail, deftly flipped it wrong
side out, and it tickled itself to death. A bear with a thorn in its paw
mutely begged and obtained aid from an Oregonian. Imagine his aston-
ishment the next morning to discover that during the night the grateful
animal had brought him two hams and a side of bacon. A farmer in
Eastern Oregon, who missed first his hogs, then his ripened corn, learned
that bears had killed and cured the hogs and had ricked the corn in a
secluded place.
In primitive Curry County areas wild hogs enjoy their porcine Eden,
each succeeding generation teaching its young to sleep with heads down-
hill so that they may escape faster when disturbed by hunters. The
first man to discover Chinook salmon in the Columbia, caught 264 in a
day and carried them across the river by walking on the backs of other
fish. His greatest feat, however, was learning the Chinook jargon in
15 minutes from listening to salmon talk. Sheepherders claim that they
rub tobacco juice in their eyes to keep awake during their long vigils.
An erratic early-day sawmill in Union County received a cottonwood
log, from which it cut seven thin boards and a wagonload of sawdust.
Within three days, the hot sunshine so enlivened the boards that they
warped themselves out of the lumber yard and were found a mile away
in a neighbor's corral.
An inhabitant of the upper Rogue River, in passing down a narrow
trail, shoved a huge boulder from his path. It crashed down the canyon,
reached the bottom, and to his amazement, rolled up the other side. It
poised on the crest then plunged down again, only to ascend to its
original resting place. The native fled. Returning some weeks later,
he discovered the rock had cut a new transverse canyon and was still
crashing back and forth, as regular as a pendulum.
Frogs and snakes in Klamath County formerly made winter mfgra-
TALL TALES AND LEGENDS 83
tions to the south. The trek began in late September, snakes and frogs
crawling and hopping along together in such numbers that the pro-
cession required two hours to pass a given point. Two long parallel
ridges were foimed, one of snakes and one of frogs. At ten in the morn-
ing a halt was called and a long rest taken. Lumped, entwined, and
bunched together during their siesta, they made a mass two feet wide,
a foot and a half high, and a mile and a half long. Just before march-
ing formations were resumed, about two o'clock in the afternoon, the
hungry snakes gulped down a few of their companion frogs.
During dog days in August a rattlesnake bit Luther King, later fea-
tured in Oregon newspapers as Rattlesnake King. The wound upon
his leg healed quickly. Twenty years later, in August, the old scar be-
came a running sore. By early September he was well again. The next
year in early August the old sore reappeared accompanied by another.
Each August thereafter all the old ones and a new one broke out. King
believed that when the number of sores equalled the number of rattles,
his affliction, which he called the * 'Serpent's curse," would be removed.
The cumulative eruptions upon his leg had reached more than a dozen
when he died.
As ingenious as these stories, are those of the labor-saving devices
used by early Oregonians. A Lake Creek settler used mouse traps to
catch crawfish, while an Umpqua pioneer placed his hog pen where
daily tides filled a fish trap with sturgeon for the hogs 7 food. A south-
ern Oregon farmer broke a breachy horse, not by mending his fallen
fences, but by tying an iron nut to the animal's foretop in such a man-
ner that it hit him between the eyes each time he tried to jump.
Other tales that sound incredible have had the backing of reliable
report. In 1877 sea pigeons came into the Columbia River in such
multitudes that they formed a winging column 15 miles long. A cater-
pillar migration in Lane County was of such proportions that a South-
ern Pacific train was stalled when the rails became slick from the
quantities crushed. During a cold spell a rancher in the Coast Range
could not understand the nightly commotion of his horses out in the
barn until he found that shivering cougars, in search of comfort, had
been sleeping in the manger. A Siskiyou hunter, who bugled with a
cowhorn to disperse his 20 hounds after game, was much annoyed by
the coming of the railroad, because his hounds, mistaking the locomo-
tive's whistle for the horn, "would wander on wild chases like the
foolish after snipe." In a canyon between Portland and its Cascade
watershed the huge wooden pipeline was gnawed by beavers, which
84 OREGON
were undeterred by the interminable length of the log they set them-
selves to severing. A village merchant in the Blue Mountains sold, and
still sells, snowshoes for horses. Forty feet of cowhide belting used bv
an early Eastern Oregon sawmill stretched so much that within a week
50 feet had been cut off by installment shortening and 40 feet were
still left.
Oregonians of the settler period, like the native tribes before them,
were tinged with melancholy, but, unlike the Indians, they trafficked
very little with spooks. At Rickreall and a few other places in the Wil-
lamette Valley were haunted mills. In Benton County was a hollow
locally known as Banshee Canyon tenanted by the ghost of Whitehouse,
a suicide. From the old, long-vacated Yaquma Bay Lighthouse came
cries from a throat that was not human and light from a place where
no light was; it is now occupied as a lookout station by the Coast
Guard. A young journalist, while on vacation in the high Cascades, was
lured away from his sleeping companions at night by mountain Lorelei,
and was never afterwards found, passing into "some Sweet life that
has no end
Within the Cascades' inner walls,
Where nymphs beyond all fancy fair,
Soothe him with siren madrigals
And deck him with their golden hair."
During the gold rush in Jackson County in the 1850*8 money to
pay for the new courthouse was obtained fiom gold panned from the
dirt excavated for the basement of the building. "Back yard" mines are
still conducted in Jacksonville. One of the town's early churches was
built on one night's receipts from the gambling houses. Hardworking
men tossed away a year's or a season's earnings in a night at resorts
which catered to their tastes. Bartenders swept pennies, proffered in
change, to the sawdust floor with a gesture as grandiose as that with
which they had tossed away their keys on opening day, a symbol that
indicated that their place would never close.
Several accounts of buried wealth have caused much searching and
digging. Letters, anchors, dots, and arrows on the rocks of Neah-kah-nie
Mountain have long tantalized treasure hunters. Interviews with In-
dians during the period of settlement yielded varying and fantastic
stories of shipwrecks, of a negro who was killed and interred with a chest
on the mountain, and of slant-eyed Orientals and swaggering Spanish
pirates. Pieces of oriental wood found on the shore, and tons of beeswax
dug from the sands, have to a degree verified the stories of the wrecks.
TALL TALES AND LEGENDS 85
Laurel Hill, on the old Barlow immigrant road near Mount Hood,
also hides treasure, placed there by a highwayman who murdered his
accomplice and buried their loot. Upon his deathbed the outlaw con-
fessed to his son, who spent several summers trying to find the money,
but discovered only the blazes on the cedar he had been directed to seek.
When two miners from the Randolph beach mines became appre-
hensive of robbery, they buried a five-gallon can of gold dust beneath
a tree and left the country. Upon returning they found that a forest
fire had swept the district. The can of gold, as yet undiscovered, has
been sought for years.
The Blue Bucket Mines, said to be located on a swift central Oregon
stream that is literally pebbled with gold nuggets, have been sought for
seventy-five years. Emigrants, camping for the night on a hazardous
section of Meek's Cut-off, fished in the stream. Yellow pebbles, taken
from the stream bed, and hammered flat on wagon tires, served as sink-
ers in the swift current. Children filled a blue bucket with the stones,
but all were tossed aside as the tram proceeded. Several years later,
tales of the gold strikes in California renewed discussion of the yellow
pebbles, and a wild rush to discover the Blue Bucket Mines ensued.
They have never been discovered.
Aptness of description, sometimes with a jest, is evident in the names
applied to pioneer Oregon localities. Some of this nomenclature persists,
but much of it has been discarded by a more polite but less poetic era.
Fair Play was so called from the fairness of its horse races. Lick
Skillet and Scanty Grease have an obvious origin. Row River was named
for neighborhood feuds; Soap Creek for bachelors who had no soap;
and Ah Doon Hill for a Chinese who was shanghaied there. Hell's
Canyon on Snake River, the deepest chasm in America, is as descriptive
of wild grandeur as God's Valley in the Nehalem country is of peace.
Huckleberry Cakes and Venison
ASK an old pioneer about his first years in the Oregon country and
a reminiscent light comes into his eyes. "Our first years in Oregon?
Well, it wasn't so bad. There were venison, fish, and wild game. We
had plenty of berries. Our principal dish was boiled wheat or hominy
and milk. Used side bacon as a seasoning. Didn't have much salt in
those days. Salt was so scarce it was often traded for its weight in gold.
The Indians were fairly friendly. Taught us a lot. Oh, yes, my mother
used to work pretty hard cooking for our big family, but she never
seemed to mind the hardships."
Many an old-timer remembers the revolving table, a common sight
in the homes of early settlers. It was a circular, homemade affair about
six feet m diameter, like an ordinary table; but attached to a support
in the center, about eight inches above the mam surface, there was a
smaller table-top that could be revolved by hand. Appetizing arrays of
food used to grace these curious old tables loaves of golden bread and
plates of butter, brilliantly colored fruits and vegetables, cinnamon-
brown gingerbread cakes, fruit pies with rich juices staining the crisp
crust, head cheese, fresh or salted meat and fish.
Some of the dishes enjoyed by the pioneers of Oregon have not been
prepared for many years; but the recipes for others are carefully pre-
served, and (with some adaptation to present-day methods and mate-
rials) are still followed by many housewives. In the former category
is fern pie, thus referred to by George A. Waggoner in his Stories of
Old Oregon:
At supper, among other things, we had what I feel assured but few mortals
have ever tasted fern pie. It was made of the tender and nutritious stalks of
young ferns, and was very good. Thomas was surprised, but said the Lord was
very wise, and had undoubtedly clothed the hills and valleys with the delicious
plant in order that the coming generation might be supplied with food, and
never be without a supply of good pie. ... I believe these pies are now extinct,
and their making a lost art, unless, happily, a recipe has been preserved among
the early settlers of Sweet Home valley.
Prominent among the recipes that are still popular is the following,
HUCKLEBERRY CAKES AND VENISON 87
originated some 70 years ago by Mrs. John James Burton, an Oregon
pioneer :
MEAT PANCAKES
To a cupful of cold meat add a few raisins, chop the mixture fine and season
with salt, paprika, the pulp of a lemon, nutmeg, sugar, and i teaspoon of finely
chopped pepper; add an egg and heat the mixture. 3 eggs, a pint of milk, and
enough flour to make a thin batter. After beating thoroughly, drop the batter
in large spoonfuls on a hot and well greased frying pan, As each cake browns
on one side, place some of the meat mixture on it and fold the cake over the
mixture. Then place the cakes in another pan containing a little meat-stock and
butter, and steam from 5 to 10 minutes.
The wild fruits of the Northwest were much used in early days, as
indeed they are now. The huckleberry, blackberry, Oregon grape, elder-
berry, and serviceberry provided a basis for many delectable dessert
dishes. Here is an old recipe that is still much used:
HUCKLEBERRY GRIDDLE CAKES
Sift together 2 cups of flour, i teaspoon of salt, and 1^/2 teaspoons of baking
powder. Combine with i beaten egg, 1^2 cups of sour milk, and t teaspoon of
soda. Then add i teaspoon of melted butter and i cup of huckleberries. Bake
on hot greased griddle, and serve with syrup or thick huckleberry sauce.
An early western recipe for apple turnovers, named no doubt for some
long-departed Mrs. McGinty of culinary prowess, runs as follows :
McGINTIES
Wash i pound of dried apples, removing bits of core and skin, and soak over-
night Next day stew in enough water to cover, and when soft run through a
collanden Replace on stove, add enough brown sugar to make the fruit rich and
sweet, and cook until thick, then cool and add i l /2 tablespoons of ground cin-
namon. Line a dripping-pan with pie crust, put in fruit mixture and cover with
upper crust, gashing the latter slightly to let the steam escape. Press edges of
crust together and bake at first in a hot oven, then reducing the heat. When
done cut into diamond-shaped portions, and serve hot with cream
Sourdough biscuits and prospector's soup were known to every old-
timer who roamed the mountains, valleys, and plains of the West in
search of some likely spot in which to stake a mining daim. This is the
way they were commonly prepared:
SOURDOUGH BISCUITS
Mix i pint of flour and i teaspoon of salt with i pint of warm water or
canned milk. Beat into a smooth batter, and keep in a warm place until well
88 OREGON
soured or fermented; then add another teaspoon of salt, 1^2 teaspoons of soda
dissolved in half a cup of tepid water, and enough flour to make the dough easy
to handle. Knead thoroughly, until dough is no longer sticky, then cut up into
biscuits and cook in a pan containing plenty of grease
PROSPECTOR'S SOUP
Put 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and 3 tablespoons of flour into a saucepan,
and stir over a medium fire until the flour is golden brown. Then add i quart
of boiling water and a half a can of milk, stirring in slowly until smooth, and
season with salt and pepper to taste. An onion may be added to improve the
flavor
Deer once roamed the Oiegon woods in countless numbers, and the
settler's meat supply was easily replenished at the expense of a charge
of powder and lead. The favorite method of cooking venison was by
roasting, a method which the housewife of today continues to follow.
ROAST VENISON
Rub a leg or saddle of venison with butter, wrap it in buttered paper and
place in roasting pan. Make a thick paste of flour and water, and apply a half-
inch coating of this to the paper. Put a pint of water in pan, cover the latter,
and roast in a moderately slow oven, allowing 30 minutes of roasting time for
each pound of meat and basting every 15 minutes after the first hour. Before
serving remove paper wrapping and baste with a sauce of melted butter, flour,
salt, and pepper.
Fish from the rivers and coastal waters provided a bountiful food
supply for early Oregomans. The Indians depended largely on salmon
for their sustenance throughout the year; and today, as for more than
a century past, this fish is a staple delicacy. Fresh salmon, split length-
wise and slow-baked in a willow frame before an open fire, according to
the Indian method of cooking, has a delicious flavor that modern grills
and broilers fail to impart. An old recipe for preparing salt salmon,
one that continues to be extensively used, is as follows:
SALT SALMON, PIONEER STYLE
Soak two pounds of salt salmon in fresh water overnight Next day shred
without peeling 6 or 8 potatoes, place the salmon and potatoes in a stew pan,
cover with boiling water, and boil until the potatoes are done. Serve in a cream
sauce.
A delicacy not to be found on any restaurant menu is smoked native
or brook trout. Preparation of this chef-d'oeuvre assumes an ample sup-
ply (from 50 to 200 pounds) of freshly caught trout, since the time and
HUCKLEBERRY CAKES AND VENISON 89
labor required in the operations would not warrant dealing with a
picayune quantity. The place should be in the mountains where plenty
of the right variety of willow for smoking may be secured Elk Lake,
for example. The next step is to build a conical tepee or wickiup of
stout green boughs covered with leaves. Then, from the nearby maishes
or shores of the lake, loads of young willows are bi ought by canoe to
the improvised smokehouse. When the fish have been suspended inside
the structure, a subdued smoky fire of willow twigs is maintained for
24 hours a task requiring energy, patience, and an optimism that is
justified by the results. After the smoked tiout are dressed with butter
in a hot pan and cooked over glowing camp coals, the gourmand has
only to take the final step and eat as heartily as he likes, while the rest
of the catch can be conveniently shipped from the mountains to his home.
Coos Bay is noted for its Empire clams, which sometimes weigh four
or five pounds each. The large necks of these clams can be split into
sections after scraping off the rough outer skin; the sections are then
well pounded, dipped in seasoned flour or cornmeal, and fried to a crisp
brown. The Indian method of making clam chowder was to soak the
clams overnight in a freshwater stream, and then throw them into a
hollowed log containing water heated to the boiling point by hot stones.
After they had opened, the clams weie scraped from their shells and
replaced in the water, together with chunks of jerked or smoked veni-
son, dried wild onions, and wapato roots that the squaws had gathered
in dry lake beds. An appetizing counterpart of this can be prepared today
in a boiler over a driftwood fire, substituting bacon, potatoes, and ordi-
nary onions for the now less accessible minor ingredients used by the
Indians.
Another prized marine delicacy is the Columbia River smelt or eula-
chon (referred to by Lewis and Clark as the anchovy), which is caught
in immense quantities each spring. These little oily fish are commonly
fried in their own fat, but a favorite way of serving them on the Pacific
coast is this:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or bacon grease in a skillet, and brown therein
a small quantity of minced onions, garlic, and green pepper. Add a can of
tomato sauce, and let simmer for 5 minutes ; then add half a cup of vinegar and
cook 2 minutes longer. Meanwhile dredge the smelt in flour, and fry until brown
and tender. Place on platter, and pour the sauce over the fish.
It was old Peter Mclntosh, a Canadian, who introduced the fine art
of cheese-making to TUlamook County more than half a century ago,
and Tillamook has been famous ever since for its American cheddar.
9O OREGON
Iii his delightful book, The Cheddar Box, Dean Collins writes: "If you
follow the trail of the histoiy of cheese in the Pacific Northwest, out-
side the confines of Tillamook County into southern Oregon, you'll
still find Peter Mclntosh. . . . And if you'll sit in on a meeting of
Alaska sourdoughs talking about the Klondike, you'll hear about Mc-
lntosh cheese, which was as yellow as the gold m Alaska, and at times
commanded almost ounce for ounce in the mining camps." A delicious
cheese sauce for boiled fish, especially halibut, has been oiiginated by
the Portland home economics expert, Mary Cullen. Her recipe runs
as follows:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the top of a double boiler, and add ij^ table-
spoons of flour, half a teaspoon of salt, and a quarter teaspoon of pepper and
paprika Blend thoroughly, and add gradually i^ cups of milk. Cook 10 min-
utes, stirring constantly, then add half a pound of cheese gtated or cut into small
pieces, and beat -with an eggbeater until the cheese is melted. After draining the
fish, pour the sauce over it and gainish with parsley and lemon.
In pioneer days, what is still known locally as "Oregon tea" was
made by brewing the leaves of a shrub called by the Spaniards yerba
buencij "the good herb." Parched and ground peas provided a substitute
for coffee, when the latter could not be had.
Sports and Recreations
THE charms of Oregon have been sung since 1805 when Captain
William Clark wrote his vivid description of its ocean shore, moun-
tains, and streams. A few years latei William Cullen Bryant in
Thanatopsis celebrated the grandeur of its great river and its forests.
Today hundreds of miles of highway penetrate the innermost fastnesses
of the wilderness; and trails that were formerly seldom trodden have
become all-year routes of travel.
The extension of good roads has coincided with a Federal program
designed to conserve Oregon's resources for recreation. In 1897 the
Federal government took over wide areas of forest land, and later created
national forests and opened them to the public. In May 1902 Congress
established Crater Lake National Park, and in July 1909 President
Taft proclaimed the Oregon Caves a national monument. Within the
past few years the U. S. Forest Service has set apart large tracts as
recreational and wilderness areas. Its sustained-yield forest policy pre-
serves these great playgrounds for perpetual public uses (see NATION-
AL FORESTS).
Angling in the thousands of streams and lakes in all parts of Oregon
is one of the state's chief sports. The cutthroat, the rainbow, the Dolly
Varden, and the eastern brook trout are the principal game fish, but
the one most sought after is the cutthroat, which starts upstream in
March or April, when it is very susceptible to a bait of salmon eggs.
In summer its taste turns to flies, with an all-season relish for royal
coachman No. 10 and a less sustained appetite for March-brown, red-
and-blue, upright, and grey hackle.
Men the world over have come to Oregon to fish for the steelhead,
king of game fish, torpedo-like on the line. Flies, spinners, and crayfish
tails are the enticements to make it strike. The Rogue and the Umpqua,
its chief habitat, are at their best from July to October. The Deschutes
is a famed trout stream in which flies are used exclusively during all
seasons.
Rudyard Kipling has left an exciting account of a day on the Clacka-
92 OREGON
mas River, matching strength and wits with a battling salmon. The
Willamette River below the falls at Oregon City is one of the few
places in the world where a fisherman can sit in his boat and calmly wait
for salmon to bite. This is possible because of the swift current that
carries the lure into the face of the up-river bound salmon. The Colum-
bia, the Nehalem, the Umpqua, and the Rogue have spring runs of
Chinook salmon, which are usually lured by No. 4 spinneis and wob-
blers. The autumn runs of Silverside salmon entice anglers to coastal
streams and bays.
The State Game Commission maintains sixteen fish hatcheries in all
parts of the state at which trout are propagated for the stocking of
streams and lakes. At these hatcheries millions of fingerhngs are de-
veloped each year.
In the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers and in the lakes and
bayous of Sauvie Island are bass, crappie, catfish, blue gill, and peich.
The Tualatin, the Long Tom, and the Yamhill rivers, as well as many
coastal and mountain lakes, are stocked with bass. Many vacationists
go deep-sea fishing in small vessels off the coast, or angle with pole and
line from the sand or rocks for torn-cod, peich, sea-tiout, and flounders.
Each year the early spring smelt-runs attiact great crowds of visitors
to the banks of the Sandy.
At the opening of the hunting season, red-capped and red-shirted
men flock to forest, mountain, or field. As many as 12,000 deer the
Columbian blacktailed in the western section and the mule-deer in the
eastern and southeastern section of Oregon are killed annually. Elk
or Wapiti are hunted in the Wallowa and Blue Mountain region, but
antelope are at present protected by law. On the Hart Mountain Ante-
lope Preserve in the south central part of the state are great herds of
this fleet little animal. Timber wolves are few but coyotes plentiful.
Bounties have decreased the number of cougars and bobcats, but these
animals have by no means entirely disappeared. Cinnamon and black
bears are most numerous on the western slopes of the Cascades and in
the Coast Range.
The State Game Commission operates five game farms from which
are liberated yearly thousands of China and Mongolian pheasants. Geese
and ducks are found in the entire drainage area of the Columbia and on
the marshes and lakes of southeastern Oregon. In the western valleys
and upland pastures are pheasants, quail, bobwhites, and Hungarian
partridges, while blue and ruffed grouse inhabit most wooded sections of
the state.
SPORTS AND RECREATIONS 93
The Canyon Creek game refuge in Grant County has been reserved
for bow and arrow hunters. Arrows are inspected for sharpness at a
checking station near John Day.
Because of its many sky-piercing peaks and its leagues of forest trail,
Oregon is especially appealing to the climber and hiker. There are many
mountain-climbing organizations in the state: The Mazamas, the
Wy'east Climbers, and the Trails Club of Portland; the Angoras of
Astoria; the Obsidians of Eugene; the Chemeketans of Salem; the
Skylmers of Bend; the Crag Rats of Hood River, and others, with more
than 2,000 members in all. The peak of Mount Hood, with an average
of 1,500 ascents a year, is second in mountain-climbing popularity in the
world. Hundreds of foot and bridle-trails criss-cross the forested moun-
tain regions. The Skyline Trail, that clings to the summit of the Cas-
cade Range across the entire length of the state, is one of the Nation's
most interesting hiking routes.
Thousands enjoy swimming and canoeing in Oregon lakes. Many
own motor launches and cruise up and down the rivers and lakes of
the state. Towns dotting the Oregon Coast draw throngs of tourists
each year. The most popular are Seaside, Cannon Beach, Tillamook
County and the Lincoln County beaches. Popular forms of recreation
are surf bathing, clam digging, crab raking and netting, deep sea fish-
ing, shell and agate collecting, tennis, and golf. Most Oregon cities
have modern pools for residents and visitors.
An annual winter sports carnival is held at Mount Hood each year.
The peak is only sixty miles from Portland, and Timberline Lodge, con-
structed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration, located on its
slope, is easily accessible by automobile and stage (see MOUNT
HOOD).
Tobogganing, skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking are the main forms
of winter recreation. Winter sports are also held at Three Sisters, west
of Bend, in the Cascades east of Eugene and Albany, in the Blue Moun-
tains near La Grande, the Anthony Lakes area near Baker, in the
Siskiyous, and in many other sections.
The Pendleton Round-Up, a civic enterprise held in a mammoth
arena, is representative of many of its type in the state. Competitive
events include racing, broncho-breaking, roping, steer riding, and bull-
dogging. As a special feature of the Round-Up, Indians come in from
the Umatilla Reservation to dance and to re-enact scenes which were
once a grim reality to living members of the tribe. In the boxes around
94 OREGON
the arena many prominent figures of the Old West gather to watch the
revival of activities in which they themselves once participated.
Tennis courts are found everywhere; the larger towns often provide
municipal grounds, some of which are flood-lighted for night playing.
Twenty-one free public courts in Portland are maintained by the city
Bureau of Parks. In or adjacent to Portland aie twenty- four golf links
and "out-state" are sixty additional courses, most of them located in
Western Oregon. Fees are moderate, ranging from 3Oc for nine holes
to $2 a day.
The state has the usual round of interscholastic and inter-collegiate
sports, as well as professional and semi-professional events. The Coli-
seum of Portland, ice-skating rink, is the home arena of the Buckaroos,
members of the Pacific Northwest Hockey League. In summer the
Multnomah Civic Stadium is nightly filled with an aveiage of 7,500
dog- racing fans; about 400 greyhounds are brought to Portland for
these events from kennels all over the United States. Racing and pari-
mutual betting are legal in Oregon, and from these the state annually
collects $60,000 in taxes. Horse races are features of the State Fair
at Salem and of various county fairs.
Oregon Past and Present
MURAL, U. S POST OFFICE, ONTARIO
OREGON TRAIL IN 1843
**i
%ffi-:iitf-
DISCOVERY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER
ASTORIA IN 1811
JOE MEEK, MOUNTAIN MAN
INDIAN, PENDLETON ROUND-UP
INDIAN CHIEFS, PENDLETON ROUND-UP^
PIONEER HOMESTEAD (from old print)
THE DALLES METHODIST MISSION (old print)
OLD FORT DALLES, HISTORICAL MUSEUM
SETH LUELLING HOUSE, MILWAUKEE
JOEL PALMER HOUSE, DAYTON
LADD AND REED FARM, REEDVILLE
UMATILLA, 1864
01
PORTLAND, iSs4
MAIN INTAKE KLAMATH COUNTY PROJECT
IRRIGATED FIKLD, OVVYIIFF PROJECT
,
LINN COUNTY FLOURING MILL
PEA HARVEST
CLAMATH IRRIGATION PROJECT
SETTLERS ON OWYUKK PROJECT
M,
HOP PICKERS, WILLAMETTE VALLEY
ONION HARVEST, ONTA1
WASHINGTON COUNTY FARM
OREGON STATE CAPITOL, SALEM
' DAYTON FARM FAMILY LABOR CAMP
FARM BOY
CUT-OVER LAND, SILTCOOS
EARLY-DAY LOGGERS, TILLAMOOK
SEA-GOING LOG RAFT
FOREST FIRE IN CO AST RANGE
PAPER MILL, OREGON CIT*
BRIDAL VEIL LUMBER FLUME
INDIANS FISHING FOR SALMON, .856
COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON FISHERIT
LCHARD FISHING FLEET
FISH NETS DRYING
AERIAL VIEW, PORTLAND
AERIAL VIEW, OREGON STATE COLLE
OLD ADMINISTRATION
BUILDING, S,C. ^ MAI
f
NEWEL T>OST,
ENTRANCE PUBLIC LIBRARY, PORTLAND
ISAAC JACOB HOUSE, PORTLAND
PORTLAND PUBLIC MARKET
AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
UNION STATION, IPORTTLAND
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH, PORTLAND
TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL,
PORTLAND
Social Welfare
PIONEER Oregon had a simple formula of social welfare: work
was provided for those who could work and aid for those who
could not. Whatever latter-day society has added to the homespun tra-
dition has been brought forward by trial and error methods in a state
which still has vast unexploited natural resources and, theoretically at
least, offers more opportunities than many other states.
If the present results of Oregon's efforts to provide aid for the in-
digent young and old, hospitalization for the physically and mentally ill,
and rehabilitation for criminals may seem inadequate in some respects,
it should be remembered that most of the state's present social welfare
institutions are comparatively young, and were established to comple-
ment a robust p re-depression economy.
Few persons in the opulent 1920'$ anticipated the havoc that falling
prices and dwindling markets might work upon Oregon's great lum-
bering and agricultural enterprises, or that "seasonal" work long a
convenient stop-gap measure for spring and summer unemployment
might fail to halt a rising tide of indigence, swollen by the migration
of thousands of desperate persons from the drouth areas of the middle
west. It is significant that the editor of a prominent newspaper recently
questioned the necessity of organization among the unemployed, inti-
mating that opportunity still knocked at every man's door in Oregon,
even if not so loudly and insistently as some romanticists would have us
believe. In Oregon, as elsewhere, the Federal Government has entered
into the relief field upon a tremendous scale, and the number of the un-
employed apparently makes the continuation of Federal aid imperative.
The achievements of the Federal agencies the WPA, PWA, NYA,
and FSA are a warm penumbra between the bright accomplishments
of Oregonians who have striven to keep alive the best pioneer tradition
of mutual help, and the darkness of insufficient relief, the thin slops
provided on soup lines, and the county poor farms for the needy aged.
Until the beginning of the present decade, Oregon's legislative as-
semblies, drawn from a state with many diverse geographical sections
96 OREGON
and divergent economic problems, left most public welfare services to
be performed by the counties, or by various private agencies. A legisla-
tive act of 1913, however, required that counties levy a tax providing
assistance to mothers with dependent children. The state had early a
workman's compensation act, faulty m the opinion of many persons, be-
cause of a clause which permits employers to reject the responsibilities
of the measure. Old age pensions which seldom reach maximum pay-
ments of $30 a month have been declared inadequate by many sociol-
ogists. The state board of health, which has broad powers, cooperates
with county and municipal agencies, and seldom operates locally, unless
authorities refuse or neglect to enforce ordinances. The board has done
yeoman service in Oregon's fight against disease, and its efficiency is re-
flected by the fact that the state has 9.2 hospital beds for every thousand
of population, an enviable rating compared to the national standard of
4.6 beds per thousand.
The excellence of hospital facilities is perhaps the brightest tone of
the Oregon social welfare spectrum. While many of the state's 72 hos-
pitals, sanitariums, and related institutions with their total of 10,298
beds, are in Portland, there are modern hospitals in every section of the
state except the most remote areas. On Marquam Hill in Portland are
a notable group, consisting of the Doernbecher Memorial hospital for
children, The United States Veterans hospital and the Multnomah
County General hospital which houses the laboratory and class-rooms
of the University of Oregon Medical school. Outstanding among de-
nominational general hospitals in the city are: St. Vincent (Catholic),
Good Samaritan (Protestant Episcopal), both of which maintain schools
for nurses; Emanuel (Lutheran) and the Portland Sanitarium (Sev-
enth Day Adventist). Other modern institutions include the Hahne-
mann Private Hospital, Portland Medical Hospital, Portland Con-
valescent Hospital, Sellwood General Hospital, Portland Eye, Ear,
Nose and Throat Hospital, the Mountain View Sanitarium, the Port-
land Open Air Sanitariunij and the Shriners Hospital for crippled chil-
dren. A cooperative hospital is in the process of organization.
Other hospitals of official nature in addition to the Multnomah Coun-
ty hospital and the Veterans institution are the Multnomah County
Tuberculosis Pavillion, which cares for indigent persons, the Oregon
State Tuberculosis hospital at Salem, a similar institution at The Dalles,
and the Morningside hospital at Portland, maintained by the govern-
ment for the care of mental patients from Alaska.
The Oregon Tuberculosis Association, supported by the sale of penny
SOCIAL WELFARE 97
Christmas seals, is interested in the eradication of tuberculosis by edu-
cational methods, early diagnosis, nursing service, promotion of pre-
ventive legislation and appropriations for clinical and hospital services.
Mrs. Sadie Orr Dunbar for many years executive secretary of this or-
ganization is now (1940) on leave of absence as national president of
the General Federation of Women's Clubs with headquarters at Wash-
ington, D. C. The tuberculosis death rate of Oregon has gradually been
lessened until it is now among the lowest in the world.
Critics of the State declare that the high percentage of industrial
accidents makes the maintenance of numerous hospitals necessary, but
constantly diminishing epidemics and low infant and general mortality
rates seem to indicate consistent and reasonably thorough efforts to safe-
guard and improve public health. Oregon has made conscientious at-
tempts to check venereal diseases, through the establishment of clinics
for the treatment of gonorrhea and syphilis, and through the passage
of a law which requires physical examinations before marriage licenses
can be obtained. The state's experiments in the field of cooperative
medical care have attracted nation-wide attention, and thousands of
persons belong to group health associations, which provide preventive
medical service, surgery and hospitalization at low cost.
Conditions in the institutions for the mentally ill are less favorable.
Both the Oregon State hospital at Salem and the Eastern Oregon State
hospital at Pendleton are overcrowded, and the effect of economic cata-
clysm is evident in the steadily increasing number of commitments since
1930. These institutions supplanted and improved a system under
which before the mentally ill were cared for under contract or by a
private asylum in Portland. Both hospitals provide educational facili-
ties, medical and dental care, and vocational therapy, as does also the
Oregon Fairview Home for feeble-minded and epileptics, located near
Salem.
Approximately 2000 children annually receive care in institutions
supervised by the State Child Welfare Commission, whose functions,
by act of the 1939 legislature, are being absorbed by the State Welfare
Commission. The bright record for child welfare has been smudged
occasionally by scandals arising from the efforts of certain institutions
to regulate placements of orphaned or abandoned children for purposes
of profit alone, but these are exceptional cases.
Portland with more than one-third of the state's population, has many
child placement organizations, juvenile clinics, orphanages, foundling
homes and shelters for unmarried mothers and their children. Out-
98 OREGON
standing is the Albertina Kerr Nursery Home which provides for babies
of unmarried or abandoned motheis and for foundlings under five years
of age. The Salvation Army offers similar services at its White Shield
Home; the Volunteers of America piovide an additional place of refuge
for deserted or widowed mothers and their children; the Louise Home
cares for delinquent giils and for young unmarried mothers and their
infants, and also maintains a juvenile hospital for girls afflicted with
venereal diseases. In the city and its vicinity there are a dozen institu-
tions which shelter children from infancy to seventeen years of age.
Many are non-sectarian; Catholic charitable activities in the Portland
Arch Diocese are coordinated under one agency; the Jewish Shelter
Home, cares for children between the ages of three and sixteen, and
serves also as a placement bureau.
Portland offers social welfare services similar to those afforded m
most other metropolitan cities. There are children's clinics, supervised
playgrounds and recreational centers within the city, summer camps in
the country to which are sent selected children and, occasionally, their
mothers from the city's low rent districts. An outstanding contribution
to child welfare in Portland is the Fire Department's "milk fund," sup-
ported by athletic events, which distiibutes milk to undernourished
pupils in the public schools.
The Portland Community Chest, of which Ralph J. Reed has long
been secietary, coordinates the activities of 44 charitable and philan-
thropic organizations, including many already mentioned heie, and
through its annual campaigns solicits all or a large portion of the funds
upon which their operation depends. The Chest maintains the Portland
Council of Social Agencies as a social service planning board represent-
ing public and piivate agencies of the county. Established in 1920, the
Community Chest over-subscribed its quota in 1939. Its annual budget,
in recent years fully subscribed by Portland citizens, provides for the
full scope of activities usual in a Chest program.
The Portland City Bureau of Health maintains an emergency hos-
pital for first aid at the Portland police headquarters. The Women's
Protective Division of the Portland police department cooperates with
the Bureau. The "Sunshine Division" of the Portland City Police De-
partment has won acclaim by collecting new and used material for dis-
tribution to needy families. The Portland Fire Department "Toy and
Joy Makers" repair annually great numbers of broken toys donated to
the organization for distribution as Christmas gifts.
Oregon's Good Will Industries provide work and wages for aged
SOCIAL WELFARE QQ
and otherwise handicapped poor, collecting discarded ai tides which are
refurbished and sold in stores throughout the city.
The Travelers' Aid Society functions in Portland as well as in other
metropolitan areas. A legal aid committee of the Oregon Bar Association
renders free legal assistance to indigent persons in Multnomah County,
while the American Civil Liberties Union acts to safeguard constitu-
tional rights of free speech and assembly.
The Multnomah County Health Unit provides skilled nursing in the
home and conducts health education. Indigent soldiers in the county are
provided for from the funds raised by a tax levy.
Fraternal orders have established many homes for their aged members
in Portland. The Maccabees, the United Artisans, the Odd Fellows,
Masonic Orders and the Eastern Star all maintain homes in the state.
The Oregon-Washington Pythian Home also serves Oregon, though
located at Vancouver, Washington. The Patton and the Mann Homes
m Portland provide board and room and general care for men and
women under 60. Grandma's Kitchen gives shelter to 300 homeless men
and 50 indigent women, besides operating a salvage department and a
working girls' home. The First Presbyterian Church Men's Resort in
Portland maintains a free reading and writing room.
Operating in Portland are several agencies which give aid to different
national groups. The National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People is also active. The American National Red Cross has
a number of county chapters in Oregon, the Multnomah County Chap-
ter with 30,000 members being the largest and most active.
Oregon has the usual organizations classed as "character building"
institutions including the Young Men's Christian Association, and the
Young Women's Christian Association. The 4.H Clubs and the Future
Farmers of America are active throughout the state. Boy Scouts and
Campfire Girls and Girl Scouts have many active troops.
In the field of penology, Oregon suffers from the lack of a modern
and more commodious penitentiary, although the treatment of prisoners
is generally humane, and the commonwealth's efforts to rehabilitate
criminals equals those of penologists in many other states. Oregon's
first penitentiary was established by legislative act of the territorial
government in 1851. First located at Portland, it was moved to Salem
in 1866.
On January 24, 1939, it housed 1071 inmates, of whom 10 were
women. Convicts labor in a prison flax plant, which has developed into
an important establishment with the largest scutching plant in the
IOO OREGON
United States, although regulations are imposed by many common-
wealths and foreign nations against the importation of prison-made
goods.
The prison magazine Shadows for two successive years (1936-1937)
won the Walter F. Gries award, the "Pulitzer Prize of prison journal-
ism." Its title page bears the legend: "A monthly magazine dedicated
to those who would salvage rather than destroy," and its purpose is,
'to give inmates an opportunity for self-expression ; to encourage moral
and intellectual improvement among the inmates; and to acquaint the
public with the true status of the prisoner." The magazine is available
to the general public at $1.00 per year.
The Oregon Piison Association, a private agency conducted by the
Pacific Protective Society, does valuable work in maintaining the rights
3f prisoners and overseeing their welfare following release.
Oregon correctional institutions for youth stress rehabilitation rather
than punishment. The Frazier Detention Home of Portland cares for
delinquent boys committed by the Department of Domestic Relations.
The Oregon State Training School for Boys near Woodburn receives
boys i o to 1 8 years old and gives them training in useful occupations.
Girls from 12 to 25 classed as delinquent or incorrigible are sent to
the State Industrial School for Girls at Salem. The school provides
educational facilities, medical and dental care, and special vocational
instruction.
Among the state agencies at Salem, directly or indirectly involved in
social welfare are the State Board for Vocational Education, State
Board of Eugenics, Oregon Mental Hygiene Society, State Welfare
Commission, State Industrial Accident Commission, and the Unem-
ployment Compensation Commission. Also near Salem is the School
for the Deaf, which cares for children between the ages of 6 to 21
years who are unable to attend ordinary schools.
The School for the Blind at Salem provides special education for
visually handicapped youth. The Blind Trade School includes in its
curriculum, broom making, chair caning, and classes in Braille. Dormi-
tories are provided for those living at the school, which is under the
jurisdiction of the State Commission for the Blind and the Prevention
of Blindness,
The broad program of the Work Projects Administration in Oregon
has, through service projects, made substantial contributions to the
social welfare of the state. More than fifteen hundred persons are em-
ployed upon projects that have a wide range in variety and point of
SOCIAL WELFARE ici
utilitarian purpose. Through the services of a Readers' Project, blind
persons are able to remain conversant with current events, or to hear
such books or magazines as they prefer read to them in their homes.
The WPA activities include survey studies, adult education projects,
and a housekeeping unit, through which women are taught modern
housekeeping methods. In addition, WPA units supervise installation,
extension and revision of public records, and conduct six nursery schools
in Portland and 21 throughout the state. Among other service projects
are recreational leadership which supervises play m public parks and
schools, the Library Aid Project and two units engaged in public health
and hospital work; also classes in First Aid and Traffic Safety.
The NYA conducts classes in iron work, carpentry, photography,
art, poster drawing, domestic science, clerical work, domestic service,
and also trains library assistants. Classes are limited to those employed
on the NYA program, but a number of clubs are being formed which
will admit other youths to membership. A photography club, already
active, meets three times a week, using the facilities of the NYA center.
The Farm Security Administration, another Federal agency intensely
active in Oregon, has granted rural rehabilitation loans to more than
4000 families, made rehabilitation grants to another 4000 families,
aided a hundred native families through one resettlement project, and a
thousand families through community and cooperative services.
The Federal Government has been compelled to bear the major por-
tions of Oregon's relief burden since the counties' facilities for aid
proved inadequate during the early years of the depression. County
relief budget almost trebled between 1929 and 1932 and even at present
the county burden still remains heavy despite Government relief ex-
penditures. The picture today is far from bright, Oregon differs very
little in this respect from other states in the Union.
Education
THE first school in the Oregon country was conducted at Fort Van-
couver for the half-breed children of the Hudson's Bay Company
trappers. Its teacher was John Ball, a Dartmouth graduate who came
west in 1832 with the first Wyeth party. Not wishing to accept free
lodging from the factor, Dr. John McLoughlin, Ball asked for work
and was assigned to teaching. Early in 1833 he was succeeded by an-
other member of the Wyeth party, Solomon H. Smith, who taught for
a year and a half, and then eloped with the Indian wife of the fort's
baker. Thereafter, Smith taught in a school at French Prairie, and
later established a school at Clatsop Plains. By the end of 1834, Jason
Lee and his three co-workers in the newly-founded Methodist mission
school at French Prairie were teaching the Indian and half-breed chil-
dren of the region to read and write.
The pioneer schools of Oregon received little public support, but were
usually maintained by individuals or church organizations. At the pri-
mary school conducted m Oregon City during the winter of 1853-4,
tuition was free because Sidney Walter Moss, Oregon's first writer of
fiction, paid most of the expenses. While some communities provided
primitive schoolhouses, many of the early classes were held in settlers'
cabins, where the teacher was often a pioneer mother or other person
familiar with the rudiments of learning. Teachers in privately con-
ducted schools that charged a fee were paid meager stipends, in addition
to being "boarded around." Such a "rate bill" school was established
in Portland as early as 1847. The tuition fees were commonly no less
meager than the pay of the teachers. An announcement of the Lone
Butte school, in Marion County, states in 1854: "One quarter taught
at $5 per schollar. The other two quarters cost $4 per schollar each."
In the early agitation for free schools, a prominent part was taken by
the Reverend George H. Atkinson, often referred to as "the father of
public education in Oregon** * But this agitation produced little in the
way of concrete results until the Territory of Oregon was officially
organized in 1849. Then, under the terms of the Nathan Dane Act, two
EDUCATION IO3
sections of land in each township throughout the Territory were granted
and reserved for sale to provide funds for educational purposes ; and in
his inaugural address to the first Territorial legislature, Governor
Joseph Lane emphasized "the importance of adopting a system of com-
mon schools and providing the means of putting them in operation."
Two months later the legislature accepted the land granted by Congress
"for the support of the common schools," voted a two-mills school tax,
specified certain requirements for administration of the educational
system, and stipulated that every school should "be open and free to all
children between the ages of four and twenty-one years."
According to the Federal census of 1850, the Territory of Oregon
(then embracing all of the present States of Oregon, Washington, and
Idaho, with parts of Montana and Wyoming) contained in that year
only three public schools, with a total of 80 pupils under the super-
vision of four teachers, and with an annual income from all sources of
less than $4,000. The "academies and other schools," conducted under
private or denominational auspices, numbered 29, with 842 pupils and
44 teachers.
Public schools were opened at Portland, West Union, and Cornelius
in 1851, and at Oregon City in 1855. At the end of the quarter-century
following the adoption of Oregon's first school law, the State could
boast of 530 public schools, with 860 teachers. The latter received an
average monthly salary of $45.92 for men and $34.46 for women.
Before 1900 the only high schools in the State were those at Port-
land, Astoria, Baker City, and The Dalles; but their number increased
rapidly after 1901, when special provision was made for them as a
part of the public educational system, and by 1910 the total had
reached 115. Union high schools in rural districts were authorized in
1907, the first of such schools to open being one at Pleasant Hill, in
Lane County.
The first book printed in Oregon was an abridged edition of Web-
ster's Speller, issued from the Oregon Spectator press at Oregon City
on February I, 1847. But in the early years of settlement, very few
textbooks were to be found in the Oregon country. Solomon Smith
had only one school book at Fort Vancouver, and a single McGuffey
Reader did duty for the entire school at Amity in 1848. The scanty
supply of readers, spellers, and arithmetics brought by early immi-
grants was supplemented with almost every sort of available printed
matter, including the Bible, books of verse, religious journals, and
IO4 OREGON
newspapers. Not until passage of the common school law of 1872 was
a uniform system of textbooks adopted throughout the State.
A considerable portion of the three or four million acres comprised
in the land grants for educational support found its way into the
hands of private speculators, who paid only a nominal sum for their
purchases. As a result, the amount each district received from the
common school fund was small in the early years, and school taxes
were reluctantly imposed upon settlers struggling to secure a foothold
in the new country. Moreover, most of those settlers were accustomed
to think of education as a denominational or private concern, as in-
deed it was for the most part until the late i86o's. Of the numerous
academies, institutes, and seminaries established in Oregon during the
first three or four decades of settlement, the earliest of all was the
Oregon Institute, which in 1844 purchased the land and buildings of
the Methodist mission school founded ten years earlier by Jason Lee
and his nephew Daniel in the Willamette Valley at the present site
of Salem. This eventually developed into Willamette University, the
oldest institution of higher education in the far West. Other early de-
nominational schools which formed the nuclei for present-day universi-
ties or colleges were Tualatin Academy (Congregational), founded at
Forest Grove in 1848, now Pacific University; McMinnville College
(Baptist), founded at McMinnville in 1857, now Linfield College;
Albany Collegiate Institute (Presbyterian), founded at Albany in
1866, now Albany College; and Friends' Pacific Academy (Quaker),
founded at Newberg in 1871, now Pacific College. The towns of Dallas
and Jefferson had their originating centers in two of the early acade-
mies La Creole Academic Institute and Jefferson Academy respec-
tively, both established in the middle iSso's. Of the few pioneer edu-
cational institutions in eastern Oregon, the Blue Mountain University
(Methodist), founded in 1875 at La Grande, was best known. Since
the i Sjo's, Roman Catholic academies and institutes have been active
in the State's educational life.
Corvallis College, founded at Corvallis in 1858 and for a time
controlled by the Southern Methodist Church, was the precursor of
Oregon State Agricultural College, opened under that name in 1868.
The first graduating class, in 1870, consisted of four persons. This in-
stitution has since become one of the leading agricultural colleges of
the country, with a faculty of 345 members and a student enrollment
of 4,476 in 1938.
The University of Oregon, at Eugene, grew out of a land grant
EDUCATION 105
made in 1859 "to aid in the establishment of a university." Not until
1872, however, did the State legislature definitely provide for its crea-
tion, and the economic depression of the ensuing years delayed its com-
pletion until 1876. The first graduating class was that of 1878. The
faculty list comprised 230 names and the student enrollment was 3,420
in 1938.
A separate department of higher education with an administrative
chancellor now brings under unified control the Oregon State College,
the University of Oregon, and the three State normal schools. The lat-
ter, which trace back to early teachers' institutes and to teacher-training
courses in the academies and seminaries, comprise the Oregon College
of Education at Monmouth, founded 1910; the Southern Oregon Col-
lege of Education at Ashland, founded 1926; and the Eastern Oregon
College of Education at La Grande, founded 1929.
Special schools for the blind, the deaf, and the mentally deficient are
maintained by the State (see SOCIAL WELFARE). Vocational train-
ing is stressed in these institutions, as it is also in the Chemawa Indian
School, established by the Federal government in 1880, near Salem.
In 1936, according to Federal statistics, the number of pupils en-
rolled in the public elementary and secondary schools of Oregon was
188,361. The teaching staff comprised 7,017 persons, who received an
average annual salary of $1,154. The total expenditures for these
schools amounted to $15,746,000, or a per capita of $1548 with re-
spect to the entire State population. The enrollment in private and
parochial schools, excluding kindergartens, was 12,791 ; while that in
universities, colleges (including junior colleges), and professional schools
totaled 11,131.
That Oregon's education system has done efficient work is perhaps
best attested by the fact that, according to the Federal census of 1930,
only one other State (Iowa) had a lower percentage of illiteracy with
respect to the total population. The Oregon rate was only one per
cent, as against a national average for the continental United States
of 4.3 per cent.
Federal and State agencies, either singly or in cooperation, have
carried on noteworthy educational activities of a special sort during the
recent depression years. The Federal Emergency Educational Program
was initiated in 1933 by the Civil Works Administration. When the
latter was dissolved, the program was in part continued with State
emergency relief funds; and since the inception of the Works Progress
Administration, it has been financed out of WPA appropriations.
IO6 OREGON
Courses have been added from time to time, until the curriculum now
includes cultural and vocational training in almost every important
field. More than 3,000 alien icsidents have been prepared for American
citizenship in special Americanization courses, and the elements of
English reading and writing have been taught to more than 800. Inci-
dental to the main objectives of the emergency educational program is
its effectiveness in improving neighborhood relations and fostering com-
munity spirit through classroom contacts and an interchange of ideas.
In 1936 the Portland Public Forums, one of ten national demonstra-
tion projects in adult civic education, achieved excellent results under
joint sponsorship of the Federal government, through the Commissioner
of Education, and the State WPA organization. Forums were con-
ducted for eight months, with a total attendance of 100,418 persons.
Religion
r | 1 HE harbingers of organized religion in Oregon were four Flathead
-*- Indians who in 1832, according to a contemporary chronicle, "per-
formed a wearisome journey on foot to St. Louis, in Missouri, for the
purpose of inquiring for the Christian's Book and the white man's
God." "When, in due course, news of this "wonderful event" appeared
in eastern religious journals, "a general feeling of Christian sympathy
was produced in all the churches of the land for these interesting
heathen, and a proposition was made that the Missionary Board of
the Methodist Episcopal Church proceed forthwith to establish a
mission among the Flathead Indians."
Jason Lee, a Methodist clergyman engaged in spreading the Word
among Indians in Canada, was chosen to set up the proposed mission.
With his nephew Daniel (also a clergyman) and two lay workers,
Cyrus Shepard and P. L. Edwards, Lee accompanied the second Wyeth
expedition to the Oregon country, arriving at Fort Vancouver on
September 15, 1834. Here, a fortnight later, he preached two sermons
"to a congregation of English, Irish, French, half-caste, &c., which were
the first sermons ever preached in the place, and doubtless the first
that many of the people had ever heard." Upon the advice of Dr. John
McLoughlin, chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and "after
much prayer for direction as to the place," it was decided to locate the
mission in the lower Willamette Valley rather than in the Flathead
country. Before the end of the year the little party had erected a rude
log shelter some 75 miles up the Willamette River, at a place known as
French Prairie, and had begun its labors "for the spiritual benefit of all
the Indians, and the few French people who had settled in the country,"
In the following year a Presbyterian clergyman, Samuel Parker, was
sent out by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions,
to explore the Oregon country with a view to selecting the most de-
sirable site for a Presbyterian mission. With him came Dr. Marcus
Whitman, appointed by the same body to work as a medical missionary
among the Indians. But upon their arrival at the Snake River, Whit-
IO8 OREGON
man decided to return East and to endeavor to persuade the Board
into sending missionaries immediately to Oregon, without awaiting
Parker's report. In 1836, Whitman made his second journey to the
Northwest, accompanied by his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Spalding,
and W. H. Gray. Setting up a mission station at Wanlatpu, near
the site of Walla Walla, he labored mdefatigably heie until late in
1847, when he and his wife with several otheis were killed in an Indian
raid upon the station. Spaldmg established a mission among the Nez
Perces in the Snake River Valley. Two years later, Daniel Lee and
H. K. W. Perkins were assigned to missionary work at The Dalles.
These three missions, with the earliest one of all at Fiench Prairie in
the Willamette Valley, were the outposts of Protestant Christianity in
the Oregon country until the arrival in 1840 of the "great reinforce-
ment" gathered by Jason Lee on a return visit to the East.
But the region was known to Jesuit missionaries long before the
coming of the Methodists in 1834. Most of the French-Canadians em-
ployed by the Hudson's Bay Company were of the Roman Catholic
faith, as was the company's chief factor, Dr. McLoughlin ; and religious
instruction in the little school at Fort Vancouver was in accordance with
the tenets of that faith. The first church within the present limits of
Oregon was a log structure erected by Roman Catholics at St. Paul
(in what is now Marion County) in 1836, although mass was not
celebrated there until three years later. Father Blanchet presided here
after his arrival in 1838, and in 1844 he became archbishop of the Ro-
man Catholic Church in Oregon, whose seat of authority was removed
from Oregon City to Portland in 1862.
For the most part, the earliest settlers had neither time nor money
to build churches, but they organized small congregations in a few scat-
tered communities, which were served by itinerant preachers such as
Robert Booth and Joab Powell, who are commemorated in a statue on
the Capitol grounds at Salem. With the ever-rising tide of mass immi-
gration after 1842, however, various Protestant denominations found
it possible to erect their first houses of worship* The earliest of these
was built by the Methodists at or near the site of Oregon City. Under
date of Sunday, June 23, 1844, the Reverend Gustavus Hines has
recorded that he "Preached to a congregation of about forty persons
in the Methodist Church at the falls, and proved the truth of the
Saviour's promise, 'Lo, I am with you/" Other denominations that
soon followed this example were the "Old School" Presbyterians at
Clatsop, near the mouth of the Columbia, and the Disciples of Christ
RELIGION 109
or Campbellites on the Yamhiil River in Polk County, both in 1846;
the Cumberland Presbyterians at Rickreall, Polk County, in 1848; the
Episcopalians at Portland, in 1851.
Besides the "Old School" and Cumberland sects, two other Presby-
terian bodies were represented in early Oregon the Associate Presby-
terians and the Associate Reformed Presbyterians, both dissenters from
the Church of Scotland. These two merged in 1852, to form the United
Presbyterian Church of Oregon, the first church body in North America
organized under the name "United Presbyterians." The Baptists first
organized at West Union in the Tualatin valley in 1844.
The earliest Jewish congregation in Oregon was that of Beth Israel,
organized at Portland in 1859, although its synagogue was not built
until some time later. The immigration from Germany and Scandinavia
in the i87o's and i88o's brought many Lutherans, and this denomina-
tion is now prominently represented in the state. Japanese residents
of Portland maintain a Buddhist temple in that city.
The religion preached in Oregon's early days was of an extremely
fundamentalist character, promising salvation to the faithful and
eternal damnation to the unbeliever. That this sort of religion still
exists in some degree is evidenced by the Pentecostal and Four-Square
Gospel denominations, whose rise is an interesting phenomenon of the
past two decades. Religious prejudice was also evident in 1922, when
Oregonians, stirred by appeals of the Ku Klux Klan, then active on
the Pacific coast, sought unsuccessfully to do away with Catholic paro-
chial education in the state.
"Somewhat over one-fourth of the total Oregon population belongs
to some religious denomination. The leading denominations numerically
are the Roman Catholic, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Disciples of
Christ, Presbyterian, Congregational, Methodist Episcopal (South),
and Protestant Episcopal."
Literature
A S is the case with most of the other states, the literature of
^^Oiegon may be said to begin with the accounts of the first explorers
and travelers. In 1775, twenty years before the histoiic overland journey
ot Lewis and Clark, Captain Bruno Heceta, a Spanish navigatoi,
sighted the Tillamook coast and recorded his impressions of its rugged
outlines in his diary Three years later the English Captain James
Cook remarked in the log of his voyage to the Northwest that Sir
Francis Drake had mentioned the seventy of the climate hereabouts in
June, whereas in March he found it mild enough; but ten days later
Cook himself confessed that cold and snow prevailed along the coast
later to be known as Oregon.
When Captain Robert Gray discoveied the Columbia River in 1792,
a log was kept by one of his young sailors, John Boit, Jr. Among other
shrewd observations the lad noted the fine stature of the Indian males
and the comeliness of the females. The Lewis and Clark journal, besides
its histoiic significance, has great claim to liteiary value. With the
reports concerning the trappers and traders of the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany, historical accounts began to be flavored with legend. And even
the dry commercial records of the fur company helped Washington
Irving vividly to reconstruct in Astoria, published in 1836, the setting
of its far-reaching empiie.
Jason Lee, the indefatigable Methodist missionary of the Willamette
Valley, through his eloquence was able to interest Easterners particu-
larly the religious minded in the primitive wonders of the Oregon
region. His wife, Anna Marie Pittman, is credited with being Oregon's
first poet. Her farewell poem to her husband, written in 1838 when he
was starting east, is marked rather by intense conjugal devotion and
pious fervor than by literary excellence.
During the same year the Reverend Samuel Parker, who had accom-
panied Dr. Marcus Whitman on his first trip to the Northwest, pub-
lished a Journal of an Exploring Tour Beyond the Rocky Mountains
(1835), which had an astonishing success for that time, selling some
LITERATURE III
1,500 copies within a few years after its issue. The author pointed
out one of the early disadvantages of missionary work in the new Land
of Canaan: "There is yet one important desideratum the missionaries
have no wives. Christian white women aie very much needed to exert
an influence over Indian females."
The career of the poet, Cincinnatus Heiner Miller (1841-1913)
better known as Joaquin Miller, illustrates the vicissitudes and adven-
turousness of pioneer life. At the age of 13 he arrived in Eugene City
in a covered wagon. Between 1855 an ^ 1857 he lived with an Indian
woman, by whom he had a child. After his Indian love affair he
studied in Columbia College, Eugene ; was class valedictorian and poet ;
then, successively, he taught school, practiced law, tried mining, rode
the pony express, edited a newspaper, married, went into cattle raising,
became a judge, printed his first volume of poems, Specimens (1868),
in Portland, his second, Joaquin, et al, a year later, and in 1870 was
divorced. Publication in 1871 of Songs of the Sierras in London made
him famous. Thereafter his visits to Oregon were infrequent and his
name was associated with California. A bit of a charlatan, Miller was
a restless, spectacular, character, capable of writing an occasional poem
with a vigorous lilt.
With Marcus Whitman on his famous trek in 1836 was the mis-
sionary historian, W. H. Gray, best remembered as the author of one
ot the first histories of the State. His History of Oregon (1870) is
notable because it provided first-hand information (for many years he
was Government inspector of the port of Astoria) of the region and
also because it anticipated the work of Hubert Howe Bancroft.
The first comprehensive history of early Oregon was the work of
Bancroft (1832-1918) and his little-known associates. Bancroft, a San
Francisco publisher, set out to become the historian of the entire West.
His grandiose plan came near enough to fruition to assume epic propor-
tions. By 1868 he had accumulated more than 15,000 volumes relat-
ing to the West and during the ensuing years he employed a large staff
of reporters and archivists to supplement his material. In this great
work it is believed that he had the help of a dozen competent writers
who never received credit for their share of it. His History of the
Northwest Coast (1884) was a prelude to the richly documented two-
volume History of Oregon (1886-88), in which source material on the
State was finely combed. The Oregon Historical Quarterly, IV, con-
tains an analysis of the contributions of his collaborators.
One of his associates, Frances Fuller Victor, was a remarkable liter-
112 OREGON
ary personality, poet in her early youth m New York, and author of
The River of the West (1870) and All Over Oregon and Washington,
authoritative accounts of the Oregon territory. She worked on Ban-
croft's staff for eleven years and in this capacity wrote the History of
Oregon (1886-88) as well as several other studies. Among her other
works weie a volume of poems and short stories, The New Penelope
(1877), Atlantis Arisen: or, Talks of a Tourist About Oregon and
Washington, and The Early Indian Wars of Oregon (1894). She
died in 1902 in a Portland boarding house after several years of bitter
poverty.
Francis Parkman's famous Oregon Trail first published as The
California and Oregon Trail in 1849 belongs in this record, though it
deals mainly with conditions at the eastern end of the trail. It should
be read in connection with such volumes as W. J. Ghent's Road to
Oregon (1929), Early Far West (1931), and The Oregon Trail
(1939) by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Ad-
ministration.
Judge Charles H. Carey, prominent in Portland's cultural activities,
is one of the State's outstanding historians. His numerous historical
works include a History of Oregon (1922) and a General History of
Oregon (1935). Professor R. C. Clark, of the University of Oregon,
was a scholarly historian of Texas and of Oregon; in 1923 he pub-
lished a History of Oregon and in 1927 a History of the Willamette
Valley. Other historians in special fields of State and local history
include Bishop Edwin Vincent O'Hara, who wrote the Pioneer Catholic
History of Oregon (1911-1925) ; Dr. Dan E. Clark, of the University
of Oregon; and Professor Frederic G. Young, editor of the Oregon
Historical Quarterly from 1900 to 1928, and author of numerous
articles. In 1900 Professor Young rode a bicycle along the entire
length of the Oregon Trail. A standard work is Horace S, Lyman's
History of Oregon: the Growth of an American State (4 vols., 1903).
Richard G. Montgomery has written The White-Headed Eagle ( 1934) ,
an excellent biography of Dr. John McLoughlin. Philip H. Parrish
published in 1931 Before the Covered Wagon, a collection of historical
The Oregon pioneers, men and women, wrote copiously but rarely
with any literary intent. Their memoirs are valuable source material
for the historian and historical novelist. Such accounts as A Day with
the Cow Column (1934) by Jesse Applegate, George A. Waggoner's
Stones of Old Oregon (1905), T. T. Geer's Fifty Years in Oregon
LITERATURE 113
(1912), and the Autobiography of John Ball, published as late as
1925, have a veracity that often escapes the authors of historical fiction.
The best of these volumes of reminiscences is Cathlamet on the Co-
lumbia, a small book of 119 pages, first published in 1906, Its author,
Thomas Nelson Strong (1853-1927), spent his earliest boyhood playing
with Indian children, then moved to Portland and later became a promi-
nent attorney. Few books have shown so clearly "the influences of the
surrounding forests, natives, and frontier," which, as Strong declared,
molded his life. Of equal native vigor and honesty is The Country Boy,
(1910) by Homer Davenport (1867-1912), the well-known cartoonist;
a homely, humorous record of his boyhood in Silverton and the Waldo
Hills. The State's more recent complexion is shown in George H.
Putnam's In the Oregon Country (1915) and A. D. Pratt's A Home-
steader s Portfolio (1922).
A year after Oregon was organized as a territory, the first novel,
The Praine Flower, or, Adventures in the Far West, was written in
the new country. This novel was published in Cincinnati in 1849.
Emerson Bennett was credited with its authorship, but there can be little
doubt that it was motivated and mainly written by Sidney Walter Moss
(1810-1901), a hotel-keeper of Oregon City. It was notable for its por-
trayal of early mountain characters and its salty trapper's dialect. With-
in a decade three more literary works appeared. W. L. Adams of Yam-
hill County wrote in 1852 a melodramatic satire in verse entitled
Treason, Stratagems and Spoils in Five Acts, by Breakspear, which was
first published serially in the Portland Oregonian. A second work was
Ruth Rover (1854), a two-volume novel of the Oregon Trail and
French Prairie life, by Margaret J, Bailey. In 1859 Abigail Scott Duni-
way (1835-1915), who later became the State's most brilliant champion
of woman suffrage, published Captain Gray's Company, a fictional ver-
sion of the overland journey of the first immigrants, marked by a some-
what barren realism.
A fictitious reconstruction of primitive life before the coming of the
white man is found in one of Oregon's most popular novels. The Bridge
of the Gods, published in 1890 by Frederic Homer Balch (1861-91).
The theme of the story is the collapse of the legendary stone bridge
which Indians believed once spanned the Columbia River at the Cas-
cades. Although the time of the story is some 200 years ago, Balch gave
his Indians an authentic touch of life through first-hand studies of the
myths of the Columbia River Indians and visits with the redrnen. In
spite of its romantic flavor and somewhat sentimental style, the novel
114 OREGON
successfully recieates the feeling of a pagan, primitive world and has
moments of genuine poignancy.
A novelist of the period of fur trading and exploration is Eva Emery
Dye, of Oregon City. Her McLoughlin and Old Oregon (1900) is
accepted by the reading public of the State with the same affection ac-
corded The Bridge of the Gods and for a similar reason; it is filled
with a sense of Oregon's historic background, especially that of the
Hudson's Bay Company and its redoubtable factor. Her second book,
Stories of Oregon (1900), suffered destruction during the printing, in
the San Francisco earthquake and fire. In 1902 she turned to the Lewis
and Clark expedition for The Conquest: the True Story of Lewis and
Clark. Another book, McDonald of Oregon (1906), was based on the
journal of that notable trader. In The Soul of America (1933) she
describes the influence of women in pioneer society.
Popular short-stories and numerous juveniles brought moderate
wealth to John Fleming Wilson (1877-1922). His sea tales have
achieved some fame and his Tad Shelton, Boy Scout (1913) has become
part of the reading equipment of Oregon youngsters.
H. L. Davis strikes the modern note of pungent realism in his novel,
Honey in the Horn, issued as the 1935 Harper prize novel. This gusty
saga of homesteaders along the coast and on the "high desert" of east-
ern Oregon became a best seller and in 1936 received a Pulitzer award.
Davis, in the manner of the younger generation, deflowers the sweeter
legend of the heroic pioneers, seeing them as average humans and none
too civilized in speech and customs.
Many of the newer novelists and short-story writers of the state
are drawing on the rich sources of Oregon's historical, social, and in-
dustrial background for this material. Sheba Hargreaves and Sabra
Conner have written historically authentic novels of pioneer days.
Robert Ormond Case and Ernest Haycox have taken the range lands
of the "high desert" as their domain and are producing colorful tales
of the cattle era. Edison Marshall, prolific producer of popular fiction,
has written a number of short stories of literary merit. Charles Alex-
ander has done some excellent animal stories, among them The Fang in
the Forest (1923) and Bobbie, a Great Collie (1926). Interpreters of
Indian lore are Claire Warner Churchill, author of Slave Wives of
Nehalem (1933) and South of the Sunset (1936), and Clarence Orvel
Bunnell, writer of Legends of the Klickitats (1933). Anne Shannon
Monroe has published several novels of the eastern Oregon range coun-
LITERATURE 115
try, Feelin Fine (1930), the life of William (Bill) Hanley, and a
number of volumes of personal and inspirational essays.
Mary Jane Carr has written a number of children's books, the most
popular of which is Children of the Covered Wagon (i934) and
Theodore Ackland Harper is author of a dozen juvenile stories with
scenes laid in Siberia, Mexico, and Oregon. Albert Richard Wet j en is
a writer of sea stories and in two volumes, Way For a Sailor (1928)
and Fiddlers Green (1931), has attained to literary excellence. James
Stevens, formerly of Bend, has published Homer in the Sagebrush
(1928), short stories of Oregon workers, but is best known for his
Paul Bunyan legends, Paul Bunyan (1925) and the Saginaw Paul
Bunyan (1932). Recent additions to Americana are Stewart H. Hoi-
brook's Holy Old Mackinaw (1938), a natural history of the American
lumberjack and Iron Brew (1939), the history of the non industry.
Other prose writers who have contributed to the State's literary out-
put are Vivien Bretherton, Eleanor Hammond, Alexander Hull, Laura
Miller, Kay Cleaver Strahan, Elizabeth Lambert Wood, Ared White,
and Richard L. Neuberger.
Of Oregon's poets, with the exception of Joaqum Miller, the best
known is Edwin Markham, born at Oregon City in 1852, though his
fame is based almost entirely on the polemical "Man With the Hoe/'
which was written at San Francisco in 1898. He published other vol-
umes of poetry during his residence in New York and in 1927 he
edited the Book of Poetry. Except for the fact of his birth in Oregon,
the poet has had little connection with the State.
Minnie Myrtle Miller, ex-wife of Joaquin Miller, during the 1870*8
was a poet m her own right, composing in the early Victorian style.
Sam L. Simpson (1846-99) wrote one popular piece, "Beautiful Wil-
lamette" (1868), that escapes the obscurity of his later verse.
Beloved poet of Oregon scenes is Ella Higginson, (b. ca. 1860)
who began as a successful author of western short stories and by degrees
became known as the author of several volumes of poetry, including
When the Birds Go North Again (1898), The Snow Pearls (1897)1
and The Vanishing Races and Other Poems (1911). Her lyrics have
tempted many composers and her songs have been rendered by Calve',
Caruso, McCormack, and other singers.
Charles Erskine Scott Wood, for 35 years a Portland lawyer, is now
living in California. His Poet in the Desert was published at Portland
in 1915, but he is more widely known for the satirical Heavenly
Il6 OREGON
life Mr. Wood has boxed the compass from a conservative corporation
counsel to a vigorous radical graced with humor.
One of the most gifted of Oregon's sons, John Reed (1887-1920)
of Portland, finally devoted his talents to the cause of woild i evolution
and received the unique distinction of burial at the foot of the Kremlin
in Moscow, where his grave is an object of communist pilgrimage. As a
young man and Harvard graduate he was a poet of distinction; the
themes of Sangar (1912), The Day in Bohemia (1913), and Tavibur-
lane and Other Poems (1916) in their virile imagery and lyrical aban-
don give little hint of the potential revolutionist m him. The rebellious
motive becomes apparent in his graphic articles on Pancho Villa and on
labor subjects in the Metropolitan Magazine in 1913 and 1914. Soon
he was active m several strikes and wrote as an observer for the radical
Masses. In 1917 he went to Russia. Intimacy with the leaders of the
Russian Revolution icsulted in his powerfully written Red Russia
(1919) and the classic of the left, Ten Days that Shook the World
(1919).
Mary Carolyn Davies, educated in Portland and later a resident of
New York City, combines a sensitive lyrical gift with flashes of intui-
tive insight. Following the war poems, The Drums in Our Street
(1918), oppressive with the tragedy of men fighting, came a one-act
allegorical play, The Slave With Two Faces (1918), and other vol-
umes of poetry, notably Youth Riding (1919) and a book of western
verse, The Skyline Trail (1924).
A pure lyrical note is struck in the poetry of Hazel Hall (1886-
1924). An invalid after her twelfth year, her failing eyesight later
caused her to turn from doing needle work for her living to writing.
Her poems, suggestive of the exquisite sensitivity of Emily Dickinson,
appeared in such magazines as Century, Yale Review, and the New
Republic. Her three published volumes are Curtains (1921), Walkers
(1923) and Cry of Time (1928), a posthumous volume* Simplicity of
statement and images that seem almost inevitable mark such poems as
"Three Gnls," selected by William Stanley Braithwaite as one of the
five best poems of 1920.
A number of Portland poets have published books of literary value:
Mable Holmes Parsons with Pastels and Silhouettes ( 1921 ) and Listen-
ers Roo?n (1940) ; Ethel Romig Fuller with White Peaks and Green
(1928), and Kitchen Sonnets (1931) ; Ada Hastings Hedges with Des-
ert Poems ( 1930) ; Eleanor Alien with Seeds of Earth ( 1933) ; Howard
McKinley Corning with These People (1926) and The Mountain in the
LITERATURE 117
(1930) ; and Laurence Pratt with A Saga of a Paper Mill (1935)
and Harp of Water (1939). Other contemporary poets who merit men-
tion are Queene B. Lister, Charles Oluf Olsen, Walter Evans Kidd,
Ben Hur Lampman, Courtland W. Matthews, Phyllis Morden, Borg-
hild Lee, and Eleanor Hansen, all of Portland; Ernest G. Moll of
Eugene who has published three volumes of verse; Lulu Piper Aiken
of Ontario; Paul E. Tracy of Baker County, a plumber, who writes of
the people of eastern Oregon; and Verne Bright of Aloha. Bright has
written a book-length narrative poem, Mountain Man, of the early
trapping period and the Oregon Trail, parts of which have appeared in
the Frontier and Midland and the North American Review. These
poets exhibit a feeling for their own locale that augurs well for the con-
tinued vitality of Oregon poetry.
Oregon journalism (see NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO) owes
much to Harvey W. Scott, editor of the Portland Oregonian from
1877 to 1910, president of the Oregon Historical Society from 1898 to
1901, and author of many historical articles, collected in six volumes
as History of the Oregon Country (1924).
A number of publishers have been active in Portland, producing books
by indigenous authors. Among them were S. J. McCormick, George H.
Himes, A. G. Walling, E. M. Waite, The J. K. Gill Co., F. W. Baltes
and Co., and McArthur and Wood. At present the University Press of
Eugene and Binfords and Mort of Portland are publishing many excel-
lent books, mostly of a regional nature. The John Henry Nash Press at
the University of Oregon prints books of fine format and typography.
Theater ^ Music and Art
THE history of fine art in Oregon is a brief one. Yet a good deal of
art has been created In the state during the past fifty years. The
early inspiration of this work was mainly the romantic interest aroused
in artists of eastern communities by the primitive and frontier life of
the Rockies and the regions beyond.
Among the settlers themselves the urge for self-expression most com-
monly found release in the singing of homely songs brought from the
East and from Europe. Instrumental music for such occasions was
largely provided by "fiddles" and accordians, many of which had first
enlivened the camp-fire gatherings on the "road to Oregon," or had
eased the nostalgia of gold-seeking miners in distant Eldorados. Only
occasionally in the early decades was itinerant entertainment available.
The visit, then, in 1855, of Stephen C. Massett, impersonator, singer,
song writer, and globe trotter, journeying from San Francisco by boat,
for readings and concerts at Astoria, Vancouver, Portland and other
interior Oregon towns, today seems symbolic. While he was giving a
concert in the small Salem courthouse, lighted by six tallow candles,
all were dramatically extinguished by a gust of wind as he was singing
"The Light of Other Days." At the close of his performance at Cor-
vallis he was obliged to shake hands with half the frontier population
before they would let him depart. Appreciation for the arts was in-
herent in Oregonians from the beginning.
Later, with the growth of settlement Oregon came into contact with
the general development of art in Amenca. Theaters were built in the
larger towns, and applauding audiences, their eagerness for entertain-
ment often exceeding their artistic discrimination, viewed the produc-
tions of the professional stage or listened to the voices and instruments
of the world's great musicians. Symphony organizations and choral so-
cieties were organized, employing almost entirely local talent. Art mu-
seums came into being, their services supplementing the activities of the
few artists who sojourned for a time amidst the western scene, or re-
mained to settle among the native-born craftsmen.
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART
By 1915 the state had become articulate in the truest sense. The
physical scene was still unspoiled and grand. But now there was as
much respect for the life of the people as for the beauty of the region,
although as yet this "putting forth" was often tentative; the evidence
was more of promise than of fulfillment, more traditional than native.
Only from the perspective of the present does the achievement of the
past twenty-five years in the field of the arts have significance. Today
in Oregon the worthy work of the stage, the concert hall, and the art
studio, professional and amateur, enjoys the recognition of a discerning
patronage.
THE THEATER
The first known theatrical performance in the Oregon Country
was given in 1846 by the crew of the British sloop Modeste, an-
chored in the Columbia River off Fort Vancouver. Settlers from
many miles up the Willamette Valley made the journey to see the play,
which, oddly enough, was a sophisticated drama, Three Weeks of Mar-
riage. This production, like others that followed at rare intervals, was
melodramatic in theme and treatment; virtue and vice were plainly
marked and the moral heavily stressed. In reporting the performance
The Spectator of Oregon City generously remarked that the actors
"sustained their characters in the most creditable manner, that even had
Will Shakespeare himself looked in he could not have said, nay . . ."
In 1855, in the gold camp of Browntown in Southern Oregon, the
entrancing San Francisco child star, Lotta Crabtree, entertained the
miners and was showered with coins and nuggets. However, when
she returned in 1863, at the age of sixteen, she was hissed when she
endeavored to sing patriotic airs declaring her loyalty to the North.
"She faced a cold and relentless audience and they never gave her a
hand," her manager related.
During the 5O J s the people of Oregon were entertained principally
by mediocre minstrel troupes and one-ring circuses. In Portland, in
1858, the Stewart Theater housed a small company of players for the
"better part of the season." After that the theater appears to have
diminished in interest for the home-building Oregonians until 1861,
when the Willamette Theater opened in Portland. Here in 1864 ap-
peared "Julia Dean Hayes, for a limited number of nights." Her plays
were Othello, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and The Man in the Iron
Mask. She interrupted her Portland engagement with several one-week
stands at Salem. In the same year Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean appeared
120 OREGON
with their Shakespenan company in the Merchant of Venice. A travel-
ing troupe of players visiting Salem and other Willamette Valley towns
in 1875 presented Ten Nights in a Barroom.
As Portland continued to grow, her interest in the theater grew
also. In 1875 the New Market Theater, Oregon's first brick show-
house, was built at a cost of $100,000, and a truly gorgeous presentation
of Rip Van Winkle was staged. Soon thereafter the Tivoli (1883),
playing comic opera, and the Casino (1885), fitted with a bar and
tables and playing cheap melodrama, were opened. The latter, under
moral protest, was later reconstructed and renamed the New Park
(1888). Thereafter grand opera, alternating with the lighter vein of
Gilbert and Sullivan, was offered, with occasional productions of such
melodramas as The Creole and the sensational After Dark. Portland's
prominence as a mecca of the drama brought eager playgoers from as
far away as San Francisco.
Traveling drama, however, reached its acme with the opening in
February, 1890, of the Marquam Grand Opera House. The initial pro-
duction was Robin Hood. In the two decades that followed, such pre-
tentious shows as Ben Hur, the Old Homestead, and the Count of
Monte Cristo made this house the center of Oregon's theatrical and
social life. Here in 1893 James L. Corbett, the prize ring champion,
played in Gentleman Jack. Great artists who performed at the Mar-
quam Grand were Sarah Bernhardt, Frederick Warde, Sir Henry
Irving, Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, Lillian Russell, Julia Arthur, Nat
Goodwin, James K. Hackett, John Drew, and many others. A galaxy
of opera stars, including Modjeska, Melba, and Nordica, with support-
ing troupes, made Portland the entertainment center of the Northwest.
Portland's theatrical production reached its most extravagant at-
tempt at realism during this period, when the road show Blue Jeans
played the Marquam Grand. Blue Jeans was a melodrama with one
scene laid in a sawmill, and since sawmills played a major part in
Northwest life, its opening was well but critically attended. The pro-
moters advertised this scene as "Mechanically Perfect in Every Detail."
The stage "mill," however, proved to be merely a pitifully inept repro-
duction, and when the silk-hatted villain sneered at his brave but help-
less victim about to be fed into it; "Die like a dog, you ," he was
interrupted by a clear, bellowing voice from the audience: "Set your
blocks or you won't get no clears outa that log," This advice was
thoroughly justified, and the uproar which followed caused the manager
to ring down the curtain for good on the Portland run of this play.
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART 121
Meanwhile, as early as 1894, nearly a dozen other Oregon towns
had built theaters, invariably termed opera houses. These exhibited road
shows almost exclusively, with the occasional "great" of the legitimate
stage taxing their usual looo-seat capacity.
Early in the i goo's several small theaters came into being, presenting
principally variety shows, burlesque, and "thrillers." This phase was a
further development of the variety type of entertainment brought to
Portland in 1889 by John Cordray, but now made acceptable for
women as well as men. Straight vaudeville houses were opened under
the management of Sullivan and Considine, Keating and Flood, and
Alexander Pantages. On one occasion the latter presented Charles
Chaplin in A Night in a London Music Hall
These years saw also the forming in Portland of local stock com-
panies playing New York successes. George L. Baker, responding to
the trend of the times, organized the Baker Stock Company (1902).
Forty-week seasons of stock were not unusual. Road shows continued to
visit and when, later, the Columbia was opened, a packed house
thrilled to the famous Mrs. Leslie Carter playing Madame Du Barry.
The first moving picture was shown in Portland, August 7, 1897.
Soon thereafter small movie houses or "nickelodeons" sprang up in
Portland and in other Oregon towns and became so popular that by
1915 the legitimate theater, competing with its most formidable enter-
tainment rival, was operating at a loss. Nearly every small town m the
state had a movie "palace," while the larger cities suppoited from
three to six; Portland had more than twenty. As a consequence, the-
atricals suffered a much diminished patronage.
With the waning of the professional theater in the state, local self-
expression in the field of amateur acting made a bid for public recog-
nition. A dramatic class, begun under the auspices of the Portland
Labor College and directed by Doris Smith, soon developed into the
Labor College Players. The first group of its kind m the country, it
produced such one-act plays as Davis* Miss Civilization and Yeats'
Land of Heart's Desire, and was the inspirational medium for the
founding of similar groups elsewhere.
Popular support waned, allowing the Labor College Players to die
after a few years, but it was revived in 1925 with the forming of the
Portland Civic Theater, until 1927 known as the Portland Art The-
ater. In 1929 this organization absorbed the locally popular Bess Whit-
comb Players, an independent amateur group formed in 1927, and en-
larged its activities. Self-supporting and nonprofit-making, the Civic
122 OREGON
Theater has offered the public creditable and often distinctive produc-
tions, with such Broadway successes as O'Neil's Anna Christie and
Ah, Wilderness, Coward's Design for Living, and Rice's Judgment
Day; and has given amateur performances, sometimes while the shows
were still running in New York. One-act play writing contests were
conducted for local talent, and in 1931 a school of drama was added
as a feature of the theater's activities. Dean Collins, teaching play-
writing to large classes, also made adaptations of such universal fa-
vorites as Alice in Wonderland, and the Christmas Carol. The former
had several presentations as an out-of-door Portland Rose Festival
feature. In 1936 the Civic Theatei school of drama came under the
direction of the University of Oregon extension division. Since 1937
the Civic Theater Blue Room productions have supplemented the usual
program of five stage productions each year.
Since the middle twenties Shakespeaiian drama seemingly has ap-
pealed most strongly to the Oregon play-going public, with visiting
English troupes most loudly acclaimed. Local performances, however,
have not been lacking A civic Elizabethan theater maintained at Ash-
land since 1935 presents a yearly summer Shakespearean Festival. Under
the direction of Angus L. Bowmar, of the Southern Oregon College of
Education, such plays as Hamlet and the Taming of the Shrew are
staged with professional actors carrying the leads, assisted by supporting
casts of students. For one week fpur plays are given two performances
each to audiences averaging seven hundred each evening. In 1937 an ^
1938 the Reed College Players and the Civic Theater Players jointly
produced Othello in summer out-of-door performances.
For several decades diamatic pageants have been popular. Since the
late twenties the Portland Rose Festival Association has staged mam-
moth productions at the Multnomah Stadium and the city parks, cele-
brating the symbolism of the rose, the city's chosen flower. These pres-
entations, and the Oregon Trail Festival given periodically at Eugene,
have been ably directed by Doris Smith and others prominent in the
state's dramatic life. For a brief time around 1920 Portland's China-
town had a Chinese theater.
Since 1936 the Federal Theater Project of the Works Piogress Ad-
ministration staged effectively Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew,
Langner's Pursuit of Happiness, and the three "living newspaper"
plays, Arthur Arent's Power, and One Third of a Nation, and Sund-
gaard's Spirochete. Several of these and the children's fantasies, Pinoc-
chio and Hansel and Gretel, were produced in the WPA Federal The-
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART 123
ater, Portland, opened to the public in May 1938. Dance sbts given
at Timberline Lodge in 1937, depicting flax culture, Indian life, and
other regional folk activities, were followed in 1938 by Timberline
Tintypes, sketches portraying Oregon logger life. These performances
were under the supervision of Bess Whitcomb, State Director of the
Federal Theater Project. Tapestry in Linen, a play dealing with flax
culture, was written by the project and staged at Mount Angel in the
summer of 1937. Since its beginning in October 1936, the Portland
unit played to an aggregate audience of 200,000; of this number, 83
per cent were admitted free of charge,
Oregon has had a few well-recognized playwrights. Jules Eckert
Goodman, born at Gervais in 1876, received national acclaim in 1910
for his play Mother, and later was co-author of Potash and Perlmutter.
Margaret Mayo, born at Salem in 1882 and first an actress, was the
author of Polly of the Circus and other plays produced on Broadway.
Among contemporary playwrights, Alice Henson Ernst is known for
her dramas based on the Alaska gold rush and aspects of Indian life,
published under the title of High Country, and Laura Miller for short
folk plays locally produced. Bloodstream, by Frederick Schlicfc was pro-
duced at the Times Square Theatre in New York City in 1932, and
his The Man Who Broke His Heart was released by Paramount in
1935 under the title of Wharf Angel Sally Elliott Allen is known for
studies in domestic life, Mrs. Allen, author of more than twenty one-
act plays, in 1933 won the James B. Kerr award, offered by the Port-
land Civic Theater, for a three-act play, What the Gulls Knew. All
of these writers have had one-act plays produced by little theater groups
of the state.
The noted actress, Blanche Bates, was born in Portland in 1873 but
three years later moved to San Francisco, where she made her first stage
appearance in 1894. Earle Larnmore, Ona Munson, Mayo Methot, and
Portland Hoffa, among contemporary players, were Portland born, and
Clark Gable once resided in Oregon.
MUSIC
The French-Canadian voyageurs plying the Columbia River from
1818 until about 1845 enlivened their days and nights with gay songs
in French patois, but the River of the West seems not to have had a
chant peculiarly its own. A lusty song, "Fur Trader's Ballad/' was
sung amidst laughter and filled flagons on Yuletide occasions at old
Fort Astoria, but what tunes the trappers may have sung on their long
124 OREGON
winter hunts are unknown. Stanzas adapted from the English and Irish
poets and heard wherever a river threaded the Northern wilderness
were sung by Narcissa Whitman, a particularly good singer, and Eliza
Spaldmg, wives of the missionaries, upon their arrival in the Oregon
Country in 1836. Most often heard were "Hail to the Chief," "At the
Clear Running Fountain," and Thomas Moore's "Canadian Boat
Song." The overland pioneers, as appears from countless references
in old journals, brought with them texts and tunes from their home-
lands which they sang on almost every occasion. Only fragments re-
main of the covered-wagon ballads and homesteader minstrelsy. "Oh,
Susannah," by Stephen Foster, was universally popular during the
California gold rush and was soon carried into Oregon. But for the
next few decades such songs of sentiment as "Annie of the Vale," "The
Old Log Hut," "Sweet Genevieve," and "I Wandered by the Brook-
side," weie most frequently heard, supplementing the countless religious
songs found in the denominational hymnals.
As early as 1849 a program of vocal music was given at Oregon City
by William Morgan, who had "given concerts in New York and other
Eastern cities/* Among the twelve numbers sung by him were such
long-forgotten songs as "Pretty Star of the Night" and "The Ivy
Green." For dances of that day, particularly the Christmas Ball held
each year at Oregon City, music was furnished by the United States
Army Band, stationed there with other military units to preserve order
among the Indian tribes and the gold seekers turning northward from
California. Pioneer Oregon had many singing groups, usually associated
with religious organizations. In 1856 a chorus of young people trained at
Oregon City journeyed to Portland and sang from the collection,
Fiona's Festival, and for a quarter-century pupils of the old Portland
Academy sang in happy unison from Merry Chimes, a popular western
song book. In the i86o's the Finck family at Aurora, organized the
Aurora Band, which was soon very popular at fairs and political rallies
throughout the Willamette Valley. Years later one of their number,
Henry T. Finck, became known as a New York music critic and wrote
the autobiographical Adventures in the Golden Age of Music. The
DeMoss family, like troubadours of old, toured the state and surround-
ing country, singing to settler and city dweller alike.
As Oregon developed culturally, symphonic music began to make its
appeal. The first known orchestral programs were given in Portland
in 1868 and 1870 by a United States Infantry Band* In 1875 an ama-
teur musical society was formed, and in 1882 the Orchestral Union
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART 125
was organized. This union with the newly-established Apollo Club gave
a musical program in 1883 in a building which stood on the site of
the present Municipal Auditorium.
Thereafter, musical activities in Portland grew m volume and in-
terest. With a i6o-voice chorus and a 25-piece orchestra, William H.
Boyer conducted the first performance of Handel's Messiah on January
1 6, 1895. The following year the city was electrified by the initial
visit of the great Sousa and his band. It was during these years, begin-
ning with a concert on October 30, 1895, that the original Portland
Symphony Orchestra, first conducted by W. H. Kinross, struggled into
being. In 1902 and 1903, with Edgar E. Coursen directing, it played
accompaniments for concerts given by the Willamette Valley Choral
Union at Corvallis and Eugene. Organized in 1899, the Choral Union
gave yearly festival concerts in principal towns throughout the Willam-
ette Valley.
During these years the cowboy, the logger, the miner, and the
itinerant ranch-hand sang or chanted as he labored, or when he gath-
ered with his companions in the bunkhouse or around a campfire. None
of their songs, however, were of local origin. In certain instances liberties
of improvisation were taken with well-known compositions. Not until
after 1900 was one of these songs, a refrain of the "road," given written
record: "Portland County Jail" is included in Carl Sandburg's Ameri-
can Song bag.
The first "Music Day" in the history of expositions in the United
States was given at Festival Hall, Lewis and Clark Exposition ground,
Portland, in 1905; Frederick W. Goodrich was in charge. Three years
later, at the Alaska-Yukon Exposition at Seattle, a Portland chorus
sang Samuel Simpson's "Beautiful Willamette," composed by Father
Dominic, O. S. B., of Mount Angel Abbey. The same composer's
overture, "Call of the West," was played by the Portland Symphony
Orchestra at a Portland concert, May i, 1914.
The Portland Music Festival Association, after two years (19* 7-
1918) of symphonic and choral music supremacy in the Northwest,
under the leadership of Carl Denton and W. H. Boyer, suspended be-
cause of conditions brought on by the World War. Following the
dedication of the Municipal Auditorium in 1918, the Portland Sym-
phony Orchestra, which had previously played in theaters, opened an
annual program of concerts that continued for twenty years. From
1925, guided by the distinguished conductor, Willem Van Hoogstraten,
this 6o-piece orchestra, recognized as one of the foremost in Amer-
I2& OR E G O N
ica, played both the established masters and contemporary composers.
From 1923 to 1925, and again from 1929 to 1938, the Portland
Choral Society, sometimes called the Portland Symphony Chorus, sang
once yearly with the orchestra. Oratorios by Handel, Verdi, and Men-
delssohn, among others, were given. In 1938 the Symphony manage-
ment announced a two-year suspension of activities.
Beginning in 1919, Hal Webber pioneered in the development of
children's orchestras. Under his stimulation the Portland Junior Sym-
phony Orchestra was organized in 1925; conducted by Jacques Gersh-
kovitch, it continues its noteworthy peiformances. In 1936 the Stadium
Philharmonic Orchestra gave the first of its annual series of six out-
door summer conceits, or "Starlight Symphonies," with distinguished
guest-conductors and soloists.
A few Oregon musicians, mernbeis of the Society of Oregon Com-
posers, have had works produced by the Portland Symphony Orchestra,
or have been accoided publication and production elsewhere. Among
these aie the former Portlander, Aaron Avshalomoff, for his suite "The
Soul of Kin Sei"; Manuel Palacios, for "Entr'acte Valse" for strings,
and the deceased Dominic Waedenschwiler, for the previously men-
tioned "Call of the West." Dent Mowrey, nationally known pianist of
Portland, is the composer, among other symphonic pieces, of "Dance
Americame," and the tone poem "Gargoyles of Notre Dame." George
Natanson and E. Bruce Knowlton, in the 1920*8 and early 1930*5, pro-
duced operas and light operas, a few of them written by the producers.
Some sacred music and a few popular songs have been locally com-
posed, with pieces by Alexander Hull and L. W. Lewis among the
most noteworthy. The Oregon State Song, "Oregon, My Oregon," was
selected in competition in 1920; the words are by J. A. Buchanan, the
music by Henry T. Murtagh.
The Oregon State Music Teachers' Association has long had a wide
influence, and groups and societies for the study, composition, and en-
joyment of music, vocal and instrumental, number more than two score.
All of the principal ethnic groups German, Norwegian, Swedish,
Swiss have large choral organizations, most of which center in Port-
land. All of the state's institutions of learning have ably directed music
departments, and many have choruses or glee clubs, of which the Uni-
versity of Oregon Glee Club is the best known. Howard Barlow, the
distinguished orchestra conductor, first lived and studied in Portland.
A few dance bands originating in Portland, notably George Olsen's,
arp natinnallv known. Through the years nearly all of the great per-
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART 127
sonages of concert or operatic fame have sung in Portland and else-
where in the state.
Since 1936 the Federal Music Project of the Work Projects Ad-
ministration has made band and orchestral music widely available to
the public. Guided by Frederick W. Goodrich, State Director and
Oregon's only member of the National Association of Orchestra Lead-
ers, the project is supplying music for many civic occasions and, in the
spring of 1940 revived symphonic music, which had been temporarily
discontinued with the suspension of the Portland Symphony Orchestra
in 1938. The orchestra is under the direction of Leslie Hodge. Since
December 1936 the bands and orchestras of the Oregon Federal Music
Project have played to audiences aggregating nearly three-quarters of a
million persons, including 200,000 in the schools of the state.
ARTS AND HANDICRAFTS
Arts and handicrafts in the Oregon country began with the
original inhabitants, the Indians. While none of the tribes of the
region were blanket weavers, garmenting themselves in grasses, or in
skins, whole or woven, all were basket makers, fashioning with withes
and grasses waterproof containers. Into these, symbolic designs were
worked : images of the thunderbird, the fire-crow, and the sun. Wooden
bowls, a few bearing designs, were carved from cedar and other soft
woods. Everywhere the bark house door-posts were carved and painted
with tribal insignia for the protection of the dwellers. The Coast In-
dians reached a high level of art in the decoration of their canoes, often
of great size, carved, inlaid, and colored with the images of whales and
thunderbirds. Likewise, their grave-canoes, holding their dead in air in
some riverside memaloose, were supported by frames decorated with
meaningful triangles and circles in black and red. Centers for the fash-
ioning of arrowheads and spear-heads, work in which the red crafts-
man took a pride of design, were maintained in many parts of the
state. Still remaining, but gradually wasting from the surface rock on
which they were carved, are the petroglyphs of the vanished tribesmen.
The earliest professional painter to bring art to Oregon was Lieu-
tenant Henry Warre, sent by the British government to picture the
Pacific Northwest. Oil paintings of Fort Vancouver and Oregon City,
as they appeared in 1841, are of much interest today. Shortly thereafter
a United States Army artist, his name now forgotten, accompanied a
128 OREGON
mounted rifle regiment and painted several excellent views of the Co-
lumbia River. In the 1830*8 John Mix Stanley did numerous sketches of
both people and scenery. On his second tour, in the early 1850'$, he
painted portraits of such frontier personages as John McLoughlin, Peter
Skene Ogden, and Amos Love joy.
A few skilled cabinet makers and allied craftsmen followed the cov-
ered wagons westward. Settling in the growing centers, these workmen-
artists executed, painstakingly if somewhat imperfectly, much of the
state's early household furniture. The German Aurora colony produced
numeious pieces of able workmanship spool beds, oak chests, woven-
bottom chairs now collectors' items. The members of this colony, and
other craftsmen in Portland and Oregon City, fashioned architectural
iron work of great beauty. Much of the pottery used by the pioneers
was moulded and burned at the Buena Vista kilns, on the mid- Willam-
ette River.
About 1880 Edward Espey's genius flowered briefly, leaving as his
best creation the oil painting, Repose, now hanging in the Portland
Public Library. Espey died at 29 and little is known of his career or
his work. Toward the close of the centuiy Cleveland Rockwell's marine
views, notably the much-reproduced Columbia River Bar, found their
way into many galleries and private collections.
Early contributions in the field of sculpture in Oregon came mainly
from visiting artists attracted by the esthetic possibilities of Indian and
western life. Hermon A. MacNeil, who had studied in Paris and Rome,
made several trips to northern territories and reservations ; his Coming
of the White Man* an Indian group study, stands in Washington Park
at Portland. Contemporaries of MacNeil were A. Phimister Proctor,
represented by his monuments in Eugene and Portland, and Alice
Cooper, whose life-size bronze of Sacajawea, the Shoshone Indian
woman who guided the Lewis and Clark party, was unveiled in Port-
land in 1905. Two sculptured fountains of this period grace downtown
Portland streets. The Skidmore Fountain, near the waterfront, was the
work of Olin Levi Warner, who made an extensive tour through the
West in the late i88o's. Between the Plaza Block and Lownsdale
Square, the Elk Fountain, a bronze figure by Roland H. Perry, dedi-
cated in 1900, stands where elk grazed in pre-pioneer days. In the early
years of the Twentieth Century* Douglas Tilden, called "the most
eminent sculptor of the Western Coast," completed his group study,
Soldiers? Monument, dedicated to Oregon's Spanish-American War
dead. It stands in Lownsdale Square.
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART 129
Two native-born cartoonists came into prominence in the nineties.
Homer Davenport (1867-1912), born near Silverton, won interna-
tional attention by his vitriolic anti-Tammany cartoons of 1896 in the
New York Journal and his Spanish- American war sketches of 1898.
Frank Bowers, Davenport's cousin and a Silverton contemporary, also
won notice as a New York cartoonist.
Public interest in art appreciation received its earliest encouragement
in 1892, when the Portland Art Association was organized and an art
museum opened on the second floor of the old City Library. Outgrow-
ing these facilities in 1905, the first public art museum in the Pacific
Northwest was built and art instruction to the public was begun. Here,
for a quarter of a century, many students received instruction in various
branches of art, some graduating to continue study elsewhere, a few
winning national recognition. Meanwhile, an appreciative audience
viewed the growing permanent and traveling exhibits, represented by a
wide selection of American and Old World paintings of all schools.
The first decades of the present century saw a flowering of art in
Oregon, although only a few of the local artists were native born. Soon
after 1900 Charles Erskine Scott Wood, poet-lawyer, executed some
excellent paintings in oils and water color. The impressionist, Childe
Hassam of New England, visiting the state in 1908, painted forty can-
vasses of the "high desert" in the Bhtzen River region of Harney
County. Louis B. Akin (1872-1913), native-born, beginning an art
career as a sign painter, devoted the concluding fifteen years of his life
to portrayals of the Southwest Indians. The marine and landscape oils
of Rockwell W. Carey, born near Salem in 1882, and C. C. McKim,
who died in Portland in 1938, were prominent among artists of this
period. Merle DeVore Johnson, born at Oregon City m 1874, studied
at Stanford, going to New York in 1910 as an illustrator and cartoonist.
He became a prominent authority on American first editions. He died
in 1935-
Through the years the majority of Oregon artists have been expo-
nents of open-air painting. In a desire to sympathetically portray the
regional scene they have inclined toward realism. The airy lyricism of
the landscapes of Clyde Leon Keller (b. 1872), who has worked in
Portland since 1906, and of Anthony Euwer (b. 1877) of the same
city since 1915 has aided in popularizing local pictorial art. Since 1912,
Harry Wentz, born at The Dalles, has divided his creative efforts
between teaching at the Portland Art Museum and painting water
colors of Oregon's mountains and sea coast, Percy Manser, who has
I3O OREGON
lived in the Hood River Valley since about 1920, has likewise painted
mountain and coastal scenes much admired by Oregonians. During the
1920*8 Emil Jacques, Belgian artist, conducted a studio in Portland
while teaching art at Portland (Columbia) University; he left his in-
fluence upon several local artists, and contributed nine panels to St.
Mary's Cathedral. Coming to Oregon ten years ago from the range-
lands of the Wyoming Rockies, C. S. Price (b, 1874), largely self-
trained, and a friend of the cowboy artist, Charles Russell, has executed
some noteworthy oils of life in this region. Two of his pioneer studies,
done while employed on a Civil Works Administration art project in
1934) are n peimanent display in the Portland Public Library; two
others hang in the Senate Office Building and the United States Treas-
ury Building, Washington, D. C.
Since 1913 at least three portrait painters of merit have lived in the
state. Likenesses of Oregonians, painted by Sidney Bell (b. 1888) from
1915 to 1930, hang in New York and Washington galleiies. Cohsta
Dowling, a long-time resident, has painted portraits of many prominent
Oiegonians. Leonabel Jacobs, a former University of Oregon student,
has painted likenesses of Mrs. Wairen G. Harding and Mrs. Calvin
Coolidge.
Other artists, native to the state or of extended residence, have ex-
pressed themselves in a variety of mediums and techniques. Born in
Oregon were the three well-known magazine illustrators, Henry Raleigh
(b. 1880), Fred Cooper (b. 1883), and Mahlon Elaine, Regional bird
life has been recorded in colors by R. Bruce Horsfall (b. 1869) in nu-
merous books and magazines. Wylong Fong, a young Chinese aitist
living in Portland some fifteen yeais ago, created vividly in oik but is
best remembered for Oriental figure studies done with pastels on velvet.
Phyllis Muiiden, teaching art in Portland high schools, has executed
some much-admired water colors.
At least four etchers may be claimed by the state. W. F. Mcllwraith,
a New Englander, made Portland his home for more than twenty years,
returning to New York in 1939. His subjects were chiefly historical and
marine, done in free and incisive lines and with rich tonal gradations.
The highly-acclaimed architectural etchings of Louis Conrad Rosenberg,
born in Portland in 1890, hang in the British Museum, the Royal
Academy of Arts at Stockholm, and the Smithsonian Institute. Eyler
Brown and Lloyd Reynolds, among younger craftsmen, have had notice
beyond the state.
In 1924 monumental sculpture as a civic contribution again received
THEATRE, MUSIC AND ART 131
recognition when Douglas Tilden's Circuit Rider was unveiled on the
State Capitol grounds. The lO-foot bronze of Abraham Lincoln,
mounted in the Portland Park Blocks, was sculptured by George Fite
Waters in 1928. Gutzon Borglum's giant bronze of Harvey W. Scott,
early editor of the Portland Oregonian, erected in 1933, looms atop
Mount Tabor. The state's largest sculptural acquisition is the Oregon
Pioneer statue, by Ulnc Ellerhusen, which stands on the tower above
the new State Capitol.
Within recent years a small group of sculptors have made their
homes in Oregon. Native born was Roswell Dosch, whose talent had
just begun to flower when his life was cut short in 1918 by influenza
while serving as an officer in the World War. At that time he was
head of the School of Applied Arts of the University of Oregon. Fol-
lowing him at this institution from 1921 to 1927 was Avard Fair-
banks (b. 1897), now teaching at the University of Michigan. His
brother, J. Leo Fairbanks (b. 1880), has been art instructor at Oregon
State College since 1923. Both have done portrait busts, group studies,
plaques, and architectural art work for both civic and private use.
Adrien Voisin, after study in Pans and a period of residence in Cali-
fornia, came to Oregon m 1931. He has done portrait busts of Indians
and of prominent Oregonians and plaques of historical subjects. Gabriel
Lavare, who also came from California in the early i93O J s, is best
known for his bas-reliefs carvings over the three entrance doors and
the Mother and Child medallion in the foyer of the new Oregon State
Library, the lion and the lioness at the entrance to Washington Park,
Portland and for the Town Club fountain. Oliver L. Barrett, sculp-
tor-teacher at the University of Oregon for the past five years, m 1939
executed the marine figure standing in the Battleship Oregon Memorial
Park, Portland. Ralph Stackpole, born in Oregon in 1885, early re-
moved to California and Paris and gained recognition as a portraitist in
bronze. A new approach to sculpture is being made by Anna Keeney (b.
1898), now living in Chicago, who has just completed a large fountain
for the Leander Stone School in that city. The artist uses glazed terra
cotta forms set in solid stone for an entirely new effect. Miss Keeney
studied sculpture under Avard Fairbanks at the University of Oregon,
from which she graduated in 1928, remaining there as assistant instruc-
tor for two years. Her mother lives in Arlington, Oregon. Miss Keeney
modeled the figure of the Fallen Aviator, at Condon, Oregon.
With exhibits and class rooms crowding the original Art Museum
building, the first unit of a new and permanent structure was erected
132 OREGON"
in 1932; a second unit was completed in 1939. Indubitably, the works
shown at the Art Museum of such Europeans as Monet and Derain,
and later of Picasso and Matisse the latter two to a lesser extent
have influenced the subject matter and treatment of many contemporary
artists. The experimental foreign techniques have modified somewhat
the tendency of some state-loving artists to reproduce too literally what
they saw around them. Also influencing art expression have been the
art classes at the various schools of higher learning, notably the Uni-
versity of Oregon and the Oregon State College. The former institution
has been most influential in sculpture. The University of Oregon Art
Museum, erected within the last decade, houses, among other notable
groups, the Murray Warner collection of Oriental art (see EUGENE).
Contemporary Oregon artists, many of them young, number more
than two score, working in a variety of mediums and techniques. Char-
lotte Mish, Portland, is best known for her marines and landscapes in
oil but has also done portraits. An example from the water colors of
Edward Sewell represented Oregon at the "American Scene" Exhibition
at Indianapolis in 1933. In 1935 Edgar Bohlman, a thirty-three year
old native of Forest Grove, made his New York debut with paintings
of cafe and street life done while living in Spain; the work displayed
an interesting mixture of boldness and detail. Prior to this, in 1931, he
designed the stage sets for the New York production of The Venetian
Glass Nephew. After painting quietly in Portland for more than ten
years, Darrel Austin, in 1938 exhibited in Hollywood and New York,
winning acclaim for his oils of women and girls in green orchards
executed in a rhythmic riot of color reminiscent of Van Gogh and
Renoir. Maude Walling Wanker (b. 1882), with a photographic in-
tent, has placed on canvas nearly all of the state's historical sites and
buildings ; a few less than one hundred paintings done since the summer
of 1933. Albert Gerlach (b. 1884) of Portland is the designer of a
number of art glass windows installed in churches, theaters, and halls in
Oregon and Washington, while Bernard Francis Geiser is painting a
series of murals for St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Portland. David
McCosh (b. 1903) of the University of Oregon art department depicts
in oils and water colors subjects of social significance, avoiding rigid
formulae. His Venlta, Oregon, done in oil, distinguished the small group
of art works representing Oregon at the New York World's Fair in
1939. Among his staff colleagues, Andrew Vincent has been exhibited
at the Chicago Art Institute.
Several contemporary artists are producing murals and easel paintings
THEATRE, MUSIC AND \RT 133
dealing with regional and social themes. The mural, Early Mail Car-
riers of the West, by Rockwell W. Carey, at the Newberg post office,
and the two tempera panels by John Ballator, at the St. Johns post office,
were executed under the sponsorship of the Section of Fine Arts of the
United States Treasury Department. Under the guidance of the Civil
Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration Art
Projects, paintings and decorations in a wide variety of mediums, in-
cluding glass mosaic and wood marquetry, have recently been produced
for federal, county, and city buildings. Frontier and industrial subjects
are most popular. WPA muralists include Amiee Gorham, Virginia
Darce, Howard Sewell, and Edward Quigley; and in a diversified field
the woodcuts of Charles E. Heaney, the lithographs of Kurt Fuerer, the
wood carvings of Eric Lamade, and the wood marquetry of Martina
Gangle deserve special mention.
Among the various enterprises of the Federal Arts Project is the
metal work of O. B. Dawson, who, with a small crew of craftsmen,
fashioned in 1937 the ornamental wrought iron gates for the University
of Oregon Library and for the Memorial Union Building on the
campus of the Oregon State College, and the grille and metal fittings
in the Mount Hood Timberline Lodge. Skilled cabinet makers and
other craftsmen also furnished the Lodge as a recreational center in a
manner harmonious to the rugged natural scene. At Portland, a pottery
kiln built as a WPA project and sponsored and maintained by the
Arts and Crafts Society, offers its facilities free to the public. Co-
operating with the Works Progress Administration, the Salern Federal
Art Center came into being in the summer of 1938. The Center exhibits
the works of living American artists, national and local, conducts a free
art school, and offers public lectures. With the cooperation of sponsors in
cities and towns near Salem, branch Federal Art Centers are planned,
with exhibits, and classes taught from the Salem center. A similar art
center, but more elaborately planned, is in prospect (1940) for Port-
land. State WPA Art Project activities have been in charge of Dr.
Margery Hoffman Smith, Art Director, and Thomas Laman, Assistant
Art Director.
Several organizations of artists, while promoting their own work,
have fostered the development of talent and art appreciation in the
state. The earliest of these, the Arts and Crafts Society, was founded
in 1905 by Mrs. Lee Hoffman. In December 1929 the Oregon Society
of Artists was formed, while the Oregon and Portland chapters of the
American Artists Professional League were established in 1931. All of
134 OREGON
these groups hold annual or semi-annual exhibits. From 1930 until
her death in 1936, Mrs. Harold Dickson Marsh was the state's most
active exponent of organization among artists, and in 1934 was chair-
man of National Art Week, inaugurated by the League at her sug-
gestion.
It must be admitted that the native conservatism of Oregomans has,
until recent years, materially hmdeied experimentation and free ex-
pression among its artists. Today this restraining influence seems,
happily, on the wane. Many artists, their viewpoints broadened by a
realization of the social significance and the functional usages of art,
are creating with broader regional meaning and wider universality.
Newspapers and Radio
'TTVHE Oregon Spectator, first newspaper published west of the Rocky
-*- Mountains, made its initial appearance on February 5, 184.6, at
Oregon City; it was issued by the Oregon Printing Association. With
a swagger typical of that period, it flaunted on its banner, "Westward
the Star of Empire Takes Its Way." Colonel William G. T'Vault,
prominent in early Oregon newspaper history, was the first editor of
the Spectator, but his aggressive nature balked at the association's rule
against political discussions. T'Vault resigned after a few weeks and
went to southern Oregon. He edited the Umpqua Gazette at Scottsburg
after several years, and later moved the paper to Jacksonville under
the name of the Table Rock Sentinel. Charged by his enemies at Jack-
sonville with harboring abolitionist sympathies, a heinous accusation in
Oregon in those days, the doughty colonel declared, "If I thought
there was one drop of abolition blood in my veins, I would cut it out."
The statement silenced his critics.
Henry A. G. Lee, a descendant of the Virginia Lees, succeeded
T'Vaul on the Spectator, and in turn was followed by George L.
Curry, later Territorial governor. Curry, too, found the inhibition
against political discussion irksome, and he resigned to found in Oregon
City the Free Press, Oregon's second newspaper. The Free Press, issued
first in March 1848, gave up the ghost when the gold rush emptied
Oregon of its few printers.
The last of Oregon's three pre-Territorial publications, a 1 6-page
magazine, was the Oregon American and Evangelical Unionist, begun
June, 1848, and published and edited on Tualatin Plains by the Rev-
erend John S. GrifEn. The press that was installed for this magazine
had been used in Oahu, Sandwich Islands, by the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions for the printing of hymns, cate-
chisms and gospels in the islanders' native tongue. It was later given
to Dr. Marcus Whitman and the Reverend H. H. Spaldmg, Presby-
terian missionaries in the Oregon country at Waiilatpu and Lapwai.
The press arrived at Fort Vancouver in 1839 and was carried by canoe
136 OREGON
up the Columbia to the missions. A man named Turner, the first tramp
printer in Oregon, operated the press at Lapwai, turning out hymns,
Biblical passages, and educational tracts in the Nez Perce, Flathead
and Spokane Indian languages. After eight issues, the American was
suspended, because, according to Editor Griffin, somebody opposed to
his views on the Whitman massacre bribed the printer to break his
contract and go off to the California mines. The last number appeared
in October, 1848.
Oregon's fourth newspaper, the Western Star, which was established
to foster the growth of Milwaukie in the face of the rising settlement
at Portland, began publication in November, 1850, with Lot Whitcomb,
an aggressive local promoter at its head. He hired two young printers,
Waterman and Davis, to run the press, and eventually became so in-
debted to them for unpaid wages that they owned the plant. In the
dead of a May night in 1851 the new owners moved it on a flatboat to
Portland. Milwaukie rose en masse. The men were accused of stealing
the newspaper, but it developed that Whitcomb had actually sold it.
Waterman and Davis explained that they moved the property at night
to escape opposition, so high ran the feeling between the two towns. At
Portland the Western Star became the Oregon Weekly Times.
A few months after the birth of the Western Star, two newspapers
destined to exert great influence on Oregon affairs appeared. They were
the Weekly Oregonian, established at Portland on December 4, 1850,
and the Oregon Statesman, that began publication at Oregon City in
March 1851. Both are still major publications, the former as the Ore-
gonian at Portland and the latter under its original name at Salem,
The Oregonian has been published as a daily for more than seventy-five
years and the Statesman for a half-century.
In their early years these two newspapers were bitter rivals, but they
have long since laid aside their enmities. The Weekly Oregonian,
financed by Colonel W. W. Chapman and Stephen Coffin, was a Whig
newspaper, and the Oregon Statesman, owned and edited by Asahel
Bush, supported the principles of the Democratic party. After publish-
ing his newspaper at Oregon City for a few years, Bush moved it to
Salem, explaining the move by saying that business had not been good,
but adding "Oregon City is not all of Oregon.*' At Salem the news-
paper became the spokesman of the famed "Salem clique," an aggressive
group of Democratic party leaders who exerted tremendous influence in
the early days of the Territory.
The Statesman and the Weekly Oregonian battled over Oregon's ad-
NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO 137
mission to the Union, with the slavery question, thinly disguised at
times, the real issue in the controversy. The former uiged statehood,
and the latter, under Thomas J. Dryer's editorship, opposed it, fearing
that slavery would be imposed on the Territory by the National Gov-
ernment. Nine times in seven years the issue appeared in one form or
another, and on four occasions it went to a vote of the people. The
Oregonian, however, withdrew its opposition in the fourth election on
the ground that under statehood the slavery issue would rest with the
people and not with congress. This proved to be a decisive factor in the
dispute, as the electorate finally voted for admission to the Union.
H. L. Pittock gained control of the Weekly Oregonian and converted
it into a daily, the Morning Oregonian, in February, 1861. In 1877
Harvey W. Scott assumed the editorship, beginning a notable career
in Pacific Northwest newspaperdom which continued until his death
in 1910. In 1937 the name was changed to the Oregonian. In time the
ownership and policy of the Statesman also changed, and it became a
Republican newspaper.
While the Weekly Oregonian and the Statesman were fighting over
statehood, the Spectator expired. But out of the wreck arose the Oregon
City Argus. W. L. Adams, the founder, was an admirer of Abraham
Lincoln, and he made the Argus the first distinctively Republican news-
paper in Oregon if not on the Pacific Coast. Adams was a master of
cutting invective, which he turned to good account against the Demo-
cratic leaders of his day. The editorial columns of the Argus under
Adams, the Table Rock Sentinel under T'Vault, and the Weekly Ore-
gonian under Dryer, reflected the tense condition of Oregon public
opinion on the stormy issues of statehood and slavery. So bitter did the
diatribes become that Oregon editorial expression of the period was
referred to by newspapermen as "the Oregon style." This reached a
climax during the Civil War, when the Federal Government suppressed
five newspapers, two at Eugene, the others at Albany, Corvallis and
Jacksonville, for their attacks upon President Lincoln's prosecution of
the wan The Eugene City Democratic Register, one of the papers sus-
pended, was at the time edited by Joaquin Miller. He revived it as
the Democratic Review in 1863.
For two decades after the Civil War, Oregon newspaper history was
strewn with the obituaries of new enterprises. Newspapers sprang up in
all sections of the State, but lack of printers, want of capital, scarcity of
news print, and difficulty in news transmission made the business
hazardous.
138 OREGON
Length of service and able editorial direction have established the
Oregonian as a potent influence on Oregon thought. The Oregon
Journal , established in 1902 at Portland by C. S. Jackson, is equally
successful in moulding public opinion. Long a liberal Democratic news-
paper, it is now independent, with Democratic sympathies. The Journal
early attracted attention as a champion of Oregon's Initiative and
Referendum, Recall, Direct Primary, and other progressive measures.
The Telegram, established in 1877 an d f r three decades owned by
the Morning Oregonianj dominated the Portland afternoon daily field
until after the Journal was born. Some of the most brilliant men in
Pacific Northwest journalism were developed by the Telegram. A. C.
McDonald, one of its early executives, died from the effects of a duel
with James K. Mercer, editor of the Portland Bee f in the early i88o's.
Mercer went to prison for fifteen years. Among the men who directed
the Telegram in its heyday were Alfred D. Bowen, Clifford J. Owen,
John F. Carroll, and Paul R. Kelty, later an editor of the Oregonian.
Although owned by a Republican newspaper, the Telegram was usually
Democratic in politics in order to keep competitors out of the field. In
1914 J. E. Wheeler and L. R. Wheeler, prominent Pacific Northwest
lumbermen, bought the paper, but several unpopular campaigns, one
being against the Ku Klux Klan, undermined its prestige and untoward
circumstances plunged it into bankruptcy. C. H. Brockhagen, at that
time publisher of a string of Pacific Coast newspapers, purchased it in
1927 with the backing of Herbert Fleishhacker, San Francisco capitalist.
Under the editorship of Lester Adams it began to recoup its political
fortunes, and in 1930 it was victorious in a campaign for the public
ownership of water-power. In 1931, however, the Telegram was sold
to the Portland News, a Scripps-Canfield newspaper. In the merger
the personality of the historic paper was lost, and nothing remained
of it in the News-Telegram but the name. Two Oregon newspapers
have won national recognition in recent years. In 1934 the Medford
Mail Tribune received the Pulitzer award for its campaign against
political corruption and in 1937 Quincy Scott, cartoonist of the Port-
land Oregoman was awarded honorable mention.
Despite the consolidation of Oregon newspaper properties in the past
few decades, there remain 208 newspapers in the State, of which
twenty-eight are dailies and 180 are weeklies. The weekly newspapers
maintain, on the whole, high standards and a number have won national
recognition by their excellence.
NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO 139
RADIO : The growth of radio facilities among people who once de-
pended upon stagecoach and pony express to bring their news has been
rapid and widespread. Today, with a population numbering fewer than
a million persons, Oregon has more than 500 licensed amateur radio
stations, fourteen commercial broadcasting stations, and two non-com-
mercial stations. It is estimated that more than 172,000 homes in the
State are equipped with radio receiving sets.
Radio does not appear to jeopardize newspaper prosperity, and it thrives
in Oregon without opposition from the Fourth Estate. Oregon's two
largest newspapers are substantially interested in broadcasting stations,
the Oregonian owning Stations KEX and KGW, members of the NBC
red and blue networks respectively, and the Oregon Journal holding a
large interest in Stations KOIN and KALE, CBS members. In 1935
the Roseburg News-Review, one of the leading smaller city daily news-
papers, established its own broadcasting station, KRNR.
Aeronautical and marine communication are important in the work
of radio stations. Storm warnings, weather reports and medical advice
flashed from the State's coastal stations can be picked up by ships hun-
dreds of miles at sea. Broadcasters of this information include KKB,
Sherwood; KEK, Hillsboro; KPK, Portland; KCK (Columbia River
Lightship) at the mouth of the Columbia, and NPE, Astoria. In addi-
tion to these, radio beacons at dangerous points along the coast, at the
mouth of the Columbia River and at Cape Blanco, are proving to be
invaluable protection against shipwreck.
In the past few years air travel has become more and more dependent
on radio. Especially is this true along the west coast, where winter fog
adds to the hazard of flying. Stations at Medford, Portland and
Pendleton send out regular reports along the airways, and radio bea-
cons have been placed at strategic points throughout the State as aids to
aeronautical navigation.
Broadcasting and receiving sets on police cars, enabling officers to
converse over long distance, are a recent addition to law enforcement
weapons.
Radio has been used on an ever-larger scale by the United States
Forest Service, especially in the vast tracts of virgin forest, where travel
and communication by the rangers and fire fighters are extremely lim-
ited. Small compact sending and receiving sets are now packed by the
rangers into forest and mountain regions, in some of which neither
telephone lines nor trails exist. These small sets operate on an average
radius of ten miles.
I4O OREGON
The State maintains Station KOAC at Oregon State Agricultural
College at Corvallis for the purpose of broadcasting cultural and in-
formative programs of interest to the public. It also has four experi-
mental stations: Salem (W7XBJ), Portland (W7XBD), Benson
Polytechnic School, Portland (W7XBHO) and Oregon State College,
Corvallis (W7XED). The last-named station transcribes programs re-
leased over KOAC, to other Oregon stations.
Architecture
A RCHITECTURAL trends in Oregon have closely paralleled the
M* historical development of the state. In the first forty years of the
nineteenth century nearly all of the white men in the state were trappers
and fur traders, rough men who, with their Indian wives, contented
themselves with little better shelter than that of their aboriginal pre-
decessors. The first permanent cabins, blockhouses, trading posts, and
missions, were not built until the 40*5 and 5o's. These were simple
structures of hand-hewn timbers, with locked and caulked joints, low-
pitched roofs, and shuttered windows. A remainder of this early period
of settlement is the old Fort Yamhill blockhouse at Dayton.
In 1843 an extensive immigration began. For the most part the
newcomers had limited means. With surprising rapidity, however, their
economic condition improved and by the close of the decade they were
constructing substantial dwellings. This early period of permanent set-
tlement in the Willamette Valley, represents an important phase of the
state's architecture. Structural design was dominated by the nostalgia
of the settlers for their old homes in New England, the Ohio Valley,
and the South. At least two-thirds of the homes built during the late
1840*8 and 1850*8 show the direct influence of such traditional Colonial
and Post-Colonial styles as Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival. Al-
though not distinguished for fineness of detail the houses were archi-
tecturally sound. Designs were simple, direct, and well proportioned.
A few of these houses, especially those in isolated sections, retained
the solid log construction of the earlier buildings, but most of them
were erected with open structural frames covered with lapped siding.
The sash, frames, siding and trim were often brought overland or
shipped around the Horn. Some seventy structures of this period are
still standing, though many of them are in a state of disrepair. A par-
ticularly fine example is the Dr. John McLoughlin residence in Mc-
Loughlin Park, Oregon City. The design of the Ladd & Reed farm-
house at Reedville recalls the colonial architecture of the South Atlantic
with its simplicity of line that made it a show place in the 1850*3. The
142 OREGON
central part, with pleasingly proportioned fenestration and a full length
gallery porch, is flanked by symmetrical one-story wings. The design
of the J. C. Ainsworth house, built in 1852 at Mount Pleasant near
Oregon City, shows the influence of the Greek Revival, having a
characteristic temple-like two-stoned portico with free-hung balcony
above the door.
The next three decades were years of great activity marked by the
disordered and sprawling growth of cities, the spread of trade, the com-
ing of the railroads and, finally, the rise of a new and wealthy industrial
class. Fully a third of the buildings now standing in Oregon were either
built during this exuberant Victorian period or show its influence. The
majority of these structures have a sentimental rather than an artistic
value, being for the most part excessively ornate, and unsuited to their
needs. In the northwestern part of Portland, residences of some of the
leading families of a former generation display the measure of their
unguided taste in the decorative complication of this jag-saw and
bracketed era. In the old business section along the waterfront the
narrow streets are still lined with mansard-roofed commercial struc-
tures erected between 1860 and 1890, with brick, wood, cast-iron, and
ornamental plaster facades all of dubious design. Today these build-
ings that were formerly important retail business houses are given
over to the wholesale trade and to Portland's Chinatown. The only
edifice of architectural importance built in this period is the Old
Federal Post Office (1875), Portland. Curiously enough, it is not in
the Victorian style, but is designed in the Classical Revival of Federal
tradition.
With the beginning of the iSgo's came the Neo-Classic style a na-
tional trend fostered by a conservative group of academically-trained
men. About 1885 Stanford White of the firm of McKim, Mead &
White of New York City was commissioned to design the Portland
Hotel, To supervise the construction of this building William M.
Whidden and Ion Lewis were sent to Oregon, After their work was
completed they formed a partnership that exerted a decisive influence
on the course of Oregon architecture for a quarter of a century. Many
of the state's leading architects of a later period were trained in their
office.
Monumental structures began to arise, the designs of which showed
a knowledge of and appreciation for the classic idiom. This Neo-Classic
architecture is characterized by more formal planning, studied propor-
tions, and carefully rendered detail. The oldest, and perhaps the best,
ARCHITECTURE 143
example is the Oregonian Building in Portland, built of steel and faced
with red sandstone. It was designed by Reid Brothers of San Fiancisco
in 1892.
After 1905 school-trained and foreign-traveled architects and drafts-
men rapidly supplanted the so-called practical buildei designers. Various
traditional styles were adapted to all classes of buildings. The Reed
College buildings, designed m 1912 by Doyle and Patterson of Port-
land, and the Benson Hotel, built in the same year, are noteworthy
examples of the English Tudor style. The University Club, built in
1913 and designed by M. H. Whitehouse, likewise follows the English
Collegiate Gothic tradition. Its construction was hailed by press and
public as evidence of Portland's growing metropolitan consciousness.
The First National Bank (1916), a white marble structure, and the
United States National Bank (1916), both in Portland, are of Neo-
Classic design. The former, the work of Coolidge and Shattucfc of
Boston, is considered one of the finest buildings of its type m America;
and the latter, the work of A. E. Doyle of Portland, is notable for its
elaborate carvings depicting the history of the pioneer period. Another
Neo-Classic structure is the massive Portland Civic Auditorium, by
Whitehouse and Doyle.
In 1914 the University of Oregon established a department of archi-
tecture under the direction of Dean Ellis F. Lawrence. By 1919 archi-
tecture had reached a place of sufficient importance in the public mind
for the Oregon Legislature to pass the Architects Registration Law,
thereby making Oregon one of the first states west of the Mississippi
River to have such an enactment.
Since the World War there has been a definite decline in the classic
trend established at the turn of the century by the Chicago Columbian
Exposition and by the work of McKim, Mead & White. The contem-
porary period is marked by the stimulating influence of various theoreti-
cal approaches in design some based upon a strict adherence to the
historic styles, others characterized by a free interpretation of the old
forms, and finally, those stemming from the radical but solid theory
that "form follows function." This latter trend, both scientific and or-
ganic, is derived from the teachings of Louis Sullivan and the Chicago
School.
Architecture generally has begun to show greater simplicity and re-
finement. Ornamentation as a decorative element is subordinated to the
use of materials with frank consideration of their structural and aesthetic
qualities. The design of city, county and state-erected public build-
144 OREGON
mgs tends to combine traditional and strictly utilitarian ideas. Out-
standing among architects of this period are Louis C. Rosenberg, Fred-
erick A. Fritsch, and Wade Pipes, who is known for his fine residential
work throughout the state.
The rising tide of post-war affluence taxed the capacity of Portland
office buildings. Two monumental structures designed to remedy this
situation deserve special mention: The Pacific Building, erected in 1925,
and the sixteen-story Public Service Building, Portland's tallest office
building. Both of these substantial structures, designed by A. E. Doyle,
are functional in plan and simple in design. They exemplify the modern
architectural trend.
Two of Portland's churches show evidence of the cultural influences
brought into the state by the tide of westward-flowing immigration.
The Church of our Father, Unitarian, is one of the few examples of
strictly Georgian Colonial architecture among the city's buildings. It
seems a part of New England birthplace of American Unitarianism
transplanted to a far land. Temple Beth Israel, a large-domed struc-
ture of Byzantine design, rich in color, was completed in 1927. Morris
H. Whitehouse and Herman Brookman were the architects.
The Multnomah County Library in Portland, designed by Doyle,
Patterson and Beach, is a three-storied edifice of modified Italian
Renaissance design, surrounded on three sides by a finely carved balus-
trade with the names of masters of literature and music on its walls.
Increasing interest in art motivated the construction in 1932 of Port-
land's Art Museum by A. E. Doyle and Associates; the building is a
simple dignified structure of modified Georgian Colonial design, faced
with brick and trimmed with Colorado travertine. Other fine Portland
buildings include the Masonic Temple, designed by Frederick Fritsch ;
the Multnomah Hotel, by Gibson and Cahill of San Francisco; the
Public Market, by William G. Holford of the firm of Lawrence,
Holford and Allyn, said to be the largest of its kind in America, a
utilitarian structure designed along classic lines, and the Finley Mor-
tuary by A. E. Doyle and Associates.
There are few buildings of outstanding architectural design outside of
Portland and few architects of more than local importance. Among the
more prominent of these are F. C. Clark of Medford, and H. R.
Perrin of Klamath Falls, who designed a number of buildings in that
city. The most important examples of the work of Mr. Perrin are the
Klamath Falls Elks Temple, of modified Greek design, and the Klamath
Falls Armory, an imposing modern structure with the statue of a soldier
ARCHITECTURE 145
in a niche at one corner and the medallion of a spread eagle above the
entrance.
There are many interesting buildings on the campuses of the University
of Oregon at Eugene and the Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis.
Most of the recent buildings were designed by the firm of Lawrence,
Holford, and Allyn. Among the more interesting are the Art Museum
at the University and the Memorial Union Building at the Agricultural
College.
Perhaps the most significant modern work in Oregon is the new
Capitol group at Salem. The State House, of modified classic design, is
constructed of white Vermont marble. The front elevation presents a
long low mass broken by two projecting central bays which flank the
principal entrance. The monumental portal and the long bay of win-
dows lighting the executive chambers in the flanking wings are filled
with decorative metal grille work. Dominating the impressive struc-
ture is a cylindrical tower surmounted by a heroic bronze figure rep-
resentative of the pioneer; the buttressed tower suggests the fluted drum
of a classic column. Trowbridge and Livingstone and Frances Keally,
Associate Architects, of New York, were the architects. The firm was
awarded the commission after winning a national competition for the
design. To the left of a sunken garden before the Capitol is the State
Library, designed by Whitehouse and Church of Portland, in a style
conforming to the other buildings around the plaza. The structure
is of Georgia marble, three stories high, with a triple entrance above
broad marble steps and adorned with sculptures over each door by
Gabriel Lavare of Portland.
In widely scattered sections of the state are examples of minor archi-
tectural influences. In Portland some of the buildings carry a subtle
suggestion of the Orient. The German colony that settled at Aurora in
the fifties and sixties adapted the severe style of their old country homes
to their colony houses, many of which are still in use. The Basque
emigres in the Jordan Valley region of Malheur County applied adobe
and native stone to the architectural elements of their homeland, achiev-
ing a distinctive style that is well known for its simplicity and
quaintness*
Certain natural building materials and environmental influences have
had a major bearing upon the development of architecture in Oregon.
An abundance of good lumber at low prices has largely determined the
structural methods employed in commercial and public buildings and
has greatly increased the extent of individual home building and home
146 OREGON
ownership. The mild climate west of the Cascade Mountains, particu-
larly in the Willamette Valley and along the coast, and the long rainy
season have likewise affected building design and construction. Thus
building operations are rarely slowed up at any time of year because of
inclement weather; while roofing with flashing to repel moisture has
been scientifically developed in Oregon. Deposits of stone suitable for
building and clays for brickmaking are available in various sections but,
due to the abundance of timber, they have been little exploited.
One individualistic style of residential architecture that developed
in Oregon is gradually spreading into other states. Known locally as
the "board and batten" style, it consists essentially of a somewhat
rambling structure covered with plain vertical boards with battens, or
narrow strips, over the cracks. This style grew from the old "box"
type house of the pioneers. An outstanding example is the beautiful
Connecticut country home of Louis Conrad Rosenberg, who was born
in Portland.
The early settlers from New England and the middle states were
essentially conservative and their architectural designs reflected this
attitude. Even today the modern interpretation 'is tempered with an
innate conservatism. Large office buildings particularly, with their
transverse lines, ornamental cornices, and monotonous fenestration, il-
lustrate this trend. Smaller houses are responding to the exigencies of the
machine age and becoming more and more standardized.
PART I I.
Cities and Towns
Astoria
Railroad Station: soth St. and Waterfront for Spokane, Poitland & Seattle Rail-
way.
Bus Station: 614. Duane St. for Spokane, Portland & Seattle Transportation Co ;
nth St. and Waterfront for Oregon Motor Stages.
Airport: 3 m. SW. on US 101, bus fare 150, taxi $1.50; no scheduled service.
City Ettsses : Fare ice.
Taxis: Basic fare 25c.
Piers: River steamers, foot of nth St., weekly trips to Portland; ocean steamers,
Port Terminals, Portway off Taylor Ave. (consult travel agencies or classified
telephone directory for ocean travel).
Accommodations: Five hotels; numerous auto camps.
Information Service: Chamber of Commerce, i4th and Exchange Sts.
Radio Station: KAST (1370 kc.).
Motion Picture Houses: Two.
Athletics: Gyro Field, Exchange St. between i8th and aist Sts
Tennis: Y.M.C.A. courts, iath and Exchange Sts,
Swimminff: Ocean beaches* Clatsop Beach (25 miles long), c? m. SW. on US 101
at Skipanon, 18 m. SW. at Gearhart, 20 m. SW. at Seaside; Cannon Beach,
30 m. SW. on US 101 and unnumbered road. River beaches: Numerous on lower
Columbia River, along US 30 and US 101 ; beaches vary with level of river ;
inquire locally.
Golf: Astoria Golf and Country Club, 8 m. SW. just off US 101, 18 holes;
greens fee $i.
Annual Events: Astoria Regatta, four days prior to Labor Day.
ASTORIA (12 alt., 10,349 POP-)* named for John Jacob Astor, is
the seat of Clatsop County and the site of the first permanent settle-
ment in the Oregon country. Because of its commerce and industry and
its position at the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria has grown
from a palisaded trading post to an important port. Flour mills, saw-
mills, salmon canneries, and grain elevators line the course of the river,
and fishing boats and fleets of ocean-going vessels dock at the long
wharves.
Sprawling waterfront warehouses and docks, orderly rows of busi-
ness blocks along a narrow beach, steep declivities where houses are
niched into yellow clay banks, terraced hillsides where substantial resi-
dences rise one above the other, and the timbered crests of Coxcomb
Hill where the Astor Monument points toward the sky are individual
bits of Astoria's pattern but by a whim of nature in fashioning the
headland upon which the town is built no general view is possible except
from the Columbia River. Yet even this vantage point cannot reveal the
caprice that completely eliminated Thirteenth Street from the city plan,
150 OREGON
yet permitted Bond, the second street m the alphabetical arrangement
that originates at the waterfront, to wander through Union town as
Taylor Avenue.
Not unlike the Columbia which determined its settlement and growth
Astoria displays aspects as enchantmgly diverse as its weather, which,
according to Finnish residents, may be predicted by reading the fog on
the Washington shore of the Columbia. All glitter and brittle air in
summer, all hush or foggy mystery in autumn, and all bluster and fury
during winter storms, Astoria never lacks the characteristics of the sea
that has drawn Finns, Norwegians, and Swedes in such numbers that
shop signs in the various languages are commonplace. Finnish is usually
spoken in the stores and fraternal orders and churches often conduct
their ceremonies in both that language and English. The steam bath, of
Finnish heritage, is ritualistically observed both in private homes and
in public bath houses.
The site of Astoria was first seen by white men in 1792, when Cap-
tain Robert Gray, "on a trading voyage to the N. W. Coast of America,
China, etc.," sailed his ship Columbia Rediviva, laden with "Blue
Cloth, Copper and Iron," into "Columbia's River" for the first time.
Captain Gray's journal is lost, but that of his fifth officer, John Boit,
reveals how well the area was appraised. "This River in my opinion,"
Boit wrote, "wou'd be a fine place for to set up a Factory. The Indians
are very numerous, and appeared very civil (not even offering to
steal)." Gray's men, however, bought "Furs, and Salmon, which last
they sold two for a board Nail. The furs we likewise bought cheap, for
Copper and Cloth."
The Lewis and Clark expedition, arrival of which in late November,
1805, proved an overland passage practicable from the East, passed a
point of land, the future site of Astoria, while "in surch of an eligible
place for our winters residence." They wintered seven miles south west
of the present city, and turned eastward again in the spring.
Choice of the site of Astoria in April, 1811, was a matter of com-
promise between the crusty captain of the Tonquin, the ship sent out
by John Jacob Astor to found a trading post, and two partners of
Astor's company. Captain Jonathan Thorn, a Navy man on leave of
absence, by insisting on his absolute authority, had antagonized partners
and crew on the voyage around the Horn. Duncan McDougal and
David Stuart, Astor partners, set out in a small boat from the ship to
reconnoiter the lower Columbia. "Not having the captain to contend
with," says Washington Irving in his Astoria, "they soon pitched upon
a spot which appeared to them favorable for the intended establish-
ment. It was on a point of land called Point George, having a very good
harbor. . . . These gentlemen, it is true, were not perfectly satisfied
with the place, and ^were desirous of continuing their search; but
Captain Thorn was impatient to land his cargo . . . and protested
against any more of what he termed 'sporting excursions.' "
Clearings were made, a log residence, a storehouse, and a powder
magazine were erected, a vegetable garden was planted, and the post
ASTORIA 151
was named Astoria, for "the projector and supporter of the whole en-
terprise." The Astonans sought immediately to extend their trade and
forestall the threat of English expansion into the aiea from Canada.
The Tonquin, thanks to the arbitrary methods of Captain Thorn in
dealing with the Indians, was lost in an attack farther up the coast.
The handful of men remaining at the post, menaced by an Indian up-
rising, were saved by the stratagem of the factor, McDougal. He threat-
ened to uncork a small bottle, which, he told the Indians, contained the
scourge of smallpox; the resulting peace through fear earned for him
among the Indians the name of "the Great Smallpox Chief."
The following February an overland party headed by Wilson P.
Hunt "swept round an intervening cape, and came in sight of the infant
settlement of Astoria . . . with its magazines, habitations, and picketed
bulwarks, seated on a high point of land, dominating a beautiful little
bay, in which was a trim-built shallop riding quietly at anchor." The
united forces then set to work to clinch their trade supremacy in the
area and to carry out a commercial agreement with the Russians in
Alaska. Parties and cargoes were sent to New York both by land and
by sea. A series of reverses, including losses of men and ships, brushes
with Indians, and evidences of British encroachment on their area, was
capped by the news, received from Canadian traders in January, 1813,
that war had been declared between England and the United States.
At this discouraging juncture, when abandonment of the post was
considered, the factor McDougal, "a man of a thousand projects, and
of great though somewhat irregular ambition," decided to marry a
daughter of Concomly, the one-eyed Chinook chieftain who had been
loyal to the white men. She was said to have "one of the flattest and
most anstocratical heads in the tribe," and the old chief put a high price
on her charms. She appeared for the wedding, painted with red clay
and anointed with fish oil; "by dint, however, of copious ablutions, she
was freed from all adventitious tint and fragrance, and entered into
the nuptial state, the cleanest princess that had ever been known, of the
somewhat unctious tribe of the Chmooks."
In the face of reports that British men-o'-war were in Pacific waters,
the Astoria post was sold out in October, 1813, to the North West
Company, a British concern operating in Canada, under circumstances
reflecting on the loyalty of McDougal, who later joined the new com-
pany. When the British sloop of war Raccoon entered Astoria port in
late November old Concomly and his warriors came armed and painted
to do battle for the post. "McDougal reassured him," says George W.
Fuller in The Inland Empire, "and exacted his promise not to go aboard
the British ship; but Concomly visited the Raccoon, and to the Captain
he expressed his admiration for British ships and spoke contemptuously
of the Americans. [Captain] Black gave him an old flag, a laced coat,
cocked hat and sword. On the following day, Concomly came sailing
across to Astoria in full uniform and flying the Union Jack." There-
after he was entirely loyal to the British.
The British took formal command of Astoria and held it under the
152 OREGON
name of Fort George until 1818, when it was returned to the United
States. However, it was still under English domination, and in 1821,
when the North West Company consolidated with the Hudson's Bay
Company, the post was placed under the charge of Dr. John McLough-
1m. The factor felt that Astoria had less commercial and agricultural
possibilities than a situation farther up the river. He moved his head-
quarters to Vancouver. Washington, in 1824 and Astoria became a
lookout station and trading post of minor importance. By 1841 all trace
of the fort was gone except for a cabin, a shed, and a bare space among
the trees.
The first overland immigrants arrived in 1844-45, settling in Clatsop
Plains. Ships entered the river in increasing numbers, and on March 9,
1847, the Astoria post office was opened, the first west of the Rockies.
By 1850, with a population of 250, the town had established itself as
the trading center of the lower Columbia country. The first salmon
cannery was built on the river in 1866. Others followed, and soon
salmon was shipped to all parts of the world. From this modest start
the salmon-canning industry grew to be Astoria's chief asset ; the annual
pack is valued at from $3,500,000 to $7,000,000.
Beginning with 1880, when it had a population of 2,803 persons, the
city experienced a brisk growth. By 1911, at the time of the centennial
celebration, its fisheries, sawmills, canneries, flouring mills, and numer-
ous other enterprises made it the second largest city in the state. In
1920 it had 14,027 inhabitants, and held second rank among Oregon
cities. At two o'clock on the morning of December 9, 1922, fire broke
out along the waterfront. Before the flames were checked at one o'clock
the following afternoon, they had reduced thirty-two city blocks forty
acres of buildings to ashes, and had wiped out the entire business dis-
trict. Citizens launched a reconstruction program, which made Astoria
a fireproof city. The loss of more than three thousand in population in
the decade may be attributed to the decline of industry caused by the
fire.
Astoria's industry and commerce consist chiefly of fishing, lumbering,
dairying, general agriculture, and a rapidly increasing tourist business.
Dairying is on the way to becoming a $2,ooo,ooo-a-year industry, and
specialized as well as general agriculture has been developed. Some of
the first cranberry bogs on the Pacific Coast were planted near by and
the growing and canning of peas is proving increasingly profitable. The
principal manufacturing output includes lumber and box shooks, salmon
products, flour, fertilizer, cheese, powdered milk, and medicinal oils
and other fish by-products.
POINTS OF INTEREST
i. The SITE pF OLD FORT ASTORIA, i5th and Exchange
Sts., is heavily outlined in paint on streets and sidewalks. A square laid
out diagonally to the present city streets, the area comprises approxi-
mately two city blocks. A marker at the northwest corner of the inter-
ASTORIA 153
section bears a diagram of the fort, showing its construction and plan.
2. The SITE OF ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT AT AS-
TORIA, 1 6th and Exchange Sts., occupied by the city hall, is marked
by a granite boulder and bronze plaque, placed by the D. A. R. in
1924. Here the thirty-three members of the Astor party settled tem-
porarily after disembarking from the Tonqmn, while they were build-
ing Fort Astoria.
At the southeast corner of the city hall a stone slab marks the
GRAVE OF D. McTAVISH, fur trader, who was drowned in 1814
while crossing the Columbia River. Alexander Henry, who lost his life
on the same trip, is buried nearby, but no marker indicates his grave.
The two men were rival lovers of Jane Barnes, barmaid and adven-
turess, and the first white woman in Oregon.
3. The SITE OF THE FIRST POST OFFICE west of the
Rocky Mountains, I5th St. between Franklin Ave. and Exchange St.,
is occupied by a florist's garden. John M. Shively was the first post-
master in the Oregon country, appointed March 9, 1847.
4. The INTERSTATE FERRY SLIP, N. end of I4th St., is the
center of a picturesque waterfront life. Each hour of the day and late
into the night ferries arrive and depart. Tugs, fishing smacks, deep-sea
trollers, pilchard boats, and ocean liners sail in and out or sway quietly
to the dirty tide lapping at the green-slimed piling. Machine shops and
boat yards along the dock have an atmosphere of purposeful activity,
but without an appearance of hurry. Motion seems deliberate and
directed, and, whether a dock be crumbling or standing with orderly
piles of rope and cargo, there lingers about it an air of permanency asso-
ciated with the sea.
5. The FLAVEL MANSION (open 9-5 weekdays), Duane St.
between 7th and 8th Sts,, is a striking example of pioneer architecture.
Built of lumber freighted around the horn, it is a two-story frame
dwelling with turret chimneys, and a three-story tower at the northeast
corner accentuates its height. It was erected in the early i88o's by a
family prominent in Astoria's civic and cultural life. The estate deeded
the house to Clatsop County in 1936 with the stipulation that it be
used for philanthropic purposes. It is occupied by the Clatsop County
Relief Association, the Red Cross, and other civic agencies.
UNIONTOWN, Astoria's foreign quarter, along the western sec-
tion of Bond Street, has Chinese restaurants, Finnish steam bathhouses,
river union offices, and Japanese and Scandinavian shops.
6. The UNION FISHERMEN'S COOPERATIVE CAN-
NERY (open 8-5 weekdays), waterfront behind office at 323 Taylor
Ave., is operated by the Union Fishermen's Cooperative Packing Com-
pany. The organization is composed of fishermen of the Columbia River
area, who process and sell their own catches of salmon. The main fishing
season begins the first of May and ends late in August. The sec-
ondary season opens September 10 and closes March I of the following
year,
7. The PORT OF ASTORIA TERMINALS, Portway off Tay-
ASTORIA POINTS OF INTEREST
1. The Site of Old Fort Astoria 3. The Site of the First Post
2. The Site of Original Settle- Office
ment at Astoria 4- The Interstate Ferry Slip
156 OREGON
lor Ave., is on the Astoria waterfront. Since 1909 the Port of Astoria
corporation has gradually acquired properties until the investment is in
excess of $5,000,000. The port district extends to all the river towns
of Clatsop County and includes Wauna, Warrenton, Westport, and
Bradwood. At Pier No. I are the port administrative offices, a flouring
mill, and large grain elevators. At Pier No. 2, which is equipped with
two large locomotive cranes, electric overhead cargo cranes, tractors,
trailers, conveyors, and pilers, cargoes of lumber, logging equipment,
and fish products are assembled and shipped. Pier No, 3 has a ware-
house 1,550 feet long, affording storage facilities for general cargo.
Ships from all over the world load and discharge from the terminal and
from the many smaller wharves and docks along the waterfront.
The PILLSBURY-ASTORIA FLOUR MILL (open 9-4 Man.-
Fn.; 9-12 Sat.), on Pier No. i, is the largest in the state. Adjacent to
the mill are concrete grain elevators of 1,250,000 bushels capacity, with
cleaning, washing, and drying equipment. At the end of a long water
grade from the Inland Empire grain belt, the mill has many distribu-
tional advantages. Its annual production has an estimated value of
$5,000,000.
8. The COLUMBIA RIVER PACKER'S ASSOCIATION
PLANT (open during season by arrangement) , N. end of 6th St., is
the largest of the lower Columbia River salmon canneries. In season the
cannery processes shiploads of salmon brought from distant points, and
boatloads of the fish caught by local fishermen. The association main-
tains fishing fleets in Alaskan waters and other points in the North
Pacific.
9. SHARK ROCK, in Niagara Park at 8th St. and Niagara Ave.,
bears a message left by the survivors of the United States sloop-of-war,
Shark, which was wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia River. Carved
in the rock is the statement: "The Shark was lost Sept. 16, 1846." Be-
neath this is the record of the loss of the Industry, which reads: "The
Industry was lost March 16, 1865. Lives lost 17. Saved 7." More than
fifty years after the Industry sank the rock was recovered from the sand
near I3th and Exchange Sts. The Astoria Kiwanis Club placed it on the
ornamental concrete base, as a memorial to the many who have lost their
lives by shipwreck at the mouth of the Columbia.
10. SHIVELY PUBLIC PARK, S. of reservoir at S. end of i6th
St., on an eminence commanding a view of Young's Bay, Saddle Moun-
tain, and the Coast Range, is centered by a natural amphitheater used
for public gatherings. To the southwest beyond Young's Bay is the
Lewis and Clark River, which flows past the site of Old Fort Clatsop,
the explorers' winter camp. In the park are the Portals of the Past,
decorative columns saved from the ruins of the Weinhard Hotel, de-
stroyed in the fire of 1922.
11. The ASTOR COLUMN, summit of Coxcomb Hill ( 700 alt. ) ,
is a cylindrical monument 125 feet high, on which is a spiral frieze 535
feet in length. Executed by A. Pusterla, the frieze depicts the explora-
tion of the Columbia River and the founding of Astoria. Within the
ASTORIA 157
column is a circular stancase leading to an OBSERVATION PLAT-
FORM (open 9-5 daily; adm. 25c) near the top, from which is a
magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, and the
mountainous wooded region about the city. Vincent Astor of New
York, great-grandson of the founder of Astoria, and the Great North-
ern Railway Company supplied the funds for construction of the tower.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Tongue Point, 2.5 m. (see TOUR i). Old Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark en-
campment, 7.7 m. ; Camp Clatsop, National Guard Camp, 11 m.\ Fort Stevens,
10 m.; Radio Naval Base, 6.4 m. (see TOUR 3).
Corvallis
Railroad Station: 6th & Madison Sts, for Southern Pacific Lines (branch).
Southern Pacific busses from this station connect with main line at Albany Depot,
loth and Lyon Sts
Bus Station 353 Monroe St., for Greyhound Lines and Oregon Motor Stages.
City Busses Fare, 6c.
Taxis- Basic fare 250.
Accommodations Three hotels; auto camps
Information Service; Chamber of Commerce, 306 S. 3rd St.
Radio Station KOAC (550 kc.).
Motion Picture Houses Three.
Swimming' Men's Gymnasium, Women's Building, both on Oregon State campus
open only to students; Marys River.
Golf Corvalhs Country Club, 3 m. W. on State z6, half-mile from highway,
9 holes, greens fee asc, Sat. and Sun. 500.
Riding . Corvallis Riding Academy, 2oth and Railroad Sts. ; fees 75c first hour,
5oc each subsequent hour.
Annual Events Farmers' Day, Oct. ; 4--H Club, June ; Ben ton County Fair, last
of Aug ; State High School Band Contest, Apr. or May.
CORVALLIS (227 alt., 7,585 pop.), seat of Oregon State Agricul-
tural College and of Benton County, is on the west bank of the Will-
amette River just below its confluence with Marys River. The city de-
rives its name from the Latin phrase meaning "heart of the valley," and
is in truth, culturally and economically, the heart of a large fertile
region. Few Oregon municipalities are more beautiful. Westward the
green hills rise gently into the lower slopes of the Coast Range, and to
the east beyond the valley 3 are the sharper crests of the Cascade Moun-
tains.
The first white men to settle in the vicinity of present Corvallis were
James L. Mulkey, Johnson Mulkey, and William F. Dixon, who ar-
rived in 1845, and Joseph C. Avery, who came in 1846; they settled
on lands purchased from the Calapooya Indians. Avery operated a free
canoe ferry to encourage settlement here, sold the first town lots, and
in 1849, after returning with others from the California gold fields,
established a store.
The town was officially platted and designated the seat of the newly
created county of Benton in February, 1851. Known originally as
Marysville, Corvallis was given its present name in 1853, to differenti-
ate it from Marysville, California. The town somehow escaped the raw,
rough period undergone by most frontier settlements, though there was
an occasional case of "justifiable homicide" mob hanging of a half-
CORVALLIS 159
breed or an Indian who had made trouble for white people. In 1852
the Baptists erected the first church, and a school was started. Out of
this school in 1858 grew Corvallis College. Steamboats began to ply the
Willamette and wharves were heaped with freight brought up from
Portland at forty dollars a ton.
In January, 1855, the legislature voted to remove the territorial seat
to Corvallis. Legislators' baggage and office equipment were moved up
the Willamette River on the steamer Canemah, which was received in
Corvallis with a great demonstration. Asahel Bush, who had been pub-
lishing the Oregon Statesman at Salem, brought along his presses and
issued the paper here. He said of Corvallis at the time: "A first-class
court house is nearly completed. There is but one better in the Terri-
tory the one at Salem. . . . The work on the Methodist Episcopal
Church here is well advanced; a couple of stores and quite a number
of dwellings have also been erected here this summer." The legislators
felt that Salem had other advantages than its courthouse, for scarcely
had they convened than a resolution was introduced to move back to
better accommodations at Salem. In June of the same year the capital
was returned to Salem, and Asahel Bush took his Oregon Statesman
along with it.
Stagecoaches rumbled over the crude roads, and in 1856 workmen
strung the city's first telegraph line to the state metropolis. The follow-
ing year the city was divided into wards, and an ordinance was passed
prohibiting people from riding horses on the sidewalks. The second
newspaper, the Union, began publication in 1859 and continued until
1862, when it was suppressed for disloyal utterances. It was almost im-
mediately succeeded by the Gazette (now the Daily Gazette-Times),
which for a time in the early 1870*5 was owned and edited by Sam
Simpson, the poet.
Wallis Nash, in his Oregon: There and Back in 1877, provides a
glimpse of the town in that year : "We fitted out our expedition at Cor-
vallis, and there engaged probably the best horsekeeper and the worst
cook m the State. Horses were hired from the 'Livery and Feed Stables'
in the main street, and half the loafers and idlers in the town clustered
round us to watch the selection of six horses out of about twenty stand-
ing there, presenting a series of groggy hind-legs and rough coats and
tails down to their heels. ..."
The coming of the railroad in 1878 inaugurated an era of expansion
for Corvallis, as the distributing point of Benton County's rich dairy-
ing and fruit-producing areas. In succeeding decades the town has de-
veloped into a modern city with numerous industnes based upon the ex-
tensive agricultural and timber resources of the region. Among the com-
mercial enterprises are fruit and vegetable canneries, creameries, hatch-
eries, flouring mills, and a sawmill with a daily capacity of 100,000
board feet of finished lumber. However, Corvallis remains essentially a
college city.
l6o OREGON
POINTS OF INTEREST
OREGON STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, gth, soth,
Monroe, and Washington Sts., occupies a campus of 189 acres, ex-
clusive of farm and forest lands, divided into East Campus, and East,
West, Men's, and Women's Quadrangles, with several groupings of
buildings not designated by quadrangles. Each section is landscaped
with trees and shrubs that beautify the campus and serve as a living
laboratory for horticultural study. Among the thirty-six buildings of the
institution are the schools of agriculture, commerce, engineering, home
economics, forestry, pharmacy, and education. With the exception of five
of the older structures the principal buildings have been erected since
1908 and are of harmonious design. Brick and terra cotta are the mate-
rials most used, and the Neo-Classic style of architecture predominates.
Corvallis College, an outgrowth of a community school started in
1852, was co-educational and included primary and secondary grades.
The school passed into the control of the Methodist Church, South, in
1865. Three years later Congress authorized a land grant to colleges
offering instruction in agricultural and mechanical arts and military
tactics, and in the same year the state legislature designated Corvallis
College for the purpose. The first class under this arrangement was
graduated in 1870. In 1885 the state assumed control of the institution,
and in 1887, the first unit was built on the present campus.
CAMPUS TOUR
(Unless otherwise stated, all buildings on the campus are open during
school hours*)
1. The ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, oldest edifice on the
campus, a three-story brick structure, built in 1889, contains offices of
the registrar, business manager, comptroller, the workshop theater, and
the music department. On the second floor is a memorial tablet erected
in 1894 to Benjamin Lee Arnold, president 1871-92.
2. SCIENCE HALL, four stories high, erected in 1902, of gray
granite and sandstone, houses the chemistry department, the Rockefeller
Research Institute, and chemistry laboratories of the agricultural ex-
periment station.
3. The PHARMACY BUILDING, a three-story brick structure
constructed in 1924, has classrooms, laboratories, a model drugstore, a
motion-picture amphitheater, and the drug laboratory of the state board
of pharmacy. The stock and fixtures of the model drugstore, donated
by interested firms, are used for instruction in salesmanship, store man-
agement, prescription taking, keeping of poison and narcotics records,
inventory, and showcase and window trimming. The state drug labora-
tory is maintained for the purpose of determining the purity of medicinal
substances sold in the state*
4. MUSEUM BUILDING (open 8-12, 2-5 weekdays; 2-5 Sun.),
built in 1899 as the men's gymnasium, is now headquarters for the
CORVALLIS l6l
R.O.T.C. band and the Oregon State Symphony Orchestra. Occupying
the lower level is the Horner Museum of pioneer relics, Indian weapons,
beadwork, baskets, and artifacts from burial mounds. The museum,
formally opened February 20, 1925, owes its name and beginning to the
late Dr. J. B. Horner, Professor of History and Director of Oregon
Historical Research. Specimens from many collections are on display
and those not displayed are catalogued and accessible for study. Ex-
hibits of the museum include the J. G. Crawford collection of artifacts
from prehistoric burial mounds: the E. E. Boord collection of mounted
animals native to the Northwest and Far North; the Wiggins, Lisle,
Hopkins, and Rice collections of historic American weapons; the Mrs.
J. E. Barrett collection of Indian basketry; the Maggie Avery Steven-
son collection of Rocky Mountain relics; paintings and sculptures from
the State Committee of Public Works of Art Projects; and a collection
of minerals gathered by Andrew M. Sherwood, economic geologist of
the Smithsonian Institution and the Carnegie Museum.
5. The ARMORY, a vast enclosed stadium of steel and concrete
built in 191011, is used for the activities of the R.O.T.C. and of the
polo teams. At the northwest corner is a tablet memorializing Major
General Ulysses Grant McAlexander, commandant at Oregon State
from 1907 to 1911. General McAlexander served in the Spanish-Ameri-
can War in Cuba and the Philippines, and was cited for gallantry at
Santiago. In France he first commanded the i8th Infantry, and later,
during the second Battle of the Marne, July 15, 1918, the s8th IL S.
Infantry. He was awarded the D.S.M., the D.S.C., and a number of
foreign decorations.
6. The MEN'S GYMNASIUM, built in 1915 and enlarged in
1921, includes a swimming pool and gymnasium hall, where Pacific
Coast Conference basketball games are played. Adjoining the gymna-
sium is BELL FIELD, the stadium, seating 20,000 spectators.
7. The FORESTRY BUILDING, constructed in 1917, contains
classrooms and laboratories for the school of forestry, a collection of
manufactured wood products, and a MUSEUM (open 8-5 weekdays)
of commercial woods from all sections of the United States.
8. The MEN'S DORMITORY (1928) includes five residence
halls, and is three stories above a basement, with a five-story central
tower. An open arch under the tower affords a view of the hills and
mountains. Behind the building is a recreational area with cinder track,
tennis courts, and practice fields.
9. KIDDER HALL, built in 1892 as a dormitory and known as
Cauthorn Hall, houses the Farm Security Administration and the de-
partments of art and architecture, history, and modem language. The
lobby of the building provides a spacious and attractive exhibition hall
for loan collections and other works of art. The building was named
for Ida Angeline Kidder, librarian, 1908-20.
10. The MEMORIAL UNION BUILDING (1928) at the
south end of the West Quadrangle, was erected in 1928 to the memory
of college men and women killed in the Spanish-American and World
164 OREGON
Wars, Student social events are held here, and here also are the de-
partment of journalism and the offices of student publications. In the
COLLEGE HERBARIUM (open 8-12, 2-5 weekdays; 2-5 Sun.), in the
basement, are 40,000 sheets of plant specimens. Oregon and the North-
west are especially well represented. The collection is augmented each
year by about four thousand specimens.
1 1. AGRICULTURE HALL, between the East and West Quad-
rangles, is the dominant building on the campus. Its first unit was
started in 1909 and added to in 1913. In the central section are the
school of agriculture, the agricultural experiment station, the agricul-
tural extension service, the office of the state leader of 4-H Clubs, and
offices, classrooms, and laboratories of the departments of botany,
zoology, entomology, and bacteriology. The wings are occupied by the
departments of agronomy and horticulture.
Special research in agriculture is carried on at the agricultural ex-
periment station, which consists of the central station at Corvallis and
nine branch stations in the state. The stations correlate investigations
with pressing farm problems. The improvement of strains through bet-
ter breeding of poultry and livestock has resulted in the rapid develop-
ment of these industries. The first hen in the world to lay 300 eggs in a
year was bred at the station. Control of plant and animal diseases, in-
troduction of new cash crops, and general improvement of farming
methods have been stressed. An agricultural agent is maintained in each
county of the state, working directly under supervision from the college.
12. The LIBRARY (open 7:50 A.M.-io P.M. weekdays; 2-5
Sun*), built in 1918, is the only building on the East Quadrangle. The
three stories and basement of the structure house 130,000 volumes, in-
CORVALLIS POINTS OF INTEREST
Oregon State Agricultural College *5- The Engineering Laboratory
1 6. The Mechanic Arts Building
1. The Administration Building I7 . Apperson Hall
2. Science Hall 18. Waldo Hall
3. The Pharmacy Building I9 . Margaret Snell Hall
4. Museum Building 2O . Women's Building
5- The Armory . 2I - Home Economics Building
6. The Men s Gymnasium 22. Dairy Building
7. The Forestry Building 23 . Commerce Building
8. The Men's Dormitory
9. Kidder Hall Otlier 'Points of Interest
10. The Memorial Union Building 24. The Haman Lewis House
11. Agriculture Hall 25. Benton County Courthouse
12. The Library 26. The Site Of the Territorial
13. The Mines Building Capitol
14. The Physics Building 27. The Corvallis City Park
CORVALLIS 165
eluding an excellent collection on the history of horticulture, and about
1,400 periodicals. Of interest to bibliophiles is the Mary J. L. McDon-
ald collection of more than three thousand volumes in fine bindings,
and rare editions. Among its treasures are a page from the Polychront-
conj Ranulph Higden, reprinted by William Caxton in 1482; a folio
bible, printed in 1769 on the press of John Baskerville, and a pearl bible
of 1853; a book of poems in Latin by George Buchanan (1506-82)
from the Elzevir Press in 1628; and a fifteenth-century antiphonal,
composed of Gregorian chants in Flemish, hand-printed and illumi-
nated on parchment, bound in brown calf over the original board cov-
ers. Among the more valuable items is an illustrated set of the Gettys-
burg edition of the Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by
Nicolay and Hay. Volume 24 contains autographs of Lincoln and other
prominent men of his time. The set is valued at $4,800.
13. The MINES BUILDING, a four-story brick building erected
in 1913, is similar to the newer buildings on the campus. It houses the
chemical engineering, mining engineering, geology, paleontology, and
allied departments. On the second floor are the college GEOLOGICAL
COLLECTIONS (open 8-5 weekdays), including 700 minerals arranged
according to the Dana classification, a large collection of ore specimens
arranged according to the Lindgren classifications, and 150 samples
arranged according to Marker's book on igneous rocks.
14. The PHYSICS BUILDING (1928) forms the east wing of
the Mines Building. Here are the department of physics, the graduate
division, and offices of the dean of the graduate school. On the third
floor are the studios of KOAC, the state-owned broadcasting station. A
radio extension service is carried on through the station, which operates
with 1,000 watts' power on a frequency of 550 kilocycles, and is on the
air daily except Sunday from 9 A.M. to 9:15 P.M. The material
broadcast is educational and recreational, and the programs are en-
tirely free from commercialism.
15. The ENGINEERING LABORATORY is north of the
Physics Building. The main laboratory is 40 by 220 feet and contains
three divisions a materials laboratory, a hydraulics laboratory and a
steam and gas engine laboratory all served by a five-ton electric travel-
ing crane.
1 6. The MECHANIC ARTS BUILDING (1908), its central
part fifty-two feet square and two stones high, is flanked by one-story
ells. It houses offices of the department of mechanical engineering, and
offices, classrooms, and shops for the department of industrial arts.
17. APPERSON HALL, erected in 1908 and rebuilt in 1920, ad-
joins the Mechanical Arts Building. It is named for a regent of the
college and is devoted to the department of civil and electrical engineer-
ing.
Other buildings on the campus are WALDO HALL (18) and MARGA-
RET SNELL HALL (19), women's dormitories, the WOMEN'S BUILDING
(20), the HOME ECONOMICS BUILDING (21), the DAIRY BUILD-
ING (22), and the COMMERCE BUILDING (23).
I 66 OREGON
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
24. The HAMAN LEWIS HOUSE (private), 218 N. 3rd St.,
an important social center in pioneer days, was built about 1852. Wain-
scoted and plastered in all rooms, it remains unchanged except for minor
repans. Unevenly fitted floor boards and whittled door pins reveal the
hand woik that went into the building.
25- BENTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, Jackson St. extend-
ing to Monroe, between N. 4th and N. 5th Aves., was erected in 1888-
89. It is a three-stoiy cement-covered brick building sui mounted with a
clock tower, its white walls gleaming brilliantly through the dense
foliage of parklike grounds.
26. The SITE OF THE TERRITORIAL CAPITOL, S. E.
corner S. 2nd and Adams Sts., is now occupied by a business block. On
the front of the corner building is a bronze plaque commemorating the
short period in 1855 when Corvallis was the capital of Oregon.
27. The CORVALLIS CITY PARK, S. end of 4th St. extending
from 3rd to 6th Sts., is in a shaded bend of the Marys River just west
of US 99W. In the park are a pair of old millstones, quarried in
France and shipped around the Horn. In 1856 they were hauled by
ox-team from Portland and set up in Chambers' Mill, on the Luckia-
mute River northwest of Corvallis, where they were in constant use for
more than sixty years. The park has recreational facilities and an auto
camp.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Hanson's Poultry Farm, 1 m.; Prehistoric Burial Grounds, 10 tn ; Maiys Peak.
17.3 m. (see TOUR zD). State Fish Hatchery, 29.6 m. (see TOUR *E}. Peavy
Arboretum, 9 m (see TOUR 10)
Eugene
Railroad^ Stations. Southern Pacific Station, 400 Willamette St., for Southern
Pacific lines; Oregon Electric Station, 5th and Oak Sts., for Oregon Electric Ry
Bus Stations' Oregon Hotel, 541 Willamette St., for Pacific Greyhound Line and
Oregon Motor Stages; E. Broadway and Willamette St., for Independent Motor
Stages; Broadway Cash Store, E Broadway near Willamette, for the Dollar
Line; 92 W. 8th Ave., for the Benjamin Franklin Line.
Airport 1 8th and Chambers Sts ; no scheduled service
Taxis' 2,$c and upwards according to distance and number of passengers
City Busses: Fare 70, four- ride card for 250.
Accommodations'. Six hotels; numerous rooming houses, tourist camps.
Information Service. Chamber of Commerce and A A.A , 230 E. Broadway.
Radio Station-. KORE (1420 kc.)
Motion Picture Houses'. Five.
Swimming Women's Pool in the Gerlinger Hall and Men's Pool in Men's
Building both on U. of O. campus, restricted to college students , Y M C A.
building; Willamette River
Golf Laurelwood Golf Course, 2700 Columbia St., 18 holes, greens fee, 2$c for
each 9 holes ; Oakway Golf Course, S. Willamette St. near Wood Ave , 9 holes,
greens fee 2$c.
Riding : Eugene Hunt Club Academy, West Fair Grounds, isth and Van Buren
Sts. Fee $i an hour.
Annual Events'. Oregon Trail Pageant (every three years) in July
EUGENE (423 alt., 18,901 pop.), cultural and industrial center of
the upper Willamette Valley, is the site of the University of Oregon
and of Northwest Christian college. It is the seat of Lane County, and
the fourth largest city of the commonwealth. By fields and wooded hills,
through leaning groves of cottonwood and balm, the Willamette River
curves around the northwest quarter of the city. Eastward rise the
swelling foothills of the Cascades, and westward the misty summits of
the Coast Range.
Essentially a city of homes, Eugene has the appeal ance of a land-
scaped park, with comfortable houses and long lines of shade trees bor-
dering its streets. The business thoroughfares are lined with fine brick
and concrete structures, while in the neighborhood of the university
many large fraternity and sorority houses add to the charm of the resi-
dential districts. Economic and cultural interests are well balanced.
Varied industrial plants creameries, canneries, and flour and lumber
mills close to the university, indicate the dual character of the com-
munity.
Arriving in the upper valley in 1846, Eugene F. Skinner built a
l68 OREGON
crude log cabin at the foot of a small peak, and theie his young wife
gave birth to the first white child born in Lane County. Known to the
Calapooya Indians as Ya-po-ah, the peak was called by the early set-
tlers Skinners Butte, and the small settlement that grew up at its base
was known as Skinner's. Here the first post office in the region was
established in 1853. Skinner's was outside the later corporate limits of
Eugene. Judge D. M. Risdon erected the first dwelling within the pres-
ent limits of the town in 1851. Lane County was created the same
year, and several other dwellings and a schoolhouse were erected. James
Huddleston opened a store and arriving immigrants cut a millrace and
built a sawmill on the river bank. Skinner operated a ferry near the
present Ferry Street Bridge, dealt in real estate and, with Judge Risdon,
platted a townsite in 1852. Heavy winter rams, however, turned part
of the site into a quagmire that earned for it the title of "Skinner's
Mudhole." Two fat hogs, trying to root in the mud, are said to have
been lost completely. The trend of building then swung toward higher
ground. When the town was designated the seat of Lane County in
1853, Skinner and a settler named Charnal Milligan each donated forty
acres for county purposes. In recognition of the first settler it was
named Eugene City. The first term of the United States district court
was held in March, 1852, in a bunkhouse originally built for loggers.
Incorporation of the city, "to banish hogs and grog-shops," as one editor
put it, was authorized in 1864.
Eugene claimed to be the popular choice for territorial capital in
1856, but there was a dispute over the majority of votes cast. The activ-
ity of the settlement, however, induced the Cumberland Presbyterians
to build Columbia College in that year. The college building was de-
stroyed by fire of incendiary origin during the first term. It was imme-
diately rebuilt, only to be burned a second time in 1858. Efforts to re-
build it again were abandoned before the third structure was com-
pleted. Among the students of this school was Cincinnatus Hmer ( Joa-
quin) Miller, whose father had settled near Eugene. Of this period
Miller later wrote: "I have never since found such determined students
and omnivorous readers. We had all the books and none of the follies
of great centers." He was an outstanding student of Latin and Greek
and delivered the valedictory poem (his first in print) at commence-
ment exercises in 1859. One stanza of this early effort survives:
We are parting, schoolmates, parting,
And this evening sun will set
On gay hearts with sorrow starting,
On bright eyes with weeping wet.
The town had no regularly issued newspaper until New Year's Day,
1862, when the State-Republican began publication* In opposition, se-
cessionist sympathizers founded the Democratic-Register, which Miller
purchased and renamed the Eugene City Review. While here he studied
law on the side, wrote contributions for his own paper under the name
Giles Gaston, sought out another contributor, "Minnie Myrtle," found
EUGENE l6g
she was the daughter of Judge Dyer of Port Orfoid, and, m less than
a week married her. Miller was forbidden the use of the mails for his
paper on the ground that he was a Southein sympathizer, sold out,
bought fruit trees and cattle, and went to Canyon City, Later, while
residing in California, he achieved international note as a poet of the
Far West.
Early industry of the county centered m agriculture and milling, and
the transportation of these products to tidewater markets. The first
steamer to ascend the Willamette River to Eugene was the James Clin-
ton, in March, 1857. Although the city was considered the head of
navigation, an occasional boat ventured farther upstream. The Relief,
according to the first issue of the State-Republican, came up the river
from Portland on December 28, 1861, with a cargo of beans and whisky,
and other staple commodities, and tied up at the Eugene wharf. For a
few years boats plied between the city and Portland, but water trans-
portation was abandoned after construction, in 1871, of the Oregon
& California Railroad.
Shortly after the Civil War Eugene's population increased to 1,200,
and the industrial life of the region began to develop rapidly. The
University of Oregon was established in 1872 and the first class matricu-
lated in 1876. From the first, wheat had been the chief crop in the
county, but fruit growing, dairying, lumber, and mining began to be
important elements of the domestic economy. Lumbering, with its saw-
mills, shingle mills, planing mills, and box factories, has constituted one
of the chief sources of income for Eugene citizens. Excelsior is made
from the cottonwood and balm trees that flourish along the banks of the
Willamette and other valley streams. Mining in the Bonanza and Blue
River districts for a time added a romantic element to the industrial
life.
THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
The campus of the university occupies a tract of 100 acres between
nth and i8th Sts. and Alder and Agate Sts. University Street, north
and south, and I3th Street, east and west, divide the campus into un-
equal quadrangles. The old campus between nth and I3th Streets is
planted with trees and shrubbery and well-clipped lawns, while the new
campus is more open, interspersed with gardens. From north to south
the story of the institution's development is seen in its architecture. On
the old campus the buildings are without architectural uniformity, but
to the south are more harmonious groupings.
The University of Oregon had its official beginning in 1876. The
federal government in 1859 set aside a grant of seventy-two sections of
land to establish a state university. No advantage was taken of the act
until 1872, when the legislature fixed the site of the institution at
Eugene on guaranty of the Lane County delegation that the city would
provide a building and campus to cost not less than $50,000. The
amount was soon raised; pledges ranged from fifty cents to fifty dol-
" ' "
I7O OREGON
struction of the first building, Deady Hall, began in 1873, but that year
panic struck the country and there followed a struggle to keep the en-
terprise alive. Finally, however, in 1876, the doors opened and classes
began. At first only classical and literary courses were offered. As the
state developed, the college of arts and letters, the schools of architecture
and allied arts, of education, of law, of journalism, of music, and of
physical education, and the college of social science were established.
The medical school is at Portland, the extension division is co-existent
with the Oregon State System of Higher Education, and the graduate
school offers courses both at the university and at Oregon State College.
CAMPUS TOUR
(Buildings are listed according to geographical location from main
entrance at gth and Madison Sts.j and are numbered to correspond with
numbers on accompanying map. Unless otherwise stated^ all buildings
are open during school hours.)
1. VILLARD HALL, facing nth St. at Franklin Blvd., is a two-
story brick building with a mansard roof; it is French Second Empire
in style. Villard Hall was erected in 1885 and named for the railroad
builder, Henry Villard, who gave the university $7,000 in cash in
1881 and $50,000 in Northern Pacific Railway bonds in 1883. In the
building are offices and classrooms of the English department.
2. DEADY HALL, built in 1876 of native stone, was for a num-
ber of years the entire university plant. It stands on a slight eminence
in the center of the old campus, and is of the same architectural style
as Villard Hall. It was named for Judge Matthew P. Deady, presi-
dent of the board of regents from 1873 until his death in 1893. The
building is occupied by the classrooms and laboratories of the depart-
ments of physics, zoology, botany, and mathematics. It also contains a
ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION (open by arrangement) of 5,000 specimens
of mammals, birds, and eggs, mostly Oregon fauna,
3. The OLD LIBRARY (open 8-5 weekdays), S. of Deady Hall
facing 1 3th St., a three-story brick building, built in 1907 and remod-
eled in 1914, houses the school of law and the law library. An adjoining
fireproof annex contains book stacks.
4. CONDON HALL, SE corner isth and Kincaid St., designed
and built in 1924. as the first wing of a larger structure, perpetuates
the name of Dr. Thomas Condon, pioneer geologist and discoverer of
many rare fossils, who was a member of the faculty from the founding
of the institution until his death in 1907. It houses laboratories and
classrooms for geology, geography, anthropology and phychology,
as well as the collections of the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
(open 8-5 weekdays). The herbarium contains specimens from Oregon
and the Northwest, the eastern United States, and the Philippine
Islands. The geological specimens include Miocene and Pleistocene in-
vertebrate fossils from the Coos Bay vicinity, and mammal fauna from
EUGENE I?!
the John Day region fossil beds, in which Dr. Condon made his most
noteworthy discoveries.
5. The ART MUSEUM (open by permission}, centered in the
SW. quad facing W. toward Kincaid St., a gift of alumni and friends,
built in 1930, is an imposing brick building that shelters the rare and
extensive Murray Warner Collection of Oriental Art, given to the
university by Gertrude Bass Warner as a memorial to her husband.
The collection was started by Major and Mrs. Warner while living in
Shanghai, China. In the Chinese group are many paintings by the old
masters of China, tapestries and embroideries, cinnabar, jades, porcelains,
and ancient bronzes. Among the Japanese rarities are old prints, bro-
cades, temple hangings and altar cloths, embroideries, lacquer, a great
palanquin two centuries old, and delicate works in silver, bronze, cop-
per, pewter, and wood. The Korean collection contains ornamental
screens, old bronzes, and a chest inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The Mur-
ray Warner Museum Library of 3,500 volumes, dealing with the his-
tory, literature, art, and life of Oriental countries, fills a room in the
museum, and current magazines on art and life in the Far East are in
the reading room.
6. The NEW LIBRARY (open 8-5 weekdays), built with a view
to future expansion, was erected with the aid of a Federal grant and
loan in 1936. It has desk and table space for a thousand readers, and
stack room for 400,000 books. Among the 275,000 volumes are several
collections. The Edward S. Burgess Rare Book Collection contains 500
volumes of manuscripts and incunabula purchased by friends of the uni-
versity. Dr. and Mrs. Burt Brown Barker presented 1,000 volumes, in-
cluding works by Shelley, Byron, Browning, Stevenson and others. The
Pauline Potter Homer Collection of Beautiful Books comprises 800
volumes noteworthy for their fine bindings and illustrations, and as ex-
amples of the work of famous presses. There is also a collection of
pamphlets and books about Oregon and by Oregon writers, another
comprising 2,000 school and college textbooks, the F. S. Dunn collec-
tion of historical fiction, the Ovenneyer collection of published works
on the Civil War, the Camilla Leach collection of art books, a collec-
tion of League of Nations documents (1,050 volumes), and a collection
of works by Balzac.
7. The MUSIC BUILDING, erected in 1920, contains studios,
classrooms, and an auditorium for recitals and concerts. In the audi-
torium is a four-manual Reuter organ.
8. McARTHUR COURT, a large concrete basketball pavilion
seating 7,000 was erected in 1926. Offices of the Associated Students
and of athletic coaches are in the building. It was named for C. N.
McArthur, former Congressman from Oregon and graduate of the
class of 1901. The Physical Education Building (1936) is an addition
to McArthur Court.
9. HAYWARD STADIUM, SW. corner of isth and Agate Sts,,
was built with Associated Students' funds. Started in 1919, and fin-
ished in its present form in 1931, the stadium has a seating capacity of
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EUGENE POINTS OF INTEREST
e University of Oregon 7. The Music Building
lard Hall 8. McArthur Court
ady Hall 9. Hayward Stadium
e Old Library 10. Gerlinger Hall
ndon Hall n. The Pioneer Mother
ic Art Museum 12. Johnson Hall
e New Library 13. The Pioneer Monument
174 OREGON
eighteen thousand and was named for William L. (Bill) Hayward,
track coach and trainer since 1903.
10. GERLINGER HALL, W. side University St., houses a
gymnasium and swimming pool for women, and Alumni Hall, the uni-
versity social center ANTHROPOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS (open by ar-
rangement) are (1939) temporarily housed in the building. The dis-
play includes the Condon Collection of archaeological material, the Ada
Bradley Millican Collection of basketry, woodwork, and textiles of
aboriginal craftsmanship, the Mrs. Vincent Cook Collection of Indian
basketry, and the Gold Hill Site Collection of obsidian ceremonial
blades, stone implements, and Indian skeletal remains.
11. The PIONEER MOTHER, a heroic bronze statue by A.
Phimister Proctor stands in the court between Susan Campbell and
Hendncks Halls, women's dormitories. The statue was presented in
1932 by'Burt Brown Barker, vice president of the university, m mem-
ory of his mother.
12. JOHNSON HALL, facing N. on I3th St., the administra-
tion building, contains the central offices of the university, and of the
Oregon State System of Higher Education. It also contains Guild Hall,
in which dramatic productions are presented. The structure, of brick
and ornamental stone, was erected in 1915, and perpetuates the name
of John Wesley Johnson, the university's first president, who was a
great Latin teacher during the school week and a great duck hunter on
Saturday.
13. The PIONEER MONUMENT, m the court between the
Old Library and Friendly Hall, is a heroic figure holding a bull-whip
and carrying a long rifle slung over the shoulder. Sculptured by A.
Phimister Proctor, it was given to the university in 1919 by Joseph N.
TeaL
14. FRIENDLY HALL, NE. corner I3th and University Sts.,
erected in 1893 as the first men's dormitory and remodeled m 1914,
houses the department of sociology, the bureau of municipal research,
and offices of faculty members. It is named for S. H. Friendly, regent
from 1895 to 1915.
15. The JOURNALISM BUILDING, an annex of McClure
Hall, contains the school of journalism and the editorial offices of the
Oregon Daily Emerald, campus newspaper.
1 6. McCLURE HALL, adjoining the Journalism Building and
facing on the old campus, houses classrooms and laboratories of the de-
partment of chemistry. The building was named for Professor Edgar
McClure, member of the faculty and brilliant scientist, who died in
1897-
17. The three units of the ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE
BUILDING, NE. grouped about a central court at the corner of the
old campus facing Villard Hall, are of brick and stucco. The first unit
was erected in 1901, others added in 1914 and 1922. Here are class-
rooms, studios, drafting rooms, a gallery for display of student work
EUGENE 1 75
and loan exhibitors, and the Architecture and Allied Arts Library. Ex-
hibits are held at intervals throughout the year.
Other buildings on the campus are COMMERCE BUILDING (1921),
OREGON BUILDING (1916), EDUCATION BUILDING (1921), JOHN
STRAUB BUILDING (1929), and EXTENSION AND HOME ECONOMICS
BUILDING.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
1 8. A stone monument marks the SITE OF THE FIRST CABIN
IN EUGENE, 364 2nd St., which was built in 1846 by Eugene F.
Skinner, for whom the city was named.
19. The LANE COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION MU-
SEUM (open 8-5 weekdays). NW. corner 6th and Willamette Sts.,
houses a large collection of pioneer relics gathered by Cal Young and
others. Included in the collection are Concord coaches, Conestoga wag-
ons, early types of threshers, plows, mills, logging carts with ten-foot
wooden disc wheels, Indian dugout canoes, war clubs, and mortars and
pestles.
20. A bronze plaque at nth St. between Willamette and Olive
Sts. marks the SITE OF THE FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE which
was attended by Leonora Skinner, first white child born in Lane
County. The large frame structure on the site, used by the Knights of
Pythias Lodge, was the second public school building in Eugene.
21. The SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR MEMORIAL FOUN-
TAIN, E. 8th and Oak Sts., on the corner of the courthouse grounds,
was erected in 1901, in memory of Lane County volunteers who lost
their lives in the Philippines in 1898-1899. The memorial consists of
two square stone pillars inscribed with a dedication and the names of
the volunteers ; an oblong connecting slab bears two drinking fountains.
21. SKINNER'S BUTTE (681 alt.), reached from ist and N.
Lincoln Sts. by a spiral drive, is a city park and recreation ground be-
tween the main business section and the Wilhamette River. From its
summit can be seen a panorama of Eugene, the upper Willamette Val-
ley, and the surrounding mountains.
23. NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, iith and Alder
Sts , was founded in 1895 as Eugene Divinity School. Since then it has
been reorganized three times under different names Eugene Bible
University, Eugene Bible College, and Northwest Christian College.
Courses are so arranged that students may take some studies in the ad-
joining University of Oregon.
The ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, built in 1908, the BUSHNELL
LIBRARY (open 8-5 weekdays), with 100 rare copies of the Bible. One
of them, printed in Latin, dates from 1479.
The FINE ARTS BUILDING was erected in 1921. The Louis H.
TURNER MUSEUM (open 8-5 weekdays), in this building, contains
many articles sent by missionaries from foreign lands and Indian relics
contributed by former students. Also in this building is the GRADUATE
176 OREGON
LIBRARY (o*t 9-5 ), containing special books for divinity
students, including many rare volumes on theology.
Other buildings on the campus are RHEM HALL (.i97), tne rRESi
DENT'S "FMIDBNCE (1901), and KLINGER GYMNASIUM (1912).
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Hood River
Railroad Station' Union Pacific Station, ist and Cascade Sts.. for Union Pacific
R.R.
Bus Station-, in Oak St., for Union Pacific Stages, Washington Motor Coaches.
Taxis. Fare ice and 250
Accommodations. Three hotels; auto camps.
Information Service: Chamber of Commerce, toaj^ Oak St.
Motion Picture Houses Two.
Tennis: High school courts open to public in summer.
Swimming: Koberg's Beach, i mi. E., near end of Hood River- White Salmon
Bridge; entrance fee ice.
Golf: Hood River Golf Club, 6 m. SW. on Mountain View and Sunset Rds.,
9 holes, greens fee 350.
Annual Events: Mt. Hood Climb, mid- July, sponsored by city and American
Legion.
HOOD RIVER (154 alt., 2,757 pop.), seat of Hood River County
and business center for a noted fruit-growing region, rises on the steep
terraces of the Columbia River between the narrow and precipitous
Hood River and Indian Creek gorges. The business district occupies
the lower levels, and long flights of -weather-beaten stairs climb the
cliffs on First and Eugene Streets, connecting the market places "with
homes clinging to the sheer wall and resting on the heights above.
At almost every point the broad river below and Mount Adams, with
its flanking ranges on the Washington side, are visible.
From the lower part of town, Mount Hood, 26 miles south, is not
visible, but from the heights it is seen in full grandeur, its massive
bulk seeming almost at the door. Between the city and the mountain^,
the orchards of the Hood River Valley stretch almost unbroken, a mass
of pinkish-white blossoms in spring, a sea of ruddy fruit in late sum-
mer and fall. The panorama is best viewed from the top of the Wash-
ington hills across the Columbia River first the wide stream, then the
compact group of business houses on the south shore, then the resi-
dences atop the cliff, and, finally, the orchards blending into the base
of Mount Hood.
Throngs of visitors come to the city and its environs, especially in
summer, and make it their headquarters while exploring the clear
streams, green hills, and clean orchard land. When the harvest opens
in late August there is an influx of fruit pickers; and trucks, filled with
fresh fruit travel to warehouse and cannery, leaving behind the frag-
rant odor of ripened apples and pears.
Itinerant workers pour into Hood River at the opening of the fruit
178 OREGON
gathering season. Boys seeking adventure or the chance to earn a few
dollars to help them through school, young women trying to get away
from the humdrum of home, drift in and soon find a place in the busy
ciew of harvesters. Roaming families packed m old jalopies trundle up
the steep streets toward the upper valley, following the fruit from crop
to crop. Pinched little faces showing the lack of food peer from the
torn curtains of cars ; young bodies covered with ragged clothing huddle
among tubs, washboards, and camping plunder. Groups of Hawaiian
and Filipino boys, eager to please and learn American ways, labor in-
dustriously and make their evening camp a scene of pleasure with the
ukeleles and lilting native songs.
When the strawberries ripen in June many Indians come into the
valley from the Warm Springs Reservation to gather the fruit, and re-
main through the loganberry and raspberry season. For generations, In-
dian women have been adept at gathering olallies* While the men idle
and smoke, the women and children toil in the sun, deftly harvesting
the red berries. It is a common occurrence to see the Indian women
with papooses strapped to their backs stooping along the rows. However,
the Indians are not attracted to picking fruit that grows on trees ; they
leave the gathering of apples and pears to white people.
Indian tepees of the village of Waucoma (Place of the Cotton-
woods) dotted the ground near the confluence of the Columbia and
Hood Rivers when Lewis and Clark arrived in October, 1805, on their
way to the Columbia's mouth. It was not until 1852 that W. C.
Laughlin and Dr. Farnsworth discovered the abundant grass of the
Hood River Valley and moved in with their herds. Winter storms of
1 852-53 destroyed their stock and so discouraged the men that they
soon left. Nathamal Coe was the first permanent settler, arriving with
his family in 1854. The spot then bore the unromantic name of Dog
River, because the people of an early emigrant train, being delayed,
were forced to subsist on dog meat. Mrs, Coe soon forced a change of
nomenclature, refusing to accept mail for the community unless it bore
the address of Hood River.
The Hood River Valley developed slowly before the Oregon Railroad
and Navigation Company's line reached it in the early i88o's. Heavy
timber and deep snow in the valley offered little inducement to home-
steaders. Settlers were scattered and money was scarce. Income from
cordwood peddled at The Dalles and accepted as legal tender, provided
the principal income. But with the coming of transportation conditions
changed. Sawmills were built in the heavily timbered valley, beginning
an industry that is still important in the area.
Virgil Wmchell, an old settler familiarly known as "Doc," often told
of the hardships of his childhood. Roads to the "outside" did not exist.
Provisions were sometimes brought in on pack ponies, but for the most
part they were brought down the Columbia River from The Dalles by
boat. One winter, storms began early, cutting off the valley from the
outside world, and the settlers were caught without food staples. Lard-
ers ran low, and the snow was so deep that it was impossible to go into
HOOD RIVER 179
the woods for game. One day Mr. Winchell, then a small boy, discov-
ered in his father's barn a great many native birds, mostly blue jays
and owls that had taken refuge from the cold. He called his father, who
immediately chinked all exits and began catching birds. The Winchell
family still had a small quantity of flour, and that night at supper they
feasted on blue jays and owl pie.
Arrival of the rail line, however, put an end to isolation and many
hardships. Attracted by the region's recreational resources, Portland
citizens built summer cabins, and in 1889 a group of Portland's capi-
talists constructed Cloud Cap Inn on the north snow line of Mount
Hood and built a toll road to it. The Inn was the first mountain hostelry
in the Pacific Northwest.
In the last decade of the nineteenth century, Hood River residents
discovered the suitability of local conditions for fruit-raising on a large
scale. The first cash crop was strawberries. Professor T. R. Coon, pio-
neer Oregon teacher, migrated to the Hood River Valley in the
eighties, bringing with him a supply of Clark Seedling strawberry
plants, which had been developed in the Mount Tabor district of Port-
land. In a few years the valley was producing Clark Seedling straw-
berries in car lots. Ranchers, who had been living in comfort but with-
out cash surpluses, soon found themselves m comparative luxury. For
years annual shipments have exceeded 300 carloads.
The first apple trees in Hood River were planted by the Coe family,
and other pioneer families soon had productive home orchards, but nat-
ural barriers stood in the way of commercial development. The valley
floor was so densely covered with giant conifers and oaks that clearing
land was a slow and expensive process. To help in preparing the ground,
land-owners brought in Japanese laborers. The industrious Orientals
stayed by the job. They dug out stumps, cut slashing, burned debris,
tilled the soil, and transformed cut-over waste into a vast garden.
The first carload of Hood River apples was shipped to New York
City in 1900, and from this carload the apple industry in the Pacific
Northwest had its real beginning. Rumors of the new industry spread
rapidly, and soon there was an influx of settlers bent on becoming gen-
tlemen farmers. Retired business men, navy and army officers, and young
college graduates, created a sort of golden era of business and refine-
ment unusual for so small a city. For years Hood River had a Uni-
versity Club with several hundred members, probably the smallest city
in the United States to have such an organization.
The region's orchards approximate 10,000 acres, and while apples
are still predominant, the acreage of pears has so increased that pear
production bids fair to equal the apple output. Cherry culture^ has also
been found profitable and hundreds of tons of Royal Annes, Bings, and
Lamberts are produced annually. Anjou pears are shipped to the Sudan
district of North Africa.
For several years Hood River was the home of Frederic Homer
Balch, missionary preacher and Oregon's most important novelist. Here
he wrote Genevieve, A Tale of Oregon, and most of The Bridge of the
l8o OREGON
Gods, his best-known work, A resident m the city at various periods
after 1913 was George W. Cronyn, who married a native of the valley,
and has written, among other books, The Fool of Venus (i934) 5 a his-
torical novel of the troubadours, and Mermaid Tavern (1937), a fic-
tionized life of Christopher Marlowe, the Elizabethan dramatist. An-
thony Euwer, poet, lecturer, and essayist, lived here for a number of
years and Percy Manser, the landscape artist, makes his home nearby.
The principal public event in the city is the annual Mount Hood
climb sponsored by the city and the American Legion. In July of each
year several hundred people from Hood River and other points in the
Northwest gather at the legion camp at the foot of Cooper Spur on the
east flank of the mountain and begin the steep ascent at dawn.
POINTS OF INTEREST
i. The CITY HALL, 2nd St. between State and Oak Sts., is a
one-story brick business block of utilitarian design that houses city of-
fices, including the fire department and jail. In a glass case attached to
the north wall of the council chamber is the flag raised at the com-
munity's first Fourth of July celebration in 1861.
a. The OLD ADAMS HOUSE (private), isth and State Sts.,
for decades one of the city's show places, but for many years deserted
and fallen into disrepair, has been recently remodeled into a modified
Cape Cod style cottage. Formerly in the yard was a large fountain pat-
terned after one of the fountains m the garden of the Palace of Ver-
sailles, France. In its pool once swam a gigantic sturgeon captured in
the Columbia River. Dr. Adams was in early life a minister, then a
lawyer, and in his late years a physician. He was a personal friend of
Abraham Lincoln and at one time editor of the Oregon City Argus.
3. The APPLEGROWERS' ASSOCIATIpN CANNERY
(open on application at office j 3rd S/. between Railroad and Cascade
Aves.), 6th and Columbia Sts., is adjacent to the Columbia Street ware-
house. From late August, when canning starts on Bartlett pears, until
late December, when the season ends with the canning of low-grade
apples, it is filled with uniformed women workers. After going through
mechanical washing and grading processes, the fruit passes on belts
through automatic paring and cutting machines to cans and cookers and
finally to storerooms.
4. HOOD RIVER DISTILLERIES (open on application at of-
fice), ist and Oak Sts,, manufactures cull fruits into brandy. The com-
pany has the only Federal-bonded warehouse on the Pacific coast out-
side California.
5. OBSERVATION PROMONTORY, N. end of May St., a
scenic vantage point on a high headland at the junction of Hood River
and Columbia gorges, provides a panoramic view of mountains, valleys,
and rivers. Southward, Mount Hood towers above the formal patterns
of orchards, while to the north, beyond the reaches of the Columbia,
rise Mount Adams and the Washington hills.
HOOD RIVER l8l
6. ELIOT PARK, occupying Indian Creek gorge from I2th St.
to the turbulent Hood River, is a primitive spot where native flowers,
shrubs, and trees grow in profusion. The park is the gift of Dr. Thom-
as Lamb Eliot, for a half-century pastor of the Church of Our Father,
Unitarian, in Portland, and one of the first to recognize Hood River
as a vacation center.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Wau-Guin-Guin Falls, 1 m. ; Crag Rats Club House, 1 m. ; Early Indian Burial
Ground, 1 m. ; Starvation Creek State Park, 9.4 m. (see TOUR^i). Hood River
Experiment Station, 2 m.; Panorama Viewpoint, 3 m. ; Frederic Homer Balch
House, 3.5 m.\ Rev. W. A. (Billy) Sunday House, 6 m.\ Cloud Cap Inn,
33.1 m. (see TOUR i).
Klamath Falls
Railroad Stations Oak and Spring Sts., for Southern Pacific Lines, 1340 S 6th
St., for Great Northern Ry.
Bus Station Union Stage Depot, 830 Klamath St , for Pacific Greyhound Lines,
Mount Hood Stages, Red Ball Stages, and Oregon, California and Nevada Stages.
Airport 4-5 m. SE. on State 66.
City Busses Fare IDC.
Taxis 500 in city limits.
Docks for Pleasure Boats Front St. on Upper Klamath Lake.
Accommodations'. Four hotels; tourist camps.
Information Service Chamber of Commerce, and Oregon State Motor Association,
323 Main St.
Radio Station-. KFGI (1210 kc.).
Motion Picture Houses: Four.
Tennis Mills Addition, Home and Stukel Sts.; Moore Park, Rock Creek High-
way.
Swimming. Hot Springs Natatorium, 530 Spring St ; New Klamath Natatorium,
1719 Main St ; fees, adults 35c, children 250.
Golf. Reames Golf and Country Club, 3.5 m. W. on State 236; 9 holes; greens
fee, 5oc Mon.-Fri., 750 Sat., Sun. and holidays.
Riding* Klamath Riding Academy, S. Sixth St. (The Dalles-California High-
way) ; fees, riding horses 750 first hour, foe for each subsequent hour ; riding
lessons 500 an hour.
Annual Events- Upper Klamath Lake Regatta, June; Buckaroo Days, week-end
nearest July 4th.
KLAMATH FALLS (4,105 alt., 16,093 Pop-)> industrial center and
seat of Klamath County, is on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range
and commands a panoramic vista of snow peaks, evergreen forests, and
thriving valley farms. The business section stretches along the banks
of Link River and the shores of Lake Ewauna (Ind., elbow), while
the residential district occupies rising grounds to the east and north.
The city has a clean modern appearance; its growth has taken place
almost entirely since 1915, and its buildings and residences are of lat-
ter-day architectural styles. Upper Klamath Lake touches the northern
city limits. Entirely within the city is Link River less than a mile in
length and said to be the shortest river in the world which flows
through the western edge of town, connecting Upper Klamath Lake
with Lake Ewauna. The grayish-blue Klamath River flows from Lake
Ewauna across northern California to the Pacific.
Thousands of white pelicans make their summer homes on Lake
Ewauna, Link River, and Upper Klamath Lake. From late March to
September they can be seen everywhere in and about the city, soaring
in flocks against the sun or floating on the waters of lake or river. They
KLAMATH FALLS 183
nest in the reeds along the shores of Upper Klamath Lake. So inti-
mately is the bird associated with the city that social and athletic 01-
ganizations, business houses, a hotel and a theatre are named foi it.
The old West rubs elbows with the new in Klamath Falls. Typical
survivors of the city's most colorful period, men and women who were a
part of the pioneering and homesteadmg eras, linger here. Grizzled
ranchers still sit at friendly poker games under the brighter lights of
the new town. Sheepherders in from tending flocks on the lonely hills,
Indians from the Klamath Reservation, and loggers from the deep
woods, mingle freely, lending color to the modern business activity.
Because of the many industrial establishments "pay nights" (Saturday
nights nearest the first and fifteenth of the month) are carnival-like
peiiods. Great crowds of visitors, mill employees and townspeople, surge
in and out of the stores spending the earnings of the pievious fortnight
Stores and banks stay open until 10:30, and the moving-picture houses,
dance halls and other recreation centers reap a large portion of the mil-
lion-dollar pay roll before the night ends.
Key city of south-central Oregon, Klamath Falls is the distributing
and marketing point for rich lumbering, agricultural, cattle and sheep-
raising areas. The Klamath Basin contains over 300,000 acres of ir-
rigable land ; with more than a million acre-feet of water available in a
normal run-off during the irrigation season. ' The principal crops are
alfalfa, grains and potatoes. Shipments of potatoes have, in recent years,
averaged well over five thousand carloads annually, and in 1938-39 the
potato acreage was more than 20,000, with a crop value in excess of
four million dollars. Sheep and cattle are summered on the surround-
ing ranges in the mountains and remote areas, 1 and wintered in the
irrigated section where feed is plentiful. The Klamath Irrigation Proj-
ect contains almost 200,000 acres under irrigation.
Lumbering and its affiliated activities form the city's chief industry.
Within the town and the surrounding region are twenty-eight sawmills
and manufacturing plants employing 3,000 men and cutting 350,000,000
feet of lumber annually. It is said that Klamath Falls is the largest
box-shook manufacturing district in the United States. Tributary to the
city are approximately 30,000,000,000 feet of pine timber.
Settlement of the Klamath Lake country was retarded by the hos-
tility of the Klamath Indians, and the village from which the modern
city grew was not established until 1867. Before that time the develop-
ment of the valley had been sanguinary. Lieutenant John C. Fremont's
camp was attacked in 1846, and three of his men were killed. An im-
migrant train was ambushed in 1850 and almost wiped out, A year
later a second train was attacked at Bloody Point on Tule Lake and a
mere handful of its hundred members escaped massacre. These and
other raids caused the area to become known as the "dark and bloody
ground of the Pacific," and it was not until 1864 that Federal troops
sufficiently subdued the tribesmen to enable pioneers to settle along Link
River with any degree of safety.
The Applegate brothers, Jesse and Lindsey, explored in this region
184 OREGON
in 1846 and in 1848 organized the Klamath Commonwealth to settle
the area; discovery of gold in California, however, led the settlers to
another destination. Wendolen Nus, first permanent settler in the
Klamath country, built a cabin and established a claim on the west
shore of Klamath Lake in 1858. Others settled in the Basin in the early
sixties. In 1863 a United States military post, known as Fort Klamath,
wa$ established to the north of the lake. In 1864 a treaty was nego-
tiated with the Indians and the Klamath Reservation (see TOUR 4)
was established.
Linkville, as Klamath Falls was first called, was founded by George
Nurse, a sutler from Fort Klamath, who built a cabin on the east bank
of Link River at its junction with Lake Ewauna in 1866. Approxi-
mately a hundred emigrants had taken up homes in the district by 1867.
A log trading post, established by Nurse at the landing of the ferry
across Link River, supplied the wants of the scattered settlers. With
the Indians confined to the Klamath Reservation and the fear of at-
tack allayed, Linkville became a thriving town, possessing the raw
color of most frontier communities. In those early days the Klamath
Basin was essentially cattle country; a wild country of rough men. Old
time residents still recall many cases of murder and sudden death in
gambling and land claim disputes. One big family in the Basin carried
on a wholesale business in cattle rustling and other banditry. It was
said of them that they were tough and gloried in the fact. In time the
entire family was wiped out, most of its members going to their final
rest with their boots on.
Security from Indian outbreak was short lived. In 1872 the region
was again plunged into conflict. The Modocs refused to remain on the
Klamath Reservation and made persistent efforts to return to their for-
mer home near Tule Lake. A small band under Chief Keintpoos, better
known as Captain Jack, clashed with a body of United States cavalry,
routing it and precipitating the bloody Modoc War. Inhabitants of
Klamath Falls knew months of terror as the Modoc bands parried
thrust after thrust of the Federal troops. However, the soldiers finally
overcame the Indians, and Captain Jack and three of his followers weie
executed.
After the creation of Klamath County in 1882 the city maintained a
slow but steady growth. Platted in 1878 in a plan covering forty blocks,
it was incorporated in 1889 as Linkville; but this name was changed
to the Town of Klamath Falls in 1893. Impetus was given to develop-
ment when, in 1900, the Klamath Basin Irrigation Project was started
by the Federal Government. A few years later a new stimulus came
with the building of the first railroad. A branch line was opened by the
Southern Pacific from Weed, California, in 1909, as a lumber carrier,
and in the mid-i92o's the Natron cut-off extension was completed be-
tween Klamath Falls and Eugene. From the construction of the first
railroad the growth of the city was phenomenal, the population increas-
ing more than six-fold between 1915 and 1930.
The principal recreational events of Klamath Falls are the Klamath
KLAMATH FALLS 185
Lake Regatta in June and the Buckaroo Days celebration on the week-
end nearest the Fourth of July. The First event features yacht, out-
board, rowboat, surfboard, and swimming races, and log-cutting and
log-bucking contests. The Buckaroo Days festival, commemorating the
period when the ^ Klamath Basin was cattle country, presents the usual
rodeo events, riding, roping, bulldogging, wild horse racing, and others
of frontier significance.
Klamath Falls has a series of hot mineral springs, one of which dis-
charges 800,000 gallons of water daily at a temperature of 200 de-
grees. These waters, containing soda, lime, magnesia, iron, and sul-
phuric, ^muriatic, and silicic acids are effective in diseases arising from
impurities of the blood and for various other complaints. Public and
private buildings are heated from these natural hot water springs, and
two swimming pools are filled with the waters.
POINTS OF INTEREST
1. The KLAMATH COUNTY COURTHOUSE (open 8-5
Mon.-Fri., 8-1 Sat.), Main St. between 3rd and 4th Sts., erected in
1918, is a modern two-story building faced with buff brick and trimmed
in terra cotta. The entrance pavilion is of the Greek style with Ionic
columns. The interior has a six-foot wainscot of Alaskan marble in
matched patterns. The architect was E. E. McClaren.
2. The CITY LIBRARY (open 9-9 weekdays), SE. corner of 5th
St. and Klamath Ave., a red brick two-story structure, was built in
1926 on property donated by Mrs, Fred Schallock and C. H. Daggett
in memory of Henrietta F. Melhasse. The building is ell-shaped, with a
classic portico inside the bend of the ell facing the intersection of Fifth
Street and Klamath Avenue. The library has 13,000 volumes.
3. The FEDERAL BUILDING, 7th St between Walnut and
Oak Aves., is a three-story reinforced concrete building, with tile hip
roof, first story faced with sandstone, and the upper stories with red
brick and sandstone trim. The foundation is of native Oregon granite.
The building of modified Italian Renaissance architecture was designed
by government architects under the direction of James A. Wetmore.
4. LINK RIVER BRIDGE, SW. end of Main St at the head of
Lake Ewauna, is of ornamental concrete construction, single span with-
out superstructure, and is one of two that span Link River. It is at the
site of the old Nurse ferry and bridge, which for many years accom-
modated all traffic between the Rogue River Valley and the south-cen-
tral Oregon range country. In spring and summer it offers a view of
great numbers of snow-white pelicans, some floating silently on lake or
river, others soaring in flocks overhead.
5. The EWAUNA BOX MILL (open 8-5 weekdays on applica-
tion at office), 6th & Spring Sts., with a daily capacity of 150,000 feet
of finished lumber, is one of the larger mills of the district. Operations
can be watched from the time a log is hauled up out of the water until
it has been put through the mill. With the log in position on the car-
l86 OREGON
riage, the big saw screams its way through from end to end, lopping off
great slices. At times these cuts are four or more feet in thickness. The
thick slices are canted onto rollers that carry them to the edger, which
squares the timbers, and then on to the trimmer, where the poorer
parts are cut out. This process continues until the log has been trans-
formed into lumber.
6. FREMONT BRIDGE, W. end of Nevada Ave., is a memorial
to Lieutenant John C. Fremont, the pathfinder, who, under the guid-
ance of Kit Carson, slashed his way through the Oregon wilderness in
1843 and 1846. In and about Klamath Falls many campgrounds, burial
places, and battle sites are marked in his honor. From Fremont Bridge
is a fine view of Upper Klamath Lake, made nationally famous by E.
H. Harriman, who built an elaborate lodge on Pelican Bay at the
northern end of the lake because, it is said, he considered it the most
beautiful spot in the west. The bridge is of concrete, single-arched with
ornamental railing.
7. MOORE PARK, on Rock Creek Highway W. of Link River,
a large area mostly in its natural state, was donated to the city by
Rufus C. Moore, a pioneer. In the park is a small Zoo and AVIARY
(open 8-8 daily), a tennis court, a toboggan slide, and a well-equipped
picnic ground.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Klaniath Wild Life Reservation, 11 m. (see TOUR 4). Algoma Point, 12 m.\
Klaraath Indian Reservation, 32 m.\ Crater Lake National Park, 60 m. (see
TOUR ^D). Lava Beds National Monument, 36 m. S. in California (see TOUR
*A, CALIFORNIA STATE GUIDE}.
Medford
Rath oad Station ' N. sth and Front Sts , for Southern Pacific Lines.
Bus Station: Jackson Hotel, 614 S. Central St., for Pacific Greyhound and Inde-
pendent Motor Stages.
Airport'. Municipal Airport, 3 m. NE. on State 62 for United Airlines; Taxi
$1.25.
Taxis' Fare, 250 minimum.
Accommodations- Five hotels; six tourist camps.
Information Service. Chamber of Commerce, i E. Main St, near depot, Oregon
State Motor Assn., 34. S Riverside St.
Radio Station: KMED (1310 kc.).
Motion Picture Houses Four.
Swimming: Merrick Natatorium, N. Riverside St., fee 2$c.
Golf: Rogue River Valley Golf Association, Hillcrest Road, 18 holes, greens fees
$i weekdays, $1.50 Sundays.
MEDFORD (1,377 alt., 11,007 PP*)j summer resort town and fruit
and lumber center, lies in the heart of the Rogue River Valley, which
presents a picture of endless orchards, irrigated by clear mountain
streams and hemmed in, for the most part, by the steep walls of the
Cascade and Siskiyou Ranges, and the broken escarpment of Table
Rock. From the floor of the valley sloping benches and rounded foot-
hills rise to the surrounding mountains, which are heavily timbered with
yellow pine, sugar pine, fir, cedar, oak, madrona and other varieties of
trees. In the spring the valley is filled with coral-tinted blossoms; in
the autumn pears, apples, peaches, plums, almonds, and grapes are har-
vested.
The city is built on both sides of Bear Creek ten miles from its con-
fluence with Rogue River. Several bridges connect the east and west
sides of the town. Orchards extend on all sides of the city, and numer-
ous fruit trees abound within the city itself. Poor indeed is the home
that has neither apple nor pear trees in its yard. In the last two decades
Medford has made rapid growth, more than doubling in population;
but in spite of this it is a well-planned city. Native trees have been per-
mitted to grow and, supplemented by imported growths, give a park-
like effect to the town. An extensive park system and civic center with
architectural harmony adds to the attractiveness of the city plan. Along
the railroad tracks is an almost unbroken row of fruit-packing and ship-
ping warehouses, fragrant with fruit in late summer and early fall.
Many easterners maintain summer residences in the surrounding foot-
hills and mountains, and Medford's hotels and restaurants are crowded
with visitors. The city is in the heart of an extensive recreational area
l88 OREGON
and its roads give access to Crater Lake, Rogue River Gorge, the Ore-
gon Caves, Table Rock, a natural bridge near Prospect, many varieties
of mineral springs, and numerous scenic and recreational attractions.
There is good fishing in near-by Rogue River, and it is said that Jack-
son County has more deer than cattle.
With the approach of fall the exodus of summer residents is fol-
lowed by the arrival of a small army of fruit pickers and packers of
both sexes and all ages. Throngs jam the sidewalks and automobiles
crowd the curb. Among the throngs are youngsters who have trekked
across the continent in ancient flivvers to see the long dreamed-of West,
roaming families who follow the fruit, flitting from one crop to an-
other, Hawaiian and Filipino boys from their island homes, organizers
and knights of the soap-box airing their views on government and eco-
nomics. Here today and gone tomorrow, they come when the fruit calls
them, and, their tasks finished, they vanish until another season beckons
them back.
Visitors to Medford in the fall and winter months may note the stacks
of wood that stand unprotected from the elements, bearing "wood for
sale" signs. Winters are so mild in the Rogue River Valley that house-
holders need not store up wood for winter, but content themselves with
buying an occasional load for use on chilly evenings.
The site of Medford, unapproached by a navigable river, was set-
tled late. The well-grassed valley and the surrounding forested moun-
tains abounded in game, and this was a favorite hunting ground for the
Indians, who resented white encroachment. When gold was discovered
at near-by Jacksonville in 1851 a great many people came from the
Willamette Valley to go into mining. As the richness of the gold field
diminished, many of them, seeing the fertility of the valley, settled here.
The Indians of Rogue River Valley were placed on a reservation under
the terms of a treaty of 1856, and the area was thrown open for settle-
ment.
Medford was an "opposition" town, established in 1883 by the Ore-
gon and California Railroad Company (now the Southern Pacific),
when Central Point, four miles north, refused to lend financial aid
toward completion of the road through the southern part of the state.
"Though poor in purse" the people of Jackson County contributed gen-
erously to the building of the railroad. Many farmers subscribed quan-
tities of wheat or other grain, a few made direct payments in cash,
others filled out their quotas with beaver skins, and sawmill owners
gave cross ties to be used in laying the track. Unable to punish Central
Point by leaving it off the main line, the railroad for a number of
years refused to stop at the town or to sell tickets to that destination.
The new town was named Middleford because it was situated at the
middle of three fords on Bear Creek, but David Loring, a railroad en-
gineer who had lived in Medford, Massachusetts, suggested the change
to the present name.
With wide streets and "a reserved space for public buildings," Med-
ford began as a well-planned town. Saloons were permitted to operate
MED FORD 189
here, though they were haired in some other Jackson County settle-
ments, and an occasional "roughian" disturbed the peace and quiet of the
little community, which otherwise got most of its amusement from at-
tending church meetings and dances sponsored by the literary society or
the temperance union. Medford was incorporated as a town in 1884,
and remcorporated as a city in 1905.
With the support of the railroad, Medford became the distributing
point of the sparsely settled valley, but not until the turn of the cen-
tury, when its fruit began to attract attention, did the town begin a con-
sistent growth. In the first decade of the twentieth century the city grew
from 1,790 to almost 9,000 population, the greatest growth taking place
about 1908. During these boom days every tram was crowded with
landseekers from California and the eastern states, bringing capital and
scientific knowledge to the fruit industry in the valley. Thousands of
acres nearby were planted to pears and other fruits; Medford ex-
panded its borders to four square miles and started public works that
are still (1939) an expense to local taxpayers.
As Medford prospered, the old mining town of Jacksonville, the
original county seat, dwindled. In 1927 Medford was made the county
seat. The previous year the county received a refund from the Federal
Government on taxes owing on railroad "grant lands." This land,
known as the Oregon and California Grant, was given to the railroads
in the eighties as a subsidy, on condition that the railroad dispose of it
at $2.50 an acre. The railroad ignored the condition and the Govern-
ment took back the land in 1915. The "grant counties" then persuaded
the Government to compensate them, m the amount of a million dol-
lars, for lost taxes. Jackson county utilized its share of the fund in
building a new courthouse, which was completed in 1932.
The commercial life of Medford revolves around the fruit and lumber
industries. Orchards planted during the boom have now reached full
bearing and the annual pear pack of the district averages about four
thousand carloads, which move out in two streams, one to the eastern
states and to foreign countries as fresh fruit, and one to the canneries
of the Willamette Valley. Six cold-storage plants handle truck and rail
shipments and more than $12,000,000 worth of products are annually
dispatched to the markets of the world. Jackson County's vast timber
wealth is reflected in local industries, which include planing mills, cabi-
net factories, and a sawmill with a capacity of 250,000 board feet
daily. Here great power-driven saws drone and whine, ripping to exact
thickness and length great trees logged in the hills and mountains that
encompass the valley, and stacks of yellow pine lumber shed on the air
a pungency that not even the sharp fragrance of fruit blossoms can
dispel. The city also has a modern candy factory, a plate glass works,
a flouring mill, three stone-tile and cement-block plants, an iron foun-
dry, a catsup plant, twenty-one fruit-packing plants, a vegetable and
meat canning plant, and a large ice plant.
Numerous Federal offices are located in Medford. A branch office
of the U. S. Department of Agriculture is fitted with a library-labora-
I9O OREGON
tory in charge of a pathologist whose duty it is to attend to the horti-
cultural interests of the Rogue River Valley,
POINTS OF INTEREST
1. JACKSON COUNTY COURTHpUSE, S. Oakdale St. be-
tween W. Main and W. 8th Sts., the most imposing edifice in the city,
is a modern four-story building faced with Indiana limestone and
trimmed in Ashland granite. The entrance pavilion, five bays in width,
Is nanked by heavy pylons, while the fourth story is in the form of a
low set-back. The interior trim is of Alaska marble. Designed by John
G. Link, it was completed in 1932.
2. MEDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY (open 9-9 weekdays; 2-9
Sun.) 413 W, Main St., a brick and stone structure of Neo-Classic
design containing more than thirty thousand volumes, some of them rare
and valuable editions, is opposite the courthouse in a park-like block.
One of the acquisitions is a collection of books on animal life, travel,
and history, presented by Edison Marshall, author and big game hunter,
formerly a resident of the city. The library maintains branches in several
smaller towns of the county. In the grounds of the library, as in many
other parts of the city, are huge native oak trees covered with great
clumps of mistletoe, in some instances so abundant that it almost hides
the branches,
3. MEDFORD CITY PARK, W. Main St. between S. Ivy and
S. Holly Sts., has a central fountain surmounted by a Carrara marble
statue of a youth seated with two dogs upon his knees. The fountain,
which provides drinking water for birds and dogs, was given to the
city in 1929 by C. W. and Gallic Palm. The sculptor and designer are
unknown.
4. NEWBY & SONS FRUIT PACKING PLANT (open week-
days by arrangement) , First St. and Southern Pacific Ry., is one of the
larger packing, shipping and cold storage plants of the city where fruits
are sorted, graded and packed, as they come from the orchards. After
a special bath in acid or alkaline solutions the fruit is run through
rinses of fresh water and dried by currents of air. Washing machines
deliver the fruit to grading machines, which automatically deliver the
sized fruit to the correct bin. Men and women pack the apples from
the bins into the boxes in which they are to be shipped. Pickers, graders,
and packers all wear gloves and the fruit is not touched by the bare
hand. After packing the fruit is stored in refrigerated rooms or shipped
in refrigerated cars.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Jacksonville, scene of first gold discovery in Oregon, 1851, 6 m.\ Jackson Hot
Springs, 8 m. ; Lithia Springs, Ashland, 10 m. ; Site of Old Fort Lane, 10 m. ;
Gold Ray Dam in the Rogue River, 12 m.\ Table Rock, 15 m. (see TOUR 2).
Rogue River Canyon, 46 m.\ Natural Bridge, 56 m.\ Crater Lake, 80 m. (see
TOUR 4C). Oregon Caves, 94 m. (see TOUR 2D).
Oregon City
Railroad Station 7th St. and Railroad Ave , for Southern Pacific Lines.
Bus Stations . 7th St. between Main and Railroad Ave , for Greyhound Stages ;
Railroad Ave between 6th and 7th Sts., for Dollar Lines, sth and Main Sts.,
for Peden & Rankin.
City Busses Fare 50.
Taxis: ice a mile.
Accommodations i Hotel at West Linn, across river
Information Service: Chamber of Commerce, Hogg Bldg, 8th and Main Sts. ;
A.A.A., Ed May Garage, 5th and Water Sts
Motion Picture Houses: Three.
Tennis" High school courts, i2th and J. Q. Adams Sts
Swimming: Municipal Swimming Pool, loth and Madison Sts.; Library Park
Wading Pool, 6th and John Adams Sts,
Golf- Mt. Pleasant Golf Club, 9 holes, greens fee 250; Oregon City Golf Club,
9 holes, greens fee $i.
Annual Events: Territorial Days, usually during last two weeks of Aug.; Mid-
Spring Chinook Salmon Run; Lamprey Eel Migration, May- July.
OREGON CITY (72 alt., 5,761 pop.) is a city of first things in
Oregon. It was the first provisional and terntorial capital, the first town
incorporated west of the Missouri River, scene of the first use of water
power in Oregon, the first Masonic lodge west of the Missouri was
organized here, and a pioneer library and temperance and debating so-
cieties were first in the region.
Oregon City is the seat of Clackamas County, situated at the point
where the broad, navigable Willamette River drops forty-two feet from
a basaltic ledge with a crest more than three thousand feet long. The
city owes its importance as a manufacturing center chiefly to utilization
of abundant water power furnished by the falls.
The city is best viewed from the west end of the graceful, single-span
Willamette River bridge. As the prehistoric inland sea that filled the
Willamette Valley gradually drained into the Pacific Ocean, it left
three distinct terraces or shore lines, locally called benches, on the
precipitous bluff along the east shore of the Willamette River. Occu-
pying the first of these benches, between the river and the cliff, is the
business section of the city.A hundred feet above, on the second terrace,
is the residential district. Two hundred feet above this is the third
bench, stretching eastward toward the green foothills of the Cascade
Range and the rigidly symmetrical slopes of Mount Hood. Streets so
steep that they seem to stand on end connect these three levels. Many
houses edge the cliff, facing the wide expanse of river and forested hills
192 OREGON
beyond. Almost hidden in trees and shrubbery, they peer down like
sentinels from a parapet.
The chinook salmon run in mid-spring, and the flocks of fishermen
drawn to it, can be seen from the bridge. Above the span, in the pool
below the falls, is a choice spot for more venturesome sportsmen; it is
difficult to keep boats m place here, but the salmon rest in the pool be-
fore attempting the fish ladder over the falls. The great majority, how-
ever, fish below the bridge at a safe distance from the white torrent,
their boats anchored in rows at right angles with the current. From
the bridge, too, is a birdseye view of Willamette Falls and the industrial
plants huddled close on both sides of the river.
White occupancy of Oregon City, in an area that the Hudson's Bay
Company did not onginally want settled, was forced upon the company
because of the pending boundary settlement between the United States
and England. "It becomes an important object to acquire as ample
an occupation of the Country and Trade as possible," company officials
wrote in 1828, "on the South as well as on the North side of the Colum-
bia River, looking always to the Northern side falling to our Share on
a division, and to secure this, it may be as well to have something to
give up on the South when the final arrangement comes to be made."
Dr. John McLoughlm of Vancouver, chief factor of the Columbia
department, was ordered to set up a sawmill at "the falls of the
Wilhamet (south of the Columbia) where the same Establishment of
people can attend to the Mill, watch the Fur & Salmon Trade, and
take care of a Stock of Cattle."
Three log houses were built on the site of Oregon City in the winter
of 1829-30, and potatoes were planted in the spring. The Indians,
resenting this infringement of their territory, burned the houses. A
flour mill and sawmill constructed in 1832 made use of the first water
power in Oregon. Feeling quickly developed between American settleis
and the Hudson's Bay Company, and in 1841 a group of Methodist
missionaries organized a milling company, occupying an island below
the falls, opposite the property claimed by Dr. McLoughlm ; later they
built on the shore, directly on his claim. In order to forestall this pre-
emption, Dr. McLoughlm the following yea* named the town and had
it platted by Sidney Walter Moss, who came with the first big group
of settlers in 1842 and owned a pocket compass.
The Oregon Temperance Society, founded in 1838, was the first of
its kind in the region; prohibition, much agitated at the time, had a
safety factor, for no house was safe from Indian entry if it was known
to contain liquor. The Multnomah Circulating Library was organized
in 1842, with three hundred books and a capital of $500. The Oregon
Lyceum and the Falls Debating Society were formed the following year.
The latter probably gave impetus to the beginning of civil government
in the Northwest; its members frequently debated such questions as
"Resolved, That it is expedient for the settlers on this coast to establish
an independent government."
The immigration of 1844 added about eight hundred people to the
OREGON C I T ^ J 9 J
population of Oregon City. The provisional government, formed the
year before at Champoeg, chose the city as its seat, and the first pro-
visional legislature assembled heie in June, 1844. Jesse Applegate was
given authority to replat the city, making it larger than the original
Moss survey. He used a rope four rods long instead of the usual sur-
veyor's chain, and the variation in the rope's length due to moisture
conditions and stretching accounts for the irregular size of the lots.
The legislature granted the town a charter, making it the first to be
incorporated west of the Missouri River. George Abernethy, who one
year later became provisional governor, erected the first brick store in
Oregon. In the same year the first furniture factory in the Pacific
Northwest was built here.
By 1846 Oregon City had seventy houses and some five hundred
inhabitants. In that year the Oregon Spectator began publication, mem-
bers of the Masonic fraternity organized the first lodge west of the
Missouri River, and the first American flag owned by the provisional
government was raised.
Oregon City was profoundly shocked by news of the Whitman mas-
sacre at Wanlatpu in 1847; the surviving women and children were
brought to the town by Peter Skene Ogden, Hudson's Bay agent. The
Oregon capital sent men to fight in the resulting Cayuse Wai, and the
murderers of the Whitman party were subsequently tried in Oregon
City, sentenced to death, and hanged. In January, 1848, Joe Meek, a
colorful character, left Oregon City to carry the request of the provi-
sional legislature for territorial status to Washington, and returned in
March, 1849, with the newly appointed territorial governor, Joseph
Lane. The city was made territorial capital and remained so until 1852,
when the seat of government was removed to Salem.
Oregon City's modern industrial life dates from 1864, when a woolen
mill was established by two brothers named Jacobs. Two years later, the
erection of the first paper mill on the Coast initiated development of the
city's most important industry. In 1925 Oregon City adopted the com-
mission form of government and appointed a city manager.
Several well-known literary figures are associated with the city at
the falls. First in time was the host of the Main Street Hotel, Sidney
Walter Moss, who wrote The Prairie Flower, a tale of Oregon and
the Oregon Trail. Edwin Markham, the poet, was born here in 1852,
but removed to California with his mother when he was a small boy.
Eva Emery Dye, resident of the city for more than forty years, in
McLoughlin and Old Oregon, The Conquest, and The Soul of
America, used the historical background of the state as material for her
books. A resident for a time was Ella Higgmson, author of stories,
novels, and poems with an Oregon and Northwest background (see
LITERATURE).
POINTS OF INTEREST
i. The SITE OF THE FIRST PROTESTANT CHURCH
in the Oregon Country, SE. corner of 7th and Main Sts., is occupied
194 OREGON
by a store, on the west front of which is a bronze marker commemora-
tive of the old Methodist chinch, dedicated in 1844. In the winter of
1847 the provisional legislature met in the building.
2. The SITE OF THE FIRST CAPITOL OF OREGON
TERRITORY, SE. corner 6th and Mam Sts., now occupied by a
grocery store, is indicated by a bronze marker on the west wall. The
capitol was a plain two-story building, which served after removal of
the capital to Salem as the meeting place of the Masonic lodge, the Sons
of Temperance, and the county court.
3. The HAWLEY PULP AND PAPER PLANT (open on
application at office) , S. end of Main St., on E. bank of Willamette
River, manufactures print and wrapping paper. Organized in 1908,
it affords employment for an average of one thousand workers. The site
of the Oregon Spectator office, "the first newspaper issued in the Ameri-
can territory west of the Rocky mountains" (see NEWSPAPERS
AND RADIO), is designated by a bronze marker in the wall of the
paper company's office. Printed first on February 5, 1846, the paper
was published for less than a decade, but it strongly influenced the
political and cultural life of the period. One of its earliest editors was
George Law Curry, who later became governor of the territory.
On the grounds of the plant was the old Main Street House, the
first hotel of the city, a cabin measuring fourteen by seventeen feet.
Later the hotel was established in a two-story building on the southwest
corner of 3rd and Main Streets and advertised in rhyme:
"To all, high or low,
Please down with your dust,
For he's no friend of ours
That would ask us to trust."
The proprietor, Sidney Walter Moss, who platted the town, was one
of the most colorful of early Oregon characters. Coming to the North-
west in 1842, he was Oregon's first recognized novelist; built the first
jail; paid from his own pocket for a free primary school; was at various
times assessor and clerk of the circuit court; and conducted, beside his
hotel, a store, a ferryboat, and a livery stable. He was convicted and
fined for selling brandy to the Indians, and it is said that he would
rather fight than eat. It was his custom to stride up and down the street
ringing a cowbell to call his customers to dinner.
4. The SITE OF THE McLOUGHLIN MANSION, Main
St. between 2nd and 3rd Sts., is occupied by a paper mill. The old
house was built and occupied by the "White-Headed Eagle" after his
resignation as factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and later was
moved to McLoughlin Park. Across the street, where a woolen mill
now stands, was the stockade where Dr. McLoughlin, while factor,
safeguarded company stores.
5. On the riverbank W. of Water St. and S. of 5th St., is the
SITE OF THE OLD MINT. Early settlers were handicapped by
OREGON CITY 195
coin scarcity, substituting as media of exchange "beaver skins, wheat,
bills, drafts and orders, gold dust, and silver coins of Mexico and Peru."
After the discovery of gold in California, dust and nuggets were brought
into Oregon. Merchants allowed only eleven dollars an ounce whereas
eighteen dollars was the current value. The provisional government
authorized the striking of coins just before news was received of terri-
torial recognition. The need for a medium of exchange was so great
that this "mint" was built and operated by a private company of pioneers
from February to September, 1849. The Oregon Exchange Company
produced $58,000 worth of $5 and $10 pieces from dies and a press
constructed from old wagon irons. These pieces, known as "beaver
money," because^each was stamped with the likeness of a beaver, dis-
appeared from circulation as federal currency grew plentiful. An orig-
inal ten-dollar coin, the two dies, and the rollers of the press are in
the possession of the Oregon Historical Society at Portland.
6. The SITE OF THE BIRTHPLACE OF EDWIN MARK-
HAM, Water St. between 5th and 6th Sts., is a vacant lot, near the
middle of the block. The house, a small yellow cottage, was destroyed
in the flood of 1861. The poet Edwin Markham, best known for "The
Man with the Hoe," was born here on April 23, 1852. His father,
Samuel Markham, was captain of an emigrant train that came west
from Michigan, arriving in Oregon City in 1847; he was later a
farmer and hunter, and "a good provider." "I remember vividly the
Willamette Falls at our back door and the Indians that paraded into
my mother's store," Markham told his biographer, William L. Stidger.
"My mother [Elizabeth Winchell Markham] not only kept a store to
help make a living but she also planted the apple seeds she had brought
from Michigan. . . . She was also the poet laureate of the new settle-
ment, the earliest woman writer recorded in Oregon. Her verse cele-
brated all the local affairs, such as the arrival of ships, the deaths of
pioneers, the flight of strange birds." In his California the Wonderful
Markham recalls his "first years, picking up pebbles on the shore,
watching the white waterfalls, gazing on the high mysterious bluffs
that look down upon the young city." He remembered Dr. John Mc-
Loughlin, "six-feet-six, handsome and impressive," and wrote in the
foreword to Richard Montgomery's The White-Headed Eagle: "I was
taken into the cathedral in Oregon City when the good man was lying
in state . . . some strong man lifted me onto his shoulder that I might
look down upon the face of the great dead ... it was my first encounter
with Death." Edwin was five at the time.
7. The MASONIC TEMPLE, Main St. between 7th and 8th
Sts., is headquarters of the oldest Masonic Lodge west of the Missouri
River. It was organized in 1846 after the preliminary meeting called in
the first issue of the Oregon Spectator. The charter was brought across
the plains by ox-team.
8. The CLACKAMAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 8th and
Main Sts., of modern design, is constructed of reinforced concrete faced
with terra-cotta. In the county clerk's office is the original plat of San
L-^ A T tv J ' &c * ' i-"" J ii JU_JL_J
selfc^g?
i OF INTEREST
8. TkClackamas County Court- n, MckglWark
house 12, Albion Post House
1 V 9, St John's Roman CaMc 13, Wilamette Falls Vista
198 OREGON
Francisco, filed in 1850, when Oregon City was the only seat of Ameri-
can government on the Pacific Coast.
9. Beneath ST. JOHN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH,
loth and Water Sts., are buried Dr. John McLoughlm and his wife,
Margaret. The headstones are set in the front wall not far from loth
Street.
10. The MUNICIPAL ELEVATOR (free), ;th St. and Rail-
road Ave., is the city's oddest structure. It is a slender perpendicular
steel framework tower with an enclosed elevator shaft, from the top
of which a horizontal steel bridge leads to the first residential terrace
above the business section. The elevator lifts pedestrians ninety feet up
the steep face of the cliff.
11. In McLOUGHLIN PARK, 7th and Center Sts., facing the
cliff overlooking the business district and the River, stands the old
McLOUGHLIN MANSION (open 9-5 daily), a rectangular two-
story structure with simple dignified lines, characteristic of early Oregon
architecture. Dr. McLoughlm built the house in 1845-46 and occupied
it until his death on September 3, 1857. The lumber used in construc-
tion was cut locally, but doors and windows were shipped around the
Horn from the east. Removed from its original site in 1909, the five-
bay, hip roofed, clapboarded house was restored by the Daughters of the
American Revolution. The upper sashes of the windows have sixteen
small panes, the lower ones twelve an unusual arrangement. A short
flight of wooden steps leads up to a plain porch. About the massive
front door are narrow side lights and transoms, providing light for
the central hall. A stairway rises in a graceful curve at the rear of the
hall, and on both sides of the hall are large living rooms. At each end
of the house is a wide fireplace and mantel.
Dr. McLoughlm (1784-1857) was appointed chief factor in the
Columbia River department of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1824.
From his headquarters in Vancouver the tall, white-haired gentleman
with the cane ruled as a kindly despot over the whole Columbia country.
He ruthlessly but openly crushed competition in the fur trade, was
generous to destitute immigrants, enforced prohibition among the Indian
tribes, and pieserved peace between the Indians and whites. Under
orders from the company he established the first settlement at Oregon
City, and moved here w nen he resigned as factor in 1845. His British
citizenship, Catholic faith in a Protestant country, and comparative
wealth prevented his election to public office. He became an American
citizen in 1851, and spent his embittered latter years operating his store
and mills, and attempting to collect from those who had obtained seed
and supplies from him while he was chief factor. Although she was
part Indian, McLoughlm always treated his wife with great deference.
More than once he rebuked a colonist for "your manners, before ladies"
when he failed to remove his hat in her presence.
North of the mansion is the BARCLAY HOUSE (private), built
by Dr. Forbes Barclay in 1846, on the site of the present Masonic
Temple. It was moved to the park in 1937. Dr. Barclay was surgeon
OREGON CITY 199
at Fort Vancouver and a close friend of Dr. McLoughlm. The house
of Cape Cod colonial architecture is used as the caretaker's residence.
12. The ALBION POST HOUSE (private), 1115 Washington
St. (now called the Cochran House), was built in 1852, and is a fine
example of the Cape Cod colonial type of architecture. An old elm in
the yard was brought as a sapling from New England by a sea captain
and given to Rev. George H. Atkinson, pastor of the First Congrega-
tional church and first territorial superintendent of education.
13. WILLAMETTE FALLS VISTA, W. end of S. 2nd St.
between the Pacific Highway and the river, is a small parking space and
observation walk affording an excellent view of the falls. Although most
of the water has been impounded to furnish power for the mills, the falls
remain one of the most interesting features of the city. The annual
migration of lamprey eels attracts much attention. The eels begin coming
up the \Villamette in April, the main run arriving at Oregon City from
May to July. When the mills are closed on Sundays, the water is higher,
and large numbers of eels work up among the rocks to get over the
ledge. When the mills open on Monday the withdrawal of water kills
thousands of the lampreys. To prevent pollution, a campaign of ex-
termination has been waged against the eels. Fires are built below the
falls where the dead eels are burned.
14. MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY, E. end of Hilda St.,
is the burial place of Peter Skene Ogden, early Oregon fur trader and
Dr. McLoughlin's successor at Fort Vancouver. Left of the entrance
stands a granite monument to his memory. Ogden, who led fur-trading
expeditions into all parts of the Oregon country, rescued the women
survivors of the Whitman massacre from their Indian captors. Ogden,
Utah, is named for him. The oldest headstone in the cemetery marks the
grave of Dr. Forbes Barclay. Sidney Walter Moss is also buried there.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Marylhurst School for Girls, 3 ra.; Oswego Lake and old Iron Smelter, 4 m.
(see TOUR 2). Clackamas River, fishing stream, 2 m.
Pendleton
Railroad Station Main and Railroad Sts., for Union Pacific Railroad, and North-
ern Pacific Railway.
Bus Station. 500 Main St., for Union Pacific Stages.
Airport 2. m. W. on US 30, then R 0.5 m., for United Airlines; taxi, $i.
Taxis Minimum charge, 25C
Accommodations'. Four hotels; auto camps
Information Service Chamber of Commerce, Elks Temple, Court and Garden Sts
Theaters and Motion Picture Houses. Civic theater in Round-Up Park; two
motion picture houses.
Tennis : Municipal Tennis Courts, E. Webb and Clay Sts., free.
Swimming Natatorium, Round-Up Park, free.
Golf- Pendleton Country Club, W. end Raley St., 9 holes, greens fee, 5oc Mon.-
Fri , $i Sat. and Sun.
Annual Events. The Pendleton Round-Up, mid-September.
PENDLETON (1,070 alt., 6,621 pop.), seat of Umatilla County
and home of the famous Pendleton Round-Up, is the trading center
for an extensive gram, sheep, and cattle area. Curving between folded
hills, the Umatilla River flows through the city, dividing it into two
unequal sections. Often beaver and muskrats can be seen playing in
the stream just below the busy city streets. North of the river the hills
rise abruptly from the water's edge, bringing to a quick terminus the
well-paved streets that for a short distance climb the precipitous slopes.
Residences, shadowed by rows of locust trees, overlook the business
district that occupies the flat on the opposite side of the river. The
principal industries are concentrated along the eastern and southern
edge of town. Wheatfields, invisible from the lower levels, stretch in
every direction. Towering flour mills produce 2,000 barrels a day, and
woolen mills manufacture the well-known Pendleton blankets.
A few riders from the ranges and Indians from the reservation may
be seen on the streets of Pendleton at any time of year, but as Round-
Up time approaches the city takes on all the appearance of a typical
cow town of the Old West. Then on the streets the familiar figures
of an almost lost romance appear in picturesque variety. Here they are
again, chapped and booted cowboys, saddles creaking, spur-chains jing-
ling; cowgirls in fringed buckskin riding costumes; Indians from the
nearby Umatilla Reservation, blanketed and moccasined, the bright-
shawled squaws bearing papooses strapped to their backs. Mingled
with them are hawkers of souvenirs and strangers from far and near.
The Round-Up, a civic enterprise first produced in 1910 and an
PENDLETON 2OJ
annual event since 1912, attracts thousands of visitors during three
days of mid-September. Railroads run special excursion trains, on which
celebrants eat and sleep while the Round-Up is in progress, and private
homes are thrown open to accommodate visitors when other facilities
prove inadequate. Profits from the enterprise are spent upon public
improvements.
Charles Wellington Furlong, in Let J er Buck, a book about the
Pendleton Round-Up, titled with its slogan, gives a picture of the
crowd, including cowboys "outfitting in the high-grade shops of the
city, which carry for this occasion paiticularly gala-colored shirts of
sheening silk or rich velvet, and studded on collar, front and forearm
with pearl buttons as flat and big as dollars, and kerchiefs which would
make any self-respecting rainbow pale with envy. On the corner a big-
sombreroed, swarthy Mexican puffs silently on his ciganllo; moccasin-
footed Umatilla Indians pigeon-toe along, trailed by heavy-set papoose-
bearing squaws and beautiful daughters, pausing before the allurements
in the display windows. Among the fancy and useful objects, naturally
the beautiful blankets and shawls make the greatest appeal not only to
the passing Indian woman, but to the white."
The stadium in which the Round-Up contests are held is in the
western edge of Pendleton beside the Old Oregon Trail. The contests
include lassoing and trick and fancy rope work; wild-horse, stage-coach,
pony relay, and squaw races; steer-throwing and bulldogging; and the
grand finale of all events, the bucking contests. Around three sides of the
vast arena stretch the grandstands and bleachers. Across the arena knee
to knee, sits a long line of cowboys, cowgirls, and Indians, mounted on
some of the best stock of the range, awaiting their turn to participate in
the stirring contests. To the left rise the Indian bleachers, and beyond,
toward the river, are the steer and horse corrals and the white-topped
tepees of the Indians.
Contestants from California to Canada take part in the numerous
events, re-enacting the daily toil and the infrequent pageantry of the
Old West. Stage coaches and prairie schooners parade against the vivid
background of brilliantly shirted and kerchiefed cowboys and bright-
robed Indians. The bai baric regalia of the 2,000 Indians, cherished for
this annual display, is exhibited with a true sense of showmanship by
descendants of the tribes that once harried the wagon trains. War-
bonnets decked with eagle feathers, costumes and robes of finest buck-
skin or woven of brilliant wool and decorated with gorgeous scroll-
work of beads and elk teeth a million dollars' worth of finery flash
in the sun as the warriors go through the intricate maneuvers of the
war dance. These Indians come from all parts of the Pacific Northwest,
to dance their native dances and recreate the war scenes that were once
a grim reality to some members of the tribes still living.
Prizes awarded in the various contests are the gold and silver Roose-
velt Trophy, valued at $2,500, and presented by the Hotel Roosevelt
in New York City in commemoration of Theodore Roosevelt's interest
in cow camp and cattle trail; the Sam Jackson Trophy, which honors
2O2 OREGON
the founder of the Portland (Oregon) Journal, for many years a citizen
of Pendleton; a silver-mounted saddle, made by Hamley and Company
of Pendleton, one of the oldest saddleries in the West; and the Police
Gazette belt.
As the pageantry of the stadium brings again to life the ancient
activities of the ranch and open range, Happy Canyon revivifies the
hectic nights of the cow town. Here in the heart of Pendleton has
been constructed a spot where everyone can participate in a period of
frontier fun. Along Main Street of Happy Canyon rise the false fronts
of saloons, dance halls, a hotel, a millinery shop, a Chinese laundry, and
several other emporiums of trade. Indians, pioneers, cowboys, and spec-
tators mingle in a realistic revival of the old days when men were
"cow-pokes" and cattle were "ornery beef critters" ; they dance, put on
Indian battles and frontier horseplay.
On the last day of the celebration is held the Westward Ho ! parade,
a pageant of the Old West on the march. Led by the mounted cowboy
band, officials of the Round-Up, hundreds of kerchiefed cowboys and
cowgirls riding four abreast, hunters, prospectors, packers, mules, ox-
carts, prairie schooners, stage coaches, floats depicting pioneer and
Indian life, and lastly the gorgeously costumed Indians in a kaleidos-
copic mingling of color pass in review.
The site of Pendleton was on the Oregon Trail, and emigrant trains
rattled over the townsite for twenty years before the Umatilla River
country was recognized as good wheat land, in the early sixties. But
land was cheap even then, for Moses E. Goodwin traded a team of
horses to a squatter for 160 acres just below the mouth of Wild Horse
Creek on the Umatilla River. Goodwin operated a ferry and ran an
inn at which he entertained "an occasional wayfarer." The only other
house on the Goodwin tract was occupied by G. W. Bailey.
Creation of Umatilla County in 1862 gave Goodwin and Bailey an
opportunity to exercise their genius toward making the farm into a
county seat town. Marshall Station was the first county seat, but the
election of 1864 to select a permanent county seat eclipsed the presiden-
tial election in local interest. Umatilla County then included almost
all of northeastern Oregon, and agricultural interests wanted a central
location for the transaction of their legal business. Umatilla City, or
Landing, at the junction of the Umatilla and Columbia rivers, won the
contest, and the county seat was moved there in 1865. Goodwin erected
a toll bridge the following year.
Agitation for a new county seat was not long in coming, and Moses
Goodwin and G. W. Bailey were in the thick of it. The state legisla-
ture in 1868 provided for a general election in which two choices were
possible: "the present location of Umatilla Landing as one candidate
and the Upper Umatilla, somewhere between the mouths of Wild
Horse and Birch creeks, as the other." In the elections of that year
Bailey was chosen county judge, and when public sentiment showed
itself in^ favor of a change in county seats he and Goodwin assumed
leadership of a movement to have Goodwin's farm declared the county
PENDLETOX 2O3
seat. Goodwin's offer was accepted by the commissioners after a few
weeks' "search," and the records were removed to Judge Bailey's house
in 1869. On his recommendation the new "town" was named Pendleton,
for George Hunt Pendleton, Demociatic candidate for President in
1868; Pendleton was popular among agricultural people m the West
because they regarded his proposal to pay the principal on government
bonds in greenbacks instead of gold as a measure of relief from taxation.
Umatilla City promptly brought suit against Pendleton for remov-
ing county records from a safe place to a farmhouse, and the new
"county seat" was required to give them up until suitable housing could
be arranged. Moses Goodwin and Judge Bailey provided most of the
funds for a new courthouse, which was built in record time.
In 1870 Goodwin and Judge Bailey had the farm surveyed into blocks
and lots, reserving two and a half acres for public buildings. They
offered the lots at reasonable prices to induce quick settlement, but the
town grew slowly at first. Pendleton's earliest newspaper, the weekly
East Oregoniarij was started in 1875.
The people of Pendleton had anxious moments during the Nez Perce
Indian War of 1877, for Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce leader, had
married a Umatilla woman from the reservation adjoining the town,
and it was feared that the Umatilla people might take up the cause of
their relative. There were several reports that Joseph was coming to
raid the town, and the Indian agent for the Umatilla reservation called
several councils in Pendleton. He succeeded in convincing the Umatillas
that it was best "not to get mixed with Chief Joseph's rebellion." The
town felt safer after General O. O. Howard and his troops came into
the area. Howard went in pursuit of the Nez Perce chieftain, who
executed one of the most brilliant i,4OO-mile retreats known in history,
ending with his capture by General Nelson A. Miles forty miles south
of the Canadian line in Montana. Chief Joseph, who was attempting
to protect Nez Perce rights to the Wallowa Valley, promised by a
treaty in 1855, was sent to Indian Territory.
The town was incorporated in 1880, and at the end of another four
years more room was needed for expansion. By a special act of Congress
640 acres were taken from the Umatilla Reservation adjoining the
original plot, and were made into a new subdivision. Pendleton suffered
severe floods in 1880 and 1882, after which levees were built along
the river.
During the seventies and eighties Pendleton was a center for the
eastern Oregon cattle country. Herds were assembled here and driven
across the mountains into Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. The cattle
drives were lonely and hazardous ventures, and to the cowboys who
followed the weary cattle columns for many arid miles, the friendly
town was an oasis in a desert land. They raced their cayuses down the
dust-deep streets, clinked their spurs as they strode with swaggering
gait on the board walks, or tilted glasses of "red-eye" above the scarred
and tarnished bar of the Last Chance saloon.
In 1880. when the railroad reached Pendleton. the surroundine
2O4 OREGON
region was still m the process of change from cattle to wheat country.
The little town of three thousand had twenty-seven saloons and there
was wide open gambling.
Two great fires, in 1893 and 1895, burned many of the original
wooden buildings, and by the turn of the century most of the local
structures were of brick or stone. Church schools, meantime, provided
high school or "academy" education for local youth until after 1900.
At the time of the World War a troop of cowboy cavalry was re-
cruited at Pendleton, under the captaincy of Lee Caldwell, a great
rider of bucking horses. Troop D, 3rd Oregon Cavalry, was later
transferred to the I48th Field Artillery, and saw service at Chateau
Thierry, St. Mihiel, Belleau Wood, and the Argonne. They were cited
once by American military officials and twice by the French.
Pendleton as the center of an extensive trading area, has a large
business section in comparison to its population. Local industries include
flour mills, foundries, machine shops, planing mills and creameries.
POINTS OF INTEREST
1. TIL TAYLOR PARK, E. Court and Alta Sts., is named for
Tillman D. Taylor, former sheriff of Umatilla County, killed in 1920
while resisting a jailbreak. The park was laid out and landscaped
as a setting for the TILLMAN D. TAYLOR MONUMENT, gift of a host
of friends throughout the Pacific Northwest, which was unveiled
in 1929* An officer of wide reputation, during the eighteen years of his
career Sheriff Taylor captured hundreds of criminals, including des-
peradoes of the most vicious type, without killing any of them. An un-
erring marksman, he shot only to disable. Taylor met his death while
attempting to prevent the escape of four prisoners. He was killed with
his own gun, which fell out of the holster as he grappled with one of
the men he surprised in his office where they were searching for weapons.
While the sheriff was attempting to subdue one prisoner, another picked
up the fallen gun and shot him through the heart. The murderers
escaped into the hills but a posse of Indians and white men took up the
trail and recaptured them. In a dramatic appeal W. R. "Jinks" Taylor,
brother of the slain man, prevented an infuriated mob from lynching
the slayers, who were legally hanged thereafter at the state peniten-
tiary. The monument, a bronze equestrian statue of the sheriff, rises
from a mirror-pool flanked by lily ponds. It is the work of A. Phimister
Proctor.
2. The COUNTY COURTHOUSE, Court St. between College
and Vincent Sts., a square, two-story concrete-covered brick building
with a central clock tower, was erected in 1889, replacing the original
building (moved to a site on Clay Street). A monument on the lawn
marks the site of the first school in Pendleton, opened in 1870.
3. HAMLEY AND COMPANY SADDLERY (open 8-5 week-
days), 126-135 E. Court St., is an internationally known manufactory
of fine saddles and harness. Starting in 1905 with a force of two workers
PENDLETON 2O5
the establishment now has a peisonnel of thuty-foui employes. The
company presents silver-mounted saddles to winners of vanous events
in the Pendleton Round-Up.
4. The PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS (open 8-5 week-
days}, Court and Benefit Sts., manufacturers Pendleton blankets in
Indian designs, rugs, and wearing apparel Although the mill is com-
paratively small, a two-story structure covering a half-block, it is one
of the most important manufacturing establismments of the town, sup-
plying stores in Portland and other cities of the Northwest. It was
started as a scouring mill to save the expense of shipping raw wool in
grease to New England manufactories. The firm produces almost a
million pounds of woolen goods annually, and employs ninety people.
5. The CIVIC CENTER, between Ann, Aura, Alta and Webb
Sts., occupies two blocks. Here are the junior high school and gym-
nasium and the Vert Memorial Building, all of modern brick construc-
tion, completed in 1937. The VERT MEMORIAL BUILDING (open 9-5
weekdays, catalogue available}, houses a large collection of Indian relics
and other western curios. There is also in the building a civic auditorium
seating 1,200. Architects of the center were George H. Jones and
Harold P. Marsh of Portland.
6. PIONEER PARK, Jackson St. between Bush and Madison
Sts., was a cemetery in pioneer days, and many old graves and tomb-
stones remain. However, most of the area is now given over to a chil-
dren's playground, a wadmg pool, and a municipal bandstand.
7. ROUND-UP PARK, W. edge of city on W. Court St., has an
arena and quarter-mile track surrounded by grandstands and bleachers
seating 40,000 spectators. Also in the park are the Municipal Nata-
torium and an OPEN AIR THEATER, the civic drama center, with a stage
of natural basalt upon which community plays and pageants are enacted.
In 1928 the Roosevelt Trophy was won for the third time by Bob
Crosby which entitled him to be called the world's champion cowboy.
The $5,000 Sam Jackson trophy, a replica of A. Phimister Proctors'
The Buckaroo, which has replaced the Roosevelt Trophy, won perma-
nently by Crosby, has been won twice by Everett Bowman. Other cow-
boys who have won fame at the Round-Up are Jackson Sundown,
nephew of the Indian Chief Joseph, champion all-round cowboy for
1916, and Lee Caldwell, champion for 1915. Caldwell rode three of
Pendleton's worst buckers, Two Step, Old Long Tom, and Spitfire,
in one day* Hoot Gibson and Art Acord, movie stars, participated
in the Round-Up of 1912.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Eastern Oregon State Hospital, 2 m.; Umatilla Indian Reservation, 5 m. ; Emi-
grant Hill (panoramic view of wheatfields and mountains), 1C m.; Bingham
Springs, 26 m.; Emigrant Springs State Park, 27.5 m. (see TOUR i) ; McKay
Dam, 5 m. (see TOUR 5).
Portland
Railroad Stations: Union Station, NW. 6th Ave. and Johnson Sts., for Southern
Pacific Lines, Union Pacific R. R., Northern Pacific Ry., Great Northern Ry.
and Spokane, Portland and Seattle Ry. SW. ist Ave. and Alder St, for Port-
land to Gresham, and Oregon City Lines (electric mterurban).
Bus Stations : Union Stage Terminal, S W. Taylor St. between 5th and 6th Aves ,
for Greyhound Lines, Interstate Transit Lines, Mt. Hood Stages, North Coast
Transportation Co., Oregon Motor Stages, Washington Motor Coach System.
Airports. Swan Island Municipal Airport, 4.5 m N. of city center, via Broad-
way Bridge, Interstate Ave., and Greeley Cut-off, for United Airlines; Taxi,
5oc, time 10 min. New municipal airport, (ready for use in the summer of 1940)
at NE. Columbia Boulevard and 47th St., supersedes Swan Island.
Taxis: Twenty-five cents for first % m., xoc for each ^ m. thereafter; ice for
each extra passenger.
Street Cars and Busses Basic fare ice.
Street Numbers: Burnside St. divides the city into N. and S. and the Willamette
River into E. and W. districts. Street and Avenue addresses are NE. for the
section N. of Burnside and E. of the river except a triangular piece between
Williams Ave. and the Willamette River and N. city boundary which is desig-
nated as N. SE. numbers are E. of the river and S. of Burnside ; NW. and SW.
for the regions W. of the river and N. or S. of Burnside St, Streets are num-
bered N. and S. ^rom Burnside St and E. and W. from the Willamette River.
Traffic Regulations' Speed limit 25 m. p. h. No U turns permitted in metro-
politan area. Downtown streets have parking meters. Only one-way Streets*
SW. Park and SW. 9th Ave. S. of Stark to Main St.
Accommodations One hundred hotels; tourist courts, many with trailer facilities,
oil main highways leading into the city.
Information Service: Portland Chamber of Commerce, 824 SW. 5th Ave.;
Oregon State Motor Association, 1200 SW. Morrison St. ; P C.C.A., 1004 SW.
Taylor St.; Motor Club, 139 SW. Broadway; Multnornah Hotel, SW, 4th Ave.
and Pine St.; and Benson Hotel, SW. Broadway and Oak St.
Radio Stations' KALE (1300 kc.) ; KBPS (1420 kc.) ; KEX (1160 kc.) ; KGW
(620 kc.) ; KOIN (940 kc.) , KXL (1420 kc.) ; KWJJ (1060 kc.).
Theaters and Motion Picture Houses- Municipal Auditorium, SW. 3rd Ave. and
Clay St., concerts and important public addresses; 50 motion picture houses.
Baseball: Portland Ball Park (Pacific Coast League), NW. 24th Ave. and
Vaughn St.
Swimming. Mount Scott Tank, SE. 73 rd Ave. and 55th St.; Creston Pool, SE.
Powell Boulevard and 47th St.; Montavilla Tank, NE. 82nd and Glisan St.;
Sellwood Tank, SE. 7th Ave. and Miller St.; U.S. Grant Tank, NE. 33rd and
Thompson St. ; Peninsula Tank, Albina Ave. and Portland Boulevard ; Columbia
Tank, Lombard and Woolsey Sts.; Jantzen Beach (commercial), Hayden Island
near Interstate Bridge, entrance to park ice, bathing fee additional soc.
Golf: Eastmoreland Municipal Links, 2714 SE. Bybee Ave., 18 holes, 300 for
nine holes; Rose City Municipal Golf Course, NE. yist St. near Sandy Boule-
vard, 18 holes, soc for nine holes; West Hills Municipal Links, at Canyon Road,
9 holes, 300 for nine holes.
PORTLAND 207
Tennis U. S. Grant Park, NE. 3 3rd Ave. and Thompson St.; Washington Park
entrance at W. end of SW. Park Place, Mount Tabor Park, SE. 68th St. off
Belmont Ave. ; Irving Park, 7th Ave. and Fremont St. All free.
Boating- Oregon Yacht Club (private), at Oaks Park; Portland Yacht Club
(pnvate), on Columbia River at Faloma.
Annual Events. Winter Sports Carnival, Skiing Contest, Government Camp,
Mount Hood, 4 days in Jan.; Rose Festival, 2nd week in June; Portland Phil-
harmonic Orchestra, summer concerts, Multnomah Civic Stadium, July and Aug. ;
dog races, Multnomah Civic Stadium, three months in summer; Fleet Week,
July or Aug.; International Livestock Show, Sept.
PORTLAND (30 alt., 301,815 pop.), largest city in Oregon, is on
both banks of the Willamette River near its confluence with the Co-
lumbia. It is a city of varied and extensive industrial output, with more
than a thousand manufacturing establishments, employing 25,000 work-
ers at an annual wage of almost $50,000,000. Most of the factories are
run by electricity, and the city is largely free of soot and smoke. The
principal manufactured products are flour and cereals, lumber and mill-
work, canned and preserved fruits and vegetables, woolen goods, meats,
butter and cheese, foundry ware, and dozens of lesser products. One of
the Nation's important fresh-water ports and a port of entry, Portland
is terminus for fifty-seven steamship lines, and is the wholesale and re-
tail distribution point for a wide agricultural and lumbering region.
From Council Crest or from the heights behind Washington Park,
the city is a vista of green hillsides, with gardens and terraced courts,
and dwellings framed in foliage. Beyond lies the business district, while
in the middle distance gleams the Willamette, crossed by bridges, and
busy with shipping. East of the river long residential avenues reach
away to Mount Scott, Mount Tabor and Rocky Butte, and the snowy
peaks of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood rise
on the northern and eastern horizons.
The older part of the city, west of the Willamette River, occupies
a comparatively narrow strip of bench land along the water's edge,
backed by hills that extend toward the Coast Range, cutting the metrop-
olis off from the fertile Tualatin Valley. These hills are segmented by
the numerous winding drives and streets of Westover, King's Heights,
and Portland Heights, culminating in Council Crest at an altitude of
nearly 1,100 feet above the business section. The business area is the
oldest section of the city, and unsuited to the demands of modern busi-
ness. The founders of the town provided no alleys, and trucks must
load and unload at sidewalk gratings. The streets are short and nar-
row, many buildings occupy a block or half-black, and the effect is one
of congestion.
Four-fifths of the city a spacious area of recent development lies
east and north of the Willamette. Of the five divisions of the city,
only the northwest is relatively undeveloped. However, industrial and
manufacturing establishments are being built in this section between
Vaughn Street and the Linnton district. Just as old Portland is con-
fined by the Willamette and the neighboring heights, the north section
2O8 OREGON
St. Johns is restricted by the Willamette and the sloughs of the Co-
lumbia. Many residences, however, are being built in the eastern and
southeastern sections of the city and along the western slopes of the
hills back of the city. The principal residential districts lie east of the
Willamette River, and eight bridges connect them with the business
section.
The source of Portland's water supply is an isolated section on the
northwest flank of Mount Hood, where a network of srimll streams
flows into Bull Run Lake and Reservoir, and through huge pipe lines
to the city. The water is so chemically pure that it need not be 4 stilled
for use in electric batteries and medical prescriptions, and is especially
suited to the manufacture and dyeing of textiles. On many of the
busiest corners are four-bracketed bronze drinking fountains presented
to the city by the late Simon Benson, noted lumberman, because he
believed that if plenty of good water were available his loggers would
not consume so much alcoholic liquor while visiting the metropolis.
Whatever the cause, business in Portland saloons fell off about thirty
per cent immediately following installation of the fountains.
Although there are several ethnic groups represented in Portland only
the Chinese, living principally in a section on SW. 2nd and SW. 4th
Avenues, extending from SW. Washington to W. Burnside Streets, have
kept their national customs. Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, Italians,
Japanese, Jews, and English-speaking people from Great Britain, the
Dominions, and Ireland, are fairly well scattered over the various sec-
tions of the city. Portland negroes, comprising the bulk of the negro
population of the state, live mostly on the east bank of the Willamette
River, where they have their churches and their own social and civic life.
Chinook Indians were the first to use the site of Portland as a port.
They found it a good place to tie up their canoes on trading trips
between the Columbia and Willamette rivers, and cleared about an
acre of ground gathering wood for their campfires. Captain William
Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition is known to have reached the
site of Portland in 1806. The possibilities here were noted by Captain
John H. Couch in 1840, when he came from New England to investi-
gate the prospects for a salmon fishery. "To this point," he told a
fellow traveler, "I can bring any ship that can get into the mouth of
the Great Columbia River."
The first person who actually settled within the present corporate
limits of Portland was Etienne Lucier, a French-Canadian, whose term
ot service had expired with the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1829 he
built a small cabin on the east side of the river near the site of the
present Doernbecher Furniture Company; he soon removed to French
Prairie. In 1842 William Johnson, a British subject, settled in what is
now known as South Portland, and built a cabin. In addition to small
farming he manufactured and sold a liquid decoction known as "blue
ruin" for which he was arrested and fined by the provisional court.
He died in 1848 and his possessory rights passed with him.
A 64O-acre tract on the west bank of the Willamette, part of the
PORTLAND 2O9
present business district, was claimed in 1844 by William CKerton, a
lanky Tennesseean who rowed ashore in an Indian canoe. The entire
claim, except for the "cleared patch" around the landing, was covered
with dense forest. Lacking the trifling sum of twenty-five cents required
for filing his claim with the provisional government, he offered Amos
L. Lovejoy, who had come to Oregon fiom Boston, a half interest in
the claim if he would pay the filing fee. Lovejoy, considering the site
ideal for a harbor town, paid the fee. They made a "tomahawk claim"
by blazing trees, a method recognized on the frontier.
Placing little faith in Lovejoy' s town-building plan, Overton, who
had intended to establish a homestead, traded his half-interest to Francis
W. Pettygrove, a merchant from Portland, Maine, for $100 in goods
and provisions. Lovejoy convinced Pettygrove of the soundness of his
plans. By 1845, fo ur streets and sixteen blocks had been cleared and
platted, but the founders were unable to agree on a name for the new
town. Lovejoy wanted "Boston" ; Pettygrove, "Portland." They tossed
a coin, Pettygrove won, and the cluster of log cabins among the stumps
was named Portland. Pettygrove erected a log store at the southeast
corner of Front and Washington Streets in 1845, on the site where
Overton had built his claim shack the year before, and built a wagon
road westward to the hills.
Two British officers, Captains Warre and Vavasour, visited Port-
land in the winter of 1845-46 and reported: "Portland had only then
received a name and its inhabitants were felling the trees from which
their first homes were to be constructed and their primitive furniture
was to be made. With such tools only as saw, augar, pole-ax, broad-
ax, and adze, those men labored with zeal that atoned for want of
better implements."
James Terwilliger came with the emigrants of 1845, established a
claim south of the Overton tract, and the following year built a black-
smith shop. In this same year Daniel H. Lownsdale established the
first tannery in the far Northwest. He tanned on a large scale, and
turned out excellent leather, which he exchanged for raw hides, furs,
wheat, or cash. Captain John H. Couch returned to Portland in 1845
and selected a tract north of the Lovejoy-Pettygrove claim,
In the winter of 1845-46, Lovejoy sold his share of the claim to Ben-
jamin Stark, and in 1848 Pettygrove sold his interest to Daniel Lowns-
dale for $5,000 worth of hides and leather. The new proprietors added
two partners, Stephen Coffin and W. W. Chapman, and formed the
Townsite Promotion Company. Coffin established a canoe ferry in
1848. When traffic was heavy he used a raft of canoes. An excerpt from
a diary of that year says, "Portland now has two white houses and
one brick and three wood-colored frame houses and a few cabins."
John Waymire, a man of boundless energy and versatility, established
Portland's first sawmill. His equipment consisted of an old whipsaw
brought across the plains from Missouri, and two men to operate it
One stood on top of a log, raised on blocks, and pulled the saw up-
ward ; the other, in a pit beneath, pulled the saw downward and was
210 OREGON
showered with sawdust at each stroke. Great labor was required to cut
a few pieces of lumber, but Waymire's "sawmill" encouraged building
activity. He also erected the first hotel, a double log cabin of Paul
Bunyanesque proportions, where he "furnished meals and a hospitable
place to spread blankets for the night." His team of Missouri oxen
hitched to a lumbering wagon served as the first local transportation
system.
By 1850, the town had a population of 800. Churches and a school
had been built; stores, boarding houses, and nearly 200 dwellings lined
the streets. A steam sawmill was erected by W. P. Abrams and Cyrus
A Reed, and in December, 1850, the first copy of the Weekly Oregonian
came from the Washington hand press owned and operated by Thomas
Dryer. Portland replaced Oregon City as the largest city of the North-
west. The California gold rush was then at its height, and Portland
carried on a heavy trade with that state. Lumber and flour were shipped
to California, and local merchants outfitted men joining the frenzied
quest for California gold.
First news of the gold discovery brought about an exodus of more
than half the able-bodied men in Oregon merchants deserted their
stores, workers left their shops; business was almost at a standstill.
However, within a few months, there was a demand for all sorts of
goods and food-stuffs at unbelievable prices. Those left at home often
made more money than the gold seekers. The continued inflow of money
in exchange for Oregon goods created a boom in Portland and the
population rapidly increased.
The city was incorporated and the first election held in 1851. Hugh
D. O'Bryant, a native of Georgia, was elected mayor. A few days
later the city council met and levied a tax of one-quaiter of one per
cent for municipal purposes. The voters at a special election authorized
a tax to purchase a fire engine. At that time the forest came down to
the river's edge except that the trees were cut from Front Avenue be-
tween Jefferson and Burnside Streets. The stumps remained in the
streets and were whitewashed so that pedestrians would not collide with
them at night.
In 1851, also, a free school was opened with twenty pupils. That
the citizens were not all peaceful and law-abiding is attested by the
fact that the first ordinance passed created the office of city marshal,
and that within two months the town council had requested the com-
mittee on public buildings to furnish estimates on the cost of a log jail.
A one-story building of hewn timber, 1 6 by 25 feet, was soon built. One
of the first arrests after the city's incorporation was of one O.Travaillott
for riding "at a furious rate through the Streets of the City' of Portland
to endanger life and property." The Portland-Tualatin Plains road was
planked, making a comparatively rich agricultural district accessible to
Portland. There were almost daily arrivals of sailing vessels from San
Francisco, besides a semi-monthly steamer service, between Portland
and California points. By the spring of 1852 there were fourteen river
steamers docking at the wharves of the city.
PORTLAND 211
The first brick building in Portland was erected in 1853 by W. S
Ladd, a young man from Vermont, who was twice elected mayor of
Portland. The building, in a good state of preservation and now occu-
pied by wholesale meat and produce merchants, still stands at 412 SW.
Front Avenue.
Trade was stimulated by the Indian wars of the i85O J s, for Portland
outfitted most of the military forces. In February the town had one
hundred stores and shops, and in October, 1858, the Oregonian declared
with orotund gravity that the "Rubicon has been passed" and that
Portland was entered on an era of expansion that could not be halted.
The population, estimated in 1858 as 1,750, in 1860 had grown to 2,874.
The original town had been extended to the south, covering present-
day Multnomah Stadium area, which was known in 1862 as "Goose
Hollow." Most of the women in this suburban settlement raised geese
while their husbands hunted for gold or farmed. The flocks of geese
became mixed and the "women not only pulled goose feathers, but pulled
hair." The matter got into court, and Police Judge J. F. McCoy, unable
to sort out the geese, made a Solomonic decision. He sent a deputy
out to Goose Hollow to round up all the flocks and divide the geese
equally among the complainants. He then closed the matter by threat-
tening to incarcerate the "first woman to start another ruckus over
geese."
The discovery of gold in eastern Oregon and Idaho m the early
l86o's resulted in heavy trading with inland camps and settlements.
These were lively years in Portland. Tin-horn gamblers swarmed in
Front Street shacks or operated their roulette and faro layouts in tents
set up on vacant lots. The gold rush, however, soon ebbed, and during
the Civil War years money was scarce. The city went into debt in
1866, floating a $20,000 bond issue at 12 per cent interest.
The salmon industry began to make headway in 1864. From boat-
loads of fish at the wharf big ones were sold to hotel keepers at "two
bits each, and smaller ones to family men at ten cents each." About
1865 an Irishman named John Quinn started to cut up fish and sell it
in more usable amounts, by the pound. Soon he inaugurated Portland's
first food delivery service delivering fish from a basket. His wife,
meantime, stayed behind the meat block, cutting and selling fish. A
customer once asked Mrs. Quinn if she didn't get tired of her job. She
replied, "Oh yes, it is not the most beautiful job, to be sure, but I am
going to stay right here at this block until I make twenty thousand
dollars, and then I'll quit and get myself the finest silk dress ever bought
in this city." One day in 1868 Mrs. Quinn appeared in Vincent Cook's
store and bought twenty yards of the finest goods he had. Cook, im-
pressed with the Quinns' success, sold his store, went into the fish
business and later into salmon canning, and made millions.
A fire in 1872 destroyed three important city blocks with a loss esti-
mated at half a million dollars. Inadequate fire-fighting equipment was
blamed, and agitation began for an improved fire department. A second
and greater fire in 1873 began at First and Salmon Streets and devas-
212 OREGON
tated twenty-two city blocks. Fire-fighting equipment was brought from
Vancouver, Oregon City, Salem and Albany, to aid the local companies.
Police rounded up all the Chinese available to relieve white citizens at
the hand pumps. It was reported that the Chinese were held to their
tasks by tying their queues to the pump handles. Domestic pigeons
circled above the flames until, exhausted, they fell.
Wallis Nash describes Portland in Oregon: There and Back in 18??:
"Portland seemed to us to be nearly as great a place as San Francisco.
The appioach to it is of the same kind, in so far as that the railway
lands us on the eastern side of the Willamette, and that a big ferry-
boat transfers us across the river to the city. The city rises from the
water's edge, and covers what used to be pine-clad hills. The depth
of water allows the gram-ships to he alongside the wharves to load,
and there is a busy scene with the river steamboats and tugs and ferry-
boats passing and repassing. The original wooden shanties are being
rapidly replaced with great structures of stone and brick. Warehouses
are full of grain, wool, skins, canned salmon, and meat; logs and
planks of pine and cedar are stacked in high piles. , . ."
In 1883 the final railroad line was completed between Portland and
the eastern states. The city, playing host to Henry Villard and his
party, celebrated the event with a parade and a general illumination of
the town with tallow candles. Following completion of the railroad
business increased, money was more plentiful, and manufacturing was
stimulated. Spluttering gas and oil lamps were replaced by electric arc
and incandescent lamps. Late in the i88o's franchises were granted for
street-railway lines, the lines to be run by "horse, mule, cable, or elec-
tric," The death knell of the ferry boat was sounded in 1887, when
the Morrison Street bridge was built across the Willamette.
In 1891, Portland annexed the towns of East Portland and Albina,
the merger adding 20,000 to the city's population. In the first decade
of the twentieth century the population increased from 90,426 to
207,314; home building was at its height; land prices soared. This
tremendous growth was due in part to the Alaska gold rush, and in
part to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, held in Portland
in 1905, which brought the city three million visitors and many new
residents. The Federal government brought its huge exhibit from St.
Louis, where the year before it had been a part of the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition. Foreign countries as well as the states of the Union
were well represented.
With its ebullient, untamed and sometimes giddy youth outgrown,
Portland found the time and the desire to improve itself. Almost coinci-
dent with the first schools and churches, the Multnomah County
Library Association was organized. Since 1915 many writers have ap-
peared in Portland. Among them are A. R, Wetjen, Anne Shannon
Monroe, Claire Warner Churchill, Mary Jane Carr, James Stevens,
Stewart H. Holbrook, Sheba Hargreaves, Philip H. Parrish, Richard
G. Montgomery, Hazel Hall, Ethel Romig Fuller, Ada Hastings
Hedges, Eleanor Allen, Mable Holmes Parsons, Howard McKinley
P O RT L A X D 213
Corning, Richard L. Neuberger, Ernest Haycox, Robeit Ormond Case,
John Reed, and Laurence Pratt (see LITERATURE).
Outstanding yearly events m Portland aie the Rose Festival, Fleet
Week, and the Pacific International Livestock Exposition. The festival
giew out of the Portland Rose Society's exhibit of 1889, and in 1904 the
society sponsored the first floral parade in which four decorated automo-
biles were the attraction. The first official Rose Festival was held in 1907.
The principal features of the celebration are the crowning of the queen,
a rose show at the Civic Auditorium, programs at the Multnomah
Stadium, a Junior Pageant, the floral parade, and the "merrykana" car-
nival parade on the closing night. Chinatown gets out its massive man-
carried dragons and sets off myriads of firecrackers, Roses bloom m
Portland even at Christmas time; m June the city is filled with all
varieties of roses. All of the parks and many of the parking strips
along the streets are bright with the bloom of Caroline Testout (the
official rose), La France, Talisman, Cecil Brunner, and scores of others.
Portland has been visited each summer since 1936 by a fleet of U. S.
naval craft ranging from heavy cruisers to light destroyers. During
their ten days' sojourn the ships are the foci of innumerable visitors.
During the daylight hours the docks and ships are thronged, at night
the white beams of searchlights cut through the darkness. Men and
officers are entertained at banquet and reception, with a grand street
dance on the last night of shorestay.
The Pacific International Livestock Exposition and Horse Show
brings together fine blooded stock from all parts of the Pacific coast,
from British Columbia to Mexico, and from many parts of the East.
In addition to those for livestock, premiums are given for all sorts of
farm and industrial products. The show is housed under one roof that
covers eleven acres. The horse show arena is 200 feet wide by 332
feet long.
For years Portland has been recognized as the music center of the
Pacific Northwest. For a third of a century the Portland Symphony
Orchestra was nationally known, rising to prominence under the direc-
torship of Willem Van Hoogstraten. An orchestra of more than sixty
pieces playing a yearly program of fifteen concerts, Its activities were
temporarily discontinued in 1938. More popular in Its appeal are the
"Starlight Symphonies," a program of six open-air concerts given each
summer at Multnomah Stadium. An audience of ten thousand or more
persons listens to the concerts of this 45-piece orchestra under the direc-
tion of distinguished American and European directors. The Portland
Junior Symphony Orchestra, giving four concerts yearly, is nationally
recognized. Throughout the winter season the WPA Federal Symphony
Orchestra gives bi-weekly concerts.
POINTS OF INTEREST
i. The OLD POST OFFICE BUILDING, SW. Morrison St.
between 5th and 6th Aves., a classic stone structure designed by
214 OREGON
M. A. R. Mullet, is in the center of a landscaped square; it accommo-
dates the downtown post office and other Federal offices. Erected in
1875, the building for many yeais housed the post office and the United
States District Court, and was the center of the city's activities. In
court sessions it was a humming hive of witnesses, litigants, jurors,
lawyers and spectators. Many famous trials were held in this building.
Important among them were the land fraud trials begun in 1904 and
continued for many years. These trials have been recorded at length
in S A. D. Puter's Looters of the Public Domain, published in Port-
land in 1908. Other cases were the opium smuggling trials of the early
nineties, the most noted of which was that of the United States v.
William Dunbar in November, 1893, which was carried into the U. S.
Supieme Court.
2. HOTEL PORTLAND, SW. 6th Ave. between SW. Yamhill
and SW. Morrison Sts., was begun in the 1870*8 by Henry Villard,
the railroad builder, but its construction was halted when the Villard
fortunes crashed. Later, a company was formed to complete the hotel,
which was opened in 1889 with great pomp. Many Presidents, gov-
ernors, business leaders, and people prominent in world affairs have
been entertained in this hostelry. Stanford White, New York architect,
designed the building.
3. The FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING, SW. 6th
Ave. and SW. Stark St., constructed of Colorado Yule marble and of
Neo-Classic design, is a splendid example of the adaptation of classic
Greek architecture to modern business purposes. The entrance is in the
form of a Doric pedimented loggia. The organization is the oldest
financial institution in the Pacific Northwest, and the oldest national
bank west of the Rocky Mountains.
4. The U. S. NATIONAL BANK is at the NW. corner of SW.
6th Ave. and SW. Stark St., with entrances on 6th Ave. and on
Broadway. The largest banking institution in the Pacific Northwest, it
is housed in a classic terra cotta structure adorned with Corinthian
columns and pilasters.
5. The UNITED STATES CUSTOMHOUSE, NW. Davis St.
extending to NW. Everett St. between NW. Broadway and NW. 8th
Ave., faces 8th Ave. and the North Park Blocks. Erected in 1901, and
designed by the supervising architect's office of the U. S. Treasury De-
partment, the building, of Italian Renaissance design, is of buff-colored
brick with sandstone trim and a granite base. Here are housed the U. S.
Customs, Internal Revenue, Weather Bureau, and Army Engineers'
offices.
6. The UNITED STATES POST OFFICE, NW. Glisan St
extending to NW. Hoyt St. between NW. Broadway and NW. 8th
Ave., is a six-story, limestone structure of Italian Renaissance design,
erected in 1918, housing the Post Office, Regional Forestry offices, and
other Federal departments. It was designed by Lewis P. Hobart of
San Francisco.
7. UNION DEPOT, N. end of NW. 6th Ave., is used jointly
PORTLAND 215
by all steam railroad lines entering Portland. The depot was erected
in 1890, and is a large, rambling, stucco-finished structure of modified
Italian Renaissance design, surmounted by a tall clock tower.
On display in the depot courtyard is the Oregon Pony, a small, earl}
type locomotive used in 1862 on the Portage railroad at the Cascades
of the Columbia. This engine was presented to Portland by Davis
Tewes, of San Francisco, as a souvenir indicative of the part played
by the Oregon Steamship Navigation Company original owners of the
engine in the development of Oregon commerce.
8. BOSS SALOON, E. end of NW. Glisan Street, although its
official address is 57 NW. Flanders Street, a "flatiron" building bear-
ing the sign, Boss Lunch, stands virtually as it was built in the seventies
except for the potency of its merchandise. In the days when it was
a popular place for sailors and dock workers, it is said that many a crew
was shanghaied from its bar. Built in the early 1 870*8, as part of the
Oregon Central railroad's headquarters, the little building was aban-
doned as a railroad unit after a few years. For a time it was a gentle-
man's resort, but with improved railroad facilities and removal of the
depot to a point farther from the river, it deteriorated into a waterfront
"headquarters for sailors, longshoremen, dockhands and riffraff hangers
on, until its unsavory existence terminated with the advent of pro-
hibition."
The wide thoroughfare North of Ankeny Street is "THE SKID-
ROAD" known as a meeting place for itinerant workers from all over
the country. In former days Burnside Street separated the rough North
End "bowery" district from the more genteel parts of town, but now
it is the southern boundary of a cheap mercantile district of lounging
rooms for itinerants and numerous cheap hotels and flop houses. These
are gradually being pinched out to make room for factories and whole-
sale warehouses. In 1905 Mayor Harry Lane, later United States Sen-
ator, clamped down on the women denizens, and scattered them to all
parts of the city. Since then the city has had no restricted red light
district.
9. ERICKSON'S, stretching the full north side of the block on W.
Burnside Street between NW. 2nd and NW. 3rd Aves., was once the
most widely known saloon in the Pacific Northwest. It is occupied by
beer parlors, a restaurant called Erickson's, and a number of other small
establishments.
All western states have boasted of places with a "mile long bar" that
usually measured a modest hundred feet; but it is a fact that the ma-
hogany in Erickson's saloon ran to 674 feet. Here loggers, seafaring
men, dirt movers, and hoboes from everywhere met to drink and talk.
When the flood of 1894 swept into the place, proprietor Erickson quick-
ly chartered a scow, anchored it at 2nd and Burnside, stocked it, and
business continued more or less as usual.
10. The SKIDMORE FOUNTAIN, in the triangle at SW. ist
Ave., SW. Ankeny and SW. Vine Sts., is the gift of Stephen Skidmore
to the city in 1888. Olin L. Warner was the sculptor; H. M. Wells,
2l6 OREGON
the architect. The granite base is carved into a horse trough supplied
with water issuing from lions' heads. The central structure consists of
a bronze basin supported by classic bronze female figures. This spot
was the Rial to of the iSgo's, the center of such night life as there was.
"Meet you at the fountain" was a popular expression. Men, horses, and
dogs once drank here in the shade of the Bank of British North
America. A small colony of artists, musicians, and writers maintain
studios in the old Skidmore Building at 29 First Avenue, facing the
fountain.
11. NEW MARKET BLOCK AND THEATER, 49 SW. ist
Ave., is the building where in the 1 870*8 and i88o's, Thespians and
mountebanks, ranging fiom E. H. Sothern to Anna Eva Fay, enter-
tained Portland. Erected in 1871 the theater did not open until 1875,
when James Keene staged what the posters said was a "truly gorgeous
presentation of Rip Van Winkle." No less than one hundred gas lights
startled the eyes of pit and gallery. Among the noted people who ap-
peared on the New Market stage were Madam Modjeska, Janauschek,
Annie Pixley, Fannie Davenport, Billy Emerson, Baird's Colossal Min-
strels, Henry Ward Beecher, Robert G. Ingersoll and John L. Sullivan.
The building is a two-story brick structure of utilitarian design 200 feet
wide and extending from SW. First to SW. Second Avenue.
PORTLAND'S CHINATOWN is on SW. 2nd and SW. 4th
Avenues, extending from SW. Washington to W. Burnside St. Chinese
gambling establishments operate widely over Portland, but here are the
Chinese stores, markets, tong halls, and eating places that cater more to
Orientals than to others. The sidewalks are filled with circular mats
on which are dried many articles strange to occidental sight and smell.
In the show windows, too, are odd looking foods. Bran-like balls in a
wooden box are hens' eggs, the shells coated with a mealy substance to
preserve their contents. Their age is said to be great the greater the
better, according to Oriental taste. A 5O-year-old egg brings the price
of vintage wine. Ducks are recognizable, plucked and immersed in oil,
but other dried things of vanous sizes and shapes shark fins, small
devil fish, oysters, shrimp and some species of mussels are not easily
identified.
12. The CHINESE BULLETIN BOARD, between SW. 2nd
and SW. 3rd Aves., on SW. Pine St., is a long wall plastered with a
variety of notices and messages in bold, black characters on flaming
orange paper. These characteristic ideographs are items of local and
international interest and are closely scanned by groups of intent Chinese.
13. CHINESE DRUG STORE, 323 SW. 2nd Ave., contains items
strange to Occidentals. One of the popular remedies comes in the shape
of a pair of dried turtles held flat together by a binding around their
tails, and looking not unlike a fan. The turtles are boiled and the soup
eaten as specific for rheumatism. The storekeeper computes on his na-
tive calculating rack, or abacus.
14. The GREENE BUILDING, 536 SW. ist Ave., houses an
interurban station of the Portland General Electric Railway Co. Its
PORTLAND 217
ornate facade recalls the days when it opeiated as Emil Weber's drink-
ing and gambling emporium, a hell hole of activity by day and by night.
Activities ceased when Weber was murdered m broad daylight by Sandy
Olds, a habitue. Following a periodic cleanup of gambling dens, Emil
Weber went to a rival, Charlie Sliter, who operated the Crystal Palace
Saloon, and notified him that Sandy Olds was running a game and
that if Sliter didn't "fire" Olds, he would repoit Shter to the police. A
few days later, on May 10, 1889, Weber was accosted by Olds on a
street corner. An altercation ensued and in the heat of the argument
Weber reached for his handkerchief. Misinterpreting the action, Olds
drew a revolver, emptying it into Weber's body, killing him instantly.
Olds fought conviction to the supreme court, and escaped with two years
in the penitentiary.
15. The ESMOND HOTEL, 620 SW. Front Ave., built in 1881,
had a plush bellpull in every room, a luxurious convenience for those
days. The Esmond flowered in an era when hotel marriages were the
thing, and many Portland families of today are the result of unions
sanctioned by ceremonies in its green plush parlors. The hotel enter-
tained Rutherford B. Hayes, while he was President of the United
States, John L. Sullivan, and many others.
1 6. ST. CHARLES HOTEL, SW. corner SW. Front and SW.
Morrison St., was the finest and busiest hotel in the Northwest before
the Esmond opened. In this mansard-roofed building, begun in 1869
and completed in 1871, Henry Villard and other early railroad giants
of the Pacific Northwest lived intermittently. Kate Claxton, Emma
Abbot, and other actresses of the 1870*8 and i88o's, stopped here when
they visited the city. In its barroom Sam Simpson, early Oregon poet,
held communion with the muse. With his pleasing disposition and readi-
ness of conversation he was welcomed by the idlers of the St. Charles,
and usually found little difficulty in borrowing "two-bits until to-
morrow," which he spent forthwith for liquor, helping himself liberally
to the saloon's free lunch. In his last poem pathetically he wrote:
"The musical fountain has ceased to flow . . .
In earthly sense we comprehend
That death, after all, is life's best friend."
17. The PORTLAND PUBLIC MARKET, on SW. Front Ave.
between SW, Salmon and SW, Yamhill Sts,, is a large three-story
building of modern construction containing many stores and about three
hundred farm produce stalls. Merchandise ranging from fresh bean
sprouts, ham, pumpernickel and carrots, to pink petunias and wild black-
berries in season, are displayed on the brightly lighted stands over which
Japanese, Chinese, Italians, and Americans urge customers to buy their
wares. A ramp leads to car-parking space on the roof. The building
has an auditorium seating 500, in which food shows and demonstrations
are given.
1 8. Near the west end of Hawthorne Bridge at the E. end of SW.
Jefferson St. is the BATTLESHIP OREGON (open $-5 daily, adm.
2l8 OREGON
I0cj schoolchildren and veterans free). Launched in 1895, this relic
of the Spanish- American War made its epic I5,ooo-mile run in 1898
from Bremerton, Washington, thiough the Straits of Magellan, to
Key West, Florida, in forty-seven days. The great run was made under
the command of Captain Robley D. "Fighting Bob" Evans, who earned
his nickname at Valparaiso in 1891, while relations were strained with
Chile; he threatened "to blow the Chilean navy out of the water"
unless they stopped toipedo practice while he was there in command of
one light cruiser. They stopped. Evans commanded the Iowa in the
Battle of Santiago ; at one time the fire of the entire Spanish navy was
concentrated on his ship. In the same battle the Oregon engaged and
sank the Maria Teresa, Spanish flagship, and, after a chase of forty-
eight miles, beached the Colon. In 1925 the old ship was given to the
state of Oregon, which maintains it as a historic memorial. A mooring
basin and park are being constructed (1940) as a permanent anchorage.
19. The PORTLAND CIVIC AUDITORIUM, SW. 3rd Ave.
between SW. Clay and SW. Market Sts., erected in 1917, was de-
signed by Freedlander & Seymour of New York City. The exterior, of
modified Italian Renaissance design, is of buff brick and stone, with
terra cotta and green metal trim. The main auditorium seats 3,527,
while with side wings thrown open it has a maximum capacity of 6,700.
In the building is the OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTION (open
g-$ weekdays; 9-12 Sat.), entrance at SW. 3rd Ave. and SW. Market
St. The society was founded in 1898. In its collection, are thousands
of rare and valuable volumes, including the Journal of John Ledyard,
dealing with Captain Cook's first voyage to the northwest coast in 1 788,
of which only five copies are known to exist. Another item is the Diary
of Jason Lee, the first Oregon missionary. In the newspaper collection
are files of more than three hundred newspapers, including the Oregon
Spectator, the first newspaper published west of the Rocky Mountains.
The collection also contains more than ten thousand manuscripts, many
dealing with provisional and territorial stages of the state's development,
hundreds of maps, and old photographs and paintings.
Among the historical objects is the sea chest that Captain Robert
Gray earned with him in the Columbia Rediviva when he discovered
the river named for his ship. Here also is the tiny Mission Press, the
first printing press west of the Rocky Mountains. It was first used at
Lapwai, now in Idaho, in 1839, to print a primer and certain of the
gospels in the Nez Perce language. The Indian collection shows graph-
ically every phase of native life; and there are innumerable objects, in-
cluding a covered wagon, used by the pioneers. Since 1900 the Society
has published the Oregon Historical Quarterly.
20. CITY HALL, SW. 5th Ave., between SW. Madison and
SW. Jefferson Sts., erected in 1895, of Italian Renaissance architecture,
was designed by Whidden & Lewis of Portland. The design of the
four-story structure suggests that of a stately town house. The outer
walls are of yellow gray sandstone, with a circular portico supported
by columns of polished. black granite. A bronze plaque commemorating
PORTLAND 219
the architects was placed at the entrance in 1932 by the Oregon chapter
of the American Institute of Architects.
21. LOWNSDALE SQUARE, SW. 4th Ave., between SW. Sal-
mon and SW. Mam Sts., is named for Daniel H. Lownsdale, one of
the earliest owners of the Portland townsite and donor of the plot to
the city. The park is the orating ground of the city's soap-box evangels.
In fair weather its benches are filled with men from all parts of the
world, and innumerable tame pigeons strut on the lawn. In this square,
said to be an old feeding ground for elk, is the ELK FOUNTAIN, the
work of Roland H. Perry, noted animal sculptor, and the SOLDIERS'
MONUMENT, by Douglas Tilden, honoring members of the Second
Oregon Volunteers who fell in the Spanish-American War.
22. The MULTNOMAH COUNTY COURTHOUSE, SW.
Salmon St. between SW. 4th and SW. 5th Aves., occupying the entire
block, was also designed by Whidden & Lewis, and erected in 1913.
It is of Neo-Classic architecture, with stone trim, tall Ionic colonnades,
and a heavy classic cornice. The base is of California granite, the upper
part of white Bedford stone. County offices and courts are housed here.
The jail occupies part of the top floor.
23. The PUBLIC SERVICE BUILDING, SW. 6th Ave. be-
tween SW. Taylor and SW. Salmon St., a sixteen-story structure with
an off-set tower, is the tallest commercial building in the state. Con-
structed of terra cotta and gray brick it is designed in a modified
Italian Renaissance style.
24. The MULTNOMAH PUBLIC LIBRARY (open 9-9 week-
days; reading room 3-9 Sun.), SW. loth Ave. between SW. Yamhill
and SW. Taylor Sts., erected in 1913 and constructed of red brick
with limestone trim, is of Italian Renaissance design. The three-story
and basement structure occupies an entire city block, and is considered
the finest library in the Northwest. The interior trim is of domestic
and imported marbles, with columns of scagliola. The building is sur-
rounded on three sides by a carved limestone balustrade interspersed
with benches. These benches, the cornice of the building, and the
spandrels under the large windows, are inscribed with the names of fa-
mous artists, writers, philosophers, and scientists. The architects were
Doyle, Patterson and Beach. The library has large reference and circu-
lating departments, an excellent technical department, and an extensive
collection of Oregoniana. The library has a per capita circulation of
eight volumes, and 43 per cent of Portland residents are registered
borrowers.
25. The UNITARIAN CHURCH, 1011 SW. i2th Ave., is a
small church structure of Georgian Colonial design. In a setting of older
residences and curb-side trees, it gives an atmosphere of old New Eng-
land. The exterior is of brick with cast stone trim, surmounted by a
cupola and slender spire. The interior is finished in ornamental wood
panels. Jamieson Parker was the architect.
The SOUTH PARK BLOCKS are a series of landscaped areas
extending southward for thirteen blocks from SW. Salmon St. to SW.
22O OREGON
Clifton St., between SW. Park and SW. Ninth Aves. The blocks aie
landscaped with trees and shrubs transplanted from the eastern United
States, and some of them contain fountains and statuary.
26. The LINCOLN STATUE, in the center of the square
bounded by SW. Mam St., SW. Madison Sts., SW. Park Ave., and
SW. Ninth Ave., shows the Great Emancipator with head bowed and
shoulders drooping. Many patriotic organizations participated m the
unveiling in 1928. The statue is an original, and under the terms of
the agreement between the late Dr. Henry Waldo Coe, the donor,
and George Fite Waters, the artist, it may never be duplicated.
27. In the SW. Park Ave. block between SW* Madison and Jeffer-
son Sts , is A. Phimister Proctor's ROUGH RIDER STATUE OF
THEODORE ROOSEVELT, also a gift of Dr. Coe. The bronze
equestrian figure, mounted on a base of California granite, towers
twenty-three feet and weighs three tons. It was dedicated on Armistice
Day, 1922, and Vice President Calvin Coolidge made the dedicatory
address The figure of Theodore Roosevelt was designed with the ad-
vice and aid of the family; Mrs. Roosevelt made available to the artist
the actual uniform and accoutrements used by the Colonel at the battle
of San Juan Hill.
28. The PORTLAND ART MUSEUM (open 10-5 weekdays;
12 M.-5 P.M. Mon.j 7-10 P.M. Wed.; 2-5 Sun. and holidays free),
SW. 9th Ave. between SW. Madison and Jefferson Sts., is owned by
the Portland Art Association and was a gift from W. B. Ayer, Of
modern design with a trend toward crisp functionalism, the broad
building is faced with Oregon brick of a rich golden-red color and
Colorado travertine. Especially notable are the three entrance portals
with their five metal gates. Built in 1932, it was designed by Pietro
Belluschi of the firm of A. E, Doyle and Associates. The Solomon and
Josephine Hirsch Memorial wing was added in 1939 through the gift
of Ella Hirsch. In the south wing is the Lewis collection of Greek and
Roman vases, bronzes, and glass. Other objects in this wing are a
Chinese terra cotta figurine, given by L. Allen Lewis; three Chinese
paintings, a gift from the Freer Collection; and Greek glass and jade
given by the children of Mrs. William S, Ladd. The Doyle memorial
collection of Egyptian scarabs and seals is in the small south gallery.
In the large room of the north wing are selections from the textile
collections, gifts of Mrs. F. B. Pratt, the Misses Failing, and others.
The lace collection is in a small gallery beyond.
The permanent exhibit of French and American paintings is in two
galleries on the upper floor. In the small south gallery is a loan collec-
tion of Chinese potteries, porcelains, and paintings from the L. Allen
Lewis collection, and a display of Japanese prints. Among the permanent
displays are pieces of Near-Eastern, Chinese, and Persian pottery. Two
other items of unusual interest are an Egyptian vase from Fayoum,
northern Egypt, belonging to the Ptolemaic period, and a small bronze
cat from a cat cemetery of ancient Egypt. A good collection of casts
PORTLAND 221
of Greek and Roman sculpture, given by Henry W. Corbett, the first
president of the association, is on the ground floor.
The museum has been the recipient of many fine paintings, among
them works of Corot, Delacroix, Monticelli, Courbet, Diaz, Renoir,
Pissarro, Inness, William Saitam, Childe Hassam, William JI. Hunt,
George Fuller, Albert Ryder, and A. B. Davies. Besides the permanent
collections, there are circulating exhibitions from the Amencan Federa-
tion of Art, the College Art Association, and other groups. There are
about sixteen of these exhibits annually.
Other facilities of the museum include a libiary of 2,000 volumes, a
collection of illustrated prints and slides for school use, and the Braum
collection of 15,000 photographs and color reproductions of the master-
pieces of European galleries. The museum conducts an art school and
special lectures are frequently given in the auditorium.
29. SIXTH CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST, 1331 SW.
9th Ave., is of modern design with heavy, set-back, corner pylons. The
building is of reinforced concrete construction faced with light brown
brick, and with a slate shingle roof of harmonizing red. The interior
woodwork is of oak, the walls and ceiling of plaster, and the floor of
terrazzo. The dome over the crossing is covered with acoustical ma-
terial painted in antique mosaic effect. Morris H. Whitehouse and
Associates were the architects.
30. The FINLEY MORTUARY, 432 SW. Montgomery St., is
a blending of the traditional with the functional style of design. It is
reminiscent of the past, yet strictly modern. The fresh, crisp style was
achieved chiefly through the elimination of superfluous detail. The
exterior walls are of concrete with brick facings. The entrance is of
Indiana limestone. The interior has a plastic finish, with the exception
of the main chapel, the walls of which are lined with Philippine ma-
hogany, flat panels set on furring strips in concrete. The mortuary,
known as the Mornmglight Chapel, was awarded honorable mention
in the 1938 National Exhibition of the New York Architectural
League, and was listed in 1938 by The Association of Federal Architects
as one of the hundred best buildings erected in America since 1918.
It was designed by Pietro Belluschi, of the firm of A. E. Doyle and
Associates.
31. MULTNOMAH CIVIC STADIUM, SW. Morrison St.
between SW. i8th and SW. aoth Aves., is a concrete structure designed
after the Roman Coliseum, with a seating capacity of 30,000. White-
house and Doyle were the architects. Inter-collegiate and interscholastic
football games are played here. In June it is the center of activities of
Portland's annual Rose Festival. In summer months dog races attract
large crowds.
32. TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SW. corner NW. igth
Ave. and NW. Everett St. is a vine-clad stone edifice, designed in the
manner of an English parish church with steep gable roof and crenelated
corner tower* A parish house, erected in 1939, is joined to the church
by a connecting unit.
222 OREGON
33. TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL, NW. igth Ave. and NW.
Flanders St., is octagonal in plan, with quotations from the Talmud
above each door. The building is of reinforced concrete construction
faced with golden-yellow sandstone, the upper portion is of salmon-
colored brick and glazed terra cotta. A huge dome surmounts the struc-
ture, its apex ninety feet above the floor. Built in 1926, Temple Beth
Israel was designed by Morris H. Whitehouse and Herman Brook-
man, architects, associates with Bennes and Herzog.
34- ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL, NW. 2ist Ave. and NW.
Northrup St., designed by Jameson Parker in the manner of an Italian
Romanesque basilica, is surmounted by a seventy-five-foot tower and is
faced entirely with red brick. It was a gift to the parish from Miss
Catherine H. Percival. St. Mark's, one of the oldest religious organi-
zations in Portland, was founded as a mission m 1874, and was or-
ganized as a parish in 1889, by the late Bishop Morris.
35. In SAM JACKSON PARK, on Marquam Hill, is the VET-
ERANS' HOSPITAL (open 2-4 daily), a Federal institution offering free
medical care to veterans of American wars. It consists of a group of
red-brick structures of modified Georgian Colonial architecture, de-
signed by government architects of the Veterans' Administration. The
principal units were put into service in December, 1928. The official
capacity is 385 beds.
36. The PORTLAND MEDICAL CENTER, W. edge of Sam
Jackson Park on SW. Marquam Hill Road, crowns the height of
Marquam Hill. On a campus of 108 acres, the group comprises the
University of Oregon Medical School, the Multnomah County Hos-
pital, and the Doernbecher Hospital for Crippled Children. The first
unit of the Medical School, a three-story, reinforced concrete structure,
was built in 1919. The second unit, MacKenzie Hall, similar in design
to the first but with twice its capacity, was erected in 1922. The Out-
patient Clinic, erected in 1931, connects the Doernbecher Memorial
Hospital and the Multnomah County Hospital, and affords teaching
facilities for the clinical branch of the Medical School. The Multnomah
County General Hospital was built in 1923 at a cost of $1,000,000.
Providing space for 300 patients, it offers free medical care to the
county's indigent. The architects were Sutton and Whitney, with Cran-
dall and Fntsch, associates. The Doernbecher Memorial Hospital for
Children, erected in 1925, is a buff brick, fireproof structure with terra
cotta trim. Ellis F. Lawrence was the architect. The Doernbecher Hos-
pital, endowed by the pioneer Portland furniture manufacturer whose
name it bears, is maintained partly by the state.
A unit of the University of Oregon Medical School is the new
University State Tuberculosis Hospital, the third such state institution.
Opened in November, 1939, it cares for 80 resident tubercular cases,
conducts an out-patient clinic, and is expertly equipped. Its $290,909
cost was shared by the State and the WPA, and by a $50,000 gift
from the widow of Oregon's late Governor Julius L. Meier.
37. COUNCIL CREST PARK (1,107 alt.) is directly west of
PORTLAND 223
Sam Jackson Park and close to the southwest city limits. It is i cached
by SW. Broadway Drive and Talbot Roads, and other roads encircle it.
The highest point within the city, the view from this eminence in clear
weather is approximately forty miles to the west, sixty miles to the
east, and more than a hundred miles to the north and south, and in-
cludes six snow-covered peaks. To the west, beyond the bowl-like
Tualatin Valley, is the Coast Range. Eastward the gorge of the Co-
lumbia River is visible from Crown Point to Cascade Locks; to the
south are Oregon City and the Willamette Valley,* and to the north
is the city of Vancouver and the orchards of Clark County, Washing-
ton. The small tower on the crest is a United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey tnangulation station.
38. WASHINGTON PARK crowns the hills directly west of
the main business section and is one of the most beautiful of Portland's
many parks. It comprises one-hundred acres of hillside, partly improved.
At the SW. Park Place entrance stands a thirty-four foot shaft of
granite brought from the Snake River and erected in honor of Lewis
and Clark, the explorers. The first stone was laid for the base by
President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. Along the driveway (R) is the
much-photographed STATUE OF SACAJAWEA, the "bird woman" who
guided Lewis and Clark through the mountains. Modeled by Alice
Cooper, the statue depicts the Indian woman with her baby on her
back pointing out the way to the whites. A little farther on is the
statue, THE COMING OF THE WHITE MAN, by H. A. McNeil, which
shows two Indians astonished by their first sight of a white man.
In the upper part of the park is the Zoo (open 8-6 daily), containing
lions, tigers, monkeys, and many animals native to the Pacific North-
west. Deer, elk, buffalo roam the pastures at the far south end of the
park.
In the center of the park are the INTERNATIONAL ROSE TEST GAR-
DENS,, conducted by the Portland Council of the National Rose Society.
Cuttings from all parts of the world are received here and cross-grafted
to develop new types.
39. The FORESTRY BUILDING (open 9-5 daily), NW. aSth
Ave., between NW. Vaughn and NW. Upshur Sts., made entirely of
fir, is a weather-beaten structure 206 feet long, 102 feet wide, and 72
feet high. In the vast interior, accentuating the great size, are fifty-two
log pillars six feet in diameter, that support the roof and a gallery of
small Jogs. On the floor are sections of great logs nine or ten feet in
diameter, and polished slabs of various kinds of commercial lumber.
Doubtless the largest log cabin in the world, 1,000,000 feet, board
measure, of logs went into its construction. It was a feature of the
Lewis and Clark exposition of 1905. It is occupied only by a caretaker.
40. ST. JOHNS BRIDGE, foot of N. Philadelphia Street, of
suspension type, designed and built by the bridge engineering firm of
Robinson & Steinmann, New York, is one of America's most beautiful
bridges. From it there is an excellent view of the Willamette River.
Upstream are the Oceanic dock, the Eastern and Western Lumber
224 OREGON
Mill, Municipal Terminal No. i, and other docks. Downstream is
Municipal Terminal No. 4, where eleven deep-sea craft can berth
simultaneously.
41. UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND, on triangle formed by
Willamette Blvd., Portsmouth Ave. and the river bluff, occupies a
beautiful site overlooking the Willamette River. The university was
founded in 1901 by Archbishop Christie of the Roman Catholic diocese
of Oregon, and is operated by the Holy Cross Fathers of Notre Dame,
in Indiana. The buildings consist of Administration Hall, of Renais-
sance design ; Christie Hall, of Tudor-Gothic design, and Howard and
Science Halls, of modern functional design. Founded as Portland Uni-
versity, the name of the school was changed to Columbia University,
but reverted to the present name in 1935.
Below the bluffs upon which the university is situated is Mock's
Bottom (R), a iud-flat dotted with stagnant ponds and crossed by
the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad. In the river is Swan Island,
Portland's municipal airport, soon to be superseded by a larger municipal
airport under construction (1940) at 47th St. and Columbia Blvd.
42. PENINSULA PARK, N. Portland Blvd. between N. Albina
and Kerby Aves., and Ainsworth St., occupies a twenty-acre area,
equipped with playgrounds, ball grounds, and a swimming pool. In the
park is the SUNKEN ROSE GARDEN (open), occupying six acres and
containing more than 1,000 varieties of roses. When the plants are in
full bloom the gardens are a mass of vivid color. The plantings are
in rectangular beds, surrounded by close-cropped boxwood hedges. From
four pergola entrances of red brick, one at each side of the garden,,
wide flights of red brick steps lead downward past terraced plantings
to the lowest level, in the center of which is a large fountain.
43. STATUE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, a bronze heroic
figure at NE. 57th Ave., NE. Sandy Boulevard and the Alameda, is
the work of Pompeii Coppini. Set near the apex of a tringular plot in
front of the Friendship Masonic Home Association, donors of the
site, the statue faces Sandy Boulevard and looks eastward down the old
Oregon Trail, the route traveled by the pioneers. Formally dedicated
in 1927, it was given to the city by Dr. Henry Waldo Coe.
44. The SHRINE HOSPITAL FOR CRIPPLED CHIL-
DREN, NE. Sandy Blvd. between NE. Sand and NE. 84th Aves.,
is a large brick and wood structure of English Renaissance design,
erected in 1922. Well-staffed and nationally-known, this children's
hospital is conducted by the Masonic order, and is celebrated for its
success in the treatment of congenital hip diseases.
45. On Sandy Blvd. near NE. 84th Ave. is the entrance (R), to
the grounds of the SANCTUARY OF OUR SORROWFUL
MOTHER (free parking space), the open air grotto and sanctuary of
the Servite Fathers. It is the only one of the twenty-one sanctuaries of
the Servite Order outside Europe. The lower level is landscaped, with
stations for prayer, and, in the side of Rocky Butte, there is a large
altar at which daily services are conducted. The upper level of the
PORTLAND 225
sanctuary is separated from the lower by a perpendicular cliff, and is
reached by an elevator (charge 2$c). The Sanctuary covers eighteen
acres on the lower level and forty acres on the higher level. On the
upper level are seven shrines containing thirty-four wood-carvings of
Italian design and craftsmanship. On the crest, also, are a monastery
serving as a home for the Servite Fathers, and a heroic bronze STATUE
OF OUR SORROWFUL MOTHER, depicting the Virgin in an attitude of
adoration, overlooking the Columbia River and visible for miles. A
special mass is held before the statue on Mother's Day.
46. An aircraft beacon and observation platform at the end of the
winding road leading from NE. Fremont St. marks the summit of
ROCKY BUTTE (612 alt.), one of three cinder cones of volcanic
origin on the east side of the city. Its slopes are rough and broken. A
grove of quaking aspen, not ordinarily native to the lower altitudes of
western Oregon, grows on the northern side. From Rocky Butte there
is a view of the city stretching to the hills beyond the Willamette and
northwestward to the lowlands of the Columbia River. In the angle
between the rivers are North Portland's large meat packing plants and
stockyards. Beyond the Columbia are the peaks of St. Helens, Rainier,
and Adams. Eastward the Columbia is lost between encroaching foot-
hills of the Cascades, while slightly to the southeast rises Mount Hood.
JOSEPH WOOD HILL PARK covers three acres on the crest of the
butte. The site was given to Multnomah County by Joseph A. and B.
W. Hill, in 1935, and dedicated to the public in memory of their father,
Dr. J. W. Hill, an early educator. The park was improved during
1937-39 as a WPA project, with stone walls, roadways, and a wide
parking platform.
47. The northeastern entrance to MOUNT TABOR PARK is at
69th Ave. and SE. Yamhill St., from which point a curving drive of
easy grade leads upward to the summit (600 alt.)- This is another of
the cinder cones lying along the east edge of the city. From its grassy,
tree-shaded crest, there is a view of the East Side and the country be-
tween Portland and the Sandy River, fourteen miles distant. Mount
Hood gleams white in the east. Facing southeast on the crest is Gutzon
Borglum's STATUE OF HARVEY W. SCOTT, Oregon's noted newspaper
editor. Below the summit on the southwest slope of the butte are the
city reservoirs, where the force of the stream piped from the mountains
sixty miles away hurls great jets of water a hundred feet into the air.
48. REED COLLEGE, SE. Woodstock Blvd. between SE. 28th
and SE. 36th Aves., was founded as Reed Institute by the widow of
Simeon Reed, pioneer railroad builder, "for the increase and diffusion of
practical knowledge . . . and for the promotion of Literature, Science,
and Art." The buildings, on a large and beautiful landscaped campus,
are of Tudor Gothic design reminiscent in detail of Compton Wyngates.
The construction is of reinforced concrete, faced with red brick and
trimmed with limestone. The dormitory and administration buildings
were erected in 1912, and the library in 1930. A. E. Doyle of Portland
was the architect.
226 OREGON
Opened in 1911, Reed College maintains a College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences presided over by a faculty representing more than twenty
American graduate schools, who are given opportunities for supplemen-
tary foreign travel and research. There are no fraternities or sororities,
and no intercollegiate athletic teams. Reed operates as a democratic co-
educational community, fostering the spirit of inquiry and investigation,
and sharing the advantages afforded by its endowments, memorials, and
lectureships with the community outside its campus. The annual enroll-
ment is approximately 500.
The LIBRARY (open 8-8 weekdays), contains 54,000 volumes, acquires
2,500 volumes every year, receives about 200 periodicals, and is a de-
pository for government documents. The reading rooms are open to the
public, as are many lectures in the Chapel or Commons. The Pacific
Northwest Institute of International Relations, and many other con-
ferences of educational interest, are held on the Reed campus.
49. LONE FIR CEMETERY, SE. 2Oth Ave. between SE. Mor-
rison and Stark Sts., was begun in 1854 when Crawford Dobbins and
David Fuller, victims of the Gazelle river steamer disaster near Oregon
City, were buried here. In the cemetery are markers inscribed in English,
Hebrew, German, Japanese, Chinese, French, and Spanish. Here lie
Catholics, Protestants, Jews, pagans and free thinkers; white, yellow,
black, red, and brown men and women; bums and bankers; senators,
governors, and mayors. Among the graves in the cemetery are those of
Samuel L. Simpson, early Oregon poet; William Hume, father of the
salmon-canning industry ; George Law Curry, territorial governor ; and
W. H. Frush, early-day saloon keeper. On the plot of the Frush grave,
marked by a pretentions monument, is the large marble urn in which
he annually mixed his Tom and Jerry. On several occasions in late
years, the urn has been taken away and used for its original purpose,
but is always returned.
Two sections of the cemetery were set aside for the graves of firemen,
and many of the markers have elaborate carvings of hooks, ladders,
trumpets and shields.
In earlier da}^s, when the Oriental population of the city was larger
than it is today, scores of Chinese were buried here, but the bones of
those whose families could afford it have been disinterred and sent to
China.
50. LAURELHURST PARK, SE. 39th Ave. between SE. An-
keny and SE. StarkSts.,is a thirty-acre recreational area and playground.
Large firs rise from the knolls, and the shrubbery is profuse. The park
contains many varieties of Oregon plants and flowers, an artificial lake,
stocked with ducks and swans, a bandstand, picnic facilities, two tennis
courts, and a playground.
51. JOAN OF ARC STATUE, NE. 39th Aye. and NE. Glisan
St., is a copy of the original statue in the place de Rivoli, Paris, and was
given to the city by Dr. Henry Waldo Coe. It was dedicated in 1925
to the American doughboy.
52. The JANTZEN KNITTING MILLS (open 9-5 Mon.-Fri.,
PORTLAND 227
9-12 Sat., apply at office), NE. igth Ave. and NE. Sandy Blvd.,
manufacture bathing suits. The knitting department has seventy-five
machines, each with about 1500 needles. Following the knitting the
fabric is shrunk, cut into shape by electric cutting machines, and sewed
on power-driven machines. In its Portland mill the company employs
700 workers. The buildings are modern, well lighted and ventilated,
and the grounds beautifully landscaped.
53. The BURNSIDE BRIDGE, joining W. and E. Burnside Sts.,
a double bascule span of reinforced conciete construction, was dedicated
in 1926 and cost approximately $3,000,000. So precisely are its bascules
balanced that they move practically of their own weight when once set
in motion. It was designed by Hendrick & Kremer, consulting engineers,
of Portland and Kansas City. East Burnside Street is one of the mam
approaches to the city from the east.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Sandy River Bridge, 13 TTZ.; Crown Point, 18.2 m. (see TOUR i) ; U. S. Army
Post, Vancouver, Washington, 9 m. (see WASHINGTON GUIDE) ; Oswego
Lake, 7 m. ; Marylhurst College, 8.6 m. ; Willamette Falls, Oregon City, 14.5 m
(see TOUR 2) ; Multnomah County Fairgrounds, Gresham, 13.7 m*\ Bull Run
Lake, 28 m. (see TOUR 4^).
Salem
Railroad Station isth and Oak Sts., for Southern Pacific Lines.
Bus Station 228 High St, for Greyhound and Oregon Motor Stages; 441 State
St., for Independent Stages and Dollar Line.
Airport Municipal, 2.5 m. SE. on Turner Rd. via S. i4th St.; no scheduled
service.
City Busses Fare 70
Accommodations' Five hotels; seven tourist camps.
Information Service: Chamber of Commerce, 147 N. Liberty St.; Oregon State
Highway Commission, State Office Bldg., 1146 Court St.; Oregon State Motor
Association, 515 Court St.
Radio Station. KSLM (1370 kc.).
Motion Picture Houses. Five. ^
Swimming' Olinger Field, Capital and Parrish Sts.; Leslie Field, Cottage and
Howard Sts.
Golf: Salem Golf Club, 2 m. S. on US 99E, 18 holes, fees 500 for 9 holes; Illahee
Golf Club, 5 m. S. on US 99E, 18 holes, fees 350 for 9 holes.
Tennis: Olinger Field, Capital and Parrish Sts.; Leslie Field, Cottage and
Howard Sts.; both free.
Annual Events: Cherry Blossom Festival, in spring, when fruit trees are in
bloom; Oregon State Fair, September.
SALEM (171 alt., 26,266 pop.), capital of Oregon and seat of Marion
County, is the second largest city in the state.
The Willamette River, rolling through forest and meadow, passes
along the margin of the town. Westward, across a checkerboard pattern
of farms and forest, rises the crest of the Eola Mountains. Farms,
orchards, and vineyards cover the slopes of the Waldo Hills to the east,
and beyond them the snow-capped Cascade Mountains form the horizon.
Salem's streets are unusually broad. Residences of modern design are
half hidden behind trees that line the parkways and dot the lawns.
There are no unsightly districts or slums. A landscaped area traversing
the city serves as a civic center and embraces Willson Park, which is
flanked on the west by the federal and county buildings and on the east
by state offices. The shopping district, with its dignified structures, new
and old, has an air of stability.
The city, county, and state business conducted in Salem tends to
overshadow its industrial activities. The city is also the marketing and
distributing center of a rich agricultural area on both sides of the Wil-
lamette. Approximately one-third of the fruits and vegetables of the
Pacific Northwest are processed in Salem's canneries.
The daily bustle of a small city is intensified when the legislative ses-
SALEM 22Q
sion brings lawmakers, lobbyists, and political writers to town. Salem
is then overcrowded and surcharged with an excitement that does not
subside until adjournment.
Salem was founded by Jason Lee, who was sent from New England
as the Methodist "Missionary to the Flatheads" ; he arrived at Fort
Vancouver, Hudson's Bay Company post, m the fall of 1834. Dr. John
McLoughlm, the factor, whose real purpose was to confine American
settlement to the area south of the Columbia River, advised Lee to
avoid the more dangerous Flathead country and settle near French
Prairie, where he would have protection, and where the land would lend
itself to cultivation. Then he could gather the Indians around him,
"teach them first to cultivate the ground and live more comfortably
than they could do by hunting, and as they do this, teach them religion."
Lee's first mission was not a success because the "great sickness 57 wiped
out about four-fifths of the Indians in this section; he began another,
on the more healthful site of Salem, on June i, 1840. The missionaries
erected a house and combined sawmill and gristmill on this property,
and continued their efforts toward education and conversion of the In-
dians. Becoming discouraged in these efforts, and not anticipating much
success from another eastern trip to raise funds, the missionaries decided
to lay out a town and sell lots to finance the Oregon Institute, a "liter-
ary and Religious Institution of learning," which turned its emphasis
to schooling of white children following the great emigration of 1845.
Oregon Institute was the forerunner of Willamette University, which
was chartered in 1853. ^ -
The town was laid out the following year, and the first lots sold
were purchased with wheat. In choosing a name for the "town," which
had one house when it was platted, the Calapooya Indian name Cheme-
keta, or "place of rest," was proposed, but the missionary brethren pre-
ferred a Biblical word, Salem, with a similar meaning.
Growth of Salem was slow in the 1840*8, and discovery of gold in
California at the end of the decade drew nearly half the population to
the Mother Lode country. A few prospered and brought their new
wealth back to Salem, where it contributed to the development of the
town.
The territorial legislature, meeting at Oregon City in 1851, chose
Salem as the territorial capital. Democratic members, supported by the
missionary influence, were apparently instrumental in this move. The
Oregon Statesman, edited by Asahel Bush, strongly supported the move
to Salem, and Thomas J. Dryer, editor of the Whig Oregonian, took
the opposite side. When the time came for the meeting m Salem, in
December of that year, the governor, two members of the territorial
supreme court, and a minority of the legislature refused to move from
Oregon City, stating that the act was unconstitutional because it con-
tained two unrelated items, contrary to the organic law. A writer to
the Statesman advanced "the probability that party spirit, to sustain the
Governor, had something to do with this strange course of proceeding."
Accommodations were none too good, tor me legislators, tneir tirst
session being held in the residence of J. W. Nesmith. In 1852 "there
were perhaps a half dozen families living in Salem. The store was owned
by John D. Boon. . . . The mission building and mill were standing."
The following year Asahel Bush, who had been appointed territorial
printer, moved his newspaper to Salem. The legislature, dissatisfied with
unfinished buildings and cramped quarters, voted to move the capital to
Corvdhs in 1855. They traveled on the steamer Canemah, and Asahel
Bush, in his dual guise as territorial printer and newspaper editor, took
his much-traveled printing equipment along. However, Congress had
appropriated money for erection of a capitol and other public buildings
at Salem, and the Comptroller of the U. S. Treasury refused to recog-
nize the bill moving the capital. The legislators then reembarked from
Corvallis following one session there, and came back to Salem. Late that
year the capitol was burned, supposedly by an incendiary. Thereafter the
legislature met in rented buildings until a new one could be constructed.
When Oregon was admitted to the union as a state in 1859, Salem
continued as state capital.
During the 1850*5 Salem had connections with other valley points by
river steamer, stage line, and telegraph, and seemed well on its way to
an era of prosperity, Hopes were shattered, however, by the disastrous
flood in December, 1861. The Willamette, swollen by heavy and pro-
longed rains, surged over the business district, destroying wharves, saw-
mills, stores, and residences. Not until 1871, with the coming of the
railroad, did a new period of rapid development begin.
During the Hayes-Tilden presidential election of 1876, Governor
LaFayette Grover (1823-1911) made a daring political move which,
says the Dictionary of American Biography, "If it had succeeded, would
have elected Tilden president." Governor Grover attempted to dis-
qualify a Republican elector, a postmaster, on the grounds that he could
not act because he held public office, and to replace him with a demo-
crat, next highest on the list He prepared an extended brief to support
his position, but the electoral commission ruled against him. The Gover-
or was threatened with mob violence as a result of this action, and when
he resigned the governor's chair the following year to enter the U, S.
Senate there was an unsuccessful attempt to prevent his being seated.
As editor of the Oregon Archives and as a public official in several
capacities Grover otherwise served with credit; for a number of
years he was a prominent woolen manufacturer in Salem, but spent the
latter years of his long life in retirement
Since that time Salem has had a steady industrial and commercial
development, and state institutions have been built here until the city
and vicinity now (1940) has all but two of them. The city has linen
and paper mills, canneries, packing houses, ironworks, sawmills, and sash
and door factories.
SALEM 231
POINTS OF INTEREST
1. The MARION COUNTY COURTHOUSE (Open 8-5
Mon.-Fri.j 8-1 Sat.), High St. between Court and State Sts., and ex-
tending to Church St., was erected in 1872. Constructed of stuccoed
brick, it is of French Renaissance design, with a mansard roof. A con-
ventional figure of Justice with scales and a sword surmounts the high
front cupola.
2. The FEDERAL BUILDING (open 8-6 Mon.-Fri.; 8-12
Sat.), Court St. between Church and Cottage Sts., is of modern design
and is constructed of Vermont marble, with a California granite base.
The lower story which houses the post office, is 136 by 124 feet, and
the upper story 50 feet square. The grounds are beautifully landscaped.
3. WILLSON PARK, bounded by Court, State, and Cottage Sts.,
with its towering shade and ornamental trees, many of them cuttings
of historic trees, was the gift of Dr. W. H. Willson, early Oregon
missionary.
4 ; The STATE CAPITOL, Court, State, and I2th Sts., stands
in its own park, adjoining Willson Park and seemingly a part of it.
In the two parks are more than four hundred varieties of trees. Near
the east entrance of the capitol is the CIRCUIT RIDER, a bronze eques-
trian statue of life size, commemorating the pioneer missionary, Rev.
Robert Booth. The sculptor was A. Phimister Proctor,
The present Oregon State Capitol replaces the one destroyed by fire
in 1935. Francis Kelly, associated with Trowbridge & Livingstone of
New York, is the architect. Oregon associates are Whitehouse and
Church. The building, modern in design, has a symmetrical facade that
is divided into three main sections and dominated by a cylindrical cen-
tral dome. The main entrance with its triple doors is surmounted by
long windows and flanked by wide projecting bays, the latter taking the
form of monumental pylons. The severity of the symmetrical wings is
relieved by an effective arrangement of windows, which are designed in
five bays separated by the vertical lines of narrow buttresses. These
windows provide clerestory lighting for the executive chambers within.
A row of square windows pierce the wall of the first story.
The most decorative feature of the exterior is the cylindrical dome,
resembling the fluted drum of a column. The base is pierced by a row
of narrow stone-grilled openings. The dome is surmounted by a heroic
figure, The Pioneer, by Ulric Ellerhusen. The building is 400 feet in
length, 164 feet in width and 166 feet in height
The focal point of the interior of the Capitol building is the circular
rotunda. It is finished in Travertine Rose, marble-like stone from Mon-
tana. In the center of the marble floor is the seal of the State of Oregon.
Four large murals depicting the history of the state decorate the upper
walls of the rotunda. The two by Barry Faulkner, of New York, tell
the stories of Captain Gray landing at the mouth of the Columbia River,
and Dr. John McLoughlin welcoming settlers at Fort Vancouver. Those
of Frank Swartz, ako of New York, picture the Lewis and Clark expedi-
232 OREGON
tion at Celilo Falls, and a wagon train of 1843. Four smaller murals
by the same artists represent Oregon's industrial development. Faulk-
ner's represent the wheat and fruit industries, and fishing, and lum-
bering. Swartz's depict sheep raising and mining, and dairying and cattle
raising. The governor's suite, of three spacious rooms, is finished in
native myrtlewood.
5. West of the state house plaza stands the STATE LIBRARY
(open 8-5 Mon.-FrL; 8-1 Sat.), NE. corner of N. Winter and Court
Sts., a three-story building with basement and penthouse. The design
is modern, to conform with that of the capitol. It is constructed of white
Georgia marble, and was designed by Whitehouse and Church, Portland
architects.
At the top of a flight of broad steps are three entrance doors, above
each of which a marble plaque depicts an event in Oregon history; they
were carved by the Portland sculptor, Gabriel Lavare. In the main
lobby of the building is a decorative medallion, also by Lavare.
The interior is of oak with Montana travertine marble trim, the main
office and board room finished in knotty ponderosa pine. The principal
features of the library are the stack and reference rooms, and the Ore-
gon and Government rooms. The stack room, planned to accommodate
the library's 400,000 volumes, is three stories in height and has a floor
area of 42 by 136 feet. The reference room, of two stories, is paneled
in oak, with several wood plaques carved by Lavare depicting Oregon
historical scenes. The Oregon Room, separated from the main reference
room by bronze and wrought-iron gates decorated with the different
Oregon seals in bronze, contains a special collection of reference and
historical works, books, documents, and pamphlets, concerning the state.
The Government Room is for the special use of legislators and state
department employees. Here are gathered all state governmental records,
books, and other data.
6. The FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NE. corner of
N. Winter and Chemeketa Sts., designed by Whitehouse and Church,
was built in 1928-29, of Willamette brick with wood trim. The struc-
ture is of modified Georgian design, with columned portico and octa-
gonal spire. To the right an extensive wing houses Sunday-school and
recreational activities.
7. SEQUOIA PARK, Marion and Summer Sts., only 150 square
feet in area, contains a single redwood tree, eighty feet tall, planted by
William Waldo in 1872.
8. The STATE OFFICE BUILDING (open 8-5 Mon.-Fri.; 8-1
Sat.), SE. corner of I2th and Court Sts., erected in 1914, houses
subordinate state officials. It is a five-story Neo-Classic structure, em-
bellished with Doric pilasters and rusticated stone work.
9. The STATE SUPREME COURT BUILDING (open 8-5
Mon.-Fri.; 8-1 Sat.), NE. corner of I2th and State Sts., is occupied by
offices and courtrooms of the state supreme court and the offices of the
state superintendent of public instruction. The Neo-Classic structure,
SALEM 233
three stones in height, is constiucted ot marble with engaged Ionic
columns on each facade.
10. WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY, State St. between I2th
and Winter Sts., extending to Trade St., occupies an eighteen-acre
campus, with seven buildings and an athletic field. Founded as Oregon
Institute in 1842, the college is the oldest institution of higher learning
in the Pacific Northwest. In 1844 the trustees of the institute purchased
the Methodist mission-school property, including the three-story build-
ing, then the most imposing structuie in the Oregon country. In 1853
a charter was granted by the territorial legislature creating Wallamet
University, the institute being retained as a preparatory department.
Later the name was changed to its present spelling, and the institute
was discontinued.
Oldest of its structures is WALLER HALL, built (1864-67) in
the form of a cross, and named for Rev. Alvm Waller, early-day mis-
sionary. The chapel and pipe organ are on the first floor. The UNI-
VERSITY LIBRARY (open 7:30-9 Mon.-Fri.; 7:30-5 Sat.), con-
tains 35,OOO volumes and many valuable historical records, is the new-
est building on the campus. It is of modified Georgian design.
Administration offices and general classrooms are in EATON HALL,
a red-brick and gray-sandstone structure finished in Oregon fir, the gift
of A. E. Eaton of Union, Oregon.
SCIENCE HALL, built for the use of Willamette Medical School
(now discontinued) with funds raised by Salem physicians, houses the
chemistry, physics, and home economics departments, MUSIC HALL,
occupied by the school of music, originally housed the Kimball School
of Theology. LAUSANNE HALL was named for the ship Lausanne, in
which a party of missionary men and women came around Cape Horn
to Oregon in 1839. The building, completed in 1920, is the women's
dormitory.
The GYMNASIUM, a modern three-story building with a gallery,
is capable of seating 2,800 persons. THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM
(open 7:30-9 Mon.-Fri.; 7:30-5 Sat.), on the second floor of the gym-
nasium, contains a collection of birds and animals, Indian relics, his-
torical documents, minerals, woods, shells, and plants.
CHRESTO COTTAGE was erected in 1918 by the Chrestomathean
and Chrestophilean societies as a student-faculty social center. The
ATHLETIC FIELD has a grandstand seating 5,600 persons.
11. SITE OF THE FIRST STORE IN SALEM, NE. corner
Ferry and Commercial Sts., is designated by a bronze marker. Here, in
1848, Thomas Cox opened the first commercial establishment in Salem
witii a small stock of drygoods.
12. FEDERAL ART CENTER (open 10-5:30 Mon.-Fri.; 10-
5:30, 6-9 Sat.; 1-5 Sun.), 460 N. High St., established in 1937 by a
Salem citizens' group in cooperation with the Federal government, is
housed in the old Salem high-school building. The program being car-
ried out by the sponsors includes a free art school, public school and
library extension work, art library and reading room, lectures, and
INTEREST
Sequoia Park
The State Office Building
The State Supreme Court v
Building
Willamette University
lite of the First Store in Salem
' ederal Art Center
1*13, The Site of the Jason Lee Saw
* and Gristmill
14. The Home of Jason Lee
;. The Boyhood Home of Her-
bert Hoover
, 16, Oregon State School for the
< Deaf
j \i 7. Miles Linen Mill
r
18. The Jason Lee Cemetery
19. The Oregon State Hospital for
the Insane
20. The State Penitentiary
21. The State Forestry Building
22. The State School for the Blind
23. I.O.O.F. Cemetery
236 OREGON
exhibitions of the work of American and foreign artists and of students.
13. The SITE OF THE JASON LEE SAW AND GRIST-
MILL, Broadway and Liberty Sts., is noteworthy because the mill that
stood here was the first structure in the settlement. The machinery for
the mill was brought around the Horn on the Lausanne, and was later
transported from Fort Vancouver to Salem in Chinook canoes. The
preacher-mechanic at first set the millstones incorrectly so that they
threw out the wheat instead of grinding it.
On the same site, in 1857, Daniel Waldo established the first woolen
mill in Oregon Territory, manufacturing blankets, flannels, and cash-
meres. The mill was later burned but was reestablished on South I2th
Street as the Thomas Kay Woolen Mills.
14. The HOME OF JASON LEE (private), 960 Broadway, was
the scene of the first meeting, in 1842, of the founders of Willamette
University, and was also the first post office in Salem. The frame resi-
dence with its gable roof and bracketed doorway stands as it was built
except for an addition by Judge R. P. Boise, Salem's first postmaster
and later chief justice of the state supreme court.
15. The BOYHOOD HOME OF HERBERT HOOVER
(private), stands at the NW. corner of Highland Ave. and Hazel St.
After young Hoover was orphaned, he spent several years in Salem
with his uncle. It is said that the youth, later President of the United
States, drove one of the horsecars on the then new street railway.
16. OREGON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (open
8-12 and 1-4 daily, except Sat. f Sun.j fif holidays), N. end of Laurel
St., established in 1870 and moved to its present site in 1910, educates
deaf children between the ages of six and twenty-one.
17. MILES LINEN MILL (open 9-5 weekdays), 2150 Fair-
grounds Rd., manufactures salmon twine, fish nets, sack twine, shoe
thread, and linen yarns from Oregon flax.
18. The JASON LEE CEMETERY, N. end of 25th St., is the
last resting place of many of the pioneers who founded Salem. In the
Missionary Plot are the graves of Jason Lee and his family. On a
large marble headstone is inscribed a record of his work. The inscrip-
tion on the headstone over the grave of Lee's first wife, Anna Pittman
Lee, records that she was the first white woman buried in Oregon.
Lee died in 1845, on a visit to his birthplace in Canada, and his body
was returned here sixty-one years later.
19. The OREGON STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE
(open 10-12, 2-4, daily except Sat., Sun. and holidays), Center and
24th Sts., was established in 1880. Flower-bordered drives lead to the
buildings and through the grounds. Twenty-five hundred patients are
cared for, many of whom work on the hospital farm a few miles south
of the institution.
20. The STATE PENITENTIARY (open 9-11; 2-4; Mon. f
Wed. and Fri.), State and 24th Sts., a buff-colored building erected in
1866, is noted for the development here of the Oregon flax industry,
an enterprise started in 1915 to furnish non-competitive labor for prison
SALEM 237
inmates. The penitentiary has the largest scutching plant in the United
States and the largest single acreage of flax in the world. A lime plant
grinds fertilizer that is sold to farmers of the state at cost.
Most notorious of its prisoners was Harry Tracy, the bandit, who
escaped in June, 1902, and spread terror throughout the Northwest
until his death in a gun fight, two months later, in a Washington wheat
field.
21. The STATE FORESTRY BUILDING, State and 24th Sts.,
is of gray stone veneer and Douglas fir construction. The front is of
stone and the sides and back of stone veneer as high as the windows
with Douglas fir planking laid horizontally to the eaves. Hand split
and shaved cedar shakes cover the roof. The interior of the building is
in native woods. The walls of the reception room are of Douglas fir
and the floor of broadleaf maple ; the walls of the state forester's ^office
are of myrtlewood, the ceiling of tanbark oak and the floor of inter-
mingled white oak, black locust, black oak, and tanbark oak; the deputy
forester's office has walls lined with crowfoot hemlock, ceiling of firtex,
and floor of white oak. The board of forestry room has a freize^of
Oregon broadleaf maple burls, each burl "booked" to provide a pleasing
design. The ceiling is a patchwork of burl-designs. Other rooms have
walls of yew wood, sapstain pine, knotty ponderosa pine, Port Orford
cedar, redwood, alder, curly ash, sugar pine, golden chinquapin, juniper,
and madrona. The furniture is of native woods in harmony with the
interior finish.
22. The STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND (open 8-12
daily; I -.10-4:30 except Sat., Sun., and holidays), Church and Mission
Sts., established 1872 in a private residence, has occupied the present
quarters since 1892. It is conducted as a free boarding school for blind
children, and its courses meet college entrance requirements.
23. In the I.O.O.F. CEMETERY, S. Commercial and Hoyt Sts.,
are graves of pioneers, state executives, and prominent citizens. Among
those buried here are John Pollard Gaines, territorial governor from
1850 to 1853, and Dr. William H. Willson, pioneer missionary, who
donated the townsite of Salem.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Indian School at Chemawa, off US 99, 6 m. (see TOUR a) ; Silver Falls State
Park, 25 m. (see TOUR zA).
The Dalles
Railroad Station Union Pacific Station, N. end of Liberty St., for Union Pacific
Railroad.
Bus Station 311 E. 2nd St., for Union Pacific Stages and Mount Hood Stages.
Airport- Emergency landing field, a.i m. N. via Columbia River ferry to Dalles-
port, Wash.; no scheduled service.
Pter* Port of The Dalles Dock for ocean and river craft, foot of Union St.
Ferry Connecting with US 830 via Dallesport, Wash. ; 5oc for car and passen-
gers, 250 for pedestrians.
Accommodations: Two hotels, four tourist camps.
Information Service. Chamber of Commerce, 2nd and Liberty Sts.
Motion Picture Houses- Two.
Tennis High School courts open to public in summer, free.
Golf The Dalles Country Club, 3 m. W. on US 30; 9 holes, greens fee 500
weekdays, 75C Sun. and holidays.
Annual Events: Easter Sunrise Services, Pulpit Rock; Pioneer Reunion, early
May; Old Fort Dalles Frolic, early September.
THE DALLES (98 alt., 5,883 pop.), seat of Wasco County, is the
principal trade center of a large agricultural area in north central Ore-
gon. Navigation development at Bonneville Dam and the dredging of
a ship channel from Vancouver, Washington, to the dam will make
marine transportation feasible to this point, 189 miles from the mouth
of the Columbia River.
The name of the city originated with French voyageurs of the Hud-
son's Bay Company, who found a resemblance between the basaltic
walls of the Columbia narrows and the flagstones (les dalles') of their
native village streets. The city is on the south bank of the river along
a great crescent bend. The business district occupies a low bench along
the water front, and the residential sections are built on terraces that
extend southward, with a maximum elevation of one thousand feet. In
The Dalles are numerous upthrusts of basaltic rock, causing many dead-
end streets, confusing to visiting motorists and creating peculiar building
difficulties. Some residences are perched fifty feet above their nearest
neighbors. A flight of stairs, where Laughlin Street climbs from Fifth
to Fulton, ascends an almost perpendicular cliff for three blocks.
Old frame buildings shoulder modern masonry structures in the busi-
ness center, while in the older residential districts are a number of
quadrangular houses, with the inevitable ell of pioneer construction.
In these the front door generally opens into a central hall, from which
rises a stairway with newel and lamp. Modern home design tends to-
ward the rustic. There are, however, a number of stone and pebble
THE DALLES 239
houses, such as are found in Italy and on the Dalmation coast; these
were built by stone masons, who settled here following their employ-
ment at Cascade Locks, the Celilo Canal, and on other public works.
Indians called the site of the city Winquatt and Wascopam. The
former means a hemmed-m bowl; the latter, the place of the wasco, a
bowl made from the horn of a mountain goat, now extinct in this
section but formerly hunted by the Indians in the surrounding moun-
tains. Both names suggest the bowl-like arrangement of the canyon
walls.
Because its narrows and rapids made a break between navigable por-
tions of the Columbia River, the site of The Dalles was geographically
fitted to be "the great [Indian] mart of all this country/' as Lewis
and Clark, first recorded white visitors, found it in the fall of 1805.
"Ten different tribes who reside on Taptate [Yakima] and Catteract
[Klickitat] River," Clark wrote, "visit those people for the purpose^ of
purchasing their fish, and the Indians on the Columbia and Lewis's
[Snake] river quite to the Chopunnish [Nez Perce] Nation visit them
for the purpose of tradeing horses buffalow robes for beeds, and such
articles as they have not. The Shllutes precure the most of their cloth
knivs axes & beeds from the Indians from the North of them who trade
with white people who come into the inlets to the North at no great
distance from the Tapteet." The Indians also found this a good fishing
ground and a strategic point at which to levy tribute on travelers.
Lewis and Clark stopped here on their westward journey "to make
Some Selestial observations" and "to treat those people verry friendly
& ingratiate our Selves with them, to insure us a kind & friendly recep-
tion on our return." They gave the Indians presents, fed them plenti-
fully, and entertained them. Pierre Cruzatte, one of the French voy-
ageurs, played his violin, and York, Captain Clark's giant Negro
servant, "danced for the Inds!' The expedition found seals above and
below The Dalles, and "one man giged a Salmon trout which ... I
think the finest fish I ever tasted." In spite of their blandishments,
however, the party had "ill suckcess" in purchasing horses when they
returned here in the spring of 1806. Indians at The Dalles were ac-
quainted with all the nuances of close bargaining; it was only after
making purchases at high prices, which were retracted by the Indians
to bargain for still higher prices, that Lewis and Clark were able to
obtain four horses on which to pack goods eastward.
After the establishment of fur trading stations on the Blower Co-
lumbia, The Dalles was a rendezvous for traders and Indians. When
N. J. Wyeth passed this way in 1832 he found the Wascopam Indians
friendly, but "habitual thieves." He "hired the Indians about 50 foi
a quid of tobacco each to carry our boats about I mile round the falls.''
The first white settlement was the Methodist mission, established
in 1838 by Daniel Lee and H. K. W. Perkins. A Catholic mission waf
begun three years later, and one source says that the "two missions
spent much more time striving against each other instead of striving tc
save the Indians' souls." By 1847 the Methodist mission had so declinec
24O OREGON
that it was sold to Dr. Maicus Whitman, Presbyterian missionary, for
$600. The Whitman Massacre late in that year led to abandonment of
the mission and the establishment of Fort Lee in 1849 to subdue the
Indians and protect emigrants. The fort was named for its command-
ant. Major H. A. G. Lee. At this point overland emigrants placed
their wagons on rafts and continued down the Columbia by water. The
first store was opened the following year, and a rough board hotel was
built, which was soon replaced by Umatilla House (razed in 1929),
for a half a century internationally known for the excellence of its
appointments.
By 1852 a town had grown up around Fort Lee, and shortly after
the formation of Wasco County in 1854 the town was laid out and lots
were sold. Three years later a charter was granted to Fort Dalles, the
name of which was soon changed to Dalles City, the present official
designation, but the Post Office Department listed it as The Dalles,
which name it retains. Captain Thomas Jordan, commandant at the fort,
began publication of the Journal, first newspaper between the Missouri
River and the Cascade Mountains, early in 1859. Within the year he
sold it to W. H. Newell, who changed its name to the Mountaineer.
The back-surge of migration, which had streamed into the regions
west of the Cascades, came with the gold rush of the sixties. The streets
swarmed with the heterogeneous humanity typical in frontier towns,
and saloons and gambling houses flourished. The flow of gold was so
large that the Federal government erected a mint at The Dalles, but
exhaustion of the placer beds was as sudden as the initial rich strikes,
and the mint was abandoned.
During the two decades before 1880 the city's population was aug-
mented by an influx of miners, cowmen, and traders. Long lines of
freight wagons crawled through the streets and over the trails south-
ward and eastward to the mines and stock ranges. Stages rumbled in
from Umatilla, Canyon City, and the high desert regions. Steamboat
service on the river was rapidly augmented, but it could not keep pace
with the demand for transportation, and livery stables flourished. The
Oregon Short Line, a Union Pacific enterprise, was completed in 1884,
displacing freight wagons and taking some of the business from steam-
boat lines.
Following completion in 1896 of the Cascade Locks on the Columbia,
about half way between The Dalles and Portland, steamboats could
come up the river as far as The Dalles, and the rapids at this point
remained the only obstacle to steamer transport as far east as Lewis-
ton, Idaho. Many plans were advanced to overcome the barrier, and a
portage railroad was built in 1904. The traffic handled by this road
was so great that it led directly to the formation of the Open River
steamboat line. Construction of the six-mile Celilo lock canal was begun
in 1908 and completed in 1913, but river traffic declined after 1920.
Salmon packing is a major local industry. F. A. Seufert, a resident
of The Dalles, designed the fish-wheel (now prohibited by law), which
revolutionized salmon fishing. Cooperative associations pack more than
THE DALLES 241
thirty thousand barrels of brined chei nes annually. The Dalles handles
grain worth a million and a quarter dollars each year, livestock worth
a million dollars, and wool to the value of a quarter of a million.
With completion of the Bonneville dam project, The Dalles will
be at the head of a 2OO-mile waterway. To accommodate this antici-
pated traffic the Port of The Dalles has built docks and terminals at
a cost of $300,000 to serve ocean and river shipping.
POINTS OF INTEREST
1. ^ The FEDERAL BUILDING, SW. corner of 2nd and Union
Sts., is a two-story Neo-Classic structure of gray Tenino sandstone. It
houses the post office, the only remaining U. S. land office in eastern
Oregon, and the office of the Wasco County agricultural agent. Once
one of the busiest centers of activity in The Ddles, the land office has
gradually become quiescent following the withdrawal of public lands
from homestead entry.
2. The CITY HALL, NW. corner of Court and 3rd Sts., a two-
story brick building with native black basalt trim, houses all municipal
departments, including the fire department. Set into the east wall is a
bronze plaque that marks the site of the first courthouse between the
Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. The old building was removed to
320 East 3rd Street when the city hall was built.
3. The WASCO COUNTY COURTHOUSE, NW. corner of
Washington and 5th Sts., is a Neo-Classic structure of gray pressed
brick and granite, with interior-finish dark gray variegated marble. In
addition to all departments of county government, it houses The Dalles
chapter of the American Red Cross and the county public health unit.
In the county archives is the record of a license for a ferry across Green
River, formerly in Oregon Territory but now within the boundaries of
Wyoming.
4. The CIVIC AUDITORIUM, NW. corner of 4th and Federal
Sts., is a memorial built by the city to World War veterans. Besides an
audience hall seating over a thousand persons, there is a ballroom, a
community room, a gymnasium, and offices of the National Guard
company. The American Legion meets in the community room.
5. The FIRST COURTHOUSE (private), 320 E. 3rd St., was
built in 1859 on the site of the City Hall and was removed to its
present site to make way for that building. At the time of its construc-
tion, Wasco County embraced the entire region between the Cascades
and the Rocky Mountains, the Columbia River, and the California line.
The old building has been given a coat of stucco and is used as a lodg-
ing house.
6. The HORN, 205 E. 2nd St., originally a saloon operated by
Charles Frank, is a lunchroom with a collection of ancient firearms;
the horns of mountain sheep, bison, deer, elk, and other animals adorn
its walls.
7. The WILSON HOUSE (private), 209 Union St, a small
[NTS OF INTEREST
6. The Horn
7- The Wilson House
8. The Port of The Dalles Ter-
minals
9. Fort Rock
10. St Mary's Academy
244 OREGON
square frame house, was once the home and post office of the nation's
first postmistress, Mrs. Elizabeth Millar Wilson, an appointee of Presi-
dent Grant.
8. At the N. end of Union St., is the PORT OF THE DALLES
TERMINALS, two corrugated iron warehouses on a wharf 1,190
feet in length, equipped with modern marine elevators to serve ocean
and river craft.
9. FORT ROCK, reached by way of a marked trail from the
Union Pacific Station, N. end of Liberty St., is on the rocky promon-
tory overlooking the Columbia. This "rockfort camp" was used by the
Lewis and Clark expedition in the fall of 1805 and in the spring of
1806. Clark wrote: "we formed our camp on the top of a high point
of rocks, which forms a kind of fortification . . . well Calculated for
Defence, and convenient to hunt under the foots of the mountain."
They had good reason to choose a strong situation ; the Indians would
probably have killed them for their goods had not their party been a
strong one. But they had other troubles : "The Flees which the party
got on them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and dificuelt
to get rid of, perticularly as the men have not a Change of Clothes to
put on, they strip off their Clothes and kill the flees, dureing which time
they remain nakid."
10. ST. MARY'S ACADEMY, NW, corner of 3rd and Lincoln
Sts., has provided high-school instruction for girls since 1863, but until
1930 there was only primary instruction for boys. Among the youths
who attended the school was N. J. Sinnott, former Congressman from
Oregon and member of the U. S. Court of Claims.
11. ST. PETER'S CHURCH (Roman Catholic), SW. corner
3rd and Liberty Sts., is a red-brick edifice of Gothic design. Its spire
rises 146 feet and is surmounted by a chanticleer weathervane.
12. In a small city PARK, I2th and Union Sts., opposite the red-
brick schoolhouse is an old Oregon Trail marker dedicated by Ezra
Meeker, who crossed the plains in 1852, and who in his later years re-
traced the route by ox-team and covered wagon, and also by airplane.
13. PULPIT ROCK, I2th and Court Sts., is a natural upthrust
of conglomerate in the form of a pulpit, from which early Methodist
missionaries preached to the Indians. All religious denominations in the
city join in an annual Easter sunrise service at this rock.
14. Immediately north, below Pulpit Rock, is AMATON
SPRING (Place of the Wild Hemp), site of an ancient Indian en-
campment. The buildings of the Methodist mission, established in 1838,
were near this point. Daniel Lee, co-founder of the mission, in his Ten
Tears in Oregon tells of finding "a valuable spring of water, some rich
land, and a good supply of timber, oak, and pine, and an elevated and
pleasant location for a house almost in their shade; with a fine view
of the Columbia River, three miles on either hand. . . . The Indians
assisted in cutting the timber, and bringing it upon the spot." The
mission was sold to the Presbyterians in 1847 and retransf erred to the
Methodists the following year; the buildings were damaged during the
THE DALLES 245
occupancy of Federal troops in 1849 and following years, and the Meth-
odist Mission Board was compensated to the amount of $24,000.
15. PIONEER CEMETERY, on winding Scenic Drive, is the
burial place of many of the city's pioneer citizens. The cemetery was
established in 1859 with the burial of a man named Kelly. The marker
has been broken and his first name is unknown. The plot comprises
about four acres covered with native oak trees. Wild bunchgrass, sun-
flowers, lupines, and Oregon grape cover some of the graves. Here are
buried Joseph Gardner Wilson (1826-73), first circuit court and su-
preme court judge from eastern Oregon, and his wife Elizabeth Millar
Wilson (1830-1913), the first postmistress whose appointment was con-
firmed by the United States Senate.
16. SOROSIS PARK, a pine-covered tract at the top of Scenic
Drive, is partially improved. Here is a $5,000 marble fountain, the gift
in 1911 of Maximilian^ Vpgt, early-day merchant and philanthropist.
The bowl of the fountain is ten feet in diameter divided into four sec-
tions into which the water flows from bronze lions' heads facing the
major points of the campus. Above the bowl rises a square granite shaft
surmounted by a bronze decoration with five tines. From the park is an
inspiring view of the grain-covered eastern Oregon hills and plateaus,
and the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Range.
17. The OLD FORT DALLES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MUSEUM (open 9-5 daily}, SW. corner ijth and Garrison Sts.,
occupies the last remaining building of the Old Fort Dalles group. The
museum contains Indian artifacts and American history material, in-
cluding arrows, stone bowls, baskets, beadworfc, and old articles of
furniture brought across the plains in covered wagons. Pioneer vehicles
owned by the American Legion and stored in sheds near the museum,
are exhibited annually at The Old Fort Dalles Frolics. One of them, a
stagecoach that once carried President U. S. Grant, bears bullet holes
from early-day bandit raids.
1 8. The PARADE GROUNDS OF OLD FORT DALLES,
1 4th and Trevitt Sts., is occupied by the Colonel Wright Grade School,
named for a fort commandant.
19. THE DALLES INDIAN MISSION MONUMENT, in a
triangular plot at 6th and Trevitt Sts., was erected by Willamette
University in 1930 to perpetuate the memory of the Methodist mission
established here in 1838, by Daniel Lee. The marker was carved from
native Oregon granite by Louis Comini, pioneer granite worker.
20. THE DALLES COOPERATIVE GROWERS PLANT
(open by arrangement}, N. end of Jefferson St, processes annually
20,000 barrels of maraschino cherries and employs 250 women seven
months of the year. Experiments in collaboration with the Oregon State
Agricultural College, beginning in 1927, perfected sulphurous bleaching
and acid brines for hardening the cherries. The product is sold in whole-
sale quantities to eastern confection concerns. The enterprise affords a
sure market for the large number of cherry growers in The Dalles area,
?T_ TWF DATJ.FR MINT (*rMrfV center of block bounded
246 OREGON
by E. 2nd, Monroe, Madison, and E. 3rd Sts., is a stone building con-
structed by the Federal government in 1868. It was built at a cost of
$105,000 at a time when gold mining in eastern Oregon and Idaho
promised rich returns, but never coined a piece of money. Before the
structure could be equipped, the mines so diminished in production
that the government sold the building. Today it is the engmehouse of
the Columbia Warehouse Company, a gram and storage concern.
POINTS OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONS
Seufert Bros. Cannery, 3 m. ; Celilo Falls (Indian fisheries), 11 m. ; Mayer
State Park (Rowena Lookout), 10.5 m.i Memaloose Lookout, 14.1 m. (see
TOUR i).
PART III
All Over Oregon
Tour 1
( Caldwell, Idaho) Ontario Pendleton The Dalles Portland
Astoria; 518.9 m. US 30.
Union Pacific Railroad parallels US 30 between Idaho Line and Portland;
Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad, between Portland and Astoria. Stage
service throughout.
Paved road, passable except after severe snow and ice storms, when sections
along Columbia River are temporarily blocked.
All types of accommodations; improved camp sites
US 30 in Oregon closely follows the old Oregon Trail. Lewis and
Clark used boats in the Columbia to reach the coast though later travel-
ers followed the south bank of the river to The Dalles, where they
transferred.
Section a. Idaho State Line to Junction US 730, 221.7 m.
US 30 crosses the Oregon line, which is in the SNAKE RIVER,
772. ; the river forms more than 200 miles of the Oregon-Idaho bound-
ary. The river was named Lewis Fork by William Clark in honor of his
fellow explorer Meriwether Lewis. Later the terms Shoshone and Snake
were more often applied, because of Indian tribes that inhabited its
drainage basin. Saptin, or Shahaptin, also frequently applied is derived
from a branch of the Nez Perce.
ONTARIO, 1.4 m. (2,153 alt., 1,941 pop.), a townsite in the
i88o's, is the principal trade center for the 300,000 acres of the Owyhee
and Malheur irrigation projects (see TOUR ja; also TOUR 60).
On the irrigated farms, apples and other fruits are produced ; and gjain
growing, hog raising and dairying are important industries. Ontario is
the shipping point for vast areas of the Owyhee and Malheur Valleys
and is the gateway to the great cattle country of central Oregon, served
by the Oregon Eastern branch of the Union Pacific Railroad extending
127 miles southwestward to Burns (see TOUR 7fl).
US 30 crosses the Malheur River (see TOUR Ja) at 3.7 m. In
Fremont's Journal, under date of October n, 1843, he wrote: "about
sunset we reached the Riviere aux Malheur s (the unfortunate or un-
lucky river) a considerable stream, with an average breadth of fifty feet
and, at this time, eighteen inches depth of water." From the straight
young shoots of the wild syringa that grow along the river bank, the
Indians fashioned their arrows, which fact gave the bush the local name
of arrow-wood.
Northward from the Malheur the road curves over sage-covered hills,
25O OREGON
a trail once traversed by Indians, trappers, frontiersmen, missionaries,
soldiers, covered wagons, the pony express, the Concord coach.
"Hickory yoke and oxen red
And here and there a little tow-head
Peeping out from the canvas gray
Of the Oregon Overland on its way
In Forty-Nine"
At 8.8 m. is a junction with State 90.
Right on State 90 to PAYETTE, Idaho, 3 m. (see TOUR 3, IDAHO GUIDE).
At 16.8 m. US 30 forms a junction with US 3oN.
Right on US soN to WEISER, Idaho, 3 m (see TOUR 3, IDAHO GUIDE).
OLDS FERRY at FAREWELL BEND, 30.7 m., established in
1862, was one of the earliest ferries on the Snake River. At Farewell
Bend, where the Old Oregon Trail leaves the Snake River and curves
northwestward over the ridges to Burnt River (see below), the pioneers
bade farewell to the river not knowing where they would again reach
water. A marker (R) indicates that the expeditions of Wilson Price
Hunt, Captain B. E. L. Bonneville, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, and Captain
John C. Fremont, camped at this place. Here, on the night of December
22, 1811, the starving Astorians under command of Captain Hunt
crossed the ice-filled Snake River. "Mr. Hunt caused a horse to be
killed and a canoe to be made out of its skin," wrote Washington Irving
in Astoria. "The canoe proving too small another horse was killed and
the skin of it joined to that of the first. Night came on before the little
bark had made two voyages. Being badly made it was taken apart and
put together again by the light of the fire. The night was cold ; the men
were wearied and disheartened with such varied and incessant toil and
hardship. ... At an early hour of the morning, December 23, they began
to cross. . . . Much ice had formed during the night, and they were
obliged to break it for some distance on each shore. At length they
all got over in safety to the west side; and their spirits rose on having
achieved this perilous passage.'*
Hunt, leading his party of 32 white men and Marie and Pierre
Dorion, Indian guides, and their two small children, made for the moun-
tains. Five horses had been laden with their luggage, and these horses
ultimately served as food.
Fremont wrote in an early report: "Leaving the Snake River, which
is said henceforth to pursue its course through canyons, amidst rocky
and impracticable mountains where there is no possibility of traveling
with animals, we ascended a long and somewhat steep hill ; and crossing
the dividing ridge, came down into the valley of the Brule' or Burnt
River, which here looks like a hole among the hills."
At 35.7 m. change is made between Rocky Mountain and Pacific
Standard Time.
TOUR I 251
HUNTINGTON, 36.3 m. (2,112 alt., 803 pop.), named for two
brothers who platted the townsite, is three miles from the Snake River
in the Burnt River Valley. The townsite is a part of the land claim of
Henry Miller who settled here in August, 1862, and built the stage
tavern known for many years as Miller's Station. The rails of the
Oregon Short Line and the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company
line were joined here in 1884, and since that time Huntmgton has been
an important railway division point.
Northward from Huntmgton, US 30 follows the canyon of Burnt
River, which it crosses 15 times in 12 miles. As early as 1819 Donald
McKenzie spoke of the Brule', saying that Indians had been burning
the hills, giving the country a black appearance. Fremont noted: "The
common ^ trail, which leads along the mountain-side at places where the
river strikes the base, is sometimes bad even for a horseman." All pio-
neers agreed that the Burnt River canyon was one of the most arduous
sections of the old Oregon Trail.
At LIME, 41.6 m. (2,223 alt., 18 pop.), a large conveyor crosses
over the highway, connecting two units of a cement plant.
At RATTLESNAKE SPRING, 51.9 m., the State Highway De-
partment maintains a drinking fountain and rest rooms.
DURKEE, 57.3 m. (2,654 alt., 100 pop.), is the trading post for
a quartz and placer mining area and shipping point for cattle. Close by,
along Burnt River, are found fire opals of excellent quality.
BAKER, 82.2 m. (3,440 alt., 7,858 pop.).
Railroad Station Union Pacific Depot, W. end of Broadway, for Union Pacific
Railroad.
Bus Station- ist and Court Streets, for Union Pacific Stages.
Taxis: 250 minimum
Accommodations: Three hotels; six tourist camps.
Information Service* Chamber of Commerce, Baker Hotel, 1701 Main St
Moving Picture Houses' Three.
Athletic Fields: Baseball Park, Campbell and^Grove Street
Swimming: Natatorium (Adm. 2sc), 2450 Grove St.
Golf: Baker Country Club, 9 holes, greens fees, 300, oS m. SW. on State 7.
Shooting- Baker County Rod and Gun Club, 2.7 m. SW. on State 7.
Annual Events: Baker Mining Jubilee, July.
Baker, on the upper reaches of Powder River, is at the mouth of a
shallow canyon, and looks northward over the Powder River Valley.
Its wide streets are bordered for many blocks by business houses and the
dwellings are shaded in summer by poplar, locust and cottonwood. Ris-
ing above the city roofs the ten-story Baker Hotel, one of the tallest
buildings in the state, is a conspicuous landmark. The city hall, schools,
hospital, and other public buildings, and many other structures, are built
of a steel-gray volcanic stone, quarried a few miles south of town. This
stone cuts readily when first quarried, and hardens when exposed to
the weather.
252 OREGON
Although born of the eastein Oregon gold rush, and firmly estab-
lished as the "gold coast" of Oregon, Baker is a city of numerous in-
terests. Flour mills, grain elevators, and dairies process gram and milk
from surrounding farms ; packing plants and poultry houses serve cattle
and sheep ranches of surrounding ranges, and the valley poultry farms.
Early settlers overlooked the beauty of the Baker site and the utility
of its resources. Not until the California gold rush reminded men of
the fabled yellow stones, picked up in a blue bucket on the trail, did
prospecting begin in the canyons.
The first house in the Baker settlement was built of log, in 1863.
Soon a box saloon, a hotel, and a blacksmith shop were opened. In the
spring of 1864 Col. J. S. Ruckels built a quartz mill; James W. Virtue
erected the first stone structure for his assay office and bank, and the
Reverend P. DeRoo opened the Arlington Hotel. The town was laid
out in 1865 by Royal A. Pierce and named for Col. E. D. Baker,
United States Senator from Oregon and close friend of Abraham
Lincoln. Baker was killed at Ball's Bluff, Va., October 21, 1861, while
serving in the Federal army.
In 1868 the county seat was changed from Auburn to Baker. Some
difficulty arose over the transfer of records and a crowd from Baker
went to Auburn with a team and wagon and "very early in the morning
everything belonging to the county offices was loaded into the wagon
and on the way to their destination before the people of Auburn knew
what was going on." In 1874 the town was incorporated as Baker City,
but about 1912 "City" was dropped.
In spite of poor transportation facilities Baker did a thriving busi-
ness in mining supplies and provisions. Merchandise was freighted over
the hazardous mountain roads to the mining camps of Rye Valley,
Willow Creek, and the Mormon Basin, 75 to 100 miles away. The stage
line, carrying the United States mail and Wells, Fargo & Company's
express, was transferred from the old immigrant road east of town to
Place's toll road through Baker City in 1865. Coaches of the North-
west Stage Company made regular connections with the Union Pacific
Railway at Kelton, Nevada, while other lines reached out to Gem
City, Sparta, Eldorado, and the Greenhorn Range. Hold-ups by "road-
agents" and pillaging of stages and freight wagons by hostile Indians
were of frequent occurrence, and swollen rivers and winter storms added
peril to many a trip.
Travelers passing through saw more exciting life in Baker City than
in any town between Portland and Salt Lake. Miners, gamblers, filles
de joie j ranchers, cowboys, and sheepherders frequented the dance halls
and saloons or mingled on the board walks with the citizenry. Gambling
halls, blacksmith shops, livery stables, and feed corrals were the prin-
cipal industrial establishments. Notwithstanding the two-fisted char-
acter of the town, the city commissioners in 1881 passed an ordinance
prohibiting small boys from shooting marbles or riding velocipedes on
the sidewalks, and required one citizen to remove his potato patch from
a lot on a principal street.
TOUR I 253
In 1880 the Census Bureau found 1,197 people here, including 166
Chinese, males being predominant. According to this census there were
only 143 females in the city.
The first train on the new Oregon Short Line arrived here^ August
19, 1884. The town then boasted a substantial business district with
two-story brick or stone structures; and the coming of the railroad
further stimulated trade. The Eagle Sawmill Company opened a lumber
yard in Baker in 1886; m 1888 the Triangle Planing mill began oper-
ation, and in June 1892, the Baker City Iron Works was established.
The first newspaper published in Baker County was the Bedrock
Democrat^ on May II, 1870; soon followed by the Daily Sage Brush,
the Reveille, and the Tribune.
The last decade of the century opened with the usual western boom
hitting the little "Denver of Oregon," and real estate values sky-rock-
eted. But the boom soon burst and values settled to their former firm
level. Since the turn of the century the city has had a steady growth,
becoming the trade center of a vast agricultural and stock-producing
region and the mining metropolis of the State. Neighboring mines have
already produced more than $150,000,000 and Baker County still holds
75 percent of the mineral wealth of the State. A bullion department
is maintained at the First National Bank.
The GOLD EXHIBIT (open 9-3 weekdays], in the First National
Bank at 2001 Main St., contains gold in its various forms: nuggets,
dust, and ores. One nugget from the Susanville district weighs 86 ounces
and is worth more than $3,000.
The BAKER MUNICIPAL NATATORIUM (open 9-9 week-
days, adm. 25c), SE. corner of Campbell and Grove Sts., was built at
a cost of $200,000. Springs of considerable mineral content furnish
water at 80 degrees, gushing 400 gallons a minute. The main plunge
is equipped with shower, steam, needle and tub baths.
The CITY PARK, Grove St., between Madison and Campbell
Sts., extending to Resort St. on both banks of the Powder River, has a
playground for children, swings, seats, and a bandstand that is used for
weekly concerts during the summer. In the park is a monument erected
in 1906 to the pioneers of the provisional government period. The
monument was built with the contributions of 800 school children.
The CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY (open 9-5 weekdays), SE.
corner of 2nd and Auburn Sts., of modified Classical Revival design,
is constructed of local stone. On its shelves are 16,000 volumes, several
thousand music scores, and a large collection of art prints, many in
color, which are used by study clubs.
The BAKER COUNTY COURTHOUSE (open 9-4 weekdays),
3rd and Court Sts., is a square, three-story building of local stone, sur-
mounted by a clock tower.
Baker is at the junctions with State 7 (see TOUR lA) and State 86
(see TOUR iB). , , ^ J _.
North of Baker the route runs through the broad Powder River
Valley.
254 OREGON
HAINES, 92.9 m. (3,334 alt., 431 pop.), is the trading center of a
rich farming district. The Elkhorn Range of the Blue Mountains (L)
is dominated by five conspicuous peaks; from south to north ELK-
HORN PEAK: (8,922 ait), ROCK CREEK BUTTE (9,097 ait),
HUNT MOUNTAIN (8,232 alt.), named for Wilson Price Hunt;
RED MOUNTAIN (8,304 alt.), and TWIN MOUNTAIN (8,920
alt). Fremont wrote of this range: "It is probable that they have le-
ceived their name of the Blue Mountains from the dark-blue appear-
ance given to them by the pines."
A couple miles north of Haines is the Ford of Powder River called
in early days the Lone Tree Crossing. Thomas J. Farnham noted on
September 19, 1839: "Cooked dinner at IS Arbor Seul, a lonely pine in
an extensive plain." Four years later Fremont wrote: "From ^ the
heights we looked in vain for a well-known landmark on Powder River,
which had been described to me by Mr. Payette as I'arbre seul (the
lone tree) ; and, on arriving at the river, we found a fine tall pine
stretched on the ground, which had been felled by some inconsiderate
emigrant axe. It had been a beacon on the road for many years past."
After the cutting of the tree the place became known as Lone Pine
Stump.
Crossing the North Powder River, 101 m., US 30 passes a RODEO
STADIUM (L) on the edge of NORTH POWDER, 101.3 m.
(3,256 alt., 553 pop.), founded in the seventies by James DeMoss,
father of the famous DeMoss family of concert singers. The city was
named for a branch of the Powder River that enters the main stream
at this point. The river was so named because of the powdery character
of the volcanic soil along its banks.
Left from North Powder on a gravel road that winds along the North Powder
River into the WHITMAN NATIONAL FOREST, 12 m. t and ascends sharply
toward the summit of the Blue Mountains.
At 18 m. is a junction with a foot trail. L on this trial 1 m. to VAN PATTEN
LAKE, one of a closely grouped series of beautiful highland lakes in the heart
of the mountainous region known as the ANTHONY LAKES RECREATIONAL
AREA. These lakes, headwaters of three major streams the North Fork of the
John Day, the Grande Ronde, and the North Powder are well stocked with
rainbow and eastern brook trout.
On the graveled road is ANTHONY LAKE, 21 m. (7,100 alt.), a vacation
resort. (Forest camps, picnic grounds, commercial accommodations; boats and
fishing tackle for hire). The resort is summer headquarters of the district forest
ranger. Left from Anthony Lake 0.7 m. to BLACK LAKE (good fishing) ; right
0.3 m. to MUD LAKE (camp sites) ; and right 1.6 m. to GRANDE RONDE
LAKE (boats for hire; camp sites).
A marker at 104.1 772. indicates the camp where Marie Dorion, wife
of the half-breed interpreter attached to the Hunt party, gave birth
to a child on December 30, 1811. Irving writes: "They . . . suffered
much from a continued fall of snow and rain. . . . Early in the morning
the squaw of Pierre Dorion . . . was suddenly taken in labor, and en-
riched her husband with another child. . . . Pierre, . . . treated the
matter as an occurence that could soon be arranged and need cause no
TOUR I 255
delay. He remained by his wife in the camp, with his other children
and his horse, and promised soon to rejoin the mam body, who proceeded
on their march. ... In the course of the following morning the Donon
family made its reappearance. Pierre came trudging in advance, fol-
lowed by his valued, though skeleton steed, on which was mounted his
squaw with the new-born infant m her arms, and her boy of two years
old wrapped in a blanket slung at her side."
Crossing a dividing ridge over which the wagons of the pioneers
struggled valiantly, the highway drops into the Grande Ronde Valley,
called by the French-Canadian trappers La Grande ValleJ. "About two
in the afternoon," wrote Fremont, "we reached a high point of the
dividing ridge, from which we obtained a good view of the Grand Rond
a beautiful level basin, or mountain valley, covered with good grass
on a rich soil, abundantly watered, and surrounded by high and well-
timbered mountains; and its name descriptive of its form the great
circle. It is a place one of few we have seen in our journey so far
where a farmer would delight to establish himself, if he were content
to live in the seclusion it imposes."
Captain Bonneville, saw the valley in 1833 and reported: "Its shel-
tered situation, embosomed in mountains, renders it good pasturing
ground in the winter time; when the elk come down to it in great
numbers, driven out of the mountains by the snow. The Indians then
resort to it to hunt. They likewise come to it in the summer to dig the
camas root, of which it produces immense quantities. When the plant
is in blossom, the whole valley is tinted by its blue flowers, and looks
like the ocean when overcast by a cloud."
UNION, 116.8 m. (2,717 alt, 1,107 POP-)> once the seat of Union
County, was settled in 1862 by loyal citizens who perpetuated the spirit
of their patriotism in the name of the town. Conrad Miller, the first
settler, selected land a mile west of the present town in 1860. Union
is the center of a rich agricultural and stock-producing area. Catherine
Creek, a good fishing stream, runs through the town. The 6ao-acre
EASTERN OREGON STATE EXPERIMENT STATION is at
the west city limits; here experiments are made in the growing and
improving of grains, grasses, and forage crops. Here also are a dairy
unit, a poultry unit, a five-acre orchard, and truck-garden plots.
At HOT LAKE, 122.4 m. (2,701 alt., 250 pop.), water gushing
from springs has a temperature of 208 degrees, boiling point at this
altitude. It is used for both medicinal and heating purposes in a large
sanitonum. Irving says, in speaking of the eastbound Astorians under
the command of Robert Stuart: "They passed close to ... a great
pool of water three hundred yards in circumference fed by a sulphur
spring about ten feet in diameter boiling up in the corner. The vapor
from this pool was extremely noisome, and tainted the air for a con-
siderable distance. The place was frequented by elk, which were found
in considerable numbers in the adjacent mountains, and their horns, shed
in the springtime, were strewed in every direction about the pool."
LA GRANDE, 131.5 m. (2,784 alt., 8,050 pop.).
Railroad Station- Jefferson Ave, between Depot and Chestnut Sts., for Union
Pacific Railroad.
Bus Station. Terminal, Washington Ave and 7th St., for Union Pacific Stages
and Inland Transit Lines.
Taxis. Rates 250 in city.
Accommodations. Hotels and tourist camps.
Information Sewice- La Grande Commercial Club and Oregon State Motor
Association, Chestnut St and Adams Ave.
Radio Station KLBM (1420 kc.).
Motion Picture Houses: Two.
Athletic Fields La Grande High School (flood-lighted), 4th St., between K
and M Sts
Tennis Municipal Courts, Walnut St. and Washington Ave.
Golf: La Grande Country Club, 9 holes, $i weekdays; $1.50 Sun., 3 m. NE. on
State 82.
Swimming- Cone Pool (open air), 2m W. on US 30; Crystal Pool, N. 2nd St.
Shooting'. La Grande Gun Club, 3 m. E. on US 30.
Annual Events Union County Pioneer Meeting, July; Grange Fair, September.
La Grande (2,784 alt., 8,050 pop.), seat of Union County, lies at
the foot of the Blue Mountains near the western edge of the Grande
Ronde Valley. Eastward rise the Wallowas, a low wall against the sky,
serrated by bristling growths of fir and spruce. The town spreads out
across a gently rising slope on the south bank of the Grande Ronde
River, its wide streets pleasantly shaded by long rows of deciduous
trees. Modern brick and concrete structures lend a metropolitan touch to
the little city.
Ignoring the beauty and productivity of its level acres for a quarter of
a century settlers passed through the valley toward the Willamette and it
was not until 1861 that a few settlers retraced their trail to stake the
first claims in this region. They spent the winter about five miles north
of the present city and in the following spring Ben Brown moved with
his family to the south bank of the Grande Ronde River and built a
log house at the foot of the mountains beside the overland trail. He
converted his house into a tavern around which arose a small settlement
known variously as Brown Town and Brownsville. Upon the estab-
lishment of a post office in 1863, the name was changed to La Grande,
in recognition of the beauty of the scenery.
The town was incorporated in 1864 and in the same year the legisla-
ture created Union County, designating La Grande as temporary county
seat. The erection of a two-story frame courthouse started a county-seat
fight that lasted 20 years. No vote was taken until 1874 when the town
of Union won the contest. Then the citizens of Union descended on
La Grande, forcibly appropriated the county records, and carted them
home. Ten years later another vote reversed the first plebiscite and La
Grande citizens invaded Union and took back the records.
The city was once the home of Blue Mountain University, a Metho-
dist college that ceased to function in 1884. During the Indian uprising
of 1878, the alarmed populace took refuge behind the thick brick walls
TOUR I 257
of the old university building. The Indians did not enter the valley,
but fear did not fully abate until Gen. O. O, Howard routed the tribes,
killed Buffalo Horn, and drove Egan, the Paiute chieftain, from the
state.
The Oregon Railway and Navigation line came in 1884, following a
tangent across the prairie from the gap at Orodell, two miles to the
north, to Pyle Canyon. La Grande, finding itself a mile off the railway,
cieated a "New Town" beside the tracks, though "Old Town," as it
is still known locally, remains an integral part of the city. The coming
of the railroad opened a wider market for the products of the region
and the location of division shops in the city insured a large and perma-
nent payroll. Thereafter the population steadily increased.
Here in her girlhood dwelt Ella Higgmson (ca. 1860- ), author
of three books of poems, a novel, some volumes of short stories, and
many songs. Here also lived Mrs. Higgmson's sister, Carrie Blake
Morgan, poet and magazine writer; Kay Cleaver Strahan, writer of
mystery stories; Bert Huffman (1870- ), poet and author of Echoes
from the Grande Ronde ; and T. T. Geer (1851-1924), who during
his long residence in the town and county, accumulated much of the
material for his volume of reminiscences, Fifty Years in Oregon.
The industrial life of La Grande centers about the railroad shops and
the two large sawmills. Creameries, cold-storage and packing plants,
and flouring mills provide additional employment. The principal prod-
ucts of the surrounding country are fruit, livestock, and lumber. La
Grande is the chief shipping and distributing point for Union and
Wallowa Counties and the starting point for hunting, fishing, and
sight-seeing trips into the Wallowa and Blue Mountains.
The city adopted the commission-manager form of government in
The FIRST UNION COUNTY COURTHOUSE (private),
SE. corner of ist St. and B Ave., was erected in 1864 on the site of
the former Ben Brown log cabin tavern. During the first year of its
existence the lower floor of the courthouse was used as a print shop by
the Democratic Grande Ronde Sentinel and the Republican Blue Moun-
tain Times j the city's first newspapers; county offices were on the second
floor. Later the second story was utilized as a schoolroom and sawdust
was spread on the floor so that the noise of the children's feet would
not disturb the county officials on the floor below. After the removal
of the county seat to Union in 1874, the building was used as a
church, as a store, and since 1876 as a residence.
The OREGON TRAIL MONUMENT, on a hillside at the west
end of B Ave., is a slab of stone three feet high and 15 inches square,
with "The Old Oregon Trail, 1843-1853" inscribed on the east face.
Scars of the old trail still remain slanting across the rugged slope. From
the site is a panoramic view of the Grande Ronde Valley with the city
in the foreground surrounded by checkered fields, and in the distance,
Mount Emily and Mount Fanny lifting their crests above the Wallowa
and Blue Mountains.
258 OREGON
The SITE OF BLUE MOUNTAIN UNIVERSITY, W. side
of 4th St. between K and M Aves., is now the grounds of the La
Grande high school and the Central grade school. In 1875 the university
was organized under the auspices of the Columbia Conference of the
Methodist Church. For a decade the college flourished, but in 1884
it was discontinued when the conference was divided and the church
endowment restricted. The property was then leased for public school
purposes and was purchased in 1889. The old La Grande high school,
now the Central school, erected in 1899, was constructed partly of bricks
from the old university hall, and the material from the old cornerstone
was taken out and placed in the cornerstone of the new building.
UNION COUNTY COURTHOUSE, L Ave. between 5th and
6th Sts., constructed in 1904, is a two-story red brick building, sur-
rounded by a landscaped park. Here are the court records since 1864,
which have suffered little loss or damage, despite the two forcible
removals.
EASTERN OREGON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, S. of L
Ave. between 8th St. and Hill Ave., has a 30 acre campus on an emi-
nence overlooking the city. It was established in 1929 and is the only
Oregon institution of higher learning east of the Cascade Mountains.
The central, or administrative building, a concrete structure of Italian
Renaissance design, erected in 1929, provides offices, classrooms, a li-
brary, and an auditorium seating 600, Leading upward to the building,
which is 42 feet above the street level, is a wide stairway of buff-colored
concrete with ornamental balustrades. The J. H. Ackerman Training
School, of similar architecture to the administration building, a labora-
tory school, sponsored jointly by School District No. I of Union County
and the State of Oregon, was erected with Public Works Administration
funds. One of Oregon's three teachers' training institutions, it serves
an average of 350 students.
La Grande is at a junction with State 82 (see TOUR ic).
West of La Grande US 30 winds up the gorge of the Grande Ronde
River into the Blue Mountains, Oregon's oldest land, known to geolo-
gists as the Island of Shoshone. The Blue Mountains were one of the
most formidable barriers in the path of the pioneer. In 1839 Thomas
Farnham wrote about "The trail. . . . over a series of mountains swell-
ing one above the other in long and gentle ascents covered with noble
forests of yellow pine, fir and hemlock." In the evening "the mountains
hid the lower sky, and walled out the lower world. We looked upon
the beautiful heights of the Blue Mountains, and ate among its spring
blossoms, its singing pines, and holy battlements."
KAMELA, 151.3 m. (4,206 alt., 27 pop.), highest railroad pass in
the Blue Mountains, is a starting point for camping and fishing trips.
MEACHAM, 156.9 m. (3,681 alt., 70 pop.), was named for Col.
A. B. Meacham, a member of the Modoc Peace Commission, who
established the Blue Mountain Tavern at this point in 1863, just out-
side the borders of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. In the early 1890*8
the site of Meacham was platted and given the Biblical appelation of
TOUR I 259
Jerusalem with a pretentious plaza in the center known as Solomon
Square. But the dreams of the new Jerusalem soon abated and the little
mountain village reverted to the old name of Meacham.
EMIGRANT SPRINGS STATE PARK (facilities for picnick-
ing) , 160.2 m.> is at a spring said to have been discovered in 1834 by
Jason Lee. Right of the highway, opposite the entrance to the park,
is a large stone marker, erected in honor of the members of the first
wagon train over the trail. It was dedicated in 1923 by President
Warren G. Harding.
The UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION, entered at 162.6
772., was named for a tribe of Indians that once inhabited the lands ad-
jacent to the Umatilla River. It was established in 1855, and is now
occupied by about 1,200 members of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla
Walla tribes, who engage in wheat-growing and ranching (see IN-
DIANS AND ARCHEOLOGY). The reservation has no govern-
ment school, but missions are maintained by the Roman Catholic and
Presbyterian Churches.
The summit of EMIGRANT HILL, 167.8 m., (3,800 alt.), dis-
closes a panorama of the Columbia Basin wheatlands. Fields of waving
grain alternate with summer-fallow in a vast checker board of gold
and gray, and the wild war cry of the painted savage is replaced by
the hum of the combine harvester. On clear days Mount Hood and
Mount Adams, more than 100 miles distant, can be seen against the
western horizon.
MISSION, 181.2 m., is headquarters for the Umatilla Indian
Agency. At the STATE PHEASANT FARM, 181.9 m., grouse,
quail, pheasants, and other game birds are bred for release on the up-
lands of eastern Oregon.
At 185.7 m. US 30 forms a junction with State n, the Walla Walla
Highway.
Right on State n through wheatfields that stretch in a broad panorama up the
slopes of the Blue Mountains (R), crossing the UMATILLA (Ind., water rip-
pling over stones) RIVER, to ADAMS, 12.5 772. (1,520 alt, 178 pop.), named
for an early wheat rancher. A school, a church, grain elevators, and dwellings
are all that remain of a once thriving settlement.
Right from Adams, on a gravel road 10 m. to THORN HOLLOW (i,45
alt.), a small Indian settlement on the Umatilla Reservation. Left here to
GIBBON, 16.1 m. (1,751 alt.), also on the Reservation, which has a school for
Indian and white children. At 23.3 m., near the Umatilla River, is BINGHAM
SPRINGS, a summer resort centering about the warm sulphur springs. (Hotel
and cabin accommodations).
The old town of ATHENA, 17.7 m. (1,713 alt., 504. pop.), on State n by
Wild Horse Creek, was a stage station on the road from W a ^ a Walla to Pendle-
ton. It was long the scene of an annual camp meeting with horse racing as an
added diversion, A cannery, absorbing the pea yields of former wheatlands,
gives the town an increasing economic importance.
Before the Civil War WESTON, 21.3 m. (1,686 alt., 384 P<>P-) &<* brick-
making and milling and was the first home of the Eastern Oregon Normal School.
Until a fire destroyed all but two business houses in the i88o's, Weston was a
formidable rival of Pendleton. Pendleton editors complained that Weston was
ahead of their town because Weston supported a street sprinkling system, con-
260 OREGON
sisting of trwo Chinese who spent the entire day passing up and down sprinkling
the main street from their five-gallon cans of water. The old SALING HOUSE
(private), on Main St., is a two-story structure of locally-made bricks and has
a cupola that was used as a look-out during Indian raids.
The town is the background for Oregon Detour^ by Nard Jones, a popular
novel of recent years.
The summit of WESTON HILL, 30,3 m.> commands a splendid panoramic
view of the Blue Mountains and the Walla Walla Valley. To the right, is the
deep Storm Canyon of the South Fork of the Walla Walla River, with Table
Mountain upthrust between it and the North Fork Canyon, on the left. In the
foreground, is the deeply etched canyon of the Walla Walla River, with its
sun-lit orchard valley, bordered by golden terraces of wheat-covered foothills.
MILTON, 31.4 m. (1,010 alt, 1,576 pop.), is on the old stage line between
Wallula, Wash., and La Grande. The town was first settled by a few families
who prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. In the i88o's the opposition led
by the miller, who owned water rights on a nearby stream, moved outside of
Milton's corporate limits Buyers of lots in the new townsite received as a bonus
free water privileges. Thus was established the town of FREE WATER 32.3 m.
( 1,010 alt, 732 pop.), which sold its liquor at "Gallon Houses," because Federal
permits allowed them to sell liquor only in gallon lots. The two towns, which
now overlap, are usually referred to as Milton-Freewater. They support a union
high school, one of the best in the state.
Milton is the canning and shipping center for a large pea-raising area, the alti-
tude, from 1,000 to 3,500 feet, making several harvesting periods. Formerly
wheat was the major crop, but from one-third to one-half of the land was idle
under the summer-fallow plan Now, with the rotation of peas and wheat, all
of the land is used. Early in the year farmers lease the land not planted with
wheat to pea canneries for cultivation. A mechanical drill, powered by a tractor,
does the seeding, and while the plants are growing they are sprayed with pea-
weevil poisons by a machine developed by the Agricultural Department of the
Oregon State College. The crop is harvested by tractor-drawn swathers that cut
the vines close to the ground. An automatic loader lifts the vines and deposits
them in dump trucks that carry them to huge stationary viners, where the peas
are taken from the pods. They are then placed in boxes, which are loaded into
water-cooled trucks and rushed to the canneries, whose season extends from mid-
June into August.
After the vines have been stripped, they are stacked and sold to farmers as
feed for stock. In 1938 pea-vine ensilage ranked second to alfalfa as roughage
for cattle in this area, with an average yield of three and a half tons per acre.
The vines are also dried and used as hay.
When harvesting comes to an end discs are attached to tractors and the remain-
ing vegetation is turned into the ground. This increases the fertility of the soil
and aids in the control of pea pests.
At 36.7 m. is a junction with a gravel road, L. here 12.5 m. to an old
HUDSON'S BAY FARM, on which one of the original buildings of the com-
pany's settlement still stands. Refugees from Waiilatpu, the Whitman Mission,
were said to have been sheltered in this house in 184.7.
At 36.7 m. State n crosses the Washington Line and at 38.7 m. meets a
county road leading northwestward down the Walla Walla River valley.
Left on this road 5 m. to the WHITMAN MONUMENT. The old Whitman
Mission of Waiilatpu was on the right bank of the Walla Walla River near its
confluence with Mill Creek. Near the mission site is a shaft of granite com-
memorating the Whitman tragedy of November 29, 1847, when thirteen inmates
of the mission were slain by Indians, To the left of the grave is the site of the
log house built in the fall of 1836 by Dr. Whitman and W. H. Gray, mission
blacksmith. A short distance from this cabin stood the main building of the
mission a T-shaped structure. At the mouth of Mill Creek was the mission mill.
All these buildings were destroyed at the time of the Indian uprising.
Dr. Marcus Whitman, a physician belonging to the Presbyterian church, estab-
TOUR I 26l
hshed the mission in 1836, on the site selected the year before by the Reverend
Samuel Parker, commissioned by the American Board of Foreign Missions.
Dr. Whitman was prominent in early Oregon historj. In 1843 he induced
migration into Oregon so as to force it into the hands of the United States. He
turned his mission into a sort of relay station, catering to the needs of the emi-
grants and tending them in illness. The slaying of the mission inmates hastened
Congress in declaring Oregon a Territory.
PENDLETON, 187 m. f (1,070 alt., 6,620 pop.) (see PENDLE-
Points of Interest. Round- Up Park, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Pioneer Park,
Til Taylor Park, County Courthouse.
At Pendleton US 30 forms a junction with US 395 (see TOUR. 5#),
with which it unites westward to a junction at 188.2 m.
The EASTERN OREGON STATE HOSPITAL, (L) at 188.5
m., a modern institution, with buildings adequate for 1,325 patients.
West of Pendleton is a section of the vast wheat region of the Inland
Empire. In this area two million acres of wheatlands are under cultiva-
tion, and one might walk from Pendleton to The Dalles through grow-
ing grain. Early spring, tractors, drag plows, harrows, and drills cross
rich brown fields ; late summer and early fall, combines, drawn by trac-
tors, mules, or horses, harvest the grain. Occasionally 32 horses are
handled with one pair of reins as a combine travels around the golden
foothills, cutting, threshing and sacking, exemplifying modern efficiency
at its peak, in marked contrast with a scythe and cradle used by pioneers.
These large-scale operations directed by bronzed harvest crews, are as
picturesque as the cattle drives of old. As in other semi-arid portions of
Oregon where wheat growing is a major industry, the practice of sum-
mer fallow is almost universal. Half the acreage is planted each year
and the remaining fields are either allowed to He idle until weeds are
plowed under, or the acreage is plowed and harrowed at frequent inter-
vals during summer to preserve moisture and to keep down weed growth.
Tawny squares of ripened grain, alternating with dull blues, purples
and blacks of the fallow fields, is the picture just before harvest.
At 188.6 m. is a junction with a side road.
Left on this road, former route of US 30, to REITH, 2.7 m. (979 alt, 44. pop.),
Pendleton Railroad division point. At 8.3 m* is HAPPY CANYON, an early-
day settlement whose dance halls and gambling dens have been reproduced as a
feature of the Pendleton Round-Up. ECHO, 23 m. (636 alt., 311 pop ), is a
wool and wheat shipping point, near the site of old Fort Henrietta, an early-day
army post. At 24.4 m. is the junction with US 30 near Stanfield.
At 189.2 m. on US 30 is a junction with a gravel road.
Right here to the PENDLETON AIRPORT, 1.1 m. (1,500 alt.), the first
regular stop of the eastbound United Airline planes from Portland to Salt Lake,
Chicago, and New York. A branch route to Spokane makes connections here
At 194.5 m. is the approximate point where the Oregon Trail left
the general course of what is now US 30, and crossed high plains to
Willow Creek, Alkali Flats, went down Rock Creek Canyon, and
crossed the John Day River to The Dalles.
OREGON
STANFIELD, 210 m. (204 pop.), center of a great sheep raising
country, was named for the Stanfield family, owners of a nearby ranch.
HERMISTON, 215,5 m. (459 alt, 608 pop.), a tree-shaded oasis,
with irrigation canals running through its streets is in the Umatilla
Irrigation Project. Artificial waterways have reclaimed from the desert
the surrounding fields that produce crops of grain, vegetables and fruit
and that stand out m startling contrast to the sagebrush. The town is
the home of the Eastern Oregon Turkey Association, which ships
thousands of birds annually, and it is well known for its desert honey.
It was named for the Weir of Hermtston, written by Robert Louis
Stevenson.
Left from Hermiston on State 207 to BUTTER CREEK, 18.4 m., so named
it is said, when volunteer soldiers during the Cayuse Indian War of 1848 ap-
propriated some butter intended for the officers' mess. Another version of the
story is that the soldiers on breaking camp left crocks of butter cooling in the
stream. The creek courses through a broken country, hideout for a gang of cattle
and horse thieves in the i88o's. They carried on their depredations until the
stockmen organized vigilante committees. The first victim was hanged on a
scaffold made of fence rails. To discourage cattle thieving, as well as to prevent
ownership confusion, raisers of stock filed with the county clerks small portions
of leather on which were burned their identifying brands. Many of these leather
brands are in the courthouses at Pendleton, Heppner, and Condon.
LEXINGTON, 38.1 m. (1,418 alt., 180 pop.), is an important wheat-shipping
point, named for the Massachusetts town. It began as a "wide place in the road"
in 1885 and became a competitor with Heppner for the county seat of Morrow
County. The townsite is on the homestead of William Penland for whom Penland
Buttes to the north were named. At Lexington State 207 unites with State 74 and
turns L. to CLARK RANCH, 46 m. t where are the remains of an ancient stone
sepulcher, one of several in this region. Found nearby are pictographs and arti-
facts. Anthropologists have surmised that these graves contain remains of a
Mayan people, antedating the American Indians, who left a trail from the Co-
lumbia River to Central America.
HEPPNER, 47.4 m. (1,905 alt., 1,190 pop.), the seat and commercial center
of Morrow County, is situated at the confluence of Hinton and Willow Creeks,
on a level valley floor, sheltered between high dome-like foothills. About 1858
cattlemen drove their herds into the region to forage. Finding an abundance of
rye grass along die creek bottoms, they established cattle camps and from them
grew the first settlements. Sheepmen followed, but their first experiments were
unsuccessful and lent encouragement to the cattlemen's hope that the sheep busi-
ness would fail. Today, however, sheep raising is a leading enterprise.
Heppner, the first permanent settlement in the region, was originally called
Standsbury Flat, for George W. Standsbury, whose log cabin was for several
years the only white man's dwelling within many miles. Heppner and Morrow
established a store in 1872. When the need for a school was recognized in 1873,
Henry Heppner, jumping on a cayuse, solicited the scattered settlers for funds.
Later, at the suggestion of Standsbury, the town's name was changed. Heppner
was completely razed by a flood, which swept ,down the Balm Fork into Willow
Creek, following a cloudburst on Sunday afternoon, June 14, 1903. The wall of
water, five feet high, drowned more than 200 persons, and damaged property to
the amount of nearly $1,000,000.
Southwest of Heppner State 207 winds up SPRINGLE CANYON to SPRIN-
GLE MILL SUMMIT, 51.9 m., from which are extended views of the Blue
Mountains.
HARDMAN, 67.5 m. (3,590 alt., 120 pop.), once a center of ^ commercial ac-
tivity, is a village in a round depression of wheatlands that gives the illusion
of great isolation. In the days of stage coaches, there were two villages in this
TOUR I 263
vicinity Yellow Dog stood on the Adams ranch, about a mile west of the town
of Rawdog. There was great rivalry between the two for the stage depot and
the post office, and when Rawdog finally won by strength of numbers, it was
known for some time as Dogtown. Still later it was called Dairyville, but the
name was finally changed to Hardman for Dan Hardman, who had hornesteaded
the site.
Hardman is one of the few towns in Oregon where the old-fashioned hand-
worked pumps and town pump are in use.
South ^ of Hardman the country levels into a wide plateau before dipping
sharply into the Rock Creek Canyon, which marks the end of the wheat-growing
region and the beginning of the cattle and sheep ranges.
At 79.4 m* is a junction with a dirt road.
Left on this road 0.9 m. to the HARRY FRENCH RANCH, where fire-opals
of excellent quality have been found. The opal geodes lie in outcroppings from
the surface to two feet in depth. In 1880 there was an "opal rush" to the district.
A boundary of the UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST is crossed at 83.1 m t
the forest is noted for its magnificent stand of western yellow pine. Limited lum-
bering and the summer grazing of stock is permitted under Forest Service super-
vision.
At 89.3 m. is a junction with the Tamarack Mountain road; R. on this
rough road 10 m. to TAMARACK MOUNTAIN, a splendid hunting ground
where deer abound.
At FAIRVIEW FOREST CAMP, 91.5 m., named for the fine view of the
Blue Mountains to the southeast, are the usual camping facilities. South of the
camp the highway descends over a sharply winding road into the gorge of the
John Day River (see TOUR 6a), which cuts a great gash through the towering
mountain ranges of eastern Oregon, to a junction with State 19, 100.3 m. (see
TOUR iJD), at a point 3.1 miles east of SPRAY.
At 219 772. on US 30 are the UMATILLA COUNTY STATE
GAME REFUGE, which shelters wild birds, especially migratory geese
and ducks, and a GOVERNMENT IRRIGATION DAM. Below
the dam, the Umatilla River's bed shows a curious rock formation
similar to that at Celilo Falls (see below).
At 221.7 7?2. is a junction with US 730 (see TOUR 5*).
Section b. Junction with US 730 to Portland, 192.7 m.
West of the junction with US 730, m., US 30 is called the Upper
Columbia River Highway. It follows the south side of the river's mag-
nificent gorge most of the way across the state.
UMATILLA, 0.9 m. (294 alt., 345 pop.), at the confluence of the
Umatilla and Columbia Rivers, was founded in 1863 under the name of
Umatilla Landing as a shipping point for the Powder River and Idaho
mines during the rush to the gold fields. In June, 1863, its buildings
numbered 53, thirteen of which had been erected in four days. ^The
Oregonian for June 24, 1863, reported: "Very little regard is paid to
the pretended title of the proprietor, Mr. Lurchin, as any one who
wishes a lot just naturally jumps it." As a result the town^ boasted over
100 substantial buildings within six months after its founding* Twenty-
five stores supplied the needs of citizens, packers, and stampeders, and
two large hotels accommodated the traveling public. Wild-eyed mule
skinners and gents with gold in their pokes and a hankering for whiskey
264 OREGON
roared through the streets, and freight wagons, stage-coaches, and pack
trains clattered in from the dusty trails.
When Umatilla County was formed in 1862 Marshall Station, forty
miles up the Umatilla River, was designated the county seat, but the
seat was moved to Umatilla Landing in 1865, where it remained until
1868 when it was removed to Pendleton In the years that followed
Umatilla became the shipping point for large cargoes of grain from the
eastern Oiegon fields, but the Oregon Railway and Navigation line,
constructed in the early eighties, diverted traffic and the town declined
in importance as a port.
IRRIGON, 8 772. (297 alt., 65 pop.), on the site of old Grande
Ronde Landing, a former stopping place for travelers, derives its name
and sustenance from the irrigation district of which it is the center. An
experiment farm nearby demonstrates the agricultural possibilities of
the rich soil.
At 11.2 77Z. is a junction with a side road.
Right on this road to PATTERSON FERRY, 1 m. (toll for cars and five
persons, $i ; round trip, $i 50) connecting with US 410 at Prosser, Washington.
On a slight knoll (R) at 19.7 m. is a mounted specimen of Indian
picture writing. The engraved boulder was found on the bank of the
Columbia River a few miles east of its present location.
BOARDMAN, 19.8 772. (250 alt., 100 pop.), lies in an area that
holds the fossilized remains of many prehistoric animals. Specimens in-
clude part of a mastodon tooth, bones of fishes, of the three-toed horse, of
the rhinoceros, and bits of turtle shell.
Left from Boardman on the Boardman Cut-off across a barren stretch of sage-
brush plains to an unimproved road at 15 m.
Left 1 m. on the dirt road, dusty and deeply rutted as it was in the days of
the wagon trains, to WELLS SPRINGS and the WELLS SPRINGS CEME-
TERY. The cemetery (L) is identified by its high, rabbit-tight fence. Here were
buried^ several pioneers, also Colonel Cornelius Gilliam who on March 24, 1849,
was killed by the accidental discharge of his gun.
West of Boardman US 30 follows the river, a green band separating
bleak and barren shores.
CASTLE ROCK, 25.6 m. (241 alt, 10 pop.), once a busy com-
munity, now is a station on the railroad edging an empty plain. The
magazine West Shore for October, 1883, records: "Castle Rock. . . .
now contains an express office, post office, saloons, dwellings, schools,
etc. . . . The growth of western towns is wonderful."
HEPPNER JUNCTION, 35.1 m. (241 alt), distinguished by an
airplane beacon on the cliff (L), is the junction of the Union Pacific
Railroad mam line with its Heppner branch, as well as the junction
of US 30 with State 74.
Left from Heppner Junction on State 74 through a narrow rimrock-walled
cleft up Willow Creek. Rust-colored, basaltic cliffs are in vivid contrast with
emerald green alfalfa fields, sub-irrigated by gravity flow of water from Willow
and its tributary creeks, and from underground springs. As the route continues
TOUR I 265
into the gradually rising country, wheat fields roll a\vay to the benchlands on
either side of the highway.
During gold rush days, miners traveling from lower Columbia River points
to the Idaho and John Day mining districts, passed through Willow Creek
Valley, hastening south by way of Dixie Creek and the forks of the John Day
River. Processions of Columbia River Indians followed this road, to hunt deer,
pick berries, and camp in the Blue Mountains, returning down the creek for the
salmon fishing at Celilo.
At 15.1 m. is a junction with a gravel road; L. here 0.5 m. to CECIL,
(618 alt., 15 pop.), by the Oregon Trail crossing of Willow Creek. The settle-
ment ^ was an important stage station. The WELL, where travelers obtained
drinking water for themselves and their teams, remains at the center of the
village street.
On State 74. is MORGAN, 20.4 m. (10 pop.), in early days called Saddle The
stage station of the name was situated, until 1888, on a side road about 2 m.
northwest of the present site. SADDLE BUTTE is right.
IONE, 29 m. (1,090 alt., 283 pop.), is strategically situated near the mouth
of Rhea Creek, and is also at the junction of the Boardman Cut-off Highway (L).
During^ the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, lone was considered an
ideal picnic site for conventions, celebrations and pioneer gatherings
At 32.7 m. is a gravel road; R. here 6 m. to the OREGON CREAM-O-LINE
RANCH, the only palomino horse ranch in the Pacific Northwest. Palominos are
golden and cream, or ivory-colored horses, a gentle and tractable product of fine
breeding, that are used for show purposes and for racing.
LEXINGTON, 37.7 m. (1,418 alt, 180 pop), a shipping center for wheat,
is at a junction with State 207 (see above )
West of Heppner Junction, US 30 crowds close upon the river, in
places climbing along the basaltic cliffs, affording views of the gorge and
the piling mountains to the north in Washington.
ARLINGTON, 46.5 777. (224 alt, 601 pop), first known as Alkali,
was given its present name by N. A. Cornish in commemoration of the
home of Robert E. Lee. The first dwelling was erected on the site in
1880 by Elijah Ray, and the town of Alkali was platted two years
later by J. W. Smith. The town was incorporated in 1887. Ducks and
geese are plentiful in the vicinity; the open season is from October 21
to November 19, inclusive. Hunting rights are often rented from the
ranchers at $8 to $10 a day. The Arlington Ferry (cars, $i ; round trip,
$1.50) makes connections with Roosevelt, Wash. At Arlington is a
junction with State 19 (see TOUR iD),
Passing through BLALOCK, 55.4 m. (216 alt, 16 pop.), US 30
threads the narrow gorge through which the Columbia has cut its
channel. From SQUALLY HOOK at 70.1 m., Mount Hood is seen
to the southwest, rising above the waters of the Columbia River.
The JOHN DAY RIVER, 70.5 m., caUed LePage's River by Lewis
and Clark for a member of their party, honors a member of the As-
torians. Washington Irving describes John Day as "a hunter from the
backwoods of Virginia. . . . about forty years of age, six feet two inches
high, straight as an Indian ; with an elastic step as if he trod on springs,
and a handsome, open, manly countenance. He was strong of hand, bold
of heart, a prime woodsman, and an almost unerring shot" Day, with
Crooks and several French-Canadians, fell behind on the Snake River,
while Hunt forged ahead with the main party in the winter of 1811-12
266 OREGON
(see above). The following spring when, after many hardships, the
two Americans reached the mouth of the John Day River "they met
with some of the 'chivalry' of that noted pass, who received them in a
friendly way, and set food before them; but, while they were satisfying
their hunger, perfidiously seized their rifles. They then stripped them
naked and drove them off, refusing the entreaties of Mr. Crooks ^ for a
flint and steel of which they had robbed him; and threatening his life
if he did not instantly depart." In this forlorn plight they were found
months later by a searching party and taken to Astoria. Day decided to
return to the States with Robert Stuart's party, but before reaching the
Willamette he became violently insane and was sent back to Astoria
where he died within the year.
In the striated gorges carved by the swift waters of the John Day
River are written the successive chapters of Oregon's geological evo-
lution.
Across the river from RUFUS, 75.5 772. (180 alt., 70 pop.), stands
the STONEHENGE MEMORIAL to the World War dead, a re-
production of the ruin in England. It was built by Samuel Hill.
At 78.1 7?2. is a junction with US 97.
Right on US 97 to the Maryhill ferry, 0.4 m. (fare $i; service as needed).
From the north bank ferry landing in Washington, US 97 continues to the junc-
tion with US 830, 1.2 OT.; L. here 2.9 m. on US 830 to MARYHILL CASTLE,
also built by Samuel Hill. It is a three-story rectangular structure of concrete,
set on a bluff 800 feet above the river. Though the building was dedicated by
Queen Mane of Roumania in 1926, it was not opened to visitors until' 1937.
Queen Marie gave to the museum a life-size portrait of her daughter, a. desk,
chairs, and other pieces of furniture. Hill lavished a fortune on the estate but
never made it his home. However, he left a bequest of $1,200,000 for complet-
ing and maintaining it as a museum. In a crypt repose the owner's ashes, com-
memorated by a tablet bearing the inscription: "Samuel Hill amid Nature's
unrest, he sought rest."
At BIGGS, 80.4 m., is a junction (L) with US 97 (see TOUR 40).
MILLER, 84*4 772. (168 alt, n pop.), is a grain-shipping station.
US 30 crosses the Deschutes River, 85.3 m., on the CHIEF DUC-
SAC-HI BRIDGE, an arched concrete structure named for a chief of
the Wasco tribe, who operated the first ferry across the river. The
Deschutes, often designated on old maps as Falls River, has been an
important fishing stream for both Indians and whites. Lewis and Clark
found that the river, "which is called by the Indians Towahnahiooks,"
was "divided by numbers of large rocks, and Small Islands covered by
a low growth of timber,"
CELILO, 88.2 m. (158 alt., 47 pop.), at Celilo Falls, is a canoe
portage as old as the fishing stations still held by the Indians under a
treaty granting exclusive and perpetual fishing rights to them. Long
before Lewis and Clark passed here, fishing stands on these rocks were
handed down by the Indians from father to son. Robert Stuart of the
Astorians writes in his journal: "Here is one of the first rate Salmon
fisheries on the river. ... the fish come this far by the middle of May,
but the two following months are the prime of the season during this
TOUR I 267
time the operator hardly ever dips his net without taking one and some-
times two Salmon, so that I call it speaking within bounds when I say
that an experienced hand would by assuidity catch at least 500 daily "
When Lewis and Clark visited the falls they found ". . . great num-
bers of Stacks of pounded Salmon needy preserved in the following
manner, i.e. after suffi(ci)ently Dried it is pounded between two Stones
fine, and put into a speces of basket neetly made of grass and rushes
better than two feet long and one foot Diamiter, which basket is lined
with the Skin of Salmon Stretched and dried for the purpose, in this
it is pressed down as hard as possible, when full they Secure the open
part with the fish Skins across which they fasten th(r)o. the loops of
the basket that part very securely, and then on a Dry Situation they Set
those baskets . . . thus preserved those fish may be kept Sound and sweet
Several years." Here at Celilo the Indians still spear or net the fish
in the traditional manner, protected by treaty from infringement on their
ancient rights. Near the north end of the falls is the old village of
WISHRAM, described by Lewis and Clark in their Journals and by
Washington^ Irving in Astoria. This village furnished many fine studies
of Indian life to Edward Curtis in preparing his North American
Indians.
Lewis and Clark, finding seventeen Indian lodges along here, "landed
and walked down accompanied by an old man to view the falls. ... we
arrived at 5 Large Lod(g)es of natives drying and prepareing fish for
market, they gave us Philburts, and berries to eate." A portage rail-
road, 14 miles long, was opened in 1863. The canals and locks here
were constructed by the Federal Government in 1905 to accommodate
wheat shipments. Below the falls the OREGON TRUNK RAIL-
ROAD BRIDGE spans the river, its piers resting on solid rock above
the water.
SEUFERT, 97.4 m. (138 alt., 10 pop.), was named for the Seufert
family, who established a large salmon and fruit-packing plant at this
point. Many Indian petroglyphs and pictographs are on the bluffs facing
the Columbia; prehistoric as well as historic aborigines of the region
came here to fish for salmon, and while some of the pictures of fishes,
beavers, elks, water dogs, and men were doubtless made as primitive
art expression, others were carved and painted to carry messages.
At 97.8 m. is a junction with State 23.
Left on State 23 along gorge-enclosed watercourses to the plateau ran the
Barlow road, first road over the Cascades from The Dalles region to the Wil-
lamette Valley. The route crosses Wasco County, once an empire in itself. With
boundaries that reached from the Columbia River to the California-Nevada Line,
and from the Cascades to the Rockies, it was the parent of 17 Oregon counties,
the greater part of Idaho, and portions of Wyoming and Montana. The name,
meaning a cup* or small bowl of horn, was derived from a local Indian tribe,
known for its art of carving small bowls from the horns of wild sheep.
In 1905 a very large apple orchard was planted on the plateau but it is now
an expanse of wheat fields with but an occasional scraggy apple tree. The pro-
moters proposed to sell individual investors separate lots on the basis of perpetual
care, the owners to reap continuous dividends after the mature trees began pro-
268 OREGON
ducing. The soil was ideal for grain, but the moisture, though sufficient to pro-
duce large crops of wheat by dry-farming methods, was inadequate for fruit.
After the owners had lost the opportunity of making large profits, during the
World War, when high wheat prices were enriching their neighbors, they be-
latedly grubbed up thousands of trees to return the land to grain.
On the edge of DUFUR, 17 TO. (1,319 alt., 382 pop.), is the BARLOW
DISTRICT RANGER STATION of the Mount Hood National Forest. (Camp
fire permits for restricted areas and information.) One of the earliest settlements
in this region, Dufur overlooks undulating wheat fields and diversified farm-
lands, with the rugged contours of Mount Hood on the western horizon (R).
Right from Dufur on a gravel road that runs southwest to meet various forest
roads entering recreational areas in the eastern sections of MOUNT HOOD
NATIONAL FOREST.
From TYGH RIDGE on State 23, 26.9 m. (2,697 alt), the former long Tygh
grade, for many years notoriously steep and difficult, the highway skirts a canyon
(L) hundreds of feet in depth. Paralleling the present highway, are three other
gashes on the hillside, made by early road builders, the winding trail-like thor-
oughfares of the Indians and emigrant wagon trains, the stage road, and a rutty
passage for horse-drawn vehicles and early Model-T's that hazardously ventured
into this part of Oregon 20 years ago.
At 34.3 m. is a junction with State 216.
Left on State 216, 7.9 m. to SHERAR'S BRIDGE, at the falls of the Des-
chutes River. It was here, in 1826, that Peter Skene Ogden, chief fur trader
for the Hudson's Bay Company, found a camp of 20 native families An Indian
trail, later used by the fur traders, crossed the river at this point by a slender
wooden bridge. During the salmon runs, descendants of these early tribesmen, who
held fishing privileges under a Federal treaty, still gather annually to spear
salmon or catch them with dipnets below the falls.
Joseph Sherar collected exhorbitant tolls from travelers and stockmen for use
of his bridge, near which he established a stage station and pretentious inn.
Stephen Meek's exhausted wagon train of 1845 camped at this place, and the old
ruts made by the 200 wagons are still visible on the ranch of E. L. Webb north
of the bridge.
TYGH VALLEY, 34.7 m. (1,111 alt., 60 pop.), is in the valley of Tygh Creek,
which took its name from the Tyigh Indian tribe. Fremont called the place
Taih Prairie. North of the town are the race track and the exhibit buildings of
the Wasco County Fair Association, which holds its annual fairs in early
September.
Right from Tygh Valley, 6 m. on a dirt road to WAMIC (1,664 alt., 106
pop.), in a stock raising country. This road is along the route of the old Barlow
Trail that led westward parallel to White River and crossed the Cascade divide
at Barlow Pass. Above Smock Prairie, southwest of Wamic, the ruts of ox-drawn
wagons remain on the hillsides.
WHITE RIVER, 35.8 m fj a tributary of the Deschutes, is noted for excellent
fishing.
At 39,3 m. is a junction with a county road; (L.) here 2 m. to the OAK
SPRINGS STATE TROUT HATCHERY, in the Deschutes River Canyon.
Millions of rainbow trout are propagated annually for restocking the Deschutes
and other popular fishing streams of the region. The young fish, held in feed-
ing pools until almost a legal size, are distributed in tank trucks, equipped with
compressor machines to keep the water aerated. Former methods of distribution,
when no provision was made for supplying oxygen, resulted in considerable loss
of fingerlmgs. A chemical quality of the Oak Springs water keeps the young
trout from fungus growths that destroy the fish in many hatcheries.
State 23 joins State 50 at 42.3 m.
THE DALLES, (Fr. Flagstones) 100.8 m. (95 alt, 5,885 pop.)
(see THE DALLES).
TOUR T 269
Points of Interest Federal Building, City Hall, Wasco County Court House,
The Horn, Fort Rock, St Mary's Academy^ and others
West of The Dalles US 30 follows the gorge of the Columbia Rivet
as it threads its way through the Cascade Range. Southwest towers
Mount Hood, and northward acioss the Columbia Mount Adams. On
some early maps these mountains are labeled the Presidents' Range, an
attempt having been made in 1839 to use the names of chief executives
to denominate the most prominent peaks.
West of ROWENA, 109.2 m. (148 alt., 60 pop.), the highway
climbs the face of a steep cliff by a series of sharp curves and switch-
backs known as the Rowena Loops.
Opposite Rowena, near LYLE, Wash., is the grave of Frederic Homer Balch
( 1861-1891 ) ; near that of his sweetheart, Genevra Whitcomb, whom he com-
memorated in his posthumously published novel, Genevieve A Tale of Oregon.
ROWENA CREST, 111.8 m. (706 alt.), is in MAYER STATE
PARK; parking place. From the crest one has a panoramic view of
cliff and winding river.
ROWENA DELL, 112.6 m., a sheer-walled canyon (R) was in-
fested by rattlesnakes until pioneers fenced the lower end and turned
in a drove of hogs. Then for a time the dell was called Hog Canyon*
Memaloose View Point, 115.5 m., overlooks MEMALOOSE IS-
LAND, the "Island of the Dead," for hundreds of years an Indian
burial place. Many of the bleached bones of generations of Indians
have now been moved to other cemeteries along the Columbia, taken
away from burial houses where they had been placed. A white marble
shaft marks the grave of Victor Trevitt, an Oregon settler who asked
that he be buried among his friends, the Indians.
MOSIER, 118.1 772. (95 alt., 192 pop.), at the confluence of Mosier
Creek and the Columbia River, is in a small fruit-growing section well
known for its apple cider. The MOSIER TUNNELS, 119.5 m., one
261 feet and the other 60 feet long, often referred to as the Twin
Tunnels, penetrate a promontory more than 250 feet above the river.
West of this point the contrast between the barren, semi-desert con-
tours of eastern Oregon and the lushness of the Pacific Slope becomes
apparent.
At 124.6 m. is a junction with State 35 (see TOUR i).
US 30 crosses HOOD RIVER, 124.8 m. f a glacier-fed stream
known in pioneer days as Dog River, a name said to have resulted from
the adventure of an exploring party in early days who were compelled
to eat dog meat to avert starvation. Lewis and Clark named the stream
Labiche River for one of their followers.
HOOD RIVER, 125.6 m. (154 alt., 2,757 pop.) (see HOOD
RIVER).
Points of Interest i Historic Flag, Old Adams House, Applegrowers^ Associa-
tion Warehouse, Applegrowers' Association Cannery, Hood River Distilleries
Observation Promontory, Eliot Park, etc.
27O OREGON
The COLUMBIA GORGE HpTEL (R), 127.2 m. f a large
structure of striking lines, was built in 1921-22 by Simon Benson, pio-
neer lumberman. Just behind the hotel the picturesque WAW-GUIN-
GUIN FALLS drop over a sheer cliff to the river below. Nearby is
the Crag Rats Clubhouse, owned by a mountain climbing organization
having a membership limited to those who have climbed at least three
major snow peaks; members must climb at least one major snow peak
annually to remain in good standing.
MITCHELL POINT TUNNEL (watch for traffic signals) 130.3
77*., was bored through a cliff overhanging the river. In its 385-foot
length are hewn five large arched windows overlooking the Columbia.
The great projecting rock through which the bore was made was known
among the Indians as the' Little Storm King, while the sky-sweeping
mountain above was called the Great Storm King.
The village of VIENTO (Sp., wind), 133.3 m. (103 alt., 14 pop.),
is fittingly named, for the wind blows constantly and often violently
through the gorge.
VIENTO STATE PARK (R), 133.4 772., is a wooded area that
is popular as a picnic ground; through it runs scenic Viento Creek.
Starvation Creek empties into the Columbia at 134.5 m. Here is
STARVATION CREEK STATE PARK, so named because at this
point in 1884 an Oregon- Washington Railroad & Navigation train was
marooned for two weeks in thirty-foot snowdrifts, and food was with
difficulty carried to the starving passengers. Newspapers of that day
gave columns of space to this story, telling how car seats were burned in
addition to all coal in the locomotive tender, that passengers might be
kept from freezing.
Near LINDSAY CREEK, 135.7 m., is a bronze plaque commemo-
rating the commencement in 1912 the building of the first section of
the Columbia River Highway. SHELL ROCK MOUNTAIN, 136.9
m. (2,068 alt.), is opposite WIND MOUNTAIN, which is in Wash-
ington. The Indians believed that the Great Spirit set the whirlwinds
blowing in constant fury about Wind Mountain as a punishment to
those who, breaking the taboo, had taught the white men how to snare
salmon.
The Dalles and Sandy Wagon Road was authorized by the Oregon
Legislature in 1867 and appropriation made for its construction. The
road was built to a point 15 miles west of Hood River. Portions of the
old dry masonry retaining wall may still be seen a hundred feet or so
above the Columbia Highway, especially at Shell Rock Mountain.
COLUMBIA GORGE RANGER STATION, 142.8 m., is the
headquarters of the MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST.
Left from the Columbia Gorge Ranger Station along the east fork of Herman
Creek on Pacific Crest Trail through the heavy underbrush and pine growth of
the Mount Hood National Forest. The trail mounts along the stream that pours
its gleaming water in continuous cataracts, to CASEY CREEK (improved
camp), 4 m. South of this point the route climbs the swelling base of MOUNT
HOOD (see MOUNT HOOD) to GREEN POINT MOUNTAIN (improved
TOUR I 271
campsites), 7 m. WAHTUM LAKE (improved camp), 12.5 m. (3,700 alt.),
reflects the jagged crest-line of dense pine forests.
Continuing southward the trail winds around the sharply rising shoulder of
BUCK PEAK (4,768 alt), to jewel-like LOST LAKE, 22.5 m. (3,140 alt.),
(see TOUR lE). Mount Hood's white slopes seemingly lift from the yellow
sands of the lake shore and the calm waters reflect the image. Although Lost
Lake was viewed by the Indians with superstitious dread, its shores have long
been a popular recreational area for white men. (Forest Guard Station; resort;
bathing , boating, trout fishing.)
CASCADE LOCKS, 145.8 m. (120 alt., 1,000 pop.), Here in
1896 the Federal Government built a series of locks around the treach-
erous Cascades rapids. It is said by geologists that these rapids were
caused by avalanches that slipped from the heights of Table Mountain
impeding the free flow of the river. From earliest times the Indians
of the region were noted for their ugly and thievish natures. Lewis and
Clark, on their return from the mouth of the Columbia, noted that
"the Wahclellahs we discovered to be great thieves. ... so arrogant
and intrusive have they become that nothing but our numbers saves us
from attack. . . . We were told by an Indian who spoke Clatsop that
the Wahclellahs had carried off Captain Lewis's dog to their village
below. Three men, well armed, were instantly dispatched in pursuit of
them, with orders to fire if there were the slightest resistance or hesita-
tion. At the distance of two miles they came within sight of the thieves,
who, finding themselves pursued, left the dog and made off. We now
ordered all the Indians out of our camp, and explained to them that
whoever stole any of our baggage, or insulted our men, should be in-
stantly shot,"
Washington Irving, in writing of Robert Stuart's passage of the
rapids in 1812, calls the Cascades "the piratical pass of the river/' and
that "before the commencement of the portage, the greatest precautions
were taken to guard against lurking treachery or open attack." How-
ever, in 1824, Sir George Simpson wrote in his Journal'. "Left our
Encampment at 2 A. M. and got to Cascade portage. . . . Here we
found about 80 to 100 Indians who were more peaceable and quiet than
I ever saw an equal number on the other side of the mountain ; it was
not so many years ago as on this very spot they attempted to pillage a
Brigade under charge of Messrs. A, Stewart and Ja Keith when the for-
mer was severely wounded and two of the Natives killed; but since
that time they have given little trouble and this favorable change in
their disposition I think may be ascribed in the first place to the prompt
and decisive conduct of the Whites in never allowing an insult pass
without retaliation & punishment, and in the second to the judicious
firm and concilitary measures pursued by Chief Factor McKenzie who
has had more intercourse with them than any other Gentleman in the
Country."
Skilled Indian paddlers or French-Canadian boatmen were sometimes
able to shoot the Cascade rapids successfully, particularly during spring
freshets, but customarily even the most daring disembarked and portaged
their cargoes. Prior to the building of the Barlow road (see TOUR
272 OREGON
4A) in 1846 all travelers seeking passage to the lower Columbia or
Willamette Valleys halted at The Dalles, dismembered their wagons,
loaded them upon rafts, and steering the rude barges down the Colum-
bia to the Cascades, docked at the Cascades and portaged wagons and
goods around the dangerous white water. Ropes, used as shore lines,
guided the rafts to safety.
The Columbia River water route continued popular both for passen-
gers and for freight, and a portage road was constructed in 1856 to
accommodate traffic. Rather than following the water level, later used
by the railroad portage, the original wagon road around the Cascades,
climbed 425 feet, a steep ascent for the plodding oxen used to draw
cumbersome wagons. Toll roads later permitted the passage of cattle
and pack trains, but it was not until 1872 that the Oregon legislature
made an appropriation to construct a road through the gorge. The pres-
ent highway has been developed from the narrow, crooked road built
with that appropriation. A serious barrier to quantity freight transpor-
tation during the era when mining booms in Idaho and eastern Oregon
made steamboat transportation on the Columbia a huge business, the
Cascades were again mastered, this time at water level by a wooden-
railed portage tramway over which mule-drawn cars, laden with mer-
chandise, rattled from one waiting steamer to another. This proved so
profitable a venture that steel rails replaced the wooden ones, and the
Oregon Pony, first steel locomotive to operate in Oregon and now on
exhibition at the Union Station grounds in Portland, was imported to
draw the cars. The importance of the Columbia River as a traffic artery
being established, the locks were later built by the Federal Government
being established, the locks were later built by the Federal Government.
Nard Jones' novel, Swift Flows the River, is based on the steamboat era
of the Columbia centering about the Cascades.
The entrance (R) to the BRIDGE OF THE GODS is at 146 m.;
this is a cantilever toll bridge (cars, 5Oc; good for return within three
hours) spanning the river just west of Cascade Locks, and occupies a
place where, according to Indian legend, a natural bridge at one time
arched the river. This bridge, they say, was cast into the river when
Tyhee Sahale, the Supreme Being, became angry with his two sons, who
had quarreled over the beautiful Loo-wit, guardian of a sacred flame on
the bridge. The two sons and the girl, crushed in the destruction of the
bridge, whose debris created the Cascades, were resurrected as Mount
Hood, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens. This legend is used by
Frederic Homer Balch in his romance, The Bridge of the Gods.
EAGLE CREEK PARK (L), 148.7 m., one of Oregon's finest
recreational areas and picnic grounds, was constructed and is maintained
by the United States Forest Service. On the banks of plunging Eagle
Creek are rustic kitchens, tables and extensive parking facilities.
i. Left here on the Eagle Creek Trail, that winds up the mountain side to
WAHTUM LAKE, 13.5 m. Construction of the trail presented many difficulties ,
parts of it are cut through solid rock, and in one place it passes behind a
waterfall. Along the trail are GHOST FALLS and the DEVIL'S PUNCH
TOUR I 273
BOWL. The latter, a resh-\vater cauldron hemmed in by pillars of basalt,
abounds with steelhead trout
2 Right across Eagle Creek from Eagle Creek Campground on theWAUNA
POINT TRAIL, which leads 5.5 m through Eagle Creek and Columbia Gorge
canyons to WAUNA POINT (2,500 alt.).
BONNEVILLE, 150 m. (50 alt., 800 pop,), is at Bonneville Dam,
begun by^the Federal Government in 1933 and finished in 1938. The
dam, designed by United States Army engineers, raised the level of
water to a point four miles above The Dalles. Many of the river's
beauty spots and historic sites were submerged by this impounding of
water. The Cascades and much of the shore line disappeared beneath the
rising waters of the great reservoir. The dam spans the Columbia River
from Oregon to Washington, a distance of 1,100 feet. Bradford Island,
an old Indian burial ground separating the river's two channels, is at the
center of the mammoth barrier. There is a single-lift lock, 75 feet wide
and 500 feet long, near the Oregon shore; a power plant with two com-
pleted units, each of 43,000 kilowatts capacity, and with foundation for
four additional units ; a gate-control spillway dam creating a head of 67
feet at low water; and fishways designed to permit salmon to ascend
the Columbia to their spawning grounds on its upper tributaries. The
slack-water lake formed above the dam creates a 30-foot channel between
Bonneville and The Dalles, a distance of 44 miles. With the deepening
of the Columbia between Vancouver, Washington and the dam, to a
depth of 27 feet, the river will be navigable to sea-going craft for 1 76
miles inland. The final cost of the project, including its ten hydroelectric
units with a capacity of more than a half million horsepower, will be
more than $70,000,000.
Bonneville was named for Captain Benjamin de Bonneville, whose
exploits were set forth in The Adventures of Captain Bonneville by
Washington Irving.
At MOFFET CREEK, 151.4 m. f the highway crosses a large flat-
arch cement bridge. The span, 170 feet long, is 70 feet above the stream.
The JOHN B. YEON STATE PARK, 152 m. f was named in
honor of an early highway builder.
At the eastern end of the McCord Creek Bridge, 152.6 m. f is a
petrified stump that is believed to have matured long before the Cascade
Range was thrust up.
left from the eastern end of the bridge on a trail along the creek to ELOWAH
FALLS.
At 153.2 m. BEACON ROCK, across the Columbia (R), is seen.
Alexander Ross, the fur trader, called it Inshoach Castle. A landmark
for river voyagers for more than a hundred years, it is now surmounted
by a beacon to guide airplanes. A stirring chapter of Genevievei A Tale
of Oregon relates dramatic events that took place on its summit A foot
trail has been carved in its side from base to crest
HORSETAIL FALLS, 156.6 m., forming the design that gives
it name, shoot downward across the face of the sheer rock wall into an
274 OREGON
excellent fishing pool. Spray from the pool continually drifts across the
highway. East of the falls towers ST. PETERS DOME, a 2,ooo-foot
basalt pinnacle.
ONEONTA GORGE, 156.9 m., is a deep, narrow cleft in the
basalt bluff through which flows a foaming creek. Fossilized trees
caught by a lava flow, are entombed in its perpendicular walls.
Left from the highway on a trail to ONEONTA FALLS, 800 ft, hidden in
the depths of the gorge. The water, falling into the narrow ravine, stirs the air
into strong currents giving it a delightful coolness even when temperatures
nearby are high.
MULTNOMAH FALLS, 159 m., inspired Samuel Lancaster,
builder of the Columbia River Highway, to write: "There are higher
waterfalls and falls of greater volume, but there are none more beautiful
than Multnomah," a sentiment approved by many observers. The source
is near the summit of Larch Mountain 4,000 feet above the highway.
After a series of cascades the waters drop 680 feet into a tree-fringed
basin.
Left from Multnomah Falls on a foot trail, across a bridge above the short
stretch of creek between the upper and lower falls, to LARCH MOUNTAIN,
6.5 *&., (4,095 alt.}.
WAHKEENA (Ind. most beautiful) FALLS, 159.6 m., named
foi the daughter of a Yakima Indian chief, are considered by some the
most beautiful of the many falls in the gorge. There) is no sheer drop,
but the waters hurl themselves in a series of fantastic cascades down the
steep declivity. Wahkeena Creek has its source in Wahkeena Springs
only a mile and a half above the cliff over which the waters plunge.
MIST FALLS, 159.8 m. f where the water drops from a i,2OO-foot
escarpment were thus mentioned by Lewis and Clark: "Down from
these heights frequently descend the most beautiful cascades, one of
which [now Multnomah Falls] throws itself over a perpendicular
rock. . . . while other smaller streams precipitate themselves from a
still greater elevation, and evaporating in mist, again collect and form a
second cascade before they reach the bottom of the rocks."
COOPEY FALLS, 161.9 m., according to Indian legend is at
the site of a battle of giants.
BRIDAL VEIL, 162.7 m. (40 alt., 204 pop.), is a lumber-mill
town in a small valley below the highway. Formerly Bridal Veil Falls
was noted for its beauty but the waters now are confined in a lumber-
flume.
Two sharp rocks between which pass the tracks of the Union Pacific
and known as the PILLARS OF HERCULES or SPEELYEI'S
CHILDREN, the latter name commemorating the feats of the Indian
coyote god, rise (R) beyond FOREST HILL.
In the shadowy grotto of SHEPPERD'S DELL, 163.7 m. } a spark-
ling waterfall leaps from a cliff. A white concrete arch bridges a chasm
150 feet wide and 140 feet deep. Near the bridge the highway curves
TOUR I 275
round a domed rock known as BISHOP'S CAP or MUSHROOM
ROCK
LAT* OURELLE FALLS, 164.9 m., take a sheer drop of 224 feet
into a pool at the base of an overhanging cliff. LATOURELLE
BRIDGE was so placed as to give the best view of the falling waters.
The GUY W. TALBOT PARK, 165.1 m., is a 125-acre wooded
tract overlooking the Columbia.
Winding along the forested mountainside the highway reaches
CROWN POINT, 167.3 m. f 725 feet above the river on an over-
hanging rocky promontory. The highway makes a wide curve, in the
center of which is the VISTA HOUSE. This impressive stone structure,
a modern adaptation of the English Tudor style of architecture, modified
to conform to the character and topography of the landscape, was built
at a cost of $100,000. The foundation about the base of the Vista
House is laid in Italian-style dry masonry, no mortar having been used.
Men were imported from Italy to work here and elsewhere along the
highway. The ^windswept height, once known as THOR'S CROWN,
commands a view of the river east and west for many miles.
Inside the Vista House is a bronze tablet recording the explorations
of Lieut. William Broughton of Vancouver's expedition, who came up
the Columbia River in 1792.
The SAMUEL HILL MONUMENT, 168.5 m., is a 5O-ton
granite boulder dedicated to the man who was chiefly responsible for
building the Columbia River Highway.
CORBETT, 169.9 m. (665 alt., 90 pop.), set in rolling hills, is at
the eastern end of a cultivated area. The road cuts between the cliffs
and the waters at the SANDY RIVER, 174.5 m. This stream, flowing
from the glaciers on the south slope of Mount Hood, was discovered
by Lieut. William Broughton on October 30, 1792, and named Barings
River for an English family. The bluffs near the river mouth now bear
the name of the discoverer. Lewis and Clark passed this point on No-
vember 3, 1805, and in their Journals records the immense quantities
of sand thrown out. They wrote: "We reached the mouth of a river
on the left, which seemed to lose its waters in a sandbar opposite, the
stream itself being only a few inches in depth. But on attempting to
wade across we discovered that the bed was a very bad quicksand, too
deep to be passed on foot. ... Its character resembles very much that of
the river Platte. It drives its quicksand over the low grounds with great
impetuosity and ... has formed a large sandbar or island, three miles
long and a mile and a half wide, which divides the waters of the Quick-
sand river into two channels." The river is noted locally for its annual
run of smelt (eulachan), which ascend in millions each spring to spawn.
When they appear the word goes out that "the smelt are running
Sandy." Cars soon crowd the highways, while hundreds of people snare
the fish with sieves, nets, buckets, sacks or birdcages. (Special license
required, 5Oc.)
TROUTDALE, 177.7 m. (50 alt, 227 pop.), is a trade center for a
fruit and vegetable producing area specializing in celery growing. Be-
Z76 OREGON
tween truck gardens and dairy farms, US 30 crosses the bottom lands
>f the widening Columbia Valley to FAIRVIEW, 180.3 m. (114 alt,
266 pop.), and past orchards, bulb farms, and suburban homes to
PARKROSE, 185.2 m.
PORTLAND, 192.7 m. (32 alt., 301,815 pop.) (see PORT-
LAND}.
Points of Interest Skidmore Fountain, Oregon Historical Society Museum,
Art Museum, Portland Public Market, Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother, and
many others.
Portland is at junction with US 99 (see TOUR 2a), State 8 (see
TOUR 8), State 50 (see TOUR A, US g$W (see TOUR 10).
Section c. Portland to Astoria, 104.5 m.
US 30 leaves PORTLAND, m. t on NW. Vaughn St. and St
Helens Road, a part of the Lower Columbia Highway, and passes
through a busy industrial district along Portland's lower harbor.
Wharves line the Willamette River bank (R) and factories and ware-
houses occupy the river flats.
The highway passes under the west approach to the ST. JOHNS
BRIDGE, 6.5 m., an attractive suspension bridge high above the nver.
LINNTON, 7.9 m., a part of Portland since 1915, was founded
in the 1840*8 by Peter H. Burnett, later, first governor of California.
He visioned the tiny town as the future metropolis of the Columbia
Valley but Portland drew most of the shipping trade and Linnton
languished. At present it is an important industrial district of the city;
large lumber shipments leave from its wharves.
At 12.7 m. is a junction with the Burlington Ferry approach, a plank
viaduct leading to a ferry (free) crossing Willamette Slough.
Right on this viaduct to the ferry landing, 0.5 m., off which is SAUVIE
ISLAND (850 pop.), which retains much of its pastoral charm. Numerous fish-
ermen and duck hunters frequent the lakes and swales of this popular recrea-
tional area. Land of island is quite fertile; bulb culture and truck gardening
have become increasingly important in recent years.
Frederic Homer Balch wrote in his Indian romance, The Bridge of the Gods'.
"The chief of the Willamettes gathered on Wappatto Island, from time im-
memorial the council-ground of the tribes. The white man has changed its name
to 'Sauvie* island; but its wonderful beauty is unchangeable. Lying at the
mouth of the Willamette River and extending many miles down the Columbia,
rich in wide meadows and crystal lakes, its interior dotted with majestic oaks
and its shores fringed with cottonwoods, around it the blue and sweeping rivers,
the wooded hills, and the far white snow peaks, it is the most picturesque
spot in Oregon."
In spite of the fact that the island has a comparatively small population with
neither stores nor shops and with but one small sawmill to represent the industrial
interests, it is by no means isolated Many people go there, so many that the
small ferry is crowded to capacity. Because of its numerous lakes, ponds and
bayous, the island is a popular haunt for duck hunters, and many club houses
dot its length. Fishermen seek the shores of the Gilbert River for the crappies,
catfish, black and yellow bass, sunfish and perch, that lurk in these sluggish
waters. Men grown weary of the turbulence of mountain streams and the elusive
TOUR I 277
antics of the fighting trout, find peace and relaxation in the lazy swirl of the
waters and the bobbing of the cork-float when a channel-cat or crappie takes
the bait
The first white men to visit the island as far as known were the Lewis and
Clark expedition on November 4, 1805 "We landed on the left bank of the
river, at a village of twenty-five houses; all of these \\ere thatched -with straw
and built of bark, except one which was about fifty feet long, built of boards.
. . . this village contains about two hundred men of the Skilloot nation, who
seemed well provided with canoes, of which there were at least fifty-two, and
some of them very large, drawn up m front of the village. . . ." The exploring
party stopped a short distance below the village for dinner. "Soon after," Clark
recorded, "Several canoes of Indians from the village above came down, dressed
for the purpose as I supposed of Paying us a friendly visit, they had scarlet &
blue blankets Salor Jackets, overalls, Shirts and hats independent of their usial
dress ; the most of them had either Muskets or pistols and tin flasks to hold their
powder, Those fellows we found assumemg and disagreeable, however we
Smoked with them and treated them with every attention & friendship.
"dureing the time we were at dinner those fellows Stold my pipe Tomahawk
which they were Smoking with, I immediately serched every man and the
canoes, but could find nothing of my Tomahawk, while Serening for the Toma-
hawk one of those Scoundals Stole a cappoe (coat) of one of our interperters,
which was found Stuffed under the root of a tree, near the place they Sat, we
became much displeased with those fellows, which they discovered and moved
off on their return home to their village "
In 1832 an epidemic decimated the native population, and Dr. McLoughlin
removed the survivors to the mainland and burned many of the straw and board
huts of the settlements.
In 1834 Captain Nathanial J. Wyeth built a trading post on the island and
named it Fort William. "This Wappato island which I have selected for our
establishment," he wrote, "consists of woodland and prairie and on it there is
considerable deer and those who could spare time to hunt might live well but
mortality has carried off to a man its inhabitants and there is nothing to attest
that they ever existed except their decaying houses, their graves and their un-
buned bones of which there are heaps." Wyeth set his coopers to making barrels
to carry salted salmon to Boston. However, his trading activities met with such
persistent opposition from the Hudson's Bay Company that in 1836 he was
forced to abandon the enterprise.
In 1841 McLoughlin established a dairy here, placing Jean Baptiste Sauvie,
a superannuated trapper, in charge. The place has since borne the name of the
old dairyman.
The hills (L) recede and the highway enters the Scappoose Plains,
a fertile district devoted to potato culture, truck gardening, and dairying.
SCAPPOOSE (Ind. gravelly plain), 20.9 m. (56 alt., 248 pop.),
is on the site of an old trading post and farm of the Hudson's Bay
Company, under the charge of Thomas McKay. Chief Kazeno, men-
tioned in the annals of the Astorians and of many other later writers, had
his' village close by. It was here that the great Indian highway, later the
Hudson's Bay trail between the Columbia River and the upper Wil-
lamette Valley, had its beginning. When Lieut W. R. Broughton of the
Royal Navy, visited the Columbia River in H. M. S. Chatham of
Captain Vancouver's squadron m 1792, he found at Warrior Rock, on
Wappato (Sauvie) Island opposite Scappoose, Indians with copper
swords and iron battle axes. These Indians said that they had obtained
these axes from the other Indians many moons to the eastward. Scap-
poose appears to have been a great trading center for the Indians on the
278 OREGON
lower Columbia during many centuries. The virulent disease which al-
most wiped out the Indians of the Sauvie Island region began among the
Indians at Scappoose Bay and was attributed to "bad medicine" admin-
istered by Captain Dominis of the brig Owyhee, which had been trading
in the river.
The first white man to settle on Scappoose Plain was James Bates,
an Ameiican sailor, who probably deserted from the Owyhee in 1829.
The town of Scappoose had a slow growth and was not incorporated
until July 13, 1921. In 1934 fire destroyed several buildings. Today
it is a trading center for a prosperous farming community with large
potato warehouses and a pickle factory.
MILTON CREEK, 28.5 m. f was named for the old town of Milton
founded in the late forties at its confluence with Willamette Slough.
The Oregon Spectator, in its issue of May 16, 1850, carried the follow-
ing advertisement: "TOWN OF MILTON Is situated on the lower
branch of the Willamette River, just above its junction with the Colum-
bia. The advantages of its location speak for themselves. All we ask
is for our friends to call and see the place. For particulars apply to
Crosby & Smith, Portland and Milton." A few months later the editor
of the Spectator wrote: "The town of Milton one mile and a half above
St. Helen's is fast improving and may look forward to its future im-
portance. . . . We are told that the flats or bottom lands which occasion-
ally overflow, are of great extent and produce abundant grass for the
grazing of immense flocks and herds, besides offering the opportunity to
cut large quantities of hay." A few years later, waters flooded the town
and its business was gradually absorbed by near-by St. Helens.
ST. HELENS, 28.6 m. (98 alt, 3,944 pop.), a river port, is also a
market and court town. Its manufacturing plants produce insulating
board, pulp and paper, lumber, and dairy products.
The site of St. Helens was first known as Wyeth's Rock for the early
trader, Nathaniel Wyeth, who had built a temporary post here in 1834.
Captain H. M. Knighton took up the site as a donation land claim and
in 1847 laid out the town as a competitor of the newly established
Portland, which he contemptuously referred to as "Little Stump Town."
It is said that Knighton named the town both to honor his native city of
St. Helens, England, and for the beautiful mountain that rises a few
miles to the northeast. According to some early records the vicinity was
also referred to as Plymouth Rock or Plymouth and the earliest elec-
tion district established here was named the Plymouth precinct. The
earliest school was established m 1853 by the Reverend Thomas Condon,
a noted scientist, who later became professor of geology at the University
of Oregon. He added to his small salary as pastor of the St. Helens
Congregational church by his teaching. The KNIGHTON HOUSE,
155 S. 4th St., was built in 1847 with lumber shipped around Cape
Horn from Bath, Maine. Many of the town's buildings, including the
COLUMBIA COUNTY COURT HOUSE, at First St. on the
river bank, are built of stone from local quarries.
DEER ISLAND, 342 m. (48 alt., 75 pop.), is a small community
TOUR I 279
opposite the island of the same name visited in 1805 and again in 1806
by Lewis and Clark. The naming of Deer Island is thus accounted for
in the report of Lewis and Clark: "We left camp at an early hour,
and by nine o'clock reached an old Indian village. . . . Here we found
a party of our men whom we had sent on yesterday to hunt, and who
now returned after killing seven deer in the course of the morning out
of upwards of a hundred which they had seen."
GOBLE, 40.6 m. (25 alt., 91 pop.), is at the former landing of the
Northern Pacific Railway Ferry at Kalama, Washington, before the
building of the railroad bridge between Vancouver and Portland.
LITTLE JACK FALLS, 43.9 m. (125 alt.), tumbles over a
precipice beside the highway.
RAINIER, 47.5 772. (23 alt., 1,353 POP-)> named for Mount Rainier,
which is often visible to the northeast, was an important stop in the
days of river commerce. The town was founded by Charles E. Fox in
1851. First called Eminence, its name was later changed to Fox's
Landing and finally to Rainier. In 1854 F M. Warren erected a large
steam sawmill and began producing lumber for the homes and other
buildings of the settlers. Rainier was incorporated in 1885. At Rainier
is a toll-bridge connecting with Longview, Washington (car and driver*
8oc; maximum, $i).
From the winding curves of RAINIER HILL (671 alt.) there is a
fine view of Longview, Washington, and the narrow roadway of the
bridge spanning the river, hundreds of feet below. The summit is
reached at 50.6 m.
Descending, the highway crosses ubiquitous BEAVER CREEK,
51.4 m. Within the next 15 miles westward the road spans the stream
a dozen times. The country now presents wide expanses of logged-ofi
land.
At 61.7 m. is a junction with a gravel road.
Right on this road to QUINCY, I m. (18 alt., 303 pop.), center of a ^drained
and diked area of the Columbia River lowlands; L. here 3 m. on a dirt road
to OAK POINT. The Winship brothers of Boston attempted to establish a
trading post and settlement at this place which is known as Fanny's Bottom.
On May 26, 1810, while Astor was still maturing his plans for the Pacific Fur
Company, Captain Nathan Winship arrived in the Columbia River with the
ship Albatross. He began construction of a two-story log fort and planted a
garden. However, the attempt was abortive. Robert Stuart, of the Astorians,
wrote in his diary under date of July i, 1812* "About z hours before sunset we
reached the establishment made by Captain Winship of Boston in the spring of
I g IO jt is situate on a beautiful high bank on the South side & enchantingly
diversified with white oaks, Ash and Cottonwood and Alder but of rather a
diminutive size here he intended leaving a Mr. Washington with a party of
men, but whether with the view of making a permanent settlement or merely
for trading with the Indians until his return from the coast, the natives were
unable to tell, the water however rose so high as to inundate a house he had
already constructed, when a dispute arose between him and the Hellwits, by his
putting several of them in Irons on the supposition that they were of the Chee-
hee-lash nation, who had some time previous cut off a Schooner belonging to
the Russian establishment at New Archangel, by the Governor of which place
he was employed to secure any of the Banditti who perpetrated this horrid
8O OREGON
ct The Helhvits made formidable preparations by engaging auxiliaries &c.
or the release of their relations by force, which coming to the Captain's knowl-
dge, as well as the error he had committed, the Captives were released, every
>erson embarked, and left the Columbia without loss of time "
CLATSKANIE (cor. Ind., Tlatskame], 64.8 m. (16 alt., 739
>op. ) , bears the name of a small tribe of Indians that formerly inhabited
he region. The town is on the Clatskanie River near its confluence
vith the Columbia and is surrounded by rich bottom lands devoted to
lairymg and raising vegetables for canning. In 1852 E. G. Bryant took
ip the land upon which a settlement grew up with the name of Bryants-
fille. In 1870 the name of the town was changed to Clatskanie and it
vas incorporated as a city m 1891. State Fisheries Station No. 5, for
estockmg the river with fingerlmg salmon, is at this point.
At 65.2 772. is the junction with State 47.
Left on State 4.7 over a mountainous grade into the Nehalem Valley and
icross a second ridge into the Tualatin Valley to FOREST GROVE and a
unction with State 8 (see TOUR 8) at 56.1 m.
WESTPORT, 74.5 ?n. (32 alt., 450 pop.), is one of the many
umbering and fishing towns scattered along the waters of the Columbia.
The highway ascends the Coast Range in a series of hairpin turns
o CLATSOP CREST, 79.7 TTZ., overlooking the Columbia River and
he country beyond. In the immediate foreground is long, flat PUGET
[SLAND, where gram fields and fallow lands weave patterns of green
md gray, and sluggish streams form silvery canals. Although the island
s close to the Oregon shore, it lies within the State of Washington.
It was discovered m 1792 by Lieut. Broughton of the British Navy,
tf-ho named it for Lieut. Peter Puget.
US 30 twists down to HUNT CREEK, 80.7 m., then climbs a spur
From which a desolate waste of logged-over land extends in all direc-
tions. A high, sharply etched mountain (L), with sides bare of vegeta-
tion, shows the results of unrestricted timber cutting.
At 92.5 m. is a junction with an improved road.
Right here to SVENSON, 0.7 m. (10 alt., 100 pop.), less a town than a series
D fishing wharves, extending into the Columbia River, which broadens to a
tvidth of five miles. Tied up at these docks are many fishing crafts. These small
Doats, their engines hooded for protection from spray and weather, ride restlessly
in the tide's movement. Net-drying racks stretch at length over the salt-soaked
planking, where fishermen mend their linen nets between catches.
It is from these docks, and the many that closely line the river's south shore
From this point to Astoria, a distance of eight miles, that a large portion of the
salmon fishing fleet puts out.
The principal method of taking fish in the Columbia is by gill-netting. The
gill-netter works with a power boat and a net from 1,200 to 1,500 feet long.
3n one edge of the net are floats to hold it up and on the other edge weights to
bold it down and vertical in the water. Fish swarming upstream strike the
net and become entangled in the meshes, held by their gills. The gill net fisher-
men usually operate at night; at such times the river presents a fascinating
spectacle, dotted with lights as the boats drift with the current.
Seining operations are employed on sand shoals, some of them far out ia the
Columbia estuary. One end of the seine is held on shore while the other
TOUR I 28l
nd is taken out into the river by a power boat, swung around on a circular
ourse and brought back to shore. As the loaded net comes in, teams of horses
laul it into the shallows, where the catch is gaffed into boats. Seining crews
ind horses live in houses and barns on the seining grounds. Fishing crews often
vork in water to their shoulders
Trolling boats are larger than gill-netters and cross the Columbia bar to ply
he ocean waters in their search for schools of salmon, and for sturgeon, which
ire taken by hook and line. They carry ice to preserve their cargo, as they are
ometimes out for several days.
Mysterious are the life and habits of the salmon which provide the lower
Columbia with perhaps its main industry. Spawned in the upper reaches of the
iver and its tributaries, the young fish go to sea and disappear, returning four
rears later to reproduce and die where they were spawned Each May large
uns of salmon come into the river and fight their way against the current;
ach autumn the young horde descends. Full-grown King Chinook salmon weigh
is much as 75 pounds each
Until 1866, the salmon were sold fresh or pickled whole in barrels for ship-
jing. In that year the tin container came into use. By 1874, the packing industry
lad become an extensive commercial enterprise. Artificial propagation, to prevent
ishing out of the stream, began in 1887. Today, about 3,500 fishermen are
mgaged in various methods of taking fish in the Columbia River district, and
ibout i, 800 boats of various sizes and types are used. It has been estimated that
as many as 20,000 persons now depend upon the industry for a living. The
value of the annual production, most of which is canned at the processing
slants at Astoria and elsewhere on either side of the river, is estimated at ten
nillion dollars.
US 30 crosses the little JOHN DAY RIVER, 97.9 m., another
stream named for the unfortunate Astorian of whom Robert Stuart says
as he camped a few miles up the Columbia: "evident symptoms of
mental derangement made their appearance in John Day one of my
Hunters who for a day or two previous seemed as if restless and unwell
but now uttered the most incoherent absurd and unconnected sentences.
... it was the opinion of all the Gentlemen that it would be highly
imprudent to suffer him to proceed any farther for in a moment when
not sufficiently watched he might embroil us with the natives, who on
all occasions he reviled by the appellations Rascal, Robber &c &c &c "
Nearing the western sea that they had been sent to find, Lewis and
Clark recorded enthusiastically, on November 7, 1805, "Ocian in view.
O the Joy." On the following day he wrote: "Some rain all day at
intervals, we are all wet and disagreeable, as we have been for several
days past, and our present Situation a verry disagreeable one in as
much, as we have not leavel land Sufficient for an encampment^ and
for our baggage to lie deare of the tide, the High hills jutting in so
close and steep that we cannot retreat back, and the water too salt to be
used, added to this the waves are increasing to Such a hight that we
cannot move from this place, in this Situation we are compelled to form
our camp between the Hits of the Ebb and flood tides, and rase our
baggage on logs." On the 9th he wrote: "our camp entirely under
water dureing the hight of the tide, every man as wet as water could
make them all tie last night and to day all day as the rain continued
all the day, at 4 oClock P M the wind shifted about to the S.W. and
blew with great violence immediately from the Ocean for about two
282 OREGON
hours, notwithstanding the disagreeable Situation of our party all wet
and cold (and one which they have experienced for Several days past)
they are chearfull and anxious to See further into the Ocian, The water
of the river being too Salt to use we are obliged to make use of rain
water. Some of the party not accustomed to Salt water has made too
free use of it on them it acts as a pergitive. At this dismal point we must
Spend another night as the wind & waves are too high to preceed."
At 100.7 is TONGUE POINT STATE PARK; here is a junc-
tion with a gravel road.
Right on this road to TONGUE POINT LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE BASE,
0.7 m. Built on a projection extending into the wide mouth of the Columbia
River, this base is the repair depot for the buoys that guide navigators along
the watercourses of the two states. Tongue Point was so named by Broughton
in 1792. A proposal to establish a naval air base at this point, agitated for
many years, has been at last approved by Congress (1939) and funds appropri-
ated for beginning construction.
On November 10 the Lewis and Clark party, unable to go far because of the
wind, camped on the northern shore nearly opposite this point. The camp was
made on drift logs that floated at high tide, "nothing to eate but Pounded fish,"
Clark noted, "that night it Rained verry hard. . . . and continues this morning,
the wind has luled and the waves are not high." The party moved on but after
they had gone ten miles the wind rose and they had to camp again on drift logs.
Neighboring Indians appeared with fish. The camp was moved on the izth to
a slightly less dangerous place and Clark attempted to explore the nearby land
on the isth: "rained all day moderately. I am wet &C.&C." On the i4th: "The
rain &c. which has continued without a longer intermition than 2 hours at a
time for ten days past has destroyed the robes and rotted nearly one half the
fiew clothes the party has particularly the leather clothes." Clark was losing his
patience by the isth; even the pounded fish brought from the falls was becoming
mouldy. This was the eleventh day of rain and "the most disagreeable time I
have experenced confined on the tempiest coast wet, where I can neither git out
to hunt, return to a better situation, or proceed on." But they did manage to move
to a somewhat better camp that day and the men, salvaging boards from a de-
serted Indian camp, made rude shelters. The Indians began to give them too
much attention, however, "I told those people. . . , that if any one of their
nation stole any thing that the Senten'l whome they Saw near our baggage with
his gun would most certainly Shute them, they all promised not to tuch a thing,
and if any of their womin or bad boys took any thing to return it imediately
and chastise them for it. I treated those people with great distance."
The party moved on to a place on the northern shoie of Baker Bay, where
they remained for about ten days. From this point Clark went overland to ex-
plore, inviting those who wanted to see more of the "Ocian" to accompany him.
Nine men, including York, the negro, still had enough energy to go.
On the 2ist: "An old woman & Wife to a Cheif of the Chunnooks came and
made a Camp near ours. She brought with her 6 young Squars (her daughters
& nieces) I believe for the purpose of Gratifying the passions of the men of our
party and receiving for those indulgience Such Small (presents) as She (the
old woman) though proper to accept of.
"These people appear to View Sensuality as a Necessary evel, and do not
appear to abhor it as a Crime in the unmarried State. The young females
are fond of the attention of our men and appear to meet the sincere approba-
tion of their friends and connections, for thus obtaining their favours."
Here the explorers had further evidence that English and American sailors
had previously visited the Columbia. The tattooed name, "J. B. Bowman/ 1 was
seen on the arm of a Chinook squaw. "Their legs are also picked with defferent
figures," wrote Clark, "all those are considered by the natives of this quarter as
TOUR I 283
handsorn deckerations, and a woman without those deckorations is Considered
as among the lower Class."
Three days later Lewis and Clark held a meeting to decide whether the party
should go back to the falls, remain on the north shore or cross to the south side
of the river for the winter. The members with one exception voted to move to
the south shore, where they set up a temporary camp on Tongue Point. From
this place they hunted a suitable site for the permanent camp (see TOUR 3<z).
ASTORIA, 104.5 m. (12 alt., 10,349 pop.) (see ASTORIA).
Points of Interest. Fort Astoria, City Hall, Grave of D. McTavish, Flavel
Mansion, Union Fishermen's Cooperative Packing Plant, Port of Astoria Ter-
minal, and others.
In Astoria US 30 meets US 101 (see TOUR 30).
Tour 1A
Baker Salisbury Hereford Junction with US 28; 46.1 m., State 7.
Gravel road.
Local stages between Baker and Unity; Baker and Bourne.
Hotels in towns and camps.
State 7 penetrates one of the richest mining regions of early Oregon.
Tucked away in canyons or stark against mountainsides are the few
crumbling buildings of old camps and abandoned towns. The discovery
of gold in Griffin's Gulch in the fall of 1861 brought thousands east
from the Willamette Valley and up from California to pan the streams
and pluck nuggets from pockets in decaying ledges. In die 1890*5 came
a second period of activity, a hardrock boom no less intense than the
earlier placer fever. After the early white miners had left for fields
with richer strikes hundreds of Chinese poured into the region to pan
the tailings. Farmers came into the Powder River bottoms as the gold
played out and the mining camps disappeared.
The western part of the route crosses a semi-arid range country along
the headwaters of Burnt River.
State 7 branches south from US 30 (see TOUR la) at Baker, m.
and crosses the tracks of the Sumpter Valley Railroad, the state's last
narrow-gauge line. Constructed in the iSgo's to develop the timber
holdings of several Mormons, it was an important factor in the growth
of the district. A two-car train with a wood-burning locomotive called
the "Stump Dodger" made the run for many years between Baker and
284 OREGON
Prairie City. Passenger service has been discontinued and only logs and
freight are hauled over the line as far as Austin.
In GRIFFIN CREEK, 2.3 m. Oregon gold was first discovered on
October 23, 1861. Henry Griffin of Portland had come into the Mal-
heur River region with a party of gold-seekers searching for the fabled
Blue Bucket Mine (see TALL TALES & LEGENDS). Though
most of the members had become discouraged and turned homeward,
Griffin and three companions had continued northward toward the head-
waters of the Powder River. While his companions were making a
noon camp here Griffin shoveled gravel into his pan and washed out the
handful of coarse gold that started the stampede.
At 7 ?72. is the junction with a dirt road.
Right on this road along Blue Cannon Creek into the heart of the old mining
region. At 2.6 m. (L) many spearheads and arrow-heads have been found The
SITE OF AUBURN (R), 3.3 m., is marked by a grove of weeping willows,
a few plum trees, and a single apple tree. After gold was discovered here in
1861 log cabins were built and a blockhouse was erected as a protection against
Indians. The town, named for Auburn, Maine, began to mushroom in 1862 when
droves of prospectors rushed in. It was the metropolis of the mining region,
with 1,270 claims having been recorded within a year for the surrounding hilly,
stream-gouged area, so rich that two Frenchmen panned about $100,000 worth
of gold dust in the fall of 1862 When Baker County was created in the autumn
of that year Auburn became its seat
At its zenith, in 1863-64, Auburn had a population of 5,000 and was the
second largest town in the state. It was wide open and became a magnet for
gamblers, bunco men and their ilk. But the town had this code a wanton killing
would not be tolerated. Therefore French Pete, a miner, was hanged on Gallows
Hill (L) for putting strychnine m his partner's flour, and Spanish Tom died
the same way for wielding a Bowie knife. In later years many Chinese came m,
to operate laundries, restaurants, and gambling houses, and also to garner any
gold that had been overlooked by the careless white man.
An account book kept by a merchant from June 29 to October 7, 1868 listed
these prices* four pounds of sugar, $1.00; one pound of tea, $1.25; one sack
of flour, $2.25; five pounds of beans, $.80. Liquor prices were: whiskey $1.50 a
quart; brandy and gin, $1.25. The only toothbrush was sold for $.50. The
Chinese were heavy buyers of rice, ginger, beanstick, tea, and all kinds of dried
or preserved fish.
After the discovery of gold in Idaho in 1867, Auburn began to decline. The
next year the county seat was moved to Baker, and one by one the buildings
were deserted; later they were torn down by ranchers and carted away for
firewood. Nearby were three cemeteries, one for whites and two for Chinese.
One of the latter was washed away in a "second washing" for gold.
The site of the LITTLEFIELD HOMESTEAD, 3.8 m. f the first taken up
in Baker County, is marked by a grove of cottonwood trees. David S. Littlefield
was a member of the first gold-discovery party.
At 9 m. State 7 forms a junction with a gravel road.
Right on this road along the north bank of Powder River to SUMPTER,
19.6 m. (4,424 alt.), an almost deserted town of the "hard-rock" mining era.
In 1902 an editorial in the local paper asked- "Sumpter, golden Sumpter, what
glorious future awaits thee?" The answer today is a U. S. Forest station, one
store with a pool hall, and the crumbled remnants of a business section that
once stretched seven blocks up the steep hill. The town was so named because
three North Carolinians, who chose a farmsite at this point in 1862, called their
log cabin Fort Sumpter a misspelling of "Sumter." For many years the camp
TOUR I A 285
existed by grace of the few white miners who explored the district and hundreds
of Chinese who followed them. With the coming of the railroad in 1896 and
the opening of ore veins on the Blue Mountains, Sumpter became a citj of 3,000
inhabitants. The total }ield of the Sumpter quadrangle from both placer and deep
mines has been nearly sixteen million dollars Names of the most productive
mines were Mammoth, Goldbug-Gnzzly, Bald Mountain, Golden Eagle, May
Queen, Ibex, Baby McKee, Belle of Baker, Quebec, White Star, Gold Ridge,
and Bonanza. Twelve miles of mine tunnels were in operation at one time The
town even had an opera house where fancy dress balls were held, but the sheep-
men of the region were not welcome at them. The vigilante committee warned
sheepmen away from the gold country on the threat of fixing them up <k until
the Angels could pan lead out of their souls."
The story of Sumpter after 1916 is almost a blank. The few people who
remained became accustomed to the sound of crumbling walls and to using
doors and window frames for firewood. The smelter erected during the last days
of the boom still stands. Pack rats live in the vaults of two former banks.
Right from Sumpter, 6.7 m. along Cracker Creek to the town of BOURNE,
(5>397 alt> i pop-)> the smallest incorporated town of the state It came into
existence as the lively gold camp of Cracker in the igyo's, and in its latter days,
as Bourne, was notorious for the number of wild-cat ventures. Many persons in
the East were inveigled into disastrous investment by gilt-edged prospectuses
from the town. Two weekly newspapers were published here by the same firm,
one giving factual information for home consumption; the other, contained
glowing accounts of rich strikes and fabulous mining activities The exodus from
the camp occurred about 1906, when most of the producing mines were closed.
A cloudburst in 1937 washed down many buildings and changed the course of
Cracker Creek.
A dazzling white house on the hillside is a monument to one of Oregon's most
flagrant mining swindles. Surrounded by terraced grounds, with crushed-quartz
pathways leading up to it the house still presents a striking appearance. Piles
of quartz tailings from the mines rise in rose-colored pyramids in the formerly
landscaped lawns. In the living room is a massive fireplace of rose and white
gold-bearing quartz. A stairway of peeled and stained logs leads up six feet
from the living rooms to a dining floor. The glass has long since disappeared
from the huge windows, the doors have been removed, and only shreds of the
expensive floor coverings remain. Wall-paper brought from England has been
torn from the walls, though here and there ragged and faded remnants flutter
in the breeze.
Designed and built by J. Wallace Wliite, the mansion was erected in 1906
from proceeds of the Sampson Company, Ltd., of New York, London and
Bourne, a wildcat mining organization that fleeced hundreds of their savings.
White continued his operations for many years, amassing a large fortune, though
he was eventually arrested in the East for using the mails to defraud.
West of Sumpter is GRANITE, 35.6 m. (4,688 alt.), where a Grand Hotel,
an ornate three-story building with thirty rooms, still stands empty and dilapi-
dated. Granite was first called Independence because the first settlers, prospectors
from California, arrived on July 4, 1862. When application was made for a
post office at Independence it was found that there was already a post office of
this name in the state and the governor chose the present name. Unlike many
of the mining camps of eastern Oregon, Granite relied more on trade and on its
distributing and shipping business than on the pay-day sprees of miners. But
when the many mines were worked out the town dwindled and disappeared.
Deserted tunnels, jagged heaps of tailings, dilapidated cabins, occasional graves,
remind the few inhabitants of the days that they still hope may come ^ again.
Only tourists and fishing and hunting parties serve to keep the place alive. In
1938 Granite's one general store still had in stock 24. derby hats, a number of
black corsets with beaded tops, and a few dozen gaily-colored women's garters
with spangles.
South of SALISBURY, 9.2 m. (3,675 alt., 4 pop.), a railroad
286 OREGON
station. State 7 winds through the yellow jackpines of the WHITMAN
NATIONAL FOREST to DOOLEY MOUNTAIN SUMMIT,
17 m. (5,392 alt.), which commands wide vistas of the Blue Mountains!
The Dooley Mountain Toll Road, joins State 7 at 17.5 772. (L). It
was named for John Dooley, an emigrant who purchased the road from
B. F. Koontz, of Baker.
Reaching Burnt River the road swerves westward through the
BURNT RIVER GAME REFUGE, 26.1 m. f to HEREFORD,
35.6 772. (3,658 alt., 32 pop.), named for a Hereford bull of renown
in the extensive range country the hamlet serves. In 1885 the Oregon
Horse & Land Company, operating in the district, imported 109 Per-
cheron horses from France for breeding purposes 47 males and 62
females. The outfit was the largest operating in Oregon at the time;
in 1885 it branded about 11,000 horses.
Left from Hereford to the DIAMOND-AND-A-HALF DUDE RANCH,
4.5 m. f at the southern edge of the Whitman National Forest. This ranch, estab-
lished by the Whites shortly after their arrival in 1869, is still in the hands of
the family. Visitors are regaled with tall tales by the wranglers, ride herd with
the cowhands, and go on hunting and fishing trips into the Blue Mountains.
At 46.1 is the junction with US 28 (see TOUR 6a), at a point 1.7
miles northwest of Unity.
Tour IB
Baker Richland Robinette Copperfield Homestead ( Cuprum,
Idaho) ; 84.3 m. State 86 and unnamed road.
Gravel road in lower sections, elsewhere dirt.
Limited accommodations, in towns.
East of the broad uplands of the upper Powder River and the fertile
Baker Valley, State 86 crosses the broken terrain to the river's con-
fluence with the Snake; paralleling that stream for thirty miles, to a
terminus at the interstate bridge into Idaho at the opening of the Grand
Canyon of the Snake (see TOUR iC).
Tucked in numerous gulches along the tributaries of Powder River
are sites and ruins of towns and camps of the gold rush days of the
i86o's. Here gold was at a premium, human life and morals at a dis-
count. Such law as existed was administered by officials subservient to
the proprietors of saloons and dives, and although recorded killings were
TOUR IB 287
few, "accidental" deaths and "suicides" were not infrequent. For a brief
period before 1914 the boom town of Copperfield, never a mining town
as its name might imply, revived a shoddy counterpait of those early
towns. In former days when millions in gold were mined the area was
populous, but with the exhaustion of the rich sands, it became for a time
practically deserted. Although only a few of the mines are now being
worked, some of these are large producers. In the region are also con-
siderable deposits of silver and copper.
State 86 branches east from the junction with US 30, (see TOUR
la) in Baker, m. and passes through a district of small truck farms
and alfalfa ranches m the Powder River Valley.
At 2.2 m. is a junction with State 203, a graveled road.
Left on State 203 to the BAKER AIRPORT (R), 2.1 m., used by transcon-
tinental planes, although not a regular stop.
PONDOSA, 20.9 m. (3,200 alt., 300 pop.), is a lumber town, and MEDICAL
SPRINGS, 22.3 m. (3,388 alt., 40 pop ), is a commercial resort on the edge of
the WHITMAN NATIONAL FOREST. State 203 continues to a junction
with US 30 in UNION 42.7 m. (see TOUR ia).
East of Baker Valley State 86 passes over a low saddle formerly
traversed by the Old Oregon Trail.
At 9.6 m. is the junction with a dirt road.
Right on this road to the VIRTUE MINE, 3 m, first of the gold bearing
quartz mines in the Powder River district, and one of the richest. The first ore
was carried by horseback several hundred miles to The Dalles and other water
transportation points. James W. Virtue, pioneer mine operator and banker, was
its owner for many years. Between its discovery in 1862 and its final shutdown
in 1924. the mine produced $2,200,000. The shaft house on a small hill is a con-
spicuous landmark. Scattered over Virtue flats a level stretch of arid sagebrush
land between the mine and the highway are tumbled-down farm buildings,
that recall the shattered hopes of homesteaders who profitably dry-farmed the
land during the period of high prices just after the World War but were forced
to abandon their claims when prices fell. It is planned to reclaim these flats
by irrigation.
At 17.6 m. on State 86 is the junction with a dirt road.
Left here to KEATING, 3 m. (2,650 alt., 68 pop.), at the confluence of Ruckles
Creek with the Powder River, headquarters of the Thief Valley Irrigation
District, a Federal project supplying a small section of the lower Powder River
Valley. Thief Valley was so named because a horse thief was hanged there
m 1864.
At 20.7 m on State 86 is the junction with the Middle Bridge Road.
Left on this road, crossing the Powder River, to SPARTA, 12 m. (4,120 alt,
25 pop.), remnant of a mining town founded in the i86o's. The Sparta mines
once had an annual output of several million dollars, but when the richest
pannings had been taken miners pulled up stakes and sought other fields. Follow-
ing close on their heels, came bands of Chinese, who had been released from
construction work with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. They
scoured the gulches and gullies gleaning the tailings, but were continually
harassed, robbed and even murdered by those who objected to die presence of the
Orientals. This bad feeling culminated in their forcible ejection from the^ dig-
gings by a band of "stalwarts," who were dissatisfied with the mild provisions
288 OREGON
of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Only a few weathered skeletons of shacks and false-
front shops stand on Mam Street. The hillsides and gulches are scarred with
prospect holes and piles of tailings. The shaggy lynching pine remains, and the
"arrow tree" still points the way to Sparta
A ROADSIDE FOUNTAIN (R) is at 30.4 m. From the center
of a large flat-surfaced granite boulder spouts a 1 2-foot, geyser-like
stream of water that falls into a basin chiseled in the rock. The water is
always fresh and cold, and never freezes.
At 45.8 m. is the junction with a dirt road.
Left here up Eagle Creek to NEW BRIDGE, 2.5 m. (2,400 alt., 38 pop.),
named by Joseph Gale, (see TOUR 8), who spent his last years here, and was
the first postmaster. He was buried on his old homesite, conspicuous because of the
profusion of lilac bushes that he planted. His home has been moved and rebuilt.
RICHLAND, 46.1 m. (2,213 alt., 212 pop.), named for the fer-
tility of the surrounding soil, is the trade center of the fanners and
dairymen of Eagle Valley,
At 52.6 772. the route diverges from State 86.
Left on State 86 over winding grades to HALFWAY, 11.1 m. (2,653 a ^-i 35*
pop.), in Pine Valley, an isolated upland farming country hemmed in by barren
hills. The town has its own water system, electric light and power plant,
cooperative creamery, and is the home of the annual Baker County Fair.
Left from Halfway, 5.5 m. on a dirt road to CARSON, (3,355 alt., 90 pop.),
and CORNUCOPIA, 11.5 m. (4,800 alt, 10 pop.), a town described in the
September, 1885, issue of West Shore as having "one nice frame house," and
many "tents and log cabins, built rather hastily to accommodate the first rush.
The town can boast of five saloons, one store, two restaurants, blacksmith shop,
barber shop, butcher shop and livery stable; also a lodging house, which, while
neatly kept for a young town, is hardly patronized enough, as the traveling
class ia such camps objects seriously to too close confinement and prefers camp
life* . . ." The Cornucopia Mine has a 6,300 foot shaft and from its 30 miles
of underground workings comes one-half of Oregon's gold output. Opened in
the early i88o's the mine has produced many millions of dollars worth of gold
and silver.
Diverging (R) from State 86, at 52.5 m., the route continues down
the widening canyon of the lower Powder River to its confluence with
the Snake, 55 m. (i,935 alt), then swings along the west bank of that
stream to ROBINETTE, 56.5 m. (1,900 alt, 46 pop.), the northern
terminus of a branch line of the Union Pacific Railroad, formerly ex-
tending about 25 miles farther along the Snake. The abandoned roadbed
has been converted into a highway.
The OXBOW POWER PLANT, 77.3 m. (R), in a large bend
of the Snake, supplies power and light for a wide area, The once flour-
ishing town of COPPERFIELD, 77.9 m. (1,725 alt., 8 pop.), is near
the lower curve of the Oxbow in the Snake River. This town was laid
out in 1908 by four Baker speculators because of the presence of large
crews of men engaged in building the power plant to the south and a
railroad tunnel. These promoters bought a quarter section between the
railroad and the power plant, cleared large sums in the first six months
by selling lots and retired from the scene. The boom town soon had
every conceivable type of business, both legal and illegal, with the latter
TOUR IB 289
in the ascendency. The inhabitants aped the wickedness of the mining
towns of the i86o's and boasted of it. The railroad construction gangs
often clashed in "free-for-alls." It is said that one conflict that lasted
more than an hour was accompanied by the tinny tunes from the me-
chanical piano in Barney Goldberg's saloon. Rocks and beer bottles,
and other missiles, as well as fists, were used, but when truce was
finally called from sheer exhaustion, enemies drank from the same bottle,
bound up each others wounds, and set the date for the next encounter.
The leading citizens of Copperfield including the mayor and the
members of the council either ran saloons or were financially interested
in them. A few peaceful citizens finally tired of the disorder and ap-
pealed to the governor for help. He ordered the Baker County authori-
ties to clean up Copperfield by Christmas; but they refused to act. On
New Year's Day, 1914, Governor West dramatically sent his small
secretary in with a declaration of martial law, accompanied by an "army
of invasion" consisting of five national guardsmen, and two penitentiary
guards commanded by a colonel of the National Guard who was also
warden of the state penitentiary. Notified of the approach of the "army"
with a female representative of the governor the mayor ordered the town
decorated for a glorious welcome. Flags and bunting hung in the streets,
and all bars were embellished with pink and white ribbons and such
flowers as were available. The entire town was lined up to greet the
train. Accompanied by her "army," "war" correspondents, photograph-
ers, and almost the entire populace, the secretary marched at once to
the town hall, mounted a platform, gave the governor's orders for the
resignation of all officials connected with the saloon business; said that
if they refused she would hand over the governor's declaration of mar-
tial law, disarm everyone in town, dose all saloons, burn all gambling
equipment, and ship all liquors and bar fixtures out of town. The offi-
cials turned down her demands, and the secretary immediately com-
menced to carry out her threats. The audience was silent throughout
the proceedings, and there was little protest when the expeditionary force
collected all six-shooters present and piled them on the platform. Just
80 minutes after her arrival the secretary boarded the train for her re-
turn journey. The men remained to mop up. A few months after the
departure of the guardsmen, fire, of suspected incendiary origin, left
the town in ruins, and it was never rebuilt.
North of Copperfield, State 86 leads to HOMESTEAD, 82*1 m.
(1,675 alt., 150 pop.), by the Snake River at the eastern edge of the
copper belt. During the World War the town was the scene of exten-
sive mining operations, but operations ceased in 1922.
State 86 crosses the Snake River and becomes Idaho 45 at the Idaho
Line, 84.3 m. in the riven
29O OREGON
Tour 1C
La Grande Elgin Enterprise Joseph Wallowa Lake Resort ; 78.8
TO., State 82.
Oiled gravel road; occasionally closed by snow. Union Pacific Railroad branch
roughly parallels route between La Grande and Enterprise. Daily stages between
La Grande and Joseph, and between Enterprise and Paradise. Good accommo-
dations in towns
This route runs through the beautiful Grande Ronde Valley and gives
access to the rugged wilderness of the Wallowa Mountains. Here for-
ests are protected from despoliation and streams are closed to com-
mercial fishing. Rising sharply from a basaltic plain in tiers of mag-
nificent peaks, the short Wallowa Mountain range thrusts up a mass of
marble and granite. Ten peaks rise more than 9,000 feet in an area
covering less than 350 square miles, and almost an equal additional
number rise more than 8,000 feet In appearance the Wallowas are
more nigged than the Blue Mountains, and, in their isolation, form an
imposing sight From their slopes flow a number of streams that have
cut deep, rock-walled canyons, and plunge over ledges in long ribbons.
Glacial meadows are tapestried with brightly colored wild flowers. In
the forests are many lakes set in beautiful frames. East of the moun-
tains is the Grand Canyon of the Snake River also called Hell's
Canyon, 6,748 feet in depth at one point, and separating Oregon and
Idaho.
State 82 branches northeast from US 30, m. (see TOUR la) on
Hemlock St. in LA GRANDE.
ISLAND CITY, 2.4 772. (2,743 alt, 116 pop.), grew up around a
store opened by Charles Goodenough in 1874. It is on an island formed
by a slough and the Grande Ronde River, which drains into the Snake
in Washington. Peter Skene Ogden, the Hudson's Bay trapper, referred
to this stream in his Journal as the Clay River, and also as Riviere de
Grande Ronde.
Right from Island City on a gravel road to Cove, 14 m. (2,893 alt., 307 pop.),
on the eastern side of the valley in a pocket formed by Mill Creek near the
foothills of Mount Fanny (7,133 alt), four miles to the east. It is the market
center of a diversified farming, dairying, and fruit area, and provides transpor-
tation and guides for trips in the region. A dirt road follows Mill Creek, 7 m.,
to MOSS SPRING GUARD STATION, where a pack trail begins. BIG
MINAM HORSE RANCH, 15 m. (open May to Nov.), a dude outfit with a
landing field, is on a mountain prairie (3,600 alt), surrounded by rimrock. It
is situated by the river from which it takes its name, a fine fishing stream
whose course is accessible by trail. Little Minam River flows into the larger
stream about six miles from the ranch.
TOUR 1C 291
ALICEL, 8.3 7?2. (2,754 alt, 300 pop.), in the heart of a wheat-
growing district, has several large grain elevators cooperatively owned.
IMBLER, 12.2 772. (2,711 alt., 204 pop.), is a gram-shipping point
in a thickly settled farming region.
ELGIN, 20.3 7?2. (2,666 alt., 728 pop.), draws the trade of fruit-
growers and lumbermen. After 1890, when the Oregon Railway &
Navigation Co.'s branch line was completed to this place, the town was
the shipping and distributing point for an extensive territory. Horse-
drawn stages brought travelers long distances over bad roads to this
railhead.
Left from Elgin on graveled State 204 over the summit of the Blue Moun-
tains, 17.3 2. (5,158 alt.), to TOLLGATE, 21 m Covering the Tollgate meadow
is 40-acre Langdon Lake (public camp and kitchen), formed by damming the
waters of Looking-glass Creek. In winter this area offers excellent skiing, skating,
and other sports. At this point is the TOLLGATE RANGER STATION of the
Umatilla National Forest. State 204 continues to a junction with State n (see
TOUR i) in WESTON, 41.4 .
The summit of MINAM HILL, 29.5 m. (3,638 alt.), is reached
by gradual ascent through rolling farmland between the Grande Ronde
and Wallowa rivers. At CAPE HORN promontory, 32 772., is a
striking vista (R) of the rugged canyon of the Mmam River and the
forested Wallowa Mountains.
East of MINAM, 35 m. (2,535 alt, 60 pop.), at the confluence of
the Mmam and Wallowa Rivers, State 82 runs through the canyon of
the Wallowa beside rushing waters and below towering cliffs.
THE FOUNTAIN, 41 m., is a camping place by a cold mountain
spring.
WALLOWA, 48.5 772. (2,940 alt., 749 pop.), has a large sawmill
and a flour mill. It is an old "cow town" and still retains some of its
frontier character. The farmers who trade heie do general farming,
fruit growing, and sheep and cattle raising.
1. Right from Wallowa to BEAR CREEK CANYON, 10 m. (picnic and
camp grounds; good fishing after high water )
2. Left from Wallowa on a dirt road, following the Powwatka Ridge, which
affords views of impressive MUD CREEK CANYON, to TROY, 34 m. (2,950
alt, 200 pop ) , which selected its classical name in 1902 after several others
had been rejected by the Post Office Department
LOSTINE, 56.2 m. (3,362 alt., 176 pop.), by a river of the same
name, is sometimes called "the lost town of Lostine," because it is in
a valley 30 miles from the officially platted site, which is on top of a
mountain. A surveyor's blunder accounts for the discrepancy.
1. Left from Lostine 4 m. to the FIRST BURIAL PLACE OF CHIEF
JOSEPH, Nez Perce chieftain, who died in 1872. His body was later removed
to Wallowa Lake (see below). His son was the Chief Joseph whose military
leadership was outstanding (see HISTORY).
2. Right from Lostine along the Lostine River into the heart of the Wallowa
Mountains and the EAGLE CAP PRIMITIVE AREA of 223,000 acres within
the Wallowa National Forest. The road follows the canyon to the LOSTINE
292 OREGON*
FORKS (guides and horses available) , 19 m. } from which point all travel is
by trail.
'The rugged Eacrk Cap Area is the most impressive in the region. Among the
peaks are Eagie Cap 19/95 alt.), Sacajawea (10,033 alt), honoring the inter-
preter of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and Matterhorn (10,004 a ^ ) Also here
are Aneroid, Sent.ne*, Pear's Point, and Glacier Mountain, all of them nearly
io t oco feet high The southwest face of the Matterhorn, which resembles the
mountaii in Switzerland for which it was named, has a sheer face of white
marble On the sides of Eagle Cap are two residual glaciers, one of which, the
Benson, is notable tor its peculiar shape and rainbow colors. In abundance and
variety of \\ild life, this region is outstanding. Streams and lakes furnish ex-
cellent" fshing (tiont, steelkead, land-hcked salmon). The salmon are locally
called blue-backs, or 4t >anks" because of the manner in which they are caught by
fishermen who use deep, weighted lines and yank the fish out violently. The
area was former!;, a haunt or the fierce silvertip or grizzly bear. The small
band of bighorn sheep for whom a reserve (see below) has been established
frequently wanders into thi* area, roaming the remote fastnesses, and it is esti-
mated that there are 3,000 elk and 10,000 mule deer in the district.
ENTERPRISE, 66.4 m. (3,755 alt., 1,379 pop.), living up to its
name, is the bustling trade center for ranchers in the Wallowa Valley.
It is also the county seat, and headquarters of the Wallowa National
Forest (information from forest supervisor).
1. Left from Enterprise on a gravel road to the STATE FISH HATCHERY,
1 m. on the Wallowa River, now mainly devoted to the propagation of trout.
2. Right from Enterprise on an unimproved dirt road to MARBLE FINISH-
ING PLANT, 0.2 m } where an unusual black marble is cut and polished. The
marble is taken from the quarry at 0.4 m.
3. Left from Enterprise on State 3, graveled, through a logged-off region
that parallels rugged JOSEPH CREEK CANYON and at intervals ofreis views
of the deep gorge with the creek a silver line two thousand feet below.
At 34.6 m. is the junction with a dirt road; L. here 1 m. to FLORA (4,000
alt, 60 pop.), formerly an outfitting point for summer sheep camps and now
the trading point for a dry-farming section, producing diversified crops.
At 35 m. is a junction with a dirt road; right here to PARADISE, 2 m.
(3,500 alt., 60 pop.), a stock-raising and general farming area, and a former
sheepmen's outfitting point. Community life centers about the church, the school,
and the grange In winter, this region is isolated by heavy snows that frequently
pack to fence levels. At such times, all travel is on foot, horseback, bobsleds, or
in homemade, horse-draw r n sleighs
State 3 crosses the Washington State line, 44 m.
Southeast of Enterprise State 82 continues up the valley of the Wal-
lowa River.
At 69.8 m. is the junction with a dirt road.
Left on this road through hilly farming and stock-raising country of MID-
WAY, 13 m. at the junction with the Zunrwalt Road. Left 11 m. from Mid-
way to ZUMWALT (So pop.) ; the road continues to BUCKHORN SPRINGS,
25 m. (camping and picnicking facilities.)
JRight from^Buckhorn Springs 1 m. to BUCKHORN POINT on the Snake
River rim. This point commands an impressive view of a canyon deeper than that
of the Colorado and quite as awe-inspiring though less dramatic in color. More
than a mile below the rim, the Snake River winds through the gorge toward the
Columbia. Seen from the rim, the river is deceptively calm and gives no hint of
its dangerous rapids and whirlpools.
JOSEPH, 72.8 m. (4,400 alt., 504 pop.), an outfitting point, bears
TOUR 1C 293
the name of two gieat Nez Perce chieftains, father and son Both Chief
Josephs ruled this Valle}'-of-the- Winding Waters, the heiecLtary home
of their people until 1872. The youngei Chief Joseph (see HISTORY),
led his people in a long and losing struggle against white invasion and
fought their banishment from their ancestral home.
1. Right from Joseph on a dirt road to its end, 2 m. to HURRICANE
CREEK CANYON, 5 m. For grandeur of scene with high waterfalls, stark
canyon walls, and immense marble peaks intermingled with stretches of meadows
and streams this trail is perhaps the best in the forest.
2. Left from Joseph on the Little Sheep Creek Road and abruptly down
through the Imnaha River Canyon to IMNAHA, 30.6 OT. (1,850 alt., 45 pop.),
district headquarters for the Wallowa National Forest
Right from Imnaha on a single-track forest service road, with occasional turn-
outs, which climbs steadily from the canyon floor. At 5 m. is a broad turnout
affording an impressive view. To the west are seen five ridges of the Wallowas,
with intervening canyons and, nearer, the depths of the can>on from which
the road has just emerged, -with the river a narrow band of tree-lined water.
The road reaches the plateau of GRIZZLY RIDGE, 10 m , and follows the
mam Imnaha-Snake River Ridge, to the MEMALOOSE GUARD STATION,
22 m.
On HAT POINT, 23 m. (7,000 alt.), is a 70- foot Forest Service lookout tower.
Eastward, the point commands a fine view of the Grand Canyon of the Snake
and the lofty, snow-capped peaks of the Seven Devils Range ; westward and
southward is the broken Imnaha River basin, with the vast snow-tipped bulk of
the Wallowas beyond This remarkable gorge is deeper than the Grand Canyon
of Colorado* it averages 5,500 feet in depth for a distance of forty miles and
is both the narrowest and deepest gash in the continent From Huntington,
Oregon, to Lewiston, Idaho, the Snake descends on an average of nine feet a mile.
State 82 continues along the east shore of WALLOWA LAKE, a
beautiful body of water at the base of steep, forested mountains. The
GRAVE OF OLD CHIEF JOSEPH, marked by a stone shaft, is on
a knoll (R) between the highway and the northern end of the lake.
WALLOWA LAKE LODGE, 78.8 m. t is at the southern end of
the lake. {Hotel and housekeeping cabins, moderate rates; club house
and nine-hole golf course; excellent fishing; boats, pack and saddle horses
and outing equipment for hire; guides. The J\l. J. G. Dude Ranch
nearby has usual attractions). South of the lake is the WALLOWA
MOUNTAIN SHEEP REFUGE, set aside for Oregon's surviving
band of bighorn sheep, estimated 30 in number. The sheep do not always
recognize the boundaries of the area and may not be at home to greet
visitors.
94 OREGON
Tour ID
Arlington Condon Fossil Servicecreek Spray Kimberly Junc-
tion US 28; 123*6 m. State 19.
Graveled road. Union Pacific Railroad branch line roughly parallels route be-
tween Arlington and Condon.
Hotels in towns; tourist camps.
State 19, a section of the John Day Highway, crosses part of the great
wheat belt of central Oiegon and of the arid range country, where the
only conspicuous vegetation for many miles is sagebrush and juniper.
The highway penetrates the region of the impoitant John Day Sedi-
mentary Deposits, with its icmarkable fossils. The region, with its suc-
cession of startling contours, jagged skylines, sharp pinnacles rising from
mountains of solid rock, and gashes through volcanic formation, often
brilliantly colored, has great fascination. The barren splendor of the
canyon of the John Day River, which the highway follows for many
miles, is not duplicated in Oiegon.
State 19 branches southward from US 30 at ARLINGTON, m.,
(see TOUR ib) and follows a narrow, winding canyon to a plateau
called SHUTLER FLATS, 7.1 m. (710 alt.), named for a type of
wagon popular with the early emigrants, one of which was found aban-
doned here along the Oregon Trail, that ciosses State 19 at this place.
At one time Shutler Flats was ranched by a man who owned 20,000
acres of wheat land. Later it was subdivided into smaller holdings.
CONDON, 37.7 m. (2,844 alt, 940 pop.), seat of Gilliam County,
was f 01 merry called Summit City, then Summit Springs. The latter
name was applied because of the sweet-water springs at which stage
drivers, freighters, and other travelers paused. The present name was
given for Harvey C. Condon, nephew of Dr. Thomas Condon, the
geologist who brought the near-by fossil region to the attention of the
scientific world. The high plateau on which the city lies was once an
Indian ceremonial ground. Later it was used for cattle roundups. From
the elevated site on clear days are visible the Ochoco Mountains, the
Blue mountains, and the Cascade Range. Condon is in the heart of
vast rolling wheat fields foi which it is the distributing center, with
extensive warehouses and elevators.
South of Condon the road dips down the Condon Canyon to DYER
STATE PARK (picnicking facilities), 47.4 m., named for J. W.
Dyer. The narrow rim-rock walled area is shaded by cottonwoods, red
osier willows, and elderberry bushes.
FOSSIL, 58.5 m. (2,654 alt, 538 pop,), the seat of Wheeler Coun-
TOUR ID 295
ty, at the confluence of Butte and Cottonwood creeks, was so named
because of the fossils found on the ranch wheie the townsite was platted
in 1876. Highway construction often uncovers interesting fossils, such
a3 those of the saber-toothed tiger, found in a cut just north of town.
Right f'om Fossil on State 218, over a winding mountain grade offering an
excellent view of forest-covered mountains, to CLARNO, 20.5 m. (1,304 alt, 45
pop ), on the johti^Day River. It was named for Andrew Clarno, one of the
earliest white settlers ""oi^-^he river and an Indian fighter, who settled on Pme
Creek in 1866. This town lTe>^t the western edge of the great fossil deposits.
Those nearest the town (not accesftblzjby automobile), the CLARNO SECTION
OF THE JOHN DAY FOSSIL BEDSTn*v<* yielded many specimens of Eocene
tropical fruits, nuts, and leaves, and are particularly rich in specimens of the two-
toed, three-toed, and four-toed horse. These animals, which lived many millions of
years ago, and were no larger than a fox, is believed to have been the ancestor
of the modern horse.
West of Claino the road leads up a narrow winding canyon, exceedingly
steep for the first half mile. The remaining climb is over a graveled road with
easy grades and curves At every turn are views of the majestic John Day
Gorge, with Craggy Rock lifting its jagged peak almost due east. At the top
of the grade, 30.8 m. t is a view-point offering a magnificent panorama of the
John Day region.
West of the summit the highway descends to ANTELOPE, 35.8 m. (2,631
alt., 136 pop.), named for the herds of the horned animals that formerly ranged
this region. It is one of the few remaining typical stock towns of central Oregon.
Except for a modern school its buildings look as they did in stagecoach days.
Bullet scats in them are evidence of the times when scores were settled according
to the law of the six-gun. H. L. Davis, editor of the Antelope newspaper in
1928, made the town the setting for scenes in his novel Honey in the Horn,
winner of the Harper (1935) and Pulitzer (1936) awards.
The roads to the rock formations and agate beds in the vicinity are not well
defined (obtain local directions or guide). John Silvertooth, authority on the
town's history and local minerals, has a fine collection of rock specimens. State
18 continues to SHANIKO, 43.7 m. (see TOUR 40).
South of Fossil on State 19 is a junction with an improved road
at 67.2 m.
Left on this road to KINZUA, 5,8 m (450 pop.), in a yellow pine lumbering
area. Here is one of the largest pine mills in eastern Oregon, owned by a com-
pany that has timber holdings adequate for 50 years of continuous operation.
SHELTON STATE PARK (R), 69,4 m. (3,362 alt), (camping
facilities] on State 19 was given to the state by the Kinzua Lumber
Company, who stipulated that the park should be named for Lewis D.
Shelton, pioneer of 1847 and surveyor who cruised all the company's
holdings in the vicinity. The park is the annual summer meeting place
for the Eastern Oregon Pioneer Association. At 70*1 m, is (R) a stone
arch erected in 1924 to the memory of the Eastern Oregon Pioneers.
SERVICECREEK, 79.2 m. (i,7*9 alt, 6 pop.), in the center of a
timber belt, was settled about 1885, It was named so because of the
great number of service-berry bushes in the vicinity.
SPRAY, 92 m. (l>772 alt, no pop.), early a ferrying point on the
John Day River, was settled in the sixties and named for J. F, Spray,
one of the first residents*
At 95 m. is the junction with State 207 (see TOUR let).
In KIMBERLY, 105 m. f are a service station and other tourist fa-
Left from Kimberly on a giavel road to MONUMENT, 14.6 m. (1,983 alt.,
?7 pop.), a ranching community on the edge of the PAINTED HILLS, a region
sculptured into fantastic shapes and stained a hundred shades, from mauve to
Drilliant red. The road winds between rugged buttes to HAMILTON, 25 m.
(3,738 alt., 25 pop.), a small lanching settlement named for J. H Hamilton,
stockman and lover of fine horses, who settled heie in 1874.
South of Kimberly the John Day River has caived a deep canyon.
Throughout this section, volcanic ridges, bluffs, and isolated mountains
are laid open from bedrock to rim, as if by a giant chisel, exposing a
geologic record of Oregon's physical history. Embedded m these eroded
pinnacles and resembling glacial ice m texture, aie fossils of prehistoric
flora, m particular tieefern leaves, reeds, and grasses.
JOHNNY KIRK SPRINGS (picnicking facilities], 116.1 m.,
named for a pioneer of Grant County, is surrounded by one of the most
important fossil regions of the United States. It yields relics of the
Oligocene Epoch, particularly rich in specimens of the three-toed horse
and other Tertiary fauna.
At 117*7 m. through a ranch yard and up Waterspout Gulch, the
the JOHN DAY FOSSIL BEDS in a ridge where a layer of pale
green calcareous deposit a thousand feet thick is exposed. The ridge is
so spectacularly eroded in its upper reaches that it is called the New
Jerusalem. In these deposits are fossilized relics of the period when this
high region^of badlands, sagebrush plain, and wheatfields was low tropi-
cal jungle inhabited by rhinoceroses, saber-toothed tigers, giant sloths,
oreodonts, miniature horses, and other ancestors of present-day animals,
as well as curious and extinct species. As shown by gieat numbcts of
specimens, including agatized roots and leaves, palm, redwood, mag-
nolia, fig, and ginko trees grew in piofusion m this place where the
hardy sagebrush now survives with difficulty. After the gigantic up-
heaval that resulted in formation of the Coast Range, volcanic eruptions
covered the land with lava and ash. Then came the great ice-cap over
the^ lands to the north and, yet later, the slow melting period during
which some of Oiegon's chief rivers were formed. As these, including
the John Day, cut down through the crust accumulated through the
ages, they revealed the deposits that tell the story of the land's pre-
historic life.
Among the Oregon ^emigrants of 1852 was a clergyman, Thomas
Condon, who was particularly interested in geology* A cavalry officer,
member of a punitive expedition against the natives of central Oregon
in the i86o's, brought the first specimens from this area to The Dalles
and to Mr. Condon's attention. Soon Mr. Condon had visited the beds
himself in the company of other Indian fighters. In 1870 he sent a small
collection of teeth from the beds to Yale University, bringing the nat-
ural^museum^tp the attention of scientists. In 1889 a Princeton Uni-
versity expedition removed two tons of specimens from the beds and
TOUR ID 297
many other groups have also worked here. Only a small part of the
region has been explored.
At 118.2 m. the exposed strata of a lofty cliff (L), bared by erosion,
tells the geologic history of the region for millions of years.
At 123.6 m. is the junction with US 28 (see TOUR 6a).
Tour IE
Hood River Mount Hood P. O. Bennett Pass Barlow Pass
Junction with State 50; 44.8 772. State 35.
Asphalt paved roadbed; closed between Cooper Spur Road and Junction with
State 50 during heavy snows.
All types of accommodations, also public foiest camps.
This route, one of the chief approaches to the Mount Hood reciea-
tional area, threads its way through the narrow Hood River Gorge,
crosses the Hood River Valley orchards, pieices deep canyons close to
the eastern base of Mount Hood and scales the Cascade divide.
State 35 branches south from US 30, m,, at the eastern edge of
the city of HOOD RIVER (see TOUR ib). The huge hydro-electric
plant, 0.5 m. f in the canyon of the Hood River, serves the fiuit-packing
plants and the homes of the Hood River Valley, which is intensely
electrified.
Also in the gorge are the tracks of the Mount Hood Railroad, which
carries the valley's fruit to packing and processing plants, and lumber
from a large sawmill at Dee to the mainline railroad.
At 1 772. is the junction with a giaveled road.
Right on this road to PANORAMA POINT, 2 m. (582 all.), overlooking
the entire lower valley. Miles of orchards are broken by alfalfa fields and berry
ranches, all sharply outlined by the mesh of irrigation canals bringing water
from Mount Hood. Here and there on little hills are clumps of foiest trees,
survivors of the fir and pine that once covered the secluded valley In May
white blossoms transform the valley into a huge flower bowl. In early autumn
the fruit trees glow with ripe apples and pears, and the oaks and maples flame
with color. In winter the trees and earth mingle in a gray monotone, dominated
by the gleaming white peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams,
South of the Junction State 35 emerges into the widening valley,
passing neat apple and pear orchards, where orchard crews work during
spring, summer and fall, and occasionally in winter. Irrigation began
in the valley about 1900 and through constant vigilance and scientific
2Q8 OREGON
application has reached a high state of efficiency. Land must have enough
but not too much moisture, and to maintain the quality of the soil
orchard floors should be planted with a cover crop that is eventually
plowed under. Once during the winter and several times during other
periods of the yeai the orchards must be sprayed with chemicals to
destroy insect pests, particularly the codling moth. Care must be taken
that the chemical does not destroy the bees that are needed for polleniza-
tion. Danger not only luiks in the trees wheie the bees garner the nectar
from the blossoms but also in the ground cover with its wild floweis.
If the rancher succeeds in spraying without killing the bees he is still
at times faced with a problem of fertilization. Some trees may have too
few blossoms to piovide the necessary pollen and flowering bianches
must be grafted from sections where blooms are more numerous. How-
ever, the result of this expensive work is worthwhile because Hood
River fruit commands top prices.
The harvesting picking, sorting, and packing is done by itmeiant
workers but labor conditions in the valley are better than in other parts
of the West because the people who have developed the land are for
the most part well educated and face their problems squarely. In the
early years the harvesting crews lived along the irrigation ditches, but
the pollution of water led to the establishment of camps similar to camps
in recreational areas. Because of this the orchardists diau (be cream
of the pickers and have less turnover during the rush season. Hard as
the work is the camps have a holiday air about them at the end of the
day.
Because of the type of settler in this valley the section is noted for
the high standard of its schools and for the comfort of its ranch homes.
At 6.2 m. is the junction with a graveled road.
Left on this road to the BILLY SUNDAY RANCH, 0.2 m., purchased by the
evangelist in 1909. Sunday grew grain and bred cattle.
At 6.7 m. on State 35 is the junction with a paved road.
Right on this road to ODELL 1.5 m (710 alt, 25 pop.), a fruit-packing
center, named for William Odell who settled here in 1861.
WINANS, 9.2 77i. (863 alt.), is named for Ross Winans, who in the i88o's
erected a hotel for hunters. The structure, no longer btanding, was noted for its
square observation tower.
Right from Winans 2.4 m. to DEAD POINT TROUT HATCHERY, which
produces annually about 3,000,000 rainbow and Eastern brook trout fingcrlings,
and a smaller number of steelheads for local lakes and streams. At this point
is a forest camp (camping and picnicking facilities).
DEE, 10.7 m. (950 alt., 100 pop.), is built about a large sawmill.
The West Fork of the Hood River is crossed at its confluence with the Lake
Branch, 17.2 m. The West Fork, fed by melting glaciers, is usually milky, while
the Lake Branch, fed by springs, is always crystal clear. Both streams offer
excellent trout fishing.
The route climbs to LOST LAKE, 24.2 m. (3,140 alt), which mirrors the
image of snowy Mount Hood. No other view t of the mountain is as beautiful
as this one. (Forest camp with picnicking facilities; swimming; rowboats and
fishing tackle for hire.)
The shores of Lost Lake, according to legend, were long favorite summer
and autumn camp grounds of the Indians. It is told that in days when the oldest
TOUR IE 299
grandfathers were mere papooses, a tribe gathered here for a potlatch. One
evening, after the squaws had returned from the berry patches with well filled
baskets, the men had brought in tender venison, and a feast of roast meat had
been prepared, a snow-white doe pursued by wolves suddenly broke from a
thicket, plunged into the lake, swam to the middle, dived beneath the surface and
disappeared. A medicine man pronounced the event an omen of very bad luck,
The Indians broke camp and never returned to the lake.
In 1912 a young Indian couple who had been educated in an eastern college
and did not share the beliefs of their elders came here to camp. During a storm
a bolt of lightning struck the tree under which they were standing and killed
the bride. Today no Indian can be persuaded to visit Lost Lake.
At 10.6 m. on State 25 is a FOREST RANGER STATION (in-
formation and fire permits)*
At MOUNT HOOD (P. O.), 13.5 m. (1,467 alt., 65 pop.),
Mount Hood is visible in clear weather a gigantic, snow-covered pyra-
mid looming against the blue sky.
DIMMICK STATE PARK (1,550 alt.) (camp sites and tables},
15 m. f is a small wooded area.
At 15.7 m. is the junction with an improved road.
Right on this road to PARKDALE, 0.3 m (1,743 alt., 125 pop.), center of
commercial and packing activities in the upper valley. Strawberry raising is
locally important and in early June a Strawberry Festival is held.
From the LAVA BEDS, 1.6 m, flow a number of the finest springs in the
valley.
The northern boundary of the MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL
FOREST is crossed at 23 m. The forest encloses Mount Hood and
extends across the Cascade Range. The road climbs rapidly through
heavy timber.
The junction (3,415 alt.) with the Cooper Spur Road is at 23.8 m.
Right on this road to a LOOKOUT POINT, 7.1 m. (4,995 alt.), affording
a superb view of the Hood River Valley orchards, groves, meadows and the
surrounding mountains.
At 9 m. is the junction with a gravel road; L. here 1.5 TO. to TILLY JANE
FOREST CAMP (5,600 alt) (picnicking facilities; guide service obtainable
usually in July). Just acress the canyon is the base camp of the American Legion,
which annually sponsors a climb to the summit of Mount Hood (see MOUNT
HOOD RECREATION AREA).
CLOUD CAP INN (5,985 alt.), is at 10.5 m. (see MOUNT HOOD REC-
REATION AREA),
South of Cooper Spur Road State 35 dips into the canyon of the
East Fork of Hood River where it crosses and recrosses the stream.
SHERWOOD FOREST CAMP, 28.1 m. (3,100 alt), is main-
tained by the U. S. Forest Service.
HORSE THIEF MEADOWS (R), 31.5 m. (3,400 alt), was so
named because a band of outlaws once had a hide-out here. In 1884 a
man named Phillips appeared in Hood River Valley and engaged Dave
Cooper, for whom Cooper Spur was named, to assist him in a search
for the cabin of the men who, he said, four years before had taken
$25,000 in gold from a stage coach near Walla Walla, Washington,
He believed that the gold had been cached near the cabin. Althougt
30O OREGON
the cabin was found deserted no gold was discovered so far as is
known.
The ROBIN HOOD FOREST CAMP (3,560 alt.), is at 32.1 m.
{information at nearby Double Three Forest Service Station).
At 35.9 m. is MEADOWS CREEK (summer home sites here rented
by government at reasonable annual rates).
HOOD RIVER MEADOWS FOREST CAMP, 36.1 m. (4,480
alt.), is a large open space covered with coarse grass and mountain
flowers. It affords a close-up view of Mount Hood. The lupine, which
blooms at lower levels in June and July, is in flower here in late August.
SAHALE FALLS, 36.5 m. (4,575 alt), is an ethereal cascade (R)
of the East Fork of Hood River. There is a fountain (L) at the road-
side. The road now swerves in long loops to cross the divide.
From BENNETT PASS, 37.3 m. (4,670 alt.), is an impressive
view of MountHood. Its scarred, bleak walls here seem to bar fuither
progress.
The road descends to WHITE RIVER, 39.5 m., a tributary of
the Deschutes noted for summer floods caused by the melting of White
River Glacier on the southeastern slope of Mount Hood. The bridge
(4,280 alt.) is dangerous when the river is a torrent.
BARLOW PASS, 41.9 m. (4,158 alt.), was used by the first wagon
train and the first road into the Willamette Valley. It was developed to
enable emigrants to avoid the hazardous raft trip down the Columbia
River. The pass is named for its discoverer, Samuel Kimsbrough Barlow,
a pioneer of 1845 (see TO UR 4^).
A cross at 43.9 m. is dedicated to a woman member of the 1845
emigrant train who died at this point. Her husband made a coffin from
a wagon box and buried her here.
At 44.8 m. (3,648 alt.), is a junction with State 50 (see TOUR
at a point three miles east of Government Camp.
Tour 2
Vancouver, Wash. Portland Salem Albany Junction City Eu-
gene Roseburg Grants Pass Medford Ashland (Weed, Calif,);
345.3m. US 9 9, US99E.
Paved road, sometimes temporarily blocked in the Siskiyou Mtns., by ice or snow.
Southern Pacific Railroad parallels route between Portland and California line;
Portland Electric Power Company Interurban, between Portland and Oregon City.
Excellent hotels; improved tourist camps at reasonable rates*
TOUR 2 3OI
US 99 traverses Oregon, north to south, through its most densely
populated area. It threads the streets of Portland, passes through subur-
ban towns and hamlets, bisects the beautiful Willamette Valley, climbs
a range of canyon-gashed mountains, and descends into the Umpqua.
Farther south it scales another mountain and dips into the Rogue River
Valley before crossing the lofty Siskiyous.
This was the first paved road of any considerable length in Oregon,
and it still carries a heavy traffic; because of the great number of trucks
and busses on it it is less of a pleasure route than US 101, Along its
general course the early Concord stages, with their six-horse teams,
careened over corduroy roads on the six-day run between Portland and
Sacramento. In the narrow defile of Canyon Creek, south of Roseburg,
and on the slopes of the Siskiyous the old road is visible from the high-
way. First pushed southward from Portland to Salem in 1857, and to
Eugene in 1859, the line gave through coach service by 1861. In 1872
the railroad from the north reached Roseburg, but for several years
thereafter stages continued to cover the gap across the Umpqua and
Siskiyous into the upper Sacramento Valley.
Section a. Vancouver, Wa$h* f to Junction City; 114.3 m. US 99^
The south city limits of VANCOUVER, m. (115 alt, 15,786 pop.),
coincides with the Oregon- Washington state line. On the north bank
of the Columbia River, and linked with Portland by the Interstate
bridge, Vancouver (see WASHINGTON STATE GUIDE) was one
of the first permanent settlements made by white men in the Pacific
Northwest. The present city, reflecting both modern and early archi-
tectural influences, is the shipping and marketing center for a diversified
farming and lumbering area. In the city is located one of the largest
grain elevators in the Pacific Northwest.
Although Captain George Vancouver's lieutenant, William Brough-
ton, touched the site of the present city in 1792, the settlement was not
founded until 1824, when John McLoughlm removed the Hudson's
Bay Company's Pacific Northwest headquarters to Belle Vue Point
from Fort George. Within two years McLoughlin and his employes
had constructed a stockade of fir posts, 40 log buildings and a powder
magazine made of stone, cleared a considerable area, established a saw-
mill, a forge, and were grazing 700 head of cattle on the adjacent lands.
As Chief Factor of the company, McLoughlin had extraordinary pow-
ers, governing a vast territory, and extending the scope of the Hudson's
Bay Company's influence to Alaska, Hawaii and California. While he
fought encroachment upon the territory north of the river, it is evident
that he believed the United States would eventually acquire the lands
south of the water-course through settlement of the territorial dispute
then raging between this nation and Great Britain.
Great Britain's hegemony in the Oregon country was ended by the
treaty of 1846, the United States acquiring what is now Washington,
in addition to Oregon, and McLoughlin's feudal domain slipped from
3O2 OREGON
his grasp. The factor removed to Oregon City, but Fort Vancouver
continued to be an important settlement. Without the presence of Mc-
Loughlm's armed retainers, who had exerted control over uniuly In-
dians, American settlers were in greater peril, but the government estab-
lished a military post in 1848, and settlement continued under the pro-
tection of Federal troops. From Fort Vancouver military expeditions
set forth to subdue hostile tribes throughout the two territories. Young
Phil Sheridan and Ulysses S. Grant were stationed here for short
periods. Grant, in his Memoirs, tells of his efforts to add to his scant
army pay by raising potatoes upon lands adjacent to the foit. The
vegetables sold at that time at the fabulous price of $45 per hundred
pounds. Grant described the incident: "Luckily for us, the Columbia
River rose to a great height from the melting of the snow in the moun-
tains in June, and overflowed and killed most of our crop. This saved
digging it up, for everybody on the Pacific Coast seemed to have come
to the conclusion at the same time that agriculture would be profitable.
In 1853 moie than thiee-quarters of the potatoes raised weie peimitted
to rot in the ground or were thrown away . . ."
With the establishment of the military post, a townsite was platted,
and named Vancouver City, by Henry Williamson, who had ainved
fiom Indiana in 1845. The town thrived, there being 95 houses in the
newly organized Claik County, according to a census taken in 1850. An
acrimonious dispute over land holdings arose between the Hudson's Bay
Company (which still functioned as a commercial enterprise), mission-
aries, the War Department, and private citizens. When all disputes
and suits were settled the claims of the War Department and immigiant
Amos Short were upheld by the couits.
Fort Vancouver had a strong influence upon the cultural life of early
Oregon, The first theatrical performance ever held in this region was
on the British gunboat, Modeste, while mooied at Vancouver in Feb-
ruary, 1846. Such fashion as the country boasted was displayed at the
fort, under British occupancy, and later, at parties given by American
officers. In the fifties, residents of Oregon City and the struggling village
of Portland were ferried across the river to participate in gay affairs
at the home of Richard Covmgton, who seems to have been the social
arbiter of the town, or m the quarters of Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin
de Bonneville. Settlers and officers amused themselves with amateur
theatricals and dances. In 1867 a company of actors on tour piescntcd
the melodrama Robert Macalre and the comedy Tootles, Social activi-
ties reached their acme when tickets to a St, Patiick's Day ball and
supper at the Alta House were sold for $5 each,
VANCOUVER BARRACKS, bounded by 5th Street (Evergreen
Highway), Fourth Plain Avenue, and East and West Reserve Streets,
has 300 buildings. Among the oldest of these is NUMBER TWO
BARRACKS, in Officers' Row. The log walls of the crude original
building have been sheathed with boards, but the harsh outline of the
structure remains unchanged since the days when Sheridan, Grant, and
others who won fame in the Civil War were quartered at the fort.
TOUR 2 303
There are few modern buildings on the reservation, with the exception
of several two-apartment houses, made of brick, in colonial design, which
were constructed recently for the use of married non-commissioned
officers.
The COVINGTON HOUSE (open 11-4, 2nd and 4th Tues. each
month), at southwest corner 39th and Main Streets, built about 1845,
is a reconstiuction of what is believed to have been the oldest private
dwelling in the state. Its architecture is similar to that of Hudson's Bay
Company buildings, a sloping roof surmounting hewn logs and weath-
eied clapboard sidings. Here Richard Covington entertained officers,
Hudson's Bay officials, and such few women as were on the frontier
during the middle century.
PEARSON ARMY AIRPORT, 5th and E. Reserve Sts., with its
hangars, shops, and administration buildings, was the terminus of the
first Soviet flight across the North Pole, The three Russian aviators
who took off from Moscow on June 18, 1937, grounded their plane at
the field after a 63-hour dash over unmapped arctic wastes, fog forcing
the birdmen down short of San Francisco, their destination. The Soviet
flyers were greeted upon their ai rival by Brigadier General George
Mai shall, since appointed chief of staff of the United States Army. The
then Soviet Ambassador Troyanovsky came to Portland and accom-
panied the flyers to San Francisco after they had been entertained in
Portland by civic leaders and officials of city, county and state govern-
ment.
The PIONEER MOTHER in Esther Short Park, 8th St., between
Columbia and Esther Sts., a heroic size bronze statue, depicts an immi-
grant woman clutching a rifle. Three small children cling to the pioneer
woman's skirt. The park in which the statue stands commemorates
Esther Short, who with her husband, Amos, were among the first United
States citizens to arrive in the city of Foit Vancouver, having been
preceded by but one man, Henry Williamson of Indiana. Esther Shoit
bore a child during the long overland journey and she and her husband
were refused aid by the British authorities when they arrived destitute
at the fort. A remarkable woman, Mrs. Short is said to have knocked
down a Hudson's Bay Company employe who attempted to drive the
family away from Vancouver.
The FIRST APPLE TREK, E. yth and T Sts., was planted in
1826 by Chief Factor McLoughlin, who it is said nurtured seeds
brought from London by one Captain Acmilius Simpson.
US 99 crosses the Columbia River, the Washington State Line, on
the INTERSTATE BRIDGE (free), opened in 1917. The total
length of the structure, rising in the center 175 .feet above low water,
is 3,531 feet The bridge commands a superb view of the great river
which has played so important a part in the settlement and development
of Oregon. The bateaux of the French-Canadian voyageurs, laden with
bales of furs, shot its rapids and paddled its smooth waters, and the
rafts of the home-seekers ventured its hazardous gorge (see TOUR la)*
Long before the whites arrived the river had been closely interwoven
3O4 OREGON
with the life of the Indian race. Pictographs and petroglyphs carved on
the basaltic walls of the Cascade Gorge record the older cultuie.
Discovered and first entered by the Yankee skipper, Robert Gray, in
the Columbia, on May u, 1792 (we HISTORY), and explored in
that year by the English Lieutenant, Bioughton, the river was soon vis-
ited by ships of many nations. After 1811, when Astoi's fur tiadeis
established Astoria (see ASTORIA), the uver was the scene of heavy
traffic as traders bi ought furs down it to Vancouver, and Bntish ships
loaded them for distribution ail over the world.
At the southern end of the bridge, US 99 crosses Hayden Island
upon which is JANTZEN BEACH (R), a commeicial amusement paik
(open early May to mid-Sept.; adm. joe).
PORTLAND, 7.5 m. (30 alt, 301,815 pop.) (see PORTLAND).
Points of Interest Skidmoie Fountain, Chinese Drug Store, U.S S. Oregon t
Oregon Historical Society Museum, Portland Museum of Art, Multnomah Public
Library, Sunken Gardens, and others.
In Portland are junctions with US 30 (sec TOUR l ), US 99\V (see
TOUR 10), State 8 (see TOUR 8), and State 50 (see TOUR 4^),
At 8.6 m* US 99E passes under the eastein appioach to Ross Island
bridge, canying State 50.
Right acioss Ross Island bridge into SW. Kelly Ave.; L. on SW* Gibbs to
SW. Macadam Ave., an alternate route to Oregon City along the west bank of
the Willamette River.
SW* Macadam Road follows the river bank past the west end of the SELL-
WOOD BRIDGE, 3.3 m., the southernmost of Portland's eight Willamette River
bridges. RIVERVIEW CEMETERY (R), 3.4 ., is a beautiful memorial park.
Just south ot the Sellwood bridge, and extending for moie than a mile is
POWERS PARK, a nanow strip between the highway and the river. Through
a fringe of firs are views of the river, of squatty house-boats along the far
shore, and of the sleek, green turf of WAVERLY GOLF COURSE.
OSWEGO, 5.8 m. (98 alt., 1,285 pop.) is a suburban town by Oswego Lake,
a long, narrow body of water, with wooded shores holding country estates and
country clubs. Through the hills and along the lake front are miles of bridle
trails constructed for the MULTNOMAH HUNT CLUB, which is near the
western end of the lake.
Left from the eastern end of the lake 0.2 w. to the ruins of the old Willamette
Iron Company BLAST FURNACE. A chimney 20 feet high is the only trace
of a plant that reduced ore mined in the hills behind (XsweKo.
WEST LINN, 11.3 m> (1,966 pop.), took its name from Linn City, an am*
bitious waterfront settlement on the Willamette River, on the site where a large
power plant and paper mills now stand. Linn City was established as Rohin'8
Nest by Robert Moore, an immigiant of 1840, who was a leader in establishing
the provisional government. In 1844 ^ e began to operate a ferry between Oregon
City and Robin's Nest. In time the community was named Linn City, to honor
U, S, Senator Linn of Missouri, an ardent advocate for the seizure of Oregon.
The town was washed away by the great flood of *86x and never rebuilt.
From West Linn the highway crosses the Willamette River, Upstream (R)
are the Willamette Falls and the paper mil!s. At the eastern end of the bridge
is OREGON CITY", 12.2 m. (set OREGON CITY), at a junction with 9$
(see below),
Just south of Ross Island bridge the route veers into Mclaughlin
Boulevard. Ross Island is (R) covered by a dense growth of cotton-
TOUR 2 305
woods and willows. Beyond the river rise the smokestacks of the South
Portland factories and above them, the dwellings of Terwilliger Heights
under the shadow of Council Ciest (see PORTLAND).
The JOHNSON CREEK MEMORIAL BRIDGE, 12.8 m., is
just above the site of the sawmill constiucted in 1847 by the Reverend
William Johnson. This mill supplied lumber for many years for homes
in Milwaukee and Portland. The cieek is a unit of an extensive flood
control project of the WPA.
MILWAUKIE, 12.9 m. (96 alt., 1,767 pop.), is a quiet suburban
town spread over low hills. Founded in 1848 by Lot Whitcomb (1806-
1857), it soon became the rival of Portland and other river towns for
the commercial supremacy of the Oiegon country. Here, on the banks
of the Willamette, Whitcomb and his associates constructed the Lot
Whit comb, in its day the finest steamboat plying the river. Milwaukie
failed to become the important commercial port that its founder had
hoped.
The LUELLING HOUSE (L), close to the street and shaded by
a huge weeping willow, is at the coiner of Jackson St. The simplicity
of the two-story structure, with its low wing and small balustraded
entrance portico, is hidden by vines and shiubs. In 1847 Henderson
Luelling (1809-1878) brought his traveling nursery of 700 fruit trees
across the plains from Iowa, and established Oregon's fiist nursery
in Milwaukie. He planted the first Royal Anne cherry tree in the state
and in the i86o's originated the Black Republican and Bmg cherries.
The Royal Anne is canned and shipped from the valley in large quanti-
ties as a fruit and is also used to make the decorative maraschino cher-
ries. The Black Republican was so named for political groups of the
day, and the Bing for Luellmg's Manchurian gardener.
JENNINGS LODGE, 16.9 ra., a suburban community, was named
for Berryman Jennings, a pioneer of 1847 and receiver for the Oregon
City Land Office under Piesident Buchanan. It is the home of W. L.
Finley, the naturalist. The STARKER GARDENS here display many
rare Oriental plants and ship many species of rock plants. Here grow
nearly 75 kinds of heather.
At 18 m. is the street (L) to the city center of GLADSTONE
(1,384 pop.). The town lies along the north bank of the Clackamas
River, the river-front drive curving gracefully with the bank of the
stream. Because of the nearness of Oregon City and Portland, the busi-
ness district is small, but a preponderance of residences line tree-shaded
streets. At the eastern edge of town is the old CHAUTAUQUA
PARK, for long the center of popular lyceums in Oregon.
The JOHN McLOUGHLIN BRIDGE, 18.3 m., spanning the
Clackamas River, is a memorial to the "father of Oregon" (see HIS-
TOKY). That the Cbckamas River is an excellent fishing stream was
attested by Rudyard Kipling, who wrote in his American Notes. "I
have lived 1 The American Continent may now sink under the sea, for
I have taken the best that it yields, and the best was neither dollars,
love, nor red estate." With an eight-ounce rod he had spent 37 minutes
3O6 OREGON
landing a twelve-pound fighting salmon, "That hour," he wrote, "I sat
among crowned heads greater than all. , . . How shall I tell the glories
of that day."
OREGON CITY, 19.7 m. (102 alt, 5,761 pop.) (see OREGON
CITY).
Points of Interest' McLoughlin Mansion, Edwin Markham Birthplace, Crown-
Willamette Paper Mills, Hawley Pulp and Paper Mill, and others.
At Oregon City is a junction with State 215 (see TOUR 2 A).
NEW ERA, 24.9 m. (102 alt., 4.8 pop.), consisting of two or three
buildings, one of which is an abandoned grist mill on Parrot Creek, is
the scene of the annual summer camp-meetings of the Spiritualist So-
ciety of the Pacific Northwest. The commodious and pleasant camp
grounds lie a short distance up the creek. The community was founded
by Joseph Parrott, who named it for a visionary publication of the day.
CANBY, 29.1 m. (154 alt,, 744 pop.), is a trade center in a bulb
and flax growing region consisting of some of the most feitile land ot
the valley. In the spring and early summer, brilliant fields of daffodils
and tulips border the highway. In the vicinity is grown a great deal of
fiber flax which is prepared for market by a scutching and retting plant
here. Canby was named for Gen. E. R. S. Canby, commander of the
Department of the Columbia, who was slain at the peace council in the
Lava Beds during the Modoc uprising of 1873 ( see TOUR 4b f also
HISTORY).
BARLOW, 30 m. (101 alt, 40 pop.), once a trading center for a
rich agricultural region was named for Samuel K. Barlow, who took
up a donation land claim here. He was the explorer and builder of the
Barlow Trail (see TOUR i), historic pioneer road across the Cas-
cade Mountains. His grave is in a local cemetery.
The old BARLOW HOUSE (L), a hundred yards from the high-
way at the end of a long avenue of black walnut trees that were set
out by William Barlow, son of Samuel K. Barlow, in the sixties. Wil-
liam Barlow sent East for a bushel of black walnuts ; the transportation
charges amounted to $65. However, Barlow sold the young trees that
he grew from the nuts at a profit of almost $500, The avenue of trees
is from this shipment.
PUDDING RIVER, crossed at 31.8 m., was named by Joseph
Gervais (see TOUR 2#), and Etienne Lucier, Hudson's Bay Company
trappers, after they had enjoyed a sumptuous repast of elk-blood pudding
at its confluence with the Willamette.
AURORA, 32.1 m. (120 alt., 215 pop.), was settled about the
middle of the nineteenth century by a colony of old-country Germans
and "Pennsylvania Dutch," united under the precepts of their teacher
and leader, Dr. William Keil (1812-1877). "Every man and woman
must be a brother or sister to every other man and woman in our family
under the fatherhood of God," said Dr. KeiL "No man owns anything
individually but every man owns everything as a full partner and with
an equal voice in its use and its increase and the profits accruing from it.
TOUR 2 3O7
But in no other way do we differ from our neighbors. As a community
we are one family. 'From every man according to his capacity, to every
man according to his needs' is the rule that runs through our law of
love. As between ourselves we are many with one purpose. In contact
with outsiders we are one dealing with many, but with justice and hon-
esty and neighborliness, withholding no solicitude or needed act of char-
ity or^ mercy, and giving it without money and without price where
there is any call for it, to the limit of our ability in money or food or
clothing or service in sickness or in health."
For a dozen years Dr. Keil and his followers had been at Bethel,
Missouri, where, on six thousand acres in Shelby County, they had de-
veloped a prosperous community of homes, mills, and shops, supporting
several hundred families. This satisfied them for a long time but, in
order to develop a fuller community life, Dr. Keil determined to seek a
new location in the Oiegon country.
The new community in Oregon was named Aurora Mills, in honor
of Dr. Keil's favorite daughter. The first houses weie of logs but it was
not long before these were either weatherboarded or replaced by frame
structures. The favorite dwelling was a two or three-story building with
a large brick chimney at either end. Huge fireplaces provided warmth
and cooking facilities. The first to rise was "the big house," the home
of Dr. Keil, a large, three-story building with a two-deck porch across
the east front. A store, bachelor-hall, and a church, were erected, and
family homes began to appear here and there over the countryside. Many
of these buildings are still standing: the WILL, the KRAUS, the KEIL
HOUSES, and the GEISEY STORE in Aurora, and numerous farm
homes in the surrounding country, some of them remarkably well pre-
served. Numbers of these old homesteads are still occupied by descend-
ants of old colony families.
One of the earliest buildings to rise in Aurora was its famed hotel.
Here meals were served to the general public and to stage passengers
before the coming of the railroad and to tram passengers afterwards.
Epicures have waxed eloquent in praise of the delectable viands served
at Aurora. "Aurora fried potatoes surpass all other fried potatoes.
Aurora home-baked bread is without peer in the broad land, Aurora
pig sausage has a secret, if captured, that would make a fortune for an
enterprising packer." So declared one, while another glowed with
memories of the old days: "And they liked to eat good meals; indeed
they did, Aurora cooking was famous all over Oregon. . . . Why did
trains stop for meals at Aurora when the Portland terminal was only
twenty-nine miles away? Because the trainmen wanted the better meals
they could get at Aurora better meats, better vegetables, better pies
and puddings. "
The original village of Aurora was not located as at present. The
old colony community was situated largely on the west bank of Mill
Creek a little above its junction with the Pudding River, and across the
creek from the modern town. Here the first farms and garden plots
were cleared and the first houses built beside the old stage road. Near
308 OREGON
the road are several ancient, dilapidated, and curious appearing struc-
tures, and a few rows of old and gnarled fruit trees, reminiscent of the
time when Aurora was one of the principal fruit-gi owing ^ sections of
the Northwest. Henry Theophilus Finck, noted music critic and boy-
hood resident of Aurora, dwells enthusiastically on the quality of Oregon
apples: "By rare good luck, my father was able to buy a house with a
fine apple orchard on the hill only a half mile from the village. It was
one of the very first and best of the many commeicial orchards for which
Oregon soon became famous. I find from my diary that we hai vested
up to 2,000 bushels in one year. ..."
Just behind the Keil house, at the edge of a little ravine, is the family
cemetery of the Keils, in what was formeily Keil Paik, the graves
marked by simple stones inscribed in German. At the biow of the lull,
near where the public school is now, was the old community park, known
throughout the lower Willamette region for its picnics and gala gather-
ings. Many of the moss-hung maples which lent welcome shade to
stranger and colonist alike, are still standing, while an old gooseberry
hedge is almost lost in the dense undergrowth.
From its first plantation the colony prospeied, due largely to strict
economy of living and unflagging industry. Thousands of acies were
brought under cultivation, vineyards were planted, and orchauls weie
set out. One who visited the colony remaiked; "All this valley was like
a province in Germany. Farming was carried on in the thrifty Gemian
way, and everywhere was heard the German tongue.' 7
During the winter when there was little farm activity the people
worked in the mills and shops. The Aurora commune produced some
very fine articles of furniture, clothes, basketry, chests, and implements.
Today the spool-beds, chests, chairs, tables, and other articles manu-
factured there are sought eagerly by collectois and discriminating house-
holders, who prize highly these simple and artistic pieces of the Geimnn
craftsmen.
Social life in the community was somewhat restricted. Chinch services,
band and orchestra concerts, "butcher frolics," and the various festivals,
provided relaxation. Tables were spread with the sumptuous products
of the German kitchen and cellar, and everybody was welcome to share
in the feast without cost, the stranger as well as the members of the
commune. The band played during the feasting. The evening was spent
in dancing. "At Christmas time the church was decorated with two huge
Christmas trees. The celebration, which was rather unique, took place
at the early hour of four on Christmas Day* For this occasion, also,
hosts of strangers arrived. The program consisted of a talk by the
preacher, congregational singing, and music by the band. Then huge
baskets of cakes, apples, and quantities of candy were distributed. Col-
onists and strangers shared these absolutely alike. The trees weie allowed
to remain standing until New Year's Day, and then the gifts were dis-
tributed among the children of the colony/'
School at Aurora was kept open the year round but little was taught
except reading, writing, and arithmetic. Professional training was en-
TOUR 2 3O9
couraged, but for a classical education there was little place. Music
was the one cultural subject permitted and encouraged by Dr. Keil,
and Aurora became the musical center of the State. The Aurora band
was m demand for fairs, picnics, and political meetings. In April, 1869,
Ben Holladay paid the commune $500 for the services of the band on
the voyage of the Portland party to Puget Sound. Harvey Scott called
it "the best musical organization of its time."
The Aurora experiment endured about 25 years, then reaction against
the autociatic rule of Dr. Keil began to manifest itself. As Jacob
Miller remarked: "Such an enterprise can succeed m but one of two
ways: either thiough a natural-born leader, who is deeply impressed that
he is serving God, or else by a military power." As long as Dr. Keil
was able to make his people accept him as the former, they obeyed him
as if he were a father. In time the spell he held over the older folk
began to weaken and younger generations came on, with different ideals
and different purposes. Necessarily there was a reorganization and final
abandonment of the theory of "equal service, equal obligations, and
equal reward." However, the complete disintegration was delayed until
the death of Dr. Keil m 1877. Upon that event, no one being willing
or able to assume the leadership thus left vacant, the property was
divided among the members, each according to his original contribution
and length of service in the colony.
With the division of propeity accomplished, the Aurora colony ceased
to function as a communal organization. Thenceforward the members
faced the woild as individuals. After more than half a century few of the
old colony people remain, but many of their descendants still maintain
farms round about and a few of the business enterprises of Aurora per-
petuate colony names. However, as the years pass and the old houses
aie torn down, Aurora more and more loses its unique old-world ap-
pearance, and gradually assumes the undistinguished air of an Oregon
country village of the twentieth century.
South of Aurora are numerous hop fields or "yards." A hop field is
easily recognizable because of its spider-web of wire, strung on posts
10 to 12 feet high, to support the vines which form a canopy of green
over wcedless earth. The luxurious vines foim impenetrable walls from
one end of the field to the other, with the laterals about 10 feet apart.
Many of the hop faims have vines that are 30 years old. In the early
fall, when the hops are ready for the harvest, the trellis of vines is
loweied to the earth, and armies of men, women, and children gather
the blooms. Between 25,000 and 30,000 pickers are required to harvest
the crop, and at picking time, a tent city springs up about every hop
field of any size. Hop festivals, similar to the European harvest festivals
are often held.
HUBBARD (R) 36.5 m. (210 alt., 330 pop.) (R), is a trading
center in an area growing and canning strawberries, raspberries, logan-
berries, youngberries and blackberries. The high school (R) stands on
the approximate site of Charles Hubbard's cabin, built in 1849* Hub-
310 OREGON
bard gave land for a townsite when the Southern Pacific Railway was
built.
At 38.4 m. is the 2?3-acre OREGON STATE TRAINING
SCHOOL (L), whose inmates tend highly developed tracts producing
small fruits and diversified farm products. Four hours are spent in
school each day and four hours in work. In addition to agncultuiai
training, the school provides training in various tiades. The institu-
tion, established in 1891, cares for delinquent boys between 10 and 18
years of age.
WOODBURN, 40 m. (183 alt., 1,675 pop.), in a berry-iaismg
distiict has a large canneiy (L). Bulb cultuie is also earned on in the
environs and in spring the fields of bright flowers make the countiyside
a huge garden.
At 42.9 m. facing the highway (L) is the SAMUEL BROWN
HOUSE, built in the early i85o's by a man who had made a small
fortune mining gold in California. For many years it was a station on
the Oregon-California stage line. This house, constiucted as a long,
low story-and-a-half salt-box, and still exhibiting the New England
characteristics, has been remodeled by the addition of a second floor over
the central third with a gabled roof that has been extended forward
to form the pediment of a two-story porch. The second floor has a lat-
ticed balustrade. It is now occupied by Sam H. Brown, grandson of
the builder.
At 43.3 m. is a junction with Champoeg State Park road (see TOUR
2B).
The land of the LAKE LABISH district, 51.3 m. f has been acquired
by Japanese gardeners who raise much celeiy and market it through
cooperative organizations. The soil is beaverdam, rich and mellow, the
bottoms of lakes formed in pre-settlement days by dams constructed by
beavers.
At 51.6 m. is a junction with a graveled road*
Right here to CHEMAWA INDIAN SCHOOL, 1*3 m.> with 450 students
from various northwestern states. The school operates a large farm and has
dormitories, school-rooms, and shops representing an investment of more than
$1,000,000.
SALEM, 57*5 m. (191 alt., 26,266 pop.) (see SALEM).
Points of Interest: State Capitol; Willamette University; Jason Lee House;
Miles Linen Mill; State Penitentiary; Sequoia Park, and others
South of Salem the highway winds through low rolling hills, where
cultivation exposes the typiral red shot soil in marked contrast with the
green of pear, cherry, and prune orchards which cover the slopes,
LOONEY BUTTE (R), 72.7 m, (630 alt.), was named for Jesse
Looney, an early settler. The hills gradually diminish in height as the
road nears the valley of the SANTIAM RIVER, named for a tribe
of Calapooyan Indians.
JEFFERSON, 74*3 m. (241 alt, 391 pop)> is on the north bank of
the Santiam River. Once it was the head of navigation on the Santiam,
TOUR 2 311
though travel on any part of the river was difficult except during high
water. Jeff ei son was formerly the seat of a pioneer school known as
Jefferson Institute. The Scottish botanist, David Douglas, discovered
many interesting plants in this vicinity, among them the native tobacco.
On November 15, 1826, he swam the cold, swollen stream and thought
nothing of danger, though mourning because his precious collection of
plants had become soaked in the crossing.
Left from Jeff ei son on a graveled road, to MARION, 1.5 m. (315 pop.},
where on the outskirts is the VIVA LA FRANCE MONUMENT honoring a
Jersey that at one time held three woild championships for milk and butter- fat
production.
The JACOB CONSER MEMORIAL BRIDGE, crossed at the
southern edge of Jefferson, was named for a pioneer of 1848.
Right from the southern end of the bridge on an unimproved road to a ne-
glected cemetery, marking the SITE OF SYRACUSE, 1 m. t founded in 1848
by Milton Hale. In the autumn of 1845 Hale staked his claim on the south side
of the river. Returning with his family, in the spring of 1846, he found the
river impassable, ^and with an ax, an adze, and an augur, he constructed a ferry-
boat to convey his possessions across. Other travelers arriving before the barge
was completed waited to use it in ciossing. Thus encouraged, Hale continued to
operate the ferry for many years. Nearly all of the emigrant travel to the upper
valley on the east side of the Willamette passed this point. The town of Syracuse,
on the south side of the river, soon had a rival on the north in Santiam City,
which became an important trading point. Both towns prospered for some years,
then disappeared, until no trace of them except the cemetery remains.
At 81.4 m. is the ALBANY CIVIC AIRPORT, used frequently
for United States Army transport air maneuvers.
ALBANY, 83.1 m. (214 alt., 5,325 pop.), seat of Linn County, is
on the curving east bank of the Willamette River at its junction with
the Calapooya. The level plain that stretches eastward from the river
to the foothills of the Cascade Range affords no point of vantage for a
view of the city* However, owing to this flatness of terrain, the streets
and squares exhibit a regularity unusual among Oregon towns. Though
industrially and commercially progressive, Albany has a quiet and restful
conservatism apparent in its architecture as well as social life. Broad
well-shaded streets pass substantial houses and business blocks built
several decades ago. The city is a trading center for farmers of Lmn,
Benton, and Polk counties, ships wool, grain, rye-grass and vetch seed,
and cascara bark, a medicinal product collected from the nearby upland
forests; it has a chair and box factory, a meat-packing plant, a tannery,
a saddlery, a foundry and machine shop, several creameries, and a flour-
ing mill.
The city was established in 1848 by Walter and Thomas Monteith,
who named it for their native town in New York. The Calapooyas had
called the district Takenah (deep and placid pool) because of the clear
basin at the junction of the two rivers. Early settlers jeered at the
Indian name, asserting that the word should rightly be translated as
"hole in the ground/' The Indian title is perpetuated in the civic park*
The early history of Albany parallels that of other Oregon towns*
312 OREGON
A period of activity was followed by a temporary stagnation, caused by
the exodus, m 1849, of most able-bodied men to the California gold
fields.
The Oregon Spectator was forced to suspend publication because, as
its editor wrote: "the printer, with 3,000 ofliceis, lawyers,^ physicians,
farmers and mechanics'* was leaving for the gold fields. For a time,
buildings in Albany as elsewhere stood in a state of semi -completion,
farms were abandoned, and business was at a standstill. The letmn of
the gold-seekers however, stimulated expansion and established a new
era of prosperity. Some of the argonauts who left during the early days
of the stampede returned during the winter months ; Joseph Lane wrote
on March 8, 1849, "that of those who had come back from the mines
to winter, most were going back, and that most of those who had not
been were going." Lane estimated that one million dollais in gold dust
had been brought into the Oregon territory by leturmng miners; the
historian, Bancroft, declares that some returned $30,000 to $40,000
richer after a year's absence, and states that "most of those who did not
lose their lives were successful." Such settlers, either shrewd or timid,
who remained in Oregon, reaped enormous profits fiom the sale of food-
stuff and lumber.
Significant events in the history of the town were the building of
a grist mill in 1851, the arrival, in 1852, of the Multnomah, the
first steamboat from down-river, the building of the fiist couithouse
in 1853, the first schoolhouse in 1855, the first church in 1857, the pub-
lication in November 1859, of the Oregon Democrat, the city's fust
newspaper, and the incorporation of the city in 1865.
Early Albany was the scene of many hard-fought political battles and
was noted as the birthplace of the Republican Paity in Oregon. On
August 20, 1856, Free State men held a meeting and adopted a platform
that included the bold declaration: "Resolved, that we fling our banner
to the breeze, inscribed, free speech, free labor, a free pi ess, and Fre-
mont." February 11, 1857, delegates fiom eight counties assembled in
Albany at a territorial convention and selected a committee to ptepaic
an address on the slavery question which placed the issue squarely be-
fore the people for the first time. In the sixties Southern sympathisers
were numerous in the city and made themselves known vocally, and
fistically, if occasion presented. During the stormy period of 1861, a
cannon, mounted on the bank of the Willamette and used during local
celebrations, was stolen and sunk in the river by "Joe Lane Democrats"
to prevent the victorious "Cayuse Republicans" from firing it as a
triumphal gesture. The old howitzer lay in the river for almost 70
years, when it was dredged from the bottom and placed on exhibition
by a local sand and gravel company.
In 1870 the Oregon and California Railroad (now the Southern
Pacific) reached Albany, and a few years later the Corvallis and Eastern
connected the city with tidewater at Yaquina City and stretched east-
ward toward the summit of the Cascades. Later short spurs were ex-
tended into the rich surrounding areas, and products of farm and forest
TOUR 2 313
poured mto the city where processing plants were built to receive them.
Writers who have been identified with Albany are Sam L. Simpson,
author of many poems collected after his death mto the volume, Gold
Gated West, Charles Alexander, author of Fang in the Forest, Bobbie,
a Great Collie, and winner in 1922 of the O. Henry memorial prize
with his story, As a Dog Should, and Fred Pike Nutting, who conducted
the oldest newspaper column in Oiegon under the name of "Misfits" in
the Albany Democrat-Herald.
The MONTEITH HOUSE (private), 518 W. 2nd St., is the first
house erected in Albany. Although remodeled about 1918 it retains the
original architectural lines. The first unit of the structure was built as
Ail n m l84 " 8 by Walter and Thomas Monteith, founders of
Albany. It stood facing Washington Street at Second, and the dividing
line of the two claims ran through the house so that the brothers could
occupy the cabin in common but each could live on his own claim. The
cabin, enlarged in 1849 and finished in 1850, became the civic and social
center of the new settlement, sheltering the first religious service in
Albany, and serving as the first store.
TAKENAH PARK, 4 th at Ellsworth St., is named for the old
Indian designation of the district at the mouth of the Calapooya River,
The Weatherfoid Tablet in the park commemorated J. K. Weather-
ford (1850-1935), who for fifty years was a director of the Albany
schools. The marker stands beneath a young Douglas fir tree, planted
by Mr. Weatherford, which, during the Christmas season, is illuminated
with colored lights. Another memorial tablet in the paik marks the
old Oregon-California Wagon Road, over which the great trek to the
gold fields took place.
OLD STEAMBOAT INN (private), Water St. near Ellsworth
St, E. of the southern approach to the Ellsworth St. Bridge, was built
in the early fifties. Standing on the brink of the Willamette River near
the old boat landing it was an impoitant stopping place for steamboat
travelers, before the coming of the railroad, and served as a stage station
for the lines up azid down the valley and eastward across the Cascades
into Central Oregon. The house, as originally constmcted, has two
stories with a double-decked porch across the entire front and a large
chimney at each end.
SITE OF FIRST BRIDGE, foot of Calapooya St., marks the point
where the Willamette River was first spanned at Albany. Built in 1892,
the bridge was abandoned in 1925, but the cement piers are still in
use as supports for the steel towers of the Mountain States Power Com-
pany's high voltage lines* Near this spot the early Oregon poet, Sam L,
Simpson, is said to have composed his well-known poem, "Ad Willame-
turn/' better known as "The Beautiful Willamette," published in the
Albany States Rights Democrat April 18, 1868.
BRYANT PARK, on the peninsula between the Willamette and
Calapooya Riveis, known as Bryant Island, is reached by a covered
bridge across the Calapooya at the W. end of 3rd St. Near the entrance
to the park a rough boulder monument bears a bronze plaque inscribed
314 OREGON
to Hubbard ("Hub") Bryant, donor of the land to the city. There are
about 80 acres of natural hardwood forest, a baseball diamond with
bleachers, a children's playground, a municipal swimming pool, and
horseshoe courts. Part of the park is set aside as a camp accommodating
several hundred auto tourists. Takenah, or the "deep placid pool," is in
Bryant Park. A short distance above the pool is a point made memorable
by David Douglas, the botanist, who camped theie m November 1826.
South of Albany the valley widens into prairie-like expanses, with
many scattered groves. Fields are larger and grain farming and seed-
growing dominate. Canadian or field peas, alsike clover, Hungarian,
hairy, and common vetch, and Italian rye grass, a forage crop much in
demand in the East and Southwest, are grown.
TANGENT, 90.2 m. (248 alt., 127 pop.), was named because of
the long straight stretch of Southern Pacific track that passes through
the town.
1. Right from Tangent on a gravel road to the Calapooya River, 2 m t ,
along which is a scattered chain of PREHISTORIC MOUNDS, that extends
from Albany to Brownsville (see TOUR zA). A number of the most important
are near the point where the road crosses the rivci Stone mortars and pestles,
arrow points, shell, stone, and copper beads aie sometimes found, together with
skeletons. The road continues west following a winding course to OATCVILLE,
6 m.j with the first church housing the Willamette Congregation, organized in
1850, the oldest United Presbyterian Church Society still existing in the western
half of America. The building is sheltered by wide-spreading oaks.
2. Left from Tangent on a gravel road to the junction with a dirt road, 8 m.,
L. here 0.5 m. to the DENNY PHEASANT FARM. On this farm, the first
ring-necked, or Chinese pheasants, brought to Oregon were liberated in 1882.
They were sent by a brother of the farm owner who was in the consular service
at Shanghai. Now there are thousands of the magnificent birds in the Willamette
Valley.
South of Tangent the prairie-like expanses aie dotted at inteivals
by dome-like buttes. Formed by volcanic upthrusts, it is believed that
at one time they formed islands in the waters that formerly filled this
valley. Their upper strata abound with marine fossils, and about their
bases are found ancient mammalean remains, including the tusks and
teeth of mammoths and mastodons. In the surrounding foothills petri-
fied wood is frequently exposed by the weathering of crumbling volcanic
tufa (see GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY).
At 92.8 m. the highway crosses the Calapooya River, a small winding
stream named for the Calapooya tribe of Indians that formeily roamed
the valley. Across wide vistas the high Cascade Range is visible (L),
with Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters prominent on the skyline.
At 95.2 m. is a junction with a gravel road.
Left, here to BOSTON, 2 m., where only the THOMPSON FLOURING MILL,
built in 1856 and still in operation, remains to mark the town, that was platted
in 1863. Richard Finley and his associates constructed the mill and laid plans
for a flourishing community. As its trade territory increased, other businesses were
established. People from all parts of the Willamette Valley and as far south as
Yreka, California, came to settle in the village,
Boston was famous for its county fair, which, though primitive when com-
pared with present-day events, was the great annual celebration of the settlers.
TOUR 2 315
Local and community rivalry developed over the horse races and the agricul-
tural exhibits, because the virgin soil produced vegetables of extraordinary size.
Boston flourished until the railroad built in the early iS/o's, missed it by two
miles. After Shedd (see below) was established about a railroad station it quick-
ly won business away from its older neighbor and people drifted away to other
places.
SHEDD, 95.9 m. (263 alt., 125 pop.), was named for Captain
Frank Shedd, on whose donation land claim it grew up after the coming
of the railroad in 1871. Rising prominently from the flat terrain are
(L) Wards Butte (858 alt.) and Saddle Butte (646 alt).
South of Shedd the swales are blue in springtime with the hyacinth-
like blooms of the camas, Indian food-root. The carrot-like white-
flowered Indian Yampah, the carum of the botanists, also abound; the
slender plants spring from crisp, nutlike bulbs that were also relished
as food by the natives.
HALSEY, 101.1 m. (282 alt., 300 pop.), named for William L.
Halsey, vice-president of the Willamette Valley Railroad at the time
of construction, ships gram, wool, and seed crops*
HARRISBURG, 110 m. (309 alt., 575 pop.), is a typical river
town, with old buildings and traditions of the steamboat era. Here, in
1848, was established a primitive ferry merely two boats lashed to-
gether with a platform for carrying one wagon; while the horses or
oxen were forced to swim behind it. Later a scow was built to carry
both wagon and team. The ferry was operated until 1925 when a bridge
was built.
At 113.8 m. is the junction with US 99W (see TOUR 10) ; south-
ward the route is US 99.
JUNCTION CITY, 114.3 m. (324 ait., 922 pop.), was named in
1871 in anticipation of becoming the meeting place of two railroads.
Junction City is a prosperous trading point for people of the adjacent
valleys.
Section b. Junction City to California State Line, 231 772. US 99
South of JUNCTION CITY, m v the highway runs through a
flat section, with deep alluvial soil Orchards of prunes, pears, cherries,
peaches, walnuts, and filberts line the highway, interspersed with plant-
ings of small fruits and commercial gardens. Peppermint growing and
distillation of the oil has proved commercially practicable on the moister
bottom lands.
At 1.9 m. is a junction with US 28 (see TOUR 2JE).
EUGENE, 14.5 m. (423 alt., 18,901 pop.) (see EUGENE).
Points of Interest: University of Oregon, Skinner's Butte, Pioneer Museum,
and others.
South of Eugene for several miles the route closely parallels the
Willamette River (L),
At 17.5 m. is a junction (L) with US 28 (see TOUR 6a). Near
this point, the forks of the Willamette River converge, joined by the
3l6 OREGON
McKenzie River, which flows from the high Cascades. The open valley
continues southward but the encircling hills slowly close in. Faims be-
come smaller and stock raising and lumbering are important.
CORYELL PASS, 18.9 m. f ovei looks a stretch of the Willamette
River.
GOSHEN, 21.1 772. (500 alt., 93 pop.), yet another trade town, was
named by Elijah Bnstow, an early settler who believed the valley to
be the Land of Promise, Goshen is at a junction with State 58 (see
TOUR4Q.
South of Goshen the highway traverses the Goshen Floral Area, so
called because of the fossils of tropical and sub-tropical flora unearthed
from the underlying rocky strata. Many specimens have been found in a
rocky cut at 22.9 m., close to the highway. When the Southern Pacific
Railway, which runs beside the highway at this point, was being con-
structed large numbers of finely preserved leaf casts were obtained,
among them those of the fig, smilax, magnolia, laurel, ebony, oak, chest-
nut, and viburnum (see GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY).
CRESWELL, 26.7 m, (531 alt., 345 pop.), was founded in 1872
by Ben Holladay and named for the Postmaster General at that time.
Creswell Butte (892 alt.) rises just south of the town.
COTTAGE GROVE, 35.6 m. (640 alt., 2,475 pop.), is in the
heart of a lumbering region, though stock raising, dairying, and fruit
culture are also carried on. Here in 1920 lived Opal Whitely, 22 years
old, who caused a furore in the world of letters and of psychology when
the Atlantic Monthly published serially The Story of Opal: The
Journal of an Understanding Heart, purported to have been written by
Opal Whitely when she was five or six years old. In the "diary" she
appeared as a child in a logging camp, a changeling of royal parentage,
whose friends were a fir tree named Michael Angelo Sanzio Raphael ;
a crow named Lars Porsena of Clusium; a most dear wood rat called
Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus; a pet pig named Brave Horatius; and
a shepheid dog, Peter Paul Rubens. Opal disappeared from public notice
after various curious adventures.
The Coast Fork of the Willamette River divides the town into an
eastern and western section. In 1894 the west-siders sent a representative
to Salem who persuaded the legislature to designate the west side as
Cottage Grove and the other as East Cottage Grove. The cast-siders
resented this and incorporated their section of the town under the name
of Lemati, thus leaving Cottage Grove off the railroad. The latter,
however, had the post office and it became the duty of the Cottage Grove
marshal to go to Lemati to meet the mail trains. When he neglected
to remove his badge of office on crossing into alien territory the Lemati
marshal immediately arrested him and clapped him into jail, there to
languish until Cottage Grove paid his fine. After two years a recon-
ciliation was effected, whereby the towns were united and incorporated
under one name.
Left from Cottage Grove on an improved road up Row River to DORENA,
7 ., a nllage m the foothills of the Calapooya Mountains. Row River was so
TOUR 2 317
named because of a "iow" 01 disagreement between two pioneer families living
on its banks.
DISSTON, 19 m. f a small lumber town at the confluence of Lajng and Frank
Bnce Creeks, was named for a well-known brand of saws
BOHEMIA, 30 m., lies almost at the summit of the ridge between the Wil-
lamette and the Urnpqua rivers, the center of the historical Bohemia Mining
District, about 225 square miles of mountainous country heavily timbeied with
old fir, spruce and hemlock. Turbulent mountain streams fighting their way
through gorges, wooded scarps, and jagged peaks, make this a region of great
natural beauty. Deer, elk, cougars, bears and other game are found heie in
abundance.
The district was named foi "Bohemia" Johnson, the man who discovered gold-
bearing quartz in 1863. Johnson, an emigrant from Bohemia, is said to have
killed an Indian and with another man hidden in the mountains to prevent cap-
ture. When later he brought gold out of the mountains great excitement ensued.
But when it was discovered that the "dust" was not found in stream beds but
must be exti acted from the quartz ledges by machinery the excitement soon died
out and, until 1891, only intermittent attempts were made to mine the region.
However, in that year, Dr. W. W. Oglesby located and opened the Champion
and Noonday mills at Music Ledge. The height of activity in the district came
in 1900 after assays had demonstrated the richness of the strike. It is estimated
that up to 1910 the district yielded between five hundred thousand and a million
dollars. When the free milling ledges were exhausted and the cost of working
the lower grade ores became prohibitive the region was gradually abandoned.
From time to time attempts have been made to re-open the district and some
mines are again beginning activity, but all the operations are in low grade ores.
DIVIDE, 40.3 m. (751 alt.), is on the crest of the watershed be-
tween the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys, This inconspicuous pass
was important to the pioneer adventurers, for it was here that they
left the placid valley country and plunged into a region inhabited by
Indians alert for plunder.
At 47.1 m, is the junction (R) with an old Territorial Road, an im-
portant artery of commerce in the early 1850*8, extending across the-
Coast Range to Scottsbing, on the lower waters of the Umpqua, thus
providing the interior with transportation to the ocean.
DRAIN, 53.8 m. (304 alt, 497 pop.), the shipping point for a fruit,
vegetable, and turkey growing area, was named for Charles Drain,
last president of the Oregon Territorial Council. It was the site of one
of Oregon's first normal schools. The old building stands on the hill-
side (L). Drain is at the junction with State 38 (see TOUR aG).
YONCALLA, 59.1 m. (336 alt, 252 pop.), another rural trade
town, was the home of Jesse Applegate, explorer, road builder, and
Indian fighter of southern Oregon, captain of the famous "Cow Col-
umn/* one of the first wagon trains to reach Oregon in 1843. He
adopted the Indian name for the tall hill neiar the town; the hill in
turn was named for a powerful chief of the early days.
Roselle Applegate Putnam, daughter of Jesse Applegate, in a letter
dated January 25, 1852, wrote: "I have only one more question to
answer which is one that really should have been answered long ago,
that is what is Yoncalla now it is not a town nor a place of man's
creation nor of a white man's naming but it is a hill round and high
and beautiful; a splendid representative of hills In general- it is ten
3l8 OREGON
miles in circumference and one and a half in height. The north side of
it is covered with fir timber, oak, hazel and various kinds of under-
wood this thicety forest has been from time immemorial a harbor for
deer, bear, wolves and many other kinds of wild animals. . . .
"The hill is called after a chief who with a numerous tribe once in-
habited these valleys among the few remaining survivors of this tribe
that occasionally came to beg a crust of biead or an old garment that
is getting worse for the wear there are some old ones who remember
the chief, say that he was a great physician and skilled in witchcraft
which is a belief still prevalent among them his men hunted bear and
deer on this hill and caught salmon in the streams around it and the
women dug roots in the valleys and gathered nuts and berries on the
hills they were a numerous and happy nation but now the busy multi-
tudes are low and still the dense foiest whose echoes were then only
wakened by the war song and the wolf's howl are now half demolished
by their enterprising successors the game is frightened away by the
sound of the axe and the crack of the whip the acorns, nuts and roots
are yearly harvested by their hogs so that if these ancient owners were
still living they would be deprived of their means of sustenance.
"At this time theie are four men living around the foot of Yoncalla
who have between four and five hundred of cattle whose chief pas-
turage is on this hill besides fifty head of horses and an unnumbered
stock of hogs ... my father's claim lies at the foot of it he keeps
the post-office and called it after this hill he is very fond of hunting
and this is his hunting ground he has killed two bear and upwards of
forty deer on it since he has been living there."
RICE HILL, 64.6 m. (710 alt), the divide between the valley of
Elk Creek and the Umpqua Valley, before the era of modem roads
was a most difficult one and many an emigrant train was long delayed
before reaching its summit.
The Umpqua Valley is made up of many adjoining valleys, with the
farmlands usually restricted to the level portions closely bordering the
stream. In the sheltered, almost windless Umpqua drainage area fruits
ripen early and may be marketed with unusual profit. Prunes, cherries,
pears, and apples are abundant; small fruits, blackberries, loganberries,
youngbernes, raspberries, and strawberries provide occupation for many,
both m their culture and in their preservation. Broccoli, or winter
cauliflower, is an important commercial crop. Maturing in late winter
or early spring, it is in great demand in more northern and eastern
markets, and is shipped in large quantities. The Umpqua Valley has also
large stands of sugar pine, Douglas and white fir, hemlock, spruce,
and cedar.
A granite monument (L) at 72*1 m. commemorates the Reverend
J. A. Cornwall and family, who built the first immigrant cabin in what
is now Douglas County near this site in 1846. On the trip to the West
the Cornwalls traveled part of the way with the ill-fated Donner
Party, which attempted to take a short cut into California, with fatal
results.
TOUR 2 319
OAKLAND, 73.3 m. (427 alt., 321 pop.), on Calapooya Creek was
named for the groves of Oregon white, or Garry oak that dot the valley,
bearing great clumps of the broad-leaved mistletoe. The first town of
Oakland, three miles north of the present site, was a stopping point for
the old California Stage Company's coaches and the center of four
diverging mail routes leading to the bustling mining region of Jackson-
ville, to Eugene, to Maiysville (Corvallis), and to Scottsburg, on the
lower Umpqua.
The region about Oakland is supported by farming, stock raising,
dairying, fruit growing, and lumbering, but the town's principal reve-
nue comes fiom the shipment of turkeys. In late autumn and early
winter, long lines of trucks loaded with dressed birds draw up at weigh-
ing platforms. Early m December a turkey show is held heie, where local
turkeys, both live and dressed, compete with those brought from many
parts of the United States.
South of Oakland the character of the country shows a marked change
in vegetation. Hills are more rugged, firs are fewer, and mingled with
the oak groves are many red-barked, evergreen madronas.
SUTHERLIN, 76.1 m. (519 alt., 457 pop-), named for a pioneer
family, is the cradle of the great turkey raising business of the North-
west. It was here, in 1851, that Mr. Sutherlin (1824-85) established
the first turkey farm m Oregon. Shortly thereafter he brought fruit trees
from Oiegon City and planted the first orchard in southern Oregon.
Sutherlin's wife, Lucy Richardson, rode Kentucky Belle, a bluegrass
thoroughbred, across the plains ; this horse became the ancestor of many
famous race horses of the Willamette Valley. Sutherlin Valley was first
called Camas Swale, because in the spring the floor of the valley was so
thickly covered with the deep blue blossoms of this plant that it ap-
peaied to be a peaceful blue lake sui rounded by forested hills.
South of Sutheilin, is (L), the OREGON WOODS CAMP, 78m.
(adm. 25^), a roadside museum entered through a high and unusual
crib-work arch of logs, the plans for which, the owner declares, were
conceived in a dream.
At WILBUR, 81,3 m. (464 alt., 146 pop.), the Umpqua, later called
Wilbur Academy, was established in 1854 by the Rev. James H. Wilbur,
(1811-87), a Methodist clergyman; it was closed in 1900. The first
building was a rough log structure with a few rough pine desks. Like
othei Oregon pioneer places of learning, the "Rules" of the academy
prohibited: "Profane, obscene or vulgar language or unchaste yarns or
narratives, or immoral gestures or hints; any degree of tippling any-
where ; any sort of night reveling." The pupils for the academy came
"from southern Oiegon, from about Jacksonville, Leland, Canyonville,
Cow Creek, Ixjoking^lass and from the northerly parts of the county,
from Yoncalla, Elk Creek, Green Valley and the classic precincts of
Duck Egg, Tin Pot and Shoestring."
The NORTH UMPQUA RIVER crossed at 84 m. f was named
for the country through which it flows. Foitned by tributaries in the
Cascade and Calapooya ranges, the North and South Umpqua unite a
32O OREGON
few miles west of this point to form the main stream which cuts through
the Coast Mountains, the lower reaches forming a wide estuary. The
river affords excellent fishing for trout in the upper reaches and great
silver salmon and fighting steelheads in the middle and lower channels.
WINCHESTER POOL, at the crossing of the river, is a favorite
lurking place for that king of all western fish, the Royal Chinook salmon.
At the southern end of the bridge are the remnants of WIN-
CHESTER, 84.2 m. (459 alt.), founded by the Umpqua Exploring
Expedition of 1850, and named for Herman Winchester, its captain.
The town was the seat of Douglas County until 1854, when Roseburg
(see below) was chosen in its stead. The people of Winchester not only
yielded to that decision but actually moved a large part of their town to
augment the successful contestant. Between Winchester, and Roseburg
is the WHITE TAIL DEER REFUGE (L), a reserve of about
twenty thousand acres. At 89.7 m. is the junction with a paved load.
At 89.7 m. on this road to the NORTHWEST NATIONAL SOLDIERS'
HOME, Q.9 m. established as the Oregon State Soldiers' Home. This became
federal in 1933, and now has modern buildings and equipment to care for 360
veterans.
ROSEBURG, 89.6 m. (478 alt., 4,362 pop.), seat of Douglas
County is built along a gentle curve of the Umpqua River at its con-
fluence with Deer Cieek. In spite of round houses and car shops, fruit
and vegetable canning factories, sawmills and wood-working plants, the
little city maintains a domestic, settled air among the steep green hills
that surround it on all sides. Homes stand on bioad tree-shaded lawns
and the citizens are prouder of their gardens than they are of the busi-
nesses on which their prosperity depends. Roses are the topic dearest
to the householders' hearts. Having established an annual Rose Festival
(May), the citizens lavish much labor and thought on their gardens,
each trying to outdo the other in profusion and variety of blooms. But
the town, first called Deer Creek, was not named for the popular
flower; the title honors Aaron Rose (1813-89) a settler of 1851 in this
then remote valley. The practical nature of the Roseburger is shown in
the fact that the annual festival also celebrates the strawberry, an im-
portant crop of the environs. The fruit matures so early in this sheltered
valley that the combination is practical.
Roseburg city fathers in 1882 were concerned over the laundry
problem and decreed that: "Any woman who had been lawfully married
and had a legitimate child or children to support may operate a hand
laundry upon recommendation of the committee on health, and police/'
On January 14, 1889 an ordinance was passed to prevent the use of
bells on cows and other domestic animals between the hours of 8 P. M.
and 6 A. M. Previous to the ordinance one citizen frequently detached
the bells from cows and threw them in the gutter when on his way
home in the evening, thus hoping to get a good night's sleep.
Roseburg was the home of Oregon's first Territorial Governor,
Joseph Lane, who became a candidate for the Vice Presidency of the
United States in 1860. His grave is in the MASONIC CEMETERY.
TOUR 2 321
From the business center (R) is a fine view of MOUNT NEBO
(1,100 alt.), across the Umpqua. This angular mountain was the place,
according to local tradition, where the logger's giant mythical hero, Paul
Bunyan, paused on his busy way with Babe the Blue Ox. It now holds
an airways beacon.
It was on Sugar Pine Mountain, west of Roseburg, that David
Douglas, the^ Scotch botanist, discovered the sugar pine, so named for
its sweet resin. He first learned of these trees when he saw its seeds
in the pouch of an Indian at the falls of the Willamette near the present
Oregon City. In October, 1828, while traveling southward with Hud-
son's Bay traders, he found his long-sought tree, magnificent in size, and
with extremely long pendant cones. "These cones," wrote Douglas in
his Journals, "are only seen on the loftiest trees, and the putting myself
m possession of three of these . . . nearly brought my life to a dose.
As it was impossible either to climb the tree or hew it down, I en-
deavored to knock off the cones by firing at them with ball, when the
report of my gun brought eight Indians, all of them painted with red
earth, armed with bows, arrows, bone-tipped spears and flint knives.
They appeared anything but friendly. I endeavored to explain to them
what I wanted, and they seemed satisfied, and sat down to smoke, but
presently I perceived one of them string his bow, and another sharpen
his flint knife \vith a pair of wooden pincers, and suspend it on the
wrist of his right hand. Further testimony of their intentions were
unnecessary. To save myself by flight was impossible, so without hesita-
tion I stepped back about five paces, cocked my gun, drew one of the
pistols out of my belt, and holding it in my left hand and the gun in
my right, showed myself determined to fight for my life. As much as
possible I endeavored to preserve my coolness, and thus we stood looking
at one another without making any movement or uttering a word for
perhaps ten minutes, when one, at last, who seemed the leader, gave a
sign that they wished for some tobacco : this I signified that they should
have if they fetched me a quantity of cones. They went off immediately
in search of them, and no sooner were they all out of sight, than I picked
up my three cones and some twigs of the trees, and made the quickest
possible retreat, hurrying back to camp, which I reached before dusk."
At 96.8 m. is the junction with State 42 (see TOUR 2.H.)
DILLARD, 98.6 m. (540 alt., n pop,), on the South Umpqua,
was named, as were so many Oregon towns, for the owner of the dona-
tion land claim on which it was built. Fine cantaloupes are grown here-
abouts. Along the South Umpqua is seen rare Oregon myrtle, also dis-
covered by David Douglas, The tree, easily recognized by its sym-
metrical, closely branched crown, has foliage that is glossy and ever
green, with an odor very much like that of the bay. Indians ate the
seeds of the tree and made tea from the bark. Its attractive mottled
wood, now becoming very rare, takes on a high polish and is much used
in cabinet work, and for bowls, vases and other small articles. Large
pieces of furniture made from it have high market value.
MYRTLE CREEK, 109.7 m. (639 alt, 401 pop.), on a stream of
322 OREGON
the same name, serves an area where lumbering, fruit growing, dairying,
and poultry raising is earned on. This region was once the range of
great prehistoric mammals, as is indicated by a fossil tusk ten inches in
diameter at the butt and six feet long, discovered in 1927.
At 113.9 772. is the junction with an improved road.
Right on this road to RIDDLE, 3 m. (705 alt., 195 pop.), a distributing
point for lumbering and mining camps, and farms growing pears, prunes, and
broccoli. Water for irrigation and power is furnished by Cow Creek, so named
because in its canyon an emigrant once recovered cattle from thieving Indians.
CANYONVILLE, 119.7 m. (767 alt., 167 pop.), at the northern
end of Canyon Cieek Gorge, is also a trade town that developed as a
station on the California-Oregon Stage route. In 1851 Canyonville, or
Kenyonville as it was then called, had only two cabins, those of Joseph
Knott and of Joel Perkins, who operated a ferry across the South
Umpqua. The streams of the vicinity were the scenes of great activity
when rich ledges of gold-bearing quartz were discovered.
The highway follows Canyon Creek along a route traversed in 1846
by the South Road Expedition, hunting a passage to the east. For
various reasons settlers in Oregon were seeking another route across
the Cascades. The Barlow Road, developed to avoid the trying and ex-
pensive passage down the Columbia, was consideied too difficult to in-
duce much travel; moreover, settlers further up the Willamette Valley
were anxious to divert new arrivals to the areas in which they had taken
up land and immigrants were prone to settle near the point wheie they
reached the valley. Further, persons who were living in the upper valley
were anxious to gain supporters in the struggle with the members of the
Methodist missionary parties who had early seized control of valley
government. Both factions were anxious to have a road across the
mountains that could be used by troops they hoped would be sent to
protect them if the argument with Britain over control of Oregon cul-
minated in war.
In 1846 the colonists of the south organized an expedition to discover
a southern pass and blaze a trail. Levi Scott, the leader, soon turned
back to enlist more men. Among the fifteen who made the second start
were Jesse and Lindsay Applegate. Near this point a party coming up
from California had been attacked by Indians and one man had been
severely wounded. Pioceeding cautiously they crossed the mountains,
swung down into northern California, turned eastwaid to follow the
Hutnboldt of Nevada and then cut up to Fort Hall on the Oregon
Trail. There Jesse Applegate was able to induce some members of the
1846 migration to follow his lead over the new trail; the rest of the
party went ahead to clear the road.
^ Lindsay Applegate later wrote of the road-makers* experiences: "No
circumstance worthy of mention occurred on the monotonous march
from Black Rock to the timbered regions of the Cascade chain ; then our
labors became quite arduous. Every day we kept guard over the hoises
while we worked the road, and at night we dared not cease our vigilance,
TOUR 2 323
for the Indians continually hovered about us, seeking for advantage.
By the time we had worked our way through the mountains to the
Rogue River valley, and then through the Grave Creek Hills and
Umpqua chain, we were pretty thoioughly worn out. Our stock of
provisions had grown very short, and we had to depend to a great extent,
for sustenance, on game. Road working, hunting, and guard duty had
taxed our strength greatly, and on our arrival in the Umpqua valley,
knowing that the greatest difficulties in the way of immigrants, had
been removed, we decided to proceed at once to our homes in the
Willamette." But the journey was not so easily accomplished by the
immigrants as the road makers had hoped. Tabitha Brown (see TOUR
8), a 63 -year-old member of the train, wrote of the journey from the
standpoint of the party led by Jesse Applegate : "We had sixty miles of
desert without grass or water, mountains to climb, cattle giving out,
wagons breaking, emigrants sick and dying, hostile Indians to guard
against by night and day, if we would save ourselves and our horses
and cattle from being arrowed and stole.
"We were carried hundreds of miles south of Oregon into Utah
Territory and California; fell in with the Clamotte and Rogue River
Indians, lost nearly all our cattle, passed the Umpqua Mountains, 12
miles through. I rode through in three days at the risk of my life, on
horseback, having lost my wagon and all that I had but the horse I
was on. Our families were the first that started through the canyon,
so that we got through the mud and rocks much better than those that
followed. Out of hundreds of wagons, only one came through without
breaking. The canyon was strewn with dead cattle, broken wagons,
beds, clothing, and everything but provisions, of which latter we were
nearly all destitute. Some people were in the canyon two or three weeks
before they could get through. Some died without any warning, from
fatigue and starvation. Others ate the flesh of cattle that were lying dead
by the wayside."
Canyon Creek flows through a part of the UMPQUA NATIONAL
FOREST.
COW CREEK GAME RESERVE (R), a mountainous and tim-
Dered area is surrounded on three sides by Cow Creek.
The summit of the CANYON CREEK PASS (2,302 alt.) is at
128.6 m.
AZALEA, 130.6 m. (80 pop.), in a little open valley sunounded by
forests of fir, yellow pine, oak, and alder, was so-named because of
abundance of this plant with its beautiful tinted blossom in the vicinity.
At 138 m. is the junction with an improved road.
Right on this road to GLENDALE, 4 m. (1,425 alt., 800 pop.), supposedly
named for Glendalc, Scotland, in the heart of a mining and lumbering region.
The SITE OF THE SIX-BIT-RANCH, 138.6 m. was a station
on the Oregon and California State route in the early fifties and was so
named because of an interruption made by the owner when soldiers
were about to hang an Indian near the ranch; the owner demanded
324 OREGON
that the hanging be delayed until the Indian paid six bits that he
owed him.
STAGE ROAD PASS, (1,916 alt.) is crossed at 140.5 m.
WOLFCREEK, 144.2 m. (1,276 alt., 130 pop.), has two names;
the railway station is Wolf Creek, but the postoffice department makes
the name one word. WOLF CREEK TAVERN, opened in 1857 and
still in use, is a long neat two-story building, with a two-story wing.
The roof of the two-story veranda, which runs across the fiont of the main
building, is formed by an extension of the roof of the house. Panelled
doors with transoms and side lights open onto the porch from the central
halls on each floor. The structure, little changed through the years,
stands behind a white picket fence. Many travelers of note have stopped
here, among them President Hayes, Jack London, and Sinclair Lewis.
South of Wolfcreek, US 99 sinuously ascends to the summit of Wolf
Creek Hill, 147 m., and to GRAVE CREEK, 150.4 772. Grave Creek
was so named because Josephine Crowley, daughter of Leland Crowley,
died and was buried here in 1846. October 30, 1855, occurred the
Battle of Grave Creek sometimes called the Battle of Hungiy Hill,
or the Battle of Bloody Springs in which six Oregon volunteers and
three regulars were slain by Indians.
SEXTON MOUNTAIN (3,855 alt.), above SEXTON MOUN-
TAIN PASS, 154 m., (2,046 alt.), is surmounted by a forest lookout
and an airway radio station and beacon.
As the highway descends, manzanita, with roundish, eveigieen leaves
and red-barked branches, is seen. In this area it often covers immense
tracts with its dense, elfin-like forests. The fiuit of the manzamta is
like a small plump apple, dry and tasteless, which the Indians ground
into a fine meal that was leached with water, to pioduce a rich and
delicious cider.
On the side of Sexton Mountain, at 160.9 m. f is a roadside monument
(L), erected to Burrell M, Baucom, a state policeman and World War
veteran, who was killed at this point in the performance of his duties,
July i, 1933* Baucom was slain when he stopped Harry Bowles, 21,
and John Barrier, 17 two youths he had stopped to question about an
auto they were driving. Barrier admitted firing the thiee shots that
killed the state trooper. The monument, made of southern Oregon
granite, bears a bronze plaque inscribed: "In memory of Burell M,
Baucom an officer and soldier brave of heart, sincere of purpose, and
faithful to trust, who fell here July i, 1933, in performance of his duty,
this tablet in inscribed by his fellow members of the Oregon State Police
and Oregon National Guard. Dedicated February 25, 1934."
At 163*4 m. is a junction with a market road.
Right on this road, to MERLIN, 3 m., site of early gold nrining activity, The
laboratories of a t former mining and milling company are still standing. The
ruins of prehistoric pit houses near Merlin are among the earliest anthropological
remains found in Oregon.
At OALICE, 17 m.> also a pioneer gold mining town, are the ruins of a
Rogue River Indian War powder house and arsenal, built about 1854-
TOUR 2 325
"Galice Creek" has its origin in an episode that took place in early times
between the "pack train" men and an old Indian who lived there. Old John
would watch for a mule train to strike camp, and then he would draw up his
blanket until only his eyebrows and face weie visible, seat himself on the ground
near the camp fire, and every turn in the culinary operations of getting supper
would cause him to say, NIKA TIKA MUCKA MUCKE, which was an appeal
for something to eat. Packers were liberal men and the appeals of even a savage
never went unheeded, but patience sometimes when overtaxed will call out other
qualities in the man, and these rude pioneers, when they had filled their old
beggar almost to bursting, on the evening of their arrival were not in good
humor when he took up his station for breakfast and commenced his same plain-
tive wail demanding 'gleece' which meant bacon. They concluded to fill him
up for good, and taking a side of fat bacon, they cut slices and handed to him,
which he greedily devoured for a while. At last he signified a sufficiency by
shaking his head and saying, WAKE TIKA GLEECE. But you may judge of
his surprise when the packer drew a six shooter and cocking the weapon drew
a bead on old John and handed him another slice and ordered him to eat it,
and another, and another, each time enforced by coercive demonstrations with
the pistol until the old Indian's outraged stomach could stand no more. He lost
his appetite for gleece and the creek has always borne the name of Galice Creek
since that event.
ALAMEDA, 21 m., another mining town whose glory has departed, now con-
tains the RAND UNITED STATES FOREST RANGER STATION. At the
mouth of Grave Creek, a few miles north of town but inaccessible by automo-
bile, lie LITTLE MEADOWS and BIG MEAD9WS, which were rallying
points for Oregon volunteers in the Rogue River Indian wars. These points were
the scenes of several skirmishes.
The whole country in the "Gorge of the Roaring Rogue" is highly mineral-
ized with deposits of gold, silver, and copper. The gorge is one of the wildest
regions of all Oregon It is almost inaccessible except where new and improved
roads lead into it from a number of points. It is a mecca for hunters and fisher-
men who come from many parts of the world, but only experienced boatmen
should venture upon its waters, for its bars and rapids, and its Hell Gate
Canyon are hazardous. Many well-known people have summer lodges in the
deeper wilderness, hunters, explorers, and writers, come here for rest and recre-
ation. Peter B. Kyne and ex-President Herbert Hoover fish the river regularly,
as formerly did Zane Grey.
GRAVE CREEK BRIDGE, 25 m. t is at the end of the auto road down the
Rogue. Pack trains of horses or mules furnish the only regular transportation
between Grave Creek Bridge and Agness, on the lower river. Horses and packers
are available for trail trips at Galice, Illahee, and Agness. From Grave Creek
Bridge a pack trail leads down the Rogue Rivei to RAINIE FALLS, 27 m. t
WHISKEY CREEK, 28 m., and the HORSESHOE BEND GUARD STATION,
38 m,
MULE CREEK GUARD STATION and the post office of MARIAL, 49 m. t
are at the mouth of Mule Creek. This creek was originally John Mule Creek
and the name appears as such in mining records from 18 64. to as late as 1904.
when the present name filters in. John Mule was an Indian who for many years
made his home on the meadow at the mouth of the stream. In the sixties two
miners on John Mule Creek had a falling out and one of them, called Dutch
Henry, shot the other with a rifle, but his opponent, known as Big George Jack,
struck Dutch Henry with an axe. The two men were found two days later, still
alive but too badly wounded to be moved; whereupon miners built a cabin over
them and sent more than eighty miles for a doctor. Both men recovered.
ILLAHEE, 55 m. (see TOUR zH), is a village and commercial resort (horses
and packers available)* Many years ago John Fitzhugh was mining near Illahee.
His provisions running low he went in search of game. His shoes were worn out
so he went barefoot, He had gone but a short way when he noticed what he
took to be a bear track and he followed the spoor for the best part of the day.
Finally he scrutinized the tracks more closely and came to the conclusion that
326 OREGON
he had been tracking himself all the time In relating the story he ended: "I don't
know what would have happened if I had caught up with myself as I am a
pretty good shot."
AGNESS, 63 m , is another packing center and commercial resort for hunters
and fishermen on the north bank of the Rogue. From Agness to Gold Beach the
trip must be made by motor boat Points touched are LOWERY'S, 75 m. t
LOBSTER CREEK, 83 m , BAGNELL FERRY, 89 m , WEDDERBURN, 94 m. f
and GOLD BEACH. 95 m. on US 101 (see TOUR $).
GRANTS PASS, 168 m. (948 alt., 4,666 pop.), the seat of Jose-
phine County, lies at the southern end of a narrow valley on the bank
of the Rogue River. With long streets bordered with tree-shaded houses
diverging from the compact business district toward the enclosing hills,
the city presents an aspect of modernity. The Southern Pacific bisects
the town and store buildings press upon the tracks from either side.
Modern structures have replaced the old false-front wooden buildings
and filling stations and ice-cream parlors have taken the place of the
hitching racks and dim-lighted saloons of other days. However, Saturday
night is still a time of unusual activity when ranchers, miners, and lum-
berjacks, mingle with townsmen and tourists along the brightly lighted
streets.
The town, which came into existence as a stopping place on the Cali-
fornia Stage route, was named by enthusiastic builders of the road over
the pass when a messenger told them of General Grant's capture of
Vicksburg. It is the trading, banking, and shopping center of the Grants
Pass Irrigation District, which produces pears, prunes, apples, grapes,
and cherries, and is an active dairying region. In the environs gladiolus
culture is carried on and during the blossoming months, June to August,
the flower fields present a gorgeous sight. An annual gladiolus show is
held during the fourth week m July.
There is considerable logging nearby and sawmills and wood-working
plants aie numerous. The city draws much wealth fiom the mines in the
surrounding mountains. Gold, copper, platinum, silver, and chromium
are among the more important minerals. Miners still come m from the
back country with their dust, which is bought by local banks. The
mineral resouices of the legion, together with the pioximity of the
Oregon Caves (see TOUR 2i), have drawn the attention of many
citizens to the collection of minerals. Some excellent exhibits arc those
in the lobby of the Hotel Del Rogue, 6th and K Sts., the Caves Grotto
at the Redwood Hotel, 6th and E St&, and the semi-precious stones
collected by Eclus Pollock.
^ The CITY PARK on the south bank of the Rogue provides facili-
ties for swimming, boating, tennis, and other sports. The Oregon Cave-
men, a social and service club, hold annual festivities and carnivals, in
which the members impersonate their primal forbears. The Cavemen
claim the marble halls of the Oregon Caves as their ancestral home*
Symbolically their food and drink consists of the meat of the dinosaur
and the blood of the saber-tooth tiger. The officers of the organisation
are Chief Big Horn, Rising Buck, keeper of the wampum, Clubfist,
Wingfeather, and Flamecatcher,
TOUR 2 327
^ Rogue River is one of the best fishing streams of the nation. Fishing
riffles are within a mile of the city, and up and down the river are more
than 200 miles of fine fishing waters. In the city is the HEADQUAR-
TERS OF THE SISKIYOU NATIONAL FOREST, 6th and
FSts.
US 99 crosses the Rogue River, 169 m.> on the graceful CAVE-
MEN'S BRIDGE to a junction with US 199 at 169.3 m. (see
TOUR 2l).
US 99 curves shaiply left and at 169.4 m. is a junction with State
238.
Right on State 238 to MURPHY, 4.1 m. (1,600 alt.), and PRO VOLT, 13.9 m.,
small mountain hamlets. Right from Provolt on a gravel road, 6 m. along Wil-
liams Creek to WILLIAMS, which came into existence as Williamsburg in
1857, -when gold was discovered on Williams Creek. Miners flocked m until
there were a thousand residents, but the camp soon passed into oblivion.
At 12 m, the graveled road ends at a camp (over-night facilities) From this
point a trail leads over the mountains to the OREGON CAVES, 22.3 m. (see
TOUR 2l).
On State 238 is APPLEGATE, 18.4 m. (30 pop.), in a mining, fruit-growing,
and lumbering region. It was named for Jesse and Lindsay Applegate (see
above). In early days all streams of this region were worked for gold and some
small fortunes were taken from the gravel. Local legend perpetuates the tale
that a Chinaman, "Chiny Linn," removed more than two million dollars in gold
from his claim but this is probably erroneous as the district was never one of
the great producers.
In Jackson Creek at JACKSONVILLE, 34.9 m. (1,600 alt, 806 pop.) in
January, 1852, James Cluggage and J. R. Poole discovered gold. Now untrimmed
trees, dropping low over moss-grown houses and crumbling brick buildings, line
streets once noisy with the tramp of miners' feet, or shrill with the chatter of
pig-tailed Orientals. Cornices of old brick structures threaten to fall and de-
molish sagging corrugated awnings, beneath which miners, harlots, and merchants
once paraded. Bearded men now drowse on benches outside dusty shops where
dozens of empty whiskey bottles displayed in windows are reminders of a lively
past. Following the decline of gold production, Jacksonville lost its population,
and in 1927 the county seat was moved to Medford. Small back-yard mines take
the place of family gardens in a place where men washed as much as a pint
cup of gold in a day. William Hanley (1861-1935), the eastern Oregon cattle
baron, was born here.
In the window of the J. A. BRUNNER BUILDING, erected ^in 1855 and on
occasion used as a refuge from Indians, are gold scales on which hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of gold dust were weighed. In the building is a
museum of pioneer relics. In the UNITED STATES HOTEL where President
Hayes and General William T, Sherman spent a night, are displayed leg irons,
ox shoes, a cradle for grain, gold coins and scales, and many other ai tides.
According to legend, the METHODIST CHURCH was built in 1854 with one
night's take at the gaming tables. In this small building gamblers, rougbjy-
drcssed proprietors, and sedate bankers, dropped their nuggets into the collection
plate. The melodeon was brought around Cape Horn, up the coast to Crescent
City, and over the mountains on the backs of mules. The church, a simple white
clapboardcd structure, has a small bell tower and steeple in one gabled end.
The OLD BARN was used for the relay horses of the California-Oregon Stage
Line. The BEEKMAN BANK, built in 1862, made express shipments of gold
to Crescent City, the California port. East of Jacksonville, State 238 passes
through an attractive suburban area of small houses and orchards to MED-
FORD, 39,9 m. (see MEDFQRD), at the junction with US 99.
328 OREGON
At SAVAGE RAPIDS DAM, 175 772. on the Rogue, salmon and
steelhead flash in the sunlight as they leap the falls.
ROGUE RIVER, 178.3 m. (1,025 alt., 286 pop.), is on the noith
bank of the Rogue River and is connected with the highway by a
bridge (L).
Established as Woodville, it was known in pioneer times by the ex-
pressively significant moniker of "Tailhoid." It has borne the present
name since 1912. The town, situated at one of the early femes of the
Rogue River, clusters on the rocky noith bank of the river among
ragged growths of pine.
Directly across the river from the town is a "rattlesnake farm" or
"garden" where 8,000 rattlesnakes are being fed and "fattened" to
provide rattlesnake meat (an expensive delicacy), and venom, which is
used medicinally. A Los Angeles packing company purchases the meat
and a drug company the poison, which is often prescribed in epileptic
cases and in the preparation of anti-toxins. The public is invited to visit
the rattler farm, and if any person will bring a live native rattler with
him the standing price is one dollar each. To keep the serpents at home
there is an inner wall of masonry four feet high and three feet below
the surface of the ground, and an outer wall eight feet high and three
feet below the surface.
A monument here marks the SITE OF THE DAVID BIRDSEYE
HOUSE built of square hewn timbers in 1855. It was used as a fortress
and called Fort Birdseye in the Rogue River Indian waus.
ROCKY POINT HOUSE (L), 184.3 ///., about 200 yards from the
highway, was built by L. J. White in 1864. From the time of its erec-
tion until the coming of the railroad in 1883, it was a tavern on the
stage line between Redding, California and Roseburg. Once the scene of
colorful activity when stages swept up to its broad porches and dislodged
the motley cargo of adventurers, bad men, miners, and immigrants, the
building is now the property of a large pear orchard and packing plant.
The tavern was built of hand-hewn timbers. Of southern Colonial
style, it is of rectangular shape, two stories high, with low pitched roof
and a double decked porch the full width of the house. A large chimney
for fireplaces dominates the west end of the house. It is perhaps the only
complete surviving example of the old stage coach taverns still having
its horse stalls and carriage House attached in a long wing at the rear*
The building is of heavy box-type construction, built of undressed boards
placed on end with no studding and covered with dressed siding which
is painted white.
GOLD HILL, 186*6 m. (1,108 alt., 502 pop.), like many of the
places^in this region, owes its name to a discovery of gold in the sur-
rounding uplands. Here, in 1860 was established the first quartz mill in
Jackson County. Limestone and marl are abundant, and large Portland
cement manufacturing plants utilize this material
Left from Gold Hill on State 234. to SAMS VALLEY, 7 m. f formerly the
home of Chief Sam of the Rogue River tribe. At 9 m, is the junction with a
graveled road ; R. here 2.6 m, to the marked TABLE ROCK TREATY SITE,
TOUR a 329
where on September 10, 1853, Gen. Joseph Lane, concluded peace negotiations
with the Rogue River Indians, who had taken arms against the whites who
had plowed up their ground, depriving the Indians of food plants and driving
away their game. The surrounding country was the scene of the battles of 1851.
Southeast of Gold Hill US 99 crosses the Rogue River, and at
186,8 m. diverges from the old Jacksonville stage road (see above).
At 191.6 772. is the junction with a gravel road.
Left on this road to the monument marking the SITE OF FORT LANE,
0.5 m. Built in 1853 by Capt. Andrew J. Smith, the fort was military head-
quarters in that region for several years and it was here that the treaty was
signed after the Indian wars. The property of the fort was relinquished to the
Department ^ of the Interior in 1871. At 2 m. are TOLO and the GOLD RAY
DAMS, which impound the Rogue River for use in irrigation and for power
development,
CENTRAL POINT, 195.8 m. (1,290 alt, 821 pop.), is a shipping
point for farm products, fruits and vegetables. Central Point was so
named because it was near the center of the valley where two stage
routes crossed.
MEDFORD, 200 m. (1,377 alt., 11,007 pop.), (see MEDFORD).
Points of Interest: Jackson County Court House, City Park, Medford Public
Library, fruit packing plants.
South of Medford US 99 passes through orchard tracts, with large
pear packing plants at intervals.
PHOENIX, 204.7 m. (1,566 alt., 430 pop.), settled in 1850 by
Samuel Colver, is said to have received its name after a disasterous fire.
In 1855 a blockhouse called Camp Baker was erected here; manned by
fifteen men it withstood a siege by the Rogue River Indians. Originally
known as Gastown, Phoenix was platted in 1854, before which it was a
stage stop wheie meals were served by a very loquacious woman. The
SAMUEL COLVER HOUSE, built in 1855 of logs and later
sheathed with sawed lumber, served as a refuge from the Indians. The
logs beneath the sheathing are pierced by loopholes for rifle fire. Di-
rectly west of the house is the smaller house of Hiram Colver, a brother.
TALENT, 207 m. (1,586 alt., 421 pop.), first called Wagner, was
renamed to honor A. P. Talent, who platted the townsite in the early
1880*8.
South of Talent US 99 follows up Bear Creek, crossing it many times.
JACKSON HOT SPRINGS (R), 210 m., a favorite swimming
pool for pioneer boys, have been commercially exploited.
At 211.9 m. is the junction with a gravel road.
Right here to ASHLAND MINE, 3 m., still in operation. This ^is a region of
small widely scattered gold deposits, where a spring freshet, ditching in the
fields, or even a spadeful of txirned-up garden earth may reveal a nugget.
ASHLAND, 212.5 m. (1,900 alt, 4,544 pop.), lies at the southern
extremity of the Rogue River Valley on the banks of Bear Creek which
winds through the town. Southward the towering Siskiyous cut the
horizon. Northward the broad reaches of the valley, checkered with
33O OREGON
pear and apple orchards, stretch away to the fretful waters of the Rogue
River. The town was named m 1852 by Abel D. Hillman either for
Ashland, Ohio, or for the birthplace of Henry Clay at Ashland, Vir-
ginia. The post office was first called Ashland Mills because of a grist
mill here. The trade of farmers and orchardists and the handling of their
products is the principal source of community revenue, though lumber-
ing, mining, and the shipment of gray granite and white marble from
nearby quarnes add to the city's assets. The first maible works here were
established in 1865.
In August Ashland holds a Shakespearean Festival at the Elizabethan
Theater, which in the early 1 900'$ housed the annual Chautauqua series.
The building had been condemned and after the dome was removed,
Angus Bowman, who later became diiector of the Shakespearean the*
ater, noticed the resemblance to the Globe Theater of Shakespeare's
time. A sixteenth century stage was built and costumes made from dis-
carded clothing found in the Ashland attics for the first festival in 1935.
In addition to several Shakespearean plays there are archery contests,
bowling on the green, and folk dances. A prize is awarded to the man
who grows the most handsome spade beard, and the male citizen who
cannot, or will not raise a beard is sentenced to spend an hour in the
stocks in the city square. Some of the actors are home talent but most
of them are out-siders who are not paid from the festival ; many of the
latter support themselves by odd jobs bell-hopping, gardening, dish-
washing, farm work during their stay at Ashland.
Ashland is in a region of mineral springs; at the civic center is
LITHIA PLAZA, in which are two fountains with copious flows of
lithia water. One fountain, of bronze, has been dedicated to H. B. and
H. H* Carter, early settlers, and is ornamented with the heroic-sized
figure of a scout; the other fountain is of gray granite, quarried and
polished nearby.
Adjoining the plaza is LITHIA PARK (playgrounds* tennis and
horseshoe courts, tourist camp), a large tract of hardwood and fir, at-
tractively landscaped. In this park is a zoo containing wild animals of
the region.
North of the park on a sloping hillside is a marble STATUE OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
At the southern limits of Ashland, US 99 passes the campus of the
SOUTHERN OREGON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, one of
three in the state. This institution was established (1869) as Ashland
College by the Methodist Episcopal Conference.
At 213.6 m. is the junction with State 66 (see TOUR $E). Here
US 99 begins to rise rapidly towards the main range of the SISKI-
YOUS (Ind v bob-tailed horse). In 1828 Alexander McLeod, a Hud-
son's Bay trapper, was heading a party in the mountains; they were
lost in a snow-storm, suffered severe privations, and lost several horses,
among them the bob-tailed race-horse belonging to the leader. This
mountain pass was thereafter called "the pass of the Sisfciyou/' a name
that was later given to the whole range.
TOUR 2 331
The forests of the Siskiyous appear gieen and fresh, with yellow pine,
Douglas fir, hemlock, cedar, and sugar pine, mingled with many oaks
and madronas. In the higher regions grow the Brewer spruce and Sadler
oak. Undergrowth consists of manzanita, blue and white flowered
ceanothus (wild lilac), and the red-berried kinmkinnick, whose leaves
were formerly used as a substitute for tobacco. Beneath the taller
growths are many flowers, while in places the whole forest floor is car-
peted with an aromatic mint-like vine, the yerba buena of the Spanish-
California missionaries, the Oregon tea of the more northern settle-
ments.
A few miles to the west of the open, sunny summit of SISKIYOU
PASS, 225.3 m. (4,522 alt.), occurred a most notorious tiain holdup,
On October 11, 1923, the three D'Autremont brothers, Hugh, 19 years
of age, and Roy and Ray, 23-year-old twins, swung onto the tender of
the southbound Shasta Limited No. 13 just outside of the small station
of Siskiyou and ordeied the engineer to stop the train, which he did at
the southern end of Tunnel Number 13. Under the leadership of Hugh
the amateurs at crime shot and killed the engineer, the fireman, and a
brakeman. When the mail cleik opened the mail-car door in answer to
the order to come out, they shot at him, but he managed to close the
door in time. Unable to enter the car the bandits dynamited it, but the
gases and flames from the explosion further thwarted them and they
fled into the rough Siskiyou wilderness without a penny for their efforts.
In their haste, they left some supplies and other articles behind them.
The most important to detectives was a pair of overalls, in a pocket of
which was the receipt for a registered letter signed by Hugh.
Immediately the railroad's telegraph wires sizzled with the news.
The U. S. Post Office Department threw out the largest net it had ever
cast for fugitives. The Southern Pacific and the American Railway
joined the state of Oregon and the Federal government in offering dead-
or-alive rewards that totaled $5, 300 for each culprit. Bulletins and
posters bearing pictures of the brothers appeared conspicuously in every
railway station and post office in the country. Canada and Mexico also
posted "wanted" notices. The search spread to all parts of the world
and descriptions of the men were issued in seven languages.
Many fake clues were followed before a soldier early in 1927, land-
ing in San Francisco after serving in the Philippines, noticed the re-
semblance between the picture of Hugh D'Autremont on a post office
circular and a soldier in the 3ist Infantiy in the Islands, The authori-
ties were notified and Hugh was captured on February 12 and was
brought to Oregon, where he was indicted for murder.
The trial opened on May 3 at Jacksonville, becoming the town's
most important event since the gold stampedes of the 1850*8. A mistrial
resulted when one of the jurors died, and a second trial began on June
6 and ended on June 21, when Hugh was sentenced to life imprison-
ment.
Meanwhile the search for the twins continued and on June 8 they
were arrested in Steubenville, Ohio, where they had been living and
32 OREGON
/orking as the Winston brothers. Ray had married and had one child.
Tiey had heard of Hugh's capture and after first denying their identity,
/aived extradition and were returned to Oregon, where they confessed
o the crime. Hugh then admitted his guilt. The twins were also given
ife sentences.
At 231 m, US 99 crosses the California Line, 54 miles north of
d, California. (Plant inspection at line.)
Tour 2 A
Oregon City Mulino Silverton Stayton Lebanon Biownsville
Eugene; 115.5 m State 215, State 211, unnumbered roacK
Road partly paved, partly graveled.
Southern Pacific Railroad branch line parallels route
Usual accommodations.
The delightful back-country route winds southward through a fertile
fanning country facing the evergreen foothills of the Cascade Range.
Closely following an early road opened by the Hudson's Bay Company
brigades, and later developed as the California-Oregon Territorial Road,
it penetrates many isolated villages that bear new hallmarks of the
present. Split-rail worm fences divide fields and covered bridges span
many of the streams. Farm houses with moss-covered shake roofs silvered
by the sun and rams of a hundred years stand beside the highways that
run between busv modern towns and dying villages.
State 215 branches southeastward from US 99E (see TOUR 20)
in OREGON CITY, m. f and passes through meadows and orchards
to the Molalla Valley, once a hunting ground of the Klamath, Molalla,
and Calapooya. The Klamath made yearly visits to their allies and
kinsmen of the district by way of the old Klamath Trail, which crossed
the Cascades near Mount Jefferson. The first white men to come to
this territory were led by Donald McKenzie of Aster's Pacific Fur
Company, who explored and trapped in the region in 1812*
MULINO (Sp. mohno, mill), 10*6 m, (236 alt, 106 pop,), was
first called Howard's Mill after the nucleus of the grist mill (R) had
been erected in 1851*
The highway crosses the Molalla River to LIBERAL, 12.8 w : (256
alt, 22 pop.), the trading center of a farming and dairying district
At 13.4 m, is a junction with State 211.
TOUR 2 A 333
Left on State an to MOLALLA, 1.6 m. (371 alt, 635 pop.)> in an area where
farming, lumbering and fruit-growing are carried on. The first white man to
settle in the vicinity -was William Russel, who took up a claim in 1840. The
Molalla Buckaroo, the largest rodeo in western Oregon, is held here annually
about July Fourth.
The mam route, now the southern sector of State 211, cuts across
the flat lands between the Molalla and Pudding rivers. The valley In-
dians used to burn the tall grass in the area to round up the game.
MARQUAM, 22.7 m. (291 alt., 150 pop.), named for Alfred
Marquam, a settler, is in a region supported by the culture of hops
and prunes.
At 24.7 m. is the junction with a paved road.
Right here to MOUNT ANGEL, 6 m. (167 alt., 979 pop.), where in 1883 a
monastery was established by the Order of St. Benedict. In 1904. Mt. Angel's
College and Seminary was built on Mount Angel Butte (485 alt ) just east of
the town. It is reached by a winding drive that commands a far-reaching view
of the valley. The long three-story building of light-colored brick has at each end
short ells extending forward with gabled ends In the center is a chapel, form-
ing a third wing which consists of a two-story gabled structure entered through
a small enclosed portico ; above it and somewhat to the rear rises a much gabled
section, which with lower extensions at the side produces the effect of a cleres-
tory. Nearby is a large cooperative creamery operated by the order. The abori-
gines called the butte Topalamhoh (place of communion with the Great Spirit).
In the center of Mount Angel, is SAINT MARY'S PARISH CHURCH, its
spire visible for many miles, of a modified Gothic structure and elaborately
decorated.
The town is a trading point foi hops, prunes, and flax. In a FLAX SCUTCH-
ING PLANT (visited on application) the fibres of the flax are beaten free. It is
one of three establishments of its kind built by the state with federal aid in the
Willamette Valley.
SILVERTON, 29.6 m. (249 alt., 2,462 pop.), takes its name from
Silver Creek, which flows through the town at the edge of the Waldo
Hills. The nucleus of the settlement, called Milford, grew up around a
sawmill built in 1846, at a point two miles east.
The paients of Edwin Markham, the poet, settled on a donation
land claim a short distance north of Silverton, but later moved to Ore-
gon City where their son was born.
Silverton Bobbie, a dog of the town, was taken east in 1926 and dis-
appeared from the car in Indiana. He turned up again at this place,
having found his way home alone. His wanderings were described
imaginatively in Bobbie, a Great Collie, by Charles Alexander.
Left from Silverton on State 214 to SILVER CREEK FALLS STATE PARK
(picnicking facilities), 15*5 m., an area including nine attractive waterfalls,
several of which are almost 200 feet high. The falls are all within a radius of
three miles and are easily reached by forest trails.
State 214 circles R. to a junction with the main route, 25,4 m.
South of Silverton the route follows an unnumbered road and climbs
over the Waldo Hills, where Samuel L, Simpson (1845-1909), author
of the volume of poems Gold Gated West, spent several years of his
youth. T, T. Geer, governor of Oregon from 1899 to 1903, was born
334 OREGON
near Silverton in these hills in 1851. He went to school at Salem but
when he was fourteen came back here to work at his cousin's farm. In
1877 he came again to the farm and made his living on it for twenty
years. On the farm he wrote his book Fifty If ears in Oregon (1912).
Frank Bowers, the cartoonist, Margaret Mayo, the playwright, and
Margarita Fischer, screen actress were also from this neighborhood.
The earliest white settlement in the Waldo Hills was made in 1843
by Daniel Waldo. Years later he wrote: "Oregon was just like all othei
new countries. For a long time we had to pack our own blankets and
no place to sleep. There was only a little town at Oregon City. I always
kept people without charging them a cent. I accommodated quite a
number of people in my house out here on the road. We had not very
many beds; they would sleep on the floor anyhow. I would give them
their supper and breakfast. It was pretty hard on the women but they
were healthy. . . . There was no sickness. More of the people got
drowned in ten years than died . . . We had paities here in the early
times and once in a while a dance. They [the settlers] would go fifteen
or twenty miles and think nothing of it. They would ride at a pretty
good jog, men and women both. There were about as many women as
men, young and old and married and all kinds. . . . There was plenty
to eat then; plenty of pork, beef and wheat. We had a fiddle of
course ..."
The BIRTHPLACE OF HOMER DAVENPORT (private) is
(L) at 34,2 m. The cartoonist whose most notable creation was the
suit covered with dollar marks on Mark Hanna was born here on his
father's donation claim in 1851. On the back porch of the tree-shaded
farm dwelling is a drawing by Davenport which he made while a boy.
He was continually drawing cartoons and likenesses of local people and
of farm animals on the walls and smooth boards of the barn, on the
woodshed and house, or any surface available, Davenport never lost his
love for the Waldo Hills, and once said: "From this old porch I see
my favorite view of all the earth affords. . . It's where my happiest
hours have been spent."
SUBLIMITY, 43.6 m. (538 alt., 214 pop.), (see TOUR 7^), is
at a junction with State 222, with which the route 5s united to
STAYTON, 45.9 m. (447 alt, 797 pop.), (w TOUR -]A).
Here State 222 turns L.
Southward, the unnumbered route crosses the North Santiam River
and winds crookedly southwestward along the river, then southward to
SCIO, 55.7 m. (300 alt, 258 pop.), which was named for a town in
Ohio, named in turn for the island of Chios in the Mediterranean. It
was near here that Joab Powell, the circuit rider, organized the Provi-
dence Baptist Church in 1853. Powell ian#ed over the Willamette
Valley preaching salvation by immersion. "Uncle Joab" wore home-
made jean trousers u four feet across the seat/ 7 and as a preliminary to
preaching would place a chew of tobacco in his mouth. He invariably
commenced his sermons by saying, "I am Alpha and Omegay," and,
when his appeals failed to obtain a response, would remark, "There is
TOUR 2A 335
not much rejoicing in Heaven tonight" Powell was a great eater and
preferred cabbage to potato for breakfast.
The unnumbered load continues southward; below a junction with
State 226 it is paved.
LEBANpN, 69.5 m. (341 alt., 1,851 pop.), (see TOUR >]b), is
at the junction with State 54.
Right from Lebanon on a country road to the old settlement of TALLMAN,
4.5 w. (306 alt), birthplace of Frederic Homer Balch. novelist (see HOOD
RIFER).
South of Lebanon the route is united briefly with State 54, turns R.
from State 54, then L. winds between hills and cultivated fields, over
unnumbered roads to BROWNSVILLE, 83.7 m. (358 alt., 746 pop.),
at the entrance to the Calapooya Valley. First called Kirk's Ferry, it
was later named for Hugh L. Brown, a settler of 1846, who with his
nephew, Capt. James Blakely, laid out the townsite m 1853. The com-
munity grew up about woolen mills, established by local citizens as a
cooperative venture, with machinery and a textile expert brought from
the East.
George A. Waggoner, pioneer of 1852, one of the first railroad
commissioners of Oregon, and author of Stories of Old Oregon* and
Z. F. Moody, governor of Oregon, 1882-1887, lived here. The Reverend
H. H. Spaldmg, who crossed the Rockies with Marcus Whitman and
their wives, also lived here for a time.
Many of the pioneer structures are decaying, but the town has the
atmosphere of a bygone day in spite of its granite monument to the
memory of James Blakely. There is an extensive park on the banks
of the Calapooya River.
Here are two PREHISTORIC MOUNDS, one on East Penn
Street in North Brownsville and the other across the river in South
Brownsville. While no excavations have been made, it is believed that
these mounds are part of a chain of 89 along the Calapooya River be-
tween Albany and Brownsville (see INDIANS).
South of Brownsville the route closely follows the Springfield Branch
of the Southern Pacific Railroad, crossing it numerous times. The region
is uniformly level, with extensive plantings of rye grass for seed and hay.
Dairying, sheep-raising, turkey culture, and general farming are car-
ried on.
At 85*3 m. is a right angle turn at a junction with an unimproved
road.
Left on this road to the SITE OF UNION POINT, 1.7 7fl v< scene of the meet-
ing of February xo, 1852, at which was consummated a union of the various
branches of the Presbyterian churches in Oregon. Union Point was on the Old
Territorial Road, which, south of the settlement, entered a defile in the hills long
called the Biff Gap. This road t now neglected and almost impassable, was the
course taken by early travelers to and from the Upper Valley and by gold-
seekers of 1849 and
At 88 m, is TWIN BUTTES, (508 alt), near the railroad (L).
After crossing the railroad the road swings south past BOND BUTTE,
336 OREGON
(500 alt), distinguished by an airway beacon on its summit. East of
Bond Butte are the prominent INDIAN HEAD BUTTES (1,294
alt). Behind them rise foothills of the Cascades, tier upon tier. This
region was once inhabited by the fierce grizzly, now almost extinct
ROWLAND, 94.2 m. t is only a railroad station but in the early
i86o's it was a trading point
At 104.1 772. is the junction with a narrow lane.
Left on the lane (muddy and impassable in rainy weather) to the maiked
HULINS MILLER HOMESTEAD, 1.7 m. t where after crossing the plains with
his father, Cincmnatus Heiner (Joaquin) Miller, the poet (see TOUR 5^), lived
from 1854 until 1856, when he was fifteen years old. The piesent farmhouse
rests on the foundations of the Miller house. Sunny Ridge, on which the house
stands, offers a magnificent view of the surrounding region. The entire Miller
family were highly appreciative of the primitive beauty of the Willamette
Valley. The great mountains in the rear, young Miller wrote, were "topped
with wonderful fir trees that gloried in the moining sun, the swift, sweet river,
glistening under the great big cedars, and balm trees in the boundless dooryard."
COBURG, 107.7 m. (399 alt, 263 pop.), at the foot of the Coburg
Hills (L), is a trading center of farmers. In early days this was a
stopping place for travelers on the Territorial Road.
The McKenzie River, 110 772., was first explored by Donald Mc-
Kenzie of the Pacific Fur Company, who built a trading camp on the
bank in 1812. The route continues southward with devious windings
and crosses the Willamette River to meet US 99 (see TOUR 2b) in
EUGENE, 115.5 m. (see EUGENE).
Tour 2B
Junction US 99E Gervais St. Louis St. Paul Champoeg State
Park; 19.6 m. State 219 and unnumbered roads.
Macadamized road.
Few accommodations.
The route traverses French Prairie, the region where settlement and
government began. In this section Oregon's earliest farmers, retired
trappers of the Hudson's Bay Company, established farms; here came
the early Methodist missionaries and Catholic fathers. Wagon train
immigrants settled on donation land claims. In this area arose the first
low mutterings of discontent that presaged the establishment of the
Provisional Government at Champoeg on May 2, 1843*
TOUR 2B 337
The route branches north from US 99E, m. (see TOUR 20), at
a point 3.4 miles south of Woodburn, and runs across a flat prairie,
past well kept farmsteads with old time houses, orchards of prunes and
peaches, and acres of high-trellised hop vines to GERVAIS, 0.4 m.
(183 alt., 254 pop.), named for Joseph Gervais, a French-Canadian
nember of the Astor overland party that reached Oregon in 1811 (see
TOUR i a). Gervais remained at the Astoria post after the Pacific Fur
Company had sold it to the North West Company later amalgamated
n the Hudson's Bay Company.
About 1828 he retired from the service and McLoughlin permitted
Wm to settle in this valley though such settlements in fur country
iad not been permitted by the company. His claim was by the Willamette
River, several miles from this town. A number of his countrymen, all
former employees of the Hudson's Bay Company, were settling in the
jame area, which in time was called French Prairie. Dr. McLoughlin
ave out seed-wheat to the settlers on the promise that they would return
the same amount to him after the harvest. In his house was held the
'Wolf Meeting," the assembly that led to the formation of an Ameri-
:an local government.
The town of Gervais was established when the Oregon & California
Railroad, now the Southern Pacific, was built through the valley in
[868-72. The French-Canadian origin of the settlers is apparent in the
Dusiness signs bearing French names on many of the old stores. Two
foes and a shift of trade to larger centers has kept the village small.
ST. LOUIS STATION, 2.5 m., is the Oregon Electric Railway
stop for ST. LOUIS, 3. m. (180 alt., 50 pop.), which grew up about
he Roman Catholic church established by Father Vercruisse in 1846.
The settlement consists of a church, a parish house, a parish school,
md a handful of scatteied houses. In the old cemetery is the GRAVE
DF MARIE DORION, who accompanied the Astor overland party
)f 1811 (see TOUR la). According to an early description, she was a
:all, dignified, and strikingly handsome woman of much character.
At 4.2 m. the route turns R. on State 219,
ST. PAUL, 12.3 m. (168 alt., 148 pop.), was settled by retired
Hudson's Bay trappers and their Indian wives in the late 1830*3. In
1839 the Reverend Francis Norbett Blanchet established a Roman
Catholic church here which he served until 1845, when he became
Bishop of the Archdiocese with headquarters in Oregon City. The
settlers had built a chapel here in 1836; a remnant of this structure
remains, as does a grapevine early planted by the Jesuits. The ST.
PAUL ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH built in 1846 was en-
larged on Victorian Gothic lines in 1898. Some of the bricks used in
ihe building were made by the Blanchet party from clay taken from a
sit still visible to the rear of the church.
In the ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY, on the outskirts of
:he town were buried Archbishop Blanchet, Dr, William J. Bailey, an
;arly physician, and Etienne Lucier, first settler on French Prairie.
At 16*3 m. R. on a paved road to the Champoeg Park lane, 18.5 m. \
338 OREGON
L. here to the entrance to CHAMPOEG MEMORIAL STATE
PARK, 18.8 m. f covering the site of the first settlement in the Wil-
lamette Valley. A little log museum not far from the entrance holds
Indian and pioneer relics.
Here when the whites arrived in Oregon was an Indian village at a
place called Cham-poo-ick because of an edible plant growing in
abundance. The village was headquarters of the local chieftain and the
point where the scattered tribesmen gathered several times a year before
setting off on expeditions to spear salmon and hunt. For this reason
William Wallace and J. C. Halsey came down from Astoria in 1811
and established a crude trading post for the Pacific Fur Company. It
was named Fort Wallace. After the North West Company bought out
the Astor holdings in Oregon it continued to maintain this post, and in
1813 Alexander Henry came here to visit his nephew, William Henry,
who was then in charge. After the North West Company was absorbed
into the Hudson's Bay Company and Dr. John McLoughlin was made
Chief Factor of the Department of the Columbia, the post was some-
what expanded. McLoughlin had been ordered to make his posts more or
less self-sufficient, so he started some grain growing in the neighbor-
hood and continued to ignore the rule against permitting settlement in
the fur territory by retiring trappers. These trappers wanted to remain
because they had made contract marriages with local Indian women.
Gradually the number of half-breed children in the valley increased but
McLoughlin asked his company in vain for teachers and clergymen.
When Jason Lee arrived in the Columbia Valley in 1834 with the an-
nouncement that he was going to establish a mission on the upper
Columbia among the Flatheads, McLoughlin deflected him southward,
partly in an attempt to keep Americans as far south of the Columbia
as possible and partly from a sincere desire to give his charges some
spiritual leadership. But since the French-Canadians were Roman Cath-
olics and Methodism did not appeal to them, Lee turned his attention
to valley Indians. It was several years before a priest arrived to estab-
lish a mission here.
In the meantime the number of buildings at Champoeg along what
was gaily called Boulevard Napoleon continued to increase and this
became one of the chief settlements of the valley. The post had been
rechristened Fort Champooick a name later corrupted.
Though the number of Indian converts was very small the number
of Methodist missionaries in the valley continued to increase. In time
Dr. McLoughlin became aware that the Americans were taking con-
siderably more interest in laying claims to land than in saving souls,
One non-missionary in the valley was Ewing Young, who had arrived
in 1834 and had later helped bring cattle to the valley from California,
part of them for himself and part for the Hudson's Bay Company.
Such government as existed in the territory was company laws; the
Hudson's Bay Company had held complete feudal rights in the lands
where it first operated and had worked out a series of rules under
which its employees lived. Each chief factor served as both judge and
TOUR 2B 339
jury in his district and onlv those accused of serious crimes were sent
east across Canada for trial and judgment The difficulty in the Oregon
country was that^no nation held title to it; treaties several times renewed
between the United States and Great Britain and the renunciation of
claims by other countries had left the region open to "joint occupation"
by the United States and Great Britain. The American missionaries
refused to accept the rulings of the Hudson's Bay Company, which was
in actual occupation of the country for Britain and acting as Britain's
legal agent. Hudson's Bay employees, and former employees who had
settled in the valley far outnumbered the Americans, of whom there
weie less than 250 in all Oregon. Nonetheless, the Americans were in-
creasing then demands that their government "seize" the territory and
that an American government be set up.
This was the situation in 1841 when Ewing Young died leaving
considerable cattle and some other property but no heirs. Various people
looked with envy on the valuable cattle but were not sure how they
could acquire them.
A meeting was finally called by the Americans and an executor to the
Young estate was appointed. Meanwhile Young's stock ran wild in the
Chehalem Valley and wolves and panthers were soon attracted by the
easy prey. The marauding beasts gradually grew bolder in approaching
the central Willamette settlements; cows, calves, and colts were killed.
The settlers finally called what came to be known as the first "Wolf
Meeting." It met at the Oregon Institute on February 2, 1843; it was
agreed that each person present should be assessed $5 to pay bounties on
all wolves, lynxes, bears, and panthers killed. French-Canadians as well
as citizens of the United States attended. At a second "Wolf Meeting,'*
held at the home of Joseph Gervais on March 6, the real intent of
many was revealed, a resolution being unanimously adopted for the ap-
pointment of a committee of twelve to "take into consideration the
piopriety of taking measures for civil and military protection of this
colony."
That meeting took place on May a, in the office corner of the local
Hudson's Bay Company warehouse. Many of the British subjects had
attended with the idea that this was merely another "Wolf Meeting" to
further organize protection. As soon as they became aware of the true
purpose the resolution was voted down and most of the French-Cana-
dians withdrew. Employees of the company were indignant over the use
of the warehouse for what they considered seditious purposes and the
Americans withdrew to a nearby field. There was much talk of inalien-
able rights, of loyalty to the Hudson's Bay Company whose factor had
made numerous grants of credit to the Americans. Then big Joe Meek,
the trapper, shouted enthusiastically, "Who's for a divide? All in
favor of the report and an organization follow me." Legend records
that when the milling had ceased 50 men were on Meek's side of the
field, 50 on the other, with two men undecided. These were Etienne
Lucier and his friend, F* X* Matthieu, both French-Canadians. Lucier
hesitated because someone had told him that should the United States
340 OREGON
Government come into control here it would tax the windows in his
house. Matthieu, who then lived with Lucier, argued convincingly other-
wise, and in the end the pair took their position with those favoring
organization. Though many had already refused to participate and had
withdrawn, it was concluded "a majority" had decided for local gov-
ernment. The report of the committee was then disposed of article by
article and a number of officers chosen. Nine Americans were named to
act as a committee that would draw up a program of government.
When the legislative committee made its first report at a mass meet-
ing at Willamette Falls (Oregon City) on July 5, it created four "leg-
islative" districts, Champooick, one of them, had Champoeg settlement
as its judicial center. On the east the district ran to the Rocky Moun-
tains, and included much of what later became Idaho, and parts of
Montana and Wyoming.
The commercial importance of this settlement, through its three
decades of existence, was large. According to a report to the Hudson's
Bay Company made by Peter Skene Ogden and James Douglas, the
physical investment in 1847, amounted to 1700 sterling. But property
values were booming. When the company withdrew from American
territory in 1852 it demanded twice that amount for loss of the property.
There were two fires in the community in the 1850'$. A store occu-
pied by two Germans but owned by Ed. Dupuis, was burned in Sep-
tember, 1851, and about $7,000 worth of goods were ruined. In 1853,
again in September, fire demolished the new dwelling of Dr. Bailey.
Only the doctor's stock of medicines was saved from the house, and
that only briefly because soon afterwards a runaway horse trampled
them in the yard where they had been deposited.
A glorious Fourth of July celebration was held here in 1854. In the
forenoon a procession formed in the town's center and marched to the
house of Ed. Dupuis, where Dr. Edward Shiel read the Declaration of
Independence. Later, the Salem Statesman said, "the celebrants enjoyed
a sumptuous dinner . , . given beneath the roof where the first celebra-
tion took place in Oregon, and where the first laws * . . were enacted.
After dinner the guests proceeded on a pleasure excursion, three miles
up the river, on board the steamer Fenix" Back at Champoeg, toasts,
loudly cheered by voice and the shooting of firearms, concluded the
program, and the Fenix drew six rousing cheers as it departed for
Canemah and Oregon City*
During November 1861, the whole Willamette Valley experienced
heavy rains and in December the river flooded the lowlands here and
elsewhere. The waters rose so fast that many of the residents were
trapped in their homes and stores and had to be rescued by men in
rowboats. Gradually even the heavy hewn timbers of the warehouse
loosened and were swept away. Two saloons on the high south side of
town were the only buildings that remained, The town was never
rebuilt.
In 1900 the Governor of Oregon and the secretary of the Oregon
Historical Society, with the aid of the last survivor of the Charapoeg
TOUR 2B 341
meeting, Francois Xavier Matthieu, made a trip to determine the site
and the state legislature in 1901 designated 107 acres here as a state
park. The names of the men who were believed, on best authoiity, to
have been among the 52 who voted for the establishment of a pro-
visional government, are engraved on a granite shaft marking the alleged
site of the meeting.
Tour 2C
Salem Rickreall Dallas Junction with State 18; 29.7 m. State 22.
Paved road.
Tourist camps at convenient points; hotels in Salem and Dallas.
State 22 crosses the farms and orchards of the Willamette and Rick-
reall valley and passes over hills between the tributaries of the Yamhill
River, to meet State 18, the Salmon River cut-off a mile south of Willa-
mina.
Branching west from US 99E at SALEM (see TOUR 2a) 772.
State 22 crosses the Willamette River, 0.4 m,, on an arched span that
affords an excellent view of the river. Occasionally a river boat, sur-
vivor of the fleet that once plied the Willamette, approaches or leaves
the wharf (L) near the Salem end of the bridge. On summer days the
river is dotted with canoes and small boats (available near wharf, 2Sc
an hour).
WEST SALEM, 0*8 m. (140 alt., 974 pop.), does lumbering and
prepares maraschino cherries. (Tourist camp for trailers). West Salem
is at the junction with State 221 (see TOUR 10).
West of the Willamette, State 22 passes through orchards, hopfields,
and berry farms, and curves between the river and (R) the encroach-
ing Eoia Hills.
HOLM AN STATE PARK (R), 4 m., is a tract of woods on a
hillside, with spring water piped to the roadside.
EOLA, 4.5 m.> was first called Cincinnati because of a fancied re-
semblance of the site to that of Cincinnati, Ohio* In early days it lost
a bid to be made the state capital by two votes. With its chance for
expansion checked the town in 1856 changed its name to Eola, derived
from Aeolus, Greek god of the winds. The once prosperous community
waned in importance with the growth of Salem, its successful rival.
The HOUSE OF L J. PATTERSON, governor of Oregon from
1927 to 1929, is (R) at 4,9 m.
342 OREGON
OAK KNOLL GOLF COURSE (R), 6.6 m. t is a nine-hole public
course {greens fee 5Oc).
The La Creole River is visible (L) at 7 m. Many insist that the
river should be called Rich call, that it was so called by the Indians in
the days when they dug camas bulbs along its banks. Others insist that
La Creole was the name used by French-Canadians in memory of an
Indian girl who was drowned in it As a compiomise, the stream is
called La Creole River below Dallas and La Cieole Creek at Dallas
and Rickreall above it.
The NESMITH HOUSE, (private), 8.8 m., was the eaily home of
Col. James W. Nesmith, who served in the U. S. Senate during the
Civil Wan The structure, built m the i85o's, has been alteied many
times and has probably lost much of its original appearance.
At RICKREALL, 10.2 m. (210 alt., 127 pop.), is a junction with
US 99W (see TOUR 10).
DALLAS, 14.4 m. (340 alt., 2,975 PP-)> on &e banks of La Creole
Creek, was settled in the 1840'$ and was at first named Cynthia Ann,
for Mis. Jesse Applegate, wife of the trail-maker (see TOUR zb),
but this was later shortened to Cynthian. The present name honors
George Mifflin Dallas, Vice President of United States during Folk's
administration. The first building in the settlement was La Creole
Academic Institute, later called La Creole Academy.
The earliest business center was on the north bank of the creek,
but after a successful contest with Independence for the court house of
Polk County, during which the citizens raised $17,000 to build a nanow
gauge railroad to the town as an inducement, the center of affairs
shifted to the south bank. The court house was built on the flat land
there and the town was platted around the court house plaza.
One of the earliest woolen mills of the state was established here in
1856, and a short time later an iron foundry was built. Since early
Jays, however, lumbering has been the industrial mainstay of the sur-
rounding region and the town sawmills yearly prepare great quantities
of lumber for shipment. There aie also prune-drying and packing plants
here, providing seasonal work for hundreds.
i. Left from Dallas, 0.4 m* t on the Ellendale Road to (L) the JOHN E.
LYLE HOUSE, an excellent example of pioneer Oregon architecture. Built in
1858, the house is in good condition in its grove of tall trees. It is a *torv and a
half frame structure with an unusually high gabled roof. An equally high gable,
with even steeper slope, breaks the front of the roof and forms the usual pedi-
ment of a one-story portico with four square columns,
ELLENDALE, 2.5 m. t a deserted town, developed around a grist mill built
here in 1844 by James A. O'Neal (see Mow). It was first called O'Neal's Mills
and later Nesmith's Mills. Near his mill O'Neal eiected a store and living quar-
ters, and before long a postoffice was opened. But in 1849 the mil! was sold to
James W. Nesmith and Henry Owen, who in turn, four years later sold it to
Hudsons & Company, In announcing the purchase of "the flouring mills and con-
tents . , , M in the Oregon Statesman for July 19, 1853, t^e ncw ^ rm assured its
prospective customers that it was prepared to ''furnish flour of the tfrtf quality
to miners and the country trade"; that it had completed "arrawmcnts whereby
fresh stocks of merchandise would be received by boat from San Francisco twice
TOUR 2C 343
monthly"; and that it was the intention of the firm to have its "upright and
circular sa\vmill" in operation by October.
To keep the latter pledge, Ezra Hallock and Luther Tuthill in 1854 built a
dam a mile above the grist mill and there built the sawmill. It was the only
mill of the kind for miles around and people flocked to see it. Part of the equip-
ment was the only planer in that section of Oregon, all lumber having previously
been dressed by hand; its installation proved a master stroke of enterprise^ on
the part of the mill, which furnished much of the lumber for many of the build-
ings still m the neighborhood.
In the early i86o's, Judge Reuben P. Boise, one of the outstanding members
of the Oregon bar, and several others bought the mill and incorporated them-
selves as the Ellendale Woolen Mill Company, rebuilt the building, installed
new machinery, and constructed a boarding house and other dwellings for mill
employes. Ellendale, rechristened in honor of Mrs. Ellen Lyon Boise, rapidly
grew into a busy village.
The small white building (R) was used as SLAVE QUARTERS for negroes
belonging to one of the mill owners before the Civil War. The long, low house
(L), was the old store and boarding house.
2. Left from Dallas, 11.7 m., on State 223 to LEWISVILLE; in the HART
CEMETERY nearby is the GRAVE OF JAMES A. O'NEAL (see aboyt), who
came to Oregon with the Wyeth party in 1834, and who served as chairman of
the second "wolf meeting," held on March 6, 1843 (see TOUR 28), and as
member of the legislative committee appointed by the meeting.
At 12.3 m. on State 223 is a junction with a graveled road; on this road
3 m. to AIRLIE (40 pop.), named for the Earl of Airlie, president of the syn-
dicate of Scotch business men who bought the narrow gauge railroad built by
the people of Yamhill County and in 1881 extended it to this point.
KING'S VALLEY, 22 m. (325 alt, 129 pop.), was named for Nahum King
who settled here in 1847. The town developed about a flouring mill established
in 1853 and still in use. The KING HOUSE, built in 1852, is one of the best
preserved houses in the state.
At 22.3 m. on State 223 is a junction with a graveled road; R. here 2 m.
to the CHAMBERS GRIST MILL, built by Rowland Chambers in 1853. The
original wheel and several of the feed-grinders are still in use. The^power for
the mill is furnished by the Luckiamute River, named for the Lakmiut, a sub-
division of the Calapooya Indians, who made their homes on its banks.
On State 223 at 24.3 m. is the junction with a graveled road; R. here 1,5 m. t
to HOSKINS, a crossroads with a store, near which is the SITE OF FORT
HOSKINS (R), named for Lieutenant Hoskins, who was killed in the battle of
Monterey during the Mexican War. It was established in 1856 and built under
the supervision of Lieut. Phil Sheridan to protect the settlers and to prevent the
Indiana penned up in the Coast Reservation from invading the valley. About
150 men were stationed here. The site commands a wide view of the valley.
In Hoskins is the JAMES WATSON HOUSE built in the early fifties. It is
said to have been the first plastered house in the state.
State 22 turns north at Dallas and passes through prune and ^cherry
orchards and over low hills covered with scrub oak. It was in this
vicinity that the Applegates (see TOUR zb} Charles, Lindsay, and
Jesse settled in 1844 and laid out their mile-square claims. The GER-
MAN BAPTIST CHURCH, (R), 19,7 ., is near the SITE OF
JESSE APPLEGATE'S CABIN, where the first articles of the Ore-
gon unofficial government were revised.
In an old INDIAN BURIAL GROUND (R), 20.7 m. now a
pasture many Indian relics have been found.
At MILL CREEK, 24*6 m., is the junction with the graveled Mill
Creek road*
344 OREGON
Left here to the CRUIKSHANK FARM (private), 0.2 m. where Madame
Ernestine Schumann-Heink came to live for a time to rest after a strenuous
concert tour abroad.
At BUELL, 25.2 m. (379 alt., 83 pop.), is a chapel erected in 1860.
WALLACE BRIDGE, 29.4 m. f over the South Yamhill River, is
at the junction with State 18 (see TOUR loA).
Tour 2D
Albany Corvallis Philomath Toledo Newport; 67.8 m. State 26.
Yaquina Branch of Southern Pacific Railroad roughly parallels route.
Paved road.
Hotels and tourist camps.
This route follows the west bank of the Willamette River through
a fertile farming district between Albany and Corvallis. West of Cor-
vallis it enters the foothills of the Coast Range, passes to the north of
Marys Peak, and over the range to the coast. The route is an important
link between US 99E and US 99W and between mid-Willamette Valley
towns and Pacific Ocean beaches. The first road over this route was
built along an old Indian trail, and a stage route established between
Corvallis and Yaquina Bay in 1866.
State 26 branches westward from US 99E in ALBANY (see
TOUR 2<a), m. f and crosses a modern bridge over the Willamette
River. Near the west end of the bridge is the nine-hole BRIDGEWAY
GOLF COURSE (greens fee 50 cents) , 0.3 m.
The W. C. T. U. CHILDREN'S FARM HOME (L), 6.8 m. f
consists of 285 acres of land with numerous cottages and other buildings.
A modern school building has been constructed.
CORVALLIS, 10.5 m. (230 alt., 7,585 pop.), (M CORVALLIS).
Points of Interest-. Benton County Court House, site of territorial
capitol, City Park, Old Mill Stones, Haman Lewis House, Oregon
State Agricultural College.
Corvallis is at the junction with US 99 W (see TOUR 10).
p HANSON'S POULTRY FARM (R), 12,5 m. f is noted for indi-
vidual, pen, and flock production records. Hanson's White Leghorns
have set many world's records for egg production. The poultry farm
cooperates with Oregon State College in experimentation with poultry
housing and feeding*
TOUR 2 D 345
At 13*6 m. is the junction with a gravel road.
Left on this road 0.4 m. to PLYMOUTH CHURCH and COMMUNITY
CENTER, an essay in neighborly cooperation. Church and social gatherings, in
which the entire neighborhood takes part, are held periodically at the community
center. The same spirit of cooperative effort extends to the planting and harvest-
ing of crops so that there is no need of hired help to accomplish needed work.
PHILOMATH (gr. lover of learning), 16.3 m. (279 alt., 694
pop.), received its name from Philomath College, chartered in 1865 by
the United Brethren Church as a coeducational institution devoted to
the liberal arts and ministerial training. The college held an important
place in the educational economy of the state for two generations. The
influence of the school was not at all lessened by the positive character of
its moral and religious instruction. Professor Henry Sheak, who was
connected with the college for most of its existence, was noted as the
"Father of Local Option" in Oregon. Competition with state-endowed
institutions and inadequate financial support forced the abolition of the
college in June, 1929. The buildings and campus are (R) at the western
edge of town.
Sponsors of Philomath College discouraged the establishment of fac-
tories, as it was feared that the moral tone of the community would be
lowered by the influx of an industrial population. The town grew up
about the college and drew its support from the agricultural and lum-
bering activities of the adjacent district. Recent attempts to establish
processing plants for fruits, vegetables and milk have not been successful.
The Benton County Review, the only newspaper in the county outside
Corvallis, was established in 1904 and is still published weekly. A resi-
dent of Philomath for a number of years was Dennis H. Stovall, author
of numerous children's stones.
PHILOMATH JUNCTION, 17.3 m. f is the site of a small saw-
mill, tourist camp, and service station. Here is the junction with
State 34 (see TOUR 2#).
West of Philomath Junction the route closely parallels the Newport
Branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad. This line was built in the
early i88o's under the name of the Oregon Pacific Railroad and was
originally intended to extend from deep water at Yaquina Bay (see
TOUR 3*z) eastward across the Coast Range, the Cascade Range, and
the high desert to a junction with the Oregon Short Line on the Snake
River near Ontario (see TOUR la). In 1859 according to Dennis
Stovall, Jerry Henkle led a party to the coast near Newport (see below)
and "on their return to the valley the Henkle party blazed the trail
that later became the main traveled highway into the Yaquina Bay
Country. In the early sixties Congress granted lands to the "Corvallis
and Acquinna Bay Military Wagon Road Company" incorporated in
1863 with a capital stock of $5,ooo. Eight years later the stock was in-
creased to $300,000. It was operated as a toll road. In 1872, CoL T*
Egenton Hogg incorporated the Corvallis and Yaquina Railroad Com-
pany. The first train over the new road, rechristened the Oregon Pacific,
was in March, 1885; and connections with steamers from Yaquina Bay
346 OREGON
to San Francisco began on September 14 of the same year. The line now
is used only as a freight feeder for the Southern Pacific.
At 18.2 m. is a crossing of Marys River, said to have been named in
1846 for Mary Lloyd, the first white woman to ford the stream. West
of this point the highway follows this stream to the summit of the Coast
Range, crossing it numeious times.
At 19.1 m. is the junction with the gravel Wood Creek Road.
Left on this road along Wood Creek to a trail at 8.6 m , leading (L) to the
top of MARYS PEAK, 11.6 m. (4,097 alt.), the highest point in the Coast
Range. The peak is in the Siuslaw National Forest, the area around the moun-
tain was recently increased by purchase of 8,000 acres. Corvalhs owns several
hundred acres on the east slope, as protection for water supply. From the crest
the Pacific Ocean is visible beyond the seaward foothills. The Indians called
the mountain Chintnnini; it received its present name from the same source as
Marys River.
At 21 m. is the junction with graveled Kings Valley Road (see
TOUR aC).
BLODGETT, 27 m. (633 alt, 12 pop,), a sawmill hamlet on the
banks of the Marys River, was first named Emerick when established in
1888, but shortly thereafter the name was changed to honor William
Blodgett, a pioneer settler. West of the SUMMIT, 35.7 m. (804
alt.), the highway follows Little Elk Creek through narrow canyons
to the Yaquina River.
EDDYVILLE, 43.4 m. (92 alt., 41 pop.), is at the confluence of
the Little Elk Creek and the Yaquina River. These streams afford ex-
cellent angling.
At 51.4 m. is the junction with a gravel road.
Left on this road to ELK CITY, 5.1 m. (16 alt, 43 pop.), a point of depar-
ture for hunting and fishing parties. It was platted in 1868 by A, Newton, the
first town in the piesent confines of Lincoln County, and \vas named for the
herds of elk roaming the region. The first settlement at Elk City \v as made by the
Corvallis and Yaquina Bay Wagon Road Company, who erected a warehouse
here in 1866, This is ordinarily the head of small-boat navigation on the Yaquina
River. Here was the overland terminus of the stage and mail route, the rest of
the distance to the bay being by water. During the major active period of the
Oregon Pacific Railroad, Elk City flourished as an important point on the route,
but as the railroad declined so did the town,
PIONEER MOUNTAIN, 54.3 m. (423 alt.), commands a wide
view of the Pacific Ocean. From the summit the highway descends
through a heavily wooded canyon into a widening tide-land valley.
TOLEDO, 60 m. (64 alt, 2,137 pop.), seat of Lincoln County, was
named by Joseph D. Graham, son of an early pioneer, for Toledo, Ohio,
The first post office was established in 1868 and the town grew slowly
until 1917, when the Federal government established a gigantic spruce
production plant here to supply lumber for airplane building for the
World Wan During this period, 1,500 men of the famous "Spruce
Division" were stationed in Toledo, engaged in cutting spruce. At the
end of the war, the plant was sold to piivate interests* It is the largest
spruce mill in the world, with a capacity of 400,000 board feet every
TOUR 2D 347
eight hours, employing in normal times an average of 400 men* Other
Toledo mills also manufacture lumber and its by-products.
At 60.7 772. the road crosses the tide flats, winding between low hills
covered with dense forests of spruce, fir, and hemlock.
At 65.7 m. from an elevated point, Yaquina Bay, an arm of the Pacific
Ocean, is visible in the distance.
At NEWPORT, 67.8 m. (134 alt, 1,530 pop.), State 26 forms a
junction with US 101 (see TOUR $a).
Tour 2E
Philomath Junction Alsea Waldport; 59.1 m. State 34.
Asphalt or rock-surfaced road.
Hotels at Alsea and Waldport; some tourist camps along route.
State 34 is a link between the Willamette Valley and the rugged
central Oregon coast. It climbs the heights of the Coast Range and after
crossing the summit, follows the Alsea River to Waldport The high-
way borders tnbutaries of Marys River and Crooked Creek into the
Alsea Valley, where it swings around the base of Digger Mountain and
passes through narrow defiles to the sea. The territory traversed was
originally hunting and fishing grounds of the Alsea Indians, who were
removed to the Siletz Reservation. Apparently, they had camped within
the area for many years, for excavators of Alsea Indian fishing camps
have found as many as 20 tiers of their shell mounds. The old Alsea
wagon road ended at the head of the Alsea Valley, from which tiails
led over the mountains into the Tidewater district.
State 34 branches southeastward from State 26 at PHILOMATH
JUNCTION, m. (see TOUR 2D) and crosses Marys River on one
of the covered budges frequently found spanning Oregon stieams.
West of ROCK CREEK, 4 m., the highway begins the ascent of
Alsea Mountain. Sparse growths of yew, cedar, and mountain laurel
appear among the stands of pines, alders and maples. The Oiegon yew
found on these slopes is considered by aichers as an excellent wood for
bow making* On the side of the mountain (L) are the ruts of the old
wagon road over which the teams of pioneers toiled on their arduous
journeys to Alsea Valley (see below},
The summit of ALSEA MOUNTAIN, 9.7 m. (1,403 alt), over-
looks a splendid panorama of peaks and canyons. West of the summit
348 OREGON
State 34 winds down the mountain through fire-scarred forests to YEW
CREEK CAMP, 13.4 m. (trout fishing; cabins).
The ALSEA STATE TROUT HATCHERY (L), 15.6 m., one
of the largest on the coast, propagates cuttrnoat trout, chiefly for the
replenishment of mountain streams.
Westward the valley widens and small farms bolder the roads.
Mountain balm trees, peculiar to this section, appear on the hillsides
among the firs and pines. The mountains around the Alsea Valley are
frequented by numerous game animals. The blacktailed Columbian deer
is often encountered; formerly there were also many white-tailed deer
and elk, or wapiti. Other animals in the region aie the black or cinna-
mon bear, and less often the cougar, the lynx, and the bob-cat.
One of the first white settlers of the Alsea Valley was Edward
Winkle. An early writer has pictured him as he appealed "with mocca-
sins on his feet, his ever-present trusty rifle on his shoulder and butcher-
knife in belt. Whither his inclination led him there he went, through
mountain passes without regard to road 01 trail, always depending upon
his weapon for food." It is iclated that upon one occasion, in order to
attack a bear bayed by his faithful dog, it became necessary to crawl
under the brush for some distance and finally to pass under a log. As
he straightened from his prone position he found himself face to face
with Bruin, who struck him on the bieast, tore off his clothing and
lacerated his flesh. His dog came to the rescue and the bear, turning
upon him was about to end his caieer when Winkle closed in with his
knife and fought the bear hand to hand to the death. Man and dog were
barely able to creep to theii cabin, where they*both lay for several days
before help came to them.
ALSEA, 18.7 m. (244 alt, 100 pop.), is in a broadened section of
the Alsea Valley, at the confluence of the North and South Forks of
the Alsea River. The first settlers arrived in the valley in 1852 and
late that year the Ryecraft brothers opened the fiist farm. The town is
the only commercial center in the valley whose important industry is
lumbering. It is a rendezvous for fishermen seeking steclhcad and trout
in the Alsea and its tributaries, and for deer hunters in the fall.
The highway crosses the eastern boundary of the SIUSLAW PRO-
TECTIVE AREA at 19.7 m. Although this heavily wooded aica is not
in a national forest it is under the administration of the forest service.
ALSEA GUARD STATION, on Mill Cieek, is at 20 m. Mill Creek
was named for the Lone Star Flouring Mills, foimerly situated at the
confluence of the creek and the Alsea Riven
At 25 m. the highway crowds between the river and DIGGER
MOUNTAIN, for many years a barrier to travel. Digger Creek is
crossed at 30.5 m. MISSOURI BEND, 31.5 nt., was so named for
the Missouri settlers who first farmed this section of the Alsea Valley,
The eastern boundary of the SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST
is crossed at 32,4 m.
BEAR CREEK LODGE, 33,7 m., a mountain inn, is near Bear
TOUR 2 E 349
Creek Bridge. At the STATE FISH HATCHERY, 46.8 m. t are
propagated steelhead and cutthroat trout.
At TIDEWATER, 48.5 m., the river widens into an estuary, salt
waters mingling with the fresh. In season there is much trolling for
salmon at this point. In this region the Alsea River formerly comprised
the northern boundary of the Alsea Indian Reservation, with head-
quarters at Agency Farm near Yachats (see TOUR 36). David D.
Pagan's History of Benton County records: "When the white men
began to settle in the Alsea district they found there the remnants of
three tribes : the * Alseas' by the bay and on the coast, a people of fishers ;
the 'Klickitats' who hunted m the woods and over the mountains to
the south; and the 'Drift Creek Indians' whose homes were scatteied
through the heavy timber round Table Mountain and on the streams
heading thereabouts, to the east and northeast of Alsea. Though gener-
ally at enmity with each other yet there were times when, feuds laid
aside, the hunting tribes visited their neighbors by the ocean in peace,
bringing with them the spoils of the chase to exchange for the sea fish
and shell fish of the Alseas. Then fires were lighted and feasting and
jollity went on day after day together." The Alsea tribe was called
"salt water" or "salt chuck" Indians.
The first settler m the lower Alsea was G. W. Collins who came in
1860 as Indian agent foi the sub-agency of the Alsea Indian Reservation.
WALDPORT, 59.1 m. (20 alt., 367 pop.), on the south shore of
Alsea Bay is at the junction with US 101 (see TOUR 3#).
Tour 2F
Junction with US 99 Cheshire Blachly Swisshome Mapleton
Cushman Florence; 67.5 m. State 36.
Southern Pacific Railroad branch parallels State 36 between Swisshome and
Cushman.
Paved road.
Accommodations scant; tourist camps.
State 36 is one of the ten highways that link the interior valleys to
the Pacific Ocean beaches. Fur traders and emigrants blazed the old
trail now followed by the highway in its winding course from the Wil-
lamette Valley over the Coast Range to tidewater.
State 36 branches westward from the junction with US 99 (see
TOUR 2<z)> m. t at a point 1.8 miles south of Junction City and
35O OREGON
follows the shallow valley of Bear Creek between vineyards, orchards,
hopyards and berry fields into the foothills.
CHESHIRE, 3.9 m. (323 alt., 33.PP-)> on the Corvallis-Eugene
spur of the Southern Pacific Railroad, is a shipping point for the fertile
Bear Creek Valley. West of Cheshire beyond a low divide is a branch
of the Long Tom River. In his Journal of a trip from Fort Vancouver
to the Umpqua in 1834, Hudson's Bay factor, John Work, spoke of the
river both as the Sam Tomleaf River and as the LamitambufT. Douglas
in his Journals called it the "Longtabuff River" and Wjlkes' Narrative
has "Lumtumbuff." At the head of the branch is the LOW PASS
(1,173 alt.), 19.4 m., and a descent into the Lake Creek Valley.
BLACHLY, 22,4 m. (690 alt., 12 pop.), is a small cross-roads
village with a grange, church and Union High school seiving the agri-
cultural population of the mountain-hemmed valley. There is excellent
angling for cutthroat, rainbow, and Eastern brook trout in the streams
of the vicinity. The encroaching mountains give covert to deer and
other game.
TRIANGLE LAKE, 25.5 m., is about a squaie mile in area formed
by a fault across Lake Creek. The outlet is a waterfall over the pre-
cipitous ledge. Along the western shore of this small wedge-shaped lake
are recreational resorts for dwellers of the upper Willamette Valley
region.
The eastern boundary of the SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST is
crossed at 39.4 m. t an area of green forest growth, the inteistices crowd-
ed with underbrush characteristic of the coast region.
SWISSHOME, 44.8 m. (118 alt., 50 pop.), so named because its
early settlers came from Switzerland, is a small agricultural settlement
at the confluence of Lake Creek and the Smslaw River. "Yangawa" is
the name that John Woik gave this river \vhen he crossed it in 1834.
Cascara trees grow abundantly in the Siuslaw Valley. The peeling
and drying of the bark has become a small industry in western Oregon.
The bark is stripped from the trees in the spring when there is an
abundant flow of sap; after it has been dried in the sun it is hauled to
urban centers for sale.
West of Swisshome the Siuslaw River threads a devious course
through the Coast Mountains, widens as it nears the sea, and flows
between rich alluvial fields, dairy pastures, and goat ranches.
MAPLETON, 53 772. (17 alt, 130 pop.), head of deep-water navi-
gation on the Siuslaw River, is a shipping and marketing center for a
prosperous region. The town is a mecca for anglers who troll for Chi-
nook and silversides salmon or cast for steel heads and cutthroats. The
U- S. Forest Service maintains a ranger station at this point
On December 22, 1888, Captain W. W. Young made a preliminary
examination of the Siuslaw according to the river and harbor act of
August ii, 1888, stating that the river and harbor were worthy of im-
provement The timber is "so extensive that even at $1.00 per thousand
feet the saving would amount to a sum greater than the cost of improv-
ing the entrance*"
TOUR 2F 351
Continued recognition of the Siuslaw was given by the introduction
of bills by Senator Mitchell and Congressman Hermann to provide
$80,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at Heceta Head, eight miles
north of Florence.
In the fall of 1889 Mr, Hermann visited Eugene and promised to
exert his influence towards obtaining a life-saving station at the mouth
of the Siuslaw and the establishment of regular mail service between
Eugene and Florence.
Finally, on May 31, 1890, a dispatch from Hermann stated that
Congress had appropriated $50,000 for beginning a jetty at the mouth
of the river. Eleven months later the Representative announced that the
Siuslaw project was being prepared by the chief engineers.
Great indignation was aroused in Eugene in June 1891, when the
engmeeis* report stated that the Siuslaw was not worthy of improve-
ment at the time. Eugene citizens sent protests to Washington. In
August, Representative Hermann announced that the engineer had over-
estimated the cost. Shortly afterwards the work was ordered to com-
mence. This so thrilled George Melvin Miller, brother of the poet
Joaquin Miller, that he rode to Florence on hoiseback to deliver the
good news before the mail could bring it*
In the meantime, feeling was so intense against the engineei that the
citizens of Florence had him hung in effigy. Miller's arrival directed
their resentment to enthusiasm, but the remnants of the stuffed image
still swayed in the breeze.
CUSHMAN, 64.8 m. (23 alt., 145 pop.), maintains a complete
port organization, which controls its deep-sea commerce. Ocean boats
are often at its docks. The hills above the rich adjacent farm lands pro-
duce much valuable Port Orford cedar, a conifer noted for its beauty
and size, that grows naturally only m a narrow belt along the coast of
southern Oregon and northern California (see TOUR 3#).
FLORENCE, 67.5 m. (n alt., 339 pop.) (see TOUR 3#), is at
the junction with US 101 (see TOUR 3^).
Tour 2G
Drain Elkton Scottsburg Reedsport; 50.1 m. State 38.
Paved road.
Hotel at Elkton, auto camps at other convenient points*
State 38, a link between US 99 and US 101, follows Elk Creek to
the Umpqua River and closely parallels that stream westward. The
352 OREGON
name Umpqua, of Indian origin, has also been applied to the country
along the river, to the mountains, to forts, to towns, and to a forest
reserve. The Spanish navigator, Bartolome Ferrelo, is said to have
reached the mouth of the Umpqua in 1543 and some romanticists like to
believe, Sir Francis Drake sailed the Golden Hynde into the river and
there set ashore in the wilderness his Spanish pilot, Morera. This, how-
ever, probably took place faither south. Spanish archives record that in
1732 a ship disabled by severe weather entered the Umpqua, and
ascended it as far as the site of Scottsburg, where repairs were made.
Many trees were cut down and, the decayed stumps were seen by the
first white settlers, who were told by the Indians about the vessel that
had arrived there many years before, manned by white men with beaids.
The Hudson's Bay Company sent expeditions to the river early in the
century and in 1828 the trapper and explorer, Jedediah Strong Smith,
followed the river with a party of fur hunters that were almost anni-
hilated by the natives, three men only escaping (see TOUR 3^.)
Differing from other links between the interior and the sea coast,
State 38 passes through the Coast Range at an almost even water grade.
State 38 branches west from US 99 (see TOUR 2i) at DRAIN,
m. t and traverses an open valley with farms and dairies and then en-
teis^a region in which groves of scrub oak cover abiupt hills in a nar-
rowing valley.
A tunnel at 10,3 772. passes through a high headland in a loop of Elk
Creek. Directly above the tunnel is ELKTON TUNNEL STATE
PARK, as yet (1940) unimproved.
The site of ELKTON, 14 m. (140 alt., 90 pop.), early attracted
attention from white men. On the bank of the Umpqua in 1832 the
Hudson's Bay Company established a post perhaps as a result of Jede-
diah Smith's rich harvest of furs in this area. Having successfully re-
covered Smith's furs, Chief Factor McLoughlin had little fear that the
natives would repeat the attacks they had made on Smith's party. Like
other Hudson's Bay posts, this one had a substantial warehouse of hewn
slabs, a barn, and some small dwellings inside a large stockaded area.
As this was one of the smaller posts the traders made little attempt to
cultivate fields; beyond the raising of sufficient cattle and vegetables for
post needs, they busied themselves almost exclusively with furs. The
post was eventually abandoned, probably soon after 1850, when the
United States had contiol of the territory. In that year the Winchester
and Payne Company sent a boat, the Samuel Roberts, from San Fran-
cisco to the Umpqua to find a site for a town and also to prospect for
gold. An exploring expedition came up the river to this place, which was
considered but rejected. Then in 1854 the townsite was surveyed for
the establishment of the seat of Umpqua County. The first session of the
court was held in a woodshed and was presided over by young Matthew
P, Deady, who was later to become one of the leading jurists of the
state and notable for his promotion of education. In time the town
became the midway station of the Drain-Scottsburg stage route and the
appearance of the six-horse team was the leading event in local life.
TOUR 2C 353
Gradually the place dwindled in importance and at present is a small
trading village in the midst of the mountains.
West of Elkton the river is a succession of rapids, where in autumn
fishermen from many parts of the state gather for the salmon and steel-
head runs. In 1871 the steamer Enterprise made a trip as far as
SAWYER'S RAPIDS, 23.7 m. f but the channel was too shallow except
at flood time to make navigation inland possible.
Long Prairie is a narrow strip of bottom land eight or nine miles
long by the winding stream. It is hemmed in by partly timbered moun-
tains. Old orchards, trees draped with moss, mark it as the scene of
early settlement.
The valley abruptly narrows at 29.8 m. and winds through the Coast
Range between ridges timbered from water's edge to crest. The river
makes a long curve to the north, past the WELL CREEK GUARD
STATION, 31.5 m. A decided change in the character of vegetation
is noticed as the flora of the interior valleys gives way to that of the coast
regions. Instead of oak and Douglas fir, myrtle and round-topped chin-
quapin is seen, with its deep furrowed bark, leaves yellow and green,
and spiny nuts. Also seen are the smaller chittem (cascara sagrada) and
the lodge-pole pine sometimes straight as a lance, sometimes twisted and
stunted by wind.
SCOTTSBURG, 33.3 m. (46 alt., 105 pop.), at the head of naviga-
tion, was once the metropolis of southern Oregon. Founded in 1850 by
Levi Scott, who with the Applegates, opened the South Road across the
Cascades in 1846, it soon became a center of business activity. The dis-
covery of gold along the creeks and rivers of the Siskiyous in 1852
attracted throngs and Scottsburg immediately became an important out-
fitting point. Ships laden with food and other supplies for the miners
arrived from San Francisco and dwelling and business houses rose
quickly between the river and the hills. Long lines of pack-mules pawed
the dust of the street as they waited to start off on wilderness trails to
the camps. At the height of its piosperity, the town had 15 mercantile
establishments, a grist mill, and many saloons and gambling houses.
The Umpqua Gazette, first newspaper published in southern Oregon,
made its appearance here. The leading hotel was owned by the blind
Kentuckian, Daniel Lyon, who had wandered like a troubadour through
the gold camps, singing and playing a guitar, until he had accumulated
enough gold to purchase it. Every one with money stayed at Lyons'
Hotel, including "Fighting Joe" Hooker, then supervising construction
of a military road from Scottsburg into California, but later commander
of a Union army division. Lyons was assisted by a wife whom he had
met at the home of Henry Clay. She survived him, to see the end of
Scottsburg in 1861 after the mining excitement had subsided, when
Umpqua flood waters created great havoc
This LOWER TOWN, which was washed away, is now a dreary
stretch of brush and weed-covered sand.
West of Scottsburg the receding hills are covered with heavy stands
of Douglas fir, hemlock, and Sitka or tideland spruce. Near the coast
354 OREGON
are excellent stands of Port Orford cedar (see TOUR 3&). Groves
of Chegon myrtle or California laurel grace hills and valleys.
State 38 crosses the eastern boundary of the ELLIOTT STATE
FOREST, 35.1 m , a small tract, largely composed of second growth
Douglas fir. It is used as a forestry laboratory by the Oregon State
Agncultuial College.
BRANDY BAR (R), 35.3 m., an island in the river, received its
name when the schooner Samuel Roberts grounded here in the summer!
of 1850. The crew, waiting for the tide, started to while away the time
with a cask of brandy. The incensed captain heaved the casks overboard,
(Boating, fishing, and swimming).
MILL CREEK, 36*9 m. f is at the junction with a dirt road.
Left here to LOON LAKE, 6 m. (fishing and boating] , covering about 1,200
acres. This lake, discovered in 1852 and so named for the bird found heie in
abundance, was formed by a huge landslide that blocked Mill Creek Valley.
Other small lakes within this area are accessible by foot or on horseback over
well marked trails
West of Mill Creek is a region of tidal flows, farm lands, and low
green pastures belonging to dairymen.
West of CHARLOTTE CREEK, 39.5 m., for several miles the
road is cut into a rocky cliff. Canyons aie lush with the broad-leaved,
shrubby salal, and streamsides grow thick with red and amber salmon-
berry.
DEAN CREEK, 44,4 m., was named for two brotheis who settled
at its mouth in 1851. West of KOEPKE SLOUGH, 46 m. t State 38
follows a dike across lowlands. Into the wide flowing Umpqua, once
came many ships to load lumber, but fishing boats are now moi e numer-
ous. The waters teem with runs of salmon. Great blue herons live along
the shallows and on the waters are wide floating log booms upon which
cormorants perch at attention.
REEDSPORT, 50.1 m. (28 alt, 1,179 pop.) (w TOUR 3*}, is
the junction with US 101 (see TOUR 3*}.
Tour 2H
Coos Junction Ten Mile Camas Valley- Myrtle Point Coquille;
61.8 m. State 42.
Paved road. Pacific Greyhound stage*.
Standard accommodations*
State 42, an important link between US 99 and US 101, swings
sputhwestward in a great arc from the upper Umpqua Valley across
TOUR 2H 355
the Coast Range. It passes through the farming region of the foothills,
the forested hills around Camas Mountain Pass, and the green pastures
of the Coquille River Valley.
Branching southwestward from US 99 at COOS JUNCTION,
m, (534 alt.), State 42 leads across Lookingglass Valley, the greater
part of which is excellent farm land. Hoy B. Flournoy, who settled here
in 1850, was a member of a party of settlers who organized in Polk
County for the purpose of exploring southern Oregon. They went as
far south as Rogue River and the members were greatly impressed bv
the beauty of the little valley, which was so named because Flournov
thought the green giass appeared to reflect light like a mirror.
Lookingglass Valley is the setting for several chapters of Honey tn
the Horn, the 1936 Pulitzer Prize Novel, by H. L. Davis, although
for fictional purposes he placed it in eastern Oregon.
The first white settler in Lookingglass Valley was Daniel Huntley,
who came in the fall of 1851. For a time he and H. B. Flournoy were
the only settlers in a wide area of country. Milton and Joseph Huntley,
Robert Yates, and J. and E. Sheffield, settled in the valley in 1852. By
the fall of 1853, the whole valley was covered by donation land claims,
nine sections of plow land being quickly taken.
The country west of the South Umpqua, embracing Lookingglass,
Olalla, Ten Mile, and Camas, suffered considerably during the Indian
wars. In 1855 a band of 64 Umpqua Indians lived on Lookingglass
Creek, three miles below the present town of that name, supposedly
under the care of J. M. Arrington. They grew restless when hostilities
began further south, and fearing an attack, the white settlers organized
and struck the first blow on October 28, 1855 ; eight Indians were killed
and the others driven to the mountains. The fugitives joined the hostile
tribes on Rogue River, obtained reinforcements, and returned in De-
cember, 1855, to wreak vengeance upon the settlers. Houses were burned
and property destroyed from the South Umpqua to South Ten Mile.
The whites had united and were augmented by volunteers from various
localities, and met the Indians in the Battle of Olalla, in which James
Castleman was wounded, the only casualty suffered by the whites.
"Cow Creek Tom," one of the Indian chiefs, was killed and eight others
mortally wounded* The Indians were completely routed and the white
settlers recovered most of their stolen cattle.
In April, 1856, the settlers provided further protection for them*
selves, when, under authority of a proclamation issued by Gov. George
Law Curry, a company of 30 "Minute Men" was organized at the
schoolhouse in Lookingglass. David Williams was chosen captain, Wil-
liam H. Stark, first lieutenant, and William Cochran, first sergeant.
Outcroppings of coal were discovered in the early 1850'$ in the
vicinity of Lookingglass Prairie. James Turner* owner of the first
sawmill on Lookingglass Creek, and R. M. Gurney, made the first
discoveries.
BROCKWAY, 1.9 m. (524 alt, 62 pop.), is in a farming, fruit-
growing and stock-raising district. A post office here was formerly called
356 OREGON
Civil Bend) but was discontinued for a time, and, when re-established,
named in honor of B. B. Brockway, an early resident.
At 9.3 ra. is a junction with a dirt road.
Left on this road to OLALLA (Ind., 0-hl-y, berries), 1.7 m., a country settle-
ment, devoted to general farming. It is probable that the purple-flowered, native
salmonberry, a red or amber fruit resembling raspberries, was the reason that
the Indian word was applied to the town. The present name was given by the
Post Office Department.
TEN MILE, 9.4 m. (681 alt., 9 pop.), probably so named because
it was ten miles from Flournoy, is a former pioneer settlement m the
Lookingglass Valley. Ten Mile Valley, drained by Ten Mile and the
Olalla Creeks, was first settled about 1852 by John Byron.
The principal industries of Ten Mile Valley aie farming and stock-
raising, though a gold mine was operated on Olalla Creek about five
miles south of Ten Mile. Wells & Ireland formerly operated a grist
mill in the valley.
West of Ten Mile the ascent is rapid through a heavily forested
region of Douglas fir, sugar and yellow pine, spruce, cedar, hemlock and
yew, to the summit of the Coast Range at CAMAS MOUNTAIN
PASS, 14,9 m. (1,468 alt.). Each fall, in pioneer times, wagons heavily
loaded with wheat, creaked from the isolated mountain valleys over these
densely timbered slopes to the new settlement of Roseburg, then a long
day's journey.
CAMAS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (R), is a scenic tract of
1 60 acres.
From Camas Mountain Pass, State 42 descends through an area of
straight, slender trees, and enters the mountamlocked CAMAS VAL-
LEY, 15*9 m. f a fertile area, about seven miles long and three miles
wide. The name of the valley is derived from a blue-flowered plant
(Ind., La'Kamas), which grew here in such profusion in the early days
that Solomon Fitzhugh, William Day, and A. R. Flint, discoverers of
the valley in 1848, looking down upon the blossoms for the first time,
mistook the pale blue fields for a lake. The bulbs of this plant are
starchy and edible, one of the most important of primitive food plants.
The Indians cooked them in earth-covered pits over red-hot stones,
and pressed them into cheese-like cakes to dry and store for winter use.
White pioneers also mashed these roots into a pulp and cooked them in
the same manner as the pumpkin, making excellent pies (see FLORA
AND FAUNA).
CAMAS VALLEY (P. O.)> 17*4 m. (1,133 alt, 302 pop), is the
center of a fertile area drained by the Coquillc (fr. shell) River which
flows to tie Pacific Ocean. The name of this river is thought to have
been applied by French traders o/ the Hudson's Bay Company because
of the many shells of clams and mussels found at the river's mouth*
Camas Valley was formerly known as Eighteen-Mile Valley, being ap-
proximately that distance from the settlement of Flournoy (see above).
The first permanent settlement was made on March 8, 1853, by Wil-
liam Day, Abraham Patterson, and Alston Martindale, Other settlers
TOUR 2H 357
soon followed. In 1856 there were only three women in the valley, the
wives of William Day and Martindale and the daughter of Adam Day.
Mrs. Martindale before her marriage was Nancy Fitzhugh, daughter
of the patriarch, Solomon Fitzhugh, who helped draft Oregon's con-
stitution.
One of the first sawmills in Camas Valley was operated by Prior,
Ferguson & Devitt, upon the headwaters of the Coquille River. It
cut 3,000 feet a day and was surrounded by excellent timber, including
fir, cedar, sugar pine, and oak.
Descending from Camas Valley, the highway crosses the Middle
Fork of the Coquille at 19.8 m., at which point the valley is left behind
and the highway again enters the timbered hills of the coastal lumbering
region. Here one can see almost every operation of the industry, from
the lone shake-splitter who falls his own trees and rives out hand-made
boards with froe and mallet, to the great modern camps powered by
electric donkey engines. At certain locations are towering spar-trees
from which "high lead" lines swing huge logs across hills and canyons
for miles, and drop them beside the road, where they are loaded on
trucks and trundled to tide-water sawmills. Other logs are left in the
river bed to be carried down to the bay by winter floods.
As the road drops from Camas Valley, it narrows, with many sheer
rocky cuts through the cliffs. Though the country is yet rough and
mountainous, the seacoast influence is soon felt in the increasing number
of round-topped myrtle tiees which appear, and by occasional glimpses
of ducks, gulls, cormorants, and other water fowl. Yew trees, which
once supplied the Indians with their strong bows, grow on craggy cliffs.
This is the country of the Coos Indians, whose recorded myths add
interest to many features of the route. Perhaps the blue-flowered camas
marks the spot where the Coos heroine, Night Rainbow, and her young
grandson defied the great Grizzly Bear, their persecutor, and slew him.
Another tells of the Great Fire-wind, which drove the Indians into the
sea to escape its consuming heat.
REMOTE, 34.2 m. (238 alt., 15 pop.), suriounded by mossy old
orchards, is a pioneer settlement, whose name was likely suggested by
its distance from other communities.
BRIDGE, 41.5 m. (145 alt, 39 pop.), a small rural settlement, was
named for a bridge across the Coquille. The post office was established
on July 6, 1894.
At 49.7 77z. is the junction with a macadam road.
Left on this road up the valley of the South Coquille River through the vil-
lages of BROADBENT, 2.7 m. and GAYLORD, 10.7 m. to POWERS, 18.7 m.
(500 pop.), the terminus of the Coos Bay branch of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road and the outfitting point for the Johnson Creek and Salmon Creek gold
mining area,
South of Powers the route enters the SISKIYOU NATIONAL FOREST,
23,2 m. t passes COQUILLE FOREST CAMP, 23.3 m., and COAL CREEK
FOREST CAMP, 243 m* f traversing a magnificent stand of Port Orford cedar.
Climbing to the summit just west of BALD KNOB, 42.7 m. (3,614. alt.), the
highway descends to BIG BEND RANCH, 47.5 *., on the north bank of Rogue
River. The ranch pasture Is an emergency airplane landing field.
OREGON
Down the Rogue River is ILLAHEE, 486 m. (173 *!* 2 $ PP-), starting
point for several trails into the back countiy. Chiseled from the sides of the
forested mountains, the highway skirts the turbulent Rogue to AGNESS, 54.7 m.
(113 alt, 10 pop.), where there is a Forest Service ranger ^ station. A heavy-
duty suspension bridge spans the Rogue and leads to primitive regions spotted
with deposits of chromite, gold, and other ores.
MYRTLE POINT, 52.5 m. (90 alt., 1,362 pop.), is named for the
abundance of the shrub around here, the wood of which is beautifully
mottled, and is manufactured into fine cabinet woik. On the (R), at
the eastern edge of the town is an avenue of these tiees. The pioneer
Hotel Myrtle stands on Spruce Street At the confluence of the thiee
forks of the Coquille River, Myrtle Point is the trade center of a rich
agricultural and dairying region. Within its enviions are eight oeam-
enes with a combined annual output of hundieds of thousands of pounds
of butter, and more than a million pounds of cheese.
Because of the cool, moist climate, specialized forms of agriculture
are carried on here. Summer and autumn crops of gieen peas command
a premium. The soil and climate are also especially adaptable to the
growth of Reed canary grass, one of the heaviest producing pasture
grasses in the world. Another piized grass is the Carrier's or Coast bent
grass, used extensively for lawns and golf greens.
West of Myrtle Point the valley widens and hills and pastures appear.
The mild climate, with frequent rainfall and the absence of heavy frosts,
assures abundant crops of cianberries in these fertile flood lands. In
late June pale, rose-colored blossoms cover the marshes. Hai vesting of
the berries in late September and early October furnishes seasonal
employment for many workers. Better grades of the berries aie hand
picked, while others are gathered by use of especially constructed boxes,
equipped with forklike prongs, called scoopers.
COQUILLE, 61.8 m. (40 alt., 2,732 pop.) (see TOUR $), is at
the junction with US 101 (see TOUR 3*).
Tour 21
Grants Pass Junction Wilderville Wonder Keiby (Crescent
City, Calif,) ; 42.4 m. US 199.
Paved road, open all year except during severe snow or sleet when it may be
temporarily blocked.
Southern Pacific Railroad spur parallels US 199 between Grant* Pas* and
Wilderville,
Accommodations few, but improved campsites available.
US 199, the Redwood Highway, follows the old trail over which
the Argonauts of the early 1850'$ rushed north horn California's waning
TOUR 21 359
gold fields to the new diggings on southwestern Oregon creeks. As the
direct route between the miners' base of supplies at the ocean port of
Crescent City, California, and the placer camps of the northern terri-
tory, it was tiaveled by a motley horde of fortune-seekers who might
have stepped straight from Poker Flat.
The old highway was a military road when volunteers in homespun
and blue-jacketed regulars fought fedeiated Indian tribes in a series of
wais that lasted more than a decade. The old road was a route of
hazard and necessity; the new one is safe and connects vast scenic and
playground areas in Oregon with California's redwood empire. The
road, slashed through a virgin wilderness of jagged mountains, deep
ravines, and swift water courses traced the beginning of southwestern
Oi egon's commercial growth. From the Rogue River and its two chief
tnbutanes, the Illinois and the Applegate, a mesh of smallei streams,
spreads out across the lower valley, and from them irrigation canals
cany water across fruitful bottomlands. Many residents of the valley
woik small mining claims along with their farms
US 199 branches west from US 99 at GRANTS PASS JUNC-
TION, m. (see TOUR 2&), and passes into the southern extremity
of the Rogue River Valley.
The APPLEGATE RIVER, 6.8 m., named for the pioneer family
(see TOUR 2b), swarmed with miners during the gold rush of the
1850*3. At one time the banks of the stream were honeycombed with
miners' excavations. On every gravel bar the sunlight flashed upon pans
and picks. Fortunes in gold dust were washed out and a considerable
amount of placer raining is still evident.
WILDERVILLE, 8.5 772. (936 alt., 12 pop.), is a hamlet on the
threshold of a narrow valley that extends to the California Line. It
was first called Slate Creek but was given its present name August 12,
1878, when Joseph L. Wilder was appointed postmaster. Cultivated
fields yield to tumbled hills that rise into forested mountains.
South ^of WONDER, 11.6 m. (1,078 alt.), the region grows more
rugged. The village was iionically named by settlers who "wondered"
how a merchant who established a store at this point might hope to
make a livelihood.
West of the summit of HAYES HILL, 16.7 m. (1,658 alt), a
coiner of the Siskiyou National Forest is crossed. In Deer Creek Valley
forests crowd close to the road. Against the dense growth of pine, ma-
dron a trees stand out in bright relief. The graceful madrona, with dark-
green leaves, smooth bark, waxy white blossoms, and scarlet, edible
fruit, is beautiful to look upon.
The ANDERSON STAGE STATION, 18.6 m. (R), on the
banks of Clear Creek, was known also as Fort Hays for the Hay family
that lived here. It stands on what is now the Smith Ranch and was
built in 1852 as a tavern and stage station. During the Rogue River
Indian Wars of 1855-56 it was a refuge. One of the bloodiest battles
of the wars was fought there on March 24, 1856. A group of volunteer
soldiers and miners beseiged by Indians succeeded in repelling them
360 OREGON
after an all-night battle. There were several casualties, but the number
is not of record.
The window frames of the old building, which quiver as motor cars
roar down the modern highway, shook once with the passing of earlier
traffic mule trains from Crescent City with flour, bacon, and beans
for the northern diggings, and rumbling stagecoaches with mail and
passengers, strong-boxes crammed with Oregon gold, and armed guards
riding the boots of the cumbersome vehicles. Weathered clapboards cover
the original logs of the building.
Near the second crossing of Clear Creek, 20 m., is (R) a PIONEER
CEMETERY.
SELMA, 20.9 m. (1,324 alt., 37 pop.), a post office and store serves
the miners who work chrome ore claims in a part of the Illinois Valley.
Ore produced in the district is freighted to the railroad by way of this
tiny settlement, an outlet in the precipitous hills that hem in the valley.
Southwest of Selma the route spans half a dozen creeks and winds
over the sharply lifting hills that form the divide between the Deer
Creek and the Illinois River Valleys. In the Illinois Valley volunteers
and tribesmen fought many pitched battles. Many early gold strikes
were made in this vicinity.
KERBY, 27.2 m. (1,262 alt., 40 pop.), was an important trading
center and placer mining camp of the early Oregon gold rush (bear
hunting in November; dogs and guides available). In 1858, when it
supplanted Waldo as the seat of Josephine County, Keiby was a mush-
room town of tents and rude shacks and was known as Kerbyville. Once
a settlement of 500 or more inhabitants, it faded into oblivion when the
rich placer claims in the vicinity were worked out. Of its many saloons,
brothels, and stores only a few sagging buildings lemain. An OLD
HOUSE (L) with a balcony and columns was a stagecoach station;
the OLD BARN^in which relay horses were stabled is (R) at 27.3 m.
Mining operations m the vicinity of Kerby were continued after
prospectors deserted the creeks from which surface gold had been
panned. Quartz mining, introduced but recently, has also produced a
considerable amount of ore. The Kerby district also yields gold, iron,
quicksilver, cobalt, ilmenite, an ingredient for paint-making, and in-
fusorial earth, used in the manufacture of furnace linings.
CAVES JUNCTION, 29.7 m. f (1,348 alt., 250 pop.), so named be-
cause it is upon the threshold of the route leading to the Oregon Caves
National Monument (see below) ,is a rapidly growing village with many
new buildings and stores.
Left on State 46 from Caves Junction to CHAPMAN CREEK, 2.5 m.
i. Right 2.5 m. from Chapman Creek on a dirt road through a region of
active and abandoned mining camps to the ghost town of ALTHOUSE. A few
crumbling stone chimneys and fireplace heaps are all that remain of this once
prosperous mining community.
Near Althouse is the SITE OF BROWNTON, scene of a placer strike that
yielded much gold including one nugget valued at $i,&oo. The forest has re-
claimed the old camp.
Beyond Chapman Creek State 4.6 parallels the East Fork of the Illinois River,
TOUR 21 361
then Tycer Creek, and at about 7 m. reaches Sucker Creek, which it follows
S SSfJU??? !LxJ \ and brok en-crested mountains to the OREGON CAVES
NATIONAL MONUMENT, 19.7 m. (open May ^-October 15; two-hour tour;
warm clothing advisable; special winter guide service, lodge open during entire
year; tourist cottages, United States Forest Camp}.
The Oregon Caves, known as "The Marble Halls of Oregon," are a series
of spectacular caverns in ELIJAH MOUNTAIN (7,000 alt.), a towering lime-
stone and marble formation in the Siskiyou Range. The mountain was named
for Elijah Bristow, a pioneer who discovered the caves in 1874, while pursuing
a bear that disappeared into the mountainside. The mountain is a labyrinth of
chambers, corridors, and passageways of incredible beauty, carved by the relent-
less flow and diip of water in subterranean darkness.
In earliest time this region was twisted by volcanic movements which made
great rents in the rocks. Melting glaciers formed streams, one of which found its
way through the^ fissures and left deposits of gravel. The stream enlarged the
fissures and fashioned them into grottos Slow deposits of limestone formed the
white incrustations that give the caves their name. At present, a stream, prob-
ably much smaller than the glacial river, gushes from the grotto and tumbles
down a canyon between forested hills.
The entrance to the caves is a narrow interstice, almost hidden by overhanging
ferns and beetling crags of rock. The descent is through a low-roofed tunnel
into a broad, starkly white, chill chamber, where last preparations and examina-
tions of clothing are made.
Carved through unreckoned ages are wierdly beautiful caverns in which clus-
ters of intricately sculptured marble hang from frescoed ceilings like frozen lotus
flowers. Stalagmite and stalactite join together, forming columns like vast organ
pipes; they emit sweet thin music when struck by metal. Out-thrust from the
walls are shelves adorned with bric-a-brac fashioned by nature, some of it gro-
tesque, but all of it arresting in its cold brilliance. Fluted columns and pillars
rise along the passages, shimmering like pearl when the search-lights play upon
them. Colored lights, at intervals through arched vaults, give the marble walls
a blue and crimson translucence. A spoken -word echoes and reverberates in the
stillness.
The route leads over chasms spanned by steel bridges, down corridors that
twist back upon themselves, and through narrow apertures and broad chambers.
More than fifty points of interest are featured and others are constantly being
discovered as further explorations are made. There is NIAGARA FALLS, a
waterfall frozen eternally into marble. JOAQUIN MILLER'S chapel is a vast
cathedral-like room, named for the poet, who visited the caves in 1907, The
crystal tubes of the QUEEN'S ORGAN in this room give forth musical sounds.
Deeper within the mountain is PARADISE LOST, a high-vaulted chamber from
which hang the pendants of ciystal chandeliers. In the GHOST stalactites
and stalagmites suggest supernatural, white-robed figures. DANTE'S INFERNO
is a yawning chasm in which marble, under crimson lights, resembles the con-
tents of a boiling cauldron. Along the passages and corridors and in all the
chambers are fantastic formations named for their resemblance to figures of
fact or fiction. The exit from the caves is through a long tunnel, cut for 550
feet through solid rock, that opens upon a wooded hillside, bright with alpine
flowers. The western Tofieldia and the rare bog asphodel are found in this
region. The yellow monkey flower and the wild hellebore also grow in pro-
fusion. In the spring crimson rhododendrons paint great splashes of color against
the green hillsides.
President Taft proclaimed the caves and 480 acres of adjacent land a national
monument in 1909. The Grants Pass Cavemen, formed to publicize the natural
wonder, have done much to bring it to the attention of the world. The surround-
ing area offers a superb scenery and the usual recreational features found in a
mountainous region, A system of forest trails leads around Elijah Mountain, a
distance of about four miles.
The OREGON CAVES GAME REFUGE surrounds the caves, and the district
362 OREGON
teems with wild life, bear and deer frequently becoming quite tame under the
protection of the refuge officials.
Among the unusual fauna in the area is the lemming, a small rodent re-
sembling the common mouse in color. It ranges widely from the Alaskan coast
across the continent to Arkansas and Tennessee. The animal is a distant relative
of* the lemmings that make a periodical migration across the tundras of northern
U The C OREGON CAVES CHATEAU is encircled by a scenic drive that winds
under terraces of limestone, tapestried with velvet moss, with the mountain
rising almost sheer behind it. It is entered by way of the fourth floor level into
a spacious lounge. Beneath it is the dining room into which a mountain water-
fall plunges, forming a stream that flows across the building and out through
another wall
South of the junction with State 4.6, US 199 follows the valley of
the West Fork of the Illinois River over a graveled flat, boulder-
strewn, and suirounded by foiest and pasture land.
At 36*6 m. is the junction with a dirt road.
Left from the junction across a plank bridgt over the West Fork of the
Illinois River, 0.9 m , and through a region of manzanita and scrub-pine.
At 3 7 m. is WALDO (1,583 alt.}, the site of the old mining town called Sailor's
Diggings because the settlement was founded by a ship's crew who deserted
their vessel at Crescent City in the 1850'$ and established placer claims from
which a large amount of gold was mined Waldo reached its zenith in the
i86o's as thousands of Chinese miners worked claims in its vicinity, but declined
as the placer diggings waned. Abandoned hydraulic mining operations are in
evidence throughout the valley.
TAKILMA, 4.2 m. (1,567 alt.), another ghost town of gold-rush years, is the
center of extensive coppei -mining activities.
South of the junction LONE MOUNTAIN (1,598 alt.) rises as>
if to block the highway, but the road sweeps around in a long curve,
zigzagging through lush forests and along the brinks of almost sheer
precipices.
Tall pines are dwarfed at intervals by redwood trees, the advance
guaid of the mighty redwood forests of California. Imposing because
of their great diameter and their soaring height, these beautiful trees
increase in number as the California Line is approached. Once in-
digenous to all Oregon, the redwood, after the convulsion that created
the Cascade Range, withdrew to the mild and moist coastal aiea of
extreme southern Oregon and northern California, The tree reaches a
not unusual height for pinaceous growths, 200 to 300 feet, but its
diameter ranges to 30 feet or more.
US 199 crosses the California Line, 42-4 m. at a point 43.9 miles
northeast of Crescent City, California (set CALIFORNIA GUIDE,
TOVR za).
TOUR 3 363
Tour 3
(Aberdeen, Wash.) Astoria Seaside Tillamoofc Newport
Marshfield Gold Beach ( Crescent City, Calif.); US 101.
Washington Line to California Line, 394.4 m.
Paved road.
Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railroad parallels route between Astoria and
Seaside; Southern Pacific Railroad between Mohler and Tillamook and between
Reedsport and Coquille.
US 101, which closely parallels the rocky Oregon Coast and affords
striking views of sea and shore, follows in part an Indian trail over
which, according to legend, passed Talapus, the Indian coyote god,
when he was fashioning the headlands and bays and setting a limit to
the tide. Traders early followed the stretches of beach below the present
route before covered wagons had flattened the underbrush on higher
land. But most travel along the coast in early days was by water, though
boatmen had to be exceedingly careful in the treacherous coastal tides.
From 1853, when Ferrelo, under orders from the Spanish viceroy in
Mexico City, pushed up the coast in search of the mythical Straits of
Anian which were supposed to provide a passage across the continent
until long after 1792 when Robert Gray entered the mouth of the
Columbia River and Lieutenant Broughton explored it, the shore waters
were the scenes of perilous adventure.
South of the tidal estuary of the Columbia, the salt marshes and low
sand-spits of the northwestern rim of the state, cliffs crowd close to
the ocean. Construction of a motor road along the coast, to be called
the Roosevelt Military Highway, was begun in 1921 after long urging
by Benjamin F, Jones of Newport and in the face of derision because
of the difficulties of the project. The highway was completed in 1932. ^
It was only then that along the coast real development began. Their
long isolation has given the sea-board towns a certain individuality
though they share the characteristics of villages on any coast subject
to violent storms. Summer cottages here and there are trim and brightly
painted but the majority of the houses have a haphazard look ; each has
been placed where its owner thought he could gain the most protection
from wind and waves. Most of the weatherboarding, locally called
shiplap, and shingles are a uniform silver gray. Formerly shingle "sec-
onds" could be had at the mills without cost, or for very little, and
many coast homes were covered with them. Shingles over shiplap were
considered the best walling though discouraged coasters insist ^that ^ a
weatherproof house simply cannot be built the wind will whip rain
through the most cleverly joined and mortised walls. The same wind
364 OREGON
tears loose both clapboards and shingles, so every house more than a
few years old is bound to show the marks of repeated repairs, unless
the owner has given up the struggle. Another characteristic of the coast
is the number of buildings standing on piling over inlets. While some
of the villages ramble over flats, quite as many are huddled in the lea
of a steep hill or cliff. There are even occasional houseboat colonies.
In spite of the summer fogs and winter rains the stream of visitors
to the region is growing steadily; the physical grandeur of the terrain,
and the smell of evergreen forests tanged with salt air and heightened
by mist form an exhilerating combination.
Section a. Washington Line to Newport f 154 m.
This section of the route, which is one of the most spectacular in the
United States, is never long out of sight of the sea. It crosses inlets
and marshes on beautiful modern bridges; passes through villages reek-
ing with the smell of salmon oil and decaying flotsom softened by the
tantalizing odor of brine-soaked pilings, and proceeds over sand-reaches
where many bits of bone and shell from the refuse pits of an earlier
civilization are exposed by the wind.
US 101 crosses the Washington Line, in the middle of the Columbia
River at a point 87 miles south of Aberdeen, Wash. Travelers cross
the river on the Point Ellice- Astoria ferry. (Car and driver $i; pas-
sengers $.25 each).
At ASTORIA, m. (see ASTORIA), is the junction with US 30
(see TOUR ic).
Here US 101 swings R. then L. around SMITH'S POINT, 2 m. f
at the entrance to Young's Bay, an arm of the Columbia. In the water
lie the decaying hulls of half-completed merchant ships, abandoned at
the close of the World War. The headland, on the opposite side of
Young's Bay, about three miles away, is POINT ADAMS (see below),
near which in 1792 Lieut. William Broughton, an English officer, an-
chored his brig Chatham and set out with small boats to explore the
bay and river, naming them in honor of Sir George Young of the
royal navy.
US 101 crosses Young's River, 3.4 m., and at 4.8 m. meets Miles
Crossing Road.
Left here up Young's River to (L) the UNITED STATES NAVAL RADIO
STATION, 0.5 m. f which broadcasts weather observations and storm warnings
for the Oiegon and Washington coast and reports conditions on the bar at the
mouth of the Columbia River. At 10 m, the road loops around Young's
River Falls.
At 13 m. is the junction with a dirt road ; R for 12 m. to SADDLE MOUN-
TAIN STATE PARK, the Swal-la-lachast, (home of the Thunder Bird) in
Clatsop legend. Here she laid the eggs that rolled down the mountainside and
hatched into tribes of men. On the mountain (s>266 alt.) are trails, shelters, and
picnic grounds. Much hunting for deer and occasionally for elk, and fishing
for trout is done in this area.
US ioi crosses the Lewis and Clark River, 5.7 m., named for the
leaders of the overland expedition sent by President Jefferson in 1804
TOUR 3 365
to find a route "to the Western Ocean" (see HISTORY}. William
Clark and Meriwether Lewis led the expedition across the Rocky
Mountains and down the Columbia River, reaching this coast late in
1805. The Shoshone squaw, Sacajawea, and her husband, a French-
Canadian, acted as interpreters for the party.
At 6.5 772. is the junction with a gravel road.
Left here to the SITE OF FORT CLATSOP, 1.5 m. f the winter encampment
of the Lewis and Clark party in 1805-06.
Now overgrown with evergreens, the site is designated by a flagpole and is
marked by a plaque. On December 7, 1805, Clark recorded: ". . . after brackfast
I delayed about half an hour before York Came up, then proceeded around this
Bay which I call (have taken the liberty of calling) Meriwethers Bay the
Christian name of Capt. Lewis who no doubt was the ist white man who ever
Survejed this Bay. [Clark was in eiror on this], . . . This is certainly the most
eligable Situation for our purposes of any in its neighbourhood."
On December 8 the rest of the party arrived and within a short time trees
had been felled and rude huts erected around an open square Some of the men
were sent to the Pacific shore to make salt from sea waters, others to hunt, and
the remainder, working against time and weather, completed the shelters suffi-
ciently to enable the party to move in by Christmas.
The first American Christmas in the Northwest was a meager affair. Clark
wrote- "at day light this morning we were awoke by the discharge of the fire
arms of all our party a Selute, Shouts and a Song which the whole party joined
in under our windows, after which they retired to their rooms were chearfull
all the morning after brackfast we divided our Tobacco which amounted to 12
carrots one half of which we gave to the men of the party who used tobacco,
and to those who doe not use it we make a present of a handkerchief, The In-
dians leave us in the evening all the party Snugly fixed in their huts. I reeved a
present of Capt. L. of a fleece hosrie [hosiery] Shirt Draws and Socks, a pr.
Mockersons of white weazils tails of the Indian woman, & some black root of
the Indians before their departure. . . . The day proved Showerey wet and dis-
agreeable. . . . our Dinner concisted of pore Elk, so much Spoiled that we eate
it thro* mear necessity." They were without salt to season even that.
On the 26th Clark wrote: "we dry our wet articles and have the blankets fleed,
The flees are so troublesom that I have slept but little for 2 night past and we
have regularly to kill them out of our blankets every day for several past." The
fleas were contributed by the Indians on their daily visits. On the 27th he
added, "Musquetors troublesom."
Clark noted also: "With the party of Clatsops who visited us last was a
man much lighter Coloured than the nativs are generaly, he was freckled with
long duskey red hair, about 25 year*? of age, and must Certainly be half white
at least, this man appeared to understand more of the English language than
the others of his party, but did not Speak a word of English, he possessed
all the habits of the Indians" In Adventures on the Columbia ^ (1832) Ross
Cox also described such a man and said he was the son of a sailor who had
deserted from an English ship. He was said to have had the words "Jack
Ramsey" tattoed on his arm. "Poor Jack was fond of his father's countrymen,"
Ross says, "and had the decenty to wear trousers whenever he came to the fort
[Astoria]. We therefore made a collection of old clothes for his use; sufficient to
last him many vears." The Indians told them of several parties of white men
who had landed on the Oregon coast in the eighteenth century and of a red-
haired sailor who had been washed ashore about 1760 indicating the presence
of European traders on the Oregon Coast long before Gray saw the mouth of
the Columbia.
The Clatsops became such frequent and troublesome visitors at ^ the fort
that, ". . . at Sun set we let the nativs know that our Custom will be in future,
to Shut the gates at Sun Set at which time all Indians must go out of the fort
366 OREGON
and not return into it untill next morning after Sunrise at which time the gates
will be opened, those of the Warciacu-m Nation who are very forward left the
house with reluctiance." In view of the Indians' conceptions of property rights,
this seems to have been an expedient ruling.
By March the leaders believed that the mountain snows would be melting,
and the return to the East could be made. On March 23 Clark reported "loaded
our canoes & at i P. M left Fort Clatsop on our homeward journe> at this
place we had wintered and remained from the yth of Deer. 1805 to this day
and have lived as we had any right to expect, and we can say that we were
never one day without 3 meals of some kind a day either pore Elk meat or
roots. , . ."
By the junction with the Fort Clatsop Road is the ASTORIA
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, 6.6 m., terminus of the Portland-Astoria
airway. Because of its strategic importance as a sea-plane base, the fed-
eral government contributed to its development in 1936.
At 7.9 772. is the junction with a paved road.
Right here to WARRENTON, 2 m (8 alt., 683 pop.), one of several places
where the chief business is razor-clam canning, The road continues through
the undulating dunes, marshes, and fertile lowlands a strip about 4 miles
wide and 24 miles long of Clatsop Plains, composed of sediment deposited by
the Columbia River, and now worn into ridges by wind and tide.
POINT ADAMS COAST GUARD STATION, 5 ., was named for Vice
President John Adams in 1792 by Capt. Robert Gray. In 1775 Capt. Bruno
Heceta (see below} named it Cabo Frendoso (Leafy Cape.) Though Heceta
had reached the river, he did not realize the fact and lost for his sovereign
the chance to claim the Oregon country. Before the coming of the railroad,
Point Adams was the point of debarkation from Portland passenger steamers
for summer vacationists bound for Seaside (see below). Transfer was made to
creaking democrat wagons which covered the 20 miles to the old Seaside House.
FORT STEVENS, 6 m,, the only coastal fortification in Oregon, has a small
garrison. Each summer the encampment of the coast artillery of the Oregon
National Guard is held here.
At 11.1 m. is the junction with a gravel road.
Right here to CAMP CLATSOP, 0.5 m., used in summer by the infantry
and field artillery units of the Oregon National Guard, Maneuvers are usually
held in July.
The road turns southward, passing the GRAY MEMORIAL
CHAPEL, (R) 11.2 m. f on the site of a Piesbyterian church dedicated
in 1851 by a congregation organized in 1846 by the Reverend Lewis
Thompson. W. H. Gray, one of the founders, wrote the first local
history of Oregon (1869). The chapel erected by his daughter is a
square brick structure with a very long and somewhat lower brick
wing. The roof of the main unit rises to a square bell tower topped
by a steeple. The pedimented entrance portico has walled sides and a
recessed entrance between tall columns*
DELMOOR, 15*7 m., was named by J. S. Dillinger, who estab-
lished a cranberry bog here in 1912. In spring this section of the route
is banked with Scotch broom* In earlier days this plant was imported
from Scotland for use in broom making and was later used to bind
the drifting sands on Clatsop Plains. Sometimes 15 feet high and bear-
ing long sprays of golden pea-like flowers, it is constantly spreading
farther south along the coast An annual May Festival celebrates the
seasonal bloom.
TOUR 3 367
At 18 m. is the junction with a paved road.
Right here to GEARHART, 1 772. (16 alt., 125 pop.), a beach resort with
an excellent i8-hole golf course on which the Oregon golf championship
matches are played in late summer. Many conventions are held in the town.
SEASIDE, 20.4 m. (16 alt, 1,565 pop.), (hotels, tourist cottages;
sea-water natatorium), Oregon's largest seaside icsort, spreads across
the narrow Necanicum River which parallels the coast and up and
down a long narrow sandy bar. On the ocean side of this bar is a sea-
wall that also forms a "boardwalk" above the beach. At the southern
end of town the ground rises abruptly into a wooded ridge that bulges
westward and forms a high, bold promontory.
Seaside gained its first prominence during the 1870*3 when Ben
Holladay, who came into prominence in the days of the Overland Stage
and was later a railroad promoter and builder (see TRANSPORTA-
TION), built the sumptuous Holladay House, a place to entertain his
illustrious friends. It became noted; guests were brought here at times
from San Francisco by chartered steamers to be lavishly entertained.
On the promenade at the foot of Main Street is the END OF THE
TRAIL MONUMENT, commemorating the Lewis and Clark jour-
ney. Near the southern end of the promenade on Q St. are the ruins of
the SALT CAIRN, a heap of brine-crusted rocks protected by an iron
railing. It was built by the men Lewis and Clark sent to get salt by
boiling down sea water. Clark wrote that he: "directed . * . Jos. Fields,
Bratton Gibson to proceed to the Ocean at some convenient place form
a Camp and Commence making Salt with five of the largest Kittles, and
Willard and Wiser to assist them in cariying the Kitties to the Sea
Coast." Messengers reported that "the men had at length established
themselves on the coast about 15 miles S. W. from this, near the lodge
of some Killamuck families,* that the Indians were very friendly and
had given them a considerable quantity of the blubber of a whale which
perished on the Coast some distance S. E. of them ; part of this blubber
they brought with them, it was white and not unlike the fat of Poark,
tho' the texture was more spongey and somewhat courser. . . ." Lewis
had some of the blubber cooked and liked it. Lewis continued: "they
commenced making salt and found that they could obtain from 3 quarts
to a gallon a day; they brought with them a specirnme of the salt of
about a gallon ; this was a great treat to myself and most of the party,
having not had any since the aoth Ult. mo.; I say most of the party,
for my friend Cap't Clark, declares it to be a mere matter of indiffer-
ence with him whether he uses it or not; for myself I must confess I
felt a considerable inconvenience from the want of it; the want of
bread I consider trivial provided, I get fat meat, for as to the species
of meat I am not very particular, the flesh of the dog the horse and the
wolf, having from habit become equally familiar [as] with any other,
and I have learned to think that if the chord be sufficiently strong, which
binds the soul and body together, It does not so much matter about
the materials which compose it."
368 OREGON
Right (straight ahead) from the southern end of First St. on a trail (rocky
for about & mile) that swings south following an old logging road and climbs
up the ridge that terminates near TILL AMO OK HEAD (1,260 alt.), 4 m.
Along the ridge are sweeping views of the territory northward. From the
Head, TILLAMOOK LIGHTHOUSE is seen offshore, rising 41 feet on an
isolated rock so sheer that people visiting the lighthouse frequently have to be
landed in a breeches buoy. The base of the lighthouse is 91 feet above the
water. Winter gales sweep this rock with hurricane force and _ the lighthouse
keeper is frequently isolated for long periods. This lighthouse is described in
John Fleming Wilson's sea stories (see below). Far below the crest of Tilla-
mook Head, gulls wheel above the waves thart swirl in DEATH TRAP COVE
that has caused the death of adventurous visitors.
South of Seaside US 101 follows the NECANICUM RIVER, 23.3
m.j through green lowlands, bordered with alders and willows and
yellow-patched in spring with huge skunk cabbages, whose leaves were
used by the Coast Indians to wrap their food in the cooking pits. Let-
tuce and peas are the principal crops grown on farms in this district.
At CANNON BEACH JUNCTION, 24.1 m., is the junction with
a road paved with asphalt.
Right on this road, winding through groves of gigantic hemlock to CANNON
BEACH, 5 m. (25 alt., 125 pop.), an ocean resort so named because a cannon
was washed ashore here from the American sloop Shark, wrecked in 1846 at
the mouth of the Columbia River. She had been sent up the coast during the
turbulent discussions that ended with the annexation of the Oregon Countiy
by the United States. The cannon stands beside the foot trail that leads south-
ward along the coast Just offshore is HAYSTACK ROCK (300 alt.).
The road continues southward tunneling ARCH CAPE, 11.4 TTZ, It has been
carved into a bluff at Neah-kah-nie Mountain, 500 feet above the sea. Neah-
kah-nie, one of the many places along the coast south of this point with names
beginning with the Indian prefix ne (place), was known to the Tillamooks as
"the place of the Fire Spirit." Neah-kah-nie Mountain (1,638 alt), has been
the setting for several books, among them being Beeswax and Gold by Thomas
Rogers; Ward of the Redskins by Sheba Hargreaves, and Slave Wives of
Nehalem by Claire Warner Churchill.
At 18.8 m. is the junction with an improved road; R. here 0.3 m. to MAN-
ZANITA (150 pop.), both a beach and^ mountain resort. A collection of relics
here is associated with the Neah-kah-nie treasure story. It was on the beach
near this point that the whale reported by Lieutenant Clark was washed ashore
(see above) The town is in a cove protected by the rugged headlands to the
north.
The main road turns inland to NEHALEM (Ind., place of peace), 21.1 t.
(16 alt., 24.5 pop.), and crosses the Nehalem River to a junction with US 101,
22.2 m. t near Wheeler (see below).
From Cannon Beach Junction US 101 veers inland several miles into
the Necanicum (Ind., place of lodge) Valley, where herds of elk, pro-
tected by law, have been placed. The NECANICUM STATE FISH
HATCHERY, 31.3 m. f annually releases millions of trout fingerlings
m coast streams.
In its loop inland the highway skirts the rugged area over which
Captain Clark struggled with a small party that was eager to see the
whale that had been cast ashore (fee above). By her only request of a
personal nature Sacajawea was with the men on this journey, papoose on
her back. Reports many years later said that her sight of the "big fish"
TOUR 3 369
was the only thing on the journey that Sacajawea never tired of talking
about after her return to her people.
NECANICUM JUNCTION, 33.5 ., is a junction with State 2;
the super-highway between Portland and the sea (see TOUR 9).
US 101 crosses the North Fork of the Nehalem River, 41.3 m. f which
it follows downstream.
Sharp declivities, now denuded of spruce, cedar, and hemlock, indi-
cate the site of former high-line logging which is characterized by the
network of cables, blocks, and guy lines strung from spars (trees de-
nuded of limbs), along which logs are pulled by donkey engines from
one ridge to the other. High-climbers whose insurance rates indicate
the great risks of their calling trim and top 2OO-foot trees, up which
they climb with the aid of spurs and a rope loop attached to a belt. Out
in the timber a chokerman places a heavy wire slip-loop, or choker,
aiound a log and a rigging-shnger attaches this loop to the mam cable,
when the hooker yells "Hi", then the whistle-punk presses an electric
grip and the donkey 1,500 feet away, whistles a short, sharp blast. The
donkey-puncher, or engine operator, "opens her up" and the log rises
above stumps and brush as he yards it to the landing. As soon as the
chaser has unhooked the log, a haulback returns the choker to the woods.
US 101 crosses the Nehalem River to MOHLER, 51.6 m. (27 alt.,
50 pop.), which has a cooperative cheese factory (L) that, like others
in the region, is identified by its yellow paint. Many people of Swiss
birth or descent operate dairies in the vicinity. They are particularly
fond of playing the accordion and yodelmg during their leisure hours.
At 52.6 7w. is the junction with the Cannon Beach Road (see above).
At WHEELER, 53.5 m. (48 alt, 280 pop.), by Nehalem Bay, the
shrill scream of shingle-mill saws and the odor of fresh cedar-wood is as
characteristic of the town as is the cry of the gulls that soar above the
three fish-packing houses along the waterfront.
Immediately west of Wheeler is HOEVET, 54.3 m., (200 pop.)
remnant of a once prosperous mill town. The Hoevet post office funct-
tions within a few blocks of the Wheeler post office, the offices serving
probably less than 300 persons.
LAKE LYTLE (L), 60.5 m. (15 alt.), a brackish, shallow body
of water, is a state bird refuge. Many species of aquatic birds nest and
feed along its reedy shores. Occasionally a man is seen behind a blind
snaring ducks and geese for a state game farm, where they are used for
study and propagation.
ROCKAWAY, 61.1 m. (15 alt, 300 pop.), is another attractive
resort (sea water natatorium), with a wide beach. Off-shore are the
arched TWIN ROCKS.
From the north BARVIEW, 64.4 m. (16 alt, 60 pop.), overlooks
the narrow entrance to Tillamook Bay, named for the Indians who lived
in the district. In 1788 Capt Robert Gray crossed the bar, anchored
his ship Lady Washington (see HISTORY), inside the bay, and sent
men ashore to find fresh fruits and game for his scurvy-weakened men,
and hay for his cattle. Robert Haswell, the mate, named the place Mur-
370 OREGON
deier's Harbor because a "Black Boy", a member of the crew, when
endeavoring to recover a cutlass that had been stolen by Indians, had
been killed. They endeavored to rescue the boy, but as Haswell wrote
in his report: "the first thing which piesented itself to our view was a
very large group of the natives among the midst of which was the poor
black with the thief by the colour loudly calling for assistance saying
he had cought the thief, when we were observed by the main boddy of
the Natives to haistily approach them they instantly dienched their
knives and spears with savage fuery m the boddy of the unfoitunate
youth. He quieted his hold and stumbled but lose again and stagered to-
wards us but having a flight of anows thrown into his back and he fell
within fifteen yards of me and instantly expieied while they mangled
his lifeless couise." Captain Gray hurnedly put to sea.
South of the bay is CAPE MEARES (700 alt.) , with its lighthouses ;
the view of the cape is sometimes obscmed by mist or spiay. The head-
land was named for Capt, John Meai es, English exploi er, who a month
before Gray's visit, had declared the bay closed by a sand barrier. He
called it Quicksand Bay.
The route swings inland to skirt the shoies of the bay and passes the
TILLAMOOK BAY COAST GUARD STATION, 64.2 m.
GARIBALDI, 66 m. (10 alt., 213 pop.), facing the bay, was for-
merly an important mill town. The dikes along the Miami River, 67.4
m.j as well as those along other rivers in cheese-making Tillamook
County, have earned the district the name of Little Holland. Grazing
in meadows yellow with buttercups are the cows that produce milk for
the cheese kitchens, where cream cheese is made and placed in long rows
of shelves in the cooling rooms to mellow.
On HOBSONVILLE POINT (R), 684 m. f overgrown with
alders, once stood the lively lumber town of Hobsonville. An empty
hotel and several bleached frame dwellings remain; the mill ruins were
recently washed into the bay. This rocky point was called Talapus
Cradle by the Tillamooks because they thought it resembled a gigantic
cradle board, shaped like those used to flatten the heads of all free-born
infants.
BAY CITY, 70*5 m. (17 alt., 427 pop.), named for Bay City,
Michigan, a fishing town. During a salmon run in Tillamook Bay the
catches of the night fishing fleets are dressed and stored in local can-
neries (admittance by arrangement at offices).
The i8-hole public ALDERBROOK GOLF COURSE (small fte) 9
72.6 m., has an excellent club house.
A section of the highway just west of the Kilchis River Bridge, 74 m, t
is frequently inundated during winter rams. It is said that during these
floods some motonsts find salmon on their running boards.
TILLAMOOK, 76.9 m. (23 alt., 2,549 pop.), seat of Tillamook
County, is the prosperous trade center of the dairying region. Early in
the morning the dairy ranchers never called fanners begin to arrive
at the factory weighing~in platforms, where an attendant checks the
quantity of milk delivered and takes samples for the butter-fat test that
TOUR 3 371
determines the rate of payment. After the ranchers have dehveied their
milk they drive to the whey tank to load empty milk cans with the liquid
that is left after removal of the milk curd. This whey is valuable as
hog feed.
By eight in the morning, after ail the milk has been received, the
cheese-makers empty the fresh milk into huge stainless steel vats and add
rennet, salt, and coloring matter to it before turning steam into the
jackets around the vats. As soon as coagulation starts long rakes of wire
begin a steady movement through the curd to cut and break it. When
the curd has been completely separated from the liquid it is pressed
into molds of various shapes that have been lined with cloth. Finally,
the containers of the new cheeses are stamped with the trade name and
coated with paraffine. The round disks are placed in long rows in curing
looms wheie cool air of constant temperature is circulated.
Butter-making is now being earned on in connection with cheese-
making in various places, the cheese being made from the skim milk.
Most cheese-masters are quite willing to permit visitors to sample
the pleasant-tasting fresh curd. Even visitors who do not care for its
taste usually like to eat a small amount because of the peculiar squeaks
pioduced when it is chewed. Here are cooperative cheese factories that
are well worth a visit. Here also are lumber mills and box factories.
Loggers, fishermen, and dairymen are seen on Tillamook streets, par-
ticularly on Saturday. The notice "No caulked boots allowed" is seen in
the places where woodsmen congregate. These caulks, sharp spikes at-
tached to the soles of shoes, are a necessity in the woods where life
depends on swift and sure balance. Some of the establishments provide
shingles or pieces of tire casing for the convenience of their customers;
the logger steps on these, which adhere to his shoes and walks or slides
along without damaging the floors. Loggers, not permitted to smoke
while at work, are identified by their chewing tobacco and "snoose"
(snuff), by their boots and "tin pants" (water-proofed canvas trousers
cut short or "stagged"). Knee boots are commonly worn by dairymen
who wade through marshes to herd their cows. Hip-boots, and sou'west-
er, and sometimes a beach slicker, identify the fishermen.
Tillamook is the western terminus of the Wilson River Highway
(see TOUR 8).
Right from Tillamook to NETARTS (boats for deep-sea fishing), 7.6 m,
(4.6 pop.), a beach resort by Netarts Bay, where waters have been planted with
Japanese oysters. Several varieties of clams are dug here.
The road continues to OCEANSIDE, 10.1 m. (24 pop.) another resort. Off-
shore are THREE ARCH ROCKS, massive wave-worn monoliths, mentioned
in many of the early ships' logs, that have been made a bird refuge. The rocks
are crowded with bird and sea life. At their base during low tide are sea lions
(see below). This is the locale of an essay n Dallas Lore Sharp's book, Where
Rolls the Oregon.
At SOUTH PRAIRIE, 80*9 * is a large CHEESE FACTORY
(visitors 8-12), one of the many in the lower valleys of the Trask and
Tillamoofc rivers.
At 94*5 m. the route crosses a narrow strip connecting two sections
372 OREGON
of the SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST. The route traverses this
forest at intervals for 150 miles.
The NESTUCCA RIVER (steelhead trout, late fall and early
winter), 96.5 m., was named for a local tribe called by Lewis and
Clark, Neustuckles Nestuckles, and Nestuccas. Commercial fishing in
this stream is prohibited.
HEBO, 97.3 772. (54 alt, 275 pop.), at the junction with State 14
(see TOUR ioA), was named for Mount Hebo (L).
South of Hebo for a distance of 30 miles the highway skirts a unit
of a large area of burned-over land developed as a forest conservation
and recreational project carried on by the Farm Security Administration.
Holland grass has been planted to halt the advance of sand dunes on
the forests.
South of CLOVERDALE, 99.9 m. (26 alt., 189 pop.), a dairymen's
trading center, the highway follows a dike separating tideland pastures
along the Little Nestucca River. The small shaipened shovels used to
dig blue clams, along the river are called "clam guns".
NESKOWIN (Ind., plenty of fish), 110.2 m. (17 alt., 65 pop.),
has a wide view of the ocean and an excellent beach. Numerous varie-
ties of fish, including cutthroat and steelhead trout, Chinook and silver-
side salmon, bass, halibut, flounders, and perch inhabit the waters.
Between the Neskowin drainage basin and that of the Salmon River,
evergreens glow so thickly along the highway that there is scarcely any
undergrowth except huckleberry. When this section of highway was
constructed, the hemlocks and firs were cut in short lengths and corded
along the right-of-way. Since there was no way to burn them without
endangering forest and no demand for the wood, the huge piles have
remained along the roadside*
OTIS, 121 m. (37 alt., 23 pop.), was the western terminus of the
Salmon River Toll Road. At OTIS JUNCTION, 121.4 m., US 101
meets State 18 (see TOUR. loA).
NEOTSU (golf course and club house; summer regatta) , 124.6 m. f
is at the northern end of DEVIL'S LAKE. The Indians believed that
m these waters lived a monster that occasionally rose to the surface to
attack men.
OCEAN LAKE, 126.6 m. (115 alt, 400 pop.), is a coast town
supported by sportsmen and vacationists. DELAKE (hotel and camps),
127,5 m. (62 alt.), at the southern end of Devil's Lake, received its
name from the pronunciation given DeviPs Lake by Finnish people, who
settled in the area as fishermen.
On the beach at NELSCOTT, 129.2 m. (35 alt, 150 pop,), as else-
where along the Oregon coast, Japanese floats colored glass balls, are
frequently found. These floats used as net supports by oriental fisher-
men are carried across the ocean by the Japanese current. They are
prized by vacationists for decorative purposes. A line of substantial cot-
tages face the ocean here.
TAFT, 130.4 m. (n alt, 23 pop.), is the scene of the annual Red-
Head Round Up (first week in August)^ which brings together the
TOUR 3 373
region's titian-crowned beauties to compete for prizes. This small town
with a hotel and cottages, has a greatly augmented population in sum-
mer. Taft is at the southern end of the conservation unit. US 101
rounds Siletz Bay, named for the Siletz, most southerly Salishan tribe.
At KERNVILLE, 132.7 m. (26 alt, 150 pop.), at the southern end
of Siletz Bay, the highway crosses the Siletz River.
Left from Kernville on State 229 to the FORMER AGENCY OF THE
SILETZ INDIAN RESERVATION, 23.8 m. As established in 1855 the Siletz
Reservation covered more than one and one-third million acres but as the white
population of Oregon increased the newcomers decided that there was too much
valuable land in the hands of the natives. Though there were more than 2,000
Indians on the reservation in 1867, war, famine and disease had reduced the
number to about 550 in 1887. By 1892 the allotments to the Siletz group cov-
ered only 47,000 acres. In 1925, though the number of Indians had increased
the Siletz Agency was closed. The agency caring for all Indian affairs west
of the Cascades is now at Salem, members of various tribes Coos, Umpqua,
Siuslaw, Rogue River, and Tututm live on individual allotments and the rest
are largely squatters on public domain. John Fleming Wilson's novel, The Land"
Clatmers (1911), tells the stoiy of those who rushed into the Siletz lands when
they were thrown open to white settlement. Many of those who came in hopefully
to establish homestead claims and build their cabins in this last frontier have
left; deserted cabins and clearings now covered with brush are relics of their
brief stay. Because many antagonistic tribes had been placed on the reserva-
tion, it was the scene of numeious affrays. Indian braves were sometimes buried
with a $20 gold piece in one fist and a knife in the other prepared to pay or
fight their way through to the happy hunting ground. Lieut Phil Sheridan
was stationed here during a part of his Oregon sojourn.
State 229 continues to a junction with State 26 at 31.9 m. (see TOUR zD).
BOILER BAY, 138.5 m. t was so named because a steamship boiler
was lodged between the rocks near the north shore many years ago.
BOILER BAY STATE PARK, 138.7 m. f borders a wild sweep of
rugged shore traversed by an excellent road.
Just south of the park, on a sloping hillside (L), are half-covered
SHELL HEAPS, some of them an acre or more in extent, remains of
Indian feasts. The refuse, mixed with sand, provides material for good
beach roads.
At DEPOE BAY, 104,1 m., (57 alt., 75 pop.), Just east of DEPOE
BAY STATE PARK, the shore line is rugged. The resort is on a se-
cluded cove where tall-masted, deep-sea trollers anchor. The name is said
by some to be derived from the cove, a haven or "depot" for boats, and
by others to commemorate Charley Depoe, a local Indian. Close to the
highway is the SPOUTING HORN (R), aperture in the rocks
through which the tide rushes upward in a geyser of spray.
The DEPOE BAY AQUARIUM (small fee) contains many speci-
men of marine life, both beautiful and grotesque, among them red
snappers, dogfish, and octopuses. The collection of sea anemones is very
attractive. A MUSEUM (small fee) contains 500 mounted birds, 3,000
birds' eggs, a fine collection of butterflies, Indian relics, and mounted
animals.
Fish races are held annually here. In 1936 about I5,cxx> people placed
wagers under the parimutual system. Aiiy deep-sea fish is eligible and
374 OREGON
in 1935 the first entry was an octopus. The races are held in a painted
trough having a lane 50 feet long for each "contestant." The starting
point is painted white and the finish line is the entiance to a daik recess.
The fish on being released seek the hiding hole, flashing to the far end
of the lane and shaking a numbered balloon that gives the key to the
order of their finish
At WHALE COVE, 141.6 m. f are many caves cut in sandstone
cliffs. ROCKY CREEK STATE PARK (picnicking facilities), 141.9
772., overlooks a rocky shore.
ROCKY CREEK BRIDGE, 142.5 m., dedicated in 1927, a memo-
rial to Benjamin F. Jones, "Father of the Oregon Coast Highway",
connects a section of the highway foimerly called "Ben's own wagon
road." This high concrete single-arch bridge spans a deep narrow rocky
ravine at a point close to the ocean.
OTTER CREST STATE PARK, 144.2 m. (454 alt), on a high
promontory, overlooks one of the most impressive seascapes between As-
toria and Newport Its rugged shore kept Meares, Vancouver, and
other explorers at a distance. Iron Mountain, a cone-shaped peak, is
directly south.
Sea otteis, long prized for their glossy fur, formerly abounded in
these waters. The Indians made robes of the skins before they leained
their value to the whites for trade in onental markets. The story of
the sea otter's place in Oregon history is told in The Quest of the Sea
Otter by Sabia Conner,
At 145.5 m. is the junction with an impioved road.
Right here to DEVIL'S PUNCH BOWL STATE PARK, (tables and fire-
places), 0.5 m. Immediately below a sandstone bluff is the DEVIL'S PUNCH-
BOWL where the incoming tidal waters rush through two openings in a deep,
round cauldron to boil up, then recede. Offshore is OTTER ROCK, a sea-bird
rookery, formerly the haunt of thousands of sea otters.
South of the entrance to the park, are the vestiges of tiestles that
carried the Pacific Spruce Corporation's wartime railroad, built to reach
immense forests of spruce, whose wood was used in making airplane
frames and propellers.
OCEAN PARK, 146*7 m. (25 pop.), facing locky ieefs, overlooks a
rookery ofishore wheie gulls, cormoiants, and other waterfowl nest.
AGATE BEACH, 151,3 m. (124 alt, 150 pop.), is noted for its
abundance of agates. The Oregon coast between Tillamook and Coos
bays has exceptionally fine and extensive beach deposits of jasper, watei
agates, moss agates, "Oregon jade/ 1 and fossilized wood*
Right from Agate Beach to YAQUINA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE, 1 m. Built in
1873, it was to have been placed on Otter Crest but construction materials were
delivered here by mistake. The rugged promontory, YAQUINA HEAD, wa*
erroneously called Cape Foul weather by some early mariners, a designation
given to Otter Crest by Captain Cook in 1778, The ocean dashes at the base
of the cliffs and screaming sea birds dart and circle above the rocks. South
of the head, is an extensive MARINE GARDEN, that can be visited at low
tide. Starfish, soldiers of the sea, and sea anemones abound here*
TOUR 3 373
NEWPORT, 154 772. (134 alt., 1,530 pop.), (hotels, tourist camps,
natatorium; boats for clamming f crabbing , and deep-sea fishing), spreads
across a blunt ridged peninsula between the ocean and Yaquma Bay.
Though the first settler arrived in 1855 it was several years before
there was a village here. Traders and fishermen were the first arrivals.
Then the people of the Willamette Valley discovered it to be a delightful
resort area and the Ocean House, built in 1866, and the Abbey House
and Fountain House, opened in 1871 all facing the bay began to
draw visitors who would take the five-day coastal voyage to San Fran-
cisco as a diversion. Others engaged in the clam-diggmg and crabbing
that still attract many. This section remains the commeicial center of
town, which flourished m the 1890*5 when Yaquina Bay ships carried
away the products brought across the range from the Willamette Valley
on the old Oregon Pacific Railroad.
Newport is now primarily a resort with a somewhat Victorian ap-
pearance m the older areas. Shell-fishing gives it some commercial im-
portance. Crabs, clams, and oysters the latter aitificially planted to
renew the supply are shipped inland. Oystering is done in flat-bottomed
boats with the aid of long-handled tongs*
The view of the bay at sunset, when the fishing fleet rides at anchor,
is particularly attractive. This bay is also the anchorage for the deep-sea
fishing boats that carry visitors across the bar to fish and to watch for the
porpoises, sea lions, and whales occasionally seen offshore.
Visitors also hope that careful search may one day discovei four
valuable diamonds that were thrown into the waters in 1915- A Port-
land resident who died in that year stipulated in his will that these
stones, which had belonged to his mother, should be thrown into the
water to keep them forever from otheis.
John Fleming Wilson (1877-1922), the author of numerous books
(see LITERATURE), lived here for about three years after his m 
