Hubbard's Past is a Hidden Treasure

                               

       The Hubbard community you see from 99E is a bustling commercial corridor. The historic city, now a quiet neighborhood of less than a square mile in size with about 3,000 residents, began with a log cabin located about a mile west of the highway. In the 1870s it flourished along the rail line, several blocks away from the present highway. 
       In 1848, the Hubbard family completed a long trip overland and settled in Oregon City. That spring, Charles Hubbard visited an acquaintance, Maryann Hunt, and her husband Thomas. Pioneer notes made by historian Clark Moor Will state that Thomas Hunt wanted to seek his fortune in California during the Gold Rush. He encouraged Charles Hubbard to rent and maintain his squatter's claim. The agreement made, Thomas Hunt left, never to be heard from again. Maryann Hunt eventually remarried, selling her cabin and improvements to Charles Hubbard. In addition, Hubbard bought 400 acres of nearby land from a Frenchman for "three yoke of oxen and chains valued at $25 each." The Hunt cabin was located in the woods near Mill Creek, where Wolfer's Mineral Springs eventually developed.

       Many Oregon towns, Hubbard included, owe their existence to the route of the railroad. Charles Hubbard Jr. apparently had visions of growth for this newly settled hamlet. When plans for development of the Oregon-California Railroad were being made, he offered the right of way and every other block to railroad officials. The offer was accepted, the town site of "Hubbard" platted, track laid. In 1871, the first train stopped in Hubbard. On that day, the little town became a part of the larger world, serving as a grain shipping point and providing transportation for residents. 
       By 1878, annual grain shipments were 40,00 bushels, "fine stock from imported specimens" were being raised. The population was 150 with 47 students in the school. In 1882, the Hubbard Brass Band was formed and a bandstand was constructed on the commons in front of the railroad depot. In the 1880s a significant new group of residents came to Hubbard: families who had been part of the Aurora Colony. One of these developed Wolfer's Mineral Springs, a health resort popular for many years.  In 1891 the city was incorporated, and the next year a City Hall was built by a local stock company to provide a building in which the militia could drill. Joining the Methodists in meeting the spiritual needs of city residents, the Congregational Church, now The Hubbard Community Church, was built in 1893 while the Catholic Church was built in 1900. (The Hubbard Cemetery, designated by the state as historical, is located about 1/4 mile on the west side of Hubbard off J Street.) Horses and buggies delivered mail along rural postal routes. A traveling photographer sold postcard photos of Hubbard, identifying the town as "On the road of a thousand wonders."

       The decade following World War I was a time of rapid change and national prosperity. Washing machines and electric ranges, advertised in newspapers and magazines, were envied in Hubbard households where electricity was not yet a reality. Telephones were becoming available, making communication instantaneous. A genuine sense of community was felt during the Depression of the 1930s. At no other time were church organizations, lodges, and service clubs so well attended. As hard times gave way to a more prosperous economy, the United States was propelled into war when Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by Japan. Once more young men put on military uniforms. A "roll call," which listed all the men who were in the military, was erected near the old fire hall, on 3rd between F and G Streets. A hero emerged from Hubbard. Marion Carl participated in the battles of Guadalcanal and Midway as a Marine fighter pilot, receiving numerous decorations for bravery and accomplishment. Hubbard citizens followed his career with interest and pride. 

      The twenty years between 1950 and 1970 were characterized by slow, steady change in and around Hubbard. Methods of harvesting changed as horse drawn wagons were replaced by tractors. Droopy in their old age, numerous wood buildings that had been constructed early in the century were removed during the mid-1960s. Odd Fellows Hall and Dr. Schoor's hospital building were dismantled. The Hubbard School was replaced at a new location.

       Following the years of United States involvement in Vietnam, 1965-1975, the citizens of Hubbard like their counterparts in other American towns, wanted to put that war behind them as quickly as possible. No memorial was built in Hubbard for fallen soldiers, no "roll call" of patriotic participants.  Growing population could not be ignored during the early 1970's, as vacant lots became residential building sites. Previous pastureland was annexed by the city and converted into housing developments. Many people who found the cities of Portland and Salem too densely populated, discovered Hubbard.

        The information printed above has been excerpted from "The Story of Hubbard, Oregon" written by Leslie Carol Ulven for the 1991 centennial celebration of the City of Hubbard.  A copy can be found on the city website.
       
        Mentioned in the book quoted above is the growing population of Hispanic residents in Hubbard, as in all of Marion County, during the last half-century. Barbara Curtin's Statesman Journal article of November 25, 2012 chronicles the efforts of Miguel and Lidia Salinas to record the story of these pioneros, including the 81 year-old Natividad Gonzalez of this city. His father, a migrant worker from Texas, first arrived in Oregon in the 1940s. To quote the article, "Without the pioneros’ labor, the Salinases think, Marion County would not have become the top agricultural producer in Oregon. Without them, the couple says, today’s Hispanic newcomers would enter schools unaccustomed to teaching English as a second language. The migrants and their descendants have not thought to record this story. The larger society has not noted it. So Miguel and Lidia are collecting scores of oral histories, copying hundreds of photos and sharing them on a new website at their own expense."

 To find Hubbard's heritage today, turn west off the highway at D Street, then north to 3720 2nd Street. Few of the historic commercial or professional structures of the historic city are in use today, but we find one here: the City Hall is in a building that once held the Armory, but now partitioned into municipal offices.

    Hubbard's volunteer historians, previously contacted to introduce us to city's historic structures, were not available to meet with us. But the friendly and accommodating staff answered our questions. They offered to copy the tour map page of the 1991 book quoted above.  Using that, we found a quiet neighborhood of well maintained, older residences surrounding the handsome city park and we located Hubbard's two historic churches.  Perhaps local historians will publish a printed walking tour, available at the City Hall, with descriptions of these structures and stories of the families who lived in these fine homes, many over a hundred years old. But even without a guide, a short detour from the highway into this historic city can be a rewarding afternoon's activity. We recommend walking in the rectangle between B and G Streets, from 3rd to 7th Streets. Look for plaques mounted beside front doors. Our online historic walking tour reproduces our walk that day. Click one of the 16 red icons to identify structures you could see at that time, one if the 6 blue ones to locate "gone, but not forgotten".

       Hubbard Fire Department's Hop Festival, the third Saturday in July, is a special time to see its community celebration. The festival recognized its 25th anniversary in 1998 with a Silver Celebration. It is a daylong event that includes a parade, a carnival in the park with games for children, a beer garden for grown-ups and a street dance. Money raised at the festival helps pay for materials and equipment used at the fire stations. 
     
      A recent addition to Hubbard's heritage is the Marion E. Carl Veterans Memorial located within the Wolfer-Will Greenway at the corner of 7th and D Streets. (The Wolfer Mineral Springs resort is no longer in evidence.)
    
       Visitors can choose either of two Hubbard restaurants for lunch. The Hubbard Inn, located off the highway on the almost deserted 3rd Street (formerly the business center of town) is a spacious, dimly lit bar dating back to 1889 with bench-type seating and a pool table in the back. When we had lunch there, we were among the few customers, but at night it said to be is lively with residents who come in to trade local stories. The Burger Hut on the highway is a small, 1930s-decorated restaurant (Betty Boop featured) specializing in hamburgers and milkshakes. Depending on your mood, and the time of day you visit Hubbard, either one is a fine place to pause and enjoy the friendly service that comes with your choice of refreshments.
          

Idanha is the Heartland of the Cascades

 We were surprised to learn that the history of the Idanha includes a Salem pioneer, John Minto. In 1873, before the failed attempt of the railroad builders to cross the Cascade Mountains in the 1880s, John Minto was appointed by Marion County authorities to discover if there was an Indian pass through the Cascades as reported by trappers. The one he located was named for him. In 1882, he surveyed a lower pass seven miles further south, now known as Santiam Pass. A visitor finds this area now returned to the natural beauty of earlier days as seen in this photograph..
      The mountaineering of John Minto is honored in History of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington, published by the North Pacific History Company of Portland, Oregon in 1889: "In following the waters of the North Santiam river to their sources, at the summit of the range, Minto proved himself, says Chief Engineer Eccleson of the Oregon Pacific Railway Company, a natural engineer, and discovered the best natural railroad pass yet known across the range."
     "Muskrat Camp" was the name of an original trappers' outpost near the present city of Idanha. In 1889 the first permanent settlement was founded with the establishment of the camp for workers building a railroad to connect the Willamette Valley to Eastern Oregon and eventually join a transcontinental route. The grand scheme, proposed by Colonel T. Egenton Hogg collapsed a because of difficulties with shipping at the Pacific port of Yaquina Bay, Oregon where the line was to begin, and various financial problems within the corporation.
       By 1891, a small town was created by railroad workers and loggers. The first hotel was built about 1887, serving sportsmen attracted to the abundant hunting and fishing opportunities. The proprietor selected the inviting name of Idanha. Travelers associated this Indian-sounding name with a popular soft drink made by the Bottled Mineral Water Company of Soda Springs, Idaho. The origin of the name may have come from Indian legend in Idaho where the name is interpreted as the Spirit of Healing Waters. By 1889 the rail line was complete and excursion trains brought tourists to the hotel from the Willamette Valley.

      The dramatic train ride through the canyon made the resort a popular destination in the 1890s. Idanha's rail service continued until the 1950s, when the track was removed for development of Detroit Lake situated over the historical roadbed of the former Oregon Pacific Railroad. However, highway access to Idanha had improved in the 1920s when the United States Forest Service built a road to connect with the South Santiam Public Road. From that time, the automobile became the preferred transportation. However, nature has occasionally defeated even highway commerce: periodic flooding, landslides, bridge destruction and earth tremors from deep in the mountains have all caused disruption of daily routines.
  

     The early growth of the community led to the establishment of post office in 1895 with Alma Kiesel as postmaster. The structure was placed on built on a railway flatcar, moved into the city and served until 1899, summers only. A permanent post office was established in 1937 at the corner of Highway 22 and Main Street and remains the crucial to the residents. As one resident said, "Our main focus of our identity is the post office, but with the new postplan, we will either lose it completely or be down to 2 hours a day. Our postmistress is usually the first person who is contacted regarding the town by travelers or people wanting to know about property. She is a wonderful advocate for our city." 
         Idanha stands within the Willamette National Forest and controversies have developed about use forest lands: are these government-owned lands merely playgrounds for the increasing American urban population or are they producers of timber goods and services? The forest service has responsibility to prevent fires, typically in the dry summer months. In the past, this led to occasional summer closure of mills, causing local economic hardships. The solution was for Idanha to establish its own fire protection through what became the Idanha Rural Fire Protection District. Once the fire hall was built and staffed, the next step was to incorporate. This was accomplished in 1949.
        Idanha memories since incorporation include these from a present resident: "At one time there were 5 mills working in the area. We had a railroad, doctor's office, stores, car lot and a lot more with a population of over 400 people. We were just as big as Detroit before they moved the town. The little slough by my house used to be where the water generated power plant used to sit that provided power for the town. In 1964 there were 21 houses lost in the flood. We lost two small wooden bridges and roads that connected New Idanha with the main highway. There was no way to get in or out. I also remember when we got 6 feet of snow all at once and had to call Marion County Emergency Services. Since the majority of our residents were in Linn County, they stepped up and provided us with snow removal. "

Our friend in Idanha continues, "We have always been a self sufficient town but since the 80's we have been changing. We have several houses in foreclosure and are an aging community, but we are still a community."
       An excellent resource for learning about Idanha's resolute and resourceful community of residents is Heartland of the Cascades a History of Idanha, Oregon by Barbara K. Bolte. A copy may be found in the Lyons Library. The following quotation from that book expresses the character of the city: "Over the years, Idanha has been many different things to many different people. Originally, it was the homeland of the Santiam band of the Kalapuyans. Later, it became a resting place for weary travelers and fur traders who passed through the area. Tourists made it their destination when the railroad was new and day excursions fashionable. When the settlers and loggers came, Idanha bustled with activity. In times of its history, Idanha has been virtually deserted, a ghost town left vacant of everything but echoing memories. At other times, it teemed with families and enterprises. Always, Idanha has been a special place. It's beauty, tranquility and resources are surpassed by no other place on earth." 
        Today Idanha is about one square mile in size and recently was reported with a population of 134.  It is centrally located between Salem and Sisters, stretching over 2 -1/2 miles on Highway 22 and is divided by the North Santiam River with Marion County on the north side and Linn County on the south. This includes land on which the mills stood at the time of incorporation. The city maintains a lending library in the City Hall. Other public services along Highway 22 are the fire station and the Post Office. A few feet to the east, the Country Store also provides the Grill, a small restaurant.

When traveling past Idanha on Highway 22, take the Church Street exit. After crossing the bridge into Linn County, continue to the city park (kids will enjoy the play equipment) where an Annual Summertime Pot Luck dinner is celebrated. Beyond the park is the beautiful small church among the tall trees. This is a neighborhood of attractive homes.
        Also from the highway, near the City Hall, is an exit to less developed Main Street (Old Idanha), the Log Pond and Riverside Drive along the Marion County side of the river.
         The city is surrounded by the Willamette National Forest and bountiful recreational options including hiking, camping, and fishing. Get more information at the Detroit Ranger Station, 44125 North Santiam Highway SE (503-854 3366). The western approach to Minto Pass is FS Tr. No.3437 via the 3436 trail. A total of 7.7 miles to the PCT.
       Idanha is in a beautiful mountain location. We recommend you stop at the Country Store for a chat and to buy a few picnic provisions. Then park for lunch and a quiet hour by the river in the center of this Cascade Mountain community.

Volunteers Create a Community Center in Jefferson

Downtown 1961

       In our first visit to Jefferson, two historic buildings on Main Street were the focus of our attention. Although we were eager to see the volunteer-organized Community Center, the 1854 Jacob Conser house, just across the street, is the most recognized site in Jefferson.      
      In 1848, Jacob and Nancy Conser and their two children traveled the Oregon Trail, following the Barlow Trail route to Oregon City and then taking up residence at the forks of the Santiam River near Scio. The Consers would eventually have ten children, eight born in Marion County. Conser’s experience in millwork served him well in Oregon. After one season at Santiam Forks, he moved downriver to Santiam City, where he established a sawmill in 1849. Santiam City, however, was susceptible to flooding—a flood in 1861 practically wiped out the town—so Conser took up a 640-acre claim in 1850 at the site of Jefferson, upriver from Santiam City. At Jefferson, Conser joined with James Bates, whose land claim abutted his, to build a substantial mill and millrace, which diverted Santiam water about two miles upriver from the town site. Conser also established a ferry at Jefferson in 1851, which quickly became the main crossing on the Santiam for wagon traffic south from Oregon City. By 1852, Jefferson had become the principal town on the river.

Conser House as City Library, 2012

Conser contributed substantially to building Jefferson, including the donation of land in 1856 for the Jefferson Institute, a private school for local children that emphasized classical education and continued until the formation of a public school district in 1899. He also participated in elective politics, serving as a Democrat in the Territorial Council in 1849 and in the House from 1852 to 1857. He was Marion County commissioner from 1850 to 1853, and he was Jefferson’s mayor in 1870 when the city was incorporated. Conser was also an incorporator of the Oregon Central Railroad Company in 1867. His home was Jefferson’s most substantial early residential building and served for many years after his death, first as the Jefferson Hotel and then as the town’s city hall and library.
         In Jefferson, we found a quiet, rural community with an unusual amount of historical importance to our area of Oregon.  Being on the north bank of the Santiam River gave it early river transportation. In the 1870s Jefferson profited by the main north/south railroad track going through the city. The city was still growing as commerce shifted to highways because the main north/south Highway 99E went right through downtown. However, when I-5 was created in the 1950s, it passed two miles to the east. With highway traffic shifting away, so did significant business investment. But Jefferson residents are proud of their city and support civic activities.

        As visitors, we experienced this strong local volunteer spirit. One of these residents, local historian Mike Barnes, took us on a tour of historic houses, showing us that although Jacob Conser is the most celebrated past resident, there are a number of other 100 year-old homes along Main Street and the adjacent blocks. Mike's tour illustrated the considerable Jefferson prosperity of the past. However, he pointed out local changes and losses. The ferry was long ago replaced by automotive and rail bridges, the latter in 1933 with an unmistakable Conde McCollough design. The imposing Marion-Linn Farmers Union Co-op, across the Santiam River, burned in the later 1950s. The 1914 rail depot of East Church Street, once a focus of freight and passenger service, is also gone. The elegant, 1910 three-story (with cupola) elementary school was razed, but another sizable elementary school replaced it. 

    Other volunteers have transformed  the original 1906 Bank into a vital Community Center. We were impressed to see its many uses as it houses the Chamber of Commerce, several meeting rooms with limited kitchen facilities, areas for developing skills in crafts, a children's playroom and a collection of memorabilia in its city museum.

However, plans are afoot to make a significant move for the historical museum. To the rear of this building, facing 2nd Street, a new city hall was completed in January of 2013. According to former mayor, Michael Myers, the new city hall complex will have a new city library as well. The city council working in concert with the "Friends of the Library" and have agreed to lease one half of the property to the Friends for one dollar a year for ten years. Friends are trying to raise approximately $800,000 for the new library. Once the library is completed the council's plan is to work with the Jefferson Historical Society and restore the Conser House, the present city library site, to become a local historical center. Meanwhile, the owner of the nearby "Cafe 99" at 296 2nd Street offers a large collection of historic photographs on the wall and in albums for visitors to enjoy while enjoying a delicious lunch. Volunteer efforts such as these enhance Jefferson's cultural activities such as those listed below.
       The first Mint Festival was held in 1957 by the Lion's Club that created the festival in celebration of the abundance of mint being farmed here. This gave the City of Jefferson the distinction of being named the "Mint Capitol of Oregon." In 1958, as a "gimmick" to draw a crowd, Lions Club member Monte Weddle created the frog jump, which was modeled after the famous frog jump in Angels Camp, of Calavaras County, California. Rules were revised to fit Jefferson's needs and Mr. Weddle served as the frog jump announcer for 25 years.
        In July of 2012 the Festival celebrated the 55th anniversary of the Jefferson Mint Festival and the 54th anniversary of the frog jump.
        On the first Saturday on May the Festival of the Flowers is celebrated. It was conceived to "celebrate the timeless beauty of the garden", to showcase the organizations, non-profits and agri-businesses in the greater Jefferson area and to showcase historic Main Street.
        For those visitors interested in Oregon National Register properties, there are three in the city. In addition to the Conser House (114 Main Street), there are the  TM and Emma A Witten Drug Store & House at 104 Main Street and the 1871 Jefferson Methodist Church and Parsonage at 310-342 N 2nd Street.

       In the vicinity are two more:
       The James Mechlin Anderson House is located at 728 Ankeny Hill Rd. James and Lucy Anderson, who initiated the building, were among the first settlers in upper Marion County. The couple settled their claim as early as 1848. His success in the California gold fields provided funding for the house that was completed in 1855.
       The Hamilton Campbell House is more remote, sited on a hill off Route 1 near the airport. (A closed gate at the highway inhibits visits.) Campbell's varied achievements included engraving the dies for the Oregon Exchange Company's "Beaver Money" and design and construction of the Indian Manual Training School in Salem, the enterprise that became Willamette University. His three-story home was for many years the most imposing structure in the territory. He was murdered in Mexico in 1863, but his wife Harriet survived to 1902.
       Jefferson is less than a half hour south of Salem. A visit there is not only a pleasant experience in Oregon history, but also an example of what civic improvements can be accomplished today by dedicated resident volunteers.
   

Keizer Values Volunteerism

  

1940s photograph of Fernhazel, the Zieber family home

      Late in October of 2012, we met Evelyn Melson Franz, a volunteer at the Keizer Heritage Museum. Her father's farm was near the intersection of Cherry Avenue and River Road. She remembers the 1930s Russell Ward and Keizer Feed stores, first in that rural area. These family farms were connected to Salem by Front Street and to Portland by Highway 99 (an extension of Capitol Street). Senior citizens of today's urban Keizer, like Evelyn, remember the dirt roads on which they walked (or rode bicycles) to Parrish Junior High ~ in the city.
       Less than a mile north of the Melson property was the 1916 Keizer School at the intersection of Chemawa and River Road (now a shopping center). Turning west, toward the Willamette River, Chemawa Road ended near the present Keizer Rapids Park. This park is near the land claims of pioneers John Shunk Zieber and Thomas Dove Keizur. The park is one of our favorite sites for casual strolling ~ or strenuous hiking if we venture into the more remote trails ~ and we appreciate being in a landscape still very much as it was when these families arrived.
 Although River's Edge Park is probably the site of an early fur trader's outpost (1811-13) and the house of William Wallace of Astoria, no trace of this history remains. Thomas Dove Keizur was the original, permanent settler in 1843. Somewhere in the translation of donation land claim records, his name was misspelled. That settlement suffered in the flood of 1861, and the inhabitants rebuilt their homes on higher ground.
The Zieber house, known as Fernhazel was located in the same area. He bought rights to the property in 1854 and completed the claim. Part of the house was originally a log cabin before Zieber put siding on the house and built additions. John Zieber was the father of Eugenia (1833-1863), wife of Asahel Bush. She died at the age of 30, after the birth of her fourth child. John Zieber was the grandfather of A.N. Bush who, as a young boy, used to stay here in an attic room. In 1946, Stuart Bush, A. N.'s grandson, had the house demolished. 
         Floods in 1943, 1945, 1946 and 1948 hampered the growth of the community, and it was not until dams were built in the 1950s to regulate the flow of the Willamette that Keizer began to flourish. However, another flood in 1993 caused some families to evacuate their homes along the river.
         The most noted resident of Keiser was Charles McNary, a prominent United States Senator from 1917 until his death in 1944. Although born on his family's farm, he lived in Salem during the early years of his career, moving back to family property in the 1930s. Fir Cone, his spacious farm home where he cultivated nut and fruit trees, was in the area now known as McNary Estates. A horticulturist, Senator McNary introduced the Italian prune and the Barcelona filbert to growers in Oregon. The house was demolished sometime after his death in 1944.
        Another well-known personality was Lucille Cummings Bagley (1914-2012) who told the story of her career in A Musical Journey. She is best known for her operatic performances with the New York City Center Opera and Radio City Music Hall.
        Many times the City of Salem tried to annex the growing community adjacent to its city limits. Beginning in 1964, a number of Keizer residents tried to convince the residents that it would be cheaper and better to form their own city. It was not until November 2, 1982, when, with the support of the nearby unincorporated community of Clear Lake, residents voted to make Keizer a city.

Keizer Heritage Center

       Today the remaining farmland of Keizer is hidden to the east and north, beyond the core of business and residential developments. Driving north on Front Street, or the more recent Broadway, these Salem streets meet at a traffic light and passing through, you will be in Keizer. It is hard to know you have traveled from one city to another, except that you are now on North River Road, the commercial spine of the city. This street stretches the length of Keizer, becomes Highway 221 and, as French Prairie Road, leads to the earliest settlements of Marion County. A turn to the right at Chemawa Road takes you to the handsome new City Hall, the Keizer Heritage Center and so on to the northwest city limits and I-5 at Keizer Station shopping complex.
        According to a recent Statesman Journal statement, "Keizer has established its own identity: minimal but effective city services, low taxes, a commitment to youth and family, and a passion for volunteerism. In its own estimation in a recent publication: Keizer is a relatively young city, continuing to mature and develop, never forgetting its commitment to preserve its heritage and small-town values. Keizer's motto is Pride, Spirit, and Volunteerism". 
       The city's size is 7.3 square miles and it has a population of 36,478. Among the recent improvements, in addition to the City Hall, is the Keizer Station retail complex north of town on I-5 and the Keizer Rapids Park. One subject of development that has been rejected in Keizer is a tax-supported public library facility. Cost seems to be the main reason the city is reluctant to join the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service.
       The section of the city nearest to Salem now has residential developments typical of the 1950s-1970s. Along the Willamette River, there are many newer homes on larger properties and several neighborhood parks. Keizer, unlike Salem, developed their beautiful riverfront for residential enjoyment.

      Living as a near neighbor, we rarely think of Keizer as a different city. However, there is quality of spirit, local pride and dependence on volunteers that marks the city as being forward-looking and eager to announce its individuality. The residents welcome both visitors and residents in enjoying annual celebrations, heritage sites and natural beauty:

      May ~ Keizer Iris Festival Parade and the Keizer Iris Run. It is also traditional that Schreiner's Iris Gardens open their 10-acre display gardens to the public free of charge during this celebration.  During bloom season, their colorful display gardens are open from dawn to dusk.

      December ~ Miracle of Christmas Lighting Display in the Gubser Neighborhood during that month. This outstanding residential display is sponsored by the Keizer Fire Department and food donated by viewers is donated to the Marion Polk Food Share and Keizer Chamber of Commerce for distribution to families in need of support.

      The 119-acre Keizer Rapids Park opened in 2007. A few of its features are walking trails along the Willamette River, an Off Leash Dog Park, Sand Volleyball Court and Amphitheatre. A ramp access to the river for boaters was completed in November. Increasing the parking area has made it convenient for day use.

 Wallace House Park at Rivercrest Drive and Jack Street. Extensive research has shown this is the location of the first significant settlement in the Willamette Valley by Astoria Fur Company traders in 1812. The park and historical site will be developed in the future. 

   

The Keizer Museum

  The Keizer Heritage Museum is inside the Keizer Heritage Community Center, which was formerly the Keizer School. The school, built in 1916, has been moved east on Chemawa Road from its original location on North River Road, has been completely restored and is the only public historic building in Keizer. (Open 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday 10am to 4pm.) We like to visit here to see how other tenants, including  the Keizer Community Library and the Keizer Art Association and Gallery, use this handsome building. The gallery changes exhibits each month and welcomes visitors.

      An interesting landmark that may be passed without notice is the brick monument in the 5000 block of River Road North, marking the 45th Parallel. 
   

Mill City is a City of Bridges

Cars line Wall Street, Mill City, 1961

       Slow down as you pass Mill City on North Santiam Highway. You don't want to miss the turn into 1st Avenue. Continue around a curve, then take a left at NE Wall Street. You are now in the one block that was the heart of the historic city with the "wall" of a hill to the left and the fall of land to the river at right.
        Perhaps it was near here that the first cabin was built by Newton Hensley in about 1874.  Sarah Hensley, his mother, had bought 160 acres on the north side of the North Santiam. Their cabin was built "on the flat near the river". But the rough trails between their cabin and supplies proved too difficult and they returned to Salem. Imagine the long, primitive 30-mile trail!
         In 1887, anticipating the need for construction lumber by Oregon Pacific Railroad Company advancing east across the state, four Stayton businessmen: John Shaw, Leander Brown, Thomas Simms and W. Hadley Hobson incorporated the Santiam Lumbering Company. They moved their sawmill to this site, naming it Mill City. Building began immediately and a letter from a resident to the newspaper in Salem describes the new town as having a "well-managed store, a restaurant, a hotel and a blacksmith's shop..." He adds that a saloon is located "on the outskirts". Shaw managed the mill, a store and a post office.
       Santiam Lumbering Company purchased half of Sarah Hensley's property. A few months later, she returned, now as Mrs. Richard Rice, and built a house near Elizabeth Creek. In 1888, Richard Rice's plat for the town of Mill City was recorded with Marion County. It included streets named Elizabeth and Lucy (for Mrs. Rice's daughter).  Lucy Street in now NE 4th Street. In the next year, the Santiam Lumbering Company built a hotel on the cliff above the mill, naming it Cliff House. When railroad reached the booming town in November 1888, John Shaw, now company manager, lived with his family on the upper floor of a building housing a post office, ticket office, Wells Fargo facility and railroad office. In 1890 work on the Oregon Pacific Railroad ceased after rails reached Idanha. The company defaulted on its bonds and went into receivership. The Santiam Lumbering Company closed its mill in 1893. In 1894 the properties were acquired in a sheriff's auction ($100,000) by A. B. Hammond, a lumberman from Missoula, Montana. He expanded the mill, store and other services, including a theater, The Opera House. (He operated the railroad until 1907 when he sold it to Southern Pacific for a nice profit at $1,400,000).
       In 1903, Mill City was described as having a large sawmill, Presbyterian Church, long distance telephone service for its population of 250, daily mail, general store, hotel, saloon, grocery, blacksmith, and meat market. Civic organizations before 1914 were Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, Ancient Order of United Workers, Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star, and Women's Benefit Association.  But it was still a small community: in 1929 the Salem Capitol Journal reported Taylor School on the ridge above the city was the only one in Marion County that Superintendent Mary L. Fulkerson could not reach by automobile. Also, it was the smallest school with only Johnny, Norman and Iva Short as pupils. (Gates and Mill City school districts were united in 1963.)
      In 1935, the same newspaper reported that the Mill City Hospital, owned and operated by W.W. Allen, was completely destroyed by fire. Loss was estimated at between $10,000 and $15,000 with only a few surgical instruments saved. It had been equipped to house 12 to 25 patients. Three years later, the Alfred G. “Simon” Hinkle residence was acquired in the name of Harriet Reid, according to a National Register of Historic Places document. Her husband, Dr. David Reid, and his son, John, used the house as a residence and lumber company medical facility until 1946. The 1916 Craftsman-style Hinkle-Reid House at 525 NE Alder Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
      

Mill City of Marion County

   The city was incorporated in 1947 and a new prosperity began in 1948 with the proposed construction of Detroit Dam, 12 miles upstream. The arrival of engineers and workmen encouraged private investment and community services. With the completion of the dam in 1953, the primary investments returned to lumbering, however the Hammond Lumber Company was dismantled in 1957. The last train left the city in 1971.
       Today the scenic North Santiam River divides a city of 1,855 residents. We began our visit by parking on the deserted Wall Street. The block contains the shell of a two-story company store, the post office, newspaper office and bank. The adjacent depot is now the Canyon Life Museum. Unfortunately, we found it closed. We lingered on the roadway, glancing at the empty space along river to the south where there were once lumbering structures, all now gone.

       To west, we saw where the rail line entered Wall Street, crossing the river. The bridge, long unused, has been converted for pedestrians. We choose that route into the city, instead of continuing on 1st Street's traffic bridge. We enjoyed the river views and chatting with other strollers. After 1919, when it was relocated from its original 1888 location in San Jose, California, this railroad bridge provided transportation for the local lumber mills, as well as those coming to work on the local dams. Its handsome renovation is an example of Mill City using an asset to best advantage.

          We were wandering through the newer portion of the city in Linn County, passing the building with City Hall, Sheriff Sub-Station and library when I stuck my hand into my jeans pocket and discovered my iPhone was missing. Panicking, I retraced my steps, Tom following in the car, both of us carefully examining the sidewalks to see if the phone had dropped to the pavement. Since the library was the only municipal facility open, I reported the loss there. A few minutes later, I found the iPhone had dropped between the seats in Tom's car and reported our discovery to the librarian. After identifying ourselves as historians and remarking that we were sorry to miss a visit to the museum, a patron (who had the keys) offered to open the museum for us and so we had a private tour: what luck! We found Canyon Life Museum a good starting point for anyone interested in photographs and history of the booming lumber mill days. By establishing the museum in the original railroad depot, Mill City has used another valuable site for a new purpose. The publication 100 years in the Santiam Canyon may be purchased there for $5. There is no charge for the brochure, "Welcome to Canyon Life Museum".

Canyon Life Museum

         After the museum visit, we drove by the National Register Hinkle-Reid House on East Alder. We later discovered that by continuing east and south from Wall Street, the road leads to Santiam Pointe Loop, a neighborhood of recent residential development within the bend of the river in Marion County.

         With both traffic and pedestrian bridges across the North Santiam, visitors to Mill City will recognize the river's attraction. We just gazed at it from the bridges, but the more adventurous will enjoy the sporting opportunities. The two dams that control the river flows are well upstream from Mill City, so the area provides great salmon and steelhead fishing and lots of river recreation. Local information warns visitors not familiar with the river that they should consult with one of the local river guides.  There are falls and rapids that can mean lots of fun, but must be enjoyed safely with a knowledgeable local guide.
Two additional sources of information about Mill City are the North Santiam Chamber of Commerce visitors guide (which can be picked up at Green Mountain Real Estate and at Mountain Edge Cafe) and the Canyon Weekly, available by subscription through the online edition.
      If you are a casual visitor, as we were, we would also suggest you plan ahead if you wish to visit this fascinating, local museum. You may not be as lucky as we were.
   

Mount Angel ~ Bavaria in Oregon

Mount Angel 1961

         A visit to Mt. Angel can be two different experiences. The city has cultivated a Bavarian atmosphere of community good will and celebration. On the hill above, the Mount Angel Abbey reminds us of the spiritual aspects of our lives.
     The 1847-8 pioneers of the area around Mount Angel were primarily of English descent, coming from Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. Clashes among the native Mololla, Cayuse and Klamath Indians and these settlers were common, culminating in the Battle of the Abiqua in March of 1848. After the battle, many native people migrated south, and more settlers began claiming the fertile land for farming.
      Although we associate the city of Mt. Angel with its Swiss-German traditions, it was originally an 1850 town site named Roy by Benjamin Cleaver. Within a few years, the thriving town had a church and school. By 1882 a post office was established with that name. During these first thirty years many German and Swiss Catholic settlers made their homes here on the rich farmland. Their St. Mary's Church was built in 1880. In the following year, Rev. Fr. Adelheim Odermatt of the Order of Saint Benedict came to America from Engelberg, Switzerland, seeking a location for a monastic community. By that time, a large number of immigrants from the Bavarian section Germany, traditionally Catholic, had settled in this area. Fr. Odelheim selected the nearby highland as the location for an abbey and to serve the several parishes in the area. The community that would later become the abbey officillly as founded in 1882; it was elevated to an abbey in the early 1900s.
Because of this new influence, by 1883 the community became known as Mount Angel (an English reference to Engelberg). The Benedictines were a source of educational opportunities as well, creating the Mount Angel College and Seminary (now known as Mount Angel Seminary), the Mount Angel Academy and the Normal School for Girls. Although fires have destroyed some of the original institutions, many have been rebuilt or renovated. Today, both the town of Mt. Angel and the abbey above it on the hilltop (with a St. Benedict post office), continue to celebrate more than a century of Bavarian culture.  

         In the past there were several Mt. Angel entries in the Capitol Journal newspaper:

           1908: Mt. Angel College offered board, tuition and laundry for $250 a year.

            1917: P. Z. of Mt. Angel brooded and worried over a property deal whereby his brother foreclosed on a mortgage on a building and real estate and then sold both for a larger sum than the mortgage called for. So, P. Z. detonated sticks of dynamite under the moving picture theater operated by his brother. The explosion blew a hole in the side of the building and badly shattered the interior.

             1926: A short circuit in a truck stored in a garage was believed to have started a fire at Mt. Angel College and the Benedictine monastery. Loss was estimated at $1,000,000 in building, rare manuscripts and equipment.

            1927: A gathering of 2,500 people on the summit of Mt. Angel July 16 witnessed the Rt. Rev. Abbott Bernard lay the cornerstone of the new St. Benedict Abbey. This was an initial step by the Benedictine fathers towards rebuilding a monastery, seminary and college destroyed by fire during September 1926.

            1928: Rosalina Keber, Capitol Journal's society editor, interviewed Mrs. Charles Bickner, a recluse living on a seven-acre plot in Butte Creek canyon [6 miles north of Mt. Angel]. Mrs. Bickner had not yet heard a radio or Victrola and had not seen but a single automobile during a trip to Marquam in 1912. Entry into Mrs. Bickner's cabin revealed a stove without a pipe. Until a stovepipe could be had, she just opened a window when she started a fire and let the smoke blow out.

            1940: The Mt. Angel's basketball team was to play Sioux City's Colored Ghosts whose members included "Suitcase" Simpson, "Slow Motion" Graves and "String Beans" Potts.
(See "Ben Maxwell's Salem, Oregon," edited by Scott McArthur, 2006.)

Oktoberfest visitors at the Glockenspiel

        When Mt. Angel was incorporated in 1893, it had 25 legal voters.  Today, with a size of 1 square mile, it has a population of 3,286. It is about 18 miles NE of Salem on Highway 214, nestled among rolling hills and flat farms producing Christmas trees, berries, pumpkins, hops and grass crops. The city employs 23 full and part-time staff members to provide services to the surrounding community. Mt. Angel owns and operates the water and sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities, six local parks, a library, the police and departments and an administrative staff that handles day to day calls, billing, court, and various other functions of the City. It has a Council-Manager form of local government with four Commissions (Planning, Park Tree, Library and Budget) and publishes a City Newsletter. Mt. Angel's economy is supported by Wilco, Providence Benedictine Nursing Center, Mt. Angel Towers, Highland Laboratories, and the Mt. Angel School District. 
        The town itself has a lively Old World flavor with Bavarian storefronts and a large community church. It is home to one of Oregon's most successful festivals, the Oktoberfest, attracting 350,000 people and includes beer and wine gardens, softball tournaments at Ebner Ball Park, a local football game and volleyball invitational tournament, carnival rides, crafts, a wide assortment of German food, and a two day car show. 
 

The Zollner family "Z Musikmakers" have preformed since 1977

Annual festivals:

July 4th ~ Independence Day Celebration

September ~ Oktoberfest (second Thursday after Labor day through Sunday)

December ~ Kriskindlmarkt
February ~ Wurstfest

Sites to visit include three National Register sites:

Queen of Angels Priory, 840 S. Main Street

St. Mary's Church (1912), 575 E College Street
Windischar's General Blacksmith Shop (1902), 110 Sheridan Street

Other local attractions are:
Glockenspiel ~ (2006) tallest in US at 49 feet: view at 11am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm.

Mt. Angel Public Library ~ Bavarian style

Der Maibaum or Tree of Trades (Garfield and Charles streets).
Saalfeld House Museum
Elaine Annen Doll Museum, located in the new Festhalle Building, is open two Fridays and two Saturdays each month. 

Saalfeld Family Park, at College and Garfield Street, opened on Friday, August 31, 2012
 

Mount Angel Abbey Church

      When you are in Mt. Angel, drive up the wooded road to the abbey, where the welcome is “All guests are to be received as Christ.” The Kalapuya called the butte upon which the abbey sits Tapalamaho, which means “mount of communion.”
     The Benedictine community that became the abbey suffered two major fires in its early history. On fire in 1892 destroyed the monastery, church and seminary buildings. Funds were raised and buildings rebuilt but another fire in 1926 consumed the new monastery. Again the monks rebuilt, completing the first section of the existing abbey in 1928. More structures followed, including Aquinas Hall and a gymnasium. A library, designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, was dedicated in 1970s. Today, library guests are welcomed with a guide booklet that explains the library’s history and its services.
        A more recent addition to the abbey is a bell tower, which was placed in the abbey’s church in 2007 and contains eight bells, one of which is described as the largest swinging bell in the Pacific Northwest. Visitors to the abbey’s church can enjoy informal sacred music recitals as they take a restful pause in their activities.
The abbey’s website, www.mountangelabbey.org, offers more information, describing its museum as “an eccentric collection of artifacts.” When you are at the abbey, ask for a self-guided walking tour booklet. It also gives the bell schedule for monastic prayers in the church    
    Listing Mt. Angel attractions is useful, but cannot fully express the tremendous effort the residents have made to create not only a lively tourist destination, but a pleasant small town in which to make their homes. The next time you visit, enjoy the celebration, but drive a few blocks into the residential neighborhoods and see the real Mt. Angel community.