The land on the east bank of the Willamette River at Willamette Falls now known as Oregon City was used as salmon fishing grounds and a trade hub by Native Americans of the Chinook and other tribes for thousands of years. Early pioneers recognized the value of the river for trade and transportation, as well as the beauty of the area. Willamette Falls was known as "the Niagara of the Northwest." The land was claimed in 1829 by Dr. John McLoughlin for the Hudson's Bay Company and was named Willamette Falls. In 1856, the remaining Native Americans would be moved to the Grande Ronde Indian Reservation.

 

Dr. McLoughlin was born in 1784. He had come to the Oregon Country in 1824 as the new Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company and built a new northwest headquarters for the firm at Fort Vancouver on the north side of the Columbia River, replacing Fort George at what is now Astoria. In addition to Chief Factor, McLoughlin also became Superintendent of the Columbia Department in 1824. He would hold both positions until his retirement in 1845. Dr. McLoughlin was knighted by Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace in 1841.

 

By the early 1840s, American settlers were arriving in the Oregon Country, land which was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain. The first large group of about 100, led by Dr. Elijah White, arrived in 1842. Nearly 1,000 followed the following spring. Dr. McLoughlin went against the official policy of the Hudson's Bay Company by giving aid to the Americans, providing them with food, clothes, seeds for farming and medical care.

 

Dr. McLoughlin renamed the settlement of Willamette Falls to Oregon City and had the town platted in 1842. The falling water of Willamette Falls began powering a lumber mill that year. With the "Great Migration" of 1843, American settlers began arriving in large numbers by covered wagon over the Oregon Trail.

 

Oregon's early citizens began meeting at Champoeg to form a provisional government. On May 2, 1843, they voted to organize their provisional government under the United States instead of Great Britain, and on July 5, 1843, the first provisional legislature for the Oregon Country was formed, meeting at Oregon City. Four territorial districts were established, and Oregon City was made the county seat of Clackamas County, which it has remained to this day. Oregon City was incorporated on December 24, 1844, becoming the first incorporated city west of the Mississippi River.  Oregon City was designated capital of the Oregon Territory on March 31,1849, and would remain so until May 15, 1852, when, after gaining statehood, Salem was made the new state capitol. As the first place of government in the west, Oregon City had the first Federal Court and Land Office. The original plat for the city of San Francisco would be filed here in 1850.

 

In 1844, a flour mill began operation, powered by the falls. That same year, a Methodist church was dedicated in Oregon City, becoming the first Protestant church west of the Rocky Mountains.

 

Following criticism from Hudson's Bay Company officials for helping Americans, and the anticipated treaty to give Oregon to the United States leading the company to move the northwest headquarters north to Vancouver Island, Dr. McLoughlin resigned his position with the company, purchased the land at Oregon City for $20,000, and proceeded to build a home with his wife near the falls in 1846. The Oregon Treaty of 1946 formed the border between the western United States as it is today.

 

Also in 1846, Samuel K. Barlow and Philip Foster built the Barlow Road, a toll road that served as cut-off from the Oregon Trail through the Cascade Range south of Mount Hood and into Oregon City. The first fall, 152 covered wagons arrived in Oregon City by way of the Barlow Road. Several pioneering establishments occurred that same year, including the first newspaper west of the Missouri River, the Oregon Spectator, which was first published on February 5, 1846, the first Catholic Archdiocese in the west and the first Masonic lodge west of the Rocky Mountains.

 

Other significant events in Oregon City's history include:

 

1864 - The Oregon City Manufacturing Company woolen mill opens in Oregon City.

1867 - The first paper mill in the Pacific Northwest is built in Oregon City by W. W. Buck.

1888 - The first suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River is erected over the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn.

1889 - The first long-distance transmission of electricity in the United States begins from Oregon City to Portland.

1893 - The East Side Railway Company from Portland to Oregon City becomes the first electric interurban railway in the United States.

 

The rest of Oregon City's history can be found throughout the city.

 

 

 

1. Falls Vista Viewpoint

 

This viewpoint on U.S. Highway 99E is as good a place to start exploring Oregon City as any. This point gives a spectacular view of Willamette Falls. It also features signage explaining some of the history of the city, a bust of Dr. John McLoughlin, and a plaque that reads: "400 feet south of this marker stood the home of peter skene ogden chief factor of hudson’s bay company and rescuer of the survivors of the whitman massacre."

 

In 1836, Dr. Marcus Whitman and Rev. Henry Spalding had settled with their families at Waiilatpu near Fort Walla Walla in the eastern part of the Oregon Country, near what is today Walla Walla, Washington. Their wives, Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding, were the first white American women in the Oregon Country. Against the recommendation of Dr. McLoughlin, Whitman founded a mission at Waiilaptu, and other settlers joined them there. Some of the new arrivals were hostile toward the Native Americans in the area, leading a group of Natives Americans to attack the mission on November 29, 1847. The Whitmans and 13 additional men were killed, and 54 women and children taken hostage. Henry & Eliza Hart Spalding were not present, but their young daughter Eliza was. One man, a carpenter named Peter Hall, had managed to escape to alert Fort Walla Walla, but then disappeared on the way to Fort Vancouver.

 

Upon hearing of the massacre, James Douglas, who had replaced Dr. McLoughlin as Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, set Peter Skene Ogden on December 19 with goods to trade with the Native Americans for the release of the hostages. By that time, several of the hostages had died, but Ogden rescued 49 of them, including the Spalding's daughter Eliza. The Spaldings would settle in Oregon City for a time before moving to Forest Grove, Oregon, where they founded Tualatin Academy, which later became Pacific University.

Ogden later became Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company himself, before retiring and building a home in Oregon City. He died September 27, 1854 at the age of 60 and is buried in Oregon City's Mountain View Cemetery.

 

2. Francis Ermatinger House

619 Sixth Street

 

The Ermatinger House was built in 1845. It features Federal style architecture, and is the oldest home in Oregon City. It was in this house that the city of Portland got its name. The two largest landowners in what would become Portland were Asa L. Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove. At a dinner party at the Ermatinger home, they decided to combine their land claims into a single city. They just had to settle on a name for the new town. Lovejoy was originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and so wanted to name it Boston, while Pettygrove was from Portland, Maine, and wanted to name it Portland. They decided to flip a coin to settle the matter, and Pettygrove won two of the three tosses, thus the city was named Portland.

The Ermatinger house was originally located near Willamette Falls, however it, like several other houses, was threatened by industrial development along the river. In 1910, the house was moved to the upper part of town and placed at the corner of 11th and Center Streets. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 1977. In 1986, the house was moved again, to its current location at 6th and John Adams. The Ermatinger house is maintained as a museum with appropriate furnishings for the period.

3. Dr. John McLoughlin House

713 Center Street

 

After his retirement from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1845, Dr. McLoughlin moved to Oregon City and built the Georgian-style McLoughlin House near Willamette Falls in 1846. The American settlers, however, resented his large claim, asserting that because McLoughlin was a British citizen, his land claim was no longer valid now that Oregon was part of the United States. McLoughlin applied for U.S. citizenship, and was granted it in 1851, but that did not prevent most of his claim from being transferred to the early state legislature. McLoughlin and his family were allowed to remain in the home. He used much of his remaining claim to benefit the city, platting it in 1850. He gave away 300 lots for various uses, including several churches and a city jail, and built houses, mills and a canal around Willamette Falls all at his own expense. McLoughlin also served mayor of Oregon City, elected in 1851 by a margin of 44 to 22.

 

Dr. McLoughlin died September 3, 1857 at the age of 73, before the dispute over his land was finally settled, and was buried in the courtyard of St. John's Catholic Church in Oregon City. His wife Margaret died February 28, 1860 at the age of 85 and was buried there with him. In 1862, the State of Oregon released his remaining property to his heirs. In 1957, McLoughlin was given the title "Father of Oregon" by the Oregon Legislative Assembly.

The McLoughlin house was originally located near Willamette Falls, however, like the Ermatinger House, it was threatened by industrial development near the falls. The house was saved through the efforts of a group of citizens, led by Eva Emery Dye. Mrs. Dye had written the book McLoughlin and Old Oregon and inspired the Chautauqua in Gladstone and the Oregon City Women's Club. In 1909, Mrs. Dye and other saved the McLoughlin house from demolition by moving it down Main Street and up Singer Hill to its current location. The house opened as a museum in 1910.

 

A number of markers commemorate the house and its history. The Oregon City Territorial Days Association placed a marker on August 18, 1939 commemorating Dr. McLoughlin and acknowledging dedication of the land the house now sits on as a public park as part of the original survey of 1842. A marker placed by the National Park Service in 1950 acknowledges the McLoughlin house as being a National Historic Site, and points out that this park was presented to the city of Oregon City in 1850. On September 10, 1989, the McLoughlin Memorial Association placed a marker in memory of Mrs. Eva Emery Dye and other who worked to save the McLoughlin house.

 

The Oregon City Women's Club placed a fountain on the grounds of the McLoughlin house as a memorial to Dr. McLoughlin. It was dedicated on June 18, 1911. The Oregon City Women's Club restored the fountain in 1978 and rededicated it on June 18, 1978. The fountain was restored again in 1994.

 

 

A drinking fountain on the grounds is dedicated to the memory of Vara Caufield, the curator of the McLoughlin house museum from 1947 to 1962.

 

 

 

 

In addition to being declared a National Historic Site in 1941, making it the first in the West, the McLoughlin house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It became part of the National Park System in 2003 as a unit of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

 

Dr. McLoughlin and his wife were originally buried in the courtyard at St. John's Catholic Church on Main Street. In 1948, the church moved out of the old building, which was to be demolished, and the McLoughlins' remains were moved to the corner of 5th and Washington Streets on July 6, 1848, where a new church was to be built. However, the church decided to build at the corner of 4th and Center Streets instead. In the 1960s, it was realized that the McLoughlins would have to be moved again. The McLoughlin Memorial Association expressed a desire to have them buried on the grounds of the McLoughlin house. The Advisory Council of St. John's Parish and Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer agreed, provided an appropriate memorial was erected. This monument on the McLoughlin house grounds was placed in 1970. It incorporates the original tombstones of Dr. McLoughlin and his wife. Dr. McLoughlin's tombstone describes him as "The pioneer and Friend of Oregon Also the founder of this city". The monument was sponsored by Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer, Dr. Burt Brown Barker, Marie D. Clark, Edna C. Henderson, Trornton T. Munger, Paul F. Murphy, Ruth M. Powers, Albert H. Powers III, Arthur A. Riedel & Barbara B. Sprouse.

 

Also on the grounds is this small old cannon. It has no plaque or sign associated with it, but it is apparently an example of a cannon used by the Hudson's Bay Company for the defense of their forts.

 

 

 

4. Dr. Forbes Barclay House

719 Center Street

 

Dr. Forbes Barclay was born in Scotland in 1812. In 1839, he left Scotland to become Chief Physician for the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. He moved to Oregon City in 1850 and continued to practice medicine. He lived in this house, which was built in 1849 in Classic Revival Style. Dr. Barclay was one of Oregon City's early mayors. He also served a a councilman for 9 years, as Superintendent of the first public school for 15 years, and as Coroner for 18 years. Dr. Barclay died in 1873. A plaque in his honor was placed here by the Susannah Lee Barlow Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and dedicated on August 15, 1948. The Barclay House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1974.

 

The Ermatinger, McLoughlin and Barclay houses are all part of the McLoughlin Conservation District. The District was created in 1982 and consists of the 121 blocks of Dr. McLoughlin's original plat. These historic blocks are made up mostly of historic houses. Here is a quick look at just a few of them.

 

Jagger House

512 Sixth Street

Built in 1880

Vernacular Style

 

 

Judge Harvey Cross Residence

809 Washington Street

Built in 1888

Italianate Style

Placed on National Register of Historic Places on October 30, 1979.

 

DeWitt Clinton Latourette House

914 Madison Street

Built in 1891

Queen Anne Style

Placed on National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1992.

 

Stevens-Crawford House

603 Sixth Street

Built in 1908

Foursquare Style

Operated as a museum by the Clackamas County Historical Society.

 

Fred C. Eckhoff House

716 Center Street

Built in 1908

Vernacular Style

 

 

Richard Petzold House

504 Sixth Street

Built in 1911

Craftsman Style

Placed on National Register of Historic Places on October 31, 1985.

 

Captain M. D. Phillips House

720 Center Street

Built in 1912

Bungalow Style

Currently in use as the offices of The Morrissey Group, LLC.

 

H. B. & Pearl Cartlidge House

815 Washington Street

Built in 1913

Bungalow Style

 

 

John Inskeep House

810 Center Street

Built in 1914

Bungalow

 

 

Kent Moody House

816 Center Street

Built in 1922

20th Century Colonial

 

 

5. Mountain View Cemetery

500 Hilda Street

 

Mountain View Cemetery is a very old cemetery, with graves dating from the pioneer days, though burials still take place here today. The first burial here took place in December 1847: the infant John Barclay, son of Dr. Forbes Barclay and his wife. The next burial was that of Dr. William Allen, who died June 9, 1851. The cemetery was officially established in 1854. Landowners William Livingston and Mary Holmes deeded five acres to the Oregon City city council for $5.00 for use as a public cemetery on April 29, 1863. An additional acre was deeded to the Masonic Lodge to be a Masonic cemetery. Today, Mountain View Cemetery includes 54 acres.

 

In such an historic cemetery, there have been some significant figures interred here. I managed to find a few of the early pioneers buried here.

 

Charles & Sarah Eliza Pope

 

Charles Pope was born in England on August 23, 1807. His wife Sarah Eliza was born on November 12, 1812 in New York City. They came to Oregon City in 1851. Charles Pope established a hardware store and later served as Oregon City Treasurer. Charles Pope died June 11, 1871 and his wife died September 11, 1898. Their graves are both marked by this  single large monument. Two of the sides bear the information for Charles and his wife, one side is blank, and the last side bears the following verse:

 

“O, honored, beloved in earth unconfined,

Thou hast soared on high, thou hast left us behind

But our parting is not forever,

We will follow thee by heaven’s light,

Where the grave cannot dissever,

The souls whom God will unite.”

 

Mary E. White, Colonel W. L. White & Thomas W. Rhoads

 

Colonel White and his wife Mary were both born in Virginia; he on August 16, 1819; she on September 23, 1822. They came to Oregon in 1850. Colonel White was very active in the early territorial and state governments, serving as a clerk in both. He also operated hotels in the area, and served as a Clackamas County judge from 1874 to 1890. The Whites share a large marker with Thomas W. Rhoads. Rhoads was born in Ohio on August 16, 1832. He came to Oregon in 1857, and died February 17, 1885. I do not know what his connection to the Whites was. Mary White died February 20, 1887, and Colonel White died May 3, 1897.

 

Charles David & Sedonia Shaw Latourette

 

Charles Latourette was a son of early pioneer L.D.C. Latourette, who is also buried at Mountain View Cemetery (though I didn't spot his marker). Charles was born in 1854, and his wife was born in 1881. Charles co-founded the Bank of Oregon City with his brother and went on serve as mayor of Oregon City. Charles died in 1930, and Sedonia in 1932. Small markers for each of them sit in front of a monument labeled only "C.D. Latourette."

 

DeWitt Clinton & Ellen Scott Latourette

 

DeWitt Clinton Latourette was a son of L.D.C. Latourette and brother of Charles Latourette. He was born in 1856. His wife Ellen was born in 1855. D. C. Latourette co-founded the Bank of Oregon City with his brother Charles and went on to become a city attorney and city councilman. D. C. Latourette died in 1937, and Ellen died in 1943. They share a monument bearing the inscription "A FRIEND OF GOD AND MAN."

 

Kenneth Scott Latourette

 

Kenneth Scott Latourette was born in 1884; son of DeWitt Clinton Latourette. He was a scholar and a Baptist minister, and went on to become a professor at Yale University. He was known for writing a two-volume History of Christianity in 1953, which is still in print today. He wrote a number of other works on Christianity and China as well. He died in 1968. His marker bears the inscription "STERLING PROFESSOR OF MISSIONS AND ORIENTAL HISTORY IN YALE UNIVERSITY."

 

Other notable figures buried at Mountain View Cemetery (but whom I failed to locate the markers for) include:

 

Robert Caulfield - 1805-1891, early pioneer & Clackamas County's first judge.

Peter Skene Ogden - 1794-1854, explorer, rescuer of Whitman Massacre survivors.

Absolom F. Hedges - founder of Canemah to the south, early steamboat operator.

Peter Rinearson - 1818-1889, established early ferry service, hosted first state fair.

Sidney Moss - 1810-1901, surveyed Oregon City for Dr. McLoughlin in 1842, established first hotel and first store west of the Rocky Mountains.

 

My own ancestors were pioneers from the Oregon Trail as well, and I have a number of relatives at Mountain View Cemetery. Here are their markers.
ARTHUR BELL BORN Feb. 26, 1825 DIED June 20, 1876	ELIZA ANNE Wife of ARTHUR BELL DIED April 7, 1875 AGED 40 years	In memory of ROSAMOND BELL BORN in Salem, N.H. Dec. 25, 1863. DIED in Oregon City Dec. 23, 1883.	WILLIAM A. Son of A. & E.A. BELL DIED Aug. 13, 1870. AGED 1 yr. & 4 m·s.	ALBERT D. Son of A. & E.A. BELL DIED Aug. 18, 1874. AGED 6 m·s.
ARTHUR E. BELL 1872 – 1922	MARGARET BELL WEST 1862 – 1948	JESSE W. WEST 1888 – 1962	SIDONIA N. WEST 1882 – 1970	ROBERT O. WEST 1922 – 1991

 

6. River View Plaza

McLoughlin Boulevard & Fifth Street

 

River View Plaza is a recent addition to Oregon City, but the three plaques at this viewpoint indicate the location of two pieces of Oregon City history.

 

Before Oregon was officially a part of the United States, the provisional legislature realized the need for currency in the Oregon Country. In 1849, the Oregon Exchange Company opened the Beaver Coin Mint just upstream from where River View Plaza sits today. This mint created five- and ten-dollar gold coins from gold dust brought from California. These coins were easily identified, as they were stamped with a beaver on one side, leading them to be called "beaver money" or "beaver coins." These coins remained in widespread use until 1854, when the U.S. Mint in San Francisco bought up all the coins at a premium price, as they contained more gold than the official United States five- and ten dollar coins.

 

In the 1850s, the first steamboat on the Willamette River docked just north of what is now River View Plaza. Steamboats would remain an important mode of transportation on the river until the 1930s.

 

River View Plaza was designed by Darla Cole-Bowen and was built using funds, materials and services provided by Sisul Engineering, Inc., ADaPT Engineering, Inc., Earth Crusaders, Clackamas Landscape Supply, Glacier Northwest, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the City of Oregon City Urban Renewal Agency. The plaques were unveiled and the plaza dedicated at 8:00 AM on Friday, May 31, 2002.

 

7. Willamette Falls Locks

 

Access to the Willamette River above Willamette Falls, 26 miles from the mouth of the river, was not easily achieved in Oregon City's early days. Local farmers and shipping interests wanted to eliminate portages around the falls, an expensive and time-consuming operation. The Willamette Falls Canal & Locks Company was formed to build the Willamette Falls Locks around the falls. A total of five locks, including a canal basin and a guard lock at the upper end, were necessary on the west end of the falls to provide a total lift of 50.2 feet. The locks were carved out of the native rock and finished with masonry and concrete sills and lined with timbers. The project was completed at a cost of $450,000, including a partial state subsidy. The Willamette Falls Locks opened on New Years Day, 1873, when the steamer Maria Wilkins became the first ship to navigate the locks. The original locks were placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 5, 1974 and are still in use to this day.

 

8. Henry Weinhard Building

804 Main Street

 

The original Henry Weinhard's brewery was located here because of the availability of abundant spring water. This building was built in 1895. It was leased by Frank Busch in 1897 and became a furniture store. The building was purchased by Hogg Brothers Furniture around 1910, but the store continued to be operated by the Busch family. Frank Busch's grandson bought the building in 1969. Today, Tom Busch Home Furnishings still occupies the building, and with five generations in the furniture business, is the oldest family-owned furniture store in Oregon.

 

9. Andresen Building

619-623 Main Street

 

The Andresen Building was built in 1902. It was once named the Garde Building, but was renamed the Andresen Building when it was purchased by William Andresen, an Oregon City businessman and later a three-term mayor who first came to Oregon City in 1887.

 

 

10. Richard B. Petzold Building

714 Main Street

 

The Petzold Building is also known as the Noble Building. It was built in 1905 by the Noble family as a saloon and residence. It was purchased by Richard Petzold in 1917. The building is the site of the original McAnulty’s restaurant and cigar store, and since then has seen various uses over the years, including a candy store, a rooming house, a hardware store, and an office building, which is its current use. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1992.

 

11. Masonic Lodge

707-709 Main Street

 

Multnomah Lodge #1 of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons was chartered in Oregon City in 1846, becoming the first Masonic Lodge west of the Rocky Mountains. The cornerstone for this lodge building was laid on August 27, 1907.

 

 

12. OK Barber Shop

703-705 Main Street

 

Also known as the J.W. Cole Building, this building was built by Ed Johnson in 1907 as a full service barber shop with 4 chairs and bathing facilities. The basement still features the original sawdust-fired brick boiler used to heat water. The building was converted to a restaurant in 1986. The facade of the building features a mural by Larry Kangas entitled "Oregon City Trolley." This mural was commissioned by the Oregon City Mural Society, and sponsored by the Oregon City Civic Improvement Trust. It depicts streetcars on Main Street in Oregon City in the 1920s. It was painted in July 1992.

 

13. Carnegie Center

606 John Adams Street

 

The Carnegie Center was built in 1912 as a public library, partially funded by a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, which used funds donated by Andrew Carnegie to give grants for the construction of over 2,500 libraries between 1883 and 1929. Oregon City's was used as a library until 1995. Today it is an art and community center operated under Oregon City Parks & Recreation. In 2001, the building went through a year-long renovation. Since September 24, 2005, the Carnegie Center has been operated by Fine Art Starts, a private organization under contract with the city.

 

In front of the Carnegie Center in a marker commemorating Oregon City as the birthplace of Edwin Markham, Oregon's Poet Laureate and author of "The Man With The Hoe," born April 23, 1852. This marker was placed on Markham's 100th birthday April 23, 1952.

 

14. Bank of Commerce

702-704 Main Street

 

The Bank of Commerce building was built in 1921-1922. Today it is used as an office building, housing, among other things, offices for real estate appraiser Jonathan J. Deskin and the Corporate Crime Control Association & Vidocq Institute of Investigative Science.

 

15. Willamette River Bridge

 

The first suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River was erected here in 1888. This concrete arch bridge was built in 1922 to replace it. The suspension cables from the original bridge were used to support the current bridge during construction. The bridge was designed by Conde B. McCullough, and the bridge's Art Deco details are typical of McCullough's designs. The bridge features a 360-foot half-through arch main span, and is one of only four of this type of bridge in Oregon. Though the bridge structure appears to be built entirely of concrete, the arch is actually steel and is covered with a protective layer of sprayed-on concrete called gunite. The bridge was built by A. Guthrie & Company of Portland, Oregon. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 2005.

 

16. Fire Station

624 Seventh Street

 

This fire station in Oregon City was built in 1922 and still serves the city today. It was remodeled in 1998. It is currently known as Clackamas Fire District #1's Station 15.

 

 

 

17. Elks Lodge

610 McLoughlin Boulevard

 

The Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks Lodge #1189 in Oregon City was chartered in 1912. This building was built in 1923 and following an extensive remodel was rededicated on November 16, 1968 by Past Grand Exalted Ruler Emmett T. Anderson.

 

The southwest corner of the Elks Lodge building features a mural describing the life of Joseph L. Meek. Meek was born in Washington County, Virginia in 1810. He left home when he was 18 and wound up in St. Louis in the fall of 1828, where he signed on as a trapper with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Meek worked in the Rocky Mountains until 1839, when he traveled to the Willamette Valley and started farming on the Tualatin Plains. Meek was one of the settlers who attended the May 1843 meeting at Champoeg to form a government for the Oregon Country. Meek had a role in establishing an American form of government in Oregon. Meek was appointed Sheriff of the Oregon Country. In 1848, Meek accepted the role of messenger to Congress. Carrying dispatches concerning conditions in Oregon, Meek arrived in Washington D.C. on May 28, 1848, and was hosted by his cousin, President James Polk. After Oregon was admitted as a territory, Meek was commissioned as the first U.S. Marshall in the territory.

 

The rest of Meek's story is not told by the mural. Meek's daughter, Helen Mar Meek, was at the Whitman Mission when the Whitman Massacre occurred. Though she survived the attack, she was captured by the attacking Cayuse and died in captivity before Peter Skene Ogden was able to rescue the hostages. As a Federal Marshall, Meek supervised the 1855 hanging of the five Cayuse Indians believed to be responsible for the attack.

 

18. First Congregational Church of Oregon City

710 Sixth Street

 

The First Congregational Church of Oregon City was organized in 1844, becoming the first Protestant church west of the Rocky Mountains. This church building was built in 1924. It was designed by architect William F. Tobey and built by the W. D. Andrews Construction Company. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1982. Today it is known as Atkinson Memorial Church.

 

19. McCald Building

712 Main Street

 

This building was built in 1925 as a new city hall on the site of an old fire station. The city offices, police department and jail were located here into the mid-1940s. The jail cells remain in the rear of the building today. The Oregon City Beauty School occupied the basement and main floor for 22 years. Today, it houses the offices of attorneys Larry J. Lunas, Jenny Cooke and Katherine Weber.

 

20. Clackamas County Courthouse

801 Main Street

 

The Clackamas County Courthouse was built in 1936. It replaced an earlier courthouse built in 1884 in the same location. Today it mainly houses state court offices. The courthouse features some impressive Native American-inspired architectural details.

 

Two historical markers are in front of the courthouse. One was placed in November, 1946 by the Oregon City Chamber of Commerce. The monument was sponsored by the Oregon Council of the American Pioneer Trails Association and gives historical information about early Oregon City, the Oregon Trail and the Barlow Road.

 

The second monument was placed by the Oregon City Hilltop Boosters in April, 1977. It is dedicated to William Simon U'Ren, a blacksmith and lawyer who authored the provisions in Oregon's constitution for initiative referendum and recall, leading him to be known as the father of Oregon's enlightened system of government.

 

There is a plaza next to the courthouse on its north side. This plaza was once the site of the Liberty Theatre. The theater was built in 1921. It closed in 1960 and became an 88 Cent Store, which later became known as Sav-A-Dollar. Clackamas County purchased the building in 1990. The upper floor was rented for office use. Sav-A-Dollar closed in 1991 and the county began using the main floor for records storage. The office tenant moved out in the mid-1990s and the building was demolished in 2004.

 

Liberty Theatre at the Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society

 

Another Clackamas County building is on the other side of Liberty Plaza from the courthouse, occupying the corner at the other end of the block. In July, 2007, this building was dedicated the Ralph M. Holman Law Center by Oregon's Fifth Judicial District and Clackamas County Commissioners Martha Schrader, Lynn Peterson, Bill Kennemer and Larry Sowa. Ralph M. Holman was a descendent of Oregon pioneers who settled in Clackamas County. He served as a Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge from 1950 to 1965 and was an Oregon Supreme Court Justice from 1965 to 1980. The Ralph M. Holman Law Center was dedicated "in honor of his distinguished public service and philanthropic contributions to citizens of Clackamas County and to the State of Oregon."

 

21. S.P.R.R. Undercrossing

 

Also known as the Pacific Highway Underpass, this undercrossing was built in 1936 to carry the Southern Pacific Railroad over Oregon State Highway 99E. Today, the railroad it carries is the Union Pacific, as well as Amtrak passenger trains. It was built by the Parker-Schram Company under a cooperative agreement between the United States Bureau of Public Roads and the Oregon State Highway Commission.

 

This undercrossing features a separate pedestrian tunnel and architectural details not seen on overpasses built today. It is similar to another such undercrossing in Salem, Oregon.

 

 

22. Freight Depot

1709 Washington Street

 

This building was the Southern Pacific Railroad's freight depot in Oregon City. It is not in its original location and may have been moved out of Oregon City at some point and brought back. It has been in its current location since at least the mid-1990s. It is currently used as an office building and is known as "The Depot," housing Bill R. McCracken Accounting and Tax Service, Applied Handing NW, Inc., and Farmers Insurance. It is scheduled to be moved in 2007 to be used as Oregon City's Amtrak depot.

 

23. Veterans of Foreign Wars/American Legion Hall

109 South Tumwater Drive

 

This building is the meeting hall for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1324 and the American Legion Willamette Falls Post #5. The Veterans of Foreign Wars host bingo here every Saturday night at 5:30.

 

 

 

24. Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker

 

Beginning after World War II, National Garden Clubs across the country began erecting Blue Star Memorials and declaring roads as Blue Star Memorial Highways as tributes to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America. This section of Oregon State Highway 99E was sponsored as a Blue Star Memorial Highway by the Clackamas District #15 of the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. in cooperation with the Oregon State Highway Department, the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. and the Garden Clubs of Clackamas District #15.

 

25. Andersen's Gun Shop

 

I don't know how long it has been since Andersen's Gun Shop has occupied this storefront on Seventh Street in Oregon City, but it has clearly been many years since this sign was painted by hand; I am guessing since the 1940s or 50s. (Update: This sign has since disappeared.)

 

 

26. Jacobs Memorial Square

Sixth Street and John Adams Street

 

The Oregon City Manufacturing Company, established in 1864, was the third oldest corporation in Oregon, and operated the largest woolen mill west of the Mississippi River on the banks of the Willamette in Oregon City. In 1867, brothers Isaac and Ralph Jacobs, immigrants from Germany, owned the owned the mill. It was later passed on to Ralph's son Adolf, under whose leadership the company became known throughout America for its high-quality woolens. The company shut down in 1954. That year, Frances and Hilda Jacobs established the Ralph and Adolf Jacobs Foundation in memory of their father and brother, dedicated to education and other charitable causes. Oregon City's Block 62, on the southeast corner of Sixth and John Adams Streets, was purchased by the trustees of the foundation and given to the people of Oregon City. The square is dedicated as Jacobs Memorial Square in memory of the Jacobs family to "be forever used for the recreational, education and/or civic purposes of the residents of the city." The plaques at the square were placed by the city of Oregon City in 1974.

 

27. Oregon City Municipal Elevator

 

In Oregon City's early years, the town was concentrated near the Willamette River, but as the city grew, it expanded onto the top of the bluff that the city backed up to. Initially residents used the trails originally built by the Native Americans who originally inhabited the area. By 1867, steps had been built to supplant the trails. Over the years, more steps were built as the search for an easier route continued, but ultimately the preferred route had 722 steps.

 

In 1899, the idea was advocated of an elevator to connect the two parts of the city. It took a number of years for the idea to gain traction, but on May 10, 1912, the City Commission decided to put to the voters a ballot measure for bonds for "A Public Elevator at the Bluff." The first measure, on July 8, 1912 ballot, was defeated, but when placed on the ballot again on  December 2, 1912, the measure authorizing a $12,000 bond "to construct and operate an elevator from the lower to the upper town at some point to be selected" was approved. A committee of City Commissioners was formed to "investigate the elevator proposition ." They found that while most residents approved of the elevator idea, none of the wealthy residents wanted the elevator near their homes atop the bluff. By March of 1913, the committee had decided that the best place for the elevator would be between 6th and 7th streets at the top of the bluff, but the property owner objected to having the elevator so close to her home and refused to sell access to the city. The case went to the State Supreme Court, who found in the city's favor. The property owner would never ride the elevator.

 

The city contracted with the Oregon Bridge and Construction Company to build the elevator. The choice had to be made of whether the elevator would be operated by water power or electricity. Water power was less expensive, but the City's Water Board was worried that the elevator would affect the integrity of the entire water system. The City Commission solved the problem by appointing a new Water Board made up of City Commissioners. The elevator was able to be constructed and opened on December 3, 1915. Nearly the entire Oregon City population of 3,869 people rode the elevator that first day. The elevator took three to five minutes to rise 89 feet. At the top, a 35-foot catwalk carried passengers from the elevator tower, over the Southern Pacific Railroad, to the top of the bluff. The elevator used an average of 200,000 gallons of water per day and when operating it lowered the water pressure in the surrounding area. In 1924, the elevator was converted to more reliable electric power and the ride was reduced to 30 seconds, but by the 1950s reliability was becoming a problem, as frequent breakdowns led to passengers having to climb out a trap door and down a narrow ladder.

The City Commission spent $7,000 planning a structure that was "as plain as possible, without adornment." A $175,000 bond measure for a new elevator was approved in a special election in May of 1952, but when bids were opened in November of 1953, the lowest was over $200,000. In January 1954, Stevens & Thompson Engineers-Architects submitted a proposal for a new, less expensive design by Portland architect Gordon Trapp, which James & Yost, Inc. General Contractors was awarded the contract for after submitting the low bid of $116,000.

 

 

 

The new elevator consists of over 751 tons of concrete and steel, and is 130 feet high overall. It was dedicated on May 5, 1955, and accepted by the City Commission on July 13, 1955. The dedication plaque bears the names of City Manager Robert D. Clute, Resident Engineer Chris Strohmeyer, Commissioners Richard W. Long & C. George Helzer and Mayor Albert Roake.

 

Unlike the original elevator, which was on the west side of the railroad tracks and had a catwalk above them to reach the bluff, the current elevator is on the east side of the tracks, against the cliff, and passengers use a 35-foot-long tunnel to go under the tracks.

 

The two levels are 90 feet apart, and a one-way trip between them takes 15 seconds. Although the elevator has always been free, and remains so today, 2,000 elevator passes were printed as keepsakes. To this day, the elevator is manned by an operator. It is one of only four municipal elevators in the world, and is the only one in North America. The elevator carries approximately 10,000 riders every month. It is currently operated by Five Stars International.

 

In the 1980s, 13 small historical paintings and 4 murals were painted in the observatory at the top of the elevator to create an interpretive center. The interpretive center concept was envisioned by Rick McClung, Director of Oregon City Public Works, with additional concept development by Judi Van Cleave of the Oregon City Enterprise Courier, Oregon City's weekly newspaper. The project was developed as part of the cities of Oregon City, West Linn and Gladstone's "River Cities Arbor Week," chaired by Gerald Herrmann of the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center and co-chaired by Thor Wegner. The interpretive center was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Overland Migration to Oregon over the Oregon Trail. It was authorized by the Oregon City Commission, made up of Mayor Dan Fowler, Commission President Suzanne VanOrman, Carol Powell, James Ebert & Robert Light, and was funded by a grant from the Oregon City Civic Improvement Trust composed of the Oregon City Commission and Alayne Woolsey, Claire Met, Phyllis Gehring and Dan Daniels, with the support of Oregon City staff members Kate Daschel & Denyse McGriff and with additional funding by the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center, the Smurfit Newsprint Corporation and the Simpson Paper Company. The research and historical photos were from the Clackamas County Historical Society, collected by Executive Director Robert Monaghan, Clee Ann McAllister and Art Torsdahl. The interpretive center was created by Media Master Publications, with design & development by Reid Iford of the Enterprise Courier and surveillance system by Gates Electronics & Security. The artists of the paintings were Jon & Angela Hanley.

 

The Interpretive Center advertises the following Oregon City attractions: the Clackamas County Historical Museum, the McLoughlin House, the Stevens-Crawford Museum, the Ermatinger House, the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, the Rose Farm (where the first Territorial Legislature met in an house built in 1847) and the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center.

 

Here is a look at the 13 small paintings that are around the elevator observatory.

 

In 1843, the Overland Migration began bringing pioneers to the Oregon Territories.

Original painting by John & Angela Hanley

 

 

 

Pioneer women endured great hardship on the trail, and played a major role in bringing western civilization to Oregon.

 

 

 

 

Willamette Falls Station “A” from lower river. 1895.

Clackamas County Historical Society Photo

 

 

 

 

First street car (Helen) into Oregon City at Sixth and Main Street. 1893.

Clackamas County Historical Society Photo

 

 

 

 

Paddlewheel steamboats race under the Oregon City-West Linn Bridge. 1936.