Trip Report
This being the 150th anniversary of the Great Migration we focused on historic 19th century places in the lower Willamette Valley. From Eugene we traveled on Hwy. 99W for a quick look at Independence; then via back roads through the Eola Hills to our coffee stop at Maude Williamson State Park with its huge Douglas-firs. Continuing on Hwy. 221 to Dayton, we examined the old military blockhouse fort used by Phil Sheridan's troops in the 1850s. We passed by a number of pioneer farm homes on the way to the Yamhill River locks, closed in 1953. This site is now a county park on land donated by Gertrude Denny, a survivor of the 1847 Whitman Massacre. We spent an hour at the Lafayette Antique Mall located in a restored school house. This place sells nice antiques and includes a furniture restoration facility in the former gymnasium. Next we traveled through the Chehalis Valley, the locale of the pioneer Ewing Young's large cattle ranch. Then up the Chahalem Mountain range past Noble Cemetery on a gravel road to Bald Peak State Park for lunch. Great 360-degree views of the Tualatin and Yamhill Valleys but the cloud cover obscured the Cascade peaks. Our afternoon was at George Fox College in Newberg. Its most famous alumnus was Herbert Hoover who attended a predecessor school in the 1880s. Dr. Lee Nash, professor of history, gave a most informative lecture on the life of Hoover. The campus is beautiful and the college associated with the Friends Church is doing very well and growing. A small museum on campus was most interesting and our host was very gracious. We also visited Hoover's boyhood home, the Minthom House. Mr. Hoover was orphaned at age nine and lived here with his aunt and uncle. About 4:15 we departed for home via Hwy. 219, stopping at St. Paul where the historic church was so severely damaged by the recent earthquake that it may have to be razed. We returned about 6:15, a little tired from a long but enjoyable day.
Riders were Clare Ackley, Ewart & Margaret Baldwin, Marian Borchardt, Ingrid Carmichael, Clair Cooley, Bill & Marge Eaton, Elizabeth Fox, Ruth Galaid, Bette Hack, Evelyn Hile, Miki Hutchison, Jean Jensen, Rosella Jones, Virginia Kapsa, Barbara Kiser, Charlotte Lemon, Anne & Mary Mallery, John & Lenore McManigal, Frances Newsom, Maud Nilsen, Jan Pattison, Bonita Rickard, Lois Schreiner, Kathleen Schlenker, Betty & Harvey Speck, John Thomson, Christy White and Ray Jensen (leader).
