Trip Report

The bus trip to Oregon City was a step back in time to early Oregon. The McLoughlin House was the family home of John McLoughlin, known as the "Father of Oregon". He was the chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company from 1824 to 1845 at Fort Vancouver. The Ermatinger house was built in 1845 and is the location of the coin toss to decide whether Portland would be named Portland or Boston. The Stevens-Crawford house dates from 1905, but the family is from Hudson Bay Company days. Lunch at the Ermatinger House was served in the spirit of 1865. Early clothing was featured in the early houses the group visited. The Museum of the Oregon Trail End is up the hill from Willamette Falls, and has displays of early Oregon, Indian trading goods, clothing, pharmacy and a super view of Willamette Falls. We traveled rural Oregon on our return trip past the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.

Leaders of the trip were Mary Ellen West and Liz Reanier. Participants in the trip were: Ewart Baldwin, Mary Bentsen, Richard Bentsen, Pat Bitner, Ann Bullock, Shirley Boiles, Mary Lee Cheadle, Kent Christoferson, Marjorie Crueger, Pat Dark, Margaret Fea, Rachelle Fiszman, Dora Harris, Nancy Hitchcock, Janet Jacobson, Jean Jensen, Ray Jensen, Ben Kirk, Gloria Layden, Dody Leppmann, Marilyn Lynch, Joyce Mixer, Barbara Payne, Don Payne, Lindsay Pierce, Liz Reanier, Karen Seidel, Rachael Smith, Nan Smith, Janet Speelman, Richard Speelman, Julie Snell, Bobbye Sorrels, Mary Ellen West and Vera Woolley.