Adventure in Oregon, Camp Adair Nature walk and the Soap Creek School

Since arriving in Oregon about a week or two ago, we have had a lot of time on our hands, and trying to keep 3 kids busy in a new neighborhood where we have no friends, has been kind of rough, so, we planned some local little short sightseeing trips to keep busy and beat boredom. In this post, we are visiting Camp Adair, and the Soap Creek Schoolhouse. Here is some quick background information about Camp Adair, taken from EE Wilson Wildlife Area Website. Originally called Wells, the Southern Pacific Railroad changed the name to Wellsdale so it wouldn’t be confused with Wells, Nevada. Carter’s General Store was also the local post office. This picture was taken of the main street of Wells showing Carter’s General Store. John Carter was the town’s postmaster for 47 years. Wellsdale had a church, blacksmith, grain warehouse and the Mayflower Club which served as the town’s social center. Wellsdale soon became a shipping center of NE Benton Co. Wells school was founded as Gingles School sometime before 1850. At one time,Wellsdale school district #1 had 100 students and a 2 year high school. For months before Pearl Harbor, Army Egineers had surveyed the area, then December 8,1941, the Army announced it would build a new camp to train 4 divisions of soldiers for overseas duty. Farmers, Wellsdale residents and the Wells School had beeen warned that the Army might be taking over their land, but nobody was quite ready for what happened. An Army officer came to school one morning and told the teachers to move out by that same afternoon. Students were quickly sent to near by districts as bulldozers tore up barns and fences for burning. In a matter of days, Wellsdale was only a memory. A single old oak tree just north of the showbirds display at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area is the only memory remaining of Wellsdale.

Camp Adair, a World War II army cantonment, was located north of Corvallis on 50,000 acres in Benton and Polk Counties. The site was chosen by the United States War Department as a training site for Triangular Divisions. Each division consisted of 15,000 men assigned to infantry, artillery and engineering units with the necessary support personnel. However, the divisions at Camp Adair never reached their full complement of men. In order to construct this cantonment, which became the second largest city in Oregon, families were uprooted, cemeteries relocated, railroad tracks rerouted, and the small community of Wellsdale was erased. Today, only a few buildings and foundations remain to mark the main cantonment site of Camp Adair. A sign on US Highway 99W commemorates the divisions that trained there. Each Division also has a memorial located near the public viewing area 0.5 mile east of 99W on Camp Adair Road. The 50,000 acre site that made up the camp is owned by state and local governments and individuals. The Land is now known as EE Wilson Wildlife Refuge and Land Preserve. There is a trail and you can hike through the woods, they have a fairly large lake and bird refuge where you can fish and observe birds.

After taking a hike on the nature trail, where we picked blackberries (Taylor was in Blackberry heaven…. they are one of his favorite fruits.) We took a drive accross hwy 99W just to see what was on the other side of the road, and we found the Soap Creek Schoolhouse…… a cute little old schoolhouse which has been maintained beautifully. This is a typical “one-room school house”, built in 1932 during the depression. Similar schoolhouses were built within 5 miles of each other but few remain. The spacing was determined by how far children could reasonably walk to get there. Often times without shoes, and with snow on the ground. (Apparently the stories our great-grandparents tell of this are true!) Many brought their lunches in biscuit tins and other containers. A wood-burning stove was used to heat the building and cook a simple soup from fresh vegetables the children brought from home. The lanterns were typically used to find their way through the woods in the dark. This is a picture of a framed photo hanging inside (which accounts for the reflective glare.) All ages were welcome, but most started attending at about 8 years old. Mothers were reluctant to send younger children, because often times the creek flooded and they feared their children would fall in and drown. Students were given a set of readers and when they finished the last one, they were through with school. Didn’t matter how old you were or what grade you were in, all that was required in those days was that you completed the reading curriculum to graduate. The “school year” back then was just three months long, from October to December. Children were needed at home and on the farm to help with the family needs during the rest of the year, which included growing, canning, harvesting food, and tending animals. These were the practical things they needed to do and learn, in order to survive. (Thanks to turkeyfeathers.typepad.com for the inside pictures and commentary about the soap creek school) Outside photos are taken by me.

Adventures to Oregon Day 6: Columbia River Gorge

As I told you in the last post, we traveled from Idaho Falls to Pendleton, Or. on Day 5, and we were so tired from Day 3 and 4 that we did not stop to see much of anything on Day 5, so, that being said, I am picking up on Day 6. We left our hotel in Pendleton, Oregon around 10 am (since we only had 4 hours to drive today, we weren’t in a hurry to leave early), and drove toward Portland on 84. Just a little about Pendleton…..for those of you who are familiar with woolen wear, is the home of Pendleton Woolen Mills, they make beautiful woolen clothing and blankets as well as many other great things to wear or use in home or on the farm. Now, onto the exciting part of our last day on the great adventure. Before we get to the pictures, here are the facts… The Columbia River begins in British Columbia, its source being Columbia Lake, it flows 1,243 miles through BC, Washington and forms much of the border between Washington and Oregon. The Columbia is the largest river, measured by volume, flowing into the Pacific Ocean in the western hemisphere. It is the 4th largest River in North America. The river is the only one to pass through the cascade mountains, which it does between the Dalles, Oregon and Portland forming the Columbia River Gorge. The gorge is known for strong and steady winds, scenic beauty, and as an important transportation link. The river’s heavy flow, and its large elevation drop over a relatively short distance, give it tremendous potential for hydroelectricity generation. It is the largest hydroelectric power producing river in North America, with 14 hydroelectric dams in the United States and Canada. The river continues west, bending sharply to the north-northwest between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, at the river’s confluence with the Willamette River. Here the river slows considerably, dropping sediment that might otherwise form a river delta. The Columbia empties into the Pacific Ocean just past Astoria, Oregon over the Columbia Bar, a shifting sandbar which makes the river’s mouth one of the most hazardous stretches of water to navigate in the world. (taken from Wikipedia) Above, one of the many Hydroelectric dams along the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge.

When we got to The Dalles, OR, we pulled off and went into the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center. We were greeted by a great little rock wall waterfall, and inside, as you see in the photos, there is a large foyer, with a huge Glass window to view the river and rocks of the gorge. You can also walk the path of the Columbia river in granite over their tile floor. (as you can see, Maddie caught on fairly quickly.) You can see in the photo, the glass window, and our 3 silhoutted kids checking out the view. After leaving the discovery center, we headed toward Multnomah Falls. As we drove further into the Gorge, the landscape began to change from High desert, dry looking hills, and rocks to Mountainous terrain, Tall pines and lush green forests, and I can’t forget, the sight of snow-capped Mt. Hood was breathtaking, but unfortunately, because of the haze, my photos did not come out so well. In the fall, when the leaves begin to turn, we are planning to go up to Mt. Hood valley, and Multnomah falls with my parents, so, we will post the great mountain then. But for now, back to the present. Before we had even ventured out, we recalled seeing a Travel channel special about the Gorge, and how it is known for heavy winds most of the time. And the wind becomes apparent especially when you get to Cascade Locks, OR. We stopped in Cascade Locks to get lunch, but also to take photos, of an amazing phenomenon….. people windsurfing and kite surfing in the Gorge. Yes, I did say windsurfing and kite surfing…. on the Columbia River. I am sure that it happens in other rivers…(maybe), but I have never seen it. At least, when you see kite surfers in Lake Michigan, it looks like the Ocean, so, it seems just so natural, but when you are in the Gorge, there are steep cliffs surrounding, and it just looks so strange. We even took some video of the kite/wind surfers (maybe I can get Tim to load it in the computer so I can share it with you all….maybe.!?, might be awhile) In the meantime, here are some photos.After the Windsurfers in the Gorge, we ate lunch and got on our way to the waterfalls. Oh, something really cool, that I need to tell you in case you ever plan to visit the Gorge…… The waterfalls are BEAUTIFUL, and for the most part, except for Bridal Veil falls, you don’t have to hike anywhere to see them. They are right along the Old Hwy. 84 (scenic), and there are pull-outs along the way for parking. So, that being said, I didn’t want you to think I went to alot of work to get the following photos hee, hee, hee.
Of course we got out of the car and we were able to walk right up to the edge of the pool at the bottom of the falls, there are lots of rocks surrounding the pools, and as you know, if you have boys, they love to climb on rocks…. nedless to say, I had just got done telling Taylor that he better be careful, because he might fall in….as soon as I said it…. he fell in. (surprise!) The next waterfall we came to was Multnomah Falls. There is nothing I can say to convey the awe you feel, by being there (along with hundreds of other people) But, it is just like you are the only one there. Multnomah Falls is the 2nd tallest year-round waterfall in the United States…behind Yosemite Falls. It is really beautiful! I can’t wait to go back in the fall, when the trees are changing. The photos are of Multnomah Falls, and the view from the bridge. The next two photos are of Wahkeena falls. Next you will find a photo of the Falls at Sheppard’s Dell, and Sheppard’s Dell Bridge, which is really cool. There is not very much space to park, so you have to park on the side of a narrow road. Next to the Sheppard’s Dell Bridge there is a stone staircase that you walk down to get to the falls. It is a great little hike, not far at all, maybe 100-200 feet from street level down to the falls.

Right about the time that we were on our way to see Bridal Veil Falls, Tim noticed that our car was leaking water…. Praise the LORD! I know, it seems a little premature to say that, but, we have made it almost 2700 miles from Michigan to Oregon, and we were only about 85 miles from our destination without a single incidence of car trouble. We were so very thankful to have made it this far! We arrived in Wilsonville, OR around 5pm, just in time for my porsche mechanic brother to have us leave our broken car at his shop, so he could fix it for us. (fortunately it was only a 4 inch hose that needed to be replaced.) We arrived in Monmouth, at my parents house at 9pm on Monday July 30. Tim unloaded the Uhaul trailer and we settled in for the night.

Well, we are so very happy to have shared our long journey with you….We have seen and experienced so many incredible sights, and if you are never able to make it to any of the places we have seen, we hope to have brought them to you in some small way. Our next post will be of Newport, OR and the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.

Adventures to Oregon Day 4: Grand Tetons National Park

Driving South, leaving Yellowstone, we drive directly into the Grand Tetons. It is after 7pm, much later than we would have liked to leave Yellowstone….but, here we are, wishing we didn’t have 4 more hours to drive to our hotel in Idaho Falls…. wishing that we booked our hotel in Jackson Hole (in the Tetons, about 45 min. away) Oh well! So, our trip to Yellowstone was awesome… but once we got to the Tetons, it was quickly becoming apparent that it would have been better to be in the Tetons early in the morning…. It was so hazy as the sun was going down, and most of what we saw was silhouetted against the sky. But, I have to say…. I know why they call the Tetons GRAND….there are several other words I can think of…..(right from Roget’s Thesaurus) GLORIOUS, EXALTED, GRANDIOSE, LOFTY, MAGNIFICENT, MAJESTIC, MARVELOUS, MONUMENTAL, PALATIAL, REGAL, SPLENDID, STRIKING, UNREAL, WONDERFUL are just a few. As I am writing this I am thinking of the scripture….which is also a song by Third Day… Psalm 36:5-7 says: “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings” As we are coming into the Tetons, I am in AWE…. words cannot describe the awesome power and majesty that the mountains inspire. ***Advance warning…. my photos are not as awesome as the sight I saw, with the sun going down and us being totally in the shade of the mountains, it was difficult lighting to say the least. I really don’t have much to say about our time in the Grand Tetons, mostly because we really just drove through, we didn’t stop other than to take some photos. But, I will leave you with some pictures to look at and a little bit of history and info about the Grand Tetons. Some fun facts about Jackson Hole, Grand Teton and Yellowstone, from jacksonhole.com:
-Yellowstone was the world’s first national park, created in 1872….18 years before Wyoming became a state.
-Grand Teton National Park was created in 1929 and greatly expanded in 1950 due to the determined efforts of John D. Rockefeller, who purchased and then donated a great deal of the land that is under protection today.
-Jackson Hole was originally named Jackson’s Hole for Davey Jackson, a mountain man who trapped in this area during the late 1800’s. “Hole” was a term used in that day to describe a high mountain valley.
-The National Elk Refuge, located just outside the town of Jackson, is the largest established elk preserve in North America. Up to 9,000 elk winter on the refuge and visitors can enjoy close-up views on daily sleigh rides from December through April.
-97% of the 3,826,407 acres in Teton County are federally owned or state managed, including the Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. Only 3% of the land in the Jackson Hole area is privately owned.
-The Bridger-Teton National Forest is the largest national forest in the lower 48 states, encompassing 1,694,574 acres.
-America’s firsts: First all-woman city council, elected to office in Jackson in 1920; First woman Governor elected; First government in world history to allow women to vote (in 1869, 51 years before the U.S. Constitutional amendment). Wyoming’s state slogan is “The Equality State”.
-Among all 50 U.S. states Wyoming ranks: 9th in size, 50th in population (only 5 people per square mile!).
-The world’s longest running Shoot-Out, which began in 1955, is held six nights a week from May-September on the Jackson Town Square.
-Wyoming’s first ski area was the Snow King Ski Area, which opened in Jackson in 1939. Snow King celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1989.
-The U.S. Voyager II spacecraft, launched in 1977 to explore unknown reaches of the solar system, contains an Ansel Adams photograph of Jackson Hole as part of its artifacts cargo.
-On an average day at the Jackson Hole Ski Resort there are only 1,750 skiers skiing on the 2,500 acres of terrain at the ski area, offering one of the lowest skier densities (one skier per one-and-one-half acres!) of any ski resort in the country.
-The world’s only public auction of elk antlers takes place on the Jackson Town Square on the third Saturday in May each year. The antlers are shed by the elk that winter on the refuge and are collected by local Boy Scouts. The majority of the auction proceeds go back to the refuge for the next year’s elk feeding program and Asians buy the antlers for exported aphrodisiac potions. -The New York Philharmonic held the first summer residency in its 147-year history in Jackson Hole during the first two weeks of July, 1989. America’s oldest orchestra performed four concerts as a benefit for Jackson Hole’s 28-year-old Grand Teton Music Festival.
-Jackson Hole’s sister city is Lienz, Austria, dedicated as such in 1965.
-The first person to ski down the 13,770-foot Grand Teton was local resident Bill Briggs in 1971. He is currently the ski school director at the Snow King Ski Area.
-The headwaters of the Snake River are located in Teton County.
-John Wayne’s first speaking part was in “The Big Trail”, filmed in Jackson Hole in 1932. It also is reputed to be the first time he rode a horse!
-Over 15 feature films have been made on location in Jackson Hole including: “Shane”, “Spencer’s Mountain”, “Any Which Way You Can”, and “Rocky IV”.
-In June 1989, President George Bush chose to deliver his first major speech on the importance of the environment and clean air in an open meadow in front of the Tetons in Grand Teton National Park.
-In September 1989, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze held an historic Ministerial Meeting on the shores of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Baker chose Jackson Hole to showcase the spectacular scenery and preserved heritage of America’s West.
-Jackson Hole has one of the lowest base elevations of any ski resort area in the Rocky Mountains, at just 6,311 feet. Most other ski resorts in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico have base elevations between 6,900 and 9,500 feet.
-Over 60 species of mammals, over 100 species of birds, and a half-a-dozen game fish can be found in the Jackson Hole/Yellowstone area. Most notable are big game such as elk, moose, bison, deer, antelope, mountain lion, grizzly and black bears, coyote; rare birds such as the bald eagle, trumpeter swan, blue heron, osprey, and native game fish such as the Snake River cutthroat trout and mackinaw lake trout.

Also… for some REALLY spectacular photos, visit the link….. and see James Neely’s “Tetons East and West” for some Awesome photos! His photos are worth seeing…. I highly recommend them! http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpn/sets/72157600077230261/ if you click on the “slideshow” button, it will play through all of them automatically. Also, if you view this blog during the day, you can click on the following link and see the Grand Teton live webcam, operated also by James Neely, and see the Tetons in real time, real weather, from the Idaho side. http://www.srv.net/~jpat/teton.html scroll to the bottom of the page and it tells you what you are seeing on the live web cam. Well, I guess that’s all for this post, just to let you know, we finally made it to our hotel, in Idaho Falls @ midnight. We took a wrong turn and ended up going about and hour out of the way before we noticed we were off track. On Day 5 we drive from Idaho Falls to Pendleton, OR, and we didn’t stop to see anything exciting, so, our next post picks up on Day 6 from Pendleton, OR to Monmouth, OR…. the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls. Thanks for reading… see you next time!