Category Archives: History
Wapato Lake Welcome Ceremony
Wapato Lake in Gaston was a major winter home for the Atfálati band of Kalapuya Indians, the first people in the Tualatin Valley. Colonist farmers attempted to drain it and grow crops there in the early 20th century but after repeated floods, the land went to the US Fish & Wildlife Service. It became a National Wildlife Refuge and opened to the public last October.
Jeannette L Moore 1934-2022
Jeannette L. Moore was a native of Portland. Her parents emigrated from Sweden thru Ellis Island. She graduated from Grant High School (class of 1952), where she still holds the record for scoring 50+ points in a game for the women’s basketball team (without a three-point line)!
Cider Festival returns!
The annual Cedar Mill Cider Festival returns after two long years of the pandemic. We will bring together history, music, food, and fun for the community on the grounds of the historic John Quincy Adams Young House in Cedar Mill.
Under the spreading hickory tree
You can enjoy the large, spreading shade of a special tree, a Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa), right here in Cedar Mill, at the John Quincy Adams Young House park.
Cedar Mill Cider Festival returns next month
September 18: Enjoy free freshly pressed apple cider, live music, cultural and craft booths, the History Tent where you can learn about the community’s history, kids’ activities, and one or more food trucks serving lunch!
Multistory housing replaces a sentimental old home
When I first moved to Cedar Mill in 1969, I was a teenager, not interested in the community around me. We shopped at Bales Milltowner in its original location, and I would often sit in the car while mom shopped.
Robert “Mr. James” Newcomer 1931-2022
Hundreds if not thousands of people in Cedar Mill had their hair done by Mr. James at his salon in the old Milltowner location. The shop was unpretentious but offered skilled cutting and styling along with a variety of select hair products. It was the first “Featured Business” in Cedar Mill News shortly after we began!
Cedar Mill Pathway System
One day a Cedar Mill resident discovered a heavy cedar plaque in her shed. It was beautifully carved and included the words “Cedar Mill.” Its origin was a mystery until Virginia Bruce published a request for information in the October 2020 issue and the community came forward with a wealth of memories.
A Short History of the Thompson-Saltzman Road Intersection
The corner of NW Thompson Road and NW Saltzman Road historically had a curious offset configuration, probably due to quarter section allotments when the property was homesteaded by the family of Laurence Lehman and other early settlers. In the course of time, it became necessary to upgrade the disjointed four-way stop to be safely aligned and controlled by traffic lights.
Joe’s Ideal Market
Before there was Safeway, and before there was Bales Thriftway, there was Joe’s. In 1947 the store opened in the now-demolished two-story building at the southeast corner of Murray and Cornell. C&H Hardware was on one side, and Joe’s on the other.
Our Victorian lady
Many neighbors have noticed a tall slim young woman strolling the area in Victorian dresses. She’s often called “Mary Poppins,” but her real name is Adelaide Beeman White, and we asked for her story!
The Bauer house
Jim Bauer is a descendant of one of Cedar Mill’s early families. He shared his recollections of the Henry & Erna Bauer house that is slated for imminent demolition on Saltzman to make way for a new subdivision.
History in the News: Cedar Mill Historical Society is dissolved but our history lives on
In July, I received messages from all the board members of the Cedar Mill Historical Society that they were resigning. Since that time, I learned that several of them were forming a new group to focus on the JQA Young House. Since I am interested in the whole story of Cedar Mill, I decided to dissolve the 501c3 and just focus on having fun with sharing our stories.
History in the News May 2021
• Our heritage trees: In the iconic 1905 photo of the JQA Young House on Cornell, you can see a pear tree with a ladder leaning against it. That tree has survived along with its neighboring apple tree, but both of them were in bad shape.
• Website help wanted!
Heritage trees at JQA Young House
In the earliest photo we have of the John Quincy Adams Young House on Cornell, you can see a fruit tree with a ladder propped up against it. That pear tree, and the apple tree next to it, still stand next to the house!
Were Portland’s founders drunk when they laid out the Multnomah/Washington County border?
Since lockdown, I’ve been using Google Earth to take virtual tours of the world. In so doing, I noticed that Multnomah County’s western border is quite odd. Zigzaggy, if that’s a word. Were our founders drunk when they laid it out or what? —Desktop Globe-Trotter
History in the News
The Cedar Mill Historical Society has a treasure trove of local stories, photos, and even a few artifacts, and we have wonderful plans for bringing them to the community. What we need are a few good folks—like you?—to join our Board of Directors to help us achieve our goals.
