Ghostly Greetings from Bannack, Montana

Main Street, Bannack, Montana

They don’t call them ghost towns for no reason. Perhaps it’s the emptiness and remoteness; the down-trodden, forlorn appearance; the riches to rags cycle of these abandoned towns that energizes the imagination. Or, maybe they really are occupied with the ghosts of the miners, saloon dancers, renegades, and gamblers living out their unfilled dreams.

Bannack, Montana, in the southwestern corner of the state, is one of the West’s best preserved ghost towns, and it has more than its share of reported supernatural sightings and paranormal experiences.  Little Dorothy Dunn, who drowned in a dredge pond, often appears on the second floor balcony of the Meade

Meade Hotel, Bannack

Hotel wearing a long, blue dress. Other ghostly women have been spotted donned in their Sunday best, along with unexplained happenings including cold spots, door slammings, and the sound of feet walking across empty, wooden floors. Even the campground is thought to be haunted.

If ghosts have chosen to occupy Bannack, they have made a good decision. This old mining camp enjoys a pretty setting in the rolling hills and ranchlands along Grasshopper Creek. Gold was discovered here in 1862 and a year later, the town sprouted a population of over 3000. It was a free-wheeling, lawless place where even the town sheriff ended up hanging from the gallows. Bannack can boast of many Montana firsts: first territorial capital, first jail, hotel, Masonic Lodge, hard rock mine, saw mill, and brick courthouse.

Like many mining camps, the supply of gold dried up and the population moved on leaving the buildings at the mercy of the elements and vandals. By the 1950s, Bannack was a sad looking collection of collapsing structures, deserted streets, and tumble-down miner cabins.  But, because of its importance in Montana and Western history, a group of local preservationist set about buying the town and in 1954 donated the property to the state of Montana who placed it under the protection of the state parks system.

The buildings have been restored, but kept in a state of “arrested decay,” creating a town frozen in time, still feeling isolated and abandoned.  Of the 50 or so restored buildings, the two most impressive are the Meade Hotel, and Masonic Lodge. The hotel was originally built to serve as the Beaverhead County courthouse and is the only brick structure in town. When the county seat was moved to the more prosperous town of Dillon, the building remained empty until purchased some ten years later by Dr. Meade and converted to a fancy hotel, the center of Bannack’s social life. Today, peeling wallpaper and a grand, curving staircase offer only a clue of its plusher past.

Masonic Lodge
 

Across the street is the two-story Masonic Lodge and Schoolhouse. The Masons, with their emblem of the square and compass still visible on the building’s façade, occupied the top floor of the structure, while the first floor served as the public school, grades K-8. It functioned as the town’s only school for 70 years until closing in the 1950s. The wooden desks with the empty, round inkwells in the upper-right corner and recessed slot for pencils should bring back memories for many visitors of a certain age.

School room

While fortunate to be under the care and protection of the state park, Bannack remains exposed to the elements. In July of 2013, a summer storm dropped nearly an inch of rain in less than an hour creating a flash flood from Hangman’s Gulch above town.  A three-foot wall of water, mud, and debris surged through the center of town leaving a wide path of destruction.  The old Assay Office/General Store was wiped out, the wooden sidewalks along the main street were washed away, and nearly 80-percent of the buildings were damaged.

The town had survived over 150 years of ups and downs, and the flood was just another bump in the road.  More than a million dollars and eight weeks later, Bannack was back in business and accepting visitors once again. The park is open from the middle of May to the middle of October. There’s a small visitor center and museum, but the fun of visiting is to wander around the town, imagining what it was like during the boom years. Most of the buildings are open for exploring; the only rule is to be certain to close the door firmly upon departure.  One wonders if that is to keep the ghosts from entering or leaving?

 

Lasting Legacy of the CCC

 

At the Forest History Center on State Street in Salem there stands a life-size statue of a hunky, shirtless, young man leaning on a shovel. 

CCC Worker Statue

He is posed in front of a wooden, green building with a pair of gables and twin dormer windows. Their connection is a federal program initiated by Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after his inauguration to provide jobs for the nation’s growing number of unemployed young men.

Known as the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, it operated between 1933 and 1942, and was one of the most successful and popular New Deal programs.  Oregon was an active participant with over 60 camps scattered around the state. The men built roads, bridges, trails, campgrounds, fought forest fires, and planted trees. In exchange for their labor, they received education, job training, food and shelter (three hots and a cot) and the grand sum of $30 a month. They could keep $5 with the other $25 sent home to their families.  Even though eighty years have passed and many CCC efforts are long gone, about one-third of the permanent projects in Oregon remain and can still be enjoyed in forests and parks around the state.

Forest History Center, Salem

The Forest History Center is a good place to begin. The building was constructed by the CCC in 1936 to house their headquarters, and was moved to its present location from the east side of Mill Creek in 2001. Today, a section of the museum is dedicated to the CCC program and features camp photos, a wall map with site locations, and miscellaneous memorabilia donated by alumni. The CCC Worker Memorial Statue in front was dedicated in 2002.

Silver Falls Lodge

One of the program’s permanent projects is a short distance east of Salem at Silver Falls State Park. The CCC was responsible for constructing much of the infrastructure seen in the South Falls Day Use Area including rocks walls, bridges, stairs and the rustic South Falls Lodge. The lodge and surrounding ten acres are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the CCC developed the park’s popular Trail of the Ten Falls.

West Shelter, Cape Perpetua

The Oregon Coast hosted several CCC camps, and remnants of Camp Cape Creek remain visible on the site of the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center, two miles south of Yachats.  Workers here built the campground and network of trails, but their most noted accomplishment was the West Shelter observation point at the top of the headland. Built of rocks, this sturdy structure has survived years of Pacific storms and even served as a coastal watch station during World War II.  Today’s visitors are more interested in spotting migrating whales than enemy boats or planes.

Mt. Hood National Forest, east of Portland, also saw many CCC projects. Camp Zigzag on Highway 26, was the longest running camp in the Northwest, and its workers built the Zigzag Ranger Station on the south side of the road. This compound consisting of various outbuildings is constructed in the Cascadian Rustic style using natural materials such as wood shingles, weatherboard, and native stone.  A similar, but more off-the-beaten-path ranger station can be visited on Forest Road 42, about 20 miles southeast of Government Camp. Here, at the Clackamas Lake Historic Ranger Station, are eleven buildings including a small visitor center. The ranger’s residence was built by the CCC in 1933 and is available for rental during the summer months.

Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge, probably the best known Depression-era project in Oregon, was constructed by the WPA, but the CCC worked on the lodge’s terracing, stonework, and landscaping. They built the Timberline Trail encircling Mt. Hood and worked on a variety of other projects in the area including Cloud Cap Inn and several campgrounds.

Malheur Nat'l Wildlife Visitor Center

In other parts of the state you’ll find evidence of the CCC at Crater Lake’s Rim Road and Rim Village, the rock work at Oregon Cave’s Chateau, the Visitor Center and Museum at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, Jessie Honeymoon State Park near Florence, and the Dee Wright Observatory at the summit of McKenzie Pass.

The CCC program lasted only nine years.  By 1942, the country was gearing up for WWII and young men were leaving to join the army.  However, their hard work through those difficult Depression years left a significant contribution and lasting legacy to Oregon’s public lands.

 

 

 

Bandon-by-the-Sea

 

When Irish immigrant George Bennett arrived at the mouth of the Coquille River on the southern Oregon Coast he brought the name of his Irish hometown, Bandon, to the new settlement.  Additionally, he brought an Irish shrub called gorse (ulex europaeus) and planted it as a fence hedge surrounding his property.

Gorse is plentiful along Oregon's South Coast

This ornamental evergreen with its bright yellow blossoms soon infested the area, spreading along the sand dunes and throughout the town. Unfortunately, the high oil content of its foliage made the plant extremely flammable, a factor that would change Bandon forever.

In 1936, the town was a thriving community: a logging and fishing center, home to cows and cranberries, and the busiest port between San Francisco and Portland. On a warm and dry September evening, a shift in winds brought a nearby forest fire closer to town. When it reached the gorse, the fire exploded into an inferno completely destroying the entire commercial district in a short time and leaving 1800 inhabitants homeless.

Coquille River Lighthouse

Like the mythological Phoenix, the town rose from the ashes and rebuilt itself. Today, Bandon-by-the-Sea, as it is known in tourism parlance, is a favorite destination on the Oregon Coast. The Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, a complex of five courses just north of town, attracts players from all over the world. Set on a bluff overlooking the ocean and dunes, it consistently appears on any list of top ten golf courses and compares favorably to some of the best in Scotland and Ireland.

There is more than golf to keep visitors coming back. Like any coastal community, the ocean is the big draw, and the setting in Bandon couldn’t be more spectacular. Wide, sandy beaches are easily accessible and offer a plethora of driftwood, agates, jasper, and petrified wood. Offshore are wildly sculpted sea stacks and monolithic rock formations providing sanctuary for a wide variety of sea birds. Where the Coquille River meets the ocean, an octagonal lighthouse with a tall round tower stands guard over the perilous bar. Built in 1896, it was the last lighthouse constructed along the Oregon Coast. It was decommissioned in 1939, but volunteers and lighthouse enthusiasts keep this landmark maintained and opened to the public during summer months.

Wooden, welcome arches lure travelers along Highway 101 to detour into Bandon’s Old Town. This compact downtown offers a variety of shops, galleries, restaurants, an excellent history museum, independent bookstore, and plenty of free parking. A walkable waterfront lines one of the two main streets allowing close access to fishing boats, charters, and fresh seafood. Bandon Fish

Market makes a tasty stop for fish and chips followed by a dessert visit to Cranberry Sweets located across the street. This local institution features all sorts of cranberry candy goodies, and they are most generous with their free samples.

Cranberries are an important business here and Bandon boasts of being “The Cranberry Capital of Oregon.” The acidic, sandy soil and mild climate make it a perfect place for cranberries and there are nearly 1600 acres under cultivation. Bogs can be seen along Highway 101 north and south of town with most of these berries destined for bottles of Ocean Spray juice.  On the second full weekend in September, the town celebrates this crop with a four-day cranberry festival.

Bandon Fish Market

Bandon is also known for its dairy industry and for years, Bandon Cheese was a popular stop for visitors traveling the coast. After the business was sold to Tillamook Cheese, the creamery and retail store closed, but a new cheese factory opened this spring. Face Rock Creamery will be offering a variety of their locally made cheddars as well as squeaky cheese curds and Umpqua ice cream cones.

The town of Bandon is bookended by two state parks. To the north is Bullards Beach State Park with a large campground, sandy beach, and access to the lighthouse. To the south, is a string of state owned lands including Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint and Bandon Natural Area offering beach access and close-up viewing of the rock formations offshore. Beach Loop Road parallels the ocean, connecting all these scenic vistas. No trip to Bandon would be complete without a stop at 11^th Avenue and Beach Loop Road at Coquille Point for a calendar view of the very best of the Oregon Coast.

From Coquille Point

The Washington Side of the Columbia Gorge

From Washington, looking across to the more rugged Oregon side

Some say the best thing about the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge is the view of the Oregon side. Granted, Oregon has the dramatic waterfalls, precipitous cliffs, forested gorges, and historic highway. However, the less-visited Washington side can proudly boast about its own attractions, not the least being its sunnier, Southern exposure.

Highway 14 heads east from Vancouver passing the town of Camas. Over 100 years old, Camas has a history centered on its large paper mill. Despite the industrial appearance, the city has done an admirable job in creating a pretty downtown area with statues, restaurants, shops, and antique stores.

Up next is Washougal, best know for its Pendleton WoolenMill. Factory tours follow the process of creating fabric from bales of raw wool, through the dyeing, carding, spinning and weaving processes. An outlet store offers attractive discounts on clothing, blankets, and fabrics.

Cape Horn

A few miles beyond Washougal, the road enters the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Unlike the Oregon side with its fast-moving freeway, Washington’s road is twisty and two-laned, with no shortage of slow moving trucks. However, the stunning view from Cape Horn makes it all worthwhile. A small pullout on the right side of the road presents a sweeping panorama of the gorge and river that many consider the best view on either side.

Beacon Rock

Beyond the small town of Skamania, is Beacon Rock, the second largest rock in the world after Gibraltar. This core of an ancient volcano was named by Lewis and Clark who noted the spot as the first place they observed the ocean tidal influence on the Columbia River. In 1915, Henry Biddle purchased the rock with the idea of building a trail to the 848-foot summit. After his death, his heirs offered to donate the land to the state of Washington to be used as a park. The state did not like the terms of the donation, and turned it down. After the Army Corps of Engineers proposed blasting the rock to bits for building material for jetty construction, the heirs offered the property to the State of Oregon for $1. When Washington residents realized the possibility of an Oregon state park on their soil, they decided to accept the donation. Today, the big rock is safely in the Washington state park system and Mr. Biddle’s mile-long trail with 52 switchbacks still provides visitors a route to the summit and a great view.

Looming ahead and straddling both sides of the Columbia River, is the massive Bonneville Dam. The first of 14 federally funded dams on the river, it was built between 1933-37 as part of the New Deal’s Public Works Administration, providing jobs for the Depression’s unemployed and bringing electricity to the Northwest. Today, visitors can see underwater views of migrating fish, watch spinning turbines, and observe outdoor fish ladders.

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center

A bit downstream from the dam is Ft. Cascades National Historic Site where a short, self-guided trail relates the story of the Cascades Massacre. In 1856, the fort here was attacked by local tribes, leaving six dead. The U.S. Army, under the leadership of Lt. Philip Sheridan, rode to the rescue.

In the nearby town of Stevenson is the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, an impressive, modern building of steel and glass. Inside, exhibits and films explore the Gorge’s geology, Native American culture, and history. There’s a 37-foot high replica of a fish wheel, restored sawmill steam engine, and Corliss bi-plane that delivered the area’s first air mail. The second floor is dedicated to the history of Skamania County and includes such oddities as the world’s largest rosary collection.

It’s worth spending some time exploring the town of Stevenson and its collection of antique shops, historic buildings, and restaurants. Their waterfront park is a good place to watch colorful kite boarders racing along the river.

Bridge of Gods

The Bridge of Gods crosses the Columbia River here to Cascade Locks, Oregon. Built in the 1920s, its  name is taken from several versions of Native American legends all having to do with various love triangles, competitive brothers, rival tribes, and an angry Great Spirit.

From here, the interstate offers a fast route back to Portland with excellent views of the Washington side of the Gorge.

Join the Inn Crowd

Wolf Creek Inn

There is no sign claiming “George Washington slept here!” at the Wolf Creek Inn in Southern Oregon. Unfortunately our first president was born a bit too early for an overnight stay, but another president, Rutherford B. Hayes, did spend the night here as well as many other famous folks.

The Wolf Creek Inn, located about 20 miles north of Grants Pass near Exit 76 on Interstate 5, has been receiving guests longer than any other hotel in the Pacific Northwest. It was built in 1883 for local merchant Henry Smith, and, for its time, was exceptionally well-crafted and constructed. For many years, the inn and tavern served as a welcome rest stop for travelers on the long, arduous stagecoach trip from San Francisco to Portland. It earned a reputation for clean rooms and hearty meals.

During the early days of the movie industry, the inn served as a popular hangout for celebrities seeking a quiet retreat from Hollywood; and the likes of Mary Pickford, Orson Wells, Fredric March, and Carole Lombard have all signed the guest register. Clark Gable was a friend of the owner in the 1930s and often stayed at the inn while on fishing trips to the nearby Rogue River. Author Jack London wrote a short story and finished his novel, “Valley of the Moon” while a guest at the inn. It is rumored that he may still be residing here as his ghost has been spotted wandering around the second floor near his old room.  

In 1975, the property was acquired by the State of Oregon as part of its mission to “protect outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.” Historians from the state’s Historical Preservation office, carpenters, and local craftsmen spent four years completing major structural work and restoring the inn to its 1920s look and feel. Today, nine rooms offer guests an opportunity to enjoy a glimpse of the past with period furniture and décor. In keeping with the spirit of the times, there are no mini-bars, televisions or telephones in the room, but guests may spend the evening in the parlor reading books and playing checkers. However, as a concession to the 21^st century, free WiFi is available in the rooms for those who cannot be parted from their computers and iphones.

Prices are relatively reasonable from $85 for a single to $125 for the Clark Gable Suite which includes a hot breakfast. The on premise restaurant serves three meals daily featuring local ingredients and home-baked breads and desserts.  It is especially famous for its fried chicken and prime rib dinners. At Thanksgiving, the restaurant will be offering a full, holiday meal with all the trimmings.

Even if you are not an overnight guest, you are welcome to dine here or tour the inn. It is a part of the Oregon State Park system and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Be sure to wander around the grounds as well to view the heritage roses and 125 year-old fruit trees.

Autumn vineyards, Umpqua Valley

While the summer months tempt visitors with a variety of nearby outdoor recreation options such as fishing, rafting or jet boating on the Rogue River, the autumn and winter months offer a selection of things to do as well. The inn serves as a good home base for day trips to many Southern Oregon attractions including the historic, gold rush town of Jacksonville, Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon Vortex, Wildlife Safari, and the Applegate Trail Interpretive Center. Wine tasting, always a popular year-round activity, can be enjoyed at any number of wineries scattered through the Umpqua, Rogue, Applegate, or Illinois Valleys. And, in February, the season kicks-off at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

Additionally, the inn has special events scheduled throughout the year including live music and winemaker dinners. Reservations are highly recommended.

Down by the Old Mill Stream



An 18’ water wheel adorns the outside of the Bob’s Red Mill Visitors’ Center in Milwaukie, Ore. While its function is largely decorative, there was a time when these wheels dotted the countryside of rural America. For centuries, it was the force of water that turned these wheels, that engaged the gears, that revolved the millstones, that ground the grain, that fed the farmers and their families. Wherever there was agriculture, there were mills and the Pacific Northwest was no exception. The first grist mill was built at Ft. Vancouver in 1828 and was soon joined by many more up and down the Willamette Valley. Not only were they an important part of the food-chain, mills often became the community social center. Neighbors would gather to gossip and exchange news while the miller ground their grain. Today, grist mills have disappeared from the landscape, but a few survivors in the area remind us of this important part of farming history.

Butte Creek Mill and Store

Claiming to be the last original, operating, water-powered, grist mill west of the Mississippi, the Butte Creek Mill, is located in Eagle Point, about 12 miles east of Medford. The three-story building on the banks of Little Butte Creek dates to 1872 and was one of the first flour mills in the Rogue River Valley. Its 1400 lb. millstones were quarried in France, milled in Illinois, carried by ship around Cape Horn to Crescent City, California, and hauled by wagon train over the Siskiyou Mountains to the mill. Today, visitors can watch the miller at work and observe the hand hewn timbers and old machinery. Also in the building is a homey country store selling freshly ground grains, cereals, and pancake mixes. 

Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site

Oregon’s oldest surviving flour mill was recently saved from dilapidation by the State of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Dating back to 1856, Thompson’s Mills, once known as Boston Mill, was purchased in 2007, renovated, and developed into a living history museum describing Willamette Valley agriculture in the 19^th century. Inside the five-story mill, you'll find antique machinery, hand-hewn beams, and interpretive exhibits. The mill is the only one remaining of seven mills along the Calapooia River in Linn County.

Cedar Creek Grist Mill

North of Portland and east of Woodland, Washington, is the Cedar Creek Grist Mill. Tucked away in an idyllic, forested gorge, it remains the only grain-grinding mill in Washington that has maintained its original structural integrity and still uses water power and millstones. Built in 1876, the mill was used for years by families throughout north Clark County, but by the turn of the century it had transitioned to a machine shop and gradually fell into decline. Fortunately, a group of dedicated volunteers rescued and restored the old mill and today it serves as a working museum. On weekends, visitors are invited inside to admire the intricate system of pulleys, gears, and belts, and observe the milling process. In fact, if you bring your own grain, they will grind it for you. At the mill site is one of the few covered bridges in Washington.

Bob's Red Mill

By the early 1900s, most of these labor-intensive mills and their grain-grinding stones were replaced by electric power and high-speed steel rollers. Farmers no longer grew their own grain, and a preference developed for white flour and store-bought bread.  Stone milling became increasingly rare. Today, however, there is a renewed appreciation for this old-time process, and many believe the highest quality flours are made by the slow, cool grinding of stones. Grains are crushed without generating excess heat, thus preserving the nutritional value and flavor of the flour.

Bob’s Red Mill is one of the few commercial mills still using this traditional milling process. While electricity has replaced water-power, the grains are still ground by 19^th century, French quartz millstones acquired from old mills. The Visitors Center, designed to be a replica of the original mill in Oregon City, includes an outlet store, an enormous selection of bulk grains, bakery, deli, cooking classes, and milling display.

Steve is the official tour guide at the Thompson's Mill