The Meeker Mansion: The House that Hops Built

Ezra and Eliza Jane Meeker were true Western pioneers. In 1852, they hitched their oxen to a wagon, bundled up their 7-week old baby, and followed the great migration westward across the Oregon Trail. By the time they arrived in Oregon five months later, Ezra had lost 20 pounds, Eliza was so weak she had to be carried up the riverbanks, and they possessed only $3 between the two of them. Nevertheless, they continued their journey north to the Puget Sound area where they struggled to make a living in a number of endeavors. By the mid-1860s, they found their way to a farm east of Tacoma, built a log cabin, and planted a field of hops.

Hop growing was new to the Northwest, but the crop was known since the 11th century in Europe as an important flavoring and stabilizing ingredient in beer. Several disastrous crop seasons in Germany drove up the price of U.S. grown hops and made Meeker a wealthy man. Known as the Hop King of the World, he made many trips to Europe acting as a broker for fellow Washington hop growers. On one occasion, he took along Eliza Jane to England, where she was presented to the royal court and Queen Victoria.
Once exposed to the finery and adornments of royal London, Eliza became a bit dissatisfied with life in a log cabin and decided they needed a house more befitting their station in life. Ezra agreed, but only if Eliza Jane paid for it. Three years and $26,000 later, the impressive 17-room, Italianate Victorian mansion was complete and ready for occupancy.

Only a few years later in the early 1890s, a scourge of aphids wiped out the Washington hops crop and, combined with a national recession, Meeker lost everything. The house remained only because its title was in Eliza’s name. Upon her death in 1909, Ezra left the property and went on to pursue his role as self-appointed Protector and Promoter of the Oregon Trail. The house served as a hospital and was later sold to a Civil War widow’s organization, The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, who ran the place as a retirement home. The property was sold again in 1948 and operated as a nursing home until 1970 when it was handed over to the Meeker Historical Society.
During its years as a medical facility, the beautiful wood paneling and stenciled walls and ceilings were painted over numerous times and a dropped ceiling was added. The Society has worked diligently to restore the house to its former glory and visitors can now enjoy a glimpse of the good life in 1891. Only a few of the furnishings belonged to the Meekers, but all are from that era and the local area.

One of the most striking features of the house is the woodwork. The rooms feature different hardwoods including bird’s-eye maple, ash, cherry and oak in wainscoting, flooring, trim and the main staircase. The ornate stenciling on the ceilings and art tile on the fireplaces are all befitting a woman once presented to the Queen of England.
In the upstairs billiard room, there is a small display of photos showing Ezra Meeker’s many adventures after leaving the house. His concern that the Oregon Trail was disappearing due to negligence and private property development led him on a one-man crusade to mark, map and memorialize the route that had brought him West. Again, at the age of 76, he hitched up a covered wagon with oxen and this time, headed east, following the trail in reverse. During the trip, he installed rock monuments and encouraged others to do the same. He continued to Washington where he met with President Teddy Roosevelt. During his remaining years, Ezra followed the trail four more times: by wagon, automobile, and, in 1924, in an open cockpit biplane. He was planning another trip in a truck built for the occasion by Henry Ford when he passed away at the age of 97.
The Meeker Mansion is located near downtown Puyallup (between Tacoma and Renton), and is open for tours from noon to 4:00 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, after March 1. Admission is $4 (adults) and $3 (seniors). To learn more, visit their website http://www.meekermansion.org/ where you can view a virtual tour through the house, or by calling 253-848-1770.

Jacksonville: A Good and Bad Luck Town

Jacksonville Tavern

It must have been on a Friday the 13th when two prospectors discovered gold in Rich Gulch, Oregon Territory, in 1851. The mining camp of Jacksonville, which quickly grew to serve the needs of the gold miners flooding into the area, rapidly transformed to a booming community full of saloons, gambling halls, and shops. The future looked promising for this southern Oregon town, but bad luck cast a shadow over much of its history.

It wasn’t long before the easily accessed gold was gone, and the boom faded to bust. But Jacksonville continued to thrive as an agricultural center, seat of Jackson County, and, in the late 19th century, was southern Oregon’s largest town. In 1869, a smallpox epidemic struck. Later years brought ravaging fires that destroyed many residential and commercial buildings as well as the town’s newly constructed brick schoolhouse. The worst bad luck happened when the new north-south railroad, connecting California and Oregon, by-passed Jacksonville in favor of nearby Medford. At this point, many merchants and residents moved away; but, the final blow was in 1927 when the county seat transferred to Medford. The Great Depression hit hard and many residents turned to the town’s original source of wealth, gold, and began digging tunnels and shafts under city streets. In 1935, after particularly heavy rains, the tunnels’ supporting timbers gave way and parts of the town began collapsing. All this misfortune left Jacksonville a ghost of its former self, but never a ghost town.



The Presbyterian Church dates to 1881

 At last the town’s luck changed with an ironic twist. While other area communities continued growing and developing, Jacksonville, a little too off-the-beaten path, benefited from being ignored. It retained its old brick buildings, wooden houses, and 19th century appearance. In 1966, the entire town became a National Historic Landmark with over 100 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Along with its lovely setting in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains, Jacksonville offers today’s visitors an authentic glimpse of an Old West town with a main street straight out of central casting. The brick buildings running along both sides of California Street now house an array of shops, restaurants, inns, and galleries. A self-guided, walking tour map from the tourist bureau directs visitors to 101 of the town’s historic sites and such architectural treasures as the Nunan House, McCully House, Presbyterian and Methodist churches. In summer months, living history tours at the Beekman House reflect the lifestyle of a well-to-do, 19th century family. The handsome Italianate county courthouse is now home to the Museum of Southern Oregon History and the jail serves as a Children’s Museum. Another must-see on the tour is the hilltop cemetery with pioneer tombstones dating back to the 1860s.



Beekman House

 Every summer for the past 49 years, Jacksonville has played host to what has become the Northwest’s premier, outdoor musical event, the Britt Festival. Set in a natural amphitheater on the former estate of pioneer photographer Peter Britt, the festival includes world-class performers of classical, jazz, pop, bluegrass, and country music. The 2011 schedule will be available April 6.

Cottage garden at McCully House Inn

Jacksonville, with its supply of excellent restaurants and charming bed and breakfasts in historic landmark buildings, is a great spot to headquarter while visiting Southern Oregon. Outdoor enthusiasts will find miles of hiking trails, white water rafting and fishing on the Rogue River, and, in season, skiing at nearby Mt. Ashland. It’s an easy commute from here to Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Victoria: A Bit of Britain on the Pacific Coast

Where else can you go whale-watching in the morning and savor a proper high tea in the afternoon? Only in a spot where Mother Nature and a cosmopolitan city share the same place, and Victoria, BC, at the southern end of Vancouver Island, fits the description.

Getting there is part of the adventure and a good choice for those who want to leave their car at home is the Victoria Clipper, a ferry service out of Seattle’s Pier 69. Several daily departures offer comfortable seating, meal and beverage service, duty-free shopping and clean, but compact, restrooms. Huge picture windows provide excellent views of Whidbey and Bainbridge Islands, and the mountains on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The trip takes a little under three hours and docks at Victoria’s Inner Harbour within walking distance of several hotels and almost all the major attractions. While the town can be done as a long day trip, it’s much better to spend at least one overnight.

The Tourist Information Center on the north side of the Inner Harbor is a great place to begin a visit, and load up on advice, maps, and brochures. Most points of interest are in the Inner Harbour area, making Victoria an immensely walkable city. This part of town is the perfect place for strolling, people-watching, and enjoying the many street performers- musicians, mimes, jugglers, and comedian wannabes.

Impossible not to notice is the vine-covered, majestic Empress Hotel across Government Street from the visitor center. Built in 1908, the hotel is a throw-back to a more glamorous travel era when the Canadian Pacific Railroad brought travelers and businessmen across Canada in style to Victoria. Here, they stayed at the Empress (owned by the railway) before boarding the ocean liners (also owned by the railway) to sail westward across the Pacific to ports in Asia.
The hotel, thoroughly remodeled in 1996, is noted for its traditional, afternoon tea served in Edwardian splendor in the Tea Lobby overlooking the harbor. Their proprietary, blended tea is served in fine Royal Doulton china cups and accompanied by freshly baked raisin scones, clotted cream, strawberry preserves, a selection of dainty tea sandwiches, and an array of tasty pastries. A dress code is enforced so don’t expect to drink tea wearing your flip-flops, and be prepared to pay about $50.

Across the street from the Empress is the Royal BC Museum, one of Canada’s best regional museums. It interprets several thousand years of natural and human history through dioramas, street scenes, hands-on exhibits, and even a replica of Capt. George Vancouver’s ship. Of special note is the First Peoples Gallery with its impressive collection of native artifacts including some amazing masks. Outside, in a small green space, is Thunderbird Park with a display of intricately carved totem poles and a ceremonial longhouse. 

Next door to the museum are the manicured grounds and beautiful buildings housing the British Columbia legislature. Referred to as the Parliament Buildings, they were constructed between 1893 and 1898, and designed by Francis Rattenbury, architect for the Empress Hotel. Free thirty minute tours of the interior give a glimpse of the stunning stained glass windows and ornate rotunda, but one of Victoria’s best kept secrets is hidden in the basement of the building. It’s a lunchroom open to the public from 9-3 during weekdays and serves delicious sandwiches and salads in a white tablecloth environment at reasonable prices. You need to check in with security at the entrance; after all, you will be rubbing shoulders with provincial politicians.

Another must-see sight is not in the walkable Inner Harbour, but about 13 miles north. There are numerous sightseeing busses and shuttles happy to take visitors to the Butchart Gardens, and public transportation is available as well. The gardens, covering more than 50 acres, were the idea of Jennie Butchart, wife of cement baron Robert Butchart. Offended by the sight of a nearby, abandoned quarry, she brought in topsoil from local farms and transformed it into a stunning Sunken Gardens. Over the years, an Italian Garden and English Rose Garden were added. Today, the gardens host over one million visitors a year and many consider it Victoria’s number one attraction.

Mt. Angel Abbey: A Quiet Place Close By

A verse from the Book of Mark states, “Come away to a quiet place by yourself and rest awhile.” There is no quieter place to escape the stresses of contemporary life, or to steal some quite time for contemplation and reflection than the Mt. Angel Abbey.
Located about 40 miles south of Portland, the abbey sits on a hilltop above the town of Mt. Angel. The serene setting provides a stunning view of four volcanoes, the foothills of the Cascades, and a great chunk of verdant, Willamette Valley farmland. Wide lawns, sturdy Romanesque brick buildings, grand old trees, and black-robed monks strolling across campus contribute to the site’s special ambiance.

The abbey was founded in 1882, by Benedictine monks from the Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland. Fearing religious suppression in their own country, several monks were dispatched to America to seek a place of possible refuge. Their travels took them to Missouri, California, and finally to the young state of Oregon. While life in the Wild West was not always easy, they managed to survive huge debts, internal squabbles, and a series of devastating fires to develop a thriving religious community. Today, the abbey continues preserving the 1500-year monastic tradition of work, prayer, and study. In addition to the 50 or so resident monks, about 150 seminarians are at the abbey training and studying for the priesthood.
People of all faiths are invited to enjoy the Benedictine tradition of hospitality in a visit to the abbey. For those seeking that “quiet place” for some spiritual r&r, the retreat house offers simple rooms for overnight or short term stays. At $77 (single room) per day ($124 double), guests receive three buffet meals, a million dollar view, an escape from television, and the opportunity to participate in the many daily prayer services sung by the monks.

Visitors are invited to use, or at least take a peek at, the abbey’s magnificent library. Designed by world-famous Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, the building features a fan-shaped plan with skylights and rows of high windows. “Even on the gloomiest of Oregon winter days, the room is flooded with bright, natural light,” according to the librarian. The collection includes approximately 250,000 volumes with an emphasis on religion, philosophy, and the humanities. All the furniture and fixtures in the library were designed by Aalto, and reflect a modern, Scandinavian sleekness and simplicity.
Also of interest to visitors are two small, but unusual museums. The first, sometimes referred to as the natural history museum, displays a huge collection of stuffed mammals and birds donated to the abbey by an avid wild game hunter. It certainly serves as a testimony to the art of taxidermy. Other exhibits, displayed on a rotating basis, feature small collections of odds and ends ranging from glass paperweights to pink coral formations, all donated to the monks for safekeeping. Sadly, the world’s largest hairball has been rotated out of the current exhibition, but the two-headed calf is on display!

The other museum reflects one monk’s keen interest in the “Old Believers,” a breakaway sect of the Russian Orthodox church. Choosing to ignore reforms, they continue to practice the older rites and rituals, and lead a more traditional lifestyle. The museum chronicles their troubled history of persecution, first from the Tsars and then the Communists; and their subsequent flight for refuge in such far-flung destinations as China, Tibet, Brazil, and the Willamette Valley. The community of over 10,000 Old Believers living south of Woodburn donated many of the handicrafts, clothing, paintings and icons displayed in the museum.
For the last 40 years, the abbey has presented an annual Bach Festival in late July. On each of three evenings, the event begins with the monks singing Vespers in the Abbey Church, followed by a half hour recital played on the grand organ. Guests then move to the grassy, front lawn to enjoy a picnic supper prepared by the abbey. More concert music in the Damian Center concludes the evening. Tickets can be ordered on line, but be forewarned this event usually sells out. In the midst of the 21st century, the traditional and simple lifestyle of the monks may seem slightly archaic. Nonetheless, even monasteries maintain websites and you may visit theirs’ at http://www.mountangelabbey.org./

Step into the Past at Port Townsend

It was supposed to be Seattle. With its strategic location on Puget Sound and a strong possibility of becoming the western terminus for the new transcontinental railroad, Port Townsend was destined for fame and fortune. Many were convinced it would become the biggest and busiest port on the West Coast.

Water Street

Captain George Vancouver, while sailing around the north Pacific in 1792, was one of the first to observe the excellent location at the entrance of Puget Sound and noted the “safe and spacious harbor” in his ship’s log. He named the spot, Port Townsend after his friend, the Marquis of Townshend. The town was founded in 1851 with high hopes of becoming the New York of the West. And, for a while, Port Townsend prospered by shipping Washington timber down the coast to a booming San Francisco. Sailors, sea captains, and speculators kept the downtown commercial district hopping; while proper families built their stately Victorian mansions on the bluff above. Times were good and bound to get better, but the Panic of 1893 led to a sharp economic downturn and the anticipated railroad never arrived. Seattle soon eclipsed Port Townsend to become the preeminent Puget Sound port and metropolis. Folks moved on in search of better prospects and the town languished for decades. The fancy Victorian homes were chopped up into apartments and many buildings in the downtown stood empty for years.

In the 1970s, the town was “rediscovered” by counter-culture folks and artists drawn to the town’s off-the-beaten-path and inexpensive lifestyle. Developers and architecture aficionados also took notice. Downtown commercial buildings were revitalized, and abandoned Victorian houses renovated and reinvented as bed and breakfast inns.

Today, much of the town is a designated a National Historic Landmark. Its location at the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula makes it a logical gateway to that area, and the town’s handsome architecture, shops, boutiques, restaurants, and pubs attract over one-million visitors annually.
Port Townsend is a good place to visit on foot. While you can drive there (about 100 miles north of Olympia), it’s more fun to arrive via the Washington State Ferry from Keystone on Whidbey Island.

 The fare is a bargain at $2.75 ($1.35 for the over-65 public) as a walk-on passenger and the scenic, 35-minute ride provides a good look at Puget Sound and its wooded islands. The ferry terminal is right downtown, making it easy to explore without a car. Grab a walking tour map from the Visitor Center and begin with a stroll down Water Street. While items in the boutique and gallery windows may catch your eye, be sure to look above the first story for a closer inspection of the impressive brick and cast-iron facades of these commercial buildings. Stop in at Elevated Ice Cream Parlor (631 Water St.) for a cone of homemade, Swiss Orange Chocolate Chip ice-cream before heading up the bluff to Uptown Port Townsend.

Starrett House

Here you will find a residential area dotted with well-preserved, historic houses and churches, most dating back to the 1880s and 1890s. Not to be missed is the Queen Ann mansion called the Ann Starrett House (744 Clay St.). Built in 1889 by George Starrett, a prosperous carpenter and architect, for his wife, this spectacular structure cost $6000. It now operates as a hotel and appears to be for sale (probably for more than $6000).

While a number of homes have been converted to inns or bed and breakfasts, most are private residences. The Rothschild house, at the corner of Jefferson and Taylor, is one property open to the public. Operated as a museum by the Jefferson County Historical Society, it provides a good glimpse of the life of a wealthy town merchant. Twice a year, several other homes open their doors to the public during the Victorian Festival in March and the Historic Homes Tour in late September.
Port Townsend celebrates its maritime heritage each September with its annual Wooden Boat Festival. The event, held this year from September 9 to 11, is the largest in the U.S. with nearly 300 wooden boats from schooners to kayaks.

Baker City's Grand Hotel

This week, a film crew from the Japanese TV show "Unbelievable" will be in Baker City, Oregon. The show, one of the most popular in Japan, has over 15 million viewers; and the Geiser Grand Hotel in the center of town will be featured in a special on the 10 most interesting spots on the planet. Huh?

According to the show's directior, "it's authentic, you feel real history everywhere, and it's so beautiful".  Apparently he has a fondness for the restaurant's rib-eye and remembers his first paranormal encounter with one of the hotel's ghosts.  Well, at least he is spot-on about the history and beauty!

A little over 100 years ago, Baker City was the third largest town in Oregon after Portland and Astoria. It had a larger population than Spokane, and was bigger than Boise.  The town began as a watering hole and resting place for weary travelers on the Oregon Trail. West of here, were some of the most challenging parts of the transcontinental trek: the Blue Mountains, Cascades and Columbia Gorge. In 1861, gold was discovered in nearby Griffin Gulch and Baker City was transformed into a mining boomtown. A second gold rush in the late 1890s, led to more development and the town soon earned the moniker, “Queen City of Mines.” Home to 10,000 people, it was a raucous place with the usual collection of saloons, brothels, gambling houses, and dance halls, but it also served as a cultural oasis and center of social activity for Eastern Oregon. There was an opera house, several elegant hotels, fine restaurants, and many lovely homes.

Once the mines played out, Baker City settled quietly into its role as a commercial hub serving the agricultural, ranching, and timber communities of the region. In the late 1980s, the Bureau of Land Management chose a site on the top of Flagstaff Hill, about five miles east of Baker City, to build its National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The new museum attracted over a half-million visitors in its first two years of operation and led to a renewed interest in Baker City’s historical heritage. Modern facades were removed from most of the downtown business buildings revealing the original brick and stone, and a restoration renaissance was underway. Today’s Historic District, one of the largest in Oregon, includes over 100 buildings.

One of the most successful projects was the remodeling of the Geiser Grand Hotel. Originally named the Warshauer House, the property was built in 1889 at the height of the region’s gold rush by local businessmen Harry and Jake Warshauer. It featured such rare amenities as electric lights, baths, plate glass windows, and an elevator (the first in Oregon), and was designed to attract business travelers from across the nation. Ornate mahogany woodwork and crystal chandeliers contributed to its reputation as the finest hotel between Salt Lake City and Seattle. The hotel’s 1905 Christmas dinner menu offered caviar, sea turtle, demitasse of clam bouillon, English pheasant, suckling pig, lobster, and chocolate éclairs with rum sauce, an impressive selection for eastern Oregon one-hundred years ago.

Over time, the property fell into disrepair and after the cast of the movie, Paint Your Wagon, stayed here during filming in 1968, the hotel closed. Pigeons took over the third floor and, at one point, the building was dubbed The Great Pumpkin thanks to a coat of orange paint.

Preservationist and developer, Barbara Sidway, assumed the daunting task of restoring the 30-room, Italian Renaissance Revival hotel to its former glory. It reopened in 1997 after an $8 million renovation that has earned many awards and accolades for its authenticity.

Rooms feature crystal chandeliers from a palace in Venice, ten-foot tall windows with views of the town and mountains, antiques, gilt mirrors as well as modern amenities. The most sought after room is the Cupola Suite located in the turreted, clock tower. The dining room, popular with locals as well as guests, is highlighted by the largest, stained glass ceiling in the Northwest. Visitors are welcome to look at the public rooms and visit the small hotel museum in the lower level.

And Now for Something Totally Different

You're in dowtown Portland, you've spent the entire day Christmas shopping and still haven't found the perfect gift....great! It's time for something totally different. While you might not think of museums as shopping destinations, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the unique and interesting selections of gifts at museum shops.

If jewelry is on your list, the Portland Art Museum offers a wide selection of unusual pieces not found in department stores. In addition you will find an array of colorful scarfs, unusual neckties, notecards, calendars,art books. and artifacts from Africa, Central America, and Asia, even a sushi-themed iphone cover.

Still looking? Walk across the street to the Oregon Historical Society. The Mary Mark Museum Store offers an extensive collection of Northwest books and Native American-themed, handmade jewelry, accessories, household goods and clothing. There's a good selection of Portland t-shirts and the ultimate stocking stuffer, a tube of wild huckleberry lip balm. Check out their online photo shop where you can order prints or instant downloads of over 1650 historical prints, some by the region's most famous photographers.
For kids and budding scientests, young and old, the OMSI gift shop's gadgets, gizmos, games, and kits make an exciting alternative to the run-of-the-mill toy store selections.
Musuem admission fees are not required to visit any of these shops, plus, your purchases provide profits for running the museums' important programs and exhibits.