By Marie Kennedy, For The Mountain Times
As we head down the mountain, this final piece in our series continues to explore the stories behind the towns of the Mount Hood corridor — each stop, a link to the past.
Zigzag
In 1845 Joel Palmer documented his descent into Zigzag Canyon in his search for a path west through the Mount Hood wilderness. He wrote, “The manner of descending is to turn directly to the right, go zigzag for about one hundred yards, then turn short round, and go zigzag until you come under the place where you started from…” Palmer’s description stuck and that is how the name “Zigzag” came into being.
The area gained official recognition in 1907 when Percy Shelley was appointed the first District Ranger of the Zigzag Ranger District. On his recommendation, the site was chosen for the new ranger station. Over time, the station expanded, becoming a vital hub for managing the surrounding Mount Hood National Forest.
Welches
These days Welches, Oregon has a shopping mall, a resort with a golf course, a post office, apartments, a bakery, salons, a traffic light. Welches was named after Samuel Welch, a Virginia homesteader who settled in the area in 1882. In 1905, a post office was established, but postal regulations would not allow the use of an apostrophe in a town name, so it became known as Welches.
Over time, Samuel and his son had purchased approximately 1,000 acres in the valley, and along the slopes of Hunchback and Huckleberry Mountains. The sprawling ranch included barns and corrals, pastures, dairy cows, beef cattle, and other livestock.
In 1905, the property was developed into a resort for summer visitors, with a dining hall, a store and a dance hall. With the abundance of fishing and hunting, Welches became a popular stop for travelers and summer campers. In 1911, Billy married Jennie Faubion, and the two managed the businesses and the post office themselves.
Welches became home to the first golf resort in Oregon in 1928, built on property leased by Ralph Shattuck and George Waale – located on one of the Welch’s family hayfields. Eventually, Billy and Jennie managed the golf course, too.
Following Billy’s death, Jennie Welch became the Welches Postmistress, and worked there until 1960. She continued selling antiques until her passing at 95 years of age, in 1985.
Wemme
Wemme, Oregon was named for E. Henry Wemme, and was granted a post office in 1916. Mr. Wemme was an interesting fellow: he was a successful Portland businessman and philanthropist with a passion for automobiles and aviation.
He purchased the Barlow Road in 1912 for $5,400. The road had fallen into disrepair over the years, and Wemme made many badly needed improvements. Before his passing, he bequeathed the road to the state of Oregon, paving the way — both literally and figuratively — for the highway we use today.
Local journalist Paul Keller, in the May 2024 issue of Beneath Wy’East, recounted an interview with Jennie Welch. She fondly remembered her friend Henry Wemme and his passion for automobiles, noting that he owned Oregon’s very first car and kept license plate #1 on every vehicle he owned thereafter.
Brightwood and Salmon
Salmon, Oregon stood near the confluence of the Salmon and Sandy Rivers. In 1891 a post office was established in Salmon. In 1910, however, the post office was moved, and the town was renamed Brightwood – reportedly named by William A. Alcorn for the sun shining through the cottonwood trees along the riverbanks.
Brightwood has celebrated two centennial anniversaries. The first, in 1991, marked 100 years since the establishment of Salmon, Oregon. The second, in 2010, commemorated a century since the town’s renaming. As reported in the Oregonian on May 15, 2010, “Brightwood takes every chance to celebrate a centennial.” Indeed!
One of the most significant early businesses was the Sandy Lumber Co., established in the early 1900s, located on Sleepy Hollow Road near the Marmot Bridge. Their employees were offered free lumber for home construction, access to free water, and firewood for heating. The mill complex included a sawmill, a grade school, worker housing with a cookhouse, and a barber chair.
Thelma Winters Buswell, born in 1913, grew up in the complex. In an interview published by the Sandy Historical Society, she recalled, “We lived next door to the Brightwood School. Charley Bailey, the old fiddle player, lived on one side of our house with his three children.” She continued, “It became a close community with the school as the center. It was only a short walk up to the Brightwood dance hall to enjoy fiddlers Charley Bailey and Pete Stone.” Mrs. Buswell passed away in 2014 at 100 years of age.
Cherryville
Last stop is Cherryville, which was my first home on the mountain, and I still have ties there. At a town meeting, local residents named the town for the wild cherries that grew in the area. The post office was established in 1884, and closed in 1958. The old post office building, a local landmark, burned down in 2021.
As with other towns further up the mountain, Cherryville Road is a section of the old highway. Today, what’s left of the original dirt and plank road follows what is now a fence line on the back side of existing Cherryville properties. A school, a hotel and a general store, guest houses, a church and graveyard, the old post office – all were interspersed through the area. Much of the town was taken out when they built the new highway.
While the church is gone, the graveyard is still accessible, if you know how to find it. In 2014, it was designated a local historic site and given a marker by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Big thanks to Aaron and Vikki Ballou for the grand four-wheel tour of Cherryville. Aaron and Vikki were featured in the January issue of the Mountain Times. They grew up together, in Cherryville, fell in love and have been married for 56 years. Congrats again, you two.
Next time you’re not in a hurry to get to town, take a slow drive down some of the old loop roads. Imagine a time when the journey up the mountain took days, with plenty of stops along the way — places to rest, chat with neighbors, and maybe even enjoy a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.