Recently the Oregon Historical Society and Oregon State University combined efforts and produced a several hundred image collection of images from the Finley family. They call it “Reuniting Finley and Bohlman“. For historians interested in Jennings Lodge this is a treasure trove of Jennings Lodge history ca. 1908-1910.
William L. Finley holding desert sparrows (1910)Photograph of H. T. Bohlman and William Finley photographing an eagle’s nest (1904)
Included among these photos are images of William (Bill) Jennings fishing, Thomas Spooner (“Mr. Spooner”, husband of Ella S. Jennings) and Irene Finley, two images of the Jennings family home on the bank of the Willamette River, Wm. Finley’s FIRST house perched on a narrow flat area above the river (and just below the current Finley house) in the adjacent property to the Jennings house, a Willamette River steamboat, several images of the Willamette River shoreline in the vicinity of Hull Ave., one image (at least) of the west end of Jennings Ave., Finley and Bill Jennings harvesting hay, views of the Finley property looking east from the house, “Spring Branch” (the spring fed creek that provided their water) William Finley himself — as well as hundreds of wildlife, flora and fauna images.
Mr. Jennings fishing (1908-09-26)View of a boat on the Willamette River in front of the Finley house, taken from study window (Dec. 1907)
These images were scanned at such a high resolution that you can zoom in a great deal and observe the detail — leaving one to feel that he is actually there in 1909. They give us a spectacular snapshot into life along the Willamette in 1909. As far as I’ve seen these images are in the “public domain”, and can be downloaded.
Finley house, snow scene (1909-01-09)Bill Jennings loading hay (1909-07-29)
Some of these photos demonstrate, when coupled with other documents, that the Spooners occupied the Jennings family house (Martha Jennings’) for a time after her death in 1900. The images show the fence and gate between the Jennings house and the Finley’s property immediately north of the Jennings house . Most of these were taken in the winter of 1909. Two photos of the Jennings house, when zoomed in, show how the Jennings house (at the west end of Hull, along the river bank) looked in 1909.
Don’t miss out — set aside some time and browse through this spectacular collection of history. Do a search on “Jennings”, or “house”, or “Spooner”, or “Willamette” and take a walk back to the early 1900’s.
OAK LODGE WATER SERVICES OFFICES
14496 SE River Rd. @ Maple St.
Greetings:
With a little bit of luck Old Man Winter will not interrupt our meeting in March!
At our last meeting we spent a fair amount of time discussing At Risk Historic Houses and the things that can lead to their ultimate demolition.
We will be continuing that discussion at our March meeting, focusing on things that OLHD might realistically do to promote interest and pride in our community’s historic homes, with the ultimate goal of encouraging stewardship in these houses – preserving them into the future.
Our guest speaker for the evening will be Joyce Allmon, Willamette View Manor director of Communications and Community Relations, speaking about the History of Willamette View Manor.
Update on Oatfield House Demolition Hearing:March 9th is also the date for the hearing pertaining to the proposed demolition of the Phil Oatfield House. And as luck would have it, the hearing will be at the EXACT SAME TIME as our OLHD meeting! The hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Clackamas County Development Services Building, Room 118, 150 Beavercreek Rd.. in Oregon City. (map)
You now have a choice: Attend the hearing in person and testify if you wish , OR you can attend the OLHD meeting and provide WRITTEN testimony to the demolition hearing by emailing Linda Preisz at lindap@co.clackamas.or.us prior to March 9th, citing ZOOO9-17, Demolition of Oatfield House.
You can also write Linda Preisz at Linda Preisz, Senior Planner, Clackamas Co. Planning Division, 150 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045.
Join us on March 9th for what promises to be an informative and interesting evening.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
The date for the hearing pertaining to the proposed demolition of the Phil Oatfield House is March 9th. And as luck would have it, the hearing will be at the EXACT SAME TIME as our March 2017 OLHD meeting!
The hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Clackamas County Development Services Building, Room 118, 150 Beavercreek Rd.. in Oregon City. (map)
You now have a choice: Attend the hearing in person and testify if you wish , OR you can attend the OLHD meeting and provide WRITTEN testimony to the demolition hearing by emailing Linda Preisz at lindap@co.clackamas.or.us prior to March 9th, citing ZOOO9-17, Demolition of Oatfield House.
You can also write Linda Preisz at Linda Preisz, Senior Planner, Clackamas Co. Planning Division, 150 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
OAK LODGE WATER DISTRICT OFFICES
14496 S.E. River Rd. @ Maple St.
Greetings!
They say “Try, try again”. And so we shall attempt to dodge Old Man Winter’s wrath this month and hold our first meeting in several months – cancelled previously due to unusually wintry weather.
The proposed demolition of the Philip T. Oatfield house has highlighted weaknesses in Clackamas County’s Historic Protection ordinance, sometimes rendering protection of some Historic Landmarks impotent. The State of Oregon’s Land Conservation and Development Commission (very) recently adopted changes to its rule guiding protection of historic resources pertaining to the National Register of Historic Places. According to Peggy Moretti of Restore Oregon:
“these revised rules present a modest yet meaningful baseline of protection for our irreplaceable historic resources – something which has been sorely lacking.”
OLHD will be discussing these issues at our meeting, and considering how we might best move forward with proposing to Clackamas County more meaningful tools that would help to preserve historic resources in our community.
As OLHD voted some time back to support the effort to preserve Concord School we will be updated on the status of The Concord Partnership’s final concepts for the re-purposing this building and its grounds.
And for our evening’s program we will be hearing from OLHD member Mary Bailey presenting on the history of the “Portland Open Air Sanatorium“.
Join us February 9th for what promises to be an informative and interesting evening.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
For those interested here is an update on the status of the proposed demolition of the 1903 Phil Oatfield house at 14928 S.E. Oatfield Rd.
To the best of our knowledge no one has come forward to try and move this house to a new location. Unless someone should the process for approval of demolition will move forward to a public hearing. A demolition application was submitted to neighbors within 300 feet, and the Oak Grove Community Council (OGCC) on Jan. 9th. OGCC is in the process of reviewing the application with respect to the County’s approval criteria (ZDO 707.07) :
Information from Clackamas County Planning and Zoning is that a hearing has been scheduled for March 9th, to be conducted by a hearings officer. A ruling would be issued approximately two weeks later. If approved, a demolition permit may then be issued.
OLHD urges anyone interested in salvaging any of the architectural features in this house to contact Paul Matveev at 808-866-4454 and arrange access to the house. Mr. Matveev has indicated a willingness to setting up opportunities for salvaging items. Architectural features that we know of within the house are: Douglas Fir flooring, original mantle, window casings, doors and door casings, door knobs, front porch turned pillars, stove, bathroom fixtures and more. Please spread the word. Otherwise these pieces of history will be lost forever.
For information related to the County process for considering this application please contact Linda Preisz at 503-742-4528.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
RESTORE OREGON POSTS OATFIELD HOUSE
ON THEIR WEBSITE
The Oak Lodge History Detectives wishes to thank Restore Oregon for posting our notice about the proposed demolition of the Phil Oatfield House on their website.
You can see the post on their blog or by going to their home page and doing a search on “Oatfield”.
Restore Oregon is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 as The Historic Preservation League of Oregon, and dedicated to the mission to preserve, reuse and pass forward historic places in Oregon.
The Phil Oatfield House, incorrectly identified by Clackamas County as the “John Oatfield House”, was built in 1903 in Oak Lodge and is a designated Historic Landmark by Clackamas County. Four Giant Sequoias in front of the house are designated by Clackamas County as Heritage Trees. The owner of this house has applied to the County to demolish it, and the application is in the review process.
Unless someone comes forward to move this house to another lot, this house will most certainly be destroyed, and another historic home in Oak Lodge will be lost forever.
If you would be interested in this house please contact Paul V. Matveev at 808-866-4454.
Information pertaining to the review process can be obtained by calling Linda Preisz, Clackamas County, at 503-742-4528 or emailing her at lindap@co.clackamas.or.us.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
We surrender!!!!! Old Man Winter is being RELENTLESS. Even if we don’t get any more snow, what moisture remains on the roads will freeze tonight, and stay frozen tomorrow. So will parking lots, sidewalks, bike paths and driveways. It’s just not worth the risk. Stay home, stay warm, and stay SAFE.
Stay tuned for future announcements. Our next regularly scheduled meeting is set for February 9th, at the Oak Lodge Water District Office ( now the Oak Lodge Water Services ) offices on River Rd. @ Maple St.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
As an addendum to yesterday’s announcement that the Phil Oatfield house is slated to be demolished, we have learned today that Clackamas County has just posted a notification about this proposed action on their website. This posting provides information as to the owner of the property and an address where the agent can be reached. This is in addition to the telephone number posted in the newspaper 808-866-4454. My name, as the contact person for the Oak Grove Community Council, is listed in the “Related Contacts” section. However, at this juncture, I don’t know any more than what I have already shared as far as the proposed demolition.
Because this particular house is designated a Historic Landmark by the county, I understand the process will involve a hearing some time in the future.
It may be worth emphasizing that notification of proposed demolitions such as this are not automatically sent to the appropriate Planning Organization (Community Council). This only happens if the applicant is applying for a partition – – which generally would happen later. But because this house is a historic landmark there may be something that arrives in the mail in the next few days. Thus it requires vigilance on the part of residents to keep a watchful eye on the county’s website, and/or the property involved.
If you, or someone you know, would be interested in moving this house to another lot please contact Paul or Dimitri Matveev to discuss arrangements.
Work Location:
14928 SE OATFIELD RD
MILWAUKIE OR 97222
Project Description:
DEMOLITION OATFIELD HOUSE
Applicant:
PAUL MATVEEV
14501 SE LAURIE AVE
MILWAUKIE, OR, 97267
Owner:
MATVEEV DIMITRI
1215 S KIHEI RD STE O-335
KIHEI HI 96753
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
I thought I’d share with you the history of another local icon that is about to be demolished – another loss to the community. If you know anyone that might be able to rescue this house please pass this along. This history is expected to be posted on the Restore Oregon website.
Early 1903 was an exciting time for Philip T. Oatfield. His father, Michael Oatfield, had just deeded him 100 acres of his 600 acre farm. Phil was about to propose to his neighboring sweetheart, Dora Thiessen of the adjacent farming family of Henry and Selena Thiessen. Michael Oatfield had immigrated to the U.S. from Austria in 1853 and settled south of Milwaukie in the early 1860’s. By 1870 Michael had accumulated over 600 acres primarily by purchases of land from the Kellogg family. He had married Minerva Thessing in 1867 and they raised six children on their farm – Phil being the third. In 1890 Michael and Minerva had sold the school district one acre of their farm for what became Concord School. The family had remained on their farm all these years, but Michael was getting older and by 1903 had decided to divide his farm up six ways among his children. Phil received 100 acres between today’s Hill Rd. and View Acres Rd., and from Oatfield Rd. to the crest of Oatfield Ridge. The Thiessens had bought in 1879 and the two families were very good friends.
Michael and Minerva Oatfield deed to son Philip (1903)
Phil and Dora were to be married in November 1903 so Phil commenced building a home for them on his piece of the farm. He chose a site on the east side of Oatfield Rd. at what was to become Risley Ave.. Completed in the summer of 1903 his house stood out, being the only one for a mile in either direction and visible nearly from River Road. Phil plumbed the house for gas, electricity not arriving until about 1913. Phil and Dora married Nov. 8, 1903, moved into the house, and started their family. To complement the landscape Phil planted an orchard and four Giant Sequoia trees from Broetje’s Nursey on Oatfield and Courtney Rds. – now Clackamas County Heritage Trees. Phil continued helping to farm the remainder of Michael’s farm with his brother John Oatfield, calling their business “Oatfield Bros.Farming” Their home was frequented by their neighbors and close friends the Risleys, who owned much of the land across Oatfield Rd., the Thiessens, and family. During the years 1904 to 1908 Phil and Dora had two daughters, Inez and Irene, whom they raised in the house into their teen years.
Philip Oatfield house (c. 1907-1910)
Around 1920 Dora had a stroke and it became difficult for her to negotiate the stairs up to their bedroom. So Phil decided to build a newer house, with a bedroom on the main floor, down the road three hundred yards further north, on land he still owned. The family moved into their new house in 1922, selling their first house and 10 acres to Fred W. and Leah Schwarz. Phil continued farming, and in later years became involved with managing First State Bank in Milwaukie. Dora died in 1935, but Phil continued living in their newer home until his death in 1950.
The Schwarzs lived in Phil’s 1903 house until sometime after 1930 when they moved to east Portland, selling to F Schneider. The property went through several hands until more recent times when in the 1970’s James R. and Frances Rothschild became the owners. In 1986 the house was placed on Oregon’s cultural resources survey inventory and in 1987 designated a Clackamas County Historic Landmark. At the time of its listing it was incorrectly identified by the Rothschilds as the “John Oatfield House”. James Rothschild died in 2006, and Frances continued living in the house until her death in 2011. By then the house had fallen into disrepair, and Frances’ children sold it. In 2014 the property was purchased by Hilltop Contractors LLC, a development company based in Hawaii, which has recently petitioned the county to demolish the house and will be proposing to subdivide the property.
Philip Oatfield House demolition Notice of Intent (Clackamas Review 12-28-2016)
The purpose of both Oregon’s Historic Preservation Office and Clackamas County’s Historic Preservation Ordinance is to protect and preserve our historic and cultural resources. Unfortunately without the stewardship of a caring owner this process can be circumvented and financial realities can intervene. The legacy of the Oatfield family is quickly disappearing, and unless a philanthropic individual steps forward to move this house to a new location this historic community icon will be lost forever. A required notice placed in the Clackamas Review instructs to call “Paul at 808-866-4454” – in Hawaii.
OAK LODGE WATER DISTRICT OFFICES
14496 S.E. River Rd. @ Maple St.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Greetings and Happy New Year:
Old Man Winter has been relentless thus far this winter. Our December meeting, at which we had planned to present “Bricks and Mortar Chapter Two” had to be canceled due to snow and ice. Two weeks later the Friends of Oak Lodge Library celebration was held at Rose Villa amidst a significant snow event, resulting in a poor turnout. And now we’re heading into a significant cold spell with the possibility of some snow. Though it is too early to predict with any degree of confidence this weather pattern suggests that our January meeting could get snowed out again.
After the December snow-out OLHD had planned to postpone “Bricks and Mortar Chapter Two” until the January meeting. But in light of the wintry weather we’re having it has been decided to postpone that indefinitely until we are assured of decent weather – probably spring. We don’t want anyone missing this great presentation due to inclement weather. And we don’t want people venturing out into bad weather just so they don’t miss this presentation.
So our January meeting will be held January 12th – – – – Weather Permitting – – – – the evening’s program “To Be Announced”. The postponement of “Bricks and Mortar Chapter Two” means yours truly has a short window to come up with a backup program.
Please keep an eye out on our OLHD website, and Facebook page, for cancellation notices if that becomes necessary. An attempt will also be made to send out a general cancellation announcement via email.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Old Man Winter gives us a break, and we’ll see you January 12th.
Mike Schmeer –
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
