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OLHD has lost a long time member. Carol Powers had been an active and supportive member of OLHD since 2015. She attended most of our meetings and followed OLHD on Facebook. She passed away on Feb. 19th.
There will be a service for her on Friday March 10th. You can read her obituary below.
On March 4, 1849, General Joseph Lane of Indiana was sworn in a Oregon’s first territorial governor. The location of this event was the William L. Holmes House at the Rose Farm in Oregon City. The house will be open on Saturday to commemorate the event. Come and learn about Lane and how he came to Oregon.
Date: Saturday, March 4, 2023
Place: 536 Holmes Lane in Oregon City
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm – refreshments will be served. Admission by donation.
Read the Clackamas Review article: Oak Lodge History Detectives get $2,000 for pioneer schoolhouse markers
THURSDAY FEB. 9TH
7:00 P.M.
Concord School
3811 S.E. Concord Rd.
Upper Floor; N.W. corner room
Greetings!
Not having met since October the Oak Lodge History Detectives will again be meeting on Thursday Feb. 9th, at 7:00 P.M.
This will be another opportunity for folks to renew their membership to OLHD, and purchase our new “Hooked on History” OLHD T-shirts. We’ll also be announcing our recent grant from the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition (managed by the Clackamas County Arts Alliance) made possible by funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust.
There will be a one hour program entitled “Mystery Man of La Roche” presented during the meeting. Come and learn about an important, yet relatively unknown participant in our local history.
See you on February 9th!
Mike Schmeer
President, Oak Lodge History Detectives
Due to an unexpected health episode by yours truly over the Thanksgiving holiday OLHD was unable to schedule a meeting in December. But things are looking up for early 2023. Stay tuned.
The holidays are now upon us and it’s time to celebrate with those we love. OLHD wishes you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! We look forward to sharing much more about our local history in 2023.
(The attached photo was found in a very old family book that belonged to my great-grandparents).
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
(Upper floor, N.W. corner)
FINALLY! After 2 ½ years of hiatus due to the Covid pandemic the Oak Lodge History Detectives will again be meeting IN PERSON.
The North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District has kindly offered us a space to meet in the historic Concord School. The room is on the upper floor, at the N.W. corner (closest to Spaulding Ave., at the top of that entrance’s stairs). You may access via the Spaulding Ave. entrance, the front “Grand Stairs”, or if you are in need of the elevator you can enter via the Concord Rd. entrance at the south end of the building. [See drawing]
After having waived membership dues for the last 2 years, this meeting will be an opportunity to renew your membership. Come a little early to allow extra time for this. Dues are still $15 per individual, or $20 per couple.
OLHD is also promoting our “First Schools Markers” initiative to raise funds for historic markers at the locations of our first two schools – in 1856 and 1866. In support of this effort we will be offering our new “Hooked on History” T-shirts for sale ($20) and accepting donations. There will also be a 30 minute “Oak Lodge’s First Schools” presentation given on this topic.
We look forward to seeing you again on Oct. 13th.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, OLHD
Greetings!
SAVE THE DATE! Oct. 13, 2022
After a 2 year hiatus of no in-person OLHD meetings because of Covid, OLHD will FINALLY be meeting again on Oct. 13th, 2022 – – – at the historic Concord School.
As the owner of the Concord complex the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District (NCPRD) has begun scheduling the use of spaces within the historic school for use by community groups. OLHD has reserved a very nice room at the north end of the building, on the upper floor, for Oct. 13th and hopefully months after. This room will accommodate between 40 and 50 individuals, has a screen and ample electrical outlets, and even A/C if needed. And it is available for our usual meeting times from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Because OLHD suspended annual dues during the pandemic we will be accepting renewals at this meeting. So bring your checkbooks! Your contributions help support an organization dedicated to promoting the place and appreciation of local history in the Oak Lodge area.
We will also be making our new OLHD T-shirts available for sale. Proceeds from these shirts will support our latest “First Schools” initiative designed to place historic markers at the locations of Oak Lodge’s first schools – in 1856 and 1866. You’ll learn more about it at our meeting.
So, SAVE THE DATE of Oct. 13th and join us at Concord School to resume learning about Oak Lodge’s fascinating history. We’ll be sending out reminders, and more details, in the coming weeks.
Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives
Greetings!
The link below will take you to the “Preservation: Three Perspectives” presentation I was asked to participate in on June 1st. It was hosted by the Milwaukie Ledding Library, Milwaukie Historical Society, and City of Milwaukie as part of the library’s spring Lecture Series.
I was the last of the four speakers, so my part starts at time stamp 1:32:05. I’ve been told that I’ll be receiving a clip of just my part at a later date.
I was asked to talk about what it’s like living in a historic house, as our house was built by Philip T. Oatfield, of our area’s prominent Oatfield family, in 1922. This was a different type of talk than I usually give – – – – instead of just being about the local history of Oak Lodge, it’s a mix of history and sort of a virtual tour of our house. I am not accustomed to public speaking, so it’s a little rough around the edges. But you’ll get the drift of my message.
Mike Schmeer
President, Oak Lodge History Detectives
Change happens every day in our lives, our community, and in the universe. Without change life would be boring or even nonexistent. But our past, like historic buildings, help tell our story of where we began and what to either repeat or do better in the future.
Milwaukie Museum’s next Ledding Library Lecture Series entitled Preservation: Three Experiences is Wednesday, June 1st at 6:30 PM inside Ledding Library or on Zoom.
From the website page:
This Milwaukie Museum program focuses on topics that help preserve our historic places that we endear in our community and our lives. A State Historic Preservation Office representative will discuss the ins and outs on how to list and take advantage of preserving a historic building, Steve Bennett, Milwaukie Museum records specialist, will teach home research and how to find those unique stories you may not know about your property, Michael Schmeer, a long time resident and owner of an Oatfield property, will share his thoughts and feelings of living and taking care of a historic home, and a special address by Councilor Lisa Batey.
Thanks to our great partners: City of Milwaukie, Ledding Library, and Willamette Falls Studio, it will be live, on Zoom, and taped for future viewing on You Tube. Seating is limited inside the Ledding Library, so come early to reserve your seat. Please check Milwaukie History Museum Facebook page and the City Calendar for more details and links to the event.
Long before Fred Meyer established its presence in Oak Grove the property that it now occupies was owned by two separate land claim holders: Orrin Kellogg’s 1851 Donation Land Claim and George Crow’s 1850 Donation Land Claim. As a result of a complicated 1882 transaction involving John & Celia Fahy, Samuel & A.F. Stein, Charles Bunnell, and Bernard Kluse, the property came into the possession of Orville Risley and his son Jacob S. Risley – just one small part of a 100-acre transaction. Upon the death of Orville Risley on Dec. 11, 1884 the property came into the sole possession of Jacob Risley. Jacob Risley died June 22, 1902, and the property became part of his estate, with his son John F. Risley serving as executor. Jacob Risley’s property holdings exceeded over 300 acres so John proceeded to divide it among Jacob’s three surviving children, Charles W. Risley, John F. Risley and Alice Risley Starkweather. Among other large parcels that she inherited Alice was deeded 7.98 acres that was a part of the S.E. corner of the Crow D.L.C., and Orrin Kellogg’s D.L.C. on Feb. 29, 1904. The property occupied by Fed Meyer today is part of that 7.98 acres.
Fast forward to 1928, no doubt following several subsequent ownerships, when the N.E. part of the Fred Meyer property was owned by Ernst Hokenson, and to 1937 when the entire N.E. 2/3 of the property was owned in part by May Montague and J. Archibald. But what about the S.W. 1/3 closest to the intersection of today’s McLoughlin Blvd. and Oak Grove Blvd.?
McLoughlin Blvd. (once called the Super 99) was begun in the early 1930’s and completed, in sections, with a celebration commemorating the completion between Portland and Oregon City in Milwaukie on Dec. 7, 1934. By then the S.W. 1/3 of the Fred Meyer property was owned by David A. Palmblad.
Palmblad’s family was from Gresham and he was first trained as a “mechanical optician and lapidist”, and later became the proprietor of a grocery store. About 1925 he was appointed a Clackamas County Deputy Tax Collector, and by 1930 was living on River Rd. in Oak Grove. By 1934 he owned the S.W. 1/3 of today’s Fred Meyer property, and being an entrepreneur he no doubt saw great potential in owning the corner lot at Hwy 99E and what was then Oak Ave. (today’s Oak Grove Blvd.). He and his younger brother Paul N. Palmblad proceeded to build a commercial building at that intersection and leased out spaces to various businesses. A period photo of the building shows McLoughlin being concrete, but Oak Ave. still being gravel.
There was just one problem – in 1936 David Palmblad was caught embezzling some $15,000 tax money from Clackamas County, having admitted to using some of the money to fund his building in Oak Grove. Following an audit, he was tried and fined $30,000, convicted, and sentenced to 5 years in prison.
In an effort to recoup the taxpayer’s money and the fine the county sued to foreclose on Palmblad’s property. Without further research we can only assume that Clackamas County gained ownership of the Palmblad building and corner lot, and evidence suggest it was sold in 1938. By 1940 David Palmblad was already out of prison, back with his wife, living in Portland, and operating a restaurant. He died in Portland in 1961.
The Palmblad building remained at that corner of McLoughlin and Oak Ave., as a store building and tavern, through 1960 – it’s footprint still visible on a survey done for Fred Meyer Inc. in July 1959, and visible in a 1960 aerial photograph. The building was home to the Desert Inn tavern from 1937 until its demolition in 1960, and Fir Garden Auto Service & Grocery in the late 1940’s. The same 1959 survey shows that the Fir Garden Auto Court had also occupied that property just prior to Fred Meyer’s purchase. All of it went away as Fred Meyer Inc. constructed its new super store in 1960.
Following Fred Meyer’s opening in July 1960 a service station was built at the corner, followed later by a Minit – Lube, and sometime after 1987 a Jiffy Lube. Eventually the property near Oatfield Rd. was purchased and Fred Meyer’s parking area extended to Oatfield Rd.
