MT HOOD HISTORY
Signs of the Time.
And the History Behind Them
The Villages of Mt Hood are an excellent road trip destination, full of places to explore and loaded with history dating back to the Oregon Trail pioneers. Discovering a bit of the history can be found simply by looking at some of the street signs and village names in the area. Many of them still hold the original names after people who settled this charming area in the foothills of Mt Hood.
Welcome to WEMME
This friendly little town was named after E. Henry Wemme. Wemme was an immigrant from Germany who became a wealthy Portland businessman during the pioneering era of automobiles. He had numerous business investments over the years in various markets. A large part of his life was spent in the automobile world, as he was the president of the Portland Automobile Association. He owned the first automobile in Oregon—a Stanley Steamer purchased in 1899. He also introduced other types of automobiles to the area, including an Oldsmobile, a Reo and a Pierce-Arrow.
In 1912, Wemme purchased Barlow’s toll road for $5,400. He made improvements, ensured it would become a public thoroughfare, and eventually passed it on to the state of Oregon. A section of the road was named after Wemme and is now one of the Villages at Mt Hood.
Exploring WELCHES
Next we find Welches, homesteaded by Billy Welch and his father, Samuel. They each started with 160 acres, and over time accumulated nearly 1,000. The land went to Billy after his father’s death. Billy and his wife, Jennie Faubion, ran the old Welches hotel that attracted many pioneers and visitors to Mt. Hood.
The old Welches Hotel still runs as a bed and breakfast, overlooking The Resort at the Mountain’s golf course and the Salmon River. Billy designed the first nine holes of the course in 1928. The town is still named Welches, and just up the way in Rhododendron is Faubion Loop and the tiny hamlet of Faubion, named after his wife’s family.
Say hello to RHODODENDRON
The village of Rhododendron started as just a post office. The original name in 1909 was Rowe, after Henry S. Rowe, a mayor of Portland. In 1920 the name was changed to Rhododendron due to the large number of rhododendron plants growing in the area.
Another street that holds the name of a pioneer family is Tawney Lane, just off Welches Road. The Tawney family operated a hotel—Tawney’s Mountain Home—until 1945. Like the old Welches Inn, Tawney’s was a popular stop for tourists. The original house no longer exists, but the street name and those around are small reminders of the pioneers of the Villages at Mt Hood.
May/June 2007