Cascade Geographic Society's 
AUTUMN 2000 Tours

Important Notice: Participants must be prepared to begin on time and bring the following: sack lunch & snacks; $10 for museum fees, if needed; extra money in case of emergencies; proper dress and shoes to fit the weather conditions & season. Optional: camera & film. Please call (503) 622-4798 (Michael) or (503) 658-6233 (Nita) for information or registration.

YEARLY  TOURS 
(all links from this category will take you away from this page, for more info see main tour page,)
Mount Hood's Infamous Oregon Trail -- Special Edition (Autumn and Spring)
Shanghai Tunnel Ghost Tour -- Special through Halloween  
Famous & Infamous Sites Of The Barlow Trail Carpool Tour (Aug 25)
Big Laurel Hill Carpool Tour (Aug 26)

SEASONAL TOURS
(all links from this category will take you down this page)
Deschutes River Ghost Towns (Oct 7)
Mount St. Helens Volcanic Landscapes (Oct 8)
Blue Mountains' Ghost Towns (Oct 13)
Baker City & Blue Mountains (Oct 14)
Lower Willamette River Haunted Places (Oct 21)
Shanghai Tunnels & Haunted Places (Oct 22)
Mt. Hood's Haunted Places (Oct 28)
Mt. Hood's Huckleberry Country (Oct 29)
Mt. St. Helens, Ape's Cave & Lava Canyon (Nov 5)
Old Vancouver (Nov 12)
Old French Prairie (Nov 19)
Portland Mansions (Dec 2)

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Deschutes River Ghost Towns:
Gold Strikes, Boom Towns, Lost Trails, & Forgotten History 
Saturday Oct. 7, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Stage Stop Road Interpretative Center, 24525 E. Welches Rd., Welches, OR.

The ghost towns of Oregon's Deschutes River region represent an exciting but little-known chapter of history. The miners and gold seekers followed the trails of real and make-believe treasure all which seemed to lead to the "other side of the rainbow". Those rare gold strikes drew hordes of get-rich-quick dreamers that "sparked" the development of "boom towns" and rough-hewn homestead settlements that sprang-up along the waterways and routes of the Oregon Trail and other emigrant paths. 

This tour provides a unique opportunity to visit some of those places which time seemed to have forgotten. These were the places where prospectors and hard-scrabbled miners ignited the flames of rumors that became part of the oral history and folklore of this region. With the coming of cattle and sheep to the area, livestock represented another form of riches which, unfortunately, was tied to the railroads and, still later, to the roads and highways that crossed and criss-crossed the desert until the landscape swallowed them up and history ignored them. Participants will travel the land of the Deschutes on some little-known segments of the Oregon Trail and on some desert paths and back roads that lead to a fascinating history.

Folklore & History Mount St. Helens Volcanic Landscapes 
Sunday Oct. 8, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Parking lot at the old cinemas at Mall 205, located at S.E. 102nd & Washington St, Portland, OR.

On May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted from its deep slumber, and exploded into worldwide headlines as it sent up ash plumes that scattered for thousands of miles. This fiery peak was the first of the sleeping volcanoes of the Cascade Mountain Range to awaken, which revealed not only a new landscape, but reaffirmed the Native American oral traditions and other folklore surrounding this Mountain. 

This tour explores Mount St. Helens' many thousands of years of eruptive history, with a focus on both the oral traditions of Native Americans, the journal observations of Euro-American explorers and fur-traders, those of the American settlers, and the loggers and miners. Participants will be guided through the mountain's northside volcanic terrain and visitor centers, linking the peak's multi-cultural history with modern geologic research.

Blue Mountains' Ghost Towns, Lost Mines, & Forgotten Trails 
Friday Oct. 13, 8-3:30 p.m. --- Columbia Gorge Factory Outlet Stores in front of the Mikasa store, Troutdale, OR. [NOTE: All participants must contact the tour leader! The tour will end up in Baker City and overnight accommodations may need to be arranged.]

The Blue Mountains of Oregon are scattered with ghost towns, lost mines, and forgotten trails that are historical remnants of former settlements and boom towns that represent a misplaced heritage. Their colorful history and anecdotes reflect both the riches of gold strikes and the intense hardships and crumbling dreams of isolation, the intensity of change, and the challenge of survival. Some of these byproducts of civilization and greed marked their presence upon the landscape alongside various routes of the Oregon Trail, military roads, market roads, and other emigrant paths. Some of these now forgotten paths lead to other junctures of homesites, mercantiles, saloons, and establishments of lesser reputations that either thrived and spiraled onward into the coming years or floundered under the burden of never-ending hard work, or came to an unceremonious end with the demands of the changing eras. 

This tour provides an opportunity to visit those forgotten settlements of Baker, Union, Umatilla, Jefferson, Crook, Wheeler, and Grant Counties which either the railroads tactfully missed, the desert seemingly abruptly swallowed up, or highways were deliberately rerouted. Today, choked with dust and camouflaged by juniper trees and tumbleweeds, or absent of any evidence of its existence except a lone sign post or just memories and near-silent stories -- each has their own unique story to tell -- some about gold and its ravages, and others about endless drought and the perils of frontier life, while still others give silent testimonials about the hard luck of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Participants will travel the backroads on some little-known segments of the Oregon Trail and other historic paths all the way to Baker City.

Oregon Trail to Baker City & Blue Mountains Settlement Sites 
Saturday Oct. 14, 9-4:30 p.m. --- Outside the Baker City Chamber of Commerce in Baker City, Oregon. 
[NOTE: All participants must contact the tour leader! The tour will end up in Pendleton and overnight accommodations may need to be arranged.]

The Oregon Trail to Baker City and beyond to the Blue Mountains traversed a rugged route into history. This crude "overland" path cut through a parched and forbidding landscape on the upper reaches of the Powder River and gradually wove its way into the Blue Mountains. These emigrant segments were dangerously difficult and claimed the lives of many travelers who were just too worn out to continue the journey to the "New Eden" (the Willamette Valley). Of those pioneers who were fortunate to have survived, very few would have thought that gold would be discovered here, yet alone that towns and cities would one day be established in this region. 

This tour will take its participants on special interpretative excursions over this westbound path of history and explore pioneer cemeteries, historic buildings, the Oregon Trail Interpretative Center, and much more. This is an opportunity to travel to some little-known sections of the Oregon Trail.

Oral Traditions, Ghost Stories, & Folklore of Lower Willamette River Haunted Places
Saturday Oct. 21, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Outside the Carnegie Art Center, 606 John Adams, Oregon City, OR.

Ghosts along the Lower Willamette River? Here in this region that possesses some of the richest heritage of oral traditions in the Pacific Northwest, the stories and folklore reveal tales of ghostly hauntings that are associated with some particular historic events and places. From steamboat landings to pioneer graveyards, to historic homes, to a waterfall and camas-gathering area, and other significant sites, participants learn about some of the history and of the people who are said to still haunt these places. 

This tour features a very different side of history -- the one rarely written about in books -- but passed on through the oral traditions of the Indians, the fur traders, and the early-day settlers and missionaries, and their descendants. This is an ideal way to learn about the stories and little-known-history of what the emigrants called the "New Eden" (the Willamette Valley).

Old Portland Shanghai Tunnels & Haunted Places: Maritime History & Folklore
Sunday Oct. 22, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Parking lot at the old cinemas at Mall 205, located at S.E. 102nd & Washington St, Portland, OR.

The shanghai tunnels of Old Portland stretched themselves along the Willamette River and overtook the harbors with vice and corruption that made some people rich while others were sold to unscrupulous sea captains to fill a void in their crew. In Downtown Portland's Old Town and along the southwest waterfront areas, in addition to Lower East Portland, Northwest, Albina, St. Johns, Kenton, Linnton, and Sellwood, unsuspecting victims were dropped through trap doors and held in underground cells until taken through tunnels that "snaked" their way out to ships where the shanghaiiers collected their "blood money". By the time the Victorian era had come to town, the "City of Roses" had earned the reputation of being the "worst port in the world for shanghaiing". This gave birth to the oral traditions that have lingered to this very day -- tales of ghosts and earthbound spirits -- all linked to the horrors of the "Portland Underground". 

This tour explores the little-known tales of the shanghai tunnels, taking you into historic buildings around the city that have survived along with those stories that were rarely told until now.

Oral Traditions, Ghost Stories, & Folklore of Mt. Hood's Haunted Places 
Saturday Oct. 28, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Stage Stop Road Interpretative Center, 24525 E. Welches Rd., Welches, OR.

Mt. Hood is not only known for its beauty, tranquil landscapes, and rich Native American and Oregon Trail history, but also for its ghosts and their stories that have lingered throughout the decades of change. Beginning in 1845 when this rugged Mountain became an alternative route for the "overland" emigrants to take their "Prairie Schooners", rather than rafting them down the Columbia River, certain incidents took place which gave birth to certain stories that are generally told around the campfires to frighten the disbelievers and reaffirm just what did happen to those who believe. Forced to traverse through rugged and dangerous natural areas, these weary travelers tackled seemingly bottomless swamps and even lowered their covered wagons down steep cliffs with ropes. The events that took place along this crude path became part of this Mountain's history and folklore, with fascinating tales of indigenous people, the Mountain Men, the gold-seekers and other prospectors, homesteaders, as well as infamous highwaymen, cattle rustlers, horse thieves, and other outlaws, some of whose spirits reportedly still continue to haunt to this very day. 

This tour  will allow you to explore the places where this 11,235-foot Mountain's oral traditions have long told of ghosts who reportedly still continue to linger in their earth-bound prison. From historical sites along the Oregon Trail to haunted places within villages, to quiet out-of-the-way places within the forest and isolated pioneer graves and mysterious tunnels hidden within the earth, these unique stories are now part of the area's folklore.

Mt. Hood's Huckleberry Country:
Native American Oral Traditions & Culture of the Natural Landscapes
Sunday Oct. 29, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Stage Stop Road Interpretative Center, 24525 E. Welches Rd., Welches, OR.

A rich cultural heritage of Native Americans lay intertwined with Mt. Hood's little-known natural landscapes of its scenic high-country, possesses a rich cultural heritage. Here, in this rugged terrain where the First People have come for centuries to gather Huckleberries, hunt, gather roots and medicines, practice their religion, and reaffirm their cultural traditions, oral traditions were born. 

This tour will allow you to travel into the Cascade Mountain Range, learn about indigenous oral traditions, learn about their history and traditional way of life. In addition, the history and tales of the fur traders, the pioneer homesteaders, the sheepherders, the lumberjacks, and the gold-seekers will also be studied, including some of the geologic, volcanic, and natural history of the area.

Folklore & History of Mt. St. Helens, Ape's Cave & Lava Canyon 
Sunday Nov. 5, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Parking lot at the old cinemas at Mall 205, located at S.E. 102nd & Washington St,  Portland, OR.

The eruptions of Mt. St. Helens have created some dramatic volcanic landscapes, not to mention some unique folklore and history that has become part of the oral traditions of both Native Americans and whites. With the impact of the eruptions resembling the blasts of multiple atomic bombs, forests were toppled like they were made of toothpicks, and waterways changed their courses, while lakes transitioned into literally completely different bodies of water. Today, some of the clues to the many thousands of years of this Mountain's past volcanic activity, not to mention its oral traditions, can be found at Ape's Cave and Lava Canyon -- two unique places for their geology and history.

This tour explores how past volcanic eruptions both created and changed these two sites, and how educational opportunities can be developed. Participants will study the history of the indigenous people and their oral traditions associated with these special places, in addition to the Euro-American explorers, fur traders, homesteaders, miners, loggers, and others who exploited this Mountain's resources in Ape's Cave and Lava Canyon. Participants will be able to utilize the information gained in this course to develop some new inter-disciplinary approaches in their classroom learning environment.

Old Vancouver:
Heritage Forts, Frontier Oral Traditions, Oregon Trail & Native American Settlements
Sunday Nov. 12, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Parking lot at the old cinemas at Mall 205, located at S.E. 102nd & Washington St,  Streets, Portland, OR.
[NOTE: This tour has a $5 handout fee]

Old Vancouver is one of the most important heritage sites, in not only the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, but the entire Old Oregon Country that stretched from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and from San Francisco Bay north to Alaska. This settlement possessed a rich heritage that represented a diverse number of cultures and lifestyles -- Native American to Hawaiian, to Hudson Bay Company and American fur trade, and to the Oregon Trail and pioneer settlement, as well as early-day military history that evolved into the era of the first flying machines to the shipyards of world wars.

This tour explores the way of life of the Native Americans in this locale, the history of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, the Oregon Trail, Officer's Row, Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Park, and the Kaiser Shipyards, through some unique interpretative tours that take the participants directly to these important sites where history was made and is now being preserved. Visit Fort Vancouver, the First Apple Tree Memorial, Officers Row, and the new General O.O. Howard Museum, as well as other places of living history and museums.

Old French Prairie Historical Excursions
Saturday Nov. 19, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Outside the Carnegie Art Center, 606 John Adams, Oregon City, OR.

One of the richest heritage areas in the Pacific Northwest is "Old French Prairie" that stretched along the Willamette River south of Oregon City to the Pudding River and all the way to Salem. Here, the history of Native Americans, the fur trade, the missionaries, and settlement is reflected in the natural landscape and historical sites of this portion of the Willamette Valley. This unique multi-cultural "greenbelt" possesses the essential ingredients for learning, especially since this area encompasses the settlements of Aurora, Canby, Hubbard, Champoeg, Butteville, St. Paul, St. Louis, Gervais, Mission Landing, Newberg, and Yamhill which are waiting to be explored.

Participants will rediscover history by visiting important heritage sites -- the well-known and little-known places where history was made -- and follow in the paths of those who came here during Oregon's early years.

Portland Mansions & Other Historic Landmarks:
History, Folklore, & Architecture
Saturday Dec. 2, 10-5:30 p.m. --- Parking lot at the old cinemas at Mall 205, located at S.E. 102nd & Washington St, Portland, OR.

The mansions of Portland are so diverse and unique in their individual architectural styles that, together and individually, they represent a unique and fascinating history of settlement in this "City of Roses". Each of these houses of grandeur have their own stories to tell, some becoming part of the oral histories of their neighborhoods, while others became immersed in the folklore of the city itself. Participants will explore these architectural wonders and learn about the people who not only built them, but those who have lived there and, in later years, took these once gracious structures from their Victorian charm to the shame brought on by shame -- bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, and other vice.

In this class you will learn about this exciting history about some very unique places like Pittock Mansion, the Palmer House, General Hooker's House, the Lion & the Rose House, the Tudor House, the Portland White House, the Clinkerbrick House, the MacMaster House, and other special homes and historical landmarks. View them first-hand inside and out, gather their histories, and learn about their stories and the special neighborhoods they occupy.