The Mt Hood Skiway Tram

The City Bus Tramway to Timberline Lodge

It is 1947 and World War Two was over. Skiing was just getting started before the war, and now that there was peace, people wanted to ski. Mount Hood’s skiing glory days were just getting started again. 

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram

This was the year that a group of people got together with a vision that was before its time. The Mount Hood Aerial Transportation Company was formed with a plan to create an aerial tramway to Timberline Lodge on the south slope of Mount Hood from Government Camp, the gathering spot for every activity on The Mountain. It was to be called The Skiway, pronounced “Skyway.”  

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram

Transportation to Timberline consisted of riding, driving your own car up the old road to the lodge, the Timberline bus which cost .50 or one could hitchhike. If you drove up, typically a group would carpool. The group would ski the trail to Government Camp, and the driver would drive the car back down at the end of the day. The tramway made sense. A person could take the tram from Government camp to Timberline Lodge, ski the day at the lodge and then ski the Glade or Alpine Trails back down to Government Camp; or ride the tram back down. 

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram

Skiers were excited about the prospect and the construction of the towers that would support the cable system was started in 1948. The plan was to build the system using a city bus as a tram car, suspend it from cables and drive it with a method used by loggers in their sky hook log yarding mechanism. The bus would be self-propelled and would pull itself along with a set of pulleys positioned where the wheels would be, drawing the drive cable through and moving the bus up or down the hill.  

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram

The company planned a lodge at the lower terminus of the cable line. This served as the terminal for loading and unloading passengers, which was done on a deck or platform located on the upper level just under the roof. There was also a restaurant, restrooms, a waiting lounge, and a gift shop in the lodge. The upper terminus was located at the west end of Timberline Lodge.  

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram

The lodge was completed, and the towers were erected in 1949. This was the same year that the new road to Timberline was opened, creating a shorter trip with a slighter grade and less curves than the old road, making access much easier for personal automobiles, which would be a strike against the success of the Skiway. 

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram

The winters of 1950 and 1951 were very heavy snow winters. This delayed construction and crews had to scramble to get the operation completed. It was scheduled to be opened in early 1950 but was delayed until the Fall. The day finally came, January 3rd, 1951. The skiers were very enthusiastic, but the novelty wore off quickly. Also consider that with the new road in place and with the Timberline Lodge bus fare being .50 cents and the tramway costing .75 cents, all these factors attributed to its ultimate demise. The Skiway struggled to make a profit for its stockholders and was finally closed in 1956.  

Mt Hood Skiway Tram
Mt Hood Skiway Tram
/mount-hood/the-mt-hood-skiway

Tawney’s Mountain Home

In the early days the Welches Hotel wasn’t the only resort in the Salmon River Valley in the foothills of Mount Hood, Oregon. About a mile past the Welch’s place, at the end of the road, was Tawney’s Mountain Home. Situated along the Salmon River with vast stretches of wilderness surrounding it, Tawney’s Hotel was an outdoor vacation destination from 1910 to 1945. 

Hotel Maulding, Welches, Oregon
Hotel Maulding, Welches, Oregon

The hotel was built on a portion of the old Walkley family homestead south of Welches. The Walkley’s didn’t operate a hotel, but they kept boarders in their home. John Maulding and his wife bought the property in 1906, which included 100 acres and the Walkley home. The home was remodeled and enlarged using the homestead house for the dining room, with an addition for lodging, turning it into what was known as the Maulding’s Hotel.

In 1909 Francis H. Tawney and his wife Henriett leased the property and in 1910 they purchased it and started improvements to the hotel. In 1913 a fire burned a large portion of the old hotel building. A new two story addition was quickly built and new hotel was ready for guests in 1914.   

Tawney's Hotel, Welches Oregon before the fire
Tawney’s Hotel, Welches Oregon before the fire

Tawney’s Hotel was a large building with 15 guest rooms. Because the hotel was so popular, they erected tent cabins on the grounds outside to accommodate more guests. As you entered the building you came into a huge living area with a large rock fireplace. There was a large staircase leading to the upper floor where the guest rooms were located. Adjoining the living room was a huge dining room with its own fireplace and a large dining table. There was only one indoor bathroom, with commode and a bathtub. It was located off the dining room. It was said that you practically needed a reservation if you wanted to use it.  

Back then a week’s stay cost $10, including meals. Mrs. Tawney, with the help of Emily, the wife of their only son Clyde, cooked for the guests. She served the meals Family Style with full platters of chicken, roast beef, and steak. She always had jams, fresh bread, pies, and canned foods available. She made large sugar cookies for the children, but it was common for the adults to raid the cookie jar.   

Tent Bungalows at Tawney's Hotel, Welches Oregon
Tent Bungalows at Tawney’s Hotel, Welches Oregon

Keeping the hotel supplied with food could be challenging during busy times. There could be up to 150 people there to enjoy a Sunday dinner. In addition to the food that they supplied themselves some staples and canned goods were delivered once a week from Portland. There was also a butcher wagon who would make daily deliveries from Sandy to the hotels and cabin residents during the summer. He would arrive and open the doors to the insulated wagon to show different cuts of beef and lamb packed in ice.

The Tawney’s kept their own animals, including cows, pigs, and chickens. They had horses for guests to ride and a pair of donkeys for the children. Frequently Mr. Tawney would take a party of people on a wagon trip to Government Camp to pick huckleberries and have a picnic lunch.

Tawney’s Hotel, Welches Oregon after the fire showing new addition.

They had a garden, an apple orchard and had berries for pies. They also used wild game and trout from the river and local creeks, sometimes supplied by the guests. The Salmon River was located nearby and provided lots of swimming and fishing. In 1910, B. Trenkman, C.J. Cook, and L. Therleson made a 1.5-hour trip up to Camp Creek for fishing. The three men came back with 286 trout. It was said to be one of the best meals at the Tawney Hotel.  

Nell Howe, a longtime resident, remembered on summer days the most wonderful food. She said, “In the summertime the tables in the dining room were full for every meal and sometimes people were waiting their turn.” When guests looked back, they remember their fun summer memories of swimming in the river, fishing, helping with the chores, and enjoying the food. 

Guests at Tawney's Hotel, Welches Oregon
Guests at Tawney’s Hotel, Welches Oregon

The hotel closed its doors in 1945, most likely due to the loss of business and the scarcity and cost of goods during World War II. The Tawney’s were in their later years by this time and the work involved in running a business like that was in their past. Mr. Tawney passed away in 1947 and soon after Mrs. Tawney moved to Portland with her daughter and son-in-law. She lived until 1959.  

Sometime in the late 1950’s the old Tawney’s Mountain Home collapsed under the load of a heavy snowstorm. The property sold and the new owner demolished what was left of the old building leaving the two stone fireplaces as the only evidence of the good old days of Tawney’s Mountain Home and a significant part of the history of Welches Oregon.  

Tawney's Mountain Home Advert
Tawney’s Mountain Home Advert
Oregon pioneer history
Oregon pioneer history (1806–1890) is the period in the history of Oregon Country and Oregon Territory, in the present day state of Oregon and Northwestern

George Pinner – Master Stonemason

George Pinner, Master Stonemason, Faubion Oregon

George Pinner built most of the stone fireplace through the Mount Hood corridor during the 1920’s and 1930’s, many for Henry Steiner’s cabins. He was known for his shaped arched facing of solid stone and his use of convex mortar coving. George Pinner didn’t use round river run but, instead, would split and shape the stones to fit together, typically with a keystone in the center of the arch. George Pinner also carved the stone curbing for the White House in Washington DC.

George Pinner lived in the little settlement of Faubion situated between the towns of Zigzag and Rhododendron. He built his home out of solid stone. His home is still there and is located on what is now Faubion Loop Road.

George Pinner - Master Stonemason
George Pinner – Master Stonemason
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The Little Toot Drive In

Wimpey’s Little Toot Drive In, Kelso Oregon

Whimpy’s Little Toot Drive In, Kelso Oregon was located across the street from the Kelso Store when today’s Orient Drive was the highway to Mount Hood. It was owned and operated by Clarence “Whimpy” Eri. Once the modern Highway 26 was built, in the mid 1960’s, it bypassed the old route to Mount Hood and many small businesses such as this had to close their doors.

Kelso Oregon is located just west of the town of Sandy between Sandy and Boring.

Little Toot Drive In, Kelso Oregon
Whimpy’s Little Toot, Kelso Oregon

Adolf Aschoff’s Letters To Home

It’s funny how certain situations can go in a full circle. Even old postcards sent on the other side of the world over 100 years ago can find their way back to their origin. I collect old photos and old photo postcards, especially those with historical significance to the towns and the area that surrounds Mount Hood.

In my searches I found a card on the Internet located in Germany that was from Marmot Oregon, written by Adolf Aschoff and sent to a nephew in Germany. I bought the card and in our conversation I asked if there were any more. The seller told me that he had bought one card in a shop in town but would go back to see if there were more. I ended up buying six cards in all. Every one written in old German language in Adolf Aschoff’s meticulous longhand penmanship. The writing is so small one almost needs a magnifying glass to read it.

Because I do not speak or read German I asked friends if anyone could help. My friend Bill White said that his German friend, who lives in Germany, might be able to help. I scanned the messages and then emailed them to Bill who forwarded them to his friend.

Some time passed and Bill forwarded six MS Word Documents to me with the messages typed in German as well as their translation in English. I was so excited and grateful.

Adolf was from Celle Germany. He settled in Marmot in 1883 and built Mount Hood’s first resort, Aschoff’s Mountain Home. He was known for his cheerful and enthusiastic demeanor. He was the prefect host who catered to and entertained his guests and everyone who talked about him described him as cheerful and energetic, but these correspondence paint a more intimate picture of Adolf. Life for him was not easy and had a lot of worry, stress and heartbreak. For more information about Adolf and the town of Marmot you can read about it at this link. CLICK HERE

Below are the photos and their messages.


Adolf Aschoff’s Letters To Home

Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
Adolph at Aschoff’s Mountain Home with his wife Dora, a maid and his two year old German stallion

Marmot, Oregon, July 16, 1908

My dear Otto!

It always goes on in business, from early in the morning to late in the evening. A lot of annoyance and little joy is my experience. Again I just lost a beautiful horse, my wife thought a lot about the (poor) animal. She called it hers. We have a lot of rain and it is quite cold and then we have very deep paths again – everything seems to go wrong, even in nature.

On the other side (of the postcard) you can see our house. No. 1 is my wife, No. 2 is a maid. I keep my two year old German stallion.

Best regards. Your old (friend)
Adolf Aschoff


Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
Adolph and Dora’s youngest son Gustav at fifteen years old on a foal. He was riding it for the first time.

Marmot, Ore. March 22, 1910 6 am

Dear Otto!

We are desperately awaiting a sign of life of you from the old homeland with every incoming mail – and from day to day – week to week etc. I am trying to find the time and opportunity to write to you. I have not been well for quite some time now – I suffer headaches – melancholy etc. I wish I could sell us – had a great offer but my wife wasn´t please. If I don´t try to visit Germany soon – I will probably never see it again. Both of our sons, Ernst and Henry, are now fathers of two strong boys. – We had an awful time with our three daughters in the last year – all three of them had major operations in the hospital, and now our Emma is back at the hospital and is being operated again.

On the other side (front side) you see Gustav, our youngest son on a foal, as he was riding it for the first time, he is 15 years old.

Please, write to me very soon.
Have a happy Easter wishes you your uncle
Adolf Aschoff


Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
The town of Marmot

Marmot, Ore. July 19, 1910

Dear Otto,

Your endearing letter has been received. Your letter has doubled the desire to see you and the beloved old homeland – I know I would be welcome at your home and if you knew me better, you would know that a westerner does not cause any inconvenience – We have loads of trouble, loads of work – with the hay harvest and everything adds together – The salary for the workers is very high – chef (lady) $70.00 per M, house maid $20-25.00, day laborers $2.50 – $4-5 per day. I don´t know how this is going to end. All workers only want to work 8 hours – but we are usually working 18 hours a day – will write as soon as I have a few minutes to myself

Best wishes from all of us,
Your uncle Adolf Aschoff


Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
“Bachelor Cabin” at Marmot.

Marmot, Ore. February 25, 1911

My dearest Otto,

I hope you have received the newspaper “The Oregonian”, I am sending you the same one, so you can get an idea of the growth of the American cities. As we arrived in Oregon, Portland was about the size of Celle – now Portland has more than 230,000 citizens. We are well, except for Otto, who has been in the hospital for months. Best wishes to you and your dear family.

Your uncle Adolf Aschoff.

PS: I will try to write you a letter soon.


Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
Museum and Post Office at Marmot Oregon

Marmot, Ore. 6/13/1912

My dear Otto,

I haven´t heard anything from you for quite some time now, I try to receive a sign of life, “an answer” to this postcard. I am sending you a newspaper with this letter and I send more if you are interested.

Various accidents have again happened to our family. Our daughter Marie is very sick – our son Ernst has fallen of a …?….  post and our son Otto has chopped himself in the leg. Due to the incautiousness of a stranger I have been thrown of my carriage and I suffer pain in my right arm and shoulder. More work than ever, I wish we could sell us, it is getting to much for my wife and me – from 5 am to 11 pm day to day we slave away (like ox) without a break. Dear Otto, I hope you and your loved ones are well and at good health.

The most sincere wishes from all of us to you and your dear family.

Your uncle Adolf Aschoff


Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
“The good old Summer Time
Boys on “Juicy” in the orchard”

Marmot, Ore. January 30, 1913 – To: Mrs. Adele Aschoff

My dear friends,

Marmot shows a different picture these days than on the other side of this card. The snow has started to melt, but it will take a long time until the last traces will be gone.

Our dear daughter Marie is still very sick, it is better on some days and then she suffers bad seizures.

Best wishes,

Your Adolf Aschoff


Adolph Aschoff Marmot Oregon
The Barlow Road at marmot Oregon

Marmot, Ore. Nov. 19. 1916

My dear Adele, (Mrs. Adele Aschoff)

Thank you very much for your wishes – I am very happy that our dear Otto is still healthy and I hope that he soon will be back with his loved ones well and brisk. Please send him my best regards. I haven´t received anything from Eugen in the last months – newspapers etc. No news have arrived since February from you as well as Eugen. My son Karl has broken his arm when he started (? “up-winded”) an automobile – my wife is very sick again. Please write back to me even if it´s only a few lines.

With the best regards

Your uncle Adolf Aschoff


#adolph #adolf Aschoff #marmot Oregon

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon’s History Marmot Oregon is a place more than it is a town. It is located

Adolph Aschoff – Wikipedia
Adolph Aschoff (May 21, 1849–1930) was a homesteader in the U.S. state of Oregon in the late 19th century. He established the community of Marmot, Oregon …

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon’s History

Marmot Oregon is a place more than it is a town. It is located along the last stretch of the Oregon Trail, the old plank covered Barlow Road. Between 1883 and 1930 it was a destination for many people that came to experience the great outdoors and to launch their adventures on Mount Hood. Located in the forested foothills in the west side of Mount Hood about six miles east of the town of Sandy, Marmot is situated on a ridge with the Sandy River to the south and the Little Sandy River and Bull Run to the north. It was a wilderness when Marmot was established. 

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
The Barlow Road – Marmot Oregon 1920

The story of Marmot is less about a town or a place than it is about a man. Marmot’s pioneer and developer of the town’s commercial ventures, such as its store, hotel, stables and museum were owned and operated by Johann Adolf (Adolph) Aschoff. There were no other businesses there. Aschoff was even Marmot’s postmaster when the post office was established in 1890, where he kept meticulous records in perfect penmanship. Adolf Aschoff was a German immigrant who has cemented his name into the fabric and history of Mount Hood and the south side towns between Sandy and Government Camp and indeed, the whole Mount Hood National Forest.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Dorotea “Dora” Gein & Johann Adolf Aschoff

Adolf Aschoff was born in Celle, Hanover, Germany, May 21, 1849. He was the son of a shoe manufacturer who was said to have descended from Russian royalty. He was educated for the clergy but his love for the outdoors led his path in other directions. Adolf’s father wanted his children to be educated and cultured and not have to work in the factories like he had. Adolf’s education covered language, history, theology, art, music and physical sciences. He worked with the Royal Forester when he was 16, an experience that will serve him well in his life. Adolf became a very talented musician, artist and storyteller and one of Mount Hood’s earliest photographers. 

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Adolf Aschoff pen drawing

In 1866 at the age of 17, while still in Germany, he organized a club of enthusiastic young men called “Maybugs”. Their activities varied from studying to fun making, and perhaps a little political activism. It seems that this group became involved in trouble with a group of Prussian officers. This was during the Austro-Prussian War and, although Hanover tried to maintain a neutral position, in June of 1866 Germany mobilized troops against Prussia which ended up dissolving Hanover and its subsequent annexation by Prussia. That Summer saw 17,000 Prussian soldiers cross over the Hanover boundary line. Adolf was involved in taunting the invading soldiers as well as plastering violent posters all over which made him very unpopular with the Prussians. One night the “Maybugs”, said to have been a bit tipsy, bumped into several Prussian officers. There was a tussle and three of the officers were knocked down. As a result of this he was forced to flee. He claimed to have escaped and ran to a lake where he stayed submerged, except for his face, for a day and into the night. He made his way to the home of a female benefactor, said to be Princess Fredericka, who provided help to facilitate his escape to Austria, then to France and eventually to England where a forged passport allowed him passage to America, entering as a political exile. 

Adolf arrived in New York in November of 1869 on the steamer Nebraska. He made a living for some time as a wood carver and engraver but New York was too crowded for him. He went to New Jersey, then to Illinois and finally to Kansas in 1871 where he and his brother Ernest took up a homestead. In 1872 Adolf Aschoff married Dorotea “Dora” Gein in Rush County Kansas. Dora was born in Germany November 21st, 1853 and had immigrated to America with her parents when she was 14 years old. Adolf and Dora had a farm while in Kansas where their first four children were born. His time in Kansas provided much material for stories that he’d tell the rest of his life. He told tales of his adventuresome days as a pioneer and cowboy and how he had met the likes of “Calamity Jane” and was hired by “Buffalo Bill” Cody hunting buffalo to supply meat to the railroads. 

While in Kansas Aschoff watched as wagons of people heading to Oregon passed by his farm and in 1882 he and Dora decided to do the same. They left their homestead and moved to Portland, Oregon where they lived near Mt Tabor. They raised and sold vegetables around town for a living. Adolf was described as looking like a nobleman with a trim little goatee, elegant manners, a strong German accent and, with his gift for storytelling as well as his artistic and musical talents, found it easy to gather influential friends while living in the city. These friends and connections proved to be invaluable in the following years as he developed his resort in Marmot. 

The road to Aschoff’s Mountain Home – Barlow Road near Marmot Oregon

Adolf and Dora moved from Portland to Marmot in the Spring of 1883 where they paid $900 for 240 acres of land located along the last section of the Oregon Trail known as The Barlow Road. It was located between the little town of Sandy and Mount Hood and was situated on a ridge the settlers used to call “The Devil’s Backbone”. The land was beautiful forestland with the Sandy River to the south side and the Little Sandy River and what would become the Bull Run watershed to the north. At that time it was the only road to Mount Hood from Portland and the travelers to and from the mountain passed by his land, and in 1883 it was the furthest east outpost between Portland and Mount Hood. Marmot became a regular stop along the way for travelers.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
A log cabin at Ashchoff’s, Marmot Oregon

Immediately after acquiring the land Adolph started work on a log cabin for him and Dora, but it soon became clear that many of the friends that he made in Portland were interested in coming to the Aschoff’s to stay or launch adventures to Mount Hood. Adolph was quoted as saying, “I never really intended to run a resort, but my friends importuned until I had to, and I have had as many as 200 guests at one time.” Many climbing parties started from Marmot with Adolf acting as a guide. He built guest cabins and started entertaining borders and guests at 50 cents per day or $3/ week. Business was so good that he built a hotel and by 1902 had expanded to 23 rooms. The hotel was named “Aschoff’s Mountain Home”. It was a large two story building with balconies surrounding both levels with ornate trim that reflected its owner’s artistic abilities. The main level contained a large dining room which could seat 100 people, a kitchen with a huge wood burning stove and a zinc covered sink board as well as a sitting room and a bedroom. Upstairs held seven bedrooms.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Aschoff’s Mountain Home Marmot Oregon

In 1890 Adolf built a post office and became the postmaster for “Marmot Oregon”. It’s an interesting story about how he chose the name Marmot for his town. When he arrived there he noticed burrows which some locals had told him were made by marmots but he later discovered them to be mountain beavers. When the post office was established Aschoff and two of his friends decided to name it “Marmot” in spite of this error.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
The town of Marmot Oregon

Adolf built a store where he sold essentials to guests and travelers. He also built a museum on the site where he displayed relics of the past, his artwork, photographs as well as mounted displays of animals that he had hunted. The animals were featured in a display at the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1907 in Portland, Oregon.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Museum and Post Office at Marmot Oregon

On May 19, 1897, he was appointed the first Forest Ranger for the Cascade Range Forest Reserve, which became the Mount Hood National Forest and was soon appointed as Supervisor in charge of many Rangers. Adolf is credited with blazing the Skyline Trail between Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson. His service lasted until 1906 when he left due to disagreements with supervisors and the bureaucracy of the job. He resigned from the Forest Service. 

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Adolf Aschoff Mt Hood’s first Forest ranger

Adolf and Dora had nine children. The first four were born while he and Dora still lived in Kansas. Operating a hotel, a post office, being a guide as well as his position as the Mount Hood National Forest supervisor was a lot of work and so having a large family helped. 

“Marmot Ore. Pony Express Rider”
Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
“The good old Summer Time – Boys on “Juicy” in the orchard – Aschoff’s Mountain Home”
  • Mary Sophia Aschoff (1873–1914) 25 Sep 1873 • Pioneer Township, Rush, KS
  • Ernest John Aschoff (1876–1954) 21 May 1876 • Pioneer Township, Rush, KS
  • Amelia O Aschoff (1878–1939) 29 Oct 1878 • Pioneer Township, Rush, KS
  • Otto Ernest Aschoff (1880–1958) 13 Aug 1880 • Pioneer Township, Rush, KS
  • Henry Aschoff (1882–1961) 4 Nov 1882 • Marmot, Clackamas, Oregon
  • Emma Margaret Aschoff (1885–1973) 29 Apr 1885 • Marmot, Clackamas, OR
  • Margarette Aschoff (1887–) Mar 1887 • Marmot, Clackamas, OR
  • Karl Aschoff (1889–1931) Apr 1889 • Marmot, Clackamas, OR
  • Gustav Adolph Aschoff (1895–1914) 08 Jan 1895 • Marmot, Clackamas, OR
Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
The Barlow Road near Marmot Oregon

A part of running his hotel entailed stabling and feeding relief horses for freight wagons that operated on the old Barlow Road. Adolf was often involved in driving wagon loads of vacationers to Government Camp where they would enjoy the sights and activities found there including hiking and climbing Mount Hood. This allowed Adolf to become acquainted with Will Steel, best known for his campaign to create Crater Lake National Park and for the creation of the Mazama climbing club, and O. C. Yocum, famed Mount Hood pioneer guide, and was soon climbing and guiding tourists on Mount Hood himself. This led to his participation in the organizational climb of July 19, 1894 when the Mazama climbing club was created, where he became a prominent and active charter member. 

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
A Mazama hiking party at Marmot Oregon 1920

Through his association with the Mazamas he hosted many events at Aschoff’s Mountain Home where he would have up to 200 people come out at once. They would come up from Portland to Troutdale where they would board the train that would take them to the Bull Run powerhouse where a freight and passenger depot was located. From there they would hike to Marmot. It’s told that it was a common sight to see Adolf walking down the road to meet his guests and accompany them back to Marmot. 

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Adolf Aschoff and a Mazama hiking party at Marmot Oregon 1920

Life at Marmot was good. With the activities centered on his involvement with the tourist trade, including accommodating and entertaining guests, those must have been some wonderful times. They weren’t easy times but business was good and the Aschoff family did well in the venture. Guests were well taken care of and at meal time the table was filled with good things to eat and was a large family affair. After supper the tables in the room were pushed aside to make room for games, dancing and singing. Adolf enjoyed entertaining his guests. After supper he would entertain his guests by telling tall tales or playing his piano. He told his stories in his thick German accent and in such expressive ways that sometimes it was hard to tell truth from fiction. To the delight of his guests he would bring out his tiny Sheffield scissors and cut silhouettes of birds and animals from paper, some as small as postage stamps.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Scissor paper cutting art by Adolf Aschoff

Adolf told a lot of stories but few were recorded or saved but a couple of examples have survived. One was when he was discussing the hazardous local roads one day when he told of how he and his wife were coming home from Gresham in a high box wagon when a grouse flew up from the side of the road spooking the horses causing the wagon to hit the ditch. They both were able to duck and were spared from harm but were trapped under the wagon. “Belief it or no, he stated, “I had to walk a quarter of a mile before I found a fence rail so I could pry up the wagon and get Mama out” One of the listeners reminded him that he too was trapped under the wagon. “Ach,” Snorted Adolf, with a twinkle in his eye, “I forgot all about dot.”

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Aschoff’s Mountain Home – Marmot Oregon

Another was when some Marmot friends were complaining about a sudden change in the weather. Adolf said, “Gentlemen, let me tell you about Kansas. I was driving along in a light one horse wagon on a lovely Spring day. The sky suddenly turned black as night, the rain fell so hard that I could not breath, water filled the wagon box and ran over the top of my shoes. Then the cold wind started to blow. In two minutes my hands were so numb I dropped the reins and had to call to the horse to take me home. When the horse stopped at the barn door I yelled for my wife to bring the axe and chop my feet loose from the ice in the wagon box. Just then the sun came out and melted the ice before my wife could find the axe. Marmot weather is not so bad”.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Aschoff’s Mountain Home – Marmot Oregon

A man of medium height but quite stout in stature, he had amazing strength. Witnesses tell about seeing him hold a 100 pound flour sack at arm’s length with either hand. One time Adolf was demonstrating his strength when he lifted a 200 pound man with his neck. He put his head between the mans legs and lifted him right off the ground but when he was finished Adolf’s head drooped onto his chest and he was only able to raise it by using his hands. He was taken to St Vincent’s hospital in Portland where they found a broken vertebra and a torn tendon. His head was put into a brace and he was inactive for three months until his neck healed. He was eventually able to get full use of his neck back.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Aschoff son Gustav on a prize race horse

Sadly in June of 1914 Adolf and Dora’s youngest son Gustav went missing. It is said that he had a quarrel with one of his brothers and Gustav threatened to take his own life and he left. A search took place and his body was eventually found in the Sandy River about a mile from home. The coroner returned a verdict from his inquest that Gustav had died of suicide. This event hurt the Aschoff family deeply.

On July 13th of the same year Adolf and Dora’s oldest child Mary died after a year long illness at 40 years old. Mary had married into one of Sandy Oregon’s pioneer families. She was married to Paul R. Meinig, Sandy’s second mayor, and first official mayor under the new charter of incorporation in 1913.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Sheep at Aschoff’s Mountain Home – Marmot Oregon

Four years later Adolf’s wife Dora died. Dora was the glue that kept Aschoff’s Mountain Home working. Adolf was the attraction and the entertainment and did the heavy lifting, but Dora and the children did a lot of the work behind the scenes. The table filled with food each night. The tidy rooms, all with their own clean linens and handmade quilts folded neatly on each bed. The garden and orchard that grew the fruit and vegetables that were used throughout the year. The feeding and stabling of the horses. There was a lot to operating a resort out in the countryside.

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Cattle at Aschoff’s Mountain Home – Marmot Oregon

With Dora gone and the children getting older and starting families of their own, coupled with the new Mount Hood Loop Highway bypassing Marmot completely, the place started to deteriorate. Adolf was left alone except for visits from friends on a Sunday where he would, once again, become the happy entertainer that he’d enjoyed so much most of his life in his days that he spent at Marmot. 

Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon
Adolph at Aschoff’s Mountain Home with his wife Dora, a maid and his two year old German stallion.

Adolf resided at his beloved home until 1929 when he sold everything to Percy Shelley. At the time he was quoted as saying, “I cannot tell you how I feel giving up my place. My nine children grew up here and I have gone through all kinds of hardships, but only God and I know how much I have loved it here.” On May 16, 1930 Adolf Aschoff died in Portland. An era had passed and those that were still around to remember the glory days at Aschoff’s Mountain Home mourned his passing. 

Then on July 4th 1931 the old hotel burned. The Shelley family lost all of their belongings. The buildings on the south side of the road were spared but fell into disrepair quickly. Today there’s not much left of Marmot but if you use your imagination as you pass through you can still picture what it must have been like at the peak of popularity, and why Adolf Aschoff loved it so deeply.

Continue reading Adolf Aschoff and Marmot Oregon

Samuel Welch 1880 Welches Pioneer

Samuel Welch left Virginia at the age of 19 and traveled to Oregon via the old Oregon Trail in 1842. He travelled down the Columbia River and portaged around Celilo Falls. He settled first in Brush Prairie Washington but soon claimed land near Orient, east of the Gresham.

On February 20, 1865 Sam married Francis Culbertson and his son William “Billy” Welch was born on December 24, 1866. In 1882 Sam and his son Billy took donation land claims of 160 acres each and homesteaded in the Salmon River Valley near Mount Hood, eventually expanding their holdings to around 1,000 acres. Sam farmed his land and in 1893 he and Billy started the first resort in the area, which was a campground for travelers and vacationers. He was known as Uncle Sam to his friends.

Samuel died in 1898 and Billy continued the operation. Their land is where The Resort at The Mountain now lies.

You can read more about Welches at HERE.

The Welch’s Ranch Welches Oregon
Welches Oregon before tourists Back before Welches Oregon became a destination it was a ranch, Samuel

Welches, Oregon
after Samuel Welch, a homesteader from Virginia who settled near Welches Creek in 1882 with his son, William, after the death of Samuel’s wife. Samuel Welch

Welches Oregon Pioneer Homesteaders

Here’s a photo of the first Welches Oregon pioneer homesteaders. This is probably one of the earliest photos of the Welches area, certainly of the early residents and is an important piece of Welches Oregon history.

Front row from left – Billy Welch and Firmer Walkley. Standing from the left – August Hornecker, Sam Welch, John Copper and Ira Welch.

Photographed at the Walkley homestead near the junction of Welches Road and Bridge Street. The Walkley homestead was where Tawney’s Mountain Home was located. Tawney’s was built in 1909 and was a destination for many visitors to the area until 1949 when it was closed. The old hotel finally fell into the ground and was demolished sometime around 1955.