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Willamette Mission State Park

Coordinates: 45°04′31″N 123°03′00″W / 45.0753964°N 123.0500988°W / 45.0753964; -123.0500988
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Willamette Mission State Park
Formerly: Mission Bottom
Lone Tree Bar State Park[1]
A "ghost structure" marks the location of the mission
Willamette Mission State Park is located in the United States
Willamette Mission State Park
Willamette Mission State Park (the United States)
TypePublic, state
LocationMarion County, Oregon
Nearest cityGervais
Coordinates45°04′31″N 123°03′00″W / 45.0753964°N 123.0500988°W / 45.0753964; -123.0500988[2]
Area1,680 acres (680 ha)
CreatedOctober 6, 1834
FounderRev. Jason Lee
Operated byOregon Parks and Recreation Department
Visitors~280,000[3]
StatusOpen all year
DesignatedMay 24, 1982
Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mission in Oregon
City of Gervias, Oregon - Marion County
Area~6 Acres
Built1834-1836
ArchitectRev. Jason Lee, Missionary
Architectural styleUn-hewn log
Wood slab-lap roof
NRHP reference No.84003040[4]
Added to NRHPAugust 1, 1984

Willamette Mission State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, located about four miles (6 km) north of Keizer adjacent to the Wheatland Ferry and east of the Willamette River. It includes Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mission in Oregon, which is listed by the National Register of Historic Places.[1][5]

History

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Further information: Methodist Mission in Oregon and Jason Lee (missionary)

The park is the site of the Willamette Mission, established in 1834 by Jason Lee, who traveled to the area to convert Native Americans in the Oregon Country to Christianity. The missionaries built a one-room house that served as a school, chapel, hospital, and living quarters. They later added onto the house and built a barn. In September 1837, more missionaries arrived and built a blacksmith shop, granary, hospital, and a building that doubled as a school and a dining hall; the ensuing settlement became known as Mission Bottom. The mission later moved in 1840 to Salem (known then as Chemeketa). In a flood in 1861, the mission site was extensively damaged, and the Willamette River changed its course. The mission site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mission in Oregon".[1] A "ghost structure" marks the location of the mission.[6]

Details

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Located along the east bank of the Willamette River, the 1,680-acre (6.8 km2) park contains eight miles (13 km) of hiking trails along the river.[7] The park is home to what might be the largest black cottonwood in the United States.[8][9] The Willamette Mission Cottonwood was designated an Oregon Heritage Tree by the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mission in Oregon". National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  2. ^ "Willamette Mission State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  3. ^ "History-FAQ Willamette Mission State Park - Oregon State Parks". Oregon Parks and Recreation. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  5. ^ Judith A. Sanders - OSU Dept. of Anthropology (November 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mission in Oregon". NPGallery - Digital Asset Management System. US DOI, NPS, SHPO, NRHP. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "Willamette Mission State Park - Recreation Guide" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  7. ^ Haight, Abby. White water, wild winds: The recreation is exceptional. The Oregonian, September 30, 2007.
  8. ^ "Champion Tree Information: Cottonwood". Oregon Department of Forestry. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  9. ^ "National Register of Big Trees" (PDF). American Forests. Spring 2007. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  10. ^ "Willamette Mission Cottonwood". Oregon Travel Information Council. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
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