Near Government Camp, Oregon, within view of Mount Hood, at the Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery
Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery
Category: Mount Hood
The Red Devil Toboggan Slide
In the early days of winter recreation on Mount Hood, long before chairlifts and ski resorts, Government Camp was home to an exhilarating and dangerous attraction—the Red Devil Toboggan Slide.
Howard’s Hotel at Sharon Springs
As you drive along the east end of Barlow Trail Road near the confluence of the Sandy and Zigzag Rivers, you may notice an old moss-covered rock wall. Weathered by time and nature, this beautifully crafted basalt and stone wall stands as a silent sentinel to the past. Yet, few—if any—know its origins.
Historic Glass Plate Negatives
This is an early view of when Billy Welch’s Ranch was in transition from a camp ground to an era of summer cabins.
The Early Days of Government Camp Oregon
The area where Government Camp is located had been known by that name since 1849 when the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, enroute from Fort Leavenworth Kansas to Fort Vancouver, attempted to cross over the early Barlow Trail late in the season, possibly November or even December, and were faced with severe winter weather. They abandoned 45 wagons that were loaded with supplies, before descending Laurel Hill and down into the Valley. Since then the area had been known as the government camp.