The history of Zigzag Oregon is not the story of a town that failed to grow, although it never did. It is the story of a place that has always been defined by movement – by rivers, trails, roads, and the people who passed through them. Long before there was a town of Zigzag, settlers, businesses or the highway that travels past, this area was already an important place on the south side of Mount Hood.
Christmas Flood of 1964 Rhododendron Oregon – In late December 1964, as the Mountain was preparing for Christmas, the weather in the upper Sandy River valley began to shift quickly. A warm Chinook wind swept into the region, accompanied by days of heavy rain, melting a deep early-winter snowpack while frozen ground prevented the water from soaking in.
For many years, the Cock-a-Doodle-Do Inn existed in obscurity and long-lost memories. One day an old photo was found in the Mt Hood Cultural Center and Museum’ in Government Camp’s archives labeled simply as being on the Mount Hood Loop Road. It was a cute cabin style log building with a profile of a rooster on the peak of its roof and a sign that read, “1/2 Chicken and Hot Biscuit” There was no other context or explanation to where it sat in its day.
Arlie Edward Mitchell was born on December 6, 1886, near Sandy, Oregon. Raised in the shadow of Mount Hood, he grew up with a deep connection to the mountain and the communities that surrounded it.
In the 1920s, development around Mount Hood was on the rise. The construction of the Mount Hood Loop Highway opened the southern side of the mountain to auto tourism, making it possible to visit Government Camp year-round — at least in theory
