From the old Barlow Trail to the Space Age
A Childhood on the Barlow Road
Arlie Edward Mitchell was born on December 6, 1886, near Sandy, Oregon. Raised in the shadow of Mount Hood, he developed a deep connection to the mountain and the surrounding communities. His life was shaped by service — both to his country and his neighbors — and by the craftsmanship that still endures in the buildings and roads of the upper Sandy River Valley.
He was the son of Steven and Ellen Mitchell, early settlers who lived just a few miles from the historic Barlow Road. At the time, that final stretch of the Oregon Trail still operated as a toll road. Between 1906 and 1908, Arlie worked as the tollgate keeper near Rhododendron, taking toll and recording the passage of wagons, livestock, weary travelers and the newest form of transportation, the automobile.
He later recalled counting a flock of 3,000 sheep that had crossed the mountain and through his gate. That memory became one of many stories he would share throughout his life. In 1970, Arlie was honored at the rededication of the tollgate site, recognized for his role in preserving a vital piece of Oregon history.
Builder of a Mountain Community
As a young man, Arlie worked in the logging camps and sawmills that once dotted the region. Through that labor, he picked up the skills that would shape his contributions to the mountain for decades. In 1908, he helped construct Sandy’s first high school. He also worked on the Odd Fellows Hall, the Masonic Hall, and Smith’s Garage.
During the development of the Mount Hood Loop Road, Arlie contributed to the construction of bridges over the Zigzag River and Still Creek. In addition, he served as a mountain guide, partnering with Lige Coalman, a respected figure in early Oregon mountaineering and Arlie’s foster brother.
Riding the Forest Lines
Before World War I Arlie worked for the U.S. Forest Service. He often spent days alone, traveling on horseback with a pack mule loaded with tools and supplies. His job was to build and maintain remote telephone lines — lifelines that connected ranger stations and fire lookouts across the forest.
He cooked over a campfire and braved all types of weather to do the job. Though few ever saw the work he did, many relied on it for safety and communication.
Serving in the Great War
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Arlie enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Over the next three years, he made sixteen Atlantic crossings aboard the Imperator, a captured German ocean liner converted into a troop transport ship. His service took him to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and France.
On one voyage, a burst steam pipe scalded his hands, forcing him to recover aboard ship for several weeks. Despite the injury, he remained in active duty. Arlie stood in Belfast, Ireland on Armistice Day, witnessing the official end of the war. When he returned home, he held the rank of first-class petty officer.
Returning to the Mountains
After the war, Arlie went back to what he knew best — building. Over the next twenty years, he constructed summer homes across Zigzag, Faubion, Rhododendron, and Still Creek. Many of those rustic cabins still stand today, nestled among the forest.
He served as treasurer of the Faubion Summer Home Association for 35 years and held multiple terms on the Welches School Board. Arlie remained an informal historian of the Barlow Road, always ready to share a story about the old trail and the people who once passed through.
A Life Built Together
In 1928, Arlie married Anna Ringnes, a teacher from Canby and graduate of Oregon Normal School. The couple honeymooned at Crater Lake, with a stop in Klamath Falls, before returning to Faubion, to the home Arlie built for them in the forest at the base of Hunchback Mountain.
Anna was a strong leader in her own right. She taught in Welches throughout the 1920s and 1930s, led the Brightwood Home Extension Unit, served on the local PTA, taught sewing with the 4H, and was active in the Clackamas County Historical Society.
Together, Arlie and Anna raised two children: Edward and Ellen. The home they built was more than a residence — it embodied their shared values of education, community, and quiet strength. In 1968, they were honored as King and Queen of the Sandy Pioneer Association, recognized as pioneers and for their lifetime of service to the local communities.
Final Years and Legacy
Arlie passed away on June 1, 1976, at the age of 89. He was buried at Lincoln Memorial Park in Portland. Anna followed him in 1980, remembered as a devoted teacher and community builder.
Their legacy isn’t measured in headlines, but in the cabins still standing, the trails still traveled, and the community spirit that thrives on the mountain. Arlie never sought attention. He didn’t need to. His life — built from timber, trails, and community service — still speaks for itself.
Sources
- The Oregonian, July 18, 1930 — “Last Tollgate on the Barlow Road.”
- The Oregonian, October 12, 1938 — Obituary of Arlie Mitchell.
- The Oregonian, July 21, 1957 — Retrospective on the Barlow Road and its keepers.
- Sandy Historical Society Archives — Mitchell family notes and photographs.
- Mount Hood: A Complete History by Jack Grauer (Portland, OR: Self-published, various editions).
- Welches PTA Historian Book (1930) — Recollections of early families, including Mitchells.
Love these stories of the people who lived their simple unassuming lives. Thank you for sharing the stories.