A Look at the Events That Shaped the Mountain
Mount Hood chronology – Every now and then, a piece of historical material surfaces that doesn’t need to be rewritten or interpreted—it simply needs to be preserved and shared. This list has no source but is only a clipping that was found in a scrap book.
What makes it valuable is not just the information it contains. While some details have been refined through modern research, this list still provides a solid overview of the exploration, climbing history, and development of Mount Hood.
Rather than rework it, I’ve chosen to present it here largely as it was originally written, with only minor corrections to obvious transcription errors for clarity.
1792
Oct. 30—Mount Hood first sighted by white men. Members of the crew of H.M.S. Chatham under command of Lieutenant William R. Broughton while exploring the Columbia River saw a “very remarkable high mountain” which Lieutenant Broughton named after his patron, Rear Admiral Samuel Hood of the Royal British Navy.
1805
Oct. 21—Mount Hood sighted by Lewis and Clark who called it “the Timm or Falls mountain,” because of its proximity to the great falls of the Columbia.
1825
David Douglas, Scotch botanist of the Royal British Horticultural Society, visited the Columbia River valley. At that time he expressed the opinion that Mount Hood could not be scaled.
1843
Oct. 23—Captain John C. Fremont, on an exploring expedition into the Oregon Country sighted Mount Hood from a spur of the Blue Mountains 180 miles away.
1845
Oct.–Dec.—The Samuel Barlow and Joel Palmer wagon trains blazed first road over the Cascade Range just south of Mount Hood.
Oct. 12—Joel Palmer climbed far up the south slope of Mount Hood, the first man to climb any distance up the white peak.
1846
Barlow received a franchise from the Provisional Government of Oregon and began construction of a toll road over the route his train had followed the previous year. By August the road was sufficiently completed to handle the immigrant travel of that year.
1849
“The government camp in the mountains” was established by Lieutenant William Frost when forced to abandon his wagons here while on a military expedition.
1854
Thomas J. Dryer, editor of the Oregonian, claimed to have reached the summit of Mount Hood, but his claim was discredited by later investigators.
1857
July 11—A party consisting of Henry L. Pittock, Rev. T. A. Wood, Lyman Chittenden, and Wilbur Cornell, made the first authenticated climb to the summit of Mount Hood.
1859
Aug. 20—The Portland Weekly Oregonian reported spectacular volcanic activity and “intermittent columns of fire” emanating from the crater on Mount Hood for two hours.
1867
Miss Mary Robinson and Miss Fanny Case were the first women to reach the summit of Mount Hood.
1868
Perry Vickers built Summit House at Summit Meadows on the old Barlow Road.
1870
July 4—The first attempted illumination of the mountain by Perry Vickers who built a large bonfire there. It could not be seen from Portland (see July 4, 1887).
1873
July 4—Perry Vickers was first man to spend the night on the summit of Mount Hood. He set off fireworks for the benefit of “a committee of 25 persons of unimpeachable veracity.”
1877
July 4—A party of men from The Dalles made an unsuccessful attempt to illuminate the mountain.
1883–84
The first road from Hood River to the north timberline of Mount Hood was constructed.
1884
First camping resort was established on Tilly Jane Creek by Mrs. Dave Cooper. The site was on Cooper Spur, just below the present Cloud Cap Inn.
1887
July 4—Fourth unsuccessful try at illuminating Mount Hood was attempted by a group of Portland men armed with a large supply of red fire and a device to set it off. The “infernal machine” operated prematurely igniting the fire in midafternoon.
July 4—Mount Hood finally illuminated successfully by a party of seven men led by W. Steel. One hundred pounds of red fire were used and the result was seen from many far distant towns and villages.
1889
Cloud Cap Inn was erected of Amabilis fir logs at timberline on the northeast shoulder of Mount Hood.
1892
Sept. 14—The first mountaineering group in Oregon, the Oregon Alpine Club, was organized. It suspended activities upon the organization of the Mazamas in 1894 (see below).
1893
June 17—President Harrison, by proclamation, created the Bull Run Timberland Reserve.
1894
Sept.—G. W. Graham and W. A. Langille made the first trip afoot around the mountain, starting their hike from the north side.
1894
July 19—The Mazamas, famous Oregon mountain club, was organized on the summit of Mount Hood by 200 men and women who became charter members of the club. Membership is confined to those who have climbed to the summit of a snow peak on which there is a living glacier, and which cannot be reached except on foot.
1897
July 11—The first death on Mount Hood was that of Frederic Kern, a 60-year-old Swiss grocer of Portland, who attempted to climb the peak alone and was swept over a cliff by an avalanche.
Elijah Coalman, at the age of 15, began a long career as Mount Hood’s best-known and best-loved summit guide.
First resort hotel on the mountain built at Government Camp by O. C. Yocum.
1901
A. H. Sylvester, in charge of a mapping party of the U. S. Geological Survey, made the first survey of the Mount Hood quadrangle.
1905
The Portland Ski Club was organized. Their sole object was skiing and annual trips were made to Government Camp in February for that purpose.
1908
July 1—The Oregon National Forest was carved from the Cascade National Forest.
First “Government Camp Hotel” was erected by Elijah Coalman.
Elijah Coalman built a cabin for the Forest Service on the summit of Mount Hood. For a number of years it served as a fire lookout station and shelter house for climbers who reached the top of the mountain.
1911
Barlow Toll Road was deeded by Henry Wemme through his attorney, George W. Joseph, to the State of Oregon.
1919
First work was begun on the modern Mount Hood Loop Highway, two miles west of Government Camp.
Jan. 21—Mount Hood National Forest was created out of the Oregon National Forest.
1926
April 28—Mount Hood Recreation Area was created and defined. There were 83,731 acres set aside for this purpose.
The Hood River Crag Rats, a mountaineering club of Hood River, was organized. Members must be experienced climbers and have expert first-aid knowledge.
1928
The Mount Hood Loop Highway was completed and opened to the public.
1930
The Cascade Ski Jump on Multorpor Hill was constructed. Three years later it was materially improved.
1936
The Federal government completed that part of the Wapinitia Highway within the national forest at a cost of half a million dollars.
1937
June 14—Cornerstone laid for new Timberline Lodge.
1938
Sept. 28—Timberline Lodge, constructed by WPA, dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Feb. 4—Timberline Lodge formally opened to the public.
Fascinating timeline. Thank you for sharing.