William and Bill Lenz: Building Mount Hood

A Lifetime of Logging, Family, and the Forests of Mount Hood

William and Bill Lenz – Mount Hood’s early resort communities did not appear overnight. They were built log by log, often by local families who lived year-round in the corridor between Brightwood and Rhododendron. Among the most active of those early builders was the Lenz family.

Bill Nolan Lenz was born September 18, 1915, in Mount Hood, Oregon. His roots extended back into the Hood River Valley, where his grandfather homesteaded near present-day Odell. The former settlement of Lenz and nearby Lenz Butte still reflect that early family presence.

However, it was Bill’s father, William J. Lenz, who played a major role in shaping Mount Hood’s early resort era.

William J. Lenz and the Early Resort Corridor

With the completion of the Mount Hood Loop Road in 1923, automobile tourism increased rapidly. Motorists needed places to stay, eat, and rest along the new highway.

In the mid-1920s, along with Henry Steiner, William J. Lenz constructed cabins for Mrs. Emil Franzetti, owner and operator of the Rhododendron Inn. He was also involved in early cabin development near Wildcat Mountain and other recreational tracts.

In 1926, the Barlow Trail Inn was constructed as an early stopping place along the Mount Hood route. William J. Lenz was instrumental in its construction.

Around 1929–1930, he built what first opened as The Travelers Roost, later known as the Zigzag Inn. The rustic log structure became one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Brightwood–Zigzag corridor.

In 1931, William J. Lenz was awarded the contract for the Mazama Lodge, further establishing his reputation as a mountain builder. The Lenz name would later also be associated with construction connected to the Log Lodge in Rhododendron.

By the early 1930s, William J. Lenz had helped shape much of the early built environment along the Mount Hood corridor.

Learning Beside His Father

While these lodges and cabins were being built, Bill Nolan Lenz was working beside his father.

As a teenager, Bill assisted in construction on both the Barlow Trail Inn and The Travelers Roost (Zig Zag Inn). He learned the skills required to shape logs, frame structures, and build for mountain conditions.

During the early 1930s, Bill joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC left a lasting mark on Mount Hood through road building, campground development, and forest improvements. His time in the program connected him to the broader infrastructure of the mountain beyond private resort construction.

Where his father built the early tourism corridor, Bill helped develop the public lands that supported it.

Timberline Lodge, War, and Public Service

In the late 1930s, Bill operated a Gray Line bus serving Timberline Lodge, transporting visitors along the Mount Hood Loop Road during the lodge’s early years.

During World War II, he was drafted into the United States Army. After returning home, he began what became a long career with Portland General Electric (PGE). Rising to the position of foreman, he retired after many years of service. His work with PGE supported the electrical infrastructure that allowed Mount Hood communities to expand and modernize.

Bill also participated in search and rescue efforts on Mount Hood, joining the long-standing tradition of local residents who responded when climbers or skiers were in trouble. He remained active in Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4273 in Sandy.

Millie and Community Life

In 1936, Bill married Mildred “Millie” Nichols. Millie became well known locally for her work as a cook at Sandy Grade School, where many remember her corn chowder and steady presence.

Together, Bill and Millie were longtime members of the Sandy and Mount Hood communities. They raised two children, Gary and Donna, and their family remained rooted in the area for generations.

A Two-Generation Legacy

William J. Lenz helped construct the inns and cabins that defined Mount Hood’s early automobile tourism era — including the Barlow Trail Inn the Zigzag Inn, Log Lodge and the Mazama Lodge.

Bill Nolan Lenz carried that legacy forward through his service in the CCC, his military service during World War II, his career with Portland General Electric, and his participation in mountain search and rescue.

The Lenz family did not simply live in the Mount Hood corridor. They helped build it.

Sources

• The Oregon Daily Journal. November 1, 1925. Article referencing cabin construction by William J. Lenz for Mrs. Emil Franzetti in Rhododendron.
• The Oregon Daily Journal. June 19, 1927. Article referencing cabin development and construction by William J. Lenz near Wildcat Mountain.
• The Sunday Oregonian. June 28, 1931. Article noting the contract awarded to William J. Lenz for construction of Mazama Lodge.
• The Oregon Daily Journal. July 12, 1931. Article reporting construction progress on Mazama Lodge under contractor William J. Lenz.
• The Oregon Daily Journal. August 9, 1931. Article referencing the Travelers Roost (later the Zig Zag Inn).
• The Oregon Daily Journal. June 20, 1937. Article referencing residential construction by the Lenz family in the Mount Hood corridor.
• The Oregon Daily Journal. March 27, 1938. Article referencing Bill Lenz operating a Gray Line bus serving Timberline Lodge.
• The Oregonian. October 24, 1958. Obituary of William J. Lenz.
• The Oregonian. July 14, 2003. Obituary of William N. (Bill Nolan) Lenz.
• Family records and community recollections shared by descendants of William J. and Bill N. Lenz.