Samuel K. Barlow – Today, thousands of travelers cross the Cascade Range each year on Highway 26. Many continue over the mountain without realizing they are following a route that has guided people through the Mount Hood country for centuries. Long before modern highways existed, Native peoples traveled these valleys on well-established trails connecting villages, fishing grounds, hunting areas, and seasonal camps.
Brightwood did not begin as a town. It developed as a stopping place along the Barlow Road—a location shaped by geography, travel, and the practical needs of those moving through the Mount Hood country.
Introducing Steven Mitchell Welches Oregon – Steven Overton Mitchell was one of the last of a generation who carved out their lives in the rugged foothills of Mount Hood. Known to most as “Steve,” he lived quietly and humbly in the mountains near Welches, Oregon, where he became a local legend for his endurance, independence, and devotion to the forested solitude he called home.
Before paved highways and modern bridges crossed the Mount Hood corridor, the pioneers who settled this region faced rugged terrain, rough trails, and river fords. One of the most vivid accounts of those early days comes from Mrs. J.T. McIntyre, an early settler of the Welches area
Tucked in the peaceful meadow near Government Camp, Oregon, lies a quiet grave that tells a heartbreaking story. Baby Morgan’s grave is marked by a small bronze plaque mounted on a random boulder named Chimney Rock
