Cherry Grove, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Cherry Grove is an unincorporated
community in Washington County
, Oregon
, United States
. Cherry Grove is situated on the north bank of the Tualatin River
near where it exits the Northern Oregon Coast Range
and enters Patton Valley.
Cherry Grove was founded by Swedish immigrant August Lovegren in 1911. He had previously operated a lumber
mill
in Preston, Washington, after arriving in the United States in 1883. He wanted a name for the community that was connected with fruit growing, but his choice of "Appleton" was already taken by a place in Oregon. His cousin then suggested the name of her home of Cherry Grove, Minnesota
.
Lovegren established a sawmill in the community and in September 1911 began operating a private electricity grid in Cherry Grove. He used the sawmill's boiler in the operation, and in in September 1913 completed a dam on the Tualatin River to create a large log retention pond. In January 1914, a flood destroyed both the dam and the boiler, leaving the community without electricity until Portland General Electric
added service in 1935. Cherry Grove's post office ran from 1912 through 1959 when service was transferred to Gaston
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community in Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Cherry Grove is situated on the north bank of the Tualatin River
Tualatin River
The Tualatin River is a tributary of the Willamette River located in Oregon in the United States. The river is approximately long, and it drains a fertile farming region called the Tualatin Valley southwest and west of Portland at the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley...
near where it exits the Northern Oregon Coast Range
Northern Oregon Coast Range
The Northern Oregon Coast Range is the northern section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, located in the northwest portion of the state of Oregon, United States. This section of the mountain range, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, contains peaks as high...
and enters Patton Valley.
Cherry Grove was founded by Swedish immigrant August Lovegren in 1911. He had previously operated a lumber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
mill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in Preston, Washington, after arriving in the United States in 1883. He wanted a name for the community that was connected with fruit growing, but his choice of "Appleton" was already taken by a place in Oregon. His cousin then suggested the name of her home of Cherry Grove, Minnesota
Cherry Grove Township, Minnesota
Cherry Grove Township is a township in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 430 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
.
Lovegren established a sawmill in the community and in September 1911 began operating a private electricity grid in Cherry Grove. He used the sawmill's boiler in the operation, and in in September 1913 completed a dam on the Tualatin River to create a large log retention pond. In January 1914, a flood destroyed both the dam and the boiler, leaving the community without electricity until Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
added service in 1935. Cherry Grove's post office ran from 1912 through 1959 when service was transferred to Gaston
Gaston, Oregon
Gaston is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 600 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 630 residents.-Early history:...
.
Further reading
- Nixon, Birgetta & Mabel Tupper. Cherry Grove - A history from 1852 - 1977 (Cherry Grove, Oregon: 1977)
External links
- Historic photos of Cherry Grove from Salem Public Library
- Information about Cherry Grove and the Willamette Valley & Coast Railway from Abandoned Railways of the Pacific Northwest
- Cherry Grove history from VanNatta Forestry
- Several images of the falls on the Tualatin River above Cherry Grove from the Oregon State UniversityOregon State UniversityOregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
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