Mountaindale, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Mountaindale is an unincorporated community
in Washington County
, Oregon
, United States
, about four miles northwest of North Plains
. Settled in the 1850s, the small community was the longtime home of the Mountaindale Store.
tribe of Native Americans had a seasonal campsite in the area prior to the arrival of European-Americans in the 1830s. The first Euro-American settlers in the Mountaindale area were Samuel B. and Mary Raffety, who in 1852 traveled the Oregon Trail
to the Oregon Territory
and settled a donation land claim in northern Washington County in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range
. Originally from Kentucky, they raised eight children on their 320 acres (129.5 ha) farm. One child, Charles H. Raffety, later served as mayor of East Portland
before its annexation into Portland
. Mountaindale School District 41 was formed on December 5, 1868, with Alzada Cornelius as the first teacher and W. D. Pittenger as the first superintendent. The school was built at that time and was located on the Dobbins land claim. The store was later built in front of the school. The post office was established in 1873 as "Mountain Dale" and the name was changed to "Mountaindale" in 1895. The name combining "mountain
" and "dale" is descriptive, as the community is where East Fork Dairy Creek
emerges from the foothills at the north edge of the Tualatin Valley
.
In 1885, a new schoolhouse was built for $200. It was 30 feet (9.1 m) long, 13 feet (4 m) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 m) tall. The new school was originally known as the Raffety School as it was built on land donated by Samuel Raffety. Charles Reynolds opened the first store in the community in 1896. In 1904, a new Mountaindale Store was built across the street from the original. Reynolds also operated a freight line and a blacksmith shop. In 1915, Mountaindale had two sawmill
s, and much of the area surrounding area was logged
.
The Mountaindale post office closed in 1935. In February 1953, the school district was merged into the North Plains School District (originally known as the Glencoe
district), which merged into the Hillsboro School District
in 1996. The Mountaindale school remained in use until 1954 or 1955, and by 1976 was owned by the Stohr family.
In 1990, the only public buildings remaining in the community were the store and the closed schoolhouse. The store is also now closed.
The Mountaindale Airport
is a mile southwest of the community.
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...
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...
, about four miles northwest of North Plains
North Plains, Oregon
North Plains is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, off U.S. 26 on the northwest outskirts of the Portland metropolitan area. The population was 1,605 at the 2000 census; by July 2007 the population was estimated to be 1,813.-Geography:...
. Settled in the 1850s, the small community was the longtime home of the Mountaindale Store.
History
The AtfalatiAtfalati
The Atfalati, also known as the Tualatin were a tribe or band of the Kalapuya Native Americans who originally inhabited the Tualatin Valley in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Oregon...
tribe of Native Americans had a seasonal campsite in the area prior to the arrival of European-Americans in the 1830s. The first Euro-American settlers in the Mountaindale area were Samuel B. and Mary Raffety, who in 1852 traveled the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
to the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
and settled a donation land claim in northern Washington County in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
. Originally from Kentucky, they raised eight children on their 320 acres (129.5 ha) farm. One child, Charles H. Raffety, later served as mayor of East Portland
East Portland, Oregon
East Portland was a city in the U.S. state of Oregon that was consolidated into Portland in 1891. It was founded on a land claim by James B. Stephens in 1846, who bought a land claim from John McLoughlin of the Hudson's Bay Company...
before its annexation into Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Mountaindale School District 41 was formed on December 5, 1868, with Alzada Cornelius as the first teacher and W. D. Pittenger as the first superintendent. The school was built at that time and was located on the Dobbins land claim. The store was later built in front of the school. The post office was established in 1873 as "Mountain Dale" and the name was changed to "Mountaindale" in 1895. The name combining "mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
" and "dale" is descriptive, as the community is where East Fork Dairy Creek
Dairy Creek (Oregon)
Dairy Creek is a tributary of the Tualatin River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins at the confluence of its east and west forks near the unincorporated community of Schefflin and meanders southeast across the Tualatin Valley to the Tualatin River near Hillsboro, in Washington County...
emerges from the foothills at the north edge of the Tualatin Valley
Tualatin Valley
The Tualatin Valley is a farming and suburban region southwest of Portland, Oregon in the United States. The valley is formed by the meandering Tualatin River, a tributary of the Willamette River at the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, east of the Northern Oregon Coast Range...
.
In 1885, a new schoolhouse was built for $200. It was 30 feet (9.1 m) long, 13 feet (4 m) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 m) tall. The new school was originally known as the Raffety School as it was built on land donated by Samuel Raffety. Charles Reynolds opened the first store in the community in 1896. In 1904, a new Mountaindale Store was built across the street from the original. Reynolds also operated a freight line and a blacksmith shop. In 1915, Mountaindale had two sawmill
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....
s, and much of the area surrounding area was logged
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
.
The Mountaindale post office closed in 1935. In February 1953, the school district was merged into the North Plains School District (originally known as the Glencoe
Glencoe, Oregon
Glencoe is a neighborhood and former community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1842, the town, which was north of Hillsboro, died off after 1910 when neighboring North Plains was created to the west...
district), which merged into the Hillsboro School District
Hillsboro School District
The Hillsboro School District 1J is a unified school district located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The district operates 26 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. Founded in 1851, the school district covers Hillsboro, Scholls, Reedville, North Plains, West Union,...
in 1996. The Mountaindale school remained in use until 1954 or 1955, and by 1976 was owned by the Stohr family.
In 1990, the only public buildings remaining in the community were the store and the closed schoolhouse. The store is also now closed.
The Mountaindale Airport
Mountaindale Airport
Mountaindale Airport is a private airport located 1 mile southwest of Mountaindale in Washington County, Oregon, USA....
is a mile southwest of the community.
External links
- Historic image of general store in Mountaindale from Salem Public Library