Zigzag, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Zigzag is an unincorporated
community in Clackamas County
, Oregon
, United States
. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Rhododendron
and Welches
on U.S. Route 26
. The community is part of a local type of government called a village
as one of the communities making up the Villages at Mount Hood
, which stretches from the border of Sandy
to Government Camp
.
The community is named after the nearby Zigzag River
, a tributary of the Sandy River
, which is in turn a tributary of the Columbia River
. The place was also known as "Zig Zag". Zigzag's elevation is 1,414 feet (431 m).
Joel Palmer
crossed the deep ravine of Zigzag Canyon near the timberline on Mount Hood
on October 11, 1845. He described the crossing in his journal:
The Zigzag River is no more crooked than adjoining streams, therefore the stream was most likely identified to fellow travelers on what was to become the Barlow Road
by the manner of crossing and not for an especially irregular alignment.
Zigzag post office was established in 1917; it ran intermittently until 1974. For a time the Zigzag post office was located in present-day Rhododendron.
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP). St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, another NRHP property, was formerly in the Zigzag area. The ZigZag Inn—which, like the ranger station and church, is a rustic
-style log structure
—was built by William John "Bill" Lenz, son of the founder of Lenz
in Hood River County
. Lenz built many other notable structures in the area.
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 Clackamas County
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
, 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...
. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Rhododendron
Rhododendron, Oregon
Rhododendron is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Government Camp and Zigzag on U.S. Route 26...
and Welches
Welches, Oregon
Welches is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor between Zigzag and Wemme along U.S. Route 26. It is one of the communities that make up the Villages at Mount Hood....
on U.S. Route 26
U.S. Route 26 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 26 is a major cross-state state highway, connecting U.S. Route 101 on the Oregon Coast near Seaside with the Idaho state line east of Nyssa. Local highway names include the Sunset Highway No. 47, Mount Hood Highway No. 26, and John Day Highway No...
. The community is part of a local type of government called a village
Village (Oregon)
A village in the U.S. state of Oregon is a model of local governance that only exists in Clackamas County. Like villages elsewhere, it is a subnational entity; like New York's villages, the definition is unique to a state .Villages in Oregon are in addition to hamlets in Oregon and to Community...
as one of the communities making up the Villages at Mount Hood
Mount Hood Village, Oregon
Mount Hood Village is the name of a census-designated place within the Mount Hood Corridor in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 3,306...
, which stretches from the border of Sandy
Sandy, Oregon
Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, and named after the nearby Sandy River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,385, however the 2006 estimate shows 7,070 people....
to Government Camp
Government Camp, Oregon
Government Camp is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, south of Mount Hood and north of Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain. It is a gateway to several ski resorts, the most popular being Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Skibowl. Also, Government Camp has its...
.
The community is named after the nearby Zigzag River
Zigzag River
The Zigzag River is a tributary, about long, of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The Zigzag and one of its major tributaries, the Little Zigzag River, drain the Zigzag Glacier on Mount Hood, a high volcanic peak in the Cascade Range. Their waters flow westward to meet the Sandy River...
, a tributary of the Sandy River
Sandy River (Oregon)
The Sandy River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Measured by a United States Geological Survey gauge downstream of the Sandy's confluence with the Bull Run River, from the mouth, the river's average discharge is . The maximum daily recorded flow...
, which is in turn a tributary of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. The place was also known as "Zig Zag". Zigzag's elevation is 1,414 feet (431 m).
History
PioneerAmerican pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
Joel Palmer
Joel Palmer
General Joel Palmer was an American pioneer of the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. He was born in Canada, and spent his early years in New York and Pennsylvania before serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Palmer traveled to the Oregon...
crossed the deep ravine of Zigzag Canyon near the timberline on Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
on October 11, 1845. He described the crossing in his journal:
The manner of descending is to turn directly to the right, go zigzag for about one hundred yards, then turn short round, and go zigzag until you come under the place where you started from; then to the right, and so on, until you reach the base.
The Zigzag River is no more crooked than adjoining streams, therefore the stream was most likely identified to fellow travelers on what was to become the Barlow Road
Barlow Road
The Barlow Road is a historic road in what is now the U.S. state of Oregon. It was built in 1846 by Sam Barlow and Philip Foster, with authorization of the Provisional Legislature of Oregon, and served as the last overland segment of the Oregon Trail...
by the manner of crossing and not for an especially irregular alignment.
Zigzag post office was established in 1917; it ran intermittently until 1974. For a time the Zigzag post office was located in present-day Rhododendron.
Historic structures
The 1935 Zigzag Ranger StationZigzag Ranger Station
The Zigzag Ranger Station is a Forest Service compound consisting of twenty rustic buildings located in Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest. It was built as the administrative headquarters for the Zigzag Ranger District. It is located in the small unincorporated community of Zigzag, Oregon...
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP). St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, another NRHP property, was formerly in the Zigzag area. The ZigZag Inn—which, like the ranger station and church, is a rustic
National Park Service Rustic
National Park Service rustic, also colloquially known as Parkitecture, is a style of architecture that arose in the United States National Park System to create buildings that harmonized with their natural environment. Since its founding, the National Park Service consistently has sought to provide...
-style log structure
Log home
A log home is structurally identical to a log cabin...
—was built by William John "Bill" Lenz, son of the founder of Lenz
Lenz, Hood River County, Oregon
Lenz is an unincorporated community in Hood River County, Oregon, United States just west of Oregon Route 35 about a mile and a half east of Odell. This station on the Mount Hood Railroad was named after John Lenz, an early settler. Lenz Butte and Lenz Creek are nearby. The name of the station has...
in Hood River County
Hood River County, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,411 people, 7,248 households, and 5,175 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 7,818 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
. Lenz built many other notable structures in the area.
External links
- Historic image near Zigzag from Salem Public Library
- http://boundless.uoregon.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISORESTMP=results.php&CISOVIEWTMP=item_viewer.php&CISOMODE=thumb&CISOGRID=thumbnail%2CA%2C1%3Btitle%2CA%2C1%3Bview%2CA%2C0%3Baltern%2C200%2C0%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%3B20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOBIB=title%2CA%2C1%2CN%3Bview%2CA%2C0%2CN%3Baltern%2C200%2C0%2CN%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%2CN%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%2CN%3B20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOTHUMB=20+%285x4%29%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOTITLE=20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOHIERA=20%3Bview%2Ctitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOROOT=%2Farchpnw&CISOBOX1=Zigzag&Submit=Search+CollectionHistoric images of Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church] from the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
digital archives