Ruley
Trailhead
Biltmore Forest School students arrive in their private Pullman car at the logging operations of the Chapman Timber Company
Biltmore Forest School students arrive in their private Pullman car at the logging operations of the Chapman Timber Company
August 1911
August 1911
Ruley is named after John Ruley a real estate promoter from Illinois, who with Max and Ernst Lueddemann from Alabama, purchased 2,400 acres of logged off land near Chapman, platted it as Scappoose Acres and began marketing it around 1912. He introduced buyers to the land by arranging for an extra coach car to be added to the regular Sunday morning Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway train from Portland to Seaside. The coach carrying prospective clients would be cut from the train and coupled to the waiting Portland Southwestern locomotive that would take them up eight miles of track to stump covered hills for the day. The new owners of the ten-acre parcels as well as those resistant to the sales pitch, would board the Scappoose Acres Special to return to meet the night SP&S train on its way to Portland.
Ruley is named after John Ruley a real estate promoter from Illinois, who with Max and Ernst Lueddemann from Alabama, purchased 2,400 acres of logged off land near Chapman, platted it as Scappoose Acres and began marketing it around 1912. He introduced buyers to the land by arranging for an extra coach car to be added to the regular Sunday morning Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway train from Portland to Seaside. The coach carrying prospective clients would be cut from the train and coupled to the waiting Portland Southwestern locomotive that would take them up eight miles of track to stump covered hills for the day. The new owners of the ten-acre parcels as well as those resistant to the sales pitch, would board the Scappoose Acres Special to return to meet the night SP&S train on its way to Portland.
All of the lots were ultimately sold, but the allure of "stump farming" didn't translate to success for many owners and much of the land naturally regenerated a forest again.
All of the lots were ultimately sold, but the allure of "stump farming" didn't translate to success for many owners and much of the land naturally regenerated a forest again.
Communities and points interests in the immediate area that are included at this Trailhead location are:
Communities and points interests in the immediate area that are included at this Trailhead location are: