Ancestry.com: Where was Brower, Oregon located?

Post by Jo Skanes (mackimmy), June 18, 2014:

https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.northam.usa.states.oregon.unknown/1264.3/mb.ashx

There is great debate and mystery as to the exact location of Brower Oregon, though it likely was southeast of Bridal Veil. I lived on Brower Road, east of Corbett, Oregon, and went on many expeditions with my father and our neighbors trying to pinpoint it's exact location.

I do know for sure there was a small town and mill, and at some point, I have no idea what year, there was a great fire that burned the mill and town and surrounding area so badly and completely that nobody was able to find where it had been...including it's own residents.

The legend was, the residents of the town knew the fire was coming, and they buried their valuables under their front doorways, but since there was literally nothing left of the structures, there was no way of knowing where the houses had been. Some of the locals believed the town was located on what is now private property, and some people think it was located on BLM land. We have dug and explored and looked all around where my dad and neighbors thought it should be, and although we have located ruins of random cabins and houses, nothing was grouped closely enough to lead us to believe we found the town.

To read of someone whose relative was actually was born there is amazing--didn't think THAT would ever happen in my lifetime! The foliage in the area is dense, thick forest...even a small lake and pond at the neighbor's house from when I was a kid cannot be seen using the satellite view from Google Maps--very overgrown area. I don't suppose they will ever find the former town unless somebody logs the forest and finds the remains.

I hope this helps.

Jo Skanes

Post by MoolyZue1, June 15, 2002, Edited: September 21, 2004:

According to "Oregon Geographic Names", Brower was the name of a post office in the hills about two miles south-southeast of Bridal Veil in Multnomah County. It was named for George W. Brower who had a logging and lumber business in the area in the 1890's. Brower is no longer on the map but Bridal Veil is. It's east of Portland along the beautiful Historic Columbia River Highway. Hope this helps.

Post by Nancy Gray Schweikert (RSchweikert5092), September 23, 2002

Greetings from Oregon....a checklist of Oregon Post Offices states that Brower, Oregon was a post office from from 1889 to 1896. Hope this adds help, Nancy Gray Schweikert.

Post by hamellr, June 18, 2004

This is where Brower was: https://www.google.com/maps/place/45°30'49.4%22N+12...

Latitude/Longitude Coordinates are from the US Postal Service based on the location of their Post Office.

Post by lianna205, September 13, 2016

George W. Brower was my great-uncle. His brother, James F. Who was great grandfather. Joined his business

I do not believe the coordinates from the Ancestry.com post are correct.

Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images

Brower was a mill town during the late 1890s. According to "Oregon Geographic Names" (McArthur and McArthur, 2003):

"... Brower was the name of a post office in the hills about two miles south-southeast of Bridal Veil at the north base of Pepper Mountain. It was named for George W. Brower, who, with Eldridge H. Thompson, had a logging and lumber business thereabouts in the 1890s. Brower post office was established December 20, 1889, with Robert C. Bell first postmaster. The office was closed December 22, 1896. ... "

Today, there is a small residential community near the coordinates of the old Brower Post Office (above), though I doubt it has anything to do with the old logging town and mill site. Unfortunately, the houses and the post office coordinates are on the wrong side of Pepper Mountain, if the entry in "Oregon Geographic Names" is correct.

OregonHikers.org: Pepper Mountain and old houses on Larch

Post by Don Nelsen, May 22nd, 2010: Where that road ended, I just ‘whacked my way up the hill eventually finding a good logging road that went the short distance remaining to the summit. I found a nice clearing surrounded by old second growth with some nice views through the trees of Mt. Hood and the surrounding area. Even a few daffodils!

Post by Tom Kloster (splintercat), May 24th, 2010: ...according to this site, Pepper Mountain had a lookout tower: "1937: 10' wooden L-4 tower. Abandoned 1955. Gone." That's awhile for daffodils to survive, but they do naturalize. They must have cleared the top pretty well for a 10-foot tower to see much of anything!

Post by Barb Adams, September 11th, 2010: At one time the Corbett area had thriving and very well-known daffodil farms. You can see daffodils almost anywhere. Years ago there was a huge bank of them growing on a ridge by the rock quarry.

Links

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway