This morning I created a new blog: http://backroadsandsmalltownusa.blogspot.com/.
I'm now the National Sales Manager for www.backroadsandsmalltowns.com and will be recruiting sales representatives nationwide.
Backroads & Small Towns is an idea hatched by Joseph Shelley of Sandy, Oregon. He started development in late 2007.The main though is to provide a single place for all small towns and their businesses to have an inexpensive way to get their basic information out on the web. The other reason for this is for travelers to be able to find information about these out of the way places that many people never knew existed.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Monday, September 01, 2008
Seaching for Yoder
Now please understand, Yoder was never lost, I just couldn’t find the little Willamette Valley community.
The Saturday started out simple enough. My eldest sister, with whom I share a town house, wanted to visit Al’s Nursery in Woodburn. We live just a block off of Hwy 99E in Gladstone, Oregon. For those of you who don’t know, Gladstone is located between Oak Grove and Oregon City, north of where the Clackamas River joins the Willamette River. Time wise the city is somewhere between the 1940’s and the 1960’s. Most peole zip by on the 205 freeway, which is the way most local people like it.
Anyway, we headed South to Al’s Nursery and had a great time viewing the wide variety of plants. Soon the car was loaded with two large hanging baskets in the truck and the back seat was full of plants too. Lunch was next on the agenda. I had thought about going back to Canby. Then I remembered the Marquam Inn, located in the small community of Marquam on the Cascade Highway. I had no problem finding the place and we had a very enjoyable lunch.
After lunch we headed for home. I have driven the Cascade Highway many times. When I twin daughters were with me I would always say “where’s Yoder?” when we passed the sign. They would respond “yonder.” Ok, it’s a bit corny, but we would laugh and enjoy the humor.
So, I decided to take my sister to Yoder. Now I have been to Yoder but never from the Cascade highway. We headed north and made the left turn onto Babcock Road. The sign said Yoder 4 miles.
Babcock Road soon ended at a “T” intersection and a filbert (ok hazelnut) orchard and no sign. Right or left on Dryland Road? I decided on left and drove for what seemed like 5 or 6 miles. No Yoder and no signs. I turned about and went back to the intersection and took the right arm of Dryland. We soon came to another intersection. I picked right again and in a couple of miles was back to Babcock Road, right where we had started from.
Around we went again. This time I turned left and nothing looked familiar and no sign of Yoder. So back to the last intersection and I made a left turn onto Dryland. Soon the countryside changed from valley to foothills. At one point we had a great view from high above the Willamette Valley. After a series of roads I found one headed down onto the valley floor and soon were were approaching a small community.
As we got closer I told my sister there would be an antique store around the next corner. Sure enough. We were back in Marquem and nowhere near Yoder. At that point I gave up. We were soon headed up the Cascade Highway toward Oregon City and home, only to be detoured when we got to Molalla because of bridge construction.
I made a left turn toward Woodburn and knew that I could get to Highway 99E there or in Canby. Soon I came to a highway sign “Marquam – Canby Road” Then there was another sign pointing to the left. “Yoder – 1 mile.” I turned right. Yoder will have to wait for another day.
What is so exciting about Yoder? Nothing. According to Ralph Friedman book In Search of Western Oregon, Yoder was established in 1915. the Yoder family had settled in the area in the 1888 and the place was called Yoderville. The family still owns the lumber mill, built in 1891 and there is a store, built when the Willamette Valley Southern RR arrived. According to Wikipedia, the community is best known as a filming location for Nowhere Man (TV series).
Maybe next time we will carry a map with us. Why Yoder? No reason, I just like the name.
The Saturday started out simple enough. My eldest sister, with whom I share a town house, wanted to visit Al’s Nursery in Woodburn. We live just a block off of Hwy 99E in Gladstone, Oregon. For those of you who don’t know, Gladstone is located between Oak Grove and Oregon City, north of where the Clackamas River joins the Willamette River. Time wise the city is somewhere between the 1940’s and the 1960’s. Most peole zip by on the 205 freeway, which is the way most local people like it.
Anyway, we headed South to Al’s Nursery and had a great time viewing the wide variety of plants. Soon the car was loaded with two large hanging baskets in the truck and the back seat was full of plants too. Lunch was next on the agenda. I had thought about going back to Canby. Then I remembered the Marquam Inn, located in the small community of Marquam on the Cascade Highway. I had no problem finding the place and we had a very enjoyable lunch.
After lunch we headed for home. I have driven the Cascade Highway many times. When I twin daughters were with me I would always say “where’s Yoder?” when we passed the sign. They would respond “yonder.” Ok, it’s a bit corny, but we would laugh and enjoy the humor.
So, I decided to take my sister to Yoder. Now I have been to Yoder but never from the Cascade highway. We headed north and made the left turn onto Babcock Road. The sign said Yoder 4 miles.
Babcock Road soon ended at a “T” intersection and a filbert (ok hazelnut) orchard and no sign. Right or left on Dryland Road? I decided on left and drove for what seemed like 5 or 6 miles. No Yoder and no signs. I turned about and went back to the intersection and took the right arm of Dryland. We soon came to another intersection. I picked right again and in a couple of miles was back to Babcock Road, right where we had started from.
Around we went again. This time I turned left and nothing looked familiar and no sign of Yoder. So back to the last intersection and I made a left turn onto Dryland. Soon the countryside changed from valley to foothills. At one point we had a great view from high above the Willamette Valley. After a series of roads I found one headed down onto the valley floor and soon were were approaching a small community.
As we got closer I told my sister there would be an antique store around the next corner. Sure enough. We were back in Marquem and nowhere near Yoder. At that point I gave up. We were soon headed up the Cascade Highway toward Oregon City and home, only to be detoured when we got to Molalla because of bridge construction.
I made a left turn toward Woodburn and knew that I could get to Highway 99E there or in Canby. Soon I came to a highway sign “Marquam – Canby Road” Then there was another sign pointing to the left. “Yoder – 1 mile.” I turned right. Yoder will have to wait for another day.
What is so exciting about Yoder? Nothing. According to Ralph Friedman book In Search of Western Oregon, Yoder was established in 1915. the Yoder family had settled in the area in the 1888 and the place was called Yoderville. The family still owns the lumber mill, built in 1891 and there is a store, built when the Willamette Valley Southern RR arrived. According to Wikipedia, the community is best known as a filming location for Nowhere Man (TV series).
Maybe next time we will carry a map with us. Why Yoder? No reason, I just like the name.
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