Uncategorized admin | 01 Jul 2007 08:23 am
The Fox Creek Project
COLOMA CREEK
Coloma Creek was renamed Fox Creek in the honor of Charles E. Fox, the man who essentially founded the town of Rainier. Mr. Fox is credited with building the first residence on the townsite, shipping lumber around the Horn for the purpose. Fox established a post office - named Eminence, Washington County, Oregon Territory - in 1851 but the name changed to Rainier the following year. Development of the town is credited to Dean Blanchard but Fox platted the town in 1855. Fox sold and traded his interests in the community and it languished until the more energetic Blanchard began development of the site’s potential circa 1880.
FLUME
The Western Cedar Company built “an immense, large flume” from the Fox Creek country in 1901… the flume can be seen in some old pictures of the town.
LOGGING AND RAILROADS
George Rockey had a logging camp on Fox Creek in 1905 and employed about 30 men. Jacobson and Reid built a sawmill on Fox Creek about two miles from town circa 1907. George Rockey built a logging railroad up Fox Creek but pulled the rails and moved his logging operation in 1912. In 1913 the Hammond Lumber Company built a logging railroad into the Beaver Valley country following the course of Fox Creek. They dumped logs into the river for transport to their mill. Their trestle crossing the railroad tracks can be seen in old photos of the town. Hammond deeded 640 acres of the land in the watershed to the city of Rainier in exchange for right of way.
OIL, COAL, AND GOLD
The Rainier Review reported in 1915 that a deposit of oil and coal had been discovered along Fox Creek. Plans were made to drill 50 oil wells and the coal would be mined at the rate of 200 tons a day. In 1938 gold was discovered in the soil along Fox Creek and assayed at eight dollars a ton… this was when gold was $32 an ounce. Apparently nothing came of these plans.
FISHERY
Fox Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River. The Rainier Review of June 19, 1919 reports that the Fish and Game Commission planted cut-throat trout in the stream and asked cooperation of local residents to report any illegal fishing in the creek. The editor warned the “boys” and parents that the game warden would pursue and fine anyone in possession of undersized fish.
TRAGEDY
Fox Creek was also the scene for tragedy when one of the Lenhart children, while crossing the creek on the way to school, fell into the stream and drowned.
WATERSHED
Water for the town of Rainier comes from the Fox Creek watershed. The area is home for a sizeable herd of elk.
(Historical detail provided by Larry Rea: lrea@twrps.com)
(Pictures by Jan Jackson, used by permission)
Darrel Whipple, the driving force behind “Friends of Fox Creek.”
Darrel Whipple expounding on one of his favorite subjects… note the rock retaining wall on the far side of the creek. The wall prevents flood water from eroding the landscaped yard behind the wall.
A beaver dam on Fox Creek.
Along the Fox Creek Trail.
Station 8 flora. The “three leaved “clover” is Oregon oxalis. The divided leaved plant is Colt’s Foot.
