History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

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TodF
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History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by TodF » November 10th, 2021, 6:13 pm

There is a big field on the Deschutes River trail near Colorado camp about 3.5 miles from the campground at the end of the river. It has a long rock wall that was clearly built from rocks/boulders cleared from the field. It also has several pieces of old farm implements around it. The trail description says that the field is sometimes used by the Boy Scouts. Does anyone know the history of it? Was this a homestead of some sort, as the machinery would suggest? Or did some Boy Scouts really clear boulders off of several acres just for fun? (BTW, this is NOT the Harris homestead, which is farther south.)
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Webfoot
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by Webfoot » November 11th, 2021, 9:25 am

GPS coordinates?

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bobcat
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by bobcat » November 11th, 2021, 9:52 am

It was once a plowed field, probably barley or alfalfa (or both). Accessed by a road coming down south of Gordon Canyon. They would have had to remove the rocks to plow. The tidy wall suggests they could also have pastured livestock here at some point, but anyway they had to do something with the rocks. I don't think there was a homestead here. Whoever farmed it came down from the top. I don't think it's been abandoned that long as my misty memory recalls seeing a cover crop there a number of years ago. There are other canyon bottom fields along the Deschutes. 45.5925; -120.8955

Webfoot
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by Webfoot » November 11th, 2021, 11:20 am

"Accessed by a road coming down south of Gordon Canyon"

It appears to have been worked as late as 2015 in Google historical imagery and I don't see any obvious candidates for that road. Are you sure it wasn't accessed from the gate near I-84? Everything else appears overgrown by that time.

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bobcat
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by bobcat » November 11th, 2021, 5:03 pm

I should have said "originally accessed" by that road, which shows on topo maps. Once they took up the railroad tracks, I'm sure it was accessed via the trailhead at the state park (yes, off I-84) and the road, which must have been rough, was abandoned. In 2015 they were growing something there? I guess it wasn't so far in the misty distant pass after all.

Webfoot
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by Webfoot » November 11th, 2021, 5:52 pm

I understand now. I don't know if they were growing anything but it looks to me like they mowed it at least.


deschutes field.jpg
deschutes field 2.jpg

TodF
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by TodF » November 12th, 2021, 7:28 am

Any idea who the "they" were who farmed it? I was having fun imagining a homesteader showing the site to his family:

Man: There it is! The perfect spot for a homestead! It’s next to the railroad and the river, and there are no pesky neighbors to vex us!
Wife: Actually, no neighbors at all, anywhere…
Man: Exactly! All we have to do is move all the boulders off a few acres. We can use them to build a wall!
Wife & children: We…?!?!
Man: And, sure, the soil is sandy, but it’s right next to the river, so it will probably flood occasionally and leave some organic matter.
Wife & children: Uh…Great?…
Man: Of course, there aren’t any trees of any significant size to build a house with, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out!

Do you know when those satellite pics were from? Because currently is looks like it hasn't been tended to for some time, and it is a field of tumbleweed-y plants.

This is next to it. I wonder where it came from if this wasn't a homestead. Long ago (very-not-ultralite) campers? Coffee break for the people who tended it?

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Webfoot
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by Webfoot » November 12th, 2021, 9:34 am

TodF wrote:
November 12th, 2021, 7:28 am
Do you know when those satellite pics were from? Because currently is looks like it hasn't been tended to for some time, and it is a field of tumbleweed-y plants.
Those are dated "06/27/2013" in Google Earth. I meant to post the ones from "05/03/2015" but I made a mistake. Here is the 2015 one.

deschutes field 3.jpg

I am looking for more information on this piece of land but I haven't found anything useful yet. I believe it is on this 1934 map at one o'clock from the "E" in the large "T.IN.-R.15E." label. Unless I am misreading it or the parcel is too small to appear that indicates ownership by "Columbia–Deschutes Power Company" at that time.

Gordon Canyon field 1934.png

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Charley
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by Charley » November 12th, 2021, 10:32 am

Many years ago, when I hiked through there regularly, I assumed that ODFW or State Parks grew feed for wildlife there. I'd seen it green, and seen it mowed, at least.

But it's not State land, so I have no clue! State land is blue:
Deschutes.jpeg
Maybe it's leased to the State? Or maybe State Parks allows a property owner (a farmer) to drive the gravel road/trail to access the field for cultivation?
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

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bobcat
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Re: History of the field by Colorado Camp on Deschutes River Trail?

Post by bobcat » November 12th, 2021, 2:13 pm

It's part of the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area according to their (and the BLM's) maps.

It could be that the state furrowed the plot itself, as Charley suggests, or leased it. I don't see any evidence on old maps that there ever was a structure there.

Yes, it would have taken a lot of labor to clear it at one point unlike nice loess plateau up top. There's at least one other "field" with rusting equipment between there and Harris Ranch, which was accessed by vehicle via the railroad grade with seasonal workers staying in trailers long after the ranch house was abandoned.

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