Crawford Sawmill

More information from John Walther. Montmore was the Crawford family area. The Crawfords owned and ran the saw mill on SW Tunnelwood, at approximately SW 40th today. Portland Public Schools in early 1950 wanted to build Bridlemile School at what is now 43rd Avenue and 47th Drive. Fred Walther had to sue Portland Public Schools to get it located at its present site...even though the gravel road from the home went west to Hamilton right through the school site. The school property was obtained through condemnation.

Donation Land Claims

In the 1850's H. M. Humphrey, John Talbot, Albert Kelly and Peter Smith were Donation Land Claim holders in our neighborhood. There are more, but it takes some digging to track them down. Do you have any information about any of them?

Fred and Roas Walther

John Walther, the grandson of Fred and Rosa Walther, tells this Bridlemile story. The Walthers farmed land in what is now Bridlewood. The property, 68 acres, originally was owned by Chris and Lena Kerlking who grew nursery stock, primarily apple and pear trees. The Kerklings sold to the Walthers in 1946. The brick house on 45th Avenue was built in 1948. It did not have electricity until several months after it was completed. It has its own well, which still exists today. Fred Walther also "share cropped" the Eastern segment of the neighboring Woody Froom property with other Swiss Dairy Farm people to help pay the Multnomah County taxes. If you have any information or stories relating to the above please share.

Historic (Homes) Resource Inventory

Fifteen Bridlemile homes are on the Historic Resource Inventory of Portland, Oregon. A few of the neighbors whose homes are in the Inventory shared stories about them at the November 2006 BNA meeting. As more stories about these beautiful homes are gathered they will be made available at future meetings and on the Bridlemile Historic Buildings page.

Historic? Horseshoe

We have our first artifact! The John Rees family found a very old horseshoe when they were doing some excavating and renovation on their home on SW 44th Avenue. It is hard to tell how old the crusty thing is. The land was farmed by Mr. Walthers. Was their barn on the Rees property? There was no barn there in 1964 when we drove up Mr. Walthers lane, knocked at his door and asked if he was ever going to develop the land. He said he didn't know. Two years later he had changed his mind. And here we all are. Maybe the shoe is from John B. Talbot's horse way back in the days of the original Donation Land Claim in the 1800's. Any other artifacts out there?

October Hill

Rod McKuen wrote a song, "Love's Been Good To Me" in 1969. A verse goes, "There was a girl in Portland/ Before the winter chill/ We used to go a-courtin'/ Along October Hill....".

Phil Stanford of the Portland Tribune has been investigating the where and who of this reference, and Sue Wunder contacted the BNA History Committee for help. So far we have learned that October Hill is the name of a housing development located in Bridlemile, but have yet to identify the girl in the song. In the May 31st Tribune, Stanford says that Attorney Bob Yanity knows that October Hill is off Terwilliger Blvd near the old Carnival Restaurant. Could there be two October Hills in Portland? How did Bridlemile's October Hill get its name? Who is the girl referred to in Rod McKuen's song?

Red Electric Railroad

The Red Electric Railroad, Southern Pacific’s Oregon Interurban did not run through Bridlemile but it was close. It ran just south of the current Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. It was built in 1871 and ran until the mid 1920’s. There are a few stories about Bridlemile folks riding it, if you have any please share.

Skylark

While you are strolling through Bridlemile this summer, you may want to walk the loop in the Skylark subdivision. From Hamilton just west of 54th there is a path that goes south to Seymour St in Skylark. Or you can drive in from Beaverton Hillsdale Highway on SW 56th. If you know anything about when this area was developed or who developed it please share.

Subdivisions of Bridlemile

Bridlemile is composed of many small subdivisions. The History Committee is attempting to make a complete list.

Here's here are the ones we know of: Bridlemile, Bridlemile Place, Bridlewood, Brookford, Clarion, Doschdale, Hamilton Woods, Montmore, Raleighwood, Orchard Hill, Semler Park, Smoke Rise, Stonebrook, Tunnelwood Park, Wilcox Estates, Wilcox West.

If you know of others please share their names, where they are located, and anything else you may know about them.

Woody Froom

Land going west from the Walther house to SW Shattuck and beyond was owned by Woody Froom. John Walther feels that the original Woody Froom home still exists on SW Shattuck, on the east side at about Thomas Street. Fred Walther "share cropped" the Eastern segment with other Swiss Dairy Farm people to help pay the Multnomah County taxes. If you have any information or stories relating to the above please share.