I love history, and I love to dig around and find out tidbits of information about little-known areas. So, when my husband and I were geocaching in the neighborhood where the historic village of New Era used to exist, I was quite intrigued by these formidable concrete foundation structures, remnants of some former glory-day industry.
My research for information about New Era only returned a little bit of information, but I did learn that there was once a railroad depot close by (if not exactly here), plus a warehouse for a pototo/onion grower, and the Dornbecker Saw Mill was located in New Era, a division of the Dornbecker Furniture Company. In 1868, the New Era Rolling Mill was built in this area, and continued to produce flour until 1951. It hard to believe that this land where we now see tall trees, overgrown with blackberries and used only for recreational purposes, was once a busy waterfront with industry and shipping.
SOURCES:
The application for National Historic Registry for the Herman Anthony Farm in New Era:
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visit link)
(copied from the application:)
"The town of New Era once was a thriving community boasting a couple of general merchandise stores, a men's dry goods store and saloon, post office, warehouses, potato cellars, railroad depot and a grist mill. The New Era Rolling Mill was built in 1868 and continued rolling out flour until 1935,at which time milling ceased,but feed for
livestock was turned out by the mill until 1951. The mill was later torn down. This commercial activity has all passed, and a sign on Highway 99E labeling the place is all that remains. Herman Anthony was a German emigre who spent his early life in the German Merchant Marine. He married Wilamina (Minnie) Sager on February 25, 1884. They had nine children, one of whom—Herman Anthony Jr.--has been a great source of information. Mr. Anthony Jr. now lives just outside of the town of Willamette. The elder Herman is thought to have designed the house, gate and outbuildings from memories of his homeland. He worked at the Dornbecker Saw Mill as a night watchman, both when it was located at New Era and after the manufactory moved to Coalca. The saw mill was a division of Dornbecker Furniture Company. Mr. Anthony was killed in a car-train accident on Highway 99E near Canby on April 23, 1930."
SOURCE:
(
visit link)
(Copied:)
"1865
William Quinn of Canemah began to grow tobacco in the county in 1865. Around this time Augustus J. Fanno was known as the "Onion King" for his extensive farm on Fanno Creek in Oswego. William Johnston operated another large onion enterprise at Clackamas. George H. Brown of New Era, the "Potato King," required two warehouses and a dock to process his potatoes, grown in rotation with clover and wheat to protect the soil's fertillity.
1868
Powered by Beaver and Parrott creeks, the New Era Roller Mill began producing Full Roller Home Pride brand flour."
All credit given to above referenced sources.