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Jacobson Villa and Coopey Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 17, 2016.
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Today the Jacobson Villa is the home of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.
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Coopey Falls ...
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Coopey Falls on Coopey Creek is located along Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway, one mile east of Bridal Veil. The 150-foot-high falls are located behind a convent located by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. To the east lies the massive basalt ridge of Angels Rest.
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Coopey Creek ...
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Coopey Creek enters the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 132.5, directly across from Phoca Rock. Downstream is Bridal Veil Creek and upstream is Angel's Rest and Dalton Point.
H.H. Riddell wrote (Mazama, vol.5, 1916):
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"... Just west of Angels Rest a small creek drops over a precipice forming Coopey falls. It is a pleasing sight, especially when the stream is flowing bank-full after a storm. ... "
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Coopey Creek, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 17, 2016.
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Early Coopey Falls ...
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According to McArthur and McArthur in "Oregon Geographic Names" (2003, Oregon Historical Society), Coopey Falls and Coopey Creek were named for Charles Coopey, a well-known tailor in Portland, who owned land adjacent to the falls.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records website (2013) shows Charles Coopey being granted title on June 26, 1906, to 160 acres of T1N, R5E, Section 13, and T1N, R6E, Section 18 (1820 Sale-Cash Entry).
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Coopey Falls in 1940 ...
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From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... COOPEY FALLS, 161.9 m., according to Indian legend is at the site of a battle of giants." ..."
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Coopey Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 17, 2016.
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Jacobson Villa ...
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In 1915 Clarence Jacobson purchased the land along Coopey Creek below Coopey Falls. The architects he chose to built his "Italian Villa" were then chosen by Simon Benson in 1920 to build his Columbia Gorge Hotel near Hood River.
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"In 1915, Clarence Jacobson, a well-to-do Portland clothier and his heiress wife, Dorothy, purchased fifteen acres along Coopey Creek near Bridal Veil. The Jacobsons hired Morris H. Whitehouse to design a mansion in the "Italian villa" style. Italian stonemasons, recruited from among the highway workers, were engaged to construct fish ponds, walks, steps, bridges and other stone work on the grounds. A carriage house near the gated entry provided living quarters for the Jacobson's chauffeur and garage space for the couple's automobiles. The plans included a swimming pool, a powerhouse utilizing Coopey Creek to generate electricity, and formal gardens, among other amenities. The mansion contained several guest rooms, a full basement and open, vaulted living room. The former Jacobson mansion is now owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, who are engaged in restoring the building."
[Clarence E. Mershon, 2006, The Columbia River Highway, From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon: Guardian Peaks Enterprises, Portland, Oregon.]
PALATIAL HOME TO RISE
C.S. Jacobson Will Have Residence Along Columbia Highway
"Clarence S. Jacobson, manager of Neustadter Bros., is planning the erection of an expensive country residence on a beautifully situated six-acre tract along the Columbia River Highway, which he has just purchased from Charles Coopey. The site is located between Shepperd's Dell and Benson Park and embraces what is known as Coopey Falls, as well as all land between the falls and the highway.
Mr. Jacobson has selected Whitehouse & Fouilhoux as architects for his proposed residence, but has not yet determined definitely upon the plans. It is known, however, that he is planning a large stucco residence of the Italian villa type, with open air swimming tank and many other features which may bring the cost to $40,000 or $50,000. The Jacobson villa will be the first palatial residence to be erected along the Columbia Highway."
Source:
Morning Oregonian, August 12, 1916, courtesy Historic Oregon Newspaper Archives, University of Oregon Libraries.
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Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist ...
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In the early 1970s, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist purchased the Jacobson villa and turned it into their mission.
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"A restored villa surrounded by the beauty of forests and gardens in the Columbia Gorge serves as a community base for the Sisters and provides a setting for group meetings and children's environmental camps.
Anyone who visits the Bridal Veil center becomes aware of the Franciscan mission of "rebuilding." The dilapidated condition of the buildings in the early 1970s did not dissuade the Sisters from seeing the beauty hidden within the property and from pursuing a vision of what the place could be. Untold hours of work by the Sisters and volunteers went into the restoration of the buildings and grounds. Today, the Bridal Veil center is a living, physical example of the greater Franciscan mission of rebuilding, a mission carried out in many ways through the center's dedication to life education of the whole person."
[Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist website, 2016]
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Views ...
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Jacobson Villa and Coopey Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 17, 2016.
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Jacobson Villa, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 17, 2016.
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Carriage House, Jacobson Villa, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 17, 2016.
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- Historic Columbia River Highway ...
- Stone House Across the Highway ...
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Historic Columbia River Highway ...
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Coopey Falls, Oregon, as seen from the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken March 3, 2013.
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Stone House Across the Highway ...
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Stone house, Historic Columbia River Highway, located across from Coopey Falls.
View shot through front window moving car.
Image taken July 1, 2011.
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Stone House across from Coopey Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 30, 2015.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 30, 1805 ...
A cool morning, a moderate rain all the last night, after eating a partial brackfast of venison we Set out [from their camp near Drano Lake and the Little White Salmon River]
passed Several places where the rocks projected into the river & have the appearance of haveing Seperated from the mountains and fallen promiscuisly into the river, Small nitches are formed in the banks below those projecting rocks which is comon in this part of the river, Saw 4 Cascades caused by Small Streams falling from the mountains on the Lard. Side,
[The possiblities in a two-mile area are - upstream to downstream -
Starvation Creek and Falls,
the seasonal Cabin Creek and Falls,
Warren Creek and Falls,
Wonder Creek and Lancaster Falls,
Lindsey Creek and Falls, and
Summit Creek and Falls.]
a remarkable circumstance in this part of the river is, the Stumps of pine trees [Submerged Forest]
[The Submerged Forest existed along the reach from above Dog Mountain/Viento Creek on the upstream edge and Wind Mountain/Shellrock Mountain on the downstream edge.]
are in maney places are at Some distance in the river, and gives every appearance of the rivers being damed up below from Some cause which I am not at this time acquainted with [Bonneville Landslide],
the Current of the river is also verry jentle not exceeding 1 1/2 mile pr. hour and about 3/4 of a mile in width. Some rain, we landed above the mouth of a Small river on the Stard. Side [Wind River] and Dined ... :
here the river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle, a Great [rock] both in and out of the water, large <round> Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly Scattered about in the river,
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The bottoms above the mouth of this little river [Wind River] <which we Call> is rich covered with grass & firn & is about 3/4 of a mile wide rich and rises gradually, below the river (which is 60 yards wide above its mouth) the Countery rises with Steep assent. we call this little river <fr Ash> New Timbered river from a Speces of Ash <that wood> which grows on its banks of a verry large and different from any we had before Seen, and a timber resembling the beech in bark <& groth> but different in its leaf which is Smaller and the tree smaller. passed maney large rocks in the river and a large creek on the Stard. Side in the mouth of which is an Island [Rock Creek near Stevenson, Washington], passed on the right of 3 Islands <on> near the Stard. Side, and landed on an Island close under the Stard. Side at the head of the great Shute [head of the Cascades Rapids], and a little below a village of 8 large houses on a Deep bend on the Stard. Side, and opposit 2 Small Islands imediately in the head of the Shute, which Islands are covered with Pine, maney large rocks also, in the head of the Shute. Ponds back of the houses, and Countrey low for a Short distance. The day proved Cloudy dark and disagreeable with Some rain all day which kept us wet. The Countary a high mountain on each Side thickly Covered with timber, Such as Spruc, Pine, Cedar, Oake Cotton &c. &c. I took two men and walked down three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile [vicinity of Ice House Lake] ...
I found by examonation that we must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 2 1/2 miles, and the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark
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a wet disagreeable evening, the only wood we could get to burn on this little Island on which we have encamped [near Ashes Lake, the island is now under the waters of the Bonneville Reservoir. Ashes Lake was near the head of the Cascade Rapids. Across from Ashes Lake is Cascade Locks, Oregon.] is the newly discovered Ash, which makes a tolerable fire. we made fifteen miles to daye
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