Philip Foster Farm

Philip Foster was one of Oregon's earliest settlers, arriving with his family by ship via Cape Horn and the Sandwich Islands in 1843. He played an important part in Oregon's early history, serving as the first treasurer of the Provisional Government in 1844 and '45. Foster was also an entrepreneur, funding construction of the Barlow Road, operating a store in Oregon City, and founding a flour mill and cattle company with Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon.

Foster claimed 640 acres in Eagle Creek at the end of the Barlow Road in the late 1840s. He cleared land, planted crops and orchards, and built a log house and grist mill. The Foster place became a welcome sight for pioneers struggling off Mount Hood after a 2000 mile journey from Missouri. Every overlander who kept a diary and came into Oregon City on the Barlow Road wrote of Foster's farm. Some recorded in their diaries the pleasure of tasting fresh fruit for the first time in months, others of their gratitude for being able to get sick relatives under a real roof.

Today, you can still see the Foster homestead much as it was a century ago. The frame house Philip Foster built in 1883 has been preserved, and it is shaded by the oldest lilac in Oregon. Mary Charlotte Foster rooted a cutting of a lilac from her home in Maine while laying over in the Sandwich Islands, and she nursed it along until the family settled in Eagle Creek. The lilac is now over 150 years old, still growing where Mary Foster planted it in the 1840s. Registered starts are available.

Also preserved is the blacksmith shop, 1860s barn, and apple orchard. The orchard is planted with what are now considered antique or heirloom apple varieties. Among the annual events at Foster Farm is a cider squeeze and harvest festival, which is held on the last Saturday in September.

Foster Farm is open weekly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from mid-June through the end of August. From September 1 until the last Saturday in September, when the farm closes for the season, it is open to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays. Hours of operation throughout the season are from 11 AM - 4 PM. Admission is free, but donations to help maintain the farm and its activities are appreciated. For visitor information, including group tour inquiries, call (503) 637-6324 or visit www.philipfosterfarm.com