Glencoe, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Glencoe
|
|
|---|---|
|
Neighborhood
|
|
Old vacant building in Glencoe
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| Region | Washington County |
| Time zone | Pacific |
Glencoe is a small area and a former community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It was started way back in 1842. This old town was located north of Hillsboro. Glencoe slowly disappeared after 1910. That's when a new town called North Plains was built nearby to the west. Today, most of what was Glencoe is now part of North Plains. The name Glencoe lives on! It's used for the road that connects Hillsboro to North Plains. It also names Glencoe High School, which is a high school in Hillsboro.
History of Glencoe
Charles McKay was an early settler in Oregon. He claimed land north of what became Hillsboro in 1842. This area was known as the Tualatin Plains. Charles McKay had worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. He also took part in important meetings called the Champoeg Meetings. Later, he fought in the Cayuse War.
Charles McKay was a Métis immigrant from Canada. He settled here with his wife, Letitia Bird, and their four children. Letitia was also Métis. They named their new home Glencoe. This name came from Glen Coe in Scotland. It honored Charles's Scottish family roots. McKay built a gristmill on McKay Creek. A gristmill grinds grain into flour. Later, a post office was added to the community. Reverend Harvey Clark also settled here early on. He later moved to Forest Grove. There, he helped start Pacific University.
The first post office in Glencoe opened on January 9, 1871. William Silvers was the first postmaster. He ran the post office from his store. The Glencoe post office closed in 1904. In 1880, a huge windstorm hit the area. This storm was called the Great Gale of 1880. It destroyed the bridge over the creek. Many trees were also blown down.
During the 1880s, Glencoe grew. A Methodist church was built. There was also a drug store and a lodge for the Knights of Pythias. Other businesses included a school, a shoemaker, and a barbershop. Many homes were built too.
A blacksmith shop was also in Glencoe. Charles Walter owned it from 1890 until 1960. In 1910, a railroad line was built to Tillamook, Oregon. This line ran north of Glencoe. Many people and businesses moved one mile west. They moved to the new community of North Plains. Glencoe slowly became a ghost town. Entire buildings were moved to the new town. The May Brothers mercantile store also moved to North Plains.
Glencoe Today
Glencoe Road is a main road in the area. It continues from Oregon Route 219 and First Avenue in Hillsboro. This road runs north and south. It connects Hillsboro and North Plains. The old Glencoe neighborhood is along McKay Creek. It's on the eastern edge of North Plains. You can find it where Old West Union Road meets Glencoe Road. This is just north of Highway 26.
North Plains is part of the Hillsboro School District. Glencoe High School is also part of this district. However, the high school is about ten miles south. It's located along Glencoe Road.
