Mitchell Recreation Area facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mitchell Recreation Area
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Mitchell Monument
Location	Fremont-Winema National Forests
Nearest city	Bly, Oregon, USA
Built	1950
NRHP reference No.	03000050
Added to NRHP	2003

The Mitchell Recreation Area is a special picnic spot in the Fremont-Winema National Forests in Oregon. It's also called the Mitchell Monument. This place is unique because it's the only spot in the United States where people were killed by an enemy attack during World War II. This happened because of a special type of bomb called a balloon bomb. The United States Forest Service takes care of the area. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its important history.

A Sad Day in History

The Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Bly, Oregon

On May 5, 1945, a sad event happened here. Reverend Archie Mitchell went on a picnic and fishing trip. He was with his pregnant wife, Elsie, and five children from his Sunday school class. They were from the Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Bly.

They stopped near Leonard Creek, about 8 miles (13 km) east of Bly. Reverend Mitchell was taking out food when he heard a child shout, "Look what I found!" His wife and the children ran to see. Moments later, there was a loud explosion. Elsie Mitchell and all five children died instantly.

What Was Found?

The children had found parts of a Japanese balloon bomb. These bombs were launched from Honshū, Japan, between November 1944 and April 1945. About 9,000 balloon bombs floated across the Pacific Ocean. They used the jet stream to reach North America in about three days.

These balloons were 33 feet (10 meters) wide and filled with hydrogen. Each balloon carried five bombs. Four were incendiary (fire-starting) bombs. One was an anti-personnel high explosive bomb.

Experts believe that up to 1,000 balloons might have reached the United States and Canada. Only 285 were seen on the west coast. Two balloons were even found in Michigan. The bombs caused no other injuries, except for the six people killed near Bly. These six were the only Americans killed in the United States during World War II by an enemy balloon bomb.

Steps Towards Peace

In 1976, Sakyo Adachi, a Japanese scientist, visited the site. He had helped plan the balloon attacks. He placed a wreath at the monument. Later, he sent a letter to the Patzke family, apologizing for the loss of their two children.

In 1995, Japanese students sent 1,000 paper cranes to the victims' families. In Japan, cranes are a symbol of peace and healing. Six cherry trees were also sent to Bly to be planted at the site. One tree was planted outside the monument fence. The others were planted inside.

Later that year, over 500 people came to a special ceremony. It was the 50th anniversary of the event at the Mitchell Monument site.

Protecting the Site

The land where the monument stands used to belong to the Weyerhaeuser Corporation. In 1996, Weyerhaeuser gave the land around the monument to the Fremont National Forest. This is now part of the Fremont-Winema National Forests. More land was added in 1997. A small picnic area was then built around the monument.

The Mitchell Monument

The Mitchell Monument was built by Weyerhaeuser in 1950. Tom Orr, a Weyerhaeuser forester, designed it. Robert H. Anderson, a local stonemason, built the stone structure. It is made of local stone. It has a bronze plaque with the names and ages of the victims.

The monument remembers the "only place on the American continent where death resulted from enemy action during World War II." About 500 people came to the monument's dedication on August 20, 1950. Oregon's governor, Douglas McKay, spoke at the ceremony.

Monument Plaque Text

Here are the words from the monument plaque:

The monument is very important because it remembers a key wartime event. Because of its historical value, the Mitchell Monument site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 2003.

Mitchell Recreation Area Today

Today, the Bly Ranger District manages the Mitchell Recreation Area. It is a picnic area for daytime visits. The site covers 22.7 acres (9.2 hectares). It is next to Leonard Creek and has many large ponderosa pines.

Besides the monument, you can also go fishing, hiking, and watch for wildlife here. The area is usually open from mid-May until the end of October. Next to the monument is the "shrapnel tree." This ponderosa pine still has marks from the explosion. In 2005, the State of Oregon named the shrapnel tree an Oregon Heritage Tree.

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  Mitchell recreation site

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  Mitchell Monument

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  Shrapnel scarred tree

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  Historic site sign

To get to the Mitchell Monument site from Bly, travel east on Oregon Route 140 for 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Then, turn left onto County Road 1259. After 0.5 miles (0.8 km) on the county road, turn right onto Forest Service Road 34. Follow this forest road for about 8 miles (13 km). The monument parking area will be on the right side of the road.