1726 Washington Street
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on August 19, 2006
This site was originally called Green Point, and was a gathering place for Native Americans. Upon arriving here on June 2, 1840, George Abernethy took a 640-acre land claim here and built a home here with his wife, Anna. Abernethy's land became known as Abernethy Green. When emigrants began arriving in 1843, Abernethy allowed them to camp on his land until they could obtain a land claim of their own. The number of emigrants who stayed on Abernethy's land increased dramatically in 1846, then the Barlow Road opened, ending at Abernethy Green. An 1861 flood destroyed Abernethy's home. By that time, Oregon City had developed enough to support the incoming emigrants, and Abernethy Green was no longer needed as a camping ground. Abernethy moved to Portland.
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on August 19, 2006
In 1978, the United States Congress designated Abernethy Green as the Official End of the Oregon Trail. The large, faux covered wagons were built as the 1993 Preview Center of the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The center officially opened in 1995. Two historical plaques are on the site. One, placed by the Northwest Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association on Saturday, April 7, 2001, gives the history of Abernethy Green. Another plaque was placed in honor of Dan Fowler, Mayor of Oregon City from 1991 to 1998.
Dan Fowler Plaque on August 19, 2006
The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, owned by the City of Oregon City, closed in September 2009 when the operators couldn't afford to keep it open. The grounds remained open to the public. The center reopened in July 2013.
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