Sunday, September 21, noon-4 pm, 12050 NW Cornell (parking after 12:30 pm in the Bible Church lot)

Our homegrown community event returns, with history, live music, fresh cider, food, vendors and community groups, and fun for all ages.

The main event is the cider pressing, where you can see how pioneers made cider, and sample the delicious fresh pressed juice for free. Market of Choice donates the apples, and scouts from Troop 208 run the press.

Lauren Sheehan returns with her band to wrap us in Roots/Americana tunes. Our event sponsor, Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, will bring along the RecMobile and the Nature Mobile to entertain kids.

Don’t miss the big triple-canopy History Tent where you can learn about our history—from the native Atfálati people to the pioneers and the early days of the Cedar Mill community. Friends of the JQA Young House will be selling apple and pear saplings cloned from the heritage trees next to the house and sharing updates on efforts to preserve and eventually renovate our historic house, built in the 1860s next to the sawmill owned by John Quincy Adams Young, who named our community!

The Seasoned Spoon will bring their mobile bbq pit to provide pulled pork and chicken sandwiches and hot dogs for the kids, along with sides and drinks. Twisted Real Fruit Ice Cream makes fresh and delicious treats on the spot.

We will have a couple of craft booths this year, but most of the canopies will host community groups providing information about their activities, including Girl Scouts, Master Gardeners who will offer advice and information about their classes, Treekeepers, The Genealogical Forum of Oregon, and Tualatin Valley Water District who will offer free drinking water, and many more.

Heritage Tree dedication

The park has three historic trees, and thanks to the efforts of our neighbors with Treekeepers and THPRD, they have been inducted into the Oregon Heritage Tree Program. At 2:15, there will be a brief ceremony and celebration. Speakers at the event include Friends of the JQA Young House and the chair of the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee.

The trees—a Shellbark Hickory, a Bartlett Pear, and a Gravenstein Apple—are landscape features of the historic Young House and estimated to be around 150 years old. These trees represent an example of early home management and food production, typical of an early farm or residential property of the period. Collectively, they are Oregon’s 85th Heritage Tree Designation.

Built between 1863 and 1869, the Young House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its association with the early growth and community development of Cedar Mill in Washington County. The house served as the residence of the Young family from 1869-1874 and then as the first post office and a community store from 1874-1881. It is the oldest remaining historic resource in Cedar Mill.

These fruit trees provide clues to the ways people have used, changed, and interacted with their surroundings over time. Often when the built environment erodes, remaining fruit trees are a clue to historians where a house may have stood. The Young House trees are unique in that visitors can see a historic house still standing next to the remaining fruit trees on the property.

Oregon Heritage Tree Committee Chair Dave Hedberg encourages the public to visit the JQA Young House Trees: “Visiting an Oregon Heritage Tree is a chance to engage your senses and learn about local history in the real world – not just in books and on screens. It’s a way to honor the role trees play in our lives and Oregon’s history. When you visit the Young House, consider the proximity and relationship of the trees to the house. There are few remaining structures over 150 years old where you can see a house still standing next to the original fruit trees.”

Keith Watson, support services manager with Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) adds, “The JQA Young House is the last remaining above-ground resource associated with the cedar mill for which the community was named. THPRD is pleased that the remaining fruit trees are part of the state Heritage Tree Program.”

The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.

The grounds are wheelchair-accessible, although the area is not paved and can be rough in spots. Free parking is available after 12:30 pm in the Cedar Mill Bible Church parking lot; look for the signs on Cornell. TriMet line 62 Murray serves the site.