Going skiing up at Mt. Hood? Visiting Timberline Lodge or hiking at Mirror Lake? One block off of Highway 26 sits the town of Government Camp.

Maryanne Hill moved there eighty years ago from Forest Grove. We met her at the house that sixty-plus years ago she helped build.

Later, Maryanne joined us at The Mount Hood Cultural Center and Museum, where curator Lloyd Mussler collects and exhibits artifacts from winter and mountain sports, the Barlow Road branch of the Oregon Trail, local and natural history, and the surrounding national forest.

The blue-roofed lodge is also a haven for the local community, hosting meetings and lectures year-round.

“Most communities have a school or a grange or a church,” Lloyd explained. “We don’t have any of the above. There was no public meeting place before.”

Editor’s Note: This is part of an eight-part series of the Oregon Cultural Trust’s Field Guide to Oregon Culture, which spotlights cultural attractions around the state. The Cultural Trust supports more than 1,300 nonprofits statewide in the development of arts, heritage, and humanities programs. Learn how your free contribution can enrich lives at CulturalTrust.org.