| SUBJECT PROPERTY
The large gabled horse barn located to the east of the house is one of the best preserved barns in the area. It represents a type of Western barn, known as a bank barn because it was built with a ramp to the main level. The ground level was traditionally used for animal shelter. In 1910 tax assessor records indicate that Nagl owned 30 acres, two horses, three cows and nine swine. The barn was used for horse breeding for many years.
The Nagl House has two distinct volumes. The southern volume of the house is believed to have been constructed circa 1887, when J. George and Mary Nagl purchased the property from H.J. Haack. Tax assessor records and architectural evidence suggest the main portion (north volume) was constructed circa 1905. The house remained in the Nagl family through the historic period; in 1936 J. George deeded it to Henry A. and William C. (presumably his sons). The family deeded the property to J.N. and Anne McDonald in the 1940s.
The older portion of the house has had major changes to the windows, which effects the physical integrity of the building, through the destruction of its original character defining features. The larger, northern volume appears to be virtually as constructed. In 1994 the house was added onto and a garage was added. The northern volume illustrates the Queen Anne style at the end of the period during when the style was constructed. It is one of the better examples of the type in the county. While there are many dwellings on the Clackamas County Inventory which are designed in the Queen Anne or Queen Anne Vernacular style of architecture, the vast majority of these dwellings are located in the urban areas. Those outside cities are generally located within close proximity to urban centers. The Nagl House is the most exuberant example of the Queen Anne style in the study area.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The earliest settlers in the Wilsonville-Stafford-Pete's Mountain area were the Boone family, descendants of famous American explorer Daniel Boone. Jesse Boone settled a claim on the south side of the Willamette River. George Curry settled immediately to the east of Boone and would serve as Territorial Governor, as well as governor of the State. In 1847 Jesse and Alphonso Boone built a ferry landing at the Willamette. Two years later Alphonso and many other pioneers left for the California gold fields; Jesse continued to operate the ferry. In 1852 H. Petite filed a claim on the north side of the river, at the site now known as Wilsonville. By the close of the 1850s, the entire length of the Willamette River within Clackamas County had been claimed. In addition the most desirable farmland near the river had also been claimed. Settlements were also springing up near the waterway. The first settlement in the vicinity was Butteville, which is located just over the Marion County line on the east side of the Willamette. By 1850 a town had been laid out by Abernethy and Beers and a post office was established with F.X. Matthieu named postmaster.
Aurora Mills (Aurora) was established by Dr. William Keil on the road between Salem and Oregon City. The city is located just south of the Marion County line. Keil and about 500 followers came to Oregon from Bethel, Missouri, and for the next 20 years operated Aurora as an agrarian communistic colony. The population of the county at that time was primarily made up of English, Irish and German immigrants, many of who had lived in the Missouri, Mississippi or Ohio river valleys prior to moving westward to Oregon.
The presence of Boone's Ferry contributed to the development of Boones Ferry Road, as it now known, which became a Territorial Road in 1857 and it would retain its status as a primary thoroughfare between Portland and Salem until after World War II. Steamboat service for the area began in 1852 and over the next 25 years four landings were in operation in the vicinity. The flood of 1861 62 destroyed many primary shipping points along the upper and lower Willamette. Landings and ferries in the Boone's Ferry area survived due to their higher elevation, a factor that had once cast the locale as a secondary shipping site, now was seen as an advantage. With the opening of the locks at Willamette Falls even more freight would be shipped via the river. Wheat and wood were the primary exports.
Mid 19th century dwellings were often of log or simple wood frame construction. Many buildings exhibited an influence from the Classical Revival style of architecture, although generally this influence was limited to symmetrical facade arrangements, and suggestions of a cornice at the eave line and corner boards.
After the Civil War (1865 1883), the area experienced slow but steady growth. By 1866 a store and a water powered grist mill were in operation at Boone's Ferry. In 1876 Charles Wilson was named postmaster, a service he ministered from his store. Four years later Boone's Ferry was officially known as Wilsonville. The Oregon California Railroad, the single most important transportation improvement of the period, bypassed Boone's Ferry, but the rural population continued to expand. With the exception of the more hilly areas, farms were established throughout the study area. Like their residential counterparts, agricultural buildings from the period were generally simple buildings. Due to the nature of farming practices, barns and sheds were low profile broad buildings.
During this period, subsistence farming was the norm throughout the county as well as in the Wilsonville vicinity. Livestock and cereal grains were raised and lumber complemented the rural economy. Kitchen gardens were essential. Toward the end of the period, oats began to surpass wheat as the number one crop and potatoes attained the rank of number three crop. Increasing numbers of livestock corresponded with an increase in hay production. The total number of acres in cultivation tripled during the period. Further, improvements in farm practices and building technology caused changes to agrarian buildings. Lumber was an important part of the local economy. Saw mills and grist mills dotted the landscape. Wood cutting was profitable in the areas near Oswego. Here, the iron smelting operation demanded cord wood for the furnace until coal could be imported from southern Oregon.
Dwellings from this period were simple wood frame buildings; many showed an influence from the Gothic Revival style of architecture. The most common style is the Vernacular or Western Farmhouse. In contrast to earlier dwellings, the buildings of this period had a vertical emphasis: windows were taller and roof pitch was steeper. Drop siding was the most popular exterior wall material, although some buildings were clad with primitive lap siding. Windows had multiple lights or panes. The windows of earlier buildings (circa 1860s) typically had six lights or panes in each sash. As window glass became more readily available panes became larger and the number of lights became fewer. By the end of the period four lights per sash became common. In general agricultural buildings continued to be low, broad buildings. However, beginning in the 1870s barns began to be taller to accommodate machinery, such as hay fork lifts.
During the Progressive Era (1883 1913) the population of Clackamas County tripled from 9260 to almost 30,000. In the Wilsonville area approximately 20 per cent of the newcomers were German. The land near the river had been claimed or purchased since the previous period, therefore arable land, especially that on a roadway, became attractive or desirable. The Wilsonville vicinity experienced expansion in commerce and industry. Business directories of 1886 list one flour mill, two sawmills, a brick yard and a general store at Wilsonville. The population had reached 75 and mail was delivered three times a week. Five years later another sawmill and a saloon had been established; mail was delivered daily. Farms increased in raw numbers and in total production.
Changes in agriculture and other industries, and a trend toward urbanization marked the period. Technological advancements in agriculture continued, resulting in higher productivity. Hops and prunes became major cash crops. Income related to dairying doubled during the period. Truck farming near urban centers increased. Lumber began to decrease in importance in the lower elevations. However, in hilly areas, such as Pete's Mountain, the cutting of timber continued well into the 20th century. A major market for wood came from the pulp and paper industry at the Willamette Falls.
Throughout the country and in the Wilsonville vicinity the public demanded better roadways. In 1893 the enabling legislation was passed authorizing road improvement districts, realized in part by the agitation of farmers via the Grange and other organizations. The establishment of the Rural Free Delivery mail program also stimulated farmers to spend funds for rural road improvements. Interurban railroads also sought to fill the demand for better transportation systems and entrepreneurs took advantage of the situation. George A. Steel, prominent Portland businessman and attorney, is attributed with the naming of the Stafford area. Steel was involved with a plan to run an interurban railroad from Portland south through Oswego. Presumably Steel's interest in the Stafford area came from his speculation that the line would pass through Stafford on its way to points south. In 1890 Steel abandoned his interest in the west side interurban in favor of the east side line through Oak Grove to Oregon City.
Almost 20 years later, the town of Wilsonville was platted by John W. Thornton in concert with the coming of the Oregon Electric Railroad. A bridge over the Willamette was constructed in 1907 and service began in 1908. The following year 38 commuter trains traveled daily between Portland and Salem via Wilsonville, Tualatin and other west side communities. Oregon Electric built a park at the river's edge and billed Wilsonville as a stopover as well as an excursion point. During the decade the town center shifted from the river to the depot. In 1911 Thornton established Farmer's Bank of Wilsonville, signaling the maturation of the community as an agricultural center. Thornton had been a railroad official in the Midwest and had participated in the construction of the Oregon Electric.
Vernacular buildings continued to be popular in the Wilsonville vicinity, although in rare instances more varied styles were constructed. The eclectic styles of the late 19th century were more popular in cities; rural folk adapted modest forms of the ornament typically associated with the urban designs. The availability of machine made ornament, such as turned posts and balustrades, jigsawn brackets, and patterned shingles, allowed a modicum of decorative treatments to be used on even the most remote farmhouse. At the turn of the century innovative American styles came into being. The most popular in Clackamas County was the Craftsman Bungalow. The designers of this type rejected the machine made ornament and instead embraced the handmade look and natural materials. This building type would continue to be the most popular through the following period. Agricultural buildings changed dramatically during the Progressive Era. By the turn of the century barns had become quite tall. Most barns were equipped with devices to raise hay to a second floor or to a higher loft. Barns began to be designed in a variety of shapes, including Gambrel and Gothic Gambrel.
During the Motor Age (1914 1940) transportation improvements and growth in population continued to fuel agricultural activity. By the 1920s specialized crops, such as fruit and nut cultivation and dairying began to supplant general farming in the Wilsonville vicinity. In 1927 the Oregon Electric ceased operation. Automobiles took precedence. Again the town center shifted, this time from the depot to the crossroads less than one mile north of the river. During the Depression and the years following, the population remained steady at slightly over 350. The town continued as an agricultural center.
Changes in agricultural buildings continued. Large barns were still constructed, but the most notable change was the introduction of outbuildings for large scale specialized farming. In the 1950s, the Wilsonville area witnessed dramatic changes. The ferry crossing was abandoned in favor of an automobile bridge over the Willamette. Wilsonville became an interchange on the interstate freeway system. The city was incorporated in 1968. |
