Memaloose Rest Area To Close For Building Construction Project -04/22/25

Mosier, Oregon – The Memaloose Rest Area, located near mile maker 72.9, on I-84, (six miles east of Mosier, OR), will temporarily close to allow for the completion of a rest room building renovation and expansion project. Eastbound parking lots and facilities will close starting on April 22, 2025. Westbound parking lots and facilities will close on or around May 1, 2025; however, the westbound exit will remain open to allow access to the entrance of Memaloose State Park. Both sides of the rest area will open to the public by July 1, 2025.  Travelers are advised to plan and make use of alternative rest areas or services in the vicinity. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience as these critical improvements are made.

 

The Memaloose Rest Area Building Renovation and Expansion Project will upgrade and expand the existing facilities to improve restroom capacity, ensure compliance with ADA standards, and implement necessary building improvements by adding approximately 200 square feet to the women's and men's facilities. The additions will add three standard stalls and one ADA stall to each facility, as well as upgraded toilets, urinals, lights, partitions, sinks, tile, and flooring.  This project will improve safety and decrease wait times by doubling the restroom capacity.

 

The Travel Information Council approved the expenditure of $1.7 million dollars for the project.  Funding for this capital project was allocated by the Oregon Legislature as part of HB 2017 to make improvements at rest areas.  After the open competitive bid process was completed, the project was awarded to Constructions Services Group of Vancouver, WA.  

 

The Travel Information Council, a semi-independent state agency, was created by the State of Oregon in the 1970s to operate the highway blue logo sign program following the Highway Beautification Act. The agency now also operates the Oregon Historical Marker and Heritage Tree Programs as well as 39 rest areas at 25 locations in Oregon, providing clean, safe, and inviting locations that are open and free to use 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Oregon Heritage Tree Designated In Cedar Mill (Photo) -04/18/25

(Cedar Mill, Oregon) The Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee are pleased to announce the acceptance of fruit trees at the Elizabeth Constable and John Quincy Adams Young House into the Oregon Heritage Tree Program. 

 

This designation includes three fruit trees- a Shellbark Hickory, a Bartlett Pear, and a Gravenstein Apple- that 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 85^th 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 public will be invited to participate in dedicating the trees this fall during the Cedar Mill Cider Festival, Sunday, September 21 noon-4pm. Michael Panhorst with the Friends of the Young House says, “The Cider Festival is a community event that brings history, entertainment, and family fun together. This fall we invite everyone to join in the 17^th year of the festival and a chance to view these trees.”

 

You can visit the Elizabeth Constable and John Quincy Adams Young House Trees at 12050 NW Cornell Road in Beaverton. Parking is available at the church next door. The site can also be accessed via the Cedar Mill Creek Greenway that features the Sue Conger Boardwalk with views of the Cedar Mill Falls.

 

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 www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.