Aurora Mills

Jeffrey Butts

Summer's over. Fall has arrived in typical Oregon style. After what would have been one of the driest September's on record the skies opened up and we had nearly two inches on the last day of the month. With Stephanie and her friends working a craft sale in our garage, I went to check out Oregon's most successful communist community. Wait wait. Before you go running off collecting your red banners and International Worker's of the World newspapers, I meant that in the most traditional of definitions. That was communists with a small "c." You know, commune - ist?

Aurora, Oregon lies just south of the Willamette River, on the banks of the Pudding River (which was pretty much the eastern boundary of the French Prairie. Refer to the story called "Willamette Landings"), about 20 miles from Beaverton. The town's background traces back to the mid-1850's when a feisty German by the name of William Keil headed a wagon train west from Missouri. Keil, first a tailor and then a druggist by trade, was caught up in the communal living experiments going on in the country at the time. The Shakers were an example in NY. Brook Farm (often loosely associated with Emerson) was an "intellectual" experiment in communal living. Keil joined a New Testament group and picked up a following in Pennsylvania. A very charismatic man, he and a group of followers moved west to establish a working commune named Bethel in Missouri. They had a reputation for quality products, not the least of which was Golden Rule corn whiskey. It was a highly successful community and grew to a population of well over a thousand. Restless to move and begin another smaller settlement, Keil sent out a scouting party who found an area in SW Washington and sent word back to Bethel. He recruited a group of 250 like-minded adventurers from the Bethel Township and set out for Oregon in 1855 with 34 wagons.

Keil had promised his son Willy that he could lead the train with his wagon in front and, in May of that year, they were all set to move out. Willy, however, died four days before the group was scheduled to leave. In what must have seemed a strange move at the time (or even now) "Dr" Keil, as he was known amongst the flock, used the lead wagon as a funeral hearse, with open sides and a rigid top. Willy rode along, locked in his casket and pickled in that same Golden Rule whiskey. Now ya gotta understand that, at this time, things were hoppin' along the prairie. The Indians, er... Native American Indigenous Tribes were getting a little pissed about all the settlers coming across the Great Plains and west of the Rockies. It was not a good time to be a tourist. In spite of repeated warnings from trading posts and frontier garrisons, Keil was determined to travel on and expected that the Lord would protect him. Well, it may have been the Lord or it may have been Willy but the Indians were mightily curious about that coffin and showed a deference not seen by other pioneers on the Oregon Trail. Clearly there was not a tapper in the side.

Initially the Sioux came to investigate, likely with ulterior motives, but felt that the hearse and its' contents were strong medicine. With communication between the two groups, and an interest in their purpose, the Sioux were treated to hospitality and to, of all things, music. In addition to singing the Gospel, the settlers had musical instruments and were a big hit with the Sioux. The first Woodstock. They were visited again and the history of that party includes incidents where Indians guided the wagon train when they were lost in the fog and returned stray cattle. The reputation of Keil's group preceded them and they were the beneficiaries of similar treatment from the Cayuse and the Calapooya tribes. In fact, the whole of the trip was made with no hassles. Thanks Willie!

Arriving in Washington, the land originally scouted was deemed too hilly, wet, and forested for good farming and the scouts were again sent out, to the south this time. In short order, Keil and his followers purchased land and moved into the Willamette Valley, just south of Portland the following Spring. They named the new colony Aurora Mills, after his daughter Aurora and it was a thriving commune for the next 30 or 40 years. As with Bethel, they had a reputation for outstanding products. In addition to wheat, apples, pears, and plums, they made furniture, braid, and a number of other consumer products. The railroad came right through town and the hotel was famous up and down the west coast for food and lodging. Portlanders referred to Aurora Mills as Dutchtown since the residents all spoke German (Pennsylvania Dutch). Over time, exposure to the rest of the surrounding communities and the disaffection of youth led to a gradual decline in the strict adherence to Keil's doctrine. Keil himself died in 1877 and from there it was a more rapid convergence with the rest of Oregon's communities.

As you arrive in Aurora (no longer called Aurora Mills) today, the chief commerce of the city is antiques. There are literally dozens of shops, some occupying original colony buildings and some built later in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One outstanding example is the Aurora State Bank building. Originally part of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition in what is now the NW Industrial District, the building was disassembled stone by stone, sent south by rail, and reassembled in town. The top floors have some apartments but an art dealer who has her business on the main floor owns the building. The original safe, replete with a painting on the door is a sight to behold. Just across the road is the Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage building. This was a grain mill likely dating from the early 1900's. The current owner has been there seven years. I can remember driving here in the late 1980's and it was an empty building. He said that the building was from the 1870's but I find that difficult to believe. It is full of bits and pieces of house trim. Windows, gables, doors, shelves, knobs, and all types of items abound in a musty, barn like setting. The true gem to see though, are the two buildings that flank the mill and parallel the active Burlington Northern train line. These siding buildings, originally used to on and offload freight from the rail line, are exactly the kind of thing that model railroaders try so hard to recreate in miniature. Across the street is the Railway terminal, moved from its original site to this location. It houses antiques now and, except for a couple of items and a lamp display by the door, has absolutely nothing to do with its original purpose.

Back up in town, I was delighted to see other sports cars out on this rainy weekend. A local Corvette club was doing a "Mystery Tour." I visited with the owner of a well-maintained 1968 Corvette (remember the Larry Shinoda Mako style?). Up the hill just a bit is the original Keil General Store. It is now; you guessed it, an antique store. Sigh. I had lunch in an antique store/cafe‚ up on Highway 99 and then spent the next half hour on foot exploring the homes around the downtown area. They range from Keil's house and some of the original colonist homes (above on right) to some gingerbread homes put up in the latter days of the colony. An old ox barn has been converted into the museum. It costs a couple of bucks to get in but, if you are lucky, you will meet someone like I did. Janus Childs was the caretaker on duty this day. I asked if she was related to a family in the original colony and the answer was no, but she is the daughter of an Oregon pioneer. Close enough for me. She was dressed in the appropriate clothing of the colony period and was quite knowledgeable on the subject matter. One building that I wanted to see was the three-story Aurora Hotel but it was long gone, having been torn down many years ago. The photos really did do it justice though with a wide set up steps up to the second floor and walk around balconies on the second and third. The top had a captain's walk where one of the two Aurora Bands, famous from the days of the original wagon train until the 1930's, would play.

I walked up to where the police station is and was treated to another surprise. Behind the station was a jail that likely dated from the late 1800's (left). The solid metal door was ajar and I pried it open (on well oiled hinges) and could see the cells inside. Obviously used for storage now, it was clearly a place that would deter me from a life of crime. Keil's mantra had been "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." Apparently this was for some who felt they needed more.

I hopped back into my car and headed out of town thinking that this was a place and these commune - ists would be good to visit if Jules Verne's time machine was ever available. But since this is the 21st Century, I'll just zip back up the freeway and see how my Capitalist wife was making out in her garage sale.