Faraday Powerhouse
Faraday Powerhouse, originally called “Cazadero Powerhouse,” constructed in the early 1900s, was the first hydroelectric powerhouse along the Clackamas River. Located just outside of Estacada, Oregon, it would be the first of many hydroelectric power plants along the Clackamas River. It generated electricity for over 100 years before being replaced by a new powerhouse in 2023 which was built with the intent of providing another 100 years of hydroelectric power.
1907 – Present
Harnessing the Clackamas
Visual Timeline
The “New” Faraday Powerhouse
Oral History
Faraday Powerhouse in Video
PGE employees and retirees shared stories of the historic Faraday Powerhouse as the company prepared to remove the original powerhouse in 2018 and replace the 111-year-old hydro facility on the Clackamas River. As part of mitigation associated with the replacement of the historic Faraday Powerhouse and to preserve its history, PGE developed this short film in 2019 to showcase the significance of Faraday through the stories of people who operated it over the decades.
PGE Faraday Powerhouse
The Powerhouse of Many Names
In the early 1900s, people called the first power plant on the Clackamas River, "Cazadero." This was the name used by the Oregon Water Power and Railway Company (OWP) and local newspapers. When a different company called Portland Railway Light and Power (PRLP) took over, they renamed it "Station G." This fit with their way of naming power plants, similar to how they called another plant "Station B" at Willamette Falls.
The Future of Faraday Powerhouse
A new power plant was built in almost the same spot as the old Faraday Powerhouse. This new plant has two brand-new units that can make an additional 18 megawatts of electricity. Unit No. 6 from the old plant remained mostly the same and continues to operate today. The Faraday Powerhouse was very important 100 years ago when Oregon was first getting electricity. Today, it's just as important because it helps Oregon continue the transition to clean energy.
PGE Three Lynx Village
Location
55538 E Highway 244
T5S-R6E-S21 (Mt. Hood National Forest)
Lat. 45.12629
Estacada, Clackamas County, Oregon, 97023
Land Owner
United State Forest Service, Mt. Hood National Forest"
Oral History Video
Three Lynx in Video
Three Lynx Village is an aspect of PGE History that goes beyond just electricity generation, as the community became a place of unique significance for many generations that lived there, attended the school or even worked there as teachers, many who never worked for PGE. Although the company town was home to PGE employees for 100 years, children from neighboring communities within the Mt. Hood National Forest attended the school, making it a focal point of the community and a place that brought everybody together. As part of mitigation to resolve the adverse effects associated with the removal of Three Lynx Village and to preserve the history of the community, PGE developed a short film to showcase the significance of Three Lynx through the stories of people that called it home.
History of Village
Developed between 1923 – 1924, Three Lynx Village began as a construction camp designated as “Camp 8”, then evolved into a housing complex for company workers in the upper Clackamas River basin. The community consisted of 17 cottages, garages, recreation facilities, a school and landscape features, all located within the heart of the Mt. Hood National Forest. The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) determined the Village was eligible for National Register of Historic Places listing in 1995 as one of the oldest and longest occupied company towns remaining in Oregon.
The area now known as Three Lynx was historically designated as Camp 8, but for much of its original development period it was referred to as “Three Links” in various references. Oregon Geographic Names, the definitive source on Oregon place names, states the following regarding Three Lynx Creek, the natural feature which gives the village its name:
An Oasis in the Middle of the Forest
Three Lynx is located about 20 miles southeast of Estacada within the Mt. Hood National Forest, in an area often referred to as the “Upper Clackamas” or Oak Grove. Three Lynx was initially created to house construction workers building the Oak Grove Powerhouse and other facilities on the Clackamas River. Between 1924 and 2020, the town provided inexpensive lodging for PGE employees and their families, acting as a community hub in this remote stretch of Oregon, which included other small communities such as Ripplebrook and the Timber Lake Job Corps.
The exact number of people that have lived at the Three Lynx Village since its founding in 1924 is unknown. Countless PGE employees, both current and retired, either grew up in the company-owned town, went to school there or lived in the village while working for the company. At the height of its history, Three Lynx boasted 17 full cabins, a community kitchen, an inground swimming pool and even a school basketball team rumored to have competed in a state championship at the height of the village.
The End of Three Lynx Village, the Community, not the Place
Transitioning from its original, construction-centric development as Camp 8, the Three Lynx Village developed as a permanent worker community and continued to provide housing, education, and social activities for residents of the isolated upper Clackamas drainage for nearly eighty years. The simple wood frame houses and related features of the community served Portland General Electric, its workers, and their families until improvements in transportation, communication and operations reduced the demand for housing in the remote area, causing the community population to decline. Residency at Three Lynx Village continued until January 2020, when it’s final occupants moved out.
After more than two-thirds of the housing units were destroyed by the Riverside Fire in September 2020, PGE, in cooperation with the Mt. Hood National Forest, removed the five remaining housing units and began the process of returning Three Lynx Village to a more natural historic condition within the Mt. Hood National Forest. Three Lynx Village will remain as an archaeology site for generations to come and forever be celebrated for the significance to all that lived there and Oregon as a whole.
Additional Resources:
History of Faraday
Constructing Hydropower on the Clackamas River
The Clackamas River has provided PGE with more than 130 years of innovation and sustainable energy production – enough to power 78,000 homes! The hydropower plants along the Clackamas River are an emissions-free, local source of electricity that draws its energy from the natural power of the regional water cycle. The hydropower facilities here don’t just provide a reliable, clean source of energy, their reservoirs provide Oregonians with a great place for outdoor recreational activities like swimming, boating and fishing, making them a significant part of PGE’s history.
1860s - 1930s
Next
History of PGE
Electrifying Oregon
Powering Progress
A Thoughtful Transition
History of PGE
Electrifying Oregon
Powering Progress
A Thoughtful Transition
History of PGE
Electrifying Oregon
Powering Progress
A Thoughtful Transition
Forever Evolving
Powering the Future
A Thoughtful Transition
Clackamas Project Expansion
Building Reliable Power Plants
Powering Progress
Willamette Falls
Clackamas River Construction
Electrifying Oregon
History of PGE
Location
34000 E. Faraday Road
T3S-R4E-S33
Lat. 45.268095, Long. -122.320104
Estacada, Clackamas County, Oregon, 97023
Landowner & Powerhouse Operator
Portland General Electric (PGE), Clackamas River Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 2195)
Faraday was designed to hold five generators in anticipation of future power needs. Only three generation units were installed initially. Water was diverted on the main channel of the Clackamas by the Cazadero Dam, a log-crib structure (replaced in 1966) built 1.5 miles upstream from the powerhouse to Faraday Lake, a mile-long reservoir.
There was a trolley stop and small community of houses named Faraday that were near the power plant. Over time, people started calling the power plant "Faraday" too. This began happening in the 1930s, but the name "Faraday" didn't completely replace "Station G" until the 1950s.
No matter what name it had, this power plant worked for more than 110 years. Its important history will live on as part of the new rebuilt power plant.
(Oregon Encyclopedia)
Faraday Dam and Powerhouse
(Oregon Encyclopedia)
Clackamas Hydroelectric Project
State Level Documentation
Faraday Powerhouse
Portland was growing fast in 1905 when the city hosted the Lewis & Clark Exposition. Many new people and businesses moved to Portland because of this fair and its emphasis on electrification. The Faraday Hydroelectric Project on the Clackamas River was built during this exciting time. Electric power was very important for Portland's growth. It provided electric lighting to Portland homes and businesses and helped factories run machines. But one of the coolest things it did was power the trolley system!
These electric trolleys were like early trains that connected small towns along the Clackamas River to Portland. Because of these trolleys and the new electricity for businesses, the city of Estacada was created. The electricity also helped farms and factories grow in the upper Clackamas River valley.
The “New” Faraday Powerhouse
Visual Timeline
Harnessing the Clackamas
The “New” Faraday Powerhouse
The “New” Faraday Powerhouse
These electric trolleys were like early trains that connected small towns along the Clackamas River to Portland. Because of these trolleys and the new electricity for businesses, the city of Estacada was created. The electricity also helped farms and factories grow in the upper Clackamas River valley.
In the early 1900s, people called the first power plant on the Clackamas River, "Cazadero." This was the name used by the Oregon Water Power and Railway Company (OWP) and local newspapers. When a different company called Portland Railway Light and Power (PRLP) took over, they renamed it "Station G." This fit with their way of naming power plants, similar to how they called another plant "Station B" at Willamette Falls.
There was a trolley stop and small community of houses named Faraday that were near the power plant. Over time, people started calling the power plant "Faraday" too. This began happening in the 1930s, but the name "Faraday" didn't completely replace "Station G" until the 1950s.
No matter what name it had, this power plant worked for more than 110 years. Its important history will live on as part of the new rebuilt power plant