PALMER, OREGON - A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF BRIDAL VEIL

I hope you enjoy this walk through time. I will be uploading the present day footage and pictures I have soon, I know you want to see it. I don't have a ton of pictures or videos personally. Thankfully, I found a significant number of photos online, from last 15 years 'til now, which I will also include. I've heard a lot of things have gotten lost out there over time. Thanks again for watching!

Palmer, Oregon was a small logging community established in the late 19th century as part of the Bridal Veil Falls Lumbering Company. Located on Larch Mountain, about 1 and a half miles away from Bridal Veil, it was a key part of the company's lumber production operations. The mill at Palmer primarily focused on rough-milling timber, which was then transported down a mile-and-a-half-long, V-shaped flume to the Bridal Veil mill for finishing into commercial lumber.

The town was connected to a system of railroads used to haul timber to the mill. In its early years, Palmer mill operated until 1902, when a fire destroyed the facility. The mill was rebuilt nearby and the town continued to operate as New Palmer until 1936. That year, another fire destroyed part of the mill, and by that time, the timber resources on Larch Mountain had been largely depleted. As a result, the company decided to cease operations.

Interestingly, in 1937, Bridal Veil and its mills, including the Palmer Mill site, were sold to a new company that became the Bridal Veil Lumber and Box Company. They began producing iconic wooden cheese boxes for Kraft Foods. It produced these now-collectible wooden cheese boxes until it closed in 1960.

Today, remnants of the history of Palmer can still be found along Palmer Mill Road and in the surrounding forests of Larch Mountain, including old railroad ties and traces of logging infrastructure.