The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates. To get the final coordinates, you must solve the associated Adventure Lab, A Streetcar Trip Thru Albany in 1913. Here is the QR Code:
Once you find the AL final waypoint it will reveal the final coordinates for this cache
This mystery bonus cache description will provide more historical detail about the people mentioned in the Adventure Lab and the places visited.
The People:
Dr. Bertam R Shoemaker: He was born in 1887 in Ohio. He was married in 1913 in Napoleon Ohio and moved to Roseburg, Oregon. Soon after setting up his practice, he placed ads in the local paper. He later became a physician at the Douglas County Hospital. He passed away in 1965
Dr. Thomas Wynne Watts. He was born in 1879 in Louisana. He attended LSU, then Kentucky University where he graduated in 1906 as a Dr of Medicine. He then was in New York City and Cleveland for post-graduate work. He then did work in South America before moving to Portland in 1913 to set up practice. He was married in 1909. He was active in the medical profession as well as political causes.
Dr. J. L. Hill: He was a true Oregon pioneer physician. He was born in 1846 in Tennessee. He crossed the plains with his parents to Oregon in 1953. His father settled near Albany and became the first physician in the area, he was also a Baptist Minister. J. L. took up medicine from his father and attended Willamette University. He opened his first practice in Buena Vista but later moved to Albany. He purchased the Monteith house in 1901. In 1914 he traveled around the world. He was supposed to visit the holy land, but WWI stopped that part of the trip. He was very active in the community and with the Baptist Church. He passed away in 1919. He was found dead in his home after it was thought he was on vacation at Breitenbush Hot Springs.
Monteith Family: Brothers Walter and Thomas Montieth came to Oregon via the Oregon Trail in 1847. They purchased land near where the Calapooia River meets the Willamette River. They plotted a townsite and named it after their town of birth, Albany, NY. They built their still existing home in 1849. The brothers seemed to have made successful ventures with the California Gold Rush of 1849. This gave them the resources to help Albany's growth in the late 1800s. The Monteith Family sold the house in 1901 to Dr. J.L. Hill (the Doctor featured in the AL story).
The Railroads
Southern Pacific: The mainline railroad thru Albany was originally built by the Oregon and California Railroad in 1870 with the intent of linking the two states in its name. The O&C which later became part of the Southern Pacific. In the 1990s the SP became part of the Union Pacific. The train that dr. Shoemaker took was listed in the 1914 SP timetable as a local train that started in Roseburg at 8:00 am and stopped in Albany at 12:40 pm on its way to Portland. I made the assumption that the same train operated in 1913.
Oregon Electric: The OE was an electrified interurban railway that linked Portland to Eugene. The section thru Albany opened on July 4th, 1912. The passenger trains ran down the middle of 5th street thru town, with the brick station at 5th and Lyons. The OE ended passenger service in 1933. The freight service continues to this day along Albany's Water Street. The train that Dr. Watts boarded per the AL was listed in the 1913 OE timetable. The specific train he used was called The Limited and noted as having a parlor car as part of the train. Why not spring the extra fare to ride in style.
Albany Streetcar: The Albany streetcar started as a horsecar in 1889. It later was operated by dummy steam locomotives, but they were not reliable, so they went back to horses. By 1909 the line was electrified. It ran between the Albany Train station, down Lyons Street to 1st Ave, then terminating at 1st and Washington in front of the Occidental Hotel.
The Locations
Roseburg Train Station: The Railroad first came to Roseburg in 1872 with a small train station. It was replaced with a much larger station around 1900. In 1912, the Southern Pacific replaced it with the current brick and aggregate structure. This is the station that Dr. Shoemaker would have used. The station is no longer served by passenger trains. However, it has been fully restored and is part of a local brewpub chain.
Albany Train Station. The current Albany Train station was built in 1909 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. This station still serves passengers daily with trains to Seattle and Eugene, in addition to the long-distance train to Los Angeles.
Albany Oregon Electric Station: Opened in 1912 to serve the OE interurban trains. The trains stopped running in 1933. Today, the building is utilized as a restaurant.
Albany Elks Lodge: The original lodge was at the corner of 1st and Lyons in Albany. It had changed many times over the years but finally closed in the 1970s due to fire. Today, where it stood is an outdoor plaza.
The St. Francis Hotel. This hotel opened in 1912 as the premier hotel in downtown Albany. When it opened, the cost for stay a night was 50 cents. If you wanted the meal plan in the dining room, it also cost 50 cents. The restaurant was popular with locals as well as overnight guests. The building was designed by Albany architect Charles Burggraf. Today the upper 3 floors are basically abandoned. The street level is used by a printing press company. There are talks about re-development/restoration.
The Monteith House: It was built in 1849 by the Monteith brothers, the founders of Albany. Dr. Hill bought the house in 1901 and moved it 50 feet west and turned it to face north. The house has been modified many times over the years by different owners. It was purchased by the City of Albany in 1975 and has been restored to its original appearance. It is now a history museum.
This bonus cache final location: The impressive old church on the corner was built in 1891 as a United Presbyterian Church. It remains a church today, but of a different denomination.
I hope you enjoyed the Adventure Lab and learning a bit about the history of Albany and its people.