In 1859 Rocky Butte was settled by Charles G. Schramm. In 1879 it was deeded by the United States Government and in 1882 Rocky Butte was acquired by Henry Villard and the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company as a source of rock for culverts for the Union Pacific Railway. With the coming of cement for building material, the Rocky Butte's value declined, and in 1923 the Butte was purchased by Joseph A. Hill, as a future site for the Hill Military Academy which was in need of expansion. In 1931 the Academy moved to the north end of the Rocky Butte.
In 1935 the crest of Rocky Butte was given to Multnomah County by Joseph A. and B.W. Hill. "Joseph Wood Hill Park" was created at the summit and dedicated to the public in memory of their father, Dr. J.W. Hill, an early Oregon educator and for many years head of the Bishop Scott Academy, which eventually became the Hill Military Academy. The park was improved during 1937-39 as a Work Project Authority (WPA) project, with stone walls, roadways, and a wide parking platform. The rock used for abutments and walls came from the Rocky Butte Quarry. In 1938 a road down the other side of the butte was built, which, because of the steep grade, included a turn within the tunnel. This proved so successful that many other tunnels throughout the state were patterned after it.
In 1988 the City of Portland acquired 16.82 acres on top of the butte and designated it as the "Rocky Butte Natural Area". Included in this is the 2.38 acre "Joseph Wood Hill Park".
The posted coords are for the Park Entrance. A short walk up to the park will give you wonderful views on a clear day.
In order to log this virtual, you will need to wander around the park and complete 3 steps. Message me the answer to the following two questions and post a picture of your favorite view from the park.
1. There are many alcoves in the wall surrounding the park, each with a light above it. How many of the alcoves have cement benches you can sit on?
2. There is a stone pedestal with arrows on top pointing out 8 views. Six of them give the elevation of the Mt. they are pointing at. One of the Mt. shows two elevations. What are the 2 elevations given for which Mt.?
3. Please post a picture of your favorite view from the top. Any log without a picture from the park will be deleted after 1 week.
This cache complies with the geocaching policies for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) properties. Please respect park hours when geocaching which are 5 am – 12 am.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.