About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breathtaking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveler, but anyone else can go and find it, too. More Information can be found on the SideTracked Website.
This cache also qualifies for the Disappearing RR Blues bonus cache. This series highlights the railways of NW Oregon.
About Hawthorn MAX Station
Welcome to the Hawthorn Farm MAX Station. Like the rest of the Westside MAX alignment, this station sits on the former Oregon Electric Railway (OE) line, which once connected Forest Grove and Portland. Based on historic OE timetables and maps, this station appears to be near the location of the old Milkapsi stop. Milkapsi stood just east of today’s Dawson Creek—known as Rock Creek before 1930.
A Bit of Local History
The name Hawthorn Farm dates back to 1933, when Harold Weiss Ray purchased a 400‑acre estate from Rachel Hawthorn. Dr. Ray developed a horse racetrack on the property, calling it Sunset Downs. The land was later sold in 1960 and gradually transformed into an industrial district.
The high‑tech campus just north of the station opened in the early 1980s, marking the beginning of the area’s shift toward the Silicon Forest identity it has today.
Station Artwork
Artist Patrick Zentz drew inspiration from the surrounding wetlands and nearby tech industries, blending natural and mechanical themes into a unique sensory experience:
- Tone bars embedded in the windscreens chime as trains approach
- Sounds recorded from the wetlands are projected onto the platform
- The artwork reflects the meeting point of nature, technology, and motion
About the Cache
The cache is a short walk from the station. There is no street parking at the hide, so arriving by MAX is the best option.