In the early 1900's, the site was
occupied by a pioneer named Thomas Eugene Cascade. He gained
some notoriety from his early studies of the now threatened species
of Silverspot butterflies, but ultimately he was remembered only
for his collection of valuable gold coins that went missing, as
well as his abnormally large head.
For years, locals would visit to swim
at the beaches and Salmon River, and Thomas Cascade would be seen
walking up and down the hills. Because of his large head, he
was often ridiculed and referred to by his head instead of his
given name, Thomas. People would point to him in the distance
and say, "There's Cascade's head". This phrase was used so
often that it was mistaken as the name for the area, and later it
appeared on maps as "Cascade Head."
For the most part, Thomas was left
alone, and he wasn't given much attention until an article appeared
in Oregon newspapers. It traced the lineage of a royal family
from generation to generation all the way from England to
Oregon. The last surviving member of this royal blood line
was Mr. Thomas Eugene Cascade. Of more interest to locals was
the mention of the family's rare gold coin collection that Mr.
Cascade had inherited. That raised an eyebrow or two, and for
a while, people started to think of Cascade as more than just a
large head. Because Thomas didn't appear to have any
possessions other than the clothes on his back, many speculated
that his cache of gold coins was hidden near the top of the hill
that he climbed day in and day out.
The land that Thomas Cascade resided on
was owned by the Neschensney Indian Tribe. In 1936, the last
of the Neschensney died, and under the Indian Reorganization Act,
the Cascade Head land became available for sale. It was
purchased by the Portland YWCA and for a time was known as YWCA's
Camp Westwind at Cascade Head. There was no sign of Thomas
Cascade after the purchase, other than the trails created by his
feet.
If you grew up in Oregon schools, the story of Thomas Cascade may
be familiar to you. The young women that visited the camp
wrote a nursery rhyme that is still repeated to this
day.
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Old Tom Cascade, he
had a big head.
He had a big head indeed.
And when he would walk,
his big head would bobble,
and sway in the wind like a weed.
He went up, he went down
he went up, he went down,
making a path by the sea.
Some say he bobbled his way to the top,
and hid a treasure under a tree. |
 |
Can you find the hidden treasure on
top of Cascade's Head? The most likely location is at the
posted coordinates - a hidden cove known to be favored by Thomas
Cascade himself. To find the treasure, you'll need to think
like Cascade. Respect your surroundings and don't stray from
the paths so as to not disturb the endangered species of
butterflies that are breeding. There's no need to bushwhack,
because Cascade never would have.
There are a few ways to get there, but you'll want to use his
original path that starts at what is now parking for Knight County
Park at the end of N. Three Rocks Road off Highway 101. The
trail is steep at times, and it's a vigorous hike to an altitude of
1,067 feet, but it's well worth it. If you're feeling lazy,
and you don't care who made the trail you're following, you can
take Cascade Head Road off Highway 101 (N45°3'56" W123°56'54") West
all the way to the top (stay left), followed by a casual 1 mile
walk. Lastly, remember the nursery rhyme and you may just
find the treasure!
*PLEASE NOTE:
The nearby hillside is prone to rock slides with at least one
significant slide in the immediate area of the cache (about 50 feet
to the south), and according to a Nature Conservancy Volunteer,
there was a fatality. Please exercise good judgement and be careful
when hiking near the edge of the cliffs.