Philip Foster was one of Oregon's earliest settlers, arriving with his family by ship via Cape Horn and the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) in 1843. He played an important part in Oregon's early history, serving as the first Treasurer of the Provisional Government in 1844 and 1845. Foster was also an entrepreneur, partnering with Sam Barlow in constructing the Barlow Road in 1846, operating a store in Oregon City, and founding a flourmill and cattle company with Dr. John McLoughlin, known as the Father of Oregon.

Foster bought a 640-acre land-claim in Eagle Creek in 1847, which he developed for the arrival of emigrants traveling the Barlow Road, the "last leg" overland segment of the Oregon Trail. He cleared land, planted crops and orchards, built a log house and a store, as well as constructing a lumber mill and gristmill. The Foster place became a welcome sight for pioneers struggling over the shoulder of Mt. Hood after their 2,000-mile journey from Missouri. With the store, cabins to rent and meals offered to the emigrants, Foster's Place was indeed the First Destination Resort in the Oregon Territory.

Every overlander who kept a diary on the trek over the Barlow Road to Oregon City wrote of Fosters "place." Most wrote that they had finally found the "paradise" they were seeking. Some recorded in their diaries the pleasure of tasting fresh fruit for the first time in months. Others wrote of their gratitude for being able to get sick relatives under a real roof. Pioneers, however, also wrote that everything Foster provided was for a price.

Today, you can still see Foster's destination enterprise much as it was in the 1800s. The 1860s barn is still standing and the frame house Fosters son, Egbert, built in 1883 has been preserved. A lilac bush that Philip Fosters wife, Mary Charlotte, brought from Maine graces the front yard. The lilac is now a tree and over 150 years old, still growing where Mary Foster planted it in the 1840s. (Registered starts of the lilac are available at the Pioneer Store.)

There is a replica of Foster's original Pioneer Store, an apple orchard featuring heirloom apple varieties, and lovely heirloom flower and vegetable gardens. Among the exciting events at the Foster Farm is the annual Cider Squeeze & Harvest Festival, which is held on the last Saturday in September. Visitors can bring their own apples and use our cider presses, just like those early pioneers.