Bridal Veil Falls

Legend has it that Bridal Veil Falls got its name from a remark made by a woman passenger aboard a sternwheeler on the Columbia River. Upon seeing the falls, she commented that they resembled a bride’s veil. The romantic connotation of the name has since inspired numerous requests for postmarks from the local post office to be used on wedding invitations and love letters.

Bridal Veil Lumber Mill 

Bridal Veil was a historic mill town in the Columbia Gorge, operating from 1887 until 1988. The town took its name from the nearby Bridal Veil Falls. The original mill was established by the Bridal Veil Lumbering Company at the base of the falls in 1887. The company also held water rights to Bridal Veil Creek, providing sufficient water for both mill operations and the surrounding community. The mill was strategically located on the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Over its more than 100 years of operation, the mill survived fires, economic challenges, and changing ownership. Positioned in an area with some of the finest timber in the United States, the mill primarily processed yellow fir and larch (also known as silver fir). The high-quality lumber was used for flooring, while the fine-grained larch was used in the production of doors and window casings.

In 1936, a fire destroyed the mill, and it was subsequently purchased by Kraft Cheese, marking a shift in the mill’s focus. It began producing cheese boxes, and during World War II, the mill switched to manufacturing ammunition crates for the war effort. After the war, it shifted again, specializing in door frames and window sashes made from pine imported from Eastern Oregon and other regions. Pine was preferred for these products in Eastern markets across the United States. By the end of the mill's operations, it was producing cedar boards primarily used for fencing. The mill closed its doors for good in 1988.

For the first 50 years, a flume carried logs from Larch Mountain to the mill's log pond, while a water-powered wheel at the falls generated electricity for the mill. This power source was discontinued after the construction of the Bonneville Dam. During World War II, the mill employed around 180 people, but by 1960, that number had decreased to 50. By the mid-1980s, only 30 people remained employed at the site. Eventually, an environmental group purchased the townsite, demolished the remaining buildings, and allowed nature to reclaim the land.

Bridal Veil Mill circa 1913

Palmer Mill

Logging operations at Palmer, OR

The nearby logging town of Palmer worked closely with the mill at Bridal Veil. Located about a mile and a half up the mountain, Palmer was connected to the lower mill by a flume. Rough cut timber from Palmer was sent down the flume to Bridal Veil for final processing. The two mills operated together for nearly 50 years, until the fire at Bridal Veil in 1936 put a halt to operations. After the lower mill was rebuilt and reopened, it was decided not to resume operations at the Palmer mill, and it was permanently closed.

Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff is a former American race car driver, known for his remarkable career in motorsports. Born on December 14, 1927, in Muncie, Indiana, McGriff first rose to prominence in the world of NASCAR, where he competed in the Pacific Coast Late Model Division. He was a standout figure in the sport during the 1950s and 1960s, making a name for himself with impressive performances in the Southern 500 and other prestigious events.

In 1955, at the age of 27, Hershel McGriff retired from racing and transitioned into the lumber industry. He began as a lumber broker in Eureka, CA, before moving on to manage mills in Coos Bay and Bridal Veil, Oregon. In 1964, McGriff took a significant step by purchasing the entire town of Bridal Veil, which included the lumber mill, 16 houses, the church, and the post office. He owned the town for the next 27 years, during which he operated the mill and leased the houses and post office to the federal government. The mill, which produced cedar fence boards, temporarily shut down in 1982 but reopened in 1983, resuming its cedar lumber production. In 1985, McGriff leased the mill to Greenhill Lumber, but by 1988, the mill closed permanently.

Beyond his racing legacy, McGriff’s entrepreneurial ventures allowed him to leave a lasting impact on the local community. His contributions to both motorsports and business have cemented his place as a significant figure in Oregon’s history.

Bridal Veil Post Office

The Bridal Veil Post Office stands as one of the last remaining vestiges of the community. After the company store closed in 1964, the post office relocated to its current building. Inside, the lobby features 40 lock boxes nestled against the wall, which are used by residents from Crown Point to Multnomah Falls. These lock boxes not only serve the local community but also play a vital role in helping maintain the post office's operations.

For 135 years, Bridal Veil has had a post office. The first one was established in 1887, located in a railway station along the tracks. The post office later moved into the Bridal Veil company store, and when the store closed in 1964, the post office found its new home in the current 10x10-foot building. The building used to be the mill's first aid station back in the day, then it became a sharpening shed for the mill's saw blades, after that, a rock collector's shack, before finally becoming the BV post office.

Bridal Veil Mill Time Line

1882 US Fed Govt conveys 80-acre land parcel to Amos Moore near BV Falls

1887 Bridal Veil Lumber Company buys land from Moore/builds mill

1887 Town of Bridal Veil founded

1902 Fire destroys town and mill

1903 Town and mill rebuilt

1922 Company sold and renamed Bridal Veil Timber Company

1928 Parris Emery rides down the flume from Palmer to Bridal Veil

1930 Depression closes down mill

1936 Fire destroys most of the mill

1936 Palmer mill closes

1937 Company sold to Kraft Cheese Co/mill renamed Bridal Veil Lumber & Box Company

1937 Existing mill structures repaired and mill operations expanded

1937 Mill begins making wooden cheese boxes, moldings, toys and meat crates

1942 Mill shifts operations to build wooden ammo crates for war effort

1950 Mill expands operations by making pine door frames, window frames & moldings

1955 Hershel McGriff retires from racing and enters lumber business

1955 Mill modernizes machinery and equipment

1960 Kraft sells BVL&BC to Milton J. Wershow Company for $100,000

1962 Machine Sales Company buys mill site

1964 Hershel McGriff buys town of Bridal Veil

1964 Bridal Veil company store closes

1965 Bridal Veil Post Office opens at current location

1973 State of Oregon condemns some buildings at Bridal Veil

1974 Mill operations continue

1980 Bridal Veil mill begins producing cedar boards for fencing

1985 McGriff leases mill to Greenhill Lumber Co.

1988 Greenhill ends operations and mill closes

1988 Trust For Public Land assesses town of Bridal Veil for possible sale

1990 Trust For Public Land acquires Bridal Veil town

2001 All BV mill houses and buildings demolished except post office & church

2011 Bridal Veil church demolished

References

Bridal Veil Mill Site: Alternatives for Restoration, Barnett, etc

The Oregonian Newspaper

The Oregon Journal Newspaper