Cascadia is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) that was established in 1892 on the

South Santiam River The South Santiam River is a tributary of the Santiam River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of the Cascade Range into the Willamette Valley east of Corvallis. It rises in the Cascades in southeastern Linn ...

, east of the current city of Sweet Home, in Linn County,

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 147. Originally a stage stop on the

Santiam Wagon Road The Santiam Wagon Road was a freight route in the U.S. state of Oregon between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschut ...

, then a summer resort also known as Cascadia Mineral Springs, Cascadia had a post office established in 1898. It maintains a ZIP code of 97329. The resort had a hotel established by George Geisendorfer, who was also the first postmaster. People were attracted to Cascadia because of its mineral

spring water A spring is a natural exit point at which groundwater emerges from an aquifer and flows across the ground surface as surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere, as well as a part of the water cycle. Springs have long been important f ...

. The property was sold to the state in 1940 and now is the site of the Cascadia State Park.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Cascadia has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Transportation

U.S. Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. ...

passes through the community, leading west to Sweet Home and to Albany, and east over Tombstone Pass to Bend.

Cascadia Cave

Cascadia Cave is a shallow rock shelter located on private land along the South Santiam River in Cascadia State Park, Oregon. Archeologists used carbon dating from soil in the area to estimate the cave is between 8,000 and 10,000 years old. Cascadia Cave Markings Oregon

History

Cascadia Cave is a significant archaeological and cultural site located near the South Santiam River in the Cascade Mountains near Sweet Home, Oregon. Situated east of the Cascadia community and adjacent to Cascadia State Park, the cave is a shallow rock shelter with a pronounced overhang. It holds deep cultural importance for the Santiam Band of the Kalapuya and Molala peoples. The South Santiam River was traditionally used as a food source by the Kalapuyan tribe, specifically the Santiam people. The tribe also utilized indigenous plants such as camas, hazelnuts, hops, tarweed, and wild onion that grew in the area. The cave itself noted for its cultural and practical significance to the tribe as it is located along routes used for trade and travel. The nearby Soda Springs was used for medicinal purposes by the tribes and later was a popular spot for tourism due to the abundance of natural mineral water and springs in the area.

Vandalism

Cascadia Cave has faced significant threats from vandalism and environmental degradation. Over the years, visitors have carved initials into the walls, applied paint over petroglyphs, and taken rubbings of the rock art, leading to severe scaling and erosion of many petroglyphs. Increased moisture from water pooling near the cave walls has accelerated the deterioration of the artwork. In response to these challenges, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and other tribal entities have collaborated with local and federal agencies to acquire the land from its private owners. In 2022 ownership of Cascadia State Park and the cave was officially transferred to Linn County, with a Grande Ronde Elder, Dietrich Peters, representing the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde during the ceremony.

References

External links

Historic Images of Cascadia
from Salem Public Library
Cascadia State Park Brochure with History
Unincorporated communities in Linn County, Oregon Spa towns in Oregon Census-designated places in Oregon 1892 establishments in Oregon Populated places established in 1892 Unincorporated communities in Oregon {{LinnCountyOR-geo-stub