“She wanted to live closer to town and in a larger home, so Roffler built this one for her,” Blanco said.
“Roffler learned a lot from working on the Pittock-Leadbetter house in 1902 and used that knowledge when building this house,” Blanco said.Īfter admiring the Farrell House and surrounding property for a bit, we head down to First Avenue, where Roffler built his second family home when his wife, Ethel, was pregnant with their second child. The cast concrete blocks were made by Roffler and used in its construction. It is a large square neoclassical structure with a wide veranda, two story columns and balustrades at both levels.
“Back then, this was all forest, but people were still close enough to walk into town,” Blanco said.įrom there, we head up to Roffler’s most well-known creation, the Farrell House, built for Charlie and Rose Farrell in 1915. Two other homes built by Roffler for various wealthy members of the Camas community are just a block away. “It is not huge, but it is big on quality.” “It is the only home he built in ‘prairie style,’” Blanco said. Next we stop by The Eddy House, located on Fifth Avenue, built in 1920 by Roffler for his sister, Anna Eddy. Now renovated, the Liberty Theatre offers second-run movies for $3.25 and is in the process of adding a sandwich and ice cream shop, he added. “In the 1920s, it was known as the Granada Theater and it showed first-run movies until 2009.” “Everything in this town is connected,” Blanco said. The next stop on the tour is right next door, at the Liberty Theatre, which is still owned by members of the Farrell family. Roffler stone was used in the construction. The Farrell & Eddy Department Store, believed to be the county’s second oldest retail business, closed in 1998. Charlie Farrell worked at the paper mill, saved his money and bought the Glenn Ranch General Store with his wife, Rose (who was Roffler’s sister), in 1903. The Farrell family were early Camas, or “La Camas” pioneers, as it was known then. However, everyone does their best to include me in the discussions, which I appreciate.Īfter hearing a brief safety orientation and signing a waiver form, we head to our first point of interest, the Farrell Building in downtown Camas. It’s a friendly group of cyclists, and they all seem to know each other from one event or another. On a recent Friday ride, several of us meet at Caffe Piccolo coffee shop in downtown Camas. “Many have questions and want to know more.” “I enjoy seeing and feeling the enthusiasm of my cycling participants when I interpret the local history flavor,” Blanco said. The pace is between 12 to 14 mph with several stops. Riders must sign up in advance and follow all rules of the road.
#Lacamas lake mtb ride free#
The history rides are held periodically, and are free of charge. “I even went to the death records and cannot find the reason,” Blanco said. How Roffler died remains a mystery: He passed away at the age of 45, but all that is known is that he was forced to live in a nursing home against his will. Several of these homes are on the National Register of Historic Places. Much of his tour focuses on local builder John Roffler, who designed more than 200 homes in the area between 19, never having had formal training as an architect.
#Lacamas lake mtb ride portable#
“Whereas a walking tour is usually limited to a mile or so, I can lead a history tour by bike for 15 to 20 miles and still do interpretation with my portable mic.”īlanco scoured the internet, national archives, local historical societies, the library and interviewed longtime residents to develop his history rides.
“Cycling allows me to take riders beyond the confines of my walking tours and see more,” he said. He has a master’s degree as well as a doctorate in history. He’s immersed himself in the area and is also offering downtown walking tours, in addition to cycling tours.īlanco began coordinating the free rides through the Vancouver Bicycle Club a few months ago, as a way to combine his love of history and cycling. The man knows more about the local area than most people I’ve met, including myself. Given the amount of information he knows about the area, you’d think he’d lived here for several years. The Camas History Stroll, as its called, is led by Joseph Blanco. “I’m going to get paid to ride my bike!” That was the first thought when my editor suggested profiling local history rides for a feature article.Īnyone who knows me well understands I have a passion for exercise, and I’m also intrigued by most anything historical.Īlthough I’m new to cycling, I was pretty certain I could keep up with the other riders on the 15 to 20 mile jaunt, which includes several stops to visit local areas of interest.
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