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Richard Gerdes, of Eagle Creek, has the distinction of opening the first store and establishing the “Sandy” Post Office in 1873, which gave this tiny town its name. The photo above is enlarged from the photo on page one. You can barely see the Barlow Road trailing off to the right. After a number of years the Gerdes business was sold to Friedrich Meinig. In the 1880s Meinig built a large building a few blocks east to accommodate a larger general merchandise store and included a dance hall and saloon.

Doc Williams was a popular and colorful character who always liked dressing well and driving his Packard. He came to Sandy in 1906 and worked in logging as a whistle punk for a short time. He then worked at a pharmacy in Portland and returned to Sandy to be a pharmacist. However, he had his mind set to be a doctor and he tried, but failed on numerous occasions, to pass the medical exam. This was most likely because he never attended medical school.

This museum was constructed in 2007 and sits directly on the Oregon Trail. Roughly 50,000 pioneers passed right by this site. In addition to housing and displaying artifacts from Sandy’s history, it serves other civic functions as well. The museum is the realization of the work, commitment and generosity of the members of the Sandy Historical Society. Every year since 1926 the Sandy Historical Society, originally the Sandy Pioneer Association, has been holding regularly scheduled meetings, collecting artifacts and historical information.

Building this pioneer town took grit…

Take this historic walking tour to see how Sandy, Oregon began. There is a fascinating cast of characters and a rich history to look back on. Follow the history of Sandy from its beginnings as a stop on the Barlow Road, to the logging town of recent memory and into the active community it is today. Stop by city hall to peer into the future plans for this historic city.

Chapter 12.20 Utility Amendment & 5G

File No. 20-012 DCA proposes an additional section to Title 12 (12.20) of Sandy’s Municipal Code to regulate the siting and franchising of 5G small cell “stealth” facilities.