1. Smyrna Church.
Smyrna Church was built in 1890 from lumber produced at
the Yoder Mill. It
was originally organized
as Presbyterian but soon affiliated with the
Congregationalists. As the story goes women were not allowed to vote or hold
office in the Presbyterian Church. Details of present-day Smyrna may
be found at www.smyrna-ucc.org
2.
Louis Yoder Home.
The white frame house is quarter mile south of Hamrick’s Corner on the west
side of Kropf Road. It was existing when Louis and Etta Wyland Yoder moved
in. Louis was the eldest son of Jonathan S. Yoder. The home built about 1895 was
remodeled after Louis and Etta moved there in 1897. It is now owned by
Sherry and Dale Skiles. Sherry is the granddaughter of Louis and Etta.
3. 
Jonathan S. Yoder Home.
On the left side of the road is the home
of Jonathan S. Yoder and Barbara Fry Yoder. Construction began in preparation of
their arrival in 1889. It was later occupied by Jim and Rosa Yoder Watson.
Rosa was the older of Jonathan's two daughters. This house is now the
property of John and JoAnn Yoder Beck, great-granddaughter of Jonathan and
granddaughter of Aaron Yoder.
4. 
Yoder Mill.
The Yoder Mill is next on the left and was
built from hardware brought from
Missouri in 1889. During its history, it
burned three times and was rebuilt each time. Jonathan S. Yoder passed
ownership to his son, Aaron. It is now
owned and operated by Aaron’s
descendents. In addition to producing lumber, custom sawing is a large part
of the business. Click on thumbnail to see large picture of mall ...
some years ago.
5. 
Aaron Yoder Home.
The next house on the same side of the
road just after the mill is the home of Aaron and Edna Conrad Yoder. Built
in 1920 by George Perdue. His grandson, Jim Yoder lives there now.
6. 
Ralph Yoder Home.
Directly across the road was the home
purchased by Ralph and Anna Gottfredson Yoder. The house was built in 1920
by Pete Wormdahl and Jake Owen. In 1927, Ralph and Anna Yoder and their 9
year old daughter, Ruth came to Yoder from Montana. Ralph could be closer to
family and Anna would have more opportunities to teach. In 1929 they
purchased this property and the four-bedroom home. Ralph died in 1936 and
Anna continued to live there until her death in 1975. Ruth and her husband
Don Steininger lived there prior to their deaths. The house is now occupied
by their son, Rodney Steininger and his family.
7. 
Albert Yoder Home.
On the same side of the road and
directly south is the home that Albert and Eva Sconce Yoder occupied.
8. Yoder Store.
Jonathan S. Yoder built the Yoder Store in
1914. He leased the space to L.
G. Wrolstad who was the first proprietor when
it opened in 1915. Over the years it has been owned and operated by various
families until being purchased by Paul and Audrey Yoder, great-grandson of
Jonathan S. Yoder and grandson of Aaron Yoder. The red tiled warehouse attached to the store was built much
later by Sanford Wrolstad, L. G. Wrolstad’s eldest son who who succeeded him
as proprietor.
9. Jonathan S. Yoder Warehouse.
The building directly across the
road from the store is
warehouse space erected by Jonathan S. Yoder. It was
adjacent to the tracks of the Willamette Valley and Southern Railroad, which
crossed Kropf Road. Built in 1915, the electric railway linked Portland and
Oregon City on the north with Mt. Angel on the south. This vital commercial
link moved commodities such as apples, cordwood, wood pilings, eggs, cream,
poultry, hogs and veal to trade centers in Portland. Students commuted to
high school in Molalla. With the coming of paved roads, the railroad ceased
operation in 1925-6 when Kropf Road was paved. Later the warehouse was
home to
the beginnings of Willamette Egg Farms and is currently a cabinet shop.
10. Asa Yoder Home.
On the northeast corner at the
intersection of Kropf and Schneider Roads stood the two-story white frame
home of Asa Yoder, who was the brother of Elias Yoder and father of
Jonathan, John P., Levi D., and Mary Schwartz among others. All of Asa’s
children made the move to Oregon. In later years, Glenn and Lydia Yoder
(Louis' son) raised their two daughters, Glenda Yoder Sano and Sherry Yoder Skiles in that home. It is no longer standing.
11. John Plank Yoder Home.
Continuing on Kropf Road and on
the left was the former location of the home of John Plank Yoder.
Construction of the large house began after his
arrival in Oregon in 1893
but was discontinued after his death in 1894. All that is left of this
homestead are a few trees of the orchard he planted which can be seen from the
road.
12. John J. Yoder Home.
Again, on the left, is the home built by
John J. Yoder, son of
Jonathan S. Yoder sometime around 1915. David and Irene Schriever now own the house and farm.
13. Evergreen School.
The Evergreen School was established in
a small building next to the road between the John J. and William Yoder
houses. It was originally built in 1889. The building is no longer
standing.
14. 
William Yoder Home.
As Kropf Road bends to the west, a lane
continues straight south. At the end of this lane is the two-story frame house
built for William and Jennie Reagan Yoder. Will was the son of Asa Yoder.
The William Yoder family immigrated to Oregon in 1888 and the house was
built 1909. Later, Richard and Laura Watson raised their family in the
house. Richard was the grandson of Jonathan S. Yoder and son of Rosa Yoder
Watson.
15. Yoder School.
Heading back toward Yoder Store, at
Schneider Road and around the corner
to the west (left) is Yoder School.
With the construction of the new building in 1923, the name changed from
Evergreen to Yoder School. It continued as a public school until 1963 when
it consolidated with Rural Dell and Eby. At Rural Dell, additional classrooms
to accommodate the combined student body.
16. Levi David Yoder Home.
Across Kropf Road going east on
Schneider Road you will pass where the Levi David Yoder home once stood on the
right. Lee Yoder was the son of Elias and arrived in Oregon in 1888. The two
story white frame house was similar in construction and appearance to those
of Asa and William Yoder. In recent times, the house was dismantled and
moved to Eastern Oregon.
17. 
Mary B (Yoder) Schwartz
Home. On the left is the farm
occupied by Emerson and Virginia Yoder. Joe and Mary B. Yoder Schwartz
occupied an earlier house at the same location. They arrived in Oregon in
1887. In 1908 they moved to Oregon City.
18. 
Bertha (Yoder) Rittenour
Home. On the right and away from
the road is the home built by Henry and Bertha Yoder Rittenour, daughter of
Levi. The house was built around 1940.
19. Catherine (Yoder) Lantz
Home: Further east on the left
is where Gideon and Catherine (Yoder) Lantz's home was located. Catherine
was Asa Yoder's sister. This family was the first of our Yoder branch to
come to Oregon in 1873. For many years this was the farm of Fred and Anna
Watson (father of Jim and John Watson). The house no longer exists. Bob
and Lorraine Cavanaugh have built a home on that site.
20. Anna (Yoder) Watson Home.
Further on and on the left, on
what is now the Imdieke farm stood the house of John and Anna Yoder Watson.
Anna was also the daughter of Levi Yoder. The house is no longer standing.
21. 
Nellie (Yoder) Eyman Home.
Continuing to the intersection
with Dryland Road and turning north (left) and about one mile passed Rural
Dell School was the home of Albert
and Nellie Yoder Eyman, youngest daughter
of Jonathan S. Yoder. Near the banks of Bear Creek they built a white frame
farmhouse in 1914 where they raised three daughters and one son. Nellie lived in
the home passed her 100th birthday. Her great granddaughter, Kristine (Eyman)
and Brian Komer, now own it.
(added July 2007)
22. Orlando Perry Yoder "Shack".
Driving south on Kropf Road about 5 miles past the
William
Yoder Home (No. 14, above), is the acreage and wooden shack once owned by
Perry Yoder, son of Jonathan S. Yoder. The present-day cultivated
field was Perry's cherry (Montmorency -sour- pie cherries) orchard. In
the summers of the 1950s, many young Yoder cousins climbed atop over-sized
saw horses to pick the cherries which were sold to a Salem cannery.
23.
Lantz
Family Houses. Driving north past the Nellie Yoder Eyman home (No.
21, above),
you come to the intersection of Toliver Road. Turn
right on
Toliver Road (Bear Creek Cemetery will be on the right) and continue to the
next 3 houses on the right. These were built by the Lantz family
This ends the Yoder
Historical Tour.
