Kissing the Willamette Stone -- 1984

[Willamette Stone State Park]

The Willamette Stone State Park, near Portland, Oregon

Surely, everyone knows the legend behind "kissing the Blarney Stone" at Blarney Castle in Ireland. Those who do so are said to receive the magical "gift of gab". Much less well known is the tradition of "kissing the Willamette Stone".

Even though neither Frances nor Tom needed any additional help with the gift of gab, we have both kissed the Blarney Stone -- but by also kissing the Willamette Stone, near Portland, Oregon, we have endeavored to magically enhance our sense of direction. This legend began in 1984, when we made it up.

The Willamette Stone is a small monument in the hills west of Portland. It was the origin of all the land surveys in the Oregon Territory. It is located at Willamette Stone State Park.

This is the Stone itself, with explanatory plaque:

[The Stone and plaque]

The text on the plaque says: "Beginning here, the Willamette Meridian was established, running north to Puget Sound and south to the California border, and the baseline was established running east to the Idaho border and west to the Pacific Ocean. From these surveyed lines, the lands of the Northwest were divided into townships six miles square..."

Frances kisses the Willamette Stone! August, 1984:

[Frances kisses the Stone]

And Tom kisses the Stone too:

[Tom kisses the Stone]

This is a closeup of the brass survey marker on the top of the stone (which is now flush with the surrounding concrete since 1984 when the above pictures were taken). (Photo courtesy of Doug Hogarth):

[Survey marker]

The stone has been vandalized since the Legend began in 1984; a Google search on "Willamette stone" will point you to the sad story.

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Note: Because these pictures were taken in August of 1984, the latitude and longitude on the wooden state park sign shown above are based on NAD27 and not NAD83 or WGS84. If you know what that means, you already knew that it had to be true. If you don't know what it means, then I assure you that you don't care. I only mention it because of (my) geekish techie rigor. -THM

(Here is a search tool for locating surveying markers)

Copyright © 2003, 2007 Thomas H. and Karen E. Mitchell. Needless to say, we disavow any responsibility for content on anyone else's websites, for example, those links shown above.

Last revised 2007-01-15