By Peggy Savage
Officially incorporated on April 3, 1893, the city of Mount Angel will open this year’s celebration of its 125th anniversary with a time capsule ceremony on April 3 at the Festhalle.
City Manager Amber Mathiesen is coordinating the event with Mayor
Andy Otte.
“We welcome everyone to the ceremony,” Mathiesen said. “We are inviting community members to contribute items for the time capsule, any memorabilia that would be fun to reminisce about in 25 years when it is opened on our 150th anniversary. We’ve asked people to bring small items to the event. One thing we are suggesting for anyone who owns a business in town is to bring their business card for the capsule.”
Mathiesen said the size of the time capsule depends on how many items will go into it, and the ultimate location of the capsule will depend on its size. The city’s new commemorative pins will be available for purchase at the event for $5 each.
Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. April 3 with children’s activities, followed by a program at
6 p.m. that will include five-minute presentations from a few members of the community.
“We will hear from a handful of people about how they came to be in Mount Angel,” Mathiesen said.
The program will include presentations by Abbott Jeremy on the Abbey and its community relationship; Father Martin from the Benedictine Brewery on the brewery and its future; Father Phillip from St. Mary’s on the Church and community; and Habitat for Humanity on its newest project.
The Mount Angel Historical Society will display the new Heritage Trail markers at the event and members will give information about the trail and present a slide show of historical photographs.
The trail, a 3.5-mile loop through some of Mount Angel’s historic landmarks,
will include the Abbey, St. Mary Catholic Church, Weissenfel’s Blacksmith Shop, the Saalfeld House, the Glockenspiel and other historic downtown buildings. With the new markers, the trail will serve as an active way for people to learn about the history of the town.
Cake, light snacks and punch will be served at the ceremony, followed by the city council meeting at 7 p.m., which is open to the public.
Mount Angel’s history began with its settlement in 1850 by Benjamin Cleaver, who planned a townsite which he named Roy. By 1881, a railroad station and post office had been built.
That same year, Rev. Father Adelheim Odermatt, O.S.B. came to Oregon with Benedictine monks from Engelberg, Switzerland. With the establishment of the abbey on Lone Butte, more immigrants from Bavaria settled in the area, and the city of Mount Angel was incorporated on April 3, 1893.
Mathiesen said the city is busy working on plans to continue the celebration with more events throughout the year in honor of the Mount Angel anniversary.
