Historic Hood River
Mark Weygandt
Notes
We spoke of Mark Weygandt last week,so I looked for a picture of him. I couldn’t find a clear reference, but the caption to this photo from an American Legion climb of Mt. Hood says, “At the top of the world, or the summit of Mt Hood. Mr. Weygandt at extreme right of picture.” The numbering is part of a Legion Climb series. If I didn’t see the summit lookout cabin in the background this could be a picture of a group of farmers in posing in their field.
An obituary for Mark Weygandt in the Oregonian includes several interesting facts: In 1897 he and two brothers biked from Polo, Illinois to the Dalles. He was instrumental in creation of the Lookout cabin we see in this image. He led a party of 247 persons to the summit in 1921. He pioneered the “Sunshine Trail” to the summit, and was believed to have scaled the mountain 588 times.
This article from The Hood River Glacier in August, 1922, tells the wonderful story of his high altitude circumnavigation of Mt. Hood. It’s worth the read.
Charlott
What a crew….especially the man in the sweater. It does appear that they at least have some sort of proper boots on their feet. Isn’t that an array of hats.
Oh yes that is definitely Mark Weygandt in the bibs. I have seen a number of photos of him. Kind of like milk the cow early in the morning then head up the mountain.
I grew up knowing his wife as "Grandma Wells" After his death she eventually married Wells Bennett who had been not only one of his friends but quite an expert when it came to motor cycles in that time frame. That is another story in itself. Wells an Beulah lived for years on the old homestead and eventually moved to Mt. Hood. Their home, which is still there is just south of that Mt. Hood store that they are going to re-open. It is the first two story house on your right that you come to.
L.E.
I was curious about the nationality of the name Weygandt
"The German surname Weygandt, which originated almost a millennium ago, means "son of Wigant." Wigant is a personal name derived from the Old High German word "wigant," meaning "warrior."
Sounds like he was a warrior of the mountain.
Buzz
The Weygandt name is prominent in the early history of the Long Beach peninsula. Weygandt ancestors still reside here and are well represented in the artistic community. Does anyone know if the families were related?
Charlott
Definitely German. They were from Osthofen, Reinland-Pfalz, Germany where the name went from Weygand to Weygandt in 1713. It isn’t surprising that they immigrated to Pennsylvania, as a great many Germans settled there. Many were or became Amish in that area.
I rather doubt if that this family had any connection with people on the Washington coast. I knew most of them and never heard any mention of other relatives.
Longshot
Wonder if the odd buttoning of the sweater was a mistake or whether it was done intentionally to provide some air flow around the torso?
L.E.
I can’t think of any place I would want to walk to 588 times. Especially if it was straight uphill.
Dennis DAVIS
Mark Weygandt happens to be my great grandfather. Although I never met him, My grandfather Wesley Weygandt was a very great man. He was married to my grandmother Easter Weygandt. They met while climbing Mt Hood. Easter fell in a crevasse and broke her leg, after being rescued and spending two nights in the 20 x 20 cabin that used to be on the summit, they carried her down from the mountain. Wesley and Easter were married shortly there after. They stayed happily married for 55 years.A true love story of Mt Hood. Their only surviving relatives are myself, Dennis Davis, my son Brandon Wesley Davis, and my daughter Bailey Denise Davis.
Dennis Davis
I do have to update my last comment for I have just been reunited with my brother Randy Johnson which is also a living decedent of Mark
Weygandt
Margie Heard
I am Mark Weygandt Grandaughter. My dad was Brother of Wesley, Richard Weygandt. Wesley, was my Uncle Wes. and Aunt Esther. Always Loved hearing their story of Love on the Mountain. My oldest brother Douglas Weygandt, found out Grandpa Weygandt had and was lying in an unmarked grave, for over 70 years, and we all pitched in, including Uncle Ted, another brother of Wesley. And we purchased a grave marker for him. It has a Mountain on it and trees, and it says Above and Beyond my Beloved Mt. Hood. Have you ever heard the story of the brothers Weygandt riding bicycles from I believe Wisconsin, to Hood River? And Mark said, " I am going to live here, and climb that mountain. They were all teen agers. I believe Mark was 16. And the time ,my dad Richard got a wooden scooter for Christmas, and the only place to ride in Parkdale in the winter , was under Grandma Bennetts laundry line, which was solid ice, he fell and punctured a lung, and Grandpa Mark carried him down to the neighbors and then on to Hood River Hosp, The scooter was burned in the stove upon returning home. So many stories. Now they are all gone. Uncle Ted was the last to go. About a year ago now.
Lucas Kibby
I do have a full genealogy of the Weygandt family to the 1300’s. I am related to Mark’s father’s (Lewis Cass Weygandt)… brother (George P. Weygandt). Four Weygandt brothers (George, Lewis, Richard, and Ziba) moved together to Hood River area from Illinois. Mark, along with two of his brothers, followed after on a bicycle trip from Illinois to The Dalles, OR in 1897. If you want the genealogy info, reach out to me. They are definitely German heritage with Cornelius Weygandt coming to America alone (age 23) in 1736 on the ship The Harle from Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Garrett Weygandt
Margie, an old comment from about a year ago. Mark is my great grand father, Theodore, is my grandfather and Mike, his son, my father. I would love to see my genealogy. Not sure how to contact you directly.
Garrett Weygandt
Well, formatting isn’t my strength, Lucas Kibby seams to have the history mapped out. Oops. But hello family 🙂
Dorothy Weygandt Stearns
I was told stories of them coming out here on their bikes, they had to leave them out of town because not everyone had seen bikes before and they would be chased. I also have been told Mark had found lost hikers before the other groups sometimes, because he’d hide his climbing equipment around the mountain. And the Weygandt’s took care of the irrigation ditches, keeping them clear of debris and trees, for the Orchardist’s and farmer’s. My grandfather was Joseph Weygandt.
Vera auld
Mark weygandt was my great grandfather my grandma vera was his daughter
Jeffrey Bryant
A story by sixth grader Wesley Weygandt about the Mt. Hood Lookout Station, printed in the Hood River Glacier in 1926, can be found at:
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1926-05-20/ed-1/seq-12/
Jordan Weygandt
I’m curious to know if I am related to Mark. Weygandt is a unique name. I do not know much about my ancestors. When I was young we would visit my grandparents and my great grandma Gail Weygandt. She was in her 90s still taking care of the family farm. My grandfather and his brother grew up on that farm. Their names are Harlan, Wesley and I forget the other brothers name. They lived in Ohio I believe Canal Fulton, Massillon area. There’s even a stretch of a public road named Weygandt Rd. But the farm isn’t located there. I was never told the story behind the road being named after my family. My family never talked much about our history. If anyone has any info to share I’d greatly appreciate it.
Cecelia Goodnight
Jordan, I expect that you are learning that you are indeed related to this family. Mention of Gail Weygandt caught my attention as I had known her growing up in the 40’s and 50’s but obviously not your great grandmother. The name Weygandt and Mt Hood were synonymous at that time. I now volunteer at the HR History museum and sad to say we have no Weygandt family file but we do have a book published in 1982 that has 3 entries under Weygandt , one by Barbara Weygandt and 2 by Wesley Weygandt. Wesley’s entries indicate Lewis and Lois Weygandt arrived in OR in 1897 and they soon built several homesteads in the HR valley. Their children were Edwin, Mark, Mary, Daisy, Nellie, Nora, Lewis Jr and George. Mark stayed in HR and married Beulah Jones in 1920. Their children were Wesley, Myron, Vera, Theodore, Violet Richard. Myron remained in Hood River and married Barbara Moore where Myron continued to be an active mountaineer. Their children were Gail, Donna
Jacqueline, Joann and Tim. This information is found in a book called History of Hood River County, 1852-1982. The museum depends on donated stories and papers to create its files and would love to hear from all of you who have more information. Please send it to me at hrhistoryarchives@gmail.com. I will try to send copies of the entries in the above mentioned book to any who want them.
Mike Weygandt
Weygandt family. I am son of Theodore Weygandt. Grandfather was Mark Weygandt.
John Weygandt
to Jordan Weygandt:
I am a descendant of the Ohio Weygandts, and further back of the Lancaster, PA Weygandts and of Cornelius Weygandt’s immigration from Germany in 1736.
My father, James Leroy Weygandt, has researched Weygandt family history extensively, and has documented that research.
Coincidentally, my father hiked extensively in the Sierras, summer 1951, wrote and photographed and documented extensively.
And further coincidentally, my son Andrew hikes in the PNW, recently summiting Mt. Hood (not his first).
Quite fun to discover there are Oregon Weygandts!