Tollgate is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
Umatilla County,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, United States. It lies between
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
and
Elgin on
Oregon Route 204.
The area was first homesteaded by David J. Woodward. After co-forming the
Summerville and
Walla Walla Road Co., Woodward purchased land near the headwater of
Lookingglass Creek (later dammed in 1922 to create
Langdon Lake). A road leading east from the city of
Milton and the city of
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023. The combined populat ...
to the city of
Summerville and
the Grande Ronde Valley crossed Woodward's property. Woodward installed a
toll gate
Toll Gate or Tollgate may refer to:
* Toll gate, a barrier across a toll road or toll bridge that is lifted when the toll is paid
Entertainment
* Tollgate (Hale single), "Tollgate" (Hale single)
* ''The Toll-Gate'', a 1954 novel by Georgette Heye ...
across this portion of the road and charged travelers a fee for access through the gate. The toll road was frequently used as a means to move farm products from
Union County to
Umatilla County and
Walla Walla County.
In 1915 Umatilla County, working with other local counties, became interested in improving the toll road. These counties formed the Blue Mountain Highway Association. Among the group's goals was to gravel the road and abolish the toll. Woodward resisted abolishing the toll and the committee moved to create a new route which bypassed the Woodwards land. In 1922 this new route was completed and called the Weston-Elgin Highway, which later became
Highway 204, which still runs by the Langdon Lake.
In 1940 a postoffice was established and would continue serving the community until 1954. Today mail for the Tollgate community is routed through a post office in
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
.
The
Spout Springs Ski Area and
Andes Prairie, which is the only designated sledding and winter camping area in the
Blue Mountains, also are within the community. Langdon Lake has remained a private lake and has limited access to the public.
Notable residents
*
Gordon Smith - Former
U.S. Senator from Oregon
References
Links
Tollgate trail finders snowmobile clubJubilee Lake and campground (USFS)
Unincorporated communities in Umatilla County, Oregon
Unincorporated communities in Oregon
{{UmatillaCountyOR-geo-stub