The New Era Spiritual Society, a religious group settled on a hill above Parrott Creek flowing into the Willamette River above the falls, was the source of the name for the settlement beginning to form a short distance away. As the town began to grow, so did the name New Era as an appropriate name for the town. The rich soil was ideal for farming and potato was the crop of choice. Shipments were made by wagon to Oregon City, transferred to boats below the falls and on to Portland. After a system of locks was built, boats could put in at New Era and after the arrival of the railroad, the produce was shipped by train. There are structures still intact in New Era. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth

UPDATE: The origin of the name of New Era is incorrect.  Although more research is needed to verify the history, the Spiritualist Camp was founded after the name “New Era” was used.  Taken from Clackamas County Historic Survey records regarding the Spiritualist Camp:

“Communities sprang up along streams where water power allowed industrial development.  A post office was established in the early 1850s (original name unknown at this time), at the confluence of Beaver and Parrot creeks, now known as New Era.  The New Era Rolling Mill was established in 1868, continuing operation until 1935.  The origin of the name New Era is unclear, however, some inaccurately relate it to the Spiritualist Camp, founded in 1873, located near the mill site.  James Washington Offield, a child when his family arrived via the Barlow Road in 1850, stated that he named "New Era" when he built a commission warehouse circa 1860 at the same site where his mother's oxen died en-route to their Donation Land Claim in the Macksburg area years earlier.” Submitted by: Peggy Sigler