Lyle Spiesschaert's family has been farming a plot of land on what is now the northern border of Forest Grove for more than a century.
In decades past, the city wasn't so close, but years of expansion have brought the edge of the city to Spiesschaert Farms. Now, while still outside of city limits, part of the farm lies within Metro's Urban Growth Boundary.
With an eye to the future of his family farm, Spiesschaert, now in his upper 70s, sees the writing on the wall.
The future of much of his family farm is not agriculture, but houses.
So, with the help of a board of directors made up of community members and family, he's setting aside about 25 acres with a vision of a heritage center and event space celebrating and honoring rural western Washington County's agricultural industry and the community's history.
Howard "Butch" Sullivan is the chairman of the board governing the nonprofit Tuality Plains Outpost, and counts himself a close friend of Spiesschaert. Other members of the board hail from Gales Creek, Manning, and the Forest Grove area.
"He has put, in agreement with his family, about 25 acres in perpetuity," Sullivan said.
"The end result is, we want to create a place of gathering," Sullivan said.
The site and project have been dubbed the Tuality Plains Outpost. The Internal Revenue Service granted the organization nonprofit status in 2024.
Spiesschaert said he hopes to see a community gathering space, along with an interpretive trail, an outdoor classroom, and eventually, a living history center.
They plan to tackle the project in three phases, with phase one already underway.
"Phase one is infrastructure," Sullivan said.
Parking, a trail with a 12-sign, self-guided tour showcasing the sights and features of the Tuality Plains Outpost, and access to the site from the neighborhood backing up to the property are all in phase one.
Phase two will include constructing an outbuilding with a meeting room and restrooms, and an outdoor classroom. Neighborhood gardens are also in the plans for phase two.
The site has already hosted classes from local schools. Spiesschaert is no stranger to opening the farm to visitors, with numerous visitors flocking to the site to enjoy horse-drawn wagon tours, live music, and more as part of the former Tuality Plains Great Grains event.
The farm is now host to two trail cameras supplied by Forest Grove's Tuality Plains High School (formerly the Community Alternative Learning Center or CALC) that were placed on Council Creek to keep an eye on the beavers and other wildlife that call Spiesschaert Farms home.
Thanks to nearly two decades of restoration work, beavers have returned to Spiesschaert Farms.
"I love 'em, but boy they can drive you crazy," Spiesschaert said.
"Most people in the agricultural business would just say 'You gotta get rid of the beavers,'" Sullivan said.
Listen to a discussion about the beavers on Spiesschaert Farms between Sullivan, Spiesschaert and News in the Grove Editor Chas Hundley below
Phase three is the living history part of the plan.
"That's our big dream," Spiesschaert said.
"We're not looking towards a museum," he said. "There's so much rich heritage in this Tuality Plains area," he said. He noted the closure of the Five Oaks Museum this year. "We're hoping this could fill that void," he said.
"Instead of just putting stuff in a building, we're hoping to have a farmhouse like the Smith House that would show farm things in it, and a barn, and a livery stable." he added.
A Tuality Plains Outpost board member possesses the first delivery truck in Forest Grove, a 1912 Packard truck, said Spiesschaert.
"I have the covered wagon that brought the people to Verboort," he said.
Also included in phase three—the "dream phase," as Spiesschaert put it— is a replica Kalapuya settlement at the lower part of Council Creek, and possibly a sawmill.
Spiesschaert hopes the Tuality Plains Outpost Fall Festival, scheduled for Sept. 27, will be a driver of interest in their project.
"It's a great opportunity to learn about membership," he said. "The fundamental thing is that we're not trying to get money, we're trying to get support."
Tuality Plains Outpost Fall Festival
Those interested in finding out more information about the Tuality Plains Outpost will have an opportunity to see the site and talk with those involved in the project at the Tuality Plains Outpost Fall Festival scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Past attendees of the festival may know it as the Celebrate Great Grains event.
The free event includes live music, food vendors, site tours, tastings, kids activities and games, horse-drawn wagon rides, and an antique equipment display.
The festival will be held on a working farm, with horses and livestock present. Organizers asked that dogs be left at home.
See a Facebook event for more information.
Location: Spiesschaert Farms, 3150 NW Thatcher Road, Forest Grove OR 97116.
