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enjoyed photography as a hobby. Barbara was involved in the children’s activities, Campfire clubs
and enjoyed golfing. Both Ken and Barbara were active in their Toastmasters clubs.

The start of trip was at the residence 1715 NE 56th Avenue on Dec. 7, 1958. Neighbors saw the
Martin Family leave between 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm. Newspaper accounts mention the departure
time was closer to 2:00 pm and noted that they were seen at Baxton Standard Service station, a
cafe, and possibly a Boy Scout Christmas tree sale.

The disappearance became a mathematical mystery. Calculations of distances and travel times
from the residence to Cascade Locks were made to figure out the most likely points of disappear-
ance and possible crime scene. In the spring of 1959 after the bodies of two of the girls were
found floating down the river, further calculations were made in the hopes of finding the remain-
ing missing family members who were suspected to also have been swallowed by the mighty Co-
lumbia. If the car was in the dark river what was it’s weight verses the speed of the current. How
far down stream could it be pushed? Maps were consulted for this sad “treasure” hunt.

The story of the family that disappeared at Christmas time stuck in the minds of all who heard
it. Every so often a news channel would run a story about the family hoping for a breakthrough.
Once amatuer sleuthes could have a voice on evolving technology like blogs and video posts,
they further perpetuated the stories. With the development of fishing sonar attempts were made
to scan the river bottom for clues. One man Joshua Fisher wrote a book about the mystery, “Echo
of Distant Water: The 1958 Disappearance of Portland’s Martin Family.” Throughout the decades
there were no further clues or revelations.

However, all the conversations continued to spark interest. Seven years ago a Archer Mayo started
his own expeditions to search for answers below the surface of the water. In a pit he discovered
three cars. This pit was part of canal construction by the Port of Cascade Locks during the 1890s.
The pit was once part of the canal gate structure.

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