Until 1917, the town of Carver was named Stone.
A name descriptive of the large boulders and basalt cliff located at the quarry (site of the current restaurant).
Although there were other activities in Stone between 1850 and 1900, quarry rock was the main focus of commercial activity. This attention brought settlers and other commercial activity after the turn of the century (see photos on walls of the Fish Hatchery, Post Office, Bank, Creamery, Railroad, Cannery, and of course General Store/Saloon, now the Rock Garden Tavern located directly below the restaurant).
Between 1900 and 1950 the town of Stone was primarily a logging community. There were three sawmills in the area: the Mumpower Sawmill below the bridge, the Pratt Sawmill at the north end of town, and the Harrington Sawmill near the Historical Baker Log Cabin.
Several local families were part of the logging lore so closely tied to the identity of Carver (named for Stephen Carver in 1917, who built a railroad line into Carver to haul logs and passengers). Those families included, for example, the Charriere, Rosenbaum and Alford families. Most of the original settlers still have descendants in the area who have stayed despite the fact that the logging activity has since moved South or East toward Estacada and Molalla.
Mike Rosenbaum, son of local logger Lloyd Rosenbaum, built this restaurant to honor Carver’s rich history. The design reflects two defining industries of Carver from 1850 to 1950: quarrying and logging. The rock wall lining the driveway comes from the original quarry, while the restaurant’s foundation is built from basalt rock remnants of the same site. Above the basalt, Douglas Fir logs—similar to those harvested in Carver between 1900 and 1950—complete the structure, preserving the area’s legacy
