Gates, OR

The bright red wheel is on the north side of Highway 22 between Gates and Detroit. For those who make the drive often, heading to the lake in the summer and the snow in the winter, it’s a treasured part of the scenery that attracts families, road trippers, and even professional photographers. It has survived a fire and is in need of some TLC, but remains as a familiar roadside attraction.

According to Colby Lamb, who owns the property on Niagara Heights Road now, there was originally a wooden wheel, but it failed, possibly due to water damage. The owner at that time, Henry Hiebert, bought a new metal wheel from Mike Adams Construction in Stayton in 1984. Crews hauled out to the site in pieces and welded it together on the spot. Lamb said it cost $8,000 back then and estimates it would be closer to $25,000 today.