When the PTFC was formed in 2001, a small group then known as the Cascade Rangers began congregating in section 107 at the north end of PGE Park to create a European-style rooting section for the club, complete with drumming, flags, scarves, smoke bombs and constant chanting and cheering.
In time, the name Cascade Rangers was dropped in favor of Timbers Army.
In the coming years, the Timbers Army grew steadily into the dozens and then scores. By the end of the 2003 campaign, in which the club just missed the playoffs, there were approximately 200 regulars in the Timbers Army section.
In 2004, the group exploded with increased media coverage in the Oregonian and other local outlets. Early in the 2005 campaign, the number of people standing, chanting and wearing scarves in the area around section 107 was 1000 or more, with people from all over the United States and, indeed, the globe, and every age, background and walk of life represented. With those numbers, the Timbers Army is certainly the largest supporters group in the USL soccer and exceeded only by a handful of MLS clubs' supporters sections.
The Timbers Army isn't only found at matches. Besides organzied bus trips to away games in Seattle and Vancover, and an April 2006 trip during which many TA members visited Sunderland, the members congregate at a few pubs local to the ground -- notably the Bullpen Tavern, and Bitter End Pub. During the off-season, they hold regular monthly gatherings and play together on an indoor soccer team and in local bowling leagues. They produce a monthly 'zine -- Ax to the Head and a number of other promotional items: stickers, posters, men's and women's t-shirts, beer glasses, and so forth. Many of these items are sold at not-for-profit prices, and in many cases all proceeds go to charity. The group engages in a number of charitable activities, including volunteering at Habitat for Humanity sites and raising money for a trust fund established for Keiana Serrill, the granddaughter of Timber Jim, the team's amazing lumberjack mascot. Timber Jim's daughter, Hannah, was killed in an automobile accident in 2004, and in her memory, the TA has made a tradition of singing "You Are My Sunshine," often led by a tearful Timber Jim. The chant has been known to inspire goals, including the legendary back-heeled "Sunshine Goal" by Syrian forward Fadi Afash.