[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2009-02-05

Thu Feb 12 16:27:36 PST 2009

In this issue:
1.  Several planning speaker series
2.  Humanities Council launches new statewide opportunity
3.  Potential Oregon governor's life to be celebrated
4.  Websites tracking sesquicentennial events

SEVERAL PLANNING SPEAKER SERIES

Organizations in Salem, The Dalles and southern Oregon are planning
speaker series this spring with topics related to the statehood
sesquicentennial.

ASHLAND AND MEDFORD:   "Land of the Empire Builders" is a monthly
lecture series by the Southern Oregon Historical Society and Jackson
County Library Series. The events are held noon to 1 p.m. on the first
Wednesday of each month at the Medford Public Library, and on the second
Wednesday at the Ashland Public Library. Admission is free. Speakers and
topics include Stephanie Butler, "The Women of Hanley Farm," Feb. 11;
George Kramer, "Going Places:  From Pacific Highway to Interstate 5, the
History of Travel in the Rogue Valley," March 4 and 11; Tom Nash,
"Oregon Trails, Oregon Tales," April 1 and 8; Marjorie O'Harra, "The
Lithia Park Story," May 6 and 13; Ben Truwe, "Boomers, Charlatans, and
Thieves of Early Medford," June 3 and 10; Kay Atwood, "Chaining and
Taming," July 1 and 8; Suzanne M. M. Warner, "Pioneer Women
Photographers," Aug. 5 and 12; Larry Smith, "Harbingers of Doom," Sept.
2 and 9; Anne Billeter,"Roxy Ann: Stories Behind Place Names", Oct. 7
and 14;  Elizabeth Corethers Burton,"Southern Oregon At War," Nov. 4 and
11; and Larry Mullaly,"Whistles in the Canyons," Dec. 2 and 9. For more
information, contact Alice Mullaly at  541-664-2079 or
lmullaly at jeffnet.org 

SALEM: Mission Mill Museum, 1313 Mill St. SE, is having speakers at 2
p.m. Saturdays from Feb. 21-April 4. The speakers and topics include
Janet Brown, "Changing Perspectives on Oregon's Geology," on Feb. 21;
Pat Courtney Gold, "Innovators and Traders," Feb. 28; Jean Barman,
"French Canadians in the Making of Oregon," March 7; Tom, "Documenting
the Klamath Tribes' Stories," March 14; Susan Badger Doyle, "Journeys to
a New Home," March 21;  Robert Hamm, "Becoming Oregon," March 28; and
Cara Kaser, "New Dreams in Old Buildings," April 4. These programs are
funded in part by the Oregon Council for the Humanities.  For more
information please call 503-585-7012 or visit the Mission Mill website
at http://www.missionmill.org.  

THE DALLES: The Original Courthouse Regional History Forum begins at
1:30 p.m. Feb. 7 in the upstairs courtroom of the 1859 courthouse, 410
W. 2nd Place behind the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor's Center. Sonja
Little will talk about Orlando Humason, a member of the Oregon
Territorial Legislature and the "father of Wasco County." Other
presentations in the series will include John Lundell, "The Three
Courthouses: from Statehood to Oregon's 150th Birthday," on Feb. 14; Pat
Courtney Gold, "Innovators and Traders," on Feb. 21; and Jerry Tanquist,
"The Union Pacific Railroad in Wasco County," on Feb. 28. The
presentations are all at 1:30 p.m. Coffee and cookies will be served.
The Oregon Council for the Humanities is assisting with funding the
series.

HUMANITIES COUNCIL LAUNCHES NEW STATEWIDE OPPORTUNITY

The Oregon Council for the Humanities is requesting proposals for its
new Conversation Project: A New Chautauqua. It seeks proposals from
Oregon scholars with a passion for their topic, as well as interest and
experience in engaging audiences outside of the classroom.

For 28 years, Oregon Chautauqua has offered public humanities lectures
on broad topics, inviting citizens to gather together, think critically,
and learn about the humanities. During 2008, OCH undertook a
comprehensive evaluation of Oregon Chautauqua and decided to reshape the
program to emphasize the program*s greatest successes: connecting
Oregonians to public scholars, to provocative ideas, and, most
important, to each other, through idea-driven dialogue. This revised
program is called the Conversation Project: A New Chautauqua.

Like the current Oregon Chautauqua program, the overarching goal of the
Conversation Project is to offer statewide opportunities for civic
dialogue and humanities learning, but with a greater emphasis on
contemporary themes and interactive, facilitated conversations rather
than traditional scholar presentations.

To download the proposal request, visit the OCH website at
www.oregonhum.org. The postmark deadline for submission is March 16.
For more information, contact Jennifer Allen at (503) 241-0543 ext. 118
or via e-mail at jallen at oregonhum.org .

POTENTIAL OREGON GOVERNOR'S LIFE TO BE CELEBRATED

Organizations in Pendleton, Philomath and Portland are engaging in
celebrating the bicentennial this month of the birth of Abraham Lincoln,
who at one time was considered a potential governor of Oregon
Territory.

PENDLETON: The Heritage Station Museum will have a ribbon cutting at 10
a.m. Feb. 12 for a display about Lincoln. For more information, contact
the museum at 541-276-0012.

PHILOMATH: The Benton County Historical Society will host an Oregon
Lincoln Bicentennial Town Hall from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Benton
County Historical Museum, 1101 Main St. Benton County was established in
1847 and is named for Senator Thomas Hart Benton.  Lincoln was
influenced by Benton's efforts to establish the
continental railway and a homestead act. The Town Hall program will
feature a "press conference" by Lincoln actor Steve Hogate and
discussion of Lincoln and the West and Lincoln's leadership skills with
Lincoln scholars Richard Etulain and Elliott Trommell. Appearing also is
"Illinois" Doug Tracy a musician who has researched music from the Civil
War era and made recordings of Lincoln's campaign songs from 1860 and
1864.  The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will act as color
guard. The Town Hall is free to the public and birthday cake will
served. For more information, visit www.bentoncountymuseum.org 

PORTLAND: The Portland State University Friends of History is
presenting a full week of events starting Feb. 9 to kick off a
state-wide celebration of the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's
birthday. Its events are taking place in the PSU History Department in
Cramer Hall, 1721 SW Broadway, unless otherwise noted and are free and
open to the public. The events include a readathon on Feb. 9, a Lincoln
movie night on Feb. 10, and a talk by former history professor Tom
Edwards on "Lincoln, His Cabinet and Generals: The Early Conflicts" on
Feb. 11.  The following evening, there will be a walk and candlelight
vigil to George Waters Fite's Lincoln statue in South Park Block on Feb.
12; and another Lincoln movie night on Feb. 13. The Friends of History
is presenting this Lincoln Birthday Bicentennial Week as part of the
events planned with the Oregon Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. For more
information about Lincoln Bicentennial Week at PSU, please call the
Friends of History office at (503)725-5473.

WEBSITES TRACKING SESQUICENTENNIAL EFFORTS

If you're trying to track all of the Oregon statehood sesquicentennial
events, there are more than two websites to visit.

Oregon 150, the nonprofit organization that is leading the statewide
effort, provides a listing through its website at www.oregon150.org 

In addition,the Take Care of Oregon Projects associated with Oregon 150
are listed at http://www.solv.org/programs/take_care_of_oregon_days.asp

The Oregon Museums Association is also tracking sesquicentennial events
and activities of its members throughout the state at 
http://www.oregonmuseums.org/Page.asp?NavID=170. Some museums are
offering free and reduced price admission in recognition of the
sesquicentennial.
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission,
which invites you to attend the Northwest History and Heritage
Extravaganza April 15-18 in Portland.