[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2010-10-07

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  Astoria museum launches new external display
2.  Dam, wagon road added to National Register
3.  Variety of topics are themes of Portland presentations
4.  Workshop series begins in Salem
5.  Tours slated at Timberline Lodge


ASTORIA MUSEUM LAUNCHES NEW EXTERNAL DISPLAY

The pilot boat Peacock is being picked out of the Columbia River by two
cranes and placed on land at the east end of the Columbia River Maritime
Museum grounds in Astoria. The display of the boat will be used to tell
the story of adventure and courage at the mouth of the river. Since the
1800s, more than 2,000 ships have been wrecked on the Columbia River
bar.

The Peacock was built in 1964 based on a German North Sea rescue boat
design. Put into service on the Columbia River in 1967, this boat
enabled the bar pilots to work in all but the most extreme weather.
During her 33 years of service, she ferried bar pilots to and from more
than 120,000 commercial ships carrying people, cars, grain, lumber,
minerals and commercial goods to ports along the Columbia River.

For more information, visit www.crmm.org 


DAM, WAGON ROAD ADDED TO NATIONAL REGISTER

The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office has announced the
listings of the Owyhee Dam Historic District and Santiam Wagon Road in
the National Register of Historic Places.

Designed and constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation beginning in
1927, the Owyhee Dam Historic District consists of the Owyhee Dam and
several dozen buildings and structures associated with the dam. These
resources include a residential camp, industrial buildings, and other
features that date from between the period 1927 and 1939. The district
was listed in the National Register for its important and historic
association with irrigated agriculture in eastern Oregon and western
Idaho as part of the larger Owyhee Project. The district was also listed
for its national significance for the design and construction of the
Owyhee Dam, which served as a testing grounds for new dam technology and
engineering. New technology first used in the Owyhee Dam later served in
other Bureau of Reclamation projects, including Hoover Dam.

Officially opened in 1866, the Santiam Wagon Road was listed in the
National Register for its role in helping to connect Oregon’s two
disparate sections, the Willamette Valley in the west and the Deschutes
River Basin in the east, by providing a primary means of transportation
across the central Cascade Mountains from the mid-nineteenth through
early twentieth centuries. The Santiam Wagon Road contributed to the
economic development on both the east and west sides of the Cascade
Mountains by providing a more reliable route to facilitate trade,
commerce, and communication. The road also helped shape the settlement
patterns of central Oregon, as former Willamette Valley residents made
the journey east to establish new homes, ranches, farms, and businesses.
The Santiam Wagon Road served as an important transportation link in
Oregon for over 50 years before becoming largely obsolete with the
completion and opening of the modern McKenzie Highway (OR 242) in 1920.

More information about the National Register and recent Oregon listings
is online at http://www.oregonheritage.org/OPRD/HCD/NATREG/index.shtml  
     


VARIETY OF TOPICS ARE THEMES FOR PORTLAND PRESENTATIONS

Women in politics, Oregon's Civil War, the Alameda neighborhood, Monroe
Sweetland, postcards and frontier justice are six topics to be presented
during the next month in Portland.

Western Oregon University historian Kimberly Jensen, political
scientist Melody Rose, and activist and former legislator Gretchen
Kafoury will discuss women's fight for equality in Oregon from suffrage
to the ERA at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 N.E. 33rd
Ave. For more information, visit www.ohs.org 

At 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, 4045 NW
Cornelius Pass Rd., Hillsboro, sportswriter Kerry Eggers will present
“It’s War! Beavers vs. Ducks: The History of the Longest—and
Greatest—Sports Rivalry in Oregon.” The presentation is sponsored by
the Oregon Encyclopedia project.

"Alameda Neighborhood History: Its Founding and Early Life" will be
presented at 10 a.m. Oct. 23 at the Architectural Heritage Center, 701
SE Grand Ave. Portland’s Alameda Park Addition was platted in 1909. By
1920, hundreds of houses and a busy streetcar line had been built in the
new subdivision. Doug Decker will track the initial development of the
Alameda area, profile key builders and building styles, and share
stories of the early years from former residents. Pre-registration is
suggested at www.visitahc.org .

"Frontier Justice" will be presented at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Kennedy
School by Diane Goeres-Gardner, the author of "Necktie Parties" and
"Murder and Morality." This presentation, supported by Holy Names
Heritage Center, McMenamins and the Oregon Historical Society, begins
with the first legal execution in 1850 and ends in 1997 when the last
man was executed in Oregon. Rare photos of the 1857 Oregon Penitentiary
and the 1861 Hawthorne Insane Asylum are displayed - both built in
Portland. "Frontier Justice" uses individual cases to explore Oregon's
early history of legal incarceration and execution. Included are
historical firsts: use of fingerprints, legal recycling, and use of
electricity at an execution.

Professor William Robbins presents “Finding Monroe Sweetland: ‘one
of the original Western Democrats’ ” at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at
McMenamins Edgefield Theater, 2126 S.W. Halsey St., Troutdale. One of
the Oregon’s most prominent political actors, Monroe Sweetland wore
many hats in his time, including Oregon Democratic National
Committeeman, state representative, newspaper publisher, and teacher.
For more information, visit www.oregonencyclopedia.org 

 At 10 a.m. Nov. 6, "Portland in Postcards" will be presented at the
Architectural Heritage Center. Beginning in the early 20th century,
postcards rapidly developed into a popular tourist souvenir item and
postcards of the “City of Roses” were no exception. Presenter Mark
Moore is a native Portlander who at an early age became interested in
local history and is a big fan of postcards and souvenirs.
Pre-registration at www.visitahc.org is suggested


WORKSHOP SERIES BEGINS IN SALEM

The first in a series of "Do It Yourself Heritage Workshops" will take
place at 10 a.m. Oct. 9 at the Willamette Heritage Center. 1313 Mill
St., in Salem.  Robert Kraft, who has 30 years experience in historic
renovation and home remodeling,will talk about past, present and future
renovations of historic homes. He will start the discussion with a brief
program that "demystifies" double-hung windows. 

The series continues Nov. 6 with "Researching Your Home" by the
center's Amy Vandegrift and Dec. 11 with "Researching, Preserving and
Digitizing Your Photos." 

For more information, contact the Willamette Heritage Center at
503-585-7012 or visit http://www.missionmill.org. 


TOURS SLATED AT TIMBERLINE LODGE

Timberline Lodge tours will take place this month at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2
p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The free tours will be led by a
U.S. Forest Service ranger. For more  information, call 503-622-3191 or
503-272-3251 or visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/ 
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