[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2015-10-08

Thu Oct 8 11:00:48 PDT 2015

In this issue:
1.  Eighteen receive state Main Street awards
2.  Jefferson County courthouse listed in National Register
3.  OHS seeks proposals for symposium
4.  Clackamas County seeks consultant
5.  Historic highway wall to be reconstructed

EIGHTEEN RECEIVE STATE MAIN STREET AWARDS

Eighteen projects and individuals received Excellence in Downtown Revitalization awards this week at the Oregon Main Street Conference in The Dalles. The winners are:

Leadership Award
*       University of Oregon's RARE/AmeriCorps program
Outstanding Partnership
*       Bandon's Cycle Stop Project
Main Street Manager of the Year
*       Jamie Stickel, Canby Main Street/City of Canby
Volunteer of the Year
*       Performing Main Street: Dulcye Taylor, Astoria Downtown Historic District Association
*       Transforming Downtown: Kendall Bell, Klamath Falls Downtown Association
Outstanding Fundraiser
*       La Grande Main Street Downtown's Comprehensive Funding Campaign
Best Image Event
*       St. Helens' Elf of the Shelf Event
Best Special Event
*       Downtown Tigard SubUrban Art
Best Retail Event
*       Downtown Oregon City Association's Snowflake Raffle
Best Marketing Project
*       "Why Shop Downtown The Dalles" Video Series
Best Interior Renovation & Best New Business
*       The Natty Dresser
Business of the Year
*       Red Cross Drug Store in downtown La Grande
Best New Building Project
*       KAOS Building in downtown McMinnville
Best Beautification Project
*       Klamath Falls Utility Box Bird Art Project
Best Business Development Project
*       Astoria Downtown Historic District Association's NEDTalks
Best Business Recruitment Project
*       SHEDCO's Business Plan Competition
Best Adaptive Reuse
*       The Block House Cafe

"These award winners represent the creativity and hard work taking place across the state to strengthen our downtown communities," said Sheri Stuart, coordinator of Oregon Main Street. "We are pleased to recognize them for their dedication and commitment to creating vibrant communities, and growing Oregon's economy while preserving their history and enhancing their sense of place."

The awards presentation is a highlight of the Oregon Main Street Conference, which brings together people with an interest in downtown revitalization. The Dalles Main Street Program and the city of The Dalles hosted this year's event, which included sessions on how to create a compelling story about revitalization efforts, attracting and retaining the creative class, rethinking retail space, learning the do's and don'ts of historic rehabilitation, and more.

JEFFERSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER

The Jefferson County Courthouse in Madras is Oregon's latest entry in the National Register of Historic Places.

Following a contentious battle for the county seat, the courthouse, known to locals as "the Old Courthouse," was constructed in 1917 as the Madras City Hall, but housed the county offices and court from 1917 until 1961 when the current courthouse was built a block away. The small concrete jailhouse remained the only facility for holding prisoners during the same time.

The courthouse was constructed during a period of relative prosperity in Jefferson County and Madras specifically, which had grown steadily since the early 20th-century with the establishment of dry-land farms under the Homestead Act. Winning the county seat secured Madras' position as the county's economic and political center, encouraging further growth and development. In 1934, the United States Resettlement Administration, a Depression-era aid program, began buying failed farms throughout the county signaling an important shift in governance as the once profitable agricultural land surrounding Madras transferred from private ownership subject to county governance to pubic grazing lands under federal stewardship.

Oregon's State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the Jefferson County Courthouse nomination at its October 2014 meeting. The building is one of three historic properties in Madras that are now listed in the National Register, including the Madras Army Airbase north hangar at the municipal airport and the Max and Ollie Luedemann house on SE Ninth Street.

OHS SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR SYMPOSIUM

The Oregon Historical Quarterly seeks proposals for the Oregon Migrations symposium. Taking place in Eugene in November 2016, the symposium will bring together scholars and holders of community history to investigate ways that Oregon inhabitants and newcomers have shaped each other through time, helping us better understand today's discussions about belonging. The symposium is organized by the Oregon Historical Quarterly, the journal of the Oregon Historical Society, in partnership with Bob Bussel and Dan Tichenor, both of the University of Oregon.

Symposium presentations will address the question: How have relationships among inhabitants and newcomers changed Oregon and each other?

Participants are encouraged to submit proposals that address this question through analysis of specific events in Oregon history that are clearly connected to broad, analytical themes and frameworks. Organizers seek proposals from both academics and non-traditional scholars, including elders and respected community history keepers.

More information, including link to full RFP, available here<http://ohs.org/research/quarterly/oregon-migrations-symposium.cfm>.

CLACKAMAS COUNTY SEEKS CONSULTANT

Clackamas County is requesting proposals from qualified consulting professionals for managing, marketing and funding heritage assets and historic preservation inventory for updating, prioritizing and implementing existing heritage plans and surveys in Clackamas County. Proposals are due Oct. 28. For information, visit the county's website<http://www.clackamas.us/bids/>.

HISTORIC HIGHWAY ROCK WALL TO BE RECONSTRUCTED

The Oregon Department of Transportation has announced that it is rehabilitating a rock wall nine miles north of Florence on Highway 101 that was originally constructed in the 1930s.

The Sea Lion Point Rock Wall<http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION2/Pages/US-101-Sea-Lion-Point-Rock-Wall.aspx> uses native materials throughout its length, one of the defining characteristics of Depression-era WPA structures. It utilizes the "Rustic" style of construction that is consistent with the design ideals forwarded by the Bureau of Public Roads and the Oregon State Highway Department for WPA projects, which had a major impact on the highway infrastructure both in Oregon and nationwide.

Over time the wall has lost its integrity in several places and does not meet structural standards as a safety barrier or retaining wall. This project will restore the structural integrity and the aesthetic appearance of a portion of the historic rock wall along the ocean side of the highway. ODOT says construction will include rebuilding the wall sections with natural rock matching the appearance of the original wall and erecting interpretive signing.

Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oregon.gov>

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