[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2026-04-03

Fri Apr 3 21:04:10 PDT 2026

Oregon Heritage News 2026-04-03
In this Issue:

  *   Deadline next week for three Oregon Heritage Grants (Museum, Historic Cemeteries, Preserving Oregon)
  *   Are you coordinating a program for National Historic Preservation Month in May? Let us know so we can promote it!
  *   City of Woodburn offers suggestions for sites to explore before, during, and after the Oregon Heritage Conference April 29-May 2
  *   New NEH Grant Opportunity: Collections Stewardship
  *   News article: Historic Applegate museum faces uncertain future after court loss
  *   CTUIR, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute Acquires Fred L. Mitchell Collection
  *   2026 SOU Laboratory of Anthropology Field School, June 29- July 24

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Deadline next week for three Oregon Heritage Grants (Museum, Historic Cemeteries, Preserving Oregon)
Oregon Heritage has opened applications for several grant programs. The website provides all of the basic information. Kuri Gill, the grant manager, is available to talk through project ideas and provide support. For grant related questions, translation and accessibility needs, contact her at Kuri.gill at oprd.oregon.gov<https://omls.oregon.gov/mailman/listinfo/heritage><mailto:Kuri.gill at oprd.oregon.gov<https://omls.oregon.gov/mailman/listinfo/heritage>> or 503-986-0685.
Oregon Museum Grant - Museums can apply for collections, interpretation and education, and tourism related projects. Information<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Grants.aspx#six>
Deadline: April 8
Oregon Historic Cemeteries Grant - For projects in cemeteries listed with the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries. Information<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Grants.aspx#six>
Deadline: April 9
Diamonds in the Rough Grant - For historic building façade restoration. Information<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Grants.aspx#five>
Deadline: May 5
Preserving Oregon Grant - To complete preservation work on historic properties and for archaeology projects. Information<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Grants.aspx#ten>
Letter of Intent Deadline: April 7
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Are you coordinating a program for National Historic Preservation Month in May? Let us know so we can promote it!

Are you coordinating events in honor of National Historic Preservation Month in May? Oregon Heritage would be happy to include these events in the weekly heritage news to help support awareness of heritage preservation efforts across the state. Email katie.henry at oprd.oregon.gov<mailto:katie.henry at oprd.oregon.gov> with your event information. The more organizations and communities that tie into the National month of awareness, the bigger the message Oregon's heritage preservation community can send across the state about the value of this work.

Need some ideas? Take a look at the list below and the closer you can tie them to what is special about your community, the more successful they will be:

  *   Create a public display at city hall, the courthouse, or the library showcasing copies of photos of historic buildings with the dates they were added to your local historic property register or the National Register and a brief description.
  *   Send a press release to the local paper announcing historic preservation month, local initiatives and recent successes, and buildings already on your local historic property register or the National Register.
  *   Talk with local government officials about procedures for requesting a proclamation.
  *   Organize a community gathering where residents share their memories of growing up in the community.
  *   Invite a guest speaker to present about the history of the area or of a particular neighborhood.
  *   Organize a walking tour of historic buildings and neighborhoods. With planning, these tours could be coordinated to coincide with property owners holding their open houses for the Oregon Special Assessment program.
  *   Add a special feature to a website or add an article to another existing publication.
  *   Hold a historic cemetery clean-up day.
  *   Host a "how-to" workshop - repair windows, pick historic paint colors, research your property.
  *   Celebrate your other projects - mount the historic building signs during the month, have the façade repair ribbon cutting, etc.
  *   Create a guess the house display with historic and modern photos
  *   Ask to present at history, vocational and other appropriate classes at high schools and colleges.
  *   Host a special tour or presentation for local organizations like Chamber of Commerce, Visitor Associations, Rotary and other service organizations.
  *   Coordinate with the local newspaper to run a series of stories on historic sites in your community.

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City of Woodburn offers suggestions for sites to explore before, during, and after the Oregon Heritage Conference April 29-May 2
Are you headed to the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference in Woodburn later this month? Be sure to check out the following suggestions for exploring the area during your visit.  And it's not too late to register! Prices go up April 21 so be sure to register now<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx>.
As visitors make their way to Woodburn for the Oregon Heritage Conference (April 29-May 2), they'll find themselves arriving in a community that reflects the diversity, agriculture, and cultural richness of the Willamette Valley. Woodburn offers countless eateries, activities, and opportunities to explore, but for a memorable stop, enjoy a heartwarming, family-prepared Mexican meal at Casa de Caldos, then unwind with a glass of local wine at Hanson Vineyards. If you're feeling adventurous, head to TopWire Hop Project, where the season has just begun and you can sip craft beer made from hops quite literally growing overhead.
Just east, Mt. Angel offers a unique cultural experience where you can step into a Bavarian village. Be sure to stop at Benedictine Brewery to enjoy traditionally crafted beer brewed by monks, and soak in the peaceful atmosphere and panoramic views of this historic community.
On the way, a visit to Whiskey Hill Store offers more than just a great meal, it's a living piece of local history. Once a childhood hub for the current owners, who grew up counting penny candy and biking there as their first destination, the store has been thoughtfully preserved as a community gathering place, where its legacy continues through food, coffee, and connection.
To the west, near the Willamette River, visit The Historic Butteville Store, the oldest continuously operating retail establishment in Oregon! Now home to Half Pint Brothers, where handcrafted ice cream, fresh food, and coffee make it an easy and rewarding stop just outside Champoeg State Heritage Area.
Head southeast to Silverton, where a stroll through the mural walking tour brings local history to life, and a stop into Lunaria Gallery offers a glimpse into the region's vibrant arts community.
Finally, in Aurora, heritage and craftsmanship come together at Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage, a destination known across Oregon for its remarkable collection of reclaimed architectural pieces and vintage finds.
Together, these nearby communities invite you to take a little extra time, explore beyond the conference, and experience the stories, flavors, and places that make North Marion County so distinctive.
If you're looking for more ways to slow down and enjoy all that North Marion has to offer, check out ExploreNorthMarion.org.
Conference info:
2026 Oregon Heritage Conference<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx> and Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards
Stories, Culture, Place - Weaving Community Heritage
April 29-May 2, Woodburn
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AAM blog post - AI in Museums and Community Trust
AI in Museums and Community Trust<https://aam-us.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2605bbc11e6752de338ce7e61&id=bc3097d9b8&e=0645a66f24>
By Diamond Alexander
With our emphasis on vetted information and dedication to human achievements, when is it ok for museums to employ AI tools, if ever? As the latest Annual Survey of Museum-Goers discovered, the public has strong feelings.
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New NEH Grant Opportunity: Collections Stewardship
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced a new grant opportunity, Collections Stewardship<https://www.neh.gov/program/collections-stewardship>.
 Up to $350,000 can be requested, with a performance period of up to 3 years.  All-sized institutions are welcome to apply and request the grant amount suitable for their project.
Applications are due on May 11th.
Projects that address one or more of the following in the bullet points below are welcome.

  *   conducting assessments for physical or digital preservation, and creating plans and policies for collections stewardship
  *   conducting conservation assessments and implementing treatment plans
  *   purchasing storage and preservation supplies to rehouse collections (see funding restriction on high-density storage systems)
  *   managing collection storage environments and other preventive care strategies (see funding restriction on building systems)
  *   arranging and describing archival and manuscript collections
  *   cataloging collections of rare books, maps, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture, and digital objects
  *   digitizing or reformatting collections and making them available for public use through websites or digital repositories
  *   transcribing, translating, or indexing primary source materials (see funding restriction on preparing scholarly editions)
  *   enhancing long-standing digital resources that are widely used in the humanities in order to preserve the information and improve access
  *   providing preservation services or educating and training undergraduate and graduate students and professionals who preserve and provide access to humanities collections (financial support for students and participants is allowed, including stipends and travel costs but not tuition remission).
  Here's the link to the NEH webpage: https://www.neh.gov/program/collections-stewardship
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News article: Historic Applegate museum faces uncertain future after court loss
https://www.kdrv.com/video/historic-applegate-museum-faces-uncertain-future-after-court-loss/video_0b755c6b-77f7-5795-bfcb-8c5b07b22458.html
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CTUIR, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute Acquires Fred L. Mitchell Collection
CTUIR Press Release, 3/27/26<https://ctuir.org/news/ctuir-tamastslikt-cultural-institute-to-acquire-fred-l-mitchell-collection/>:
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) leaders and Fred L. Mitchell of Walla Walla, Washington, will publicly sign an acquisition agreement at 11 a.m. on March 31 at the Nixyáawii Governance Center to transfer ownership of Mitchell's vast collection of Columbia River Plateau tribal artwork and artifacts.
The Fred L. Mitchell & Family Collection includes hundreds of exquisitely beaded bags and pouches; cradleboards; dresses; vests; gauntlets; horse-trappings; cornhusk bags; huckleberry baskets; more than 1,250 late 19th and early 20th century photographs; and roughly 15,000 lithic points and tools.
Mitchell owns "the finest collection of twentieth-century Columbia River Plateau beadwork in existence" wrote Steve Grafe, author of "Plateau Pictorial Beadwork: The Fred L. Mitchell Collection."
The collection represents three-quarters of a century gathering from up and down the Columbia River mainstem as well as the Snake and Clearwater rivers and other tributaries. This acquisition represents an extraordinary change in the material culture belongings that will be available to display at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute (TCI).
In the 1990s, the TCI project commenced with no collection to display in the interpretive depiction of the Cayuse, Walla Walla and Umatilla tribes' cultures and histories. While TCI's collection has grown since, the immensity and quality of objects in the Mitchell Collection dramatically change the capacity for TCI to represent the Columbia River Plateau tribal narratives.
"We are so grateful that the Roundhouse Foundation learned that Tamástslikt plans to loan Mitchell Collection objects to museums in the Columbia River Plateau region and was the first donor to contribute to the acquisition fund," said TCI Director Bobbie Conner. "Specifically, Roundhouse wanted to ensure that many locales and public audiences will benefit from the decades of Mr. Mitchell's collecting."
The Roundhouse Foundations is an Oregon-based organization that supports creative solutions to the challenges associated with rural culture and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. It along with other organizations and private citizens donated to a fund to help acquire the CTUIR acquire the collection.
At the public signing ceremony, donors, dignitaries, trustees, directors and staff will honor Mitchell as well as contributors to the 10-year long project to make this remarkable moment possible.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is comprised of the Cayuse, Walla Walla and Umatilla Tribes, and formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 Stat. 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the reserved treaty rights guaranteed under federal law.
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2026 SOU Laboratory of Anthropology Field School, June 29- July 24
Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project
Public Archaeology Field School<https://soula.sou.edu/field-school/>
Course Fee $2,500
June 29 - July 24, 2026
Embark on an intensive four week, 4-credit course (ES 408) where you will be part of the team conducting archaeological investigations with the award-winning Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project. This dynamic program will introduce you to historical archaeology method and theory, remote sensing and GPS technologies, survey techniques, hands-on excavation, artifact identification, stratigraphy and primary document analysis, all while learning the art of public outreach through fieldwork, enriching guest speakers and field trips. This year's program will include additional public outreach opportunities and events as part of the America 250 commemoration. The class will take place on multiple sites in eastern Oregon, where we will follow the dusty trails of Chinese American cowboys, excavate in a once-booming ghost town, and get a taste of the history of some of Oregon's early Chinese American restaurants.
To apply: In an email, please provide your name, address, email and phone numbers, your university/college, major, class standing, and the name, phone number, and email of two references. Describe, in one or two paragraphs, how attending an archaeological field school focused on the Chinese diaspora can enrich your personal, educational, and professional goals, and how your participation, in turn, will add value to the project. Email this to the project director, Chelsea Rose.
For additional information, please contact:
Chelsea Rose
Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA)
1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520
Email: rosec at sou.edu<mailto:rosec at sou.edu>
Phone: 541.552.6764<tel:+15415526764>
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office. Learn more about our programs at www.oregonheritage.org<http://www.oregonheritage.org/>. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov>.

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