Signs, signs, everywhere

It's been fun this spring and summer to see all the new signs that have been appearing around Cottage Grove. As someone who loves to be outdoors, and loves learning about history and nature, I've enjoyed discovering these signs as we've been out and about.   I blogged last fall about the History Here posters …

Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area: Sumpter, Oregon

In the middle of the 19th century, all around our newly established state, people began discovering gold. The southern Oregon gold rush in Josephine County began in the 1850s, Bohemia Johnson discovered gold in the Bohemia mines in 1863, and the town of Canyon City in eastern Oregon swelled to a population of 10,000 (larger than Portland …

Lost Towns: Lane County Historical Museum Exhibit

In the days before log trucks, automation, or heli-logging, sawmills were built closer to the woods. Here in south Lane County, they sprang up along the O&SE Rail line (now the Row River Trail) to take advantage of the railroad. In some instances, whole communities would surround the mill, like the sawmill at Prune Hill. When I …

Luper Cemetery: Eugene

Just north of Eugene, surrounded by farmland, is one of the oldest pioneer cemeteries in the southern Willamette Valley, Luper Cemetery. I love wandering through old graveyards, looking at the headstones, and piecing together the family relationships. I wonder about these people's lives and history and I enjoy the markers their families had created for them. In this …

Connecting the Present to the Past: History Here, Eugene

As traffic streams by along West 11th in Eugene, four brick workers from the J. Marsh Martin brickyard silently observe the bustle from their poster adhered to a metal utility box. Three feet wide by four-and-a-half feet tall, the poster is basically a large photograph with a brief description of the people and places within …

Stand By Me: 30th Anniversary

In June of 1985 a young film director trying to prove himself brought four unknown child actors and an entire film crew to Eugene. For seven weeks they stayed at the Hilton, first to give acting classes to the young actors, and then to film on location, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novella, “The Body.” …

Yesterday’s Adventure: Book Review

I admit, I am addicted to books. While computers and the internet are definitely good friends, my true love is a good book. So, it is no surprise that the other day, when I realized I was going to have some free time on my hands, I stopped by the library for a book. In just a …

Ahoy Matey! Tall Ships in Coos Bay

The sound of cannon fire ricocheted off the building behind us while the smell of gun powder drifted across the bay. The two ships, each at full mast, maneuvered through the water, one taking a tight turn and firing again. Once the boom subsided, I could hear the crew shouting orders and the mateys yelling …

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum: Florence

Old Town in Florence is usually abuzz with tourists enjoying the shops, restaurants, and views of the Siuslaw River along Bay Street. For me, part of the charm of Old Town is the sense of history that I get as I walk down the street or dine in one of the restaurants. Located in the heart …

History Lost: The Alex Cooley House

You may have read in the newspapers last week that there was a fire in an abandoned house here in Cottage Grove. What the reports failed to mention is that the house was almost 150 years old and was built by an early settler to Cottage Grove, Alex Cooley, and his family. What burned was …