During the pandemic, Canby’s recognition of Historic Preservation Month waned. With the pandemic restrictions in the rearview mirror, this felt like the right time to bring it back to life in a big way. As fate would have it, the city had received a Certified Local Government Grant and was planning to hire a consultant to update the 2009 reconnaissance level survey (RLS) of the original townsite, our downtown. The scheduled completion was end of April, a perfect start for a “Go Big” effort.  Photo provided by City of Canby. “Going Big” meant this could not be one-dimensional, we needed mu ..read more

content courtesy of the Oregon Aviation Historical Society, Cottage Grove. Did you know that Oregon is home to many pioneering, record-setting women aviators?  To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re sharing these stories to shed light these successes that uplifted women… quite literally. Edith Foltz Stearns | air racer; wartime ferry officer; the country’s first female airline pilot Born Edith Magalis in 1900 and raised in Texas, she became involved in aviation after marrying Joseph Foltz Jr, a World War I aviator, who had a small barnstorming operation at Swan Island (the same s ..read more

Joy Sears, Restoration Specialist with Oregon State Historic Preservation Office The array of buildings that our office deals with daily, covers the gambit from almost intact but deteriorated originals to recently remuddled storefronts.  It is very rare to have an original storefront on a building because invariably owners had money and modernized storefronts many times over the years.  So first we must consider what still exists and whether is it repairable.  One of the common occurrences that I come across is a mid-century modern storefront in a much older building.  ..read more

Need help? How to work with consultants to support your heritage organization. Kyrie Kellet, CIP, Principal at MasonBee Interpretive Planning Every organization needs help sometimes, and consultants can often provide the expertise and support you need. But, how do you find the right person? How do you find the money to pay them? How do you set up the contract and working relationship to make sure you really get what you need?  It can feel overwhelming to get started, but here are a few tips for finding and working with the right consultant for your organization and circumstances. The firs ..read more

A three part conversation on universal design in museums. When Oregon Heritage asked me to be a guest writer about universal design in museums, the first thing I thought was, “Yes! I’d love to. This is such an important topic. But, what would be even better would be to introduce Oregon museums to two of my amazing colleagues who have so much more knowledge in this area than I do.” So, this week’s blog is the first conversation in a three part series about universal design in museums between me and my first colleague, Heather Pressman. Heather is the Director of Learning & Engagement at the ..read more

by Katy Vaughn, Cottage Grove Historical Society Eva Davenport was a significant character in early Cottage Grove, Oregon. She was born Lena Flaiskey, in Wisconsin, in 1875. She had a relatively stable mid-western upbringing, but in 1887 tragedy struck and Lena’s mother was killed when a tornado passed through their town. Lena’s life would never be the same.    In 1898 Lena married a dissolute printer named Edwin Becker and in 1902 the two of them moved to Cottage Grove. Edwin was hired by the Nugget, the local newspaper, but was fired after a few days because of his drug addi ..read more

by Alyssa Ralston, Archives Coordinator at Linfield University, home of the Oregon Wine History Archive For the past fifty-plus years, Oregon’s winegrowing industry has been dominated by Pinot Noir. In honor of National Pinot Noir Day on August 18, the Oregon Wine History Archive at Linfield University is pleased to share the history of this varietal in Oregon, as well as highlight some Pinot-related perspectives we’ve captured in our oral history interviews. A cluster of pinot noir grapes at Allen Holstein’s home in Dundee, OR on September 27, 2017. (Photo Credit: Oregon Wine History Archiv ..read more

by Pat Eck, Save the Criterion Schoolhouse & Oregon Retired Educators Association The Criterion Schoolhouse, located on the Oregon State Fairgrounds, was placed on the Country School Association of America (CSAA) Schoolhouse Registry on December 2, 2022. The Oregon Retired Educators Association (OREA) submitted the nomination through its Save the Criterion School Committee. CSAA lists buildings considered worthy of recognition at the national level for preservation and the Criterion School is the first Oregon school building to receive this designation. The Criterion Schoolhouse was the fi ..read more

by Joy Sears, State Historic Preservation Office Restoration Specialist I am just finishing my second weekend workshop thorough the Clatsop Community College (CCC), Historic Preservation & Restoration program in Astoria.  We are working on the second phase of wood windows from the Ed Overbay’s woodworking shop here in Warrenton. The building that houses Overbay Houseworks is a wood framed building built by the military during World War II. Chris Gustafson, Vintage Window Restoration, was the instructor.  Chris is also a graduate of the program.  We started the works ..read more

by Jessica Gabriel, Compliance Specialist for the State Historic Preservation Office Happy Preservation Month from the Oregon Heritage team! May is a big deal to our office as it marks the “awareness month” celebration of all things related to historic preservation. For thirty-one whole days!  Preservation Month 2023, like any year, allows us to advocate for historic preservation, bring local and national preservation issues into the limelight, and celebrate all our successes with an eye towards the future.  Preservation Month, however, shares May with many other causes, groups, and ..read more