by Deborah Lobey | Apr 30, 2025 | Exhibit, Posts, Rhododendron Festival
The process of selecting the Rhododendron Royal Court has varied throughout the years, yet continues to remain a significant highlight of the festivities even today. Early on, contestants acquired votes by selling baskets of home cooked goods (1909), bake sales, and...
by Deborah Lobey | Mar 29, 2025 | Oral History - Stories, Posts
(Part 2 of 2), (View Part 1) From early on, John Barnes developed a connection with the forest, cultural heritage and history. One could say it was in his DNA – passed down from a grandfather who homesteaded, and a father who was a brush picker and well-known hunter...
by Deborah Lobey | Mar 2, 2025 | Oral History - Stories, Posts
(Part 1 of 2) (View Part 2) Though Brush Picking may be an unfamiliar occupation to some, it has maintained a history throughout the Pacific Northwest. Folks may not get rich by it, yet it continues to be a source of income from the forest. Chances are, pickers today...
by Deborah Lobey | Dec 29, 2024 | Fundraising, Posts
DONATE GoFundMe MUSEUM LAUNCHES WALL RECONSTRUCTION CAMPAIGN PRESERVING OUR PAST The Siuslaw Pioneer Museum is launching a campaign to save its west wall. Time has taken its toll on our beloved Museum and we are now facing a critical challenge: the west wall has...
by Deborah Lobey | Nov 12, 2024 | Posts
What they hoped to find lay at the bottom of Tahkenitch Lake for 37 years. Local folks may recall that June day in 1987, when a Southern Pacific (“SP”) Railroad train derailed on its daily route between Coos Bay and Eugene. As the 102-car train crossed a trestle on...
