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DARREL BUNCH
There was so much work back then that you could quit one job in the morning and have another lined up the same day and go to work.One can’t speak of the history of Florence without including the logging industry’s significant role in the heritage...
THE EARLY RAILROAD
". . . passenger traffic made the route a paying one from the first day that a passenger coach was attached to the work train, and it is now necessary to carry two passenger coaches and a baggage car to accommodate the people wanting to travel that...
JOY MCCOURT
The 4-H Fairs were always held in July (the hottest month of the year)."The only respite was to keep one's feet in cold buckets of ice water!"I looked forward to sitting with Joy McCourt for this Oral History interview with much anticipation. I was...
DEL PHELPS
In 1885, “They came from Indiana with 5 children by train to San Francisco,then by schooner to Portland.This story follows an interview with Delbert (“Del”) Phelps for the museum’s Oral History Project. The project strives to capture an...
OLD WHISKERS
The following story appeared in the 1948 Siuslaw Pioneer booklet. No author was credited, and its authenticity may very well be questionable, but worthy of a chuckle. It’s as much a fishing story as it is about a ‘lucky day’ on the river. “ . . ....
ROGER MCCORKLE
School Teacher and Community Leader A long-time resident of Florence for over 57 years, Roger McCorkle is someone who has devoted much of his life to community service and the history of Florence. Born in Vancouver, WA, his parents (Dean and Alice)...
A CHAT WITH A FORMER NEWSPAPER EDITOR
“Life takes you to places, but you have to be open, flexible.” ROBERT ("BOB") SERRA It was a chance glance at a picture of the Heceta Lighthouse on the back of a magazine that made a lasting impression on Bob Serra. He grew up in Chicago and...
FISHING ON THE SIUSLAW
During the 1850’s, Jeff Campbell’s family had a homestead in the Fernridge Lake area of Veneta. Jeff’s grandfather, Chester Lieu (“Cap”) Campbell lived on River Road in Eugene and often fished on the Siuslaw River. Fishing was always a good way to...
A BOY SCOUT CAMP RANGER
JOE DOYLEAlton F. Baker Boy Scout Camp I had met Joe Doyle several years ago, but we hardly spoke, and I never knew much about him. That is, until an icebox from the 1900’s prompted me to get in touch with him. Joe was born in 1930. He...
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MUSEUM DOCENT
Wander into the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum and our docents are on hand to greet you with a warm welcome. They provide a brief introduction of our former schoolhouse building and a short explanation of the museum’s exhibits. You are encouraged to roam...