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Quarterly Newsletter Vol. 24 #3 - Fall 2012

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Association, Inc.

a non-profit Corporation

Fall

Calendar

Nov 22 - Thanksgiving - museum closed Dec 23 - Jan 31 - Closed for maintenance, clean up, and docent holiday Jan 21 - 12:00 -2:00 pm Volunteer Luncheon Feb 1 - Re-open for 2013

Museum Hours Feb - Apr & Oct - Dec

Tues. through Sun. (Closed Mondays)

May 1 - Sep 30 Mon. through Sun.

(7 days a week) Closed January

12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Phone (541) 997-7884

E-mail - [email protected] www.SiuslawPioneerMuseum.com

2012 Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Legacy Dinner

Happy ThanksgivingHappy ThanksgivingHappy ThanksgivingHappy Thanksgiving and

Happy HolidaysHappy HolidaysHappy HolidaysHappy Holidays from all of us at the

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum

Pictured are shots of early arrivals. The house filled up for a yummy dinner. The Logging Program presented by

Bobby and Kay King was enjoyed by all.

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum News 2

STORY TIME

Story Time will resume in February. We are looking for some

interesting people to share their stories of life in the

area with us.

If you or someone you know has stories to share about growing

up in the area, or tidbits to share that helped shape our

area into the wonderful place we love, please call Shirley

Hunt 541-991-0419,or e-mail [email protected]

GIFT SHOP NEWS

With the Holidays just around the corner, don’t forget the museum gift shop, for that unusual

gift for that special someone (or that special gift for that unusual someone).

We still have the tote bags for $6.50; sock coin purses for $2.00; kitchen towels with crochet tops for $1.50 and maps

of the US showing the Indian Tribes therein. As we have mentioned, our space is very limited, so our supply is as well. We do have DVDs of the Story Times

held at the Museum. We also have quite a supply of chil-dren's books and old time cook books and song books.

Come in and browse, you may find something that appeals to you or for a friend.

Come visit the Museum -- you'll be glad you did!

… Entitled Helping Hands That is what Virginia Carroll does, gives her helping hands, no matter the situation. Service is a major part of her life. When there is a meeting she helps

or leads the coffee crew. When serving as a docent she leads by example and when her day is done every picture will be straightened and every speck of dust will have been dusted away. She served the board as treasurer for many years, she now helps our current treasurer because of his business work load. When there is food being served, she will be dipping the soup or cutting the cake and making sure others are served before she serves herself. During the preparations for the museums recent receptions for the Mystery Theater and the Mayors Reception, she was right in the thick of it making sure all were served and everything was just right.

In getting ready for this year’s Legacy Dinner, she helped others get the mailing out, she helped me keep track of attendees, money and where and who it came from and where it was to go. She kept me updated hourly on the number of attendees as they kept coming in and organized the tickets to be disbursed at the door. Then she helped people find their table. In all of the afore mentioned situations, when you try to thank her, she will in typical Virginia style, say …. ‘well, someone had to do it’.

She is modest and unassuming, but please, the next time you see her just give her a hug and say ‘Thank You for your helping hands’.

The museum is blessed with a group wonderful volunteers and in this issue, I am pleased to be shining the spotlight on, Virginia Carroll.

Delbert Phelps, SPM Board President

MEMBERSHIP

Spotlight on Board Member

2013 dues billings will be going out shortly if not already, by the

time you read this. Life members will not receive a

billing. Membership is very important to your museum in order

to cover the general day to day operations without dipping into

reserves.

We have some on the roll that are in arrears, and the reasons may

be perfectly valid. The board this year decided that this year, one

time only, we would forgive all who are behind and give them a fresh start in order to maintain them as members forward if they wanted.

Please note: that the membership year is from December 31st, 2012

to December 31st, 2013, the museums calendar year.

We invite everyone to become a member and for those that already are members we sincerely hope

you can retain your membership. We want to keep

this museum at the quality level it has achieved over the years and your continued participation can

make that happen.


Siuslaw Pioneer Museum (541) 997-7884

2nd & Maple Streets P.O. Box 2637

Florence, OR 97439

e-mail: [email protected]

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Board of Trustees 2012

Board Officers

President: Del Phelps Vice President: Steve Skidmore

Treasurer: Lonnie Iholts Secretary: Jean Chapman

Recording Secretary: Tina Shoys

Regular Trustees Virginia Carroll

Shirley Hunt Pete Shoys

Stu Johnston

Ex-Officio Trustees Jean Chapman Fred Jensen

Marteen Wick Robert Richardson

Harry Zinn Dorie Miles

Adele O’Boyle

Board Meetings are held the 2nd Monday of each month

at 10:00 a.m. in the museum meeting room, upstairs, 2nd & Maple Streets.

These meetings are open to all members.

The Siuslaw Pioneer Museum News is published quarterly by the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Editor: Dianna Kramer [email protected]

News items may be submitted for the next issue Dec 15, 2012

We reserve the right to edit or reject any article.

V O L U N T E E R S by Harry Zinn,

Operations Manager/Volunteer Coordinator

Here we are heading into the winter season and another year is almost complete with regards to our volunteers. We will once again close from Christmas through New Years, and during the month of January. This will give our many fine volunteers some time to relax and refresh for 2013. This has been both a long year and a great year as we had many schedule substitutions and functions, and many people stepped up to fill in where needed. A special thank you to our super subs, Jean and Virginia for being there when needed. Jeff and I will take some time during January to paint and touch up around the museum along with other volunteers who will dust and clean for our 2013 opening in February.

Since this is the last newsletter for 2012, I would like to personally thank all of you for your support and efforts for the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum during the year.

Legacy Fund Checks

Those that wish to pledge, or have already pledged, to the

“S.P.M. Legacy Fund”

for the purpose of “Paying down the

building debt”,

please make checks payable to:

“S.P.M. Legacy Fund Drive”

Mail check to: Siuslaw Pioneer

Museum PO Box 2637

Florence, OR 97439

ENDOWMENT FUND

An Endowment Fund in the Museum’s name has been

established with many financial gifts from our members.

Donors who wish to contribute to this

fund should make the check payable to:

“Western Lane Community Foundation”

and specify “Siuslaw Pioneer

Museum Endowment” on the check.

Mail check to: Siuslaw Pioneer Museum

P. O. BOX 2637 FLORENCE, OR 97439

Please keep in mind that checks speci-fied to the endowment are to be used as specified by the endowment maker

for special projects or the general endowment

held by the foundation.

Check out the Siuslaw Pioneer

Museum’s Website

www.SiuslawPioneerMuseum.com


A Magical Place

Named for the Spanish sailor Don Bruno Heceta, who discovered the location in 1755, the Heceta Head Lighthouse is said to be the most photographed lighthouse in the United States.

It is hard to imagine that there was very little vegetation on site when the construction of the lighthouse began in 1892. A forest fire had swept through the area a few years earlier, wiping out everything in its path.

Project completion was hampered and delayed since nothing could be done until roads were built in order to bring supplies to the cliff top site. The project took approximately 5 years, but the light itself was lit for the first time in March of 1894. It is interesting to note that the lumber used came from the local mills, the cement came from San Francisco and the rock for the tower base came from near Oregon City. Laborers earned $2.00 a day for about 10 hours of hard work. The more skilled workers, such as carpenters, earned $4.00 a day.

The lighthouse sits on a bluff high above the Pacific Ocean. The tower is 56 feet tall. The original light was the most powerful on the Oregon Coast and was able to be seen 21 miles out to sea. The original construction consisted of the lighthouse tower, one dwelling for the head keeper, a duplex for the two assistant keepers, and several storage buildings. The head keepers dwelling was torn down in 1940. The salvaged lumber was used in the construction of the Alpha-Bit Café in Mapleton. The remaining duplex now serves as the popular and renowned Bed and Breakfast, Heceta House.

Many stories have circulated thru the years about unexplained happenings at Heceta House. It has been named one of the 10 most haunted houses in the United States. The spirit of a lady nicknamed Rue is supposed to be the resident ghost. She is also called the “Gray Lady”. She is thought to be the spirit of a mother whose child died there, as the grave of an infant is on the premises, although no official records have been located. All of the reported incidents have been friendly and guests continue to report encounters.

Both the lighthouse and the light keeper’s house are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse is currently undergoing a major renovation. Once finished, the Heceta Head Lighthouse will once again cast its glistening beam out over the ocean.

RESEARCH LIBRARY REPORT

By Librarian, Adele O’Boyle

This past quarter we've had folks from the states of Virginia, Arizona, Washington, and California visit the museum. That's in addition to the visitors from Oregon and local people. In addition, a female visitor from Portland stopped in the latter part of September and was so pleased with the treatment she received; she wrote a letter to Museum President Del Phelps commending the staff's services to her.

In addition, we've mailed many of the "Siuslaw Pioneer" book to patrons who requested them. These are the books which were printed yearly between 1944 thru 2012.

Pat Rongy is here on Tuesday for those interested in genealogy. Wednesday, Sharon Waite who grew up in Florence, checks the businesses of the past from 1944 thru 1975.

On Friday, Joy McCourt spends her time collecting items from the local newspapers including the obituaries. These are then filed in folders in the drawers in the library. Gene Olson is currently writing a book of river, tugs, charter, and school boats of the area. We are still looking for volunteers to help at the museum and in the library. No experience is needed. We will teach you.


President’s Message Delbert Phelps, SPM President

Oh where has the summer gone… It has been a busy sum-mer for the museum and it’s volunteers. With the high gas prices our visitors to the museum were off just a tad … but not bad. We hosted a Friday evening reception for the Oregon Mayors Conference that stole the show for their weekend. We had a Poison Pen Players “Murder Mystery Evening and Reception” that made about $2,700.00 for our Legacy Fund. And then we held our Annual Legacy Dinner which brought is just over $7,000.00. Given the times we are in I am not one to complain. I will be thankful to those who could give and just work a little harder to find additional sources of revenue to get our building debt paid. “Red Rose Catering” did an outstanding job for our dinner, deserts and table colors. Jean Chapman’s table center pieces were the talk of the evening. We will bring back a table numbering system next year in addition to the sponsors names. When we think of mother earth and the people who have been here over the centuries, Bob Garcia’s native jargon tongue invocation was well put, and spoke to the kindness we owe this place we live. I had many positive comments. As usual, Mayor Phil Brubaker guided us through the evening with finesse and graciousness. I was glad to take the opportunity to thank the museum volunteers and board members who were in attendance for their dedicated work throughout the year. The highlight of the evening was the program brought to us by Bob and Kay King who descend from Oregon pioneer logging families just to the north of us. They gave a great slide and video program of logging in this area dating back to 1890 and also showing the changes they, King Logging, are ushering in to improve the practices in logging in Alaska. We look forward to next year when surely many more people will step up to become “Legacy Participating Members” of the Siuslaw Pioneer Mu-seum. On another note. We will be having some work parties during the month of January for touch-up and maintenance to get ready for the 2013 season. So why not volunteer if you have some free time. You can call me at 541-991-7787 and I will direct you to the work group that most interests you. Lastly we are always in search of “Docents” who can give an afternoon or more per month, so come and meet the people of the world who come through our doors. It would be nice if when you have the opportunity to come by the museum and you happen to see Harry Zinn, Adele O'Boyle, Jean Chapman, Virginia Carroll, Bob Richardson or Fred Jensen and many more, to just say thank you to them for all of the hard work they do to continue to make our “your” museum a better place. Best for last, Thanksgiving and the holidays are coming and we will be giving our volunteers some time off over those days and for the month of January. Please check our calendar for closed days. I hope all will have the best turkey day ever this year and the best Christmas as well. Keep safe and well. Your Board President, Del Phelps

IN MEMORIUM

The museum recently

received donations of funds

in memory of the following

individuals.

The name “Pearl Campbell”

will be endeared with the

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum

forever because of the work

and dedication she put in for

so many years in the

Museums Kyle research

Library.

Richard “Dick” Whitmore

“The SHS Students Friend”

not only gave his all to the

students here, but in

retirement gave time on a

regular basis to the Siuslaw

Pioneer Museum as a

researcher in the museums

library.

Joree Jensen, beloved wife

of Fred Jensen. Joree was

her husband Fred’s lifelong

helpmate in all that he did.

She spent untold hours

helping visitors to the

museum, really see the

museum through the eyes of

a sweet young farm girl.

I want it said of me by those who

knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower

would grow. ~Abraham Lincoln


Pages in Time… Remembering Florence fires and some of the men who fought them… With National Fire Prevention Week just behind us and the Holiday season coming up I thought it appropriate to rerun this story. I am in hope it will remind us to keep safety and caution in mind as all of the extra electrical gadgets and lights are plugged in this year.

In the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum are pictures of a devastating fire on Bay Street in the early nineteen hundreds. A whole block went to the ground and all they had to try to keep it from spreading were the valiant effort of many men with buckets. That experience then led to Florence getting what I believe was its first apparatus, a hand drawn hand pumper. The Hurd Sawmill near where the Bay Bridge condos are now located, was a victim of fire, I am told. I am not sure when the first fire department was formed, but by the 1930’s it must have had a good start. A 1946 Ford pumper truck was purchased right after the World War II.

In 1953 the top story of the Old Florence School burned off. I could see the flames from as far up river as the Laduke Lumber Company in Cushman as I was coming into town from Mapleton that night. Mapleton Senior High students had a habit of coming to Florence to date the Florence girls. I don’t know how they did it, but the firemen saved the lower story, and in 1990 the upper story, as you see it today was rebuilt and as you know the building is our current museum. Along about that same time, or maybe before, The Lakeland Sport Shop fire on Bay Street almost wiped out a full block on the river side of the street across from what is now the Fire House Restaurant.

When I joined the fire department in 1960 by invite of Bud Miles, the fire station was located where Mo’s is now out over the water at the foot of Maple Street. Some time not long before I joined there was a huge split in the department resulting in the formation of the Florence City Fire Department and a separate Rural Fire Department. It seemed to me that pride and politics was at the bottom of it. In 1960 When I joined, a fellow who owned the garage next to the fire hall was our chief. When he barked an order, you could hear him a block away, not much in the way of radios in those days. Vanny Aerosmith was his name, and not that we were not safety conscious in those days, we did go about the job just a little different than today. You see with fire, time is your worst enemy, so when the call came, the strategy was get it before it had a chance to grow. We had engineers who lived less than a minute of the hall and as those of us who lived further out were headed in we would hear on the plectron scanners in our vehicles when the engines left the hall. We would meet them at the fire location, hook the hydrant as the engine came in and then as the engine reached the fire, others would grab the inch and a half hose pack off the truck and get in and fog the fire from the inside. If that didn’t do it then we would suit up when our uniforms arrived on the utility van.

Aerosmith resigned lot long after I joined and Vern Passenger was elected our new chief and held the position for many years. In my first years on the department I met and trusted my life to many good men, and they trusted theirs with me. We were a band of brothers who knew what moves each other would make and when they would make them. We always trained together on Monday nights, and after training there were always the games of eight ball. Names like Woody Pitman, Vern Passenger, Joe Rawson, Bud Miles, Blair Sneddon, Bill Peerson, Ernie Harris and Waldo Lorenze come to mind as I write this, and there are more. Then it was a family affair with many sons following in their father’s footsteps.

In the early 60s on a very cold Christmas morning the call came in that there was a fire at the ice


plant on the doc up river about 100 yards from Mo’s. The weather was clear and cold with a 20 mph east wind blowing down river and the temperature was hovering at about 26 degrees and when we arrived on the dock we found 1 inch of solid ice on everything. We had to tie the hoses down to keep from being taken off the dock. The tide was at full high and access under the dock was impossible. Long story short, we lost the ice station, we lost the dock, and we lost Mo’s even with our attack from the land side and the Coast Guard from the river side. We put up defense positions on the roof tops below Mo’s to save the next block of Bay Street.

There were two more large fires that come to mind. One was the elementary school on the hill where the side parking lot for the Florence Events Center is now. It was a fully involved fire when called in and we immediately called for mutual aid. We managed to save the shell of the building but everything inside was lost and the building had to be destroyed. I remember being stationed on the entry walk about 20’ from the front door with one other man and a two and a half inch hose with full stream directed into the front door entry to keep the fire down for entry of other men into the building. It wasn’t long until we were laying in a two or three inch deep stream of hot water running out of the building. We held that position until the fire was under control.

The other large on was The Western Lane Furniture Fire in the 70’s. We had been called out twice earlier that night on small fires adjacent to store buildings that were attempts to divert police while a burglary was occurring somewhere else. The third call came around 3:00 am and as I lived only three blocks from the fire, I knew we had a big one (the sky was red) when I stepped outside the house to get in my pickup. As the trucks rolled in and we got organized and started our attack it was not looking good. The police who reported the fire had grabbed their car fire extinguishers and broken out the front window in an attempt to keep the fire small until we arrived. They realized their mistake when the open window immediately gave the fire oxygen and they got the full force of the blowback as the building became instantly fully involved. Within a few minutes owner Hank Johnson was there and he and Chief Passenger were discussing the possibility of saving the accounts receivables’ files. I said I would volunteer to try and that I wanted the strongest man we had to back me up and that was a young timber faller named Darrel Bunch. We were both completely suited up with full air packs and got the location from Mr. Johnson and then went in the side door with a fully charged inch and a half line at ground level to avoid as much heat as possible. The fire was everywhere above us as we made our way into the building about 30 or 40 feet to the office area. We were then only about ten feet from the objective when I heard the fire above us start to sound like a train steam engine puffing and the flames stated rolling from front to back in waves. The heat was starting to singe my ears and that is when I tapped Darrel on the shoulder and signaled retreat, now! We followed the hose back out of the building feeling we had failed, but then when the roof caved in just minutes after we emerged, we were glad to be alive.

As a Florence fireman from 1960 to 1997 I experienced many things, most of them good feelings about helping people and some not so good when it involved the loss of precious life. But I would not trade those years for anything. I will always cherish the times and the people.

Delbert Phelps, A fireman at heart


It is with extreme gratitude that we acknowledge our Sponsoring Businesses

Siuslaw News is another of our supporting

members. Watch the news twice a week for articles on other

activities that the museum may be sponsoring.


Ada Grange #570

Burch’s Roofing, Inc.

Coastal Woman Veterans

Davidson Industries

Florence Area Chamber Of Commerce

Florence Mini Storage, Inc.

Florence True Value

Goodman’s Floor Coverings

Hair, Etc.

Heceta Oddfellows Lodge #111

Honeyman Nursery and Landscaping

KCST Radio

Kitchen Klutter

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION : Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………... Street Address or PO Box Number: ………………………………………………………………... City: ………………………………………………………... State: ……………….Zip:………….. Make checks payable to: Siuslaw Pioneer Museum, and mail to: Siuslaw Pioneer Museum, P.O. Box 2637, Florence, OR 97439 Individual:…………………$15.00 Friend ………………….$50.00 Family………….. ………... $20.00 Supporting:…………...$100.00 Organization ………. …….$25.00 Patron:……………….. $150.00 Business:……………….…..$30.00 Benefactor:……………$500.00 Sponsoring Business ….…..$50.00 Lifetime:…………….$1,000.00 (with business card display)

It is with extreme gratitude that we acknowledge our Sponsoring Businesses

Thanks to all our members! Although we cannot list individual members,

we’re proud to list the businesses and civic groups that have joined the Museum.

Koning & Cooper

Ladies of The Elks

Merchants Of Old Town

Miles Oil Company

Pier Point Inn

Pro Lumber, Inc.

Prudential Pacific Properties

R & R King Logging

River House Inn

Sea Lion Caves

Silver Lining Boutique

Three River’s Casino

Tony’s Garage


P. O. BOX 2637 FLORENCE, OR 97439

Return Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #58

Florence, Oregon

Published quarterly by the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Association Inc., a non-profit corporation

The Siuslaw Pioneer Museum is now at 2nd and Maple Streets in Old Town, Florence. Call us at 997-7884

Your dues are due On this date.

happy thanksgivinghappy thanksgiving happy holidays · come visit the museum -- you'll be glad...

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