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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2022)
INSIDE THE STORY OF THE STUMPS IS MAINLY A TALE OF MYSTERY | OUTDOORS & REC, B1 March 26, 2022 WEEKEND EDITION Oregon Trail interpretive site keeps history alive $1.50 ‘Hidden treasure’ Eastern Oregon University, local advocates secure funding to restore historic Grand Staircase Site near Hot Lake receives noteworthy additions By DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — Four years ago, Dale Counsell and his son, Scott, found an unforgettable link, not to an internet website but to an era when digital technology was still the stuff of science fi ction. The Counsells were in Ladd Canyon on their family’s ranching land when Scott Counsell spotted a metal chain link sticking up from the ground and told his father. Curious, the Counsells began digging. What they found was not precious metal but some- thing to treasure, a horse-drawn logging sled Dale Counsell said was used by a family who had owned the land as homesteaders in the late 1800s. Nobody knows how long the sled had been buried but it was obvious the time underground had taken its toll. “It was in terrible shape,” Dale Counsell said. A skilled craftsman who loves history, Dale Counsell then refur- bished the sled by replacing its wood while retaining its metal ele- ments. Today, the sled is on public display as one of the latest addi- tions to an Oregon Trail interpre- tive site on Hot Lake Lane, 2 miles west of the Lodge at Hot Lake Springs. The sled is loaded with logs from tree species common to Union County — white fi r, lodgepole pine and tamarack, also known as western larch. “The job Dale did restoring that sled is incredible,” said Ronnie Allen, of La Grande, who with Dale Counsell created the Lower Ladd Canyon Oregon Trail site fi ve years ago. The interpretive site is about a mile from the base of Lower Ladd Canyon Hill. Allen said Oregon Trail pioneers came off the hill directly to where the interpretive site is located. In the mid-1800s, Oregon Trail pioneers made overnight stops at the location, he said. Allen esti- mates that from 1843 through the early 1860s, between one and fi ve wagons were at the site continu- ously during the summer months. The sled now at the site was likely used not only to transport trees but also hay, supplies and people, Counsell said. The logging sled is one of sev- eral signifi cant additions made to the Oregon Trail site over the past Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group The view from the top of Eastern Oregon University’s Grand Staircase on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, shows how the structure once restored will again connect the campus with the community of La Grande. By DAVIS CARBAUGH The Observer L A GRANDE — A trea- sured architecture fea- ture in La Grande will be preserved for generations to come. A $100 million rural infra- structure package passed by the Oregon Legislature in March granted $4 million to save Eastern Oregon Univer- sity’s Grand Staircase, high- lighting years of advocacy by the university, local individ- uals and regional organiza- tions. Upon deteriorating into an unusable relic of the past, plans are now underway to renovate and protect the stair- case as a critical element to Eastern’s campus. “We’ve worked at a lot of diff erent angles trying to fi nd funding for it,” said Tim Seydel, Eastern’s vice pres- ident of university advance- ment. “It’s an incredibly beau- tiful piece of architecture that is one of a kind. We just kept working at it.” Cause worth fi ghting for The Eastern Oregon Normal School, a college for aspiring teachers at the time, Bob Bull photo collection Eastern Oregon Normal School students congregate on the Grand Staircase for the 1936 rendition of Evensong, a commencement ceremony for graduating students. The Oregon Legislature in 2022 granted the La Grande school, now Eastern Oregon University, $4 million to restore the historic staircase, after the university and local advocates worked for years on end to secure the funding. opened its doors in 1929 after the construction of a campus in La Grande. The large staircase structure was cre- ated to provide pedestrian access from downtown to the campus, as well as a place for gatherings and events. Architect John V. Bennes, who also headed the Hot Lake Hotel and Geiser Grand Hotel projects, designed the stair- case in an Italian Renaissance Revival style, constructing the structure with 178 steps, 418 stone balusters and 17,470 square feet of concrete over fi ve tiers. In 1980, the site was listed on the National Register See, Staircase/Page A6 See, Trail/Page A6 Report: Oregon suicides dropped slightly in 2020 State has 18th highest suicide rate in the nation, an improvement from 2019 and 2018 By JIM REDDEN Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon had the nation’s 13th highest suicide rate across all ages in 2020, a slight improvement over the year before when the state was ninth in sui- ARE YOU IN CRISIS? Additional mental health resources include: • 24/7 Suicide Prevention National Lifeline number: 1-800-273-8255 • 24/7 Spanish Lifeline: 1-888-628-9454 •24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “OREGON” to 741741 • 24/7 Crisis Line for Veterans: 1-800-273-8255 and Press “1” or text 838255 • Senior Loneliness Line: 503-200-1633 • YouthLine for teen-to-teen crisis help. A phone line and a texting support line are off ered through Lines for Life. Trained teens respond from 4-10 p.m. (PDT) Monday through Friday. Adults are also available 24/7. Call 1-877-968-8491 or text teen2teen to 839863. cide deaths, according to suicide mortality data recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WEATHER INDEX Classified ......B2 Comics ...........B5 Crossword ....B2 Dear Abby ....B6 TUESDAY Horoscope ....B2 Local...............A2 Lottery ...........A2 Obituaries .....A5 Opinion .........A4 Outdoors ......B1 Sports ............A8 Sudoku ..........B5 Part of the decline was a reduc- tion in suicides by young people, the Oregon Health Authority said on Tuesday, March 22. Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Sunday 44 LOW 71/44 Partly cloudy Mostly cloudy ELGIN OPERA HOUSE TO PUT ON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL The decrease placed Oregon 18th highest in the nation — an improvement from 2019 and 2018, when Oregon ranked 11th highest in the nation for youth suicides. “While we are encouraged by 2020’s downward trend that shows our work with partners to address youth suicide is helping in some counties, we still have a long way to go to improve outcomes among all Oregon communities,” said Oregon Health Authority Behav- ioral Health Director Steve Allen. See, Suicides/Page A6 CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 37 2 sections, 14 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page A4. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
