Applegater Spring 2021
7
NONPROFIT NEWS AND UPDATES
Finally, it’s 2021!
Let’s try that again.
You can now hit the Upper
Applegate History Trail
BY SETH KAPLAN
BY LAURA AHEARN
Spring is the time for renewal, so no
better time than now to announce that
A Greater Applegate (AGA) is calling
a “do-over” on 2020. Readers who
follow AGA may remember that
2020 was the year we intended to
visit every part of the Applegate
Valley to hear your ideas for
our collective future. We made
it to Little Applegate, Upper
Applegate, and Humbug Creek
before COVID-19 put an end to
community gatherings.
Now, ever hopeful, we replace
20/20 Community Vision with Applegate
Valley Vision and move forward with
our plan to visit Thompson Creek,
North Applegate/Slagle Road,
Back to the vision-drawing board:
Ruch, Provolt, Williams, Griffin
Outdoor
gatherings
are planned in Applegate Valley
Lane/Sterling Creek, Murphy,
neighborhoods
so
residents
can share ideas about the
Wilderville/Wonder, and Elliott
community’s future.
Creek/Carberry Creek during the
coming months. Still uncertain
about COVID-19 and its impact on the procedures, receive tax advice, and more.
Applegate, our intention is to conduct This program was previously used to create
listening sessions in each of these areas the still-available online eight-session
during the outdoor months and use the e-commerce training, available at the AGA
indoor months to draft a vision document website (agreaterapplegate.org), and the
Applegate Marketplace (applegatemarket.
based on what we learned.
We are looking for outdoor settings in org). If you are a sole proprietor or a small
each of these areas where we can gather business with employees, you are eligible
in groups of 25-40 (or whatever the for this free technical assistance.
In 2020, AGA used COVID-19
restrictions are at the time) to break bread
(at a distance) and share ideas about your emergency funds from the Oregon
neighborhood’s and your community’s Community Foundation, the Ford Family
future. Please contact us if you (1) can Foundation, and local donors to create
provide or know of a good outdoor the Mutual Aid Network and to provide
location in one of these areas, (2) want to food and other resources to Applegaters.
help plan or recruit for the listening session One of these efforts has become the Farm
in your area, or (3) want to be notified to Food Pantry program, funded by Cow
when the listening session is scheduled Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation. This
program will enable us to provide meat
for your area.
and produce from local farms and ranches
More good news from AGA
Our popular Small Business Technical to the Ruch and Williams food pantries
Assistance program, funded by Business with a local in-kind match. Applegate
Oregon, has been extended until June Valley producers interested in participating
2021! Designed to support local businesses in this program should contact Megan
impacted by the pandemic, this program Fehrman at megan@agreaterapplegate.org.
Contact us at info@agreaterapplegate.
provides Applegate Valley businesses and
startups with free support to sustain or org to learn more about any of these
grow your business during this extended programs or other offerings and
challenging time. Local businesses have opportunities from AGA.
Seth Kaplan, Executive Director
used this program to develop a marketing
A Greater Applegate
or communication plan, design or upgrade
seth@agreaterapplegate.org
a website, set up online bookkeeping
McKee Bridge Historical
Society has a treasury of
vintage photos and historical
relics collected by founder
Evelyn Byrne Williams and
her mother, Pearl McKee
Byrne, which has inspired the
Society to relaunch its website
and inaugurate an Upper
Applegate History Trail. The
Society received a $1,500
grant from the Jackson County
Cultural Coalition to develop
the History Trail, and by the
time you read this article you
should be able to take a look
at the “work in progress” at
mckeebridge.org.
Information about
the History Trail will be
provided on the MBHS
“rack card,” a dedicated page
on the website, and (soon,
we hope) on a printed and
downloadable nine- by 16-
inch, two-sided map. Don’t
worry if your favorite Upper
Applegate saga or site isn’t
included in the rollout—the
web page is dynamic, so send
us your recommendations
at mckeebridge1917@
gmail.com.
In 2021 the society will
apply for more grants to install
interpretive panels at McKee
Bridge. There are conceptual
designs for panels at additional
locations—Seattle Bar, for
example, where the Blue
Ledge Mining Company had
The McKee Bridge Historical Society has created an
a placer camp in 1906-09
Upper Applegate History Trail that is available as
and attempted to build a
a printed card and on its website.
hydro plant and even a massive
If you’re a Facebook user, follow
smelter. The MBHS collection includes
original journals, logs, and correspondence McKee Bridge Historical Society for posts
from the Blue Ledge Mine, revealing true about fascinating Applegate pioneers
statistics about operations in contrast to like the Collings and Byrne families of
the hyperbolic descriptions published Watkins, Mary Terrier Buckley (she had
in the early 1900s about the mine’s five husbands), and the Culys and Shearers
of Steamboat.
performance and potential.
If you are not a Facebook fan, you can
Applegater Chelsea Rose, at Southern
Oregon University’s Laboratory of find these stories at mckeebridge.org.
Become a member of the society to
Anthropology, serves as academic advisor
on these projects. Robert Kentta, Cultural enjoy access to the Virtual Museum and
Specialist for the Confederated Tribes of other members-only benefits. Membership
Siletz Indians, has provided invaluable is still only $20 per year for your entire
guidance. Ruch resident Christina Ammon household.
Laura Ahearn
has pitched in to edit text. Laurel Briggs,
McKee Bridge Historical Society
Creative Marketing Design, is the graphics
mckeebridge1917@gmail.com
and website designer.
Food bank still here to help
Your friends at the Ruch Food Pantry would like to take a moment and give
special thanks to those who really stepped up with donations during this pandemic.
We appreciate all of our supporters, and we look forward to seeing you.
Our hours are 11:30 am to 1 pm on Mondays (closed holidays) on the backside
of Ruch School. Come check us out!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Deborah Price, Manager, 541-826-9149
Michelle Bollinger, Assistant Manager
541-218-6471
Now serving burgers!
Nonprofit organizations in the Applegate Valley
are welcome to submit news and event information
to the Applegater.
Email gater@applegater.org.