Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2005)
Page 9 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 6, 2005 Dennis Strayer, acting president of the Kerbyville Museum board of directors, with the historic Stith-Naucke house (left) and the entrance to the museum (right). (Photo by Christina Hill) SMOKEJUMPER BASE REVISITED -- Roger Brandt, an Illinois Valley history buff in- terested in the background and historical value of the former Siskiyou Smokejumper Base at the Illinois Valley Airport, led a tour Saturday, July 2. Brandt is working with the I.V. Airport Advisory Board. The parachute loft, (rear) is said to be the oldest such structure remaining in the Western United States. (Photo by Dale Sandberg) Kerbyville Museum provides historical Glenn Morrison perspective of valley, surroundings By CHRISTINA HILL Correspondent It’s not uncommon to hear people say, “Time is flying by” after they’ve had a busy week. However, instead of having time pass them by, visitors to Kerbyville Mu- seum History Center are taken back in time. Since inception in the late 1950s, the collection of historical artifacts at the mu- seum has grown immensely. Toys, cameras, clothing, sewing machines, musical instruments and mining, logging and transportation equipment are among the various items displayed. “We also have a wild- life display diorama that contains a lot of native ani- mals in the area, such as black bear, gray fox and geese,” said Dennis Strayer, president of the museum board for the past two years. “A local taxidermist prepared many of the animal donations, and several groups volunteered skills and donated materials to complete the project from 1999 to 2000,” said Strayer The museum also fea- tures a military exhibit. “Because I’m a Viet- nam veteran, I took on the task of arranging the mili- tary exhibit,” said Strayer. “The collection spans from the Revolutionary War to the first Gulf War. I donated my combat jacket, and an- other Vietnam veteran do- nated her nurse outfit,” Strayer said. In addition, there is an old barn and a blacksmith’s shop behind the museum. And, next door to the mu- seum is the historic Naucke House. “The Nauckes were locals,” said Strayer, “and now their house is part of the museum, and it’s filled with a lot of things relating to that time period; kitchen items, furniture, an old or- gan and piano, a doll collec- tion. It’s fully furnished with items from that era,” Strayer explained. During 2003, the mu- seum board partnered with the Sourdough Chapter of the Horsemen’s Club of America. This group then took on a year-long task of renovating the barn and blacksmith’s shop. Said Strayer, “Now people can see how the blacksmith’s shop would have looked back then. There’s also an old buggy in the barn and old saddles.” Now one of the bigger projects coming up is resto- ration of the one-room log- built Grimmett Schoolhouse on the museum grounds. According to Strayer, the schoolhouse used to sit on the Grimmett Family Farm and was used from about 1890 to 1910. A school teacher would live with one of the farm fami- lies and would get to school early to stoke up the stove and prepare for the day. “What we’re hoping to do by the reconstruction is to give children today that experience to attend school, where everyone’s together in a single room regardless of age,” said Strayer. “It’s more of a historical learning experience that not too many places are providing anymore. “Two summers ago, we had a lady visit who was writing a book documenting one-room school houses remaining, and she told us that ours is one of only four or six remaining in the Western United States.” Strayer said that permits are pending to get started on the reconstruction. Money, of course, is also an issue. “We’ve had several matching grant donations from Grimmett Family members, but there’s still a lot more that needs to be raised,” said Strayer. “We are going to try and get the schoolhouse as much fin- ished by the end of the sum- mer, and what we don’t fin- ish, we'’ll weatherize and finish by next spring or summer,” he said. While the museum holds a lot of history inside and out, it also has quite a history of its own. “Clear back in 1958 or ‘59, the Illinois Valley Fed- erated Women’s Club started the museum,” said Strayer. “Originally, it was just the Naucke House, which they operated as the museum for a few years. “Then in the early ‘60s, they were able to get the current building built. They then moved the Grimmett School there in the ‘60s, and the miner’s cabin was found on national forest land, so that was moved by the Navy Construction Bat- talion people in the 1980s,” Strayer explained. The museum remained under the operation of the Women’s Club until the early ‘90'’s when the county took over and ran it for about half a decade. In 1998, Strayer and other locals formed a 501 c3 non- profit group to run the mu- seum and have been running it every since. And, according to Strayer, visitation has been on the rise. “I don’t have the stats for last year,” he said, “but I know that 2003 was a good year. We had between 2,000 and 3,000 adults stop by and several hundred children. We also have an even mix of local and out-of-state travelers,” Strayer said. Museum hours are Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. “We aren’t open very many hours, Strayer said, “because we don’t have enough people to fill in. We’re always looking for volunteers.” Strayer, who works full- time at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center, spends his weekends volunteering his time at the museum. The cost of visiting the museum is $5 for adults, $1 for children ages 6 through 12. Children 5 and younger are free. An annual family membership, which includes unlimited visitations, is available for $20. For more information, phone 592-5252. Unit 70 Auxiliary earns top awards By TINA HAEMMERLEIN For Glenn Morrison Unit 70 American Legion Auxiliary the 2004-2005 year has come to an end with many wonderful memories, and the start of a new 2005-2006 year has begun with big plans ahead. June was busy with in- stallation of new officers for our unit. Our young women from Illinois Valley went to Girls State for a week in Salem. All had a grand time and learned much. (Continued on page 16) CAVE JUNCTION ART WALK FRIDAY, JULY 8TH • 5 - 8 P.M. Explore the visual, Literary, Performing & Epicurean Arts of the Illinois Valley Exhibits showing through July V$U $SULO· RPD+RPH V$URPD+RPH $SULO·V$U 65HGZRRG+Z\ Featuring &DU RO &U D ZI RU G 0\ HU V &DURO &UD ZIRU RUG 0\HU HUV Mixed Media Refreshments 7 D \ORU V \ORUV &RXQWU\6WRUH 65HGZRRG+Z\ Parmesan & Dill Crusted Salmon Mushroom & Broccoli Stir Fry Romaine & Daikon Radish Salad Jasmine Rice 5LVLQJ6XQV 65HGZRRG+Z\ Featuring .D\H.LQWRQ Custom Glass Etching Featuring from Happy Camp 7KH.ODPDWK.QRW$UWLVDQV $&UHDWLYH6SDFH 5HGZRRG+Z\ Featuring *HRUJH 5LFKDUGV &DVVDQGUD 1HZWRQ0LOOHU Oils . Sculpture Scratchboard Art Music: Around the Hearth Celtic Harp 6-7:30 pm 7LPH&DSVXOH Music: State of Jefferson Reggae to Jazz 65HGZRRG+Z\ Retro & Vintage Clothing & Collectibles %OXH0RRQ&DIH Featuring 65HGZRRG+Z\ Featuring 6XUSULVH *XHVW $UWLVW -RKQQLH : DON HU :DON DONHU Multi Media Artist Pottery & Paintings Music: Patrick Dodd “Music for Social Justice” VRQ 6WD WH -HI 6WDWH HUVRQ -HII I HU RXS LQDQFLDO*URXS ) LQDQFLDO*U VLQ·$U RXQG 2XW+RU 2XW+RUVLQ·$U VLQ·$URXQG %DJHO-XQFWLRQ %65HGZRRG+Z\ Featuring 6 5 HGZ RRG+Z\ 65 5HGZ HGZRRG+Z\ RRG+Z\ Featuring Jacksonville Artist 15HGZRRG+Z\ Soup . Salad . Sandwiches Featuring 3 DPHOD 'RULV /XPOH \ /XPOH\ “Chinese Brush Stroke” Demonstration Horsey Gifts & Horsey Stuff 'RUWKHD +RYHU.UDPHU 6SDU 6SDUU U RZ Fine Handcrafted Jewelry & Playing French Accordion, 6pm “Celebrating Our Landscapes” Music: Uncle Fluster 6pm Old Timey Traditional Tunes &KDQJHV 3L]]D 3LW $UW (QHUJ\*DOOHU\ 6WXGLR *DOOHU\ 6WXGLR : /LVWHU& :/LVWHU& 6SHFLDO3U RGXFWLRQV 6SHFLDO3URGXFWLRQV 65HGZRRG+Z\ 6 5 HGZ RRG+Z\ 65 5HGZ HGZRRG+Z\ RRG+Z\ ´$ 6XPPHU RI )XQµ Featuring Local Artist Victorian Lamps Collectibles . Rhinestone Jewelry Next to SOFCU Boys & Girls Club Youth Art /LQGD 6WHYHQVRQ Featuring 0DULDQ &KDYH] Mention this ad and receive a discount on any extra large pizza ** Across from the Post Office Nature Scenes & Portraits in Oil Stop by the “Free Thirst Aid Station” Under the tree in front of Changes Woodburning Sponsored in part by Evergreen Federal Bank • Art Walk Logo courtesy of IVCanDo
