Smoke Signals 7
FEBRUARY 1,2013
R&M Depot!: miamed ft NaioimaD IRegiistteir
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Grand Ronde residents know
that the Rail Depot at 8615 Grand
Ronde Road is historic.
Now the rest of the United States
will know, too, since the depot was
named to the National Register of
Historic Places, the official list of
the nation's historic places worthy
of preservation kept by the Na
tional Park Service.
"This means that Grand Ronde
is the second Tribe in the United
States to present a nomination and
the first in the Northwest," said
Tribal Cultural Protection Coordi
nator Eirik Thorsgard. "It means
that we are active participants in
preserving history for the nation
and Tribe, and accepted by the
National Park Service."
Grand Ronde Cultural Protec
tion Specialist David Harrelson
and Tribal Archaeologist Briece
Edwards prepared the nomination
form that was submitted in July
2012. The building was entered into
the National Register on Dec. 26.
The 1922 Grand Ronde Railroad
Depot sits in its original location
and maintains its original setting,
except for the removal of the rail
road lines that used to serve Grand
Ronde.
The depot is a two-story, 1,040-square-foot
wood frame structure
clad in shiplap siding and retains
its original Craftsman architectur
al style and features. It was built
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Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Th Rail Depot on Grand Rond Road in Grand Rondt has been named to the
National Register of Historic Places. The 91-year-old building was entered
into the Register on Dec. 26, 2012.
by Swiss immigrant John Albert
Schuerch.
According to the application, the
Rail Depot has two areas of his
torical significance - transportation
and politicsgovernment.
Regarding transportation, the
Grand Ronde Railway Co. was cre
ated about the time that it acquired
the land for the rail depot in 1920.
The railway company built and op
erated the Willamina-Grand Ronde
Railroad, which was primarily
focused on the transport of timber
out of the area.
The Grand Ronde Railway Co. was
sold to several different corporations
through 1984. In the early 1970s,
Elders' garage sale seeking donations
Tribal Elders are regularly seeking donations for fundraising garage
sales. To donate an item or items, contact Tribal Elders Linda Brandon
at 971-267-0918 or Duane Wheeler at 541-992-3254.
the railroad stopped being used
for freight when the mill in Grand
Ronde closed and sometime between
1973 and 1978 the tracks were re
moved from beside the depot.
"The Grand Ronde Rail Depot
experienced a period of significance
because of its role in providing for
transportation of equipment from
the Willamette Valley to the timber-rich
Oregon Coast Range and
the return of cut timber to meet the
needs of a growing urban and rural
population in the valley and beyond
throughout the country," the Tribal
application says.
"Timber defined the community.
The timber industry resulted in
infrastructure investment, such as
the company town of New Grand
Ronde, as well as provided jobs and
money to the local economy."
The depot's second life began
shortly after the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde was re
stored to federal recognition on
Nov. 22, 1983, by President Ronald
Reagan.
The depot was the first building
the Tribe purchased after Resto
ration on Dec. 4, 1984, to provide
office space for the new Tribal
government. The depot was used
as office space by the Tribe until
1997.
"The work that took place in
this building by Tribal staff in
the mid-1980s set the direction
and trajectory of the Tribe while
defining the Tribe as a sovereign
nation and ensuring its growth,"
the application states. "Over time,
the building's use shifted to social
and membership services for the
Tribe. Today it serves as a storage
and meeting space. Maintenance
work has begun on the building to
return it to use as office space for
the Tribal government."
Schuerch designed and built
the depot under contract with the
Grand Ronde Railway Co. He was
born in Switzerland and made his
way to Grand Ronde via North
Dakota. He was a carpenter by
trade and built several structures
in the area that are still standing,
including the Grand Ronde Hotel,
Methodist church and his first
home, which is located across from
Spirit Mountain Casino on state
Highway 18.
Authorized by the National His
toric Preservation Act of 1966, the
National Register of Historic Places
is part of a national program to
coordinate and support public and
private efforts to identify, evaluate
and protect America's historic and
archeological resources.
Please join us Wednesday, February 20th for
Chinuk Family Literacy Night
Dinner will be served.
DOES A KAr.GAF.CO HAVE A MOTHEB,T00 ?
by Eric Carle
What: Chinuk Family Literacy Night.
When: Wednesday, February 20th at 5pm
Where: CTGR gym
Who: EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!
All attending families will receive a book. We will be having dinner
with the Preschool Literacy Night attendees and then breaking into
groups for books and activities. We'd love to see you there!
Parents Night: Facts about
Sexual Health
Have you ever been asked a question by your youth that you
just couldn 't answer??
Please join us for an evening filled with sexual health facts!
Tami Martin, FNP will be on site discussing current sexual
health information and contraception. There will also be a
question and answer period at the end of the evening.
Date: February 20
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: CTGR Community Center
A light dinner will be provided
Door prizes!!!
12
If you have any questions
you may contact Amber
Mercier (503) 879-2162
Thank you for respecting Grand Ronde Community & Culture by not displaying
gang affiliation and by not bringing drugs, alcohol, or weapons to this event.