BOHEMIA NUGGET 2015
3
Your guide to all things BMD!
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
. 22
Vendors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Parades . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 & 20
Kids Events . . . . . . . . . . .6
. 6 & 19
Schedule of Events . . . . 12 & 13
Special Food Events . . . . . . . 4
Entertainers . . . . . 7-9 & 16-18
“Last week we saw an in-
genious contrivance used
to overcome the muddy
roads of Oregon, which
have no bottom, which if
traveled much during the
winter, is generally the
case. It was nothing more
than a scow with two
horses hitched to it; but
instead of being used in
water, it is used to run in
the mud. The owner said
he was able to haul a good
deal on his scow, where if
he used a wagon it would
be impossibility.”
— Cottage Grove Leader,
April 24, 1897
T RANSPORTATION
Continued from page 1
Cottage Grove became one community
again.
At the turn of the century, the need
for a railroad connecting the mines to
the mainline via the Row River Valley
was great and gave birth to the Oregon
and Southeastern Railroad, (the Cot-
tage Grove version of the Cannonball
in the Petticoat Junction TV show).
A single engine made two daily trips
up the valley and back, pulling both
passenger and freight cars. Using the
initials O&SE, locals began referring
to the short line railroad as “Old Slow
and Easy.”
In 1905, economic hard times fell
upon the mining district, which
contributed to the rapid rise of the
local lumber industry. In 1914, new
management changed the name to
Oregon Pacifi c and Eastern. In 1919, a
special excursion train, nicknamed the
Galloping Goose, carried more than
17,000 passengers. Wildwood Falls
was a favorite place for picnics and
baseball.
The automobile proved to be a slow
death for railroads across America, but
cars got off to a slow start here in Or-
egon due to the muddy roads. Mahlon
Sweet arrived in Lane County in 1909,
opened a Eugene car dealership and
became a champion to develop better
roads. In 1919, inspired by Sweet’s
slogan, “Get Oregon out of the mud!,”
Oregon became the fi rst state in the
nation to levy a tax on gasoline sales to
pay for the construction and mainte-
nance of state highways. The Pacifi c
Highway (99) was constructed in the
1920s and the paved roadway became
a vital artery for interstate commerce.
On June 14, 1919, the fi rst airplanes
in Cottage Grove landed in a fi eld on
South Sixth Street. After performing
at the Portland Rose Festival, four
biplanes from a fl ying circus stopped
here for the night. Several thousand
spectators gathered to watch many
thrilling stunts. In the 1930s, Or-
egon was a national leader in experi-
mental aircraft manufacturing and
began issuing pilot’s licenses before
there was an FAA. The present state-
owned airport was partly funded by
the Woodard Foundation and the
Bohemia Lumber Company and was
dedicated on July 23, 1965.
Transportation played another key
role in Cottage Grove’s prosperity
in the 1950s when Interstate 5 was
constructed through town. At the time
Lane County was commonly known as
the “Lumber Capital of The World.”
Seizing an opportunity to get his wood
products to market faster, local lum-
berman W.H. Woodard successfully
lobbied to have the freeway’s original
design through the Lorane Valley
re-routed past his mill south of town,
which today is owned by Weyerhae-
user.
This year Bohemia Mining Days cel-
ebrates the advancements of transpor-
tation in Cottage Grove’s history. In
that spirit, festival goers are invited to
visit the antique engine display, ride
the train and transport yourself back
in time by visiting the museums, hang
out near the new cultural stage to hear
interesting talks on historical topics,
or – for an exotic transportation twist
– ride a live camel!
(Source for this article: Golden
Was The Past: 1850-1970, pub-
lished by the CG Historical
Society)