Clyde List Editorial: Crusade for Freedom

Clyde List is Secretary and Past President of the Sherwood Historical Society, but his opinions only rarely reflect the thinking of the Sherwood Historical Society.

History isn't what it used to be. Ever since 9/11, history has been expanding like the Universe after the Big Bang. My hometown of Sherwood was better prepared than most towns. We have always considered Robin Hood and the Middle Ages as part of our history. But that's not true for the rest of America. All you other people thought the Middle Ages couldn't possibly have anything to do with you. But now we read in the Oregonian every day how the American military is advancing against an enemy who sees the Great Crusades (1099-2006) as modern history.

China is another reason for us to take the long view of history. Recently President Bush lectured this ancient country on her lack of freedom. I can almost hear the Chinese thinking: "Between 1861 and 1865, over 250,000 Americans died defending their right to own slaves! That wasn't very long ago. Let's wait another century or two, the way we Chinese always do when there's an argument to settle, and then we'll see how much America actually cares about freedom."

Hardly anyone reads the Bible anymore, and those who do have a hard time believing what it says. Joshua Chapter 10 says rocks fell from the sky and the Earth stood still. People overcame their fear of the sky (I Samuel 7:10) by hurling stones at each other (Joshua 7: 25 & 26). It's not easy to follow the logic path of people with problems like that to deal with. However, the connection between their fear of God and their hatred of one another seems modern enough.

Countless other examples can be found. J Harlen Bretz proved that the bizarre geology of the Sherwood-Tigard-Tualatin area came into existence a mere 12,000 years or so ago: Well within the life span of the human race. Should we regard the Bretz floods as part of our history or our pre-history?

More and more people are living to 100 these days, so that the span of a single century no longer seems as awesome as it does when we gaze at the frozen facial expressions of our civic ancestors at Morback House museum. I wonder how a century will sound to students who live as long as scientists say we will someday, five or six hundred years maybe. I can only imagine what a compilation of woe that will add up to.

So far, if the Sherwood Historical Society has learned anything from all our research, it is that Sherwood was a railroad town and that the history of a railroad town is inseperable from the history of the nation, and that the history of the nation amounts to no more than a flicker of light in the history of the world. Hopefully, on this blog, the Sherwood Historical Society will add some light to such a fragile glow.

History Society Youth Makes the Front Page!

Do you remember that video we made to rescue Smock House from demolition? It ran forever on cable a few years ago. One of the actresses in the video just got back from New York last night after giving a speech in the Big Apple. Not only that, but Katie Reed was on the front page of The Portland Oregonian while the event was going. Katie's mom was instrumental in getting the Sherwood Historical Society organized. To see more about what happened in New York City this week see Katie Hits the Big Time.

Solved: Where Sherwood Got Her Name!

There has always been a debate about why we're called "Sherwood." Was the name inspired by the Robin Hood Legend or was it just somebody's hometown back East? It turns out both answers are right. Robert Alexander is the key figure. He suggested the name because he was from Sherwood, Michigan. This was the Sherwood that was named after Sherwood Forest England. Sherwood Michigan was "...laid out in 1832 on the farm of E. F. Hazen, it was first called Hazenville.... On June 10, 1879, it was renamed Sherwood in honor of its first settler, Alexander E. Tomlinson who had come from Sherwood Forest, England."

The delightful part is that the photos on the Michgan website show a town that looks a lot like Sherwood Oregon when it had less than 400 people in it. Photos courtesy of
Ken Huisjen

Blue Town is Area 59 Now!

It's called Area 59 by the powers that be (See City of Sherwood RESOLUTION 2004-098), but we always knew it as "Bluetown." It's where Edy Road and Elwert Roads intersect, on the North side of Highway 99. The people who live here have lived virtually all their lives in Bluetown. Their farmyards have a distinctly European feel, reflecting the shared heritage of these folks. They even have their own folklore. One of the great mysteries is why this neighborhood got to be known as "Bluetown" in the first place. The house photographed here is on the Labahn property, in the middle of Bluetown. It's owners believe it was painted blue once a long time ago. The Sherwood Historical Society investigated and found hardly any paint at all on the weathered cedar boards. So it's hard to tell. The mystery endures. What was so disturbing about the color blue that it caused these German-Lutheran/Catholic immigrants of Area 59 to name the whole community after it?

Welcome New Sherwood Blog!

There's a great new blog about Sherwood at:
sherwoodoregon.blogspot.com

The Heritage Trail Festival Report!

The Sherwood Historical Society led visitors along the Sherwood Heritage Trail once again this year. The trail began at Morback House, which is by Veterans Park on the corner of First and Main in Sherwood. Small group tours were taken Saturday and Sunday twice daily at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. On Saturday, the event coincided with the Sherwood Arts Festival.

The tour covered the nine blocks of the original town plat, plus a piece of Stella Olsen Park. The highlights of the tour were the Covered Wagon era (Third Street was part of the Oregon Trail), the Railroad era (Railroad Street is aligned with Oregon's most historically significant railroad), and the Model-T era (First Street featured one of Oregon's largest Ford dealerships). While they were discussing anecdotes from each of these time zones, each tour group was distracted by a conflict that was actually reported in history books or in Turn of the 19th Century newspapers. The Womens Christian Temperance Union attempted to close down a saloon, a gunfight broke out on Railroad Avenue, and a town father was accosted by a bank robber. Safe and unharmed the tour group wound up at Stella Olsen Park, which lies just outside of Old Sherwood Town. There they met a peddler, a frontiersman, and an unfortunate soul named Lilly Morgan who lost her spouse on the Oregon Trail and simply didn't know what she was going to do.

Visitors are often amazed by the fact that all this excitement happened within a town no larger than nine blocks in size. More delightful still is the discovery that Sherwood's story is America's story. No matter where you lived before you came to Sherwood or where you may move to in the future, the story of Sherwood Oregon is about you. Call 503-625-1236 for a recorded message about future Sherwood Historical society events.

Sauvie Island Harvest Fair

The scene is the Sauvie Island Harvest Fair which began today at Howell Territorial Park on Sauvie Island. Larry McClure (left) is from the Tualatin Historical Society. Terry Carter (center) is from the Walking Talking History Association. They are being fed spoonfulls of information by our own Lilly Morgan about the upcoming Sherwood Heritage Trail Festival. Hope to see them in Sherwood!

Labor Day Weekend at Champoeg

History Re-enactors enjoy a picnic 19th Century style, which means men at one table, women at the other.The increasingly popular event features demonstrations of 19th Century tasks, from rail splitting to threshing to spinning. The Sherwood Historical Society's banjo picker was there.

Poetry at Morback House

Sherwood Poet Larry Ernster (left) reads while fellow Elks listen.

I WENT TO SHERWOOD
AND I WALKED AROUND THE BLOCK
AND I LOOKED INTO THE WINDOW
OF THE LOCAL BARBER SHOP

THE BARBER SHOP WAS TINY
AND THE LIGHT WAS KINDA PALE
THERE WAS JUST A SINGLE CHAIR THERE
AND THE BARBER'S NAME WAS DALE

I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD THE TIME
TO CUT MY SHAGGY HAIR
HE SAID HE WASN'T BUSY
SO I HOPPED UP IN THE CHAIR

HE CHECKED MY HAIR AND WHISKERS
AND HE SAID "SIR IF YOU PLEASE,
I CANNOT CUT YOUR HAIR
BECAUSE YOUR HAIR IS FULL OF FLEAS!"

Hoe-Down in Oregon Country

A Traditional Barn Dance at Champoeg,
the Place Where Oregon Began.

Dufur Oregon: Threshing Bee

Lilly Morgan usually leaves her chickens at home. But this time she brought one with her and it ran off. She had the whole town of Dufur, Oregon out looking for it. It was a real parade for awhile. Now, when you're in Dufur, Mount Hood looks exactly the same, except that she rises in the West instead of the East. It was enough to get Lilly all turned around. She kept pointing everybody in the wrong direction. Her bird was never seen again. Personally, we feel that the bird probably got taken by one of the threshing rigs the community of Dufur is so famous for. Did I mention that this was the weekend of Dufur's Annual Threshing Bee? That would explain it.The town-folk felt so bad for Lilly that they fed us a country ranch-style meal of steak and potatoes to make up for the chicken pot pie we didn't get. After dinner, we went out and did some jamming with the musicians who hang around there. Best bunch of guitar pickers and fiddlers that (or this) side of Mount Hood, let me tell you!

Welcome Home Jack!

Jack Lepper lived in Sherwood since 1959 until he retired East of the mountains a few years ago. Most of us remember Jack as the man who managed Garrigus Lumber Yard. Jack was also in town the day the building was bulldozed to make room for the new City Hall. A party was held in his honor at the Senior Center today, but he almost didn't make it. It wasn't just the old Garrigus building that had disappeared. "All the old landmarks have disappeared. I wasn't always so sure where I was driving!" he said.

Rabekah Flea Market in Old Town

SCENE ON WASHINGTON STREET BETWEEN FIRST & RAILROADIn a never ending battle to save their building from the wrecking ball of progress, the Sherwood Rabekah Lodge holds a fund raiser. Rabekah Hall was a movie house in the days of silent film. Many of the old fixtures remain, including rows of folding seats (but not for sale).

Japanese Youth Visit Sherwood

Thanks to Lilly Morgan's choreography, the language barrier between The City of Sherwood and the City of Edogawa, Japan proved to be no more daunting than London Bridge, being played here on the lawn at the Heritage Center.

Music on the Green

The beer concession is ours! Talk about a fund raiser!

Emigrant Springs Encounter

We met these old boys while camping on the Oregon Trail at Emigrant Springs, near Pendelton. They were just in from Idaho with a couple of oxen just like the ones that pulled the wagons west in the olden days. How smart these oxen were is demonstrated by the photo at left. The "deer" is made of plaster, yet the ox romanced it as though it were a real critter. Of course there was an old time Fiddlers convention going on at the same time. With all the pickin' and grinnin' and sparkin' going on, Emigrant Springs was a great place to rest your feet before continuing across the Blue Mountains.

Scam Number Three: Leave Us ALONE!

Dear Jaycee Smock

I am Barrister Barrister Victor Mandus(Esq),currently representing a big oil servicing company in my country Lome-Togo in West Africa.

My late client, Peter Smock, who expatriate in my country,with his wife and their one child lost their lives in World trade center bombing on the 11th of sep. 2001. Before his death, my deceased client deposited two boxes containing $18,000,000.00 United Sates Dollars with a Security Company in Lome-Togo.

Here He accumulated this money from an onshore engineering award. I decided to search for any foreigner that has the same surname with my late client in repatriating the consignment since I found it unsuccessful to find a true relative to him. I want you to quickly file in for claim before the security company will declare the consignment unserviceable.

The said money was packed in cash in two boxes, the boxes was not opened, and he declared it as containing just family valuables of classified documents and he paid a high price for the special diplomatic service of deposit here (a category of deposit in which a customers consignment is never opened for inspection).

As you have the same surname with the decease, this is why I am writing to you so that I will assist you claim this consignment. I will prepare every documentation that will assist your claim. The consignment will be released to you within 7 working days after you have filed in for claims. I will like you to acknowledge the receipt of this e-mail as soon as possible,Please you also include your telephone and fax number for easy communication.

Sincerely,
Barrister Victor Mandus(Esq)

Robin Hood Festival - July 15,16,17, 2005

Julian the Sorcerer!

Hollywood's 1938 action movie, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" was re-released in 1948. It starred Olivia deHavilland and Errol Flynn. The film wowwed America and is still considered one of the greatest action films of all time, owing to the great swordsmanship. In Sherwood Oregon USA, a group of military veterans just home from the war saw a role for themselves in the excitement. They donned Robin Hood uniforms and hurried off to amuse the crowds that were lining up to see the movie. Everyone had a good time and The Robin Hood Festival Association was formed in 1952. The rest is history.

History Camp for Kids! June 27 to 30

THIS YEAR! FIRST TIME!

at MORBACK HOUSE MUSEUM at 1st & Main in OLD SHERWOOD TOWN

Then and Now: Pacific Highway (US 99W)

 
A popular workers' tavern is replaced by a medical facility. First photo was taken in the late 1970's.

Old Family, Famous Friends

Glenn Olds, age 84, looks out on the vast territory that his family once owned as settlers under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850-55. "We were a family of nonconformists, free-thinkers all the way back to early times." he said. A prolific speech writer who once served as U.N. Ambassador, he served four U.S. Presidents during his lifetime-- Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. During that period of time, he hob-nobbed with anyone who was anyone in Washington D.C. He recalled an especially warm conversation with Herbert Hoover whose "face lit up like a Christmas tree" when he talked about his childhood in Newberg.

Olds has a fascinating personal and family history, but he prefers to call himself a futurist. "I hope people understand that we are seeing the end of the nation-state." he said, "The world is always evolving and it's difficult to say what's coming next."

Then and Now: Edy Road

Both of these photos were taken from the spot where Houston Drive and Edy Road connect today. We're looking due North from Edy Road. The "before" photo was taken January 1981.

Then and Now: Tualatin Sherwood Road

Above photo was taken September 1979. Photo below was taken from the same spot just today. We're facing North across Tualatin-Sherwood Road. The grove of evergreen trees in the distance is the only thing that hasn't changed in 25 years!

Then and Now: Middleton Road

The view is due East from the same spot 25 years apart. In 1978 Middleton Road Intersected Sunset Boulevard. Now Sunset is diverted and Middleton Road intersects Timbrel Lane instead. Most of what you see on the left side of the photos hasn't changed all that much!

Cruisin' Sherwood

Like a kindly old grandfather, Morback Museum oversees Veterans Park during the Car Show. Live music consisted of Clyde List wacking away on the banjo. The Museum's model train exhibit was open for the first time.

Oregon Trail Days

At the Heritage Center this Morning!
We hosted HOW MANY Fourth Graders?!
That's our own Lilly Morgan laying down the law center-left.

Don't Open until 2025 !

TIME CAPSULE SEALED TODAY. It's now the property of
The Sherwood Historical Society.

Smock Scammed Again!

NOTE: COMPARE THIS TO OUR APRIL 15, 2005 POSTING!

Subj: To Jaycee Smock
Date: 6/9/2005 5:45:54 AM Pacific Standard Time

DONGO'S CHAMBERS(LEGAL PRACTIONNER/ADVOCATES)
LOME-TOGO.DATE:09/06/2005

Dear Jaycee Smock,

I am Barrister George J.Dongo, a solicitor at law,personal attorney to Mr. P. B. Smock, a national Of your country and a contractor with Togo Regional Water Sccheme in Lome Togo. Here in after shall be referred to as my client.

On the 21st of April 2000, my client,his wife and their only daughter were involved in a car accident along Nouvissi express Road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost there lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy here to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts,I decided to track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the fund valued at US$6.4 million left behind by my client before it gets confisicated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge amount were deposited.

The said bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his accountconfisicated within the next twenty one officialworking days.

Since I have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 2years now, I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer.

I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me through the above email for more details.

Best Regards.
Barr. George J.Dongo.Esq

More About the Sherwood Gunfight!

Was the loser of the Williams - Fields gunfight betrayed by his own wife? Today's interview with the descendents of George E. Williams (1870-1892) revealed little about the famous duel, but did deepen the mystery considerably. According to the family matriarch, Viola Tainio, George's wife, Mary Elizabeth (seen at right), may have emptied George's six shooter of bullets before he went to town to challenge Alvie Fields. No one knows what the argument was about, but Fields was tried and ruled innocent in a court of law. Prominent members of the Williams clan are to be found on both sides of the law. George's father and grandfather were highly respected attorneys. George's son, Richard Congle Williams, reached a high position in the Oregon State Police.

The Williams family album is loaded with photographs that have real artistic merit, in addition to their historic value.

Williams Family at Play on Future Wildlife Refuge Site. Circa 1918

110 Years Ago Today

"A communication was received from J.C.Smock stating his reasons for signing a liquor license in the town of Sherwood, and that if it was inconsistent with the discipline of the Church he asked to be released from membership-- his resignation was accepted." --Middleton Friends Church Minutes, May 26,1895. (By a tragic coincidence, the entire business district burned to the ground less than one week later, on June 1, 1895.)

The Folks Are Back!

The Folks, with Lilly Morgan, John and Clyde
at Tualatin's Fun Day at the Park.

Old Engines of Sherwood

The Second Annual Old Engines of Sherwood show is coming to town April 30. The event is sponsered by Alto's Chevron LubeXpress, as well as the Sherwood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Sherwood. The show features gasoline powered engines from the Turn of the Century... everything from gas powered washing machines to logging equipment. It all happens at Sherwood Plaza, across from Alto's, the last Saturday in April.

This photograph shows what the LubeXpress looked like before 1950, except that it was a Shell station/grocery store then. The Highway was a two lane road. The business was owned by Earl Reiser. It was the kind of store where you asked for groceries at the counter and the clerk went and got them for you. Tualatin - Sherwood Road and North Sherwood Boulevard crossed Highway 99 at this location, so that all three roads sliced the land up like a pizza for six. That's why old timers still refer to the area as "Six Corners." Call 503-625-6117, Extension 21 for more about the Power Show.

Destination Sherwood

Tim Morgan with Portland Concierge Association members Morback House, Sherwood Heritage Center

Dear Sherwood Historical Society,

I want to thank you for taking time to host [a group of visiting tour bus operators] on Thursday, March 24. We had about 30 people on the tour and they enjoyed it very much. I am offering the same trip (although smaller) for the downtown Portland Concierge Association on Monday, April 18. Will you be available on Monday, April 18 to do this? Here is a rough itinerary:

9:00am Leave from downtown Portland location
9:45am Magness Memorial Tree Farm
10:30am Downtown Sherwood
11:15am Sleighbells Gift Shop
11:45am Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
12:15pm Ponzi Vineyard (stop for tour and lunch)
1:15pm Quick stop at Smith Berry Barn
2:00pm Jackson Bottom Wetlands Education Center
2:45pm Hazelnut Retail Store
3:30pm Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals
4:30pm Return to starting point

Sincerely,

Tim Morgan
Washington County Visitors Association

JayCee Smock Scammed!

In 1896, a local newspaper called our town founder a swindler for selling lightning rods-- such as the one that rises high above J. C. Smock's head in this photograph-- to unsuspecting newcomers. It seems like poetic justice that our beloved lightning rod salesman received the following email this morning:

Dear Jaycee Smock:

I am barrister Douglas Ezeh, a solicitor at law and the personal attorney to late Mr.Mark Smock, a national of your country, who used to be a private contractor with the Shell Development Company in Nigeria, herein after shall be referred to as my client. On the 21st of April 2001, he and his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Sagbama express road, all occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where these huge deposits were lodged.

The deceased had an account valued at about $15 million US dollars and the bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days.Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this account valued at $15Million US dollars can be paid to you and then you and me can share the money. 60% to me and 40% to you. I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me urgently by Email: or my direct
Cell-phone line 234-1-XXXXXXX.

Best regards,
Barrister Douglas Ezeh
Direct Cell-phone 234-1-XXXXXXX

A Couple of Suggestions

Why doesn't the Sherwood Historical Society Blog have an open section where folks can list their historical or genealogical queries? People from across the country should post a query about their relative that lived or died in the Sherwood area. I'll bet people could find relatives they didn't know they had, plus it would might even increase their interest in visiting the area. Right now the closest we have is Washington County query sites on Rootsweb and Ancestry.com.

A couple of easy questions that come to mind:
1) Who established the Middleton Pioneer Cemetery?
2) Who was the first person buried at Middleton Pioneer Cemetery?
3) Who was the local surveyor who surveyed the land for the Middleton Pioneer Cemetery, the Middleton School and the Middleton Baptist Church?
4) What is the "oldest" cemetery in the Sherwood area?

Just a suggestion.
Anne

Sunset Magazine Discovers Old Town

The Current issue of Sunset magazine features "Treasures of Sherwood" by Bonnie Henderson. It's a full page article with photographs. The article is accurate as far as it goes. Henderson states that "the old town's heart continues to beat to the slow pace set by a cluster of antique shops and by neighborhood watering holes that invite lingering, even if you're not a neighbor." Unfortunately there is no specific mention of the Sherwood Heritage Center. I guess the Sherwood Historical Society still has some work to do before its efforts get appreciated by the outside world!

Businessman Discusses Smock House

Ty Richard's Folks in East Texas. Note the Twin Front Doors.
Sherwood Rotarian Ty Richards inspected Smock house today. He said there were many things about the building that reminded him of his family home in New Summerfield, Texas.The double front doors served a dual purpose, he said. "One door was strictly for visitors. The other door was to the room we used when we came in from the fields." Ty had also helped apply wallpaper to bare wood the way it was found in Smock House. "First you nail a layer of cheese cloth to the wood." he explained, "Then you do the papering over the cloth so that it will stick better." The decorative pattern on Smock House wall paper looked familiar to Ty as well. He said that the general climate is the same in Sherwood and East Texas and that the wallpaper was all the insulation that was considered necessary. "We never removed paper though." he added, "We always papered over what was there."

Lewis & Clark Reenactment

A Genuine Mountain Man Warns of Pitfalls.
Sherwood Historical Society President June Reynolds is also a teacher at the local high school. This afternoon she led a group of her students on a treck through Sherwood's Stella Olsen Park. It was supposed to be a reenactment of the Lewis and Clark journey. However, thanks to the unseasonally warm weather Oregon has enjoyed these past few days, the kids missed out on the never ending wind and rain enjoyed by the original Corps of Discovery.


The Corps of Discovery Undaunted.

Another Building Goes Down

To many of us, the demolition of the cannery site is a welcome and long-overdue resolution to a long debate between the City of Sherwood and the site's owners. However, our hearts did go out to Sherwood resident Don Balsiger, who was seen photographing the cannery office as it came down Friday, March 4. "I hadn't been on the second floor since our family lived up there in 1938." Don said. The demolition contractor gave Don access to the building before work commenced, and so Don was at least able to experience some level of closure. While the building was coming down, he kept pointing out features of the building-- including a hidden stairwell-- that no one except a member of his family would have cared about or noticed. Ah well. As we used to say during the 1950's, "That's Progress."

Save Our Historical Landmarks!

1920-21 School Year at Sherwood Elementary School, Sherwood Oregon
The Sherwood Foundation for the Arts and Humanities is Raising $2.5 Million to Save This Landmark in Old Sherwood Town. See the full report in the Portland Oregonian.

The citizens of Tualatin are also getting up in arms about their historic buildings. Last month four of us Sherwood Historical Society folks went to hear the Mayor of Tualatin praise the Tualatin Historical Society for their efforts to save an historic church. The city has earmarked matching funds for the project. Just down the road, another Tulatin building which we know as "Rich's Kitchen" is slated for the wrecking ball. Contact SaveTualatinHistory@comcast.net for more information. To help save the Sherwood School house, contact savetheoldschoolhouse@yahoo.com

March - April Quilt Show

Quilts from the 1800's to 2005 will be on display March 19th thru April 17th. The Sherwood Heritage Center Museum will be open Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday from 1-4 with extended hours during Spring Break. Come enjoy hands-on demonstrations and activities for the kids.
Call the Heritage Center for more information (503)625-1236.

Welcome!

The Sherwood Heritage Center is located in Old Sherwood Town, Sherwood Oregon U.S.A. The Heritage Center is located on the same block as Veterans Park, at Main and First. Two historical houses, Smock House and Morback House, form the heart of the Heritage Center. Smock House was built in 1868 by town founder James Christopher Smock. Morback House was lived in by Joseph Edward Morback, son in law of Smock. Some say his ghost still walks the stairs!

Morback House features the Sherwood Historical Museum. Museum hours are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 PM.



Musicians on Morback Porch --March 2005