Reaching into the Past

Today's game of "Red Rover" at the Heritage Center reminded us of "Snap the Whip," a famous painting by Winslow Homer. Poet Carl Sandburg would no doubt add his famous line: "To a man across a thousand years I offer a handshake. I say to him, 'Brother, make the story short, for the stretch of a thousand years is short!'"

History Camp Photo pieced with SNAP THE WHIP by WINSLOW HOMER   - 1872 Homer Painting Courtesy Butler Institute of American Art

Winslow Homer would not have to clean his paint brushes to get the colors right at Parrett Mountain Farm. The following photos were taken on the first day of History School.(The "Culturally Modified Tree" is believed to be a trail marker created by Indians. Archeologists from Grande Ronde reservation have been combing Parrett Mountain Farm for similar artifacts. )

Civil War comes to Parrett Mountain!

For the first time this year, History Camp included a face to face with active duty Union soldiers from the Civil War. Sherwood town founder J. C. Smock might not have been so sure about seeing blue coats this close to home. We know for certain that J. C.'s Uncle A. Z. Hall cheered for the rebel cause all through the war.

This video was made at Sherwood City Hall during History Camp. The students are presenting research they've doing on Sherwood history. They are also getting themselves ready for the day when they will enter a room such as this one and notice that there is no elder-- no teacher or youth councilor or parent-- up front calling the meeting to order. They will look at each other and realize: "It's OUR turn to run the world!!"

Old Town Building gets Face Lift

When these workmen climb down from their scaffold for the last time, the Roellich Building is going to look closer to the way it did in 1914. The building has been owned by Cash's Reality for many years. A facade grant from the federal government pays for about half of the restoration.

Visitors from Tigard

These are the ladies that finished a quilt owned by a prominent Sherwood figure, Alan Ware. They are the Tigard Quilters and they meet at the Tigard Senior Center. They have been quilting for 30 years now. Contact Krista at 503-620-2999 to add your face to the picture.

On the Front Porch of Smock House.

Sherwood residents Dale and Linda assist Lilly Morgan in a folk sonata. We might be in the 1890s, except that the annual "Cruisin' Sherwood" car show is visible through the open doors and windows of Smock House. Cruisin' organizers like to photograph their vehicles with Old Town in the background: Makes 'em feel like 25 Cent gas all over again.

Wandering 4th Graders find Refuge at the Heritage Center

Sherwood Historical Society Treasurer Irene demonstrates the art of pie-making to Sherwood fourth graders.

Clothes washing and ironing, butter making, typewriters and wood working were taught. Not shown here: Logging (supervised by an honest-to-God "HoDad!"), the Heritage Center's nifty HO Scale model train, and don't forget the full-scale outhouse. ("I don't want to hear what they used the corn cobs for." one 4th Grader commented.)