History Workshop Wow!

A ninety two year old member of the historic Mandel family came to the Heritage Center today to discover her family's name on a quilt she didn't even know existed. It's an example of how the Heritage Center is enhancing the quality of life in Sherwood. This, our first History Workshop of 2008 also received testimony from the descendants of Emil Lawrenz. His story will make your blood boil the more you learn about it. He pursued the fabled American Dream all his life and was short-changed at every turn. Yet he never gave up his optimism, his loyalty to his adopted country, or his faith in the future. If anyone deserves a bronze statue, it's Emil Lawrenz!

A free traveling exhibit!

Washington County Museum’s “This Kalapuya Land” exhibit will be on display until Feb. 12 at the City of Wilsonville Public Library, 8200 S.W. Wilsonville Rd. It is a free traveling exhibit that chronicles the lives and culture of Native Americans living in the Willamette Valley. The library will also host a series of free educational programs on local history during the exhibit. These programs will occur on consecutive Wednesdays Jan. 9-Feb. 6, 7-8:30 p.m. To accommodate limited seating, the library asks attendees to reserve ahead of time at the circulation desk or by calling 503-682-2744.

The library is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2-5 p.m. Sundays.

Mystery Photo

Who is this lady? She appears in a photograph that was taken on Railroad Street the day Woodrow Wilson was elected. The year is 1912. Her remarkable face is filled with determination. Whatever that determination might be directed at, however, fails to impress the dudes in the photo's background:

The horse and buggy days are still evident. It all seems a bit unbelievable less than a century later.

An enormous billboard on Washington Street welcomes another type of four wheeled vehicle--the automobile-- to town. (The future Highway 99 is a mere footpath at this time.)

Here is the entire photo. The woman is standing stage center.

Yet more wheeled vehicles appear! People are pushing or riding in them and, except for one good natured fellow, they don't look very happy. They are carrying portraits of Woodrow Wilson along with small signs that praise his election victory. The entire photo is much too detailed to explore here. See June Reynold's history book for a closer look.

From the Archeology People

The first part of “Archaeology for the Curious” basic training series will be offered 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 2 and Feb. 9, 2008 at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek Campus building 7 room 121. “Introduction to Pacific Northwest Archaeology” will be taught by experienced archaeologists. Contact Jennifer Kozik, or jenniferkozik@gmail.com for more information. Reservations can also be made at OAS’s Website, www.oregonarchaeological.org.

School House Street Demonstration

Hopkins School As She Looked the Day She Died.
The City had been wanting to act years ago, but a newly revived community spirit said Not So Fast. In the end there was no choice. Engineers agreed that it had to come down. Informal discussions between the Historical Society and the City about what should replace it have been promising, but will the new building be as splendid as what was there once?


Those Rascally Historians
On the day we staged our protest demonstration, the City of Sherwood had made preparations for a small ceremony in front of the school house to mark its passing. Alas! The city crew barely got their tent set up before most of them disappeared. They seemed to think the Sherwood Historical Society was mad at them. Of course, we weren't demonstrating against them at all. Our protest was against the decades of neglect and abuse that brought this school building to such a sad end. The City could have stood right by us without compromising themselves. May Sherwood never again relive those days when, for example, Smock's Great Great Grandson Shelby Bowen tossed out valuable historical artifacts because he couldn't find anyone who still gave a damn about defending Sherwood history. We wish the ceremony had gone off as planned. In any case, the coffee and cookies were rescued before the City took down their tent and went home, and were greatly appreciated.

Open House!

TOP LEFT: Esmerelda the Christmas Cow and Santa Claus are the best of chums nowadays. TOP RIGHT: Target Audience Not So Sure. MIDDLE RIGHT: Brass Band on Morback Porch. BOTTOM LEFT: Sherwood Renaissance Singers Debate Format at Morback House. BOTTOM RIGHT: Genius Pianist at Morback House. It all happened one rainy but magical evening at the Sherwood Heritage Center.

Saint Francis School Visits Old Town

Are Fifth Graders of Saint Francis Catholic School serious or goofy? "Definitely serious." said Historical Society trail guide Clyde List, who wore his Friar Tuck outfit and pretended to be Saint Francis Himself (I mean, how much more serious can you get!?). The walk was only supposed to last an hour, but lasted two hours instead, because of all the preparation the kids had done ahead of time. Each student is focusing upon one site along the Sherwood Heritage Trail.

That's the original Saint Francis Church in the background. It's the New Life Assembly of God now.

Put It Back!

Sherwood Historian Odge Gribble clings to the old staircase inside the Old School House. She and the rest of us were invited to tour the doomed building on Monday to see what we wanted saved for the replica that will replace it after it's been torn down. DOOMSDAY will be Tuesday Dec.4 3:00 to 4:00. That's when the bulldozers arrive. INSET: The Sherwood Historical Society's new lapel pin will remind policy makers of their vow to recreate the Sherwood classic. Let's all wear one and say it in unison: Old buildings might wear out, but... "If you can't save it, put it back!"

1973 Class REUNION!

The 1973 Class of Sherwood High School is seeking to update it's class address listings and has been unable to locate alumni with these family names:

Aebischer, Atrops, Baldwin, Batterman, Benedict, Blossom, Brown, Clopton, Cooter, Coyle, Craig, Dietz, Erhardt, Fowler, Geck, Hagg, Hall, Hanna, Hilliard, Holmes, Jensen (Echols), Kelley, Kline, Kresa, Lawson, Leaman (Mom worked at the High School) , Kwiatkoski, Lundy, Middleton, Morrison, Nelson, Parr, Powell, Pratt, Roberts, Rose, Routlege, Scheller, Schwartz, Sorter, Stern, Stobbe, Stone, Walden, Watts, Westling, Wiesman.


If you can help us locate our "lost" classmates, please contact kathyaleblanc@hotmail.com

The Sherwood Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore.

Sherwood Historian June Reynolds (at Right) eyeballs a pool of rain water in Airlie, Oregon. The pond is all that is left of the spot where Sherwood's railroad train used to swing around and head back to Sherwood. The view North stretches on forever across level ground. The view South (at Left) opens onto the coastal mountains, a very different landscape! Willamette Valley wheat farmers and their Scottish backers had high hopes for this peculiar little train. Today the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office calls what's left of the rail line "the most historically significant railroad in Oregon." Alas, "The Peavine," as Sherwood Mayor Morback used to call it, was eventually taken over by the Southern Pacific Railway Company and dismantled.

This simple frame house in Airlie was built for guests of the "Peavine." It's a private dwelling now,located across the county road from the turn-table site. Airlie is named in honor of the 10th Earl of Airlie, the Scotsman in charge of the railroad between 18(78?) and 1881. Your visit to Airlie is not complete without Clyde List singing The Bonnie Hoos o' Airlie (Francis Child Ballad #199).