Save the Date! Sunday, May 29 marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic Indy 500. Be among the first to see Pedal to the Metal: Oregon Motorsports Tradition. RSVP for the June 1 opening celebration for members and sponsors. In This Issue: Spring 2011 Now Online Only Exhibits LIVE! Special Peace Corps presentations through the run of the exhibit Soccer City, USA: The Portland Timbers and the NASL Years, 1975 1982 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 4 OHS Staff Member Spotlight Meet Scott Daniels, Research Librarian and Timbers fan. Research Library Updates New photograph collections in the Davies Family Research Library
2 Our Mission The Oregon Historical Society s mission is preserving and interpreting Oregon s past in thoughtful, illuminating, and provocative ways. Hours Museum 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Tuesday Saturday Noon 5 p.m. Sunday Museum Store 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Monday Saturday Noon 5 p.m. Sunday Research Library 1 p.m. 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday I don t know how else to put it but to say that this is a historic time for the Oregon Historical Society! Exciting new exhibits and programs, increased school group visits, and funding approved by the voters of Multnomah County have provided OHS with new momentum and increased attention. Thanks to the continuing support of OHS members like you, we are ready for our moment in the sun. If you haven t been to the Oregon History Museum lately, you may not have seen our inspiring exhibit honoring the 50th anniversary of the United States Peace Corps (and an opening night reception that attracted more than 300 people), or our exhibit celebrating the history of the Portland Timbers soccer team. We have hosted many great events including a 100th birthday party for the Oregon Blue Book, a fencing demonstration by two-time Olympic Gold medalist Mariel Zagunis, and an appearance by the one and only President Teddy Roosevelt. (If you don t believe it, check out the photo below!) It s been a great start to 2011, and the rest of the year promises to be even better. On May 29, historic race cars will be parked in OHS as we open our Pedal to the Medal exhibit, which will celebrate the rich history of motorsports in Oregon. Throughout the summer, OHS will offer a number of exciting family programs focused on automobiles and racing. All of this will coincide with a major automobile exhibit across the street this summer at the Portland Art Museum. We are also searching every last corner of our 100,000 square foot vault, selecting the most fascinating and intriguing artifacts to be included in our Treasures of the Vault exhibit, which will open this fall. 1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, OR 97205 503-222-1741 www.ohs.org In short, there s never been a better time to be a member of the Oregon Historical Society. Again, thank you for your past support, and I look forward to working with you to ensure that the best days of OHS are yet to come. Best regards, Kerry Tymchuk
3 Annual 2011 Meeting On Saturday, April 23, the Oregon Historical Society welcomed members to the 2011 Annual Meeting. We looked back at the challenges and accomplishments of 2010, welcomed new members to the Oregon Historical Society Board of Directors, and celebrated the retirement of Executive Director George Vogt. Board, staff, and members also recognized the dedication of Michele Kribs, recipient of the 2011 Thomas Vaughan award. For over 30 years, Michele has worked as a preservationist for OHS, and her knowledge of film preservation is an irreplaceable asset to the Society. Joel E. Palmer Award Recipients Each year, the Oregon Historical Quarterly presents the Joel E. Palmer Award to the author of the best article published in the journal during the previous year. The award was established by Omar C. "Slug" Palmer and William J. Lang in honor of their ancestor Joel Palmer, an Oregon pioneer. In addition to the first-place prize, which carries with it $300, two articles are presented honorable mentions. Winner: Betwixt and Between the Official Story: Tracing the History and Memory of a Family of French-Indian Ancestry in the Pacific Northwest by Melinda Marie Jetté (OHQ 111:2, Summer 2010) Honorable Mentions: Henry S. Tanner and Cartographic Expression of American Expansion in the 1820s by James V. Walker (OHQ 111:4, Winter 2010) She Flies with Her Own Wings: Women in the 1973 Legislative Session by Melody Rose and Tara Watson (OHQ 111:1, Spring 2010) Read the winning article in the Summer 2010 issue of OHQ! 2011 OHS Board of Directors Paul Andrews Arleen Barnett Robert Bauer Barbara Beale Marc Berg Rebecca Dobkins Christopher Erickson Bill Failing Lesley Hallick Dan Heine Jerry E. Hudson Greg Keller Jackson Lewis Judge Angel Lopez Henry Lorenzen Libby McCaslin Pete Mark Robert J. Miller Anne Naito- Campbell Maura N. O Scannlain Doug Pahl Jin Park Jacqueline Peterson-Loomis Guy Randles James T. Richardson Pat Ritz John Shelk Janet Taylor Bill Wyatt
4 Exhibits LIVE! Join us for exciting Peace Corps programming throughout May! May 21 - Family Day The May Family Day will boost not only your spirits, but your energy as well. Stumptown Coffee will be hosting an Around the World Coffee Extravaganza, with free tastings and explanations of some of their fair trade coffees from around the world. Learn first hand from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) about the countries where coffee beans grow and how it relates to some of the RPCV s experiences. Make a special coffee craft, listen to stories from a panel of RPCVs at 1 PM, then watch a screening of the documentary Once in Afghanistan by Jill Vickers at 2 P.M. Two children are admitted free with one paid adult admission. May 15 and 22 - Peace Corps Service Days All Returned Peace Corps volunteers have incredible stories to share about their service. These two days will give visitors the unique opportunity to hear about the adventures experienced by Peace Corp volunteers in countries from Africa to Latin America, who served from the 1960s to the present day! Grab a passport, and take a tour around the OHS Pavilion to learn more about the countries represented at each event. Interested in joining the Peace Corps? Representatives from the Peace Corps and the Portland State University Peace Corps Masters program will be on site during the May 15 service day. Through September 4 In April, Oregon launched a new era in sports history with the start of the Portland Timbers inaugural season in Major League Soccer. Though Portland has many enthusiastic fans, few are aware of the long history of the Timbers soccer club. Soccer City, USA gives Timbers fans and history buffs alike the opportunity to hear the story of the original Portland Timbers team. Take an inside look into the club s history, and see profiles of well-known players and coaches. View photos, videos, equipment, uniforms and other memorabilia in an unmatched collection that is gathered together in one place, for the very first time.
5 Staff Member Spotlight Scott Daniels, Research Librarian Years at OHS: 4 Meet the people behind the exhibits, collections preservation, Davies Family Research Library, and publications at the Oregon Historical Society. Now is your chance to get an insider's peek into the lives and behind-the-scenes work of OHS staff members. Visit Scott in the Davies Family Research Library Thursday - Saturday from 1-5 PM. The most exciting part of my job is: Finding what people are looking for in the library, plus learning something new every day. A historic topic I never tire of reading about is: World War II The last book I read was: The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel Something most staff members do not know about me is: I have been a Portland Timbers season ticket holder since 1975. Fun Fact: Scott's Timbers season tickets are featured in OHS's newest exhibit, Soccer City, USA! In my opinion, the best part about living in Oregon is: The climate, the people, and being close to the beach and the mountains. My favorite quotation is: "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." ~Groucho Marx My idea of a dream vacation would be: Hanging out with the Green Bay Packers. If I were given $1 million dollars, I would: Faint, then do something with child literacy such as providing books.
6 Research Library News Marian Wood Kolisch photograph collections! The Davies Family Research Library has received several significant photograph collections over the past few months. Of particular note is a major collection of the work of Portland photographer Marian Wood Kolisch (1920 2008), the granddaughter of artist and civic leader C.E.S. Wood. She studied under noted photographer Ansel Adams in the early 1970s and went on to create highly regarded portraits of prominent Oregonians, as well as other images. Exhibitions of her work have been held at the Portland Art Museum, the Camera Works Gallery, the Blue Sky Gallery, and many other venues. OHS is grateful for the generosity of Kolisch's daughter Leslie for this valuable gift. A more light-hearted collection a gift of Theo Kissick of Tacoma is a collection of photographs and autograph books relating to the Walkathon Dance Marathon, held in the spring of 1931 at Lotus Isle, a short-lived recreation park near Jantzen Beach. The donor's aunt, Lula Daggy, was a contestant and collected the autographs of the other competitors. One inscription reads: "Dear Lula: Portland would be proud to own a Marathoner such as you proved to be. I'll be betting on you so stick! Grace Bradley, the 'relief' nurse." The last three couples who won the Walkathon Dance Marathon at Lotus Isle, 1931 Scrapbook Acquisition: Portrait of an unidentified man, Key West, Florida, by Marian Wood Kolisch, 1976 Also among recent gifts is a scrapbook, donated by Richard Klein of Seattle, containing notes and photographs of the Amalgamated Mines Company in eastern Oregon. The company was headquartered in Baker City and Spokane and was active from the 1910s through the 1930s. The photographs provide detailed views of mining operations and personnel, along with notes and descriptive information. Page from scrapbook of the Amalgamated Mines Company, circa 1915
7 Coming Soon! Opening on the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500, Sunday, May 29 Presented by City Center Parking If it s not scary... you re not going fast enough. - Indianapolis 500 race winner Buddy Rice about the challenges of qualifying for the legendary race. It s the summer of the automobile on the Portland Park Blocks. Opening in May, the Oregon Historical Society presents Pedal to the Metal, an exhibition of Oregon motorsports. Pedal to the Metal will explore Oregon s contribution to automobile design through its rich history of race car builders and local men who took to the wheel, sometimes giving their lives, to get to the leading edge of speed. This exhibit will showcase a breathtaking display of race cars, motorcycles, and engines. Video footage, photographs, memorabilia, and eye catching wall graphics will provide the context and history for the extraordinary items featured in the exhibit. A significant portion of this exhibit will highlight Oregon s connection to the Indy 500 by exhibiting cars that were driven or designed by Oregonians. The exhibit will explore and celebrate the long tradition of Oregon s most famous sports car race, which began on June 11, 1961, at Portland s West Delta Park. Engines will be revving this summer in Portland, with Cars in the Park every Saturday and exciting programming at the Oregon Historical Society stay tuned for upcoming events! Members - join us for an exhibit opening reception, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 1. RSVP at 503-306-5211.
8 Memorials & Tributes Thoughtful gifts to the Oregon Historical Society this spring marked the passing of three extraordinary inviduals: dedicated volunteer, wife, mother and grandmother, Virginia Beatty; attorney, Marine Corps veteran, devoted husband and great-grandfather, John Schwabe; and historian, author, traveler and beloved wife and mother Sherry Vaughan, wife of past OHS Executive Director Tom Vaughan. Friends and history lovers alike, they will be missed. Memorial and tribute gifts honor special people and celebrate important occasions. In memory of Mrs. Virginia Beatty Susan S. Bilyeu Paul E. Bragdon Anna J. Brown Owen Cramer Jane L. Ehrman George H. Fraser Shirley Gittelsohn Millard McClung Pamela B. Pesenti Arthur Phillips John Shipley Thomas G. Wright In memory of Mr. John L. Schwabe Roland F. Banks Neva T. Campbell Joyle C. Dahl Jill Gelineau Donald A. Hull Gordon Keane Henry C. Lorenzen Doug Lovett Mark Manulik Millard McClung C. J. McLeod Richard W. Munro Samuel T. Naito James B. O'Hanlon Chet Orloff Becky Osmond Jay T. Waldron In memory of Mrs. Sherry Vaughan Stephen D. Beckham Broughton H. Bishop Arthur B. Blackett Anne M. Booth Paul E. Bragdon Gail Broderick Jeannine Cowles David C. Davies Sherry V. De Leuw Basil Dmytryshyn Mitchell G. Drake Carol C. Englehart Michael A. Forrester Steve Forrester Sylvia Gates Shirley Gittelsohn Mary Jane Goeth Donald Grudzien Sally Hart Mark O. Hatfield George M. Henderson Evelyn M. Hicks Mary E. Hirsch Mark Humpal David S. Johnson Karen H. Kirtley Joel B. Krausse Lewis L. McArthur Millard McClung Laura S. Meier Helen L. Mershon Prudence M. Miller Esther J. Moore Anne Munch Richard W. Munro Kandis B. Nunn Chet Orloff Perkins & Company Cheryl Perkins Elisabeth W. Potter Reed Rice Mary B. Rogness Susan K. Seyl Susan Teller James B. Thayer Kerry Tymchuk Champ C. Vaughan Daniel S. Vaughan George L. Vogt Martin Winch Thomas G. Wright 1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, OR 97205 503-222-1741 www.ohs.org