Dorena Historical Society

A photo of Opal Whiteley on the left and her friend Ruth Stewart taken in 1915. Not to be confused with the Ruth Stewart who was the long time Dorena Postmistress, she was not yet born when this photo was taken. Steve Williamson, a noted Opal historian, told me this story from about that time. John Wilson and Charlie Teeters were a couple of local scamps. Opal kept butterflies that she collected in a cage and the two boys snuck over and opened the door to watch the butterflies fly away. Opal came bursting out of her house in just her bloomers screaming bloody murder at them. Do not mess with an amateur naturalist!

This photo from a 1917 wedding in Dorena is from the Oregon State Special Collection. No clue as to the identity of these women but the photographer may have been A.L. Monroe of Cottage Grove.

A wildflower walk on the first day of summer led us to the aptly named Farewell-to-Spring.  These beauties can be found in sunny meadows like those at Bake Stewart Park.

Another cute kid photo. This one comes from Kevin Violette. He says “These are all Violette family children. This is a family photo of my dad’s siblings and cousins taken in the 1930s in the Culp Creek area.. From left to right — Donald, Helen, Nancy, Marilyn, Frances, Jim, Carol and Vera Lee Violette. Jim (my father) and Frances were the children of Robert and Jean Champie Violette; Donald and Helen the children of Glenn and Florene Violette…the others are Violettes, but I’m not sure whose!”

Adorable little Ava Lee Bales of Rat Creek Rd in 1942

  Some kids from the town of Wildwood with their Moms in 1911. Yes, the town of Wildwood was near Wildwood Falls on Lower Brice Creek Rd.

The kids of Dorena School in 1917. Love the spiffy knickerbockers and suspenders on the boy in the front row!

We just received a copy of this old photo of Rujada.  Back in the old days, the railroad tracks ended there. Rujada survives today as a beautiful park with campsites and some nice hiking trails up the creek and through the woods.

I saw this postcard of Old Dorena on EBay. It shows the Dorena Store (the white building in the center) and a cool, old water tower. This photo dates from circa 1910, give or take a few years.

The Cottage Grove Historical Museum has this copy of the Bohemia Lumber Company Newsletter about the first trip of the Blue Goose Excursion Train.  The Goose started its run in 1971 on tracks owned by Bohemia.

Pages 5 and 6 of the newsletter give lots of info about the train.  The Goose stopped running in the late 1980’s as it was no longer profitable to maintain the track. The BLM converted the tracks to a paved walking/bike path that is still in use.

The Wicks Barn on Row River Rd near Rocky Point on a snowy day.  Joseph and Ida May Wicks and their six children settled here in 1894. The barn was built circa 1900. An old blacksmiths forge from the barn is on display at the Bohemia Gold Mining Museum at 308 S 10th St, Cottage Grove.

This photo shows a group of Sikh workers building the railroad in the Row River Valley in 1909.

In the early 1900’s there were about 2,000 Sikhs from Punjab, India living and working in the Pacific Northwest, many on the railroads.