Dorena Historical Society

The old Disston Store and Post Office, back in 1963. The building is still up there, but barely standing.

A descendant of the Wicks Family sent us some great old photos. This is a very early photo of the Wicks Farm. The Barns are no longer there, but the house, and a newer barn now on the other side of the house, still exist about a half mile upriver from Dorena School. The early buildings of the Star Ranch can faintly be seen in the upper right hand corner.

Here is the Wicks Family with one of their prize cows in front of one of the old barns.

The Wicks Family from left to right..Fairy, Alvis, Roland, Ida, Iva, Lesley, Miles (young boy) Joseph Wicks, and Raymond.

The Jennings Family in their yard in old Dorena. The old Dorena School is behind them.

Baby Donna Jennings and her proud parents.

Grandma Land at her house in Dorena

Katy, Isaac and Andrew Land, all early Dorena residents. Thanks go to Donna Jennings Brandt for these wonderful old family photos.

Dorena School in 1917. There were four teachers that year, including the beloved Aunt Jakie Dean. Love the spiffy knickerbockers and suspenders on the boy in the front row!

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.