Dorena Historical Society

Some of the hardworking employees of the Brown Lumber Company. The company was started in Dorena in 1902 by Eugene banker Willis Brown. He started logging camps at Rocky Point in 1913 and Rujada in 1914. His son Warner took over the business after Willis died in 1914. Warner Brown became one of the founders of Bohemia, Inc.

The Cottage Grove Historical Society has this wonderful hand tinted panoramic photo of the Sunny Slope Dairy in Dorena. The photo was taken on June 10th, 1935. You can see Cerro Gordo in the background. Most of this land is now under Dorena Lake. Here is the entire panorama.

Another look at the old town of Dorena. This is probably from around 1910 or so because the old water tower is still there. The original Kirks’ store is the white building on the left behind the two-story house. The town was located where Rat Creek met the Row River. Of course, all of this land is under Dorena Lake now.

After not seeing an ookow for many years, all of a sudden I find a hillside of them where there was a burn last summer. According to Wikipedia “Grasslands that have been burned may exhibit thousands of plants where none have appeared in recent years.” The corms can lay dormant for as long as ten years.

A sweet, old tradition at Dorena School back in the day. The original photo and the back listing the Queen and her Court.

There was an impressive vegetable garden at the “Warehouse” on the way to the Bohemia Mines.  The produce was hauled up to the mines to help feed the many men working up there.

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.