[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2005-10-13

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  Trail ancestors to speak at Baker City
2.  Aviation Hall of Honor to induct several


TRAIL ANCESTORS TO SPEAK AT BAKER CITY

Three descendants of Oregon Trail pioneers and early Baker Valley settlers will tell their families' stories Oct. 15 at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City. Nellie Edwards, Charles Chandler, both of Baker City, and Don Dodson of North Powder will be interviewed by Eastern Oregon University history students on stage at the Interpretive Center. 

Nellie (Perkins) Edwards' great grandfather made three trips by wagon across the Oregon Trail before settling in the Baker Valley in 1862. Charles Chandler's great grandfather joined the California Gold Rush and later returned to Missouri with $500.  The Oregon Trail journey of Don Dodson's great grandfather, Wesley Parker, ended when he ran into a 
problem crossing Wolf Creek near its confluence with the North Powder River. That is where the family homestead still is today.

 In keeping with the theme of the day, "History Unrecorded is History Lost," students from Eastern Oregon University will be providing information on how to conduct oral histories. 
Learn what questions to ask and how to record the valuable information so it will be available to future generations. Visitors will also be able to talk to staff from the Baker County Library about the resources available for tracing family trees.  Center director Sarah LeCompte will present "From Diaries to Decisions" which will outline how historians do research and how that research can influence the decisions we make today. In addition, members of the Oregon-California Trails Association (will demonstrate their database "Census of Emigrant Documents." 

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is located 5 miles east of Baker City on Highway 86. Take Exit 302 from I-84. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information call 541-523-1843. 


AVIATION HALL OF HONOR TO INDUCT SEVERAL

The Evergreen Aviation Museum will add men and women from Corvallis, McMinnville, Portland and Salem to the Oregon Aviation Hall of Honor at a ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. Oct. 23. RSVPs are required for the event.  To purchase tickets, please call 503-434-4185.  

World renowned aviator, Tony Blackman, who was the last test pilot to fly with Howard Hughes, will be the main speaker.

The 2005 Oregon Aviation Hall of Honor inductees are Col. Terry Bernhardt, who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross; Lt. Col. Ray Costello, who has served the aviation community for more than 64 years; Rev. Jake DeShazer, who was a bombardier for the Doolittle Raiders when they attacked Tokyo; and Major Dean Johnson, a helicopter pioneer. Lt. J. Thomas Maloney, who accomplished a variety of flying feats during World War II.

The Evergreen Aviation Museum is best known as the home of the world's largest wooden airplane, the Spruce Goose, SR-71 Blackbird and Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat.  The Evergreen Aviation Museum's hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily except when it is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter. Call (503) 434-4180 for more information, and visit www.sprucegoose.org.
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission, which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us