November 1, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM 

Whistle Punks and Misery Whips: Logging the Willamette Valley, 1850 to 1960 by Dr. Stephen Beckham

This illustrated lecture is an overview of logging and lumbering, major enterprises in the Willamette Valley.  In 1850 the Oswego sawmills of Albert A. Durham and Socrates Tryon cut lumber for Portland and San Francisco.  The presentation covers the evolving technology of log transportation from bull teams to logging trucks as well as river drives, splash dams, and railroads.  It includes the proposal in 1923 by the Oswego Log and Booming Company to transform Oswego Lake into a massive log pond with a flume connecting to the Willamette River. 

Prof. Beckham grew up in western Oregon where his father was superintendent of the Coos River Boom Company and subsequently author of SWIFT FLOWS THE RIVER: LOG DRIVING IN OREGON (1990).  Beckham is the Pamplin Professor of History, Emeritus, Lewis & Clark College, and taught college students for 42 years.

December 6, 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM 

Annual Holiday Marketplace

More information coming soon!

February 7, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM 

Presentation on Magic by David Charvet

More information coming soon!

EARLIER THIS SEASON: 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023:

Arirang: Korean Folk Songs on Kayageum by Doyeon Lim

Arirang is a representative Korean folk song and there are about 3,600 variations. Every region in Korea has its own Arirang and each Arirang bears the core emotions of Korean people. You can make your own Arirang naming after your hometown, too. Doyeon will play several Arirang songs on Kayageum introducing the background story and the lyrics. 

Check out our social media recap on the performance!

2018

Stephen Beckham, Oregon's Backwoods Utopias

Nancy Dunis, Pioneer Women of Lake Oswego

Linda Beutler, Heirloom Clematis in the Garden

Gregory Nokes, Troubled Life of Peter Burnett

Mark Browne, Theresa Truchot: A Jewel of Many Facets

Rachel Verdick/Dorothy Atwood, Historic Preservation and Path to a Sustainable Future

Marge Easley, League of Women Voters History 

2019

Dr. Stephen Beckham, NW Indians

Jan Newton Becker, Aurora Colony History

David Charvet, History of Magic and A Performance

Darrell Jabin, Discovering Oregon History through the Blue Book

Mark Browne, Historic Forensics in Collection Preservation

Susanna Kuo, Rediscovering a Lost Oswego Family: Pomeroy

Dr. Stephen Beckham, Theodore Roosevelt

2020

Dr. Stephen Beckham, Studies in Climate Concerns

Cece Otto, Release of WWI album

Angel Ocasio, History of Ukelele and Performance

2021

Zachary Stocks, Oregon's Black History 

Paul Lyons, Springbrook Park and its Women

Stephanie Wagner, Tryon Creek

Mike Goodrich, 400 mil yrs of Oswego History (Geology)

2022

Dr. Stephen Beckham, Theodore Roosevelt and TR Library

Kim Hewey, Beginnings of Chautauqua

R. Gregory Nokes, Massacre for Gold

Cece Otto, Songs from America's Past

Nancy Dunis, Eva Emory Dye

2023

Katie Henry, Preserving Your Heritage

Courtney Clements, Local Diaries

Dr. Stephen Beckham, Sewing Seeds for Today and Tomorrow: Oregon Indian Tribal Economies

Charlene Green, If Walls Could Talk

Cece Otto, Prohibition: 90 Years of Temperance, Temptation and Song