Stay tuned to the end of the newsletter to see how the site of the new picnic shelter at George Rogers Park compares to the site in 1867!

The new picnic shelter at George Rogers Park was installed in 2023.

We hope everyone has had a happy and safe holiday season! While we are wrapping up 2023, we are also looking forward to 2024, 2025, and beyond... The OHC Board of Directors is working hard to establish a long-term vision for the Oswego Heritage Council, and we can't plan on the future without you! This plan will encompass the next 3-5 years and allow us to build our organization into a more community-based, forward-thinking museum and archives.

Keep your eye out for opportunities to get involved, and SAVE THE DATE for our annual member meeting on Saturday, February 17th, at 10:00 AM. We'll be reviewing how we did in 2023, share big plans for 2024, and have a special surprise planned for those in attendance.

Looking forward to a great new year!

Kathryn Sinor

Executive Director

OHC in the Press: Lake Oswego group undertakes preservation
of Oregon Iron & Steel Company records

Here's how we did during this year's
Giving Tuesday!

This year, we launched a Giving Tuesday campaign to encourage people to engage with OHC! If you're wondering how we did, here are our goals and numbers:

GOAL 1 MEMBERSHIP: With a goal of 20 new or renewed memberships, we got halfway there!

GOAL 2 SOCIAL MEDIA: With a goal of having 15 new followers on Instagram and Facebook, we just beat that goal by having 16 new followers!

GOAL 4 ARCHIVAL DONATIONS: While we were not able to complete our entire goal for donations to the Library Project, we're thrilled to announce that the renovation of a recently acquired 1893 painting has been fully funded by donations!

GOAL 5 VOLUNTEERS: With a goal of 5 new volunteers, we were lucky to bring in 3 new volunteers who are currently working on important projects to help make history more accessible.

Still want to participate in the giving season?

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Donate to Archival Projects Today

The Lake Oswego Review and West Linn Tiding papers are hosting a Best of Lake Oswego and West Linn contest! Vote for OHC's nomination today for the Best Place to Bring Out-of-Towners under "Things to Do"!

Voting period is until 01/24/24, with the top three nominees in each category moving onto the voting round.

Vote on the LO Review website today!

Today, the Oswego Heritage Council announced that it has joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits.

The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting the Oswego Heritage Council by providing a free museum membership with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 850 museums across the country. Museums for All is part of the Oswego Heritage Council’s broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all audiences.

Museums for All helps expand access to museums and also raise public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities. More than 850 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Want to learn more? Visit the Museums for All Website.

George Rogers Park, picnic shelter (2023)

Charcoal shed on the north side of Green Street

The iron furnace is on the far right, inside the building with the chimney. This detail of photo was provided by Carleton Watkins, 1867. Thanks to Susanna Kuo for sharing!