Museum about to Make History By Dan Bosserman For April Issue of the Gazette

Members of the Sandy Historical Society are excited about the progress of the Historical Museum and Visitor’s Center rapidly rising across from City Hall.

Society president Dorothy Douglas and official historian Phil Jonsrud shared their vision last week in the group’s current quarters, a tiny office space donated by AEC, Inc., in what used to be the  Sears Building in Heritage Square.

“We want something the Sandy community can be proud of,” said Jonsrud, who has written several books about Sandy’s history, to widespread popularity and critical acclaim.

“We hope to be open to the public by the end of the year,” Douglas said. Jonsrud said the new museum will show people how our area developed, how we are located on the exact site of the Barlow Road—the last leg of the Oregon Trail—and how our heritage was logging and sawmilling.

When the Sandy Historical Museum opens, it will feature a 70-foot replica of a Douglas Fir, that will speak to you in your choice of five languages. Portland’s World Forestry Center is remodeling, and the Sandy Historical Society is acquiring the famous talking tree, which will be the centerpiece of the museum’s many exhibits.

It will extend right through the ceiling of the first floor to the top of the building. “This exhibit has been displayed at the Smithsonian Institution,” said Douglas. “It ties into the logging history of the area, the natural history and geology of Mt. Hood, and the Barlow Road.”

On the first floor, a pair of loggers (mannequins) balanced on springboards will be felling the tree. Upstairs a high-climber will be going up the tree before topping it and rigging it with cables and pulleys for a “high-lead logging show.”

Although the Society has been fortunate in receiving enough donations to own the property and building free and clear so far, they still need money to finish the building, establish the exhibits, and establish an endowment fund to pay for ongoing operational activities, Douglas said.

The Society had its beginnings in June of 1926 at a party for the 70th birthday of John Revenue, eldest son of Francis and Lydia Revenue, Sandy’s first settlers. Soon called the Sandy Pioneer Association, it eventually became the Sandy Historical Society.

With little budget and no real home where they could safely and properly collect, store, repair and exhibit historical records, books, and artifacts, they relied on people’s homes: in bedrooms, basements, garages, even barns.

They had space for some years in City Hall, but it was cramped, and they finally had to move out as Sandy grew. Jonsrud pointed out that the Society has grown, too. “We’ve come from being a very small organization with little income and expense for many years to being a pretty big business.”

“Through Dorothy’s efforts, we’ve got a  great deal more organization, a membership of nearly 300, money in the bank—as well as government reports and the need for by-laws and an accountant.”

Douglas was quick to mention the hard work of other volunteers, notably Brad Picking, Jerry Lawson, Lorraine Martin, Ginny Meinig, Bryon Tolle, Joe Shelley, Dennis Crow, Darrell Dempster, and Dick Steiner.

“And we’ve done all this with only one paid staff member,” she added. “That would be Marlyn Riedel, who works part-time, only four hours per week. Of course, when the museum is open we’ll need full-time staff—did I mention we need an endowment fund?”

Both Douglas and Jonsrud emphasized the Society’s intent to make the museum a living, active, vibrant experience, both for area residents and tourists. “We expect this to make Sandy a site destination for tourists, researchers, and students,” she said.

The museum will have not only exhibits—which will include historical objects and displays of the Barlow Road, pioneers, the lumber industry, and Bull Run—but also representations of local agriculture, recreation, and art, as well as a celebration of the contributions of  cultures other than Oregon Trail pioneers.

“We want to show the heritage and impact of the Native American, Hispanic, and Japanese cultures, too,” Douglas said.

The building will have 3,000 square feet on each of its two floors, and 2,000 in the basement. Besides office space and archives, it will feature a photo library and conference rooms available to the public for children’s story time, classroom programs, art classes, historical lecture series, holiday parties related to old-time Sandy, and lots more.

The Society will collaborate with the US Forest Service, City of Sandy, Timberline Lodge, Friends of the Library, Oregon Trail School District, Heritage Council, Warm Springs Indians, Hispanic community, and the community at large.

“Our theme is ‘Gateway to Mt. Hood.’ Our mission is to preserve not only the past, but also the present and future of the Sandy-Mt. Hood area,” Douglas said.

Annual fund-raising events planned that relate to that mission include quilt shows, antique appraisals, art festivals, book and poster sales, and an old-fashioned Chautauqua. A gift shop will offer posters, books, Sandy memorabilia, and art from local artists.

Regular programs in addition to the exhibits and displays will be traveling history shows, story telling, museum parties, art exhibits, oral histories, and Friends of the Library events. The Chamber of Commerce will also be housed in the building, operating the Visitor’s Center.

Jonsrud said, “We believe that it will be successful for three reasons: It will be located on busy US Highway 26, with easy access from traffic in both directions. It will be combined with a visitor’s center, drawing many tourists. Finally, admission will be free (We expect to see more people than they get at the County Museum.)”

“Free admission,” mused Douglas. “Did we mention we need a large endowment fund?”

For more information, or to ask about joining the Sandy Historical Society, or to make a generous donation, call Dorothy Douglas at 503-663-4511, or the Society’s office at 503-668-3378, or visit the SHS website at www.sandyhistorical.org