|
|
|
|
|
Canyonville is hosting an all-day birthday party during the Memorial Day weekend to celebrate its existence as a community for longer than Oregon has been a state--more than 150 years.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians will have a booth with tribal artifacts, craft demonstrations and information.
A group of Native American drummers from Klamath Falls, Good Medicine, will provide entertainmentBy Cara Pallone
Residents of this small South County town, Canyonville, are quick to tell you that their community is one year older than the state of Oregon itself.
So it's no surprise that the city is hosting an all-day birthday party in celebration of Canyonville's 150 years as a community.
"It's a very significant event to us," said Canyonville Mayor Chuck Spindel. "We're one up on the state, and that don't happen too often."
Canyonville was incorporated in January 1901, but the town was platted in 1858 by a man named Jesse Roberts, said the mayor.
A post office was built in 1852
Web Briggs has lived in Canyonville 82 years. He said his ancestors settled in the area in 1851.
"My grandfather was the first preacher," said Briggs. "Or so the books say."
He said he has watched Canyonville evolve over the years from a little 250-person community to its current size of about 1,600 people.
"There was no industry here other than agriculture," said Briggs, who
Residents of Douglas County are invited to partake in celebrating the growth and community of Canyonville Saturday.
The festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with a Dutch oven preparation demonstration and a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. cooking demonstration.
The Little Butte Mountain Men, a rifle club from Southern Oregon, will set up an encampment with tents, teepees, and black powder demonstrations.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians will have a booth with tribal artifacts, craft demonstrations and information.
Starting at 10 a.m., there will be a silent auction by the Canyonville Elementary Parent Teacher Group featuring six different getaway packages.
Hestehaven, a horse farm in Days Creek, will provide Norwegian Fjord horses for wagon rides beginning at 11 a.m.
At noon, Good Medicine, a group of Native American drummers from Klamath Falls, will provide entertainment and a buffalo barbecue is slated from noon to 8 p.m. with proceeds benefiting the Oregon 150 Douglas County committee.
The day's events will be capped off from 8 to 11 p.m. with a barn dance and live music.
"The more the merrier," said Spindel. "It ought to be very nice."