May 2 & May 9, 2019 Episodes.

Around this time each year, we begin seeing one of the most gorgeous of spring flowers, the bearded iris, pop up in gardens around the area and in vast fields abutting the shoulders of the Interstate 5 Freeway north of Salem. We learned from our recent guest that the Willamette Valley is one of only seven places in the world with the appropriate climate to grow these royal-looking flowers. Steve Schreiner of Schreiner's Iris Gardens should certainly know this, as his family has been growing and hybridizing irises since 1925--most of those years in the Brooks district just north of Keizer, the Iris Capital of the World!

Following the dust storms of the 1930s, son Robert Schreiner began looking for the best place to relocate their business. They sent irises to several farmers in various parts of the country. One such willing famer was found in Grants Pass, Oregon, who would go on to foster their irises from 1935-37. By the end of World War II, both Connie and Gus joined the business full-time. The move to Oregon was completed in 1948, establishing their farm on 15 acres off Quinaby Road north of Salem. Their original home is now the company office.

Steve Schreiner is the son of Gus Schreiner, and three of his eight siblings are the third generation operating this family business. Recently, the fourth generation was represented when Ben Schreiner joined the team. As with the three original Schreiner siblings, each team member oversees a different aspect of the business, still getting along as Grandfather Schreiner had admonished. 

Schreiner's Iris Gardens has a well-established national reputation, having won numerous awards over the years, and expanded their commercial enterprise internationally. More importantly, they have become an integral part in the life and character of the Brooks/Keizer community. During the May through September bloom season, the Gardens host plein air artists, a Jazz & BBQ event on Memorial Day, unofficial Mother's Day and Father's Day gatherings, and are a frequent garden-tour destination. 

Check out their website or phone them at 503-393-3232 to learn more about what's going on out at the Iris Gardens!

The Schreiner's provided us so many beautiful photos that it was hard to select just a few to illustrate their story. So here are a few more for your enjoyment:

April 18, 2019 Episode.

We always look forward to the interesting events that pop up in our area as we celebrate National Historic Preservation Month each May. Kimberli Fitzgerald, City Historic Preservation Officer & Staff Archaeologist, visited with us today to share the events planned for the Salem area. One special event is the Heritage Fair that takes place on the Capitol Mall in early May. This event brings together representatives of many of the historic and cultural venues in the state who set up displays showcasing their programs. I learn about a new (or at least new to me) group or program each time I attend. It's free, and there's usually an opportunity to take a tour up to the Golden Pioneer. Salem tends to spread their preservation events over the entire year, so look for future announcements as they become available. 

Another well-anticipated event is the Historic Photo Contest, now in its fifth year, sponsored by the Historic Landmarks Commission. There are several categories for entries this year, including a new entry for selfies. The winners will be announced at the regular meeting of the HLC on May 16. The photos will also be displayed in the gallery of the Capitol Building for a few weeks. To see some of this year's entries, check out this post on the City of Salem's Facebook page.

At their May 16 meeting, the HLC will also award their annual historic preservation awards: the Ben Maxwell Award which recognizes an exemplary preservation project, and the Virginia Green award which recognizes an individual who provided exemplary service in historic preservation within the Salem community.  I was honored (and totally gobsmacked, to boot) to have been presented this award last year.

At every periodic visit with us, Kimberli tells us of another recognition that Salem's first public archaeology project, the Chinese Shrine at Pioneer Cemetery, has received. This time, the Northwest Anthropological Conference showcased this unique project due to its community involvement as a public project and for how it has engaged the Chinese-American population in a new way. The recognition also noted the unusual coordination of agencies and institutions enacted to pull off the project. 

The Hoy Yin Association is an organization focusing on the immigrants from the southern region of China, with 15,000 members here in the Salem area.  It is hoped their active participation in both phases of this project will encourage them to continue with the Qing Ming Festival in future years. 
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An article published by the Keizer Times years ago was recently discovered by staff at the Willamette Heritage Center. The article by Ann Lossner includes an interview with Suie Lai Sun, the third of eight children of Chinatown Mayor George Sun and his wife Leong She Sun, in which he describes a Qing Ming festival in the early 1900s. Suie and his siblings went on to be very active in hop growing and other businesses in Keizer.

Christy joined Kimberli in describing the process they undertook to determine if the Dent/Chesley Farmhouse at 225 Boone Road SE could be eligible for listing as a Local and/or National Register historic resource. Researching the  chain of ownership for this property proved to be problematic due to changes over the years in the political boundaries of Marion County and City of Salem, with this property being within both. Additional research by the current property owner will be necessary to proceed.  You can learn more about the Dent farmhouse on the SHINE blog.

Kimberli noted that she has spoken with other property owners desiring historic designation in order to be eligible for the City's Toolbox Grant Program, a matching $1000 grant for maintenance projects funded by a private citizen. It is wonderful that this donor has been so generous for a number of years, and we hope that other sources become available to help homeowners preserve these resources that are such a part of our public identity.  All of us share in this historic legacy, and we all should participate in its protection and preservation. We owe this to our children's children, and beyond. ​

Those of us concerned with historic preservation will be interested in legislation being proposed at the Oregon Legislature this year. Check out this link to learn what is being proposed.