Diana Maul and Sue Masse, very active members in the Santiam Historical Society based in Stayton, met with us today to discuss their unique situation. The museum was originally housed in the 1927 Carnegie-esque Women's Club Building on 2nd Avenue, which also housed the public library at one time. The Society chose to turn the building over to the City of Stayton when it could no longer afford the maintenance costs associated with an historic building. Fortunately, the City chose to refurbish the building and it is currently used as the Court Building.  The valuable historic artifacts are now stored in various buildings around Stayton while the Society seeks a new museum location.

Besides being unable to showcase their many unique artifacts, Diana acknowledged that the lack of a public building has a financial impact as well. It is easy to lose touch with the community when you do not have a public face. They Society works tirelessly to connect with the residents. They produce a rotating display of artifacts and information at the Stayton Public Library and host an educational program open to the public each month on the evening of the second Tuesday, also at the Library.  Recent programs have included presentations on Native American history of the area by David Lewis of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, interesting historic events presented by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), a presentation about  the history of the Little North Fork area, and a program on the geologic history of the area.  In January, they plan on providing hands-on training for using the historic newspaper database maintained by the University of Oregon. 

During the move from the Women's Club Building, a box of 112 glass negatives was discovered in an attic crawlspace. They were able to secure a grant that allowed for cleaning and conserving the negatives. The plan is to make copies of these photographs available to the public, with access to a digitized version online in the future. They are also sharing this information with other historic groups, as well as posting selected photographs on their Facebook page, in hope of garnering more identifying information on each negative. The context in which a person is photographed often provides as much (or even more) information as does the name identification.  

Both Diana and Sue are passionate about history and have been so for most of their lives. Diana has a family connection to early Stayton in that her great-great grandfather, Nathan Young, owned the first milling operation and his photograph hangs in the public library.  She is an active member of the local DAR chapter, too.  Sue grew up in a family that made sharing history an important part of their everyday lives. She loves telling the stories she discovers and hosts a community radio program much like our own--"A Bridge to the Past"--on KYAC/94.9 FM community radio up the canyon in Mill City. You can listen to her show on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m., or replays at 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays and 10:00 a.m. Saturdays. Due to their low-wattage status, you may have to listen on your computer through their website KYACfm.org.

Diana summed up their visit by telling our listeners that learning, preserving and sharing history is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle--it takes patience and persistence but it's beautiful when you see the entire picture. Right now, they just have the corners pieced together and they're looking for help to complete the picture. They are open to sharing what they know and to learning whatever you may know.

Check them out on Facebook [SantiamHistoricalMuseum]. Such enthusiasm is contagious!

The museum has an internship program with Western Oregon University, and the students'  current projects include translating their kiosk information panels into Spanish, translating some of the Ghost Walk stories into Spanish, and providing some Spanish-speaking docents. As Hispanics have a long history in the area and currently comprise 36% of Independence's population, this is a worthy endeavor.  Volunteers of all backgrounds are always appreciated in our local heritage organizations, and the Heritage Museum offers many opportunities that may interest you. You can contact them through their website or Facebook page, or phone them at 503-838-4989.

We do hope you'll take time to visit this venue. You'll discover information on the towns in the area that no longer thrive, or even exist, such as Buena Vista with its famous pottery clay, as well as the history of the "other" Independence--the one at the end of the Oregon Trail--that once reigned as the Hop Capital of the World.  Check it out!