Catalogue offers adventures in gardening – circa 1897
We’ve been looking at old Sears Roebuck catalogs at the East Linn Museum because they reflect much of…
Two wish books and the East Linn Museum
After the lull of winter the East Linn Museum will soon open again. In the meantime, during the…
A Little Locomotive Lore
By Roberta McKern For The New Era We looked at Col. T. Egenton Hogg and his train track…
55 Plus: The CCC Remembered
Some of us who were Girl Scouts back in the early 1950’s may recall the two or three…
55 Plus: An Imperfect Paradise – Part II
We continue to consider the earlier history of the East Linn Museum area. We first wondered what the…
55 Plus: An Imperfect Paradise
Roberta McKern We are considering some of our earliest history in the East Linn Museum vicinity thanks in…
Same old, same old
Roberta McKern When rain and fog settle in they remind us of winter’s tedium and someone asks, “How’s…
It’s in the mail
Roberta McKern “Why not write about post offices?” a volunteer asked. She had come across an article about…
Hair care in the early 1900’s
Roberta Mckern On a hot July day the East Linn Museum held its annual yard sale. Volunteers tending…
Memories of a sawmill man part II
Roberta McKern In our last article we began following the memories of Lynn Rice as he focused on…
Memories of a sawmill man (Part 1)
Roberta McKern “Go talk to Lynn Rice,” a pair of East Linn Museum volunteers were advised after expressing…
Digging Treasures at the East Linn Museum: Lemonade takes the limelight
Roberta McKern Lemonade has come to mind recently. The time of year had something to do with it,…
Digging Treasure at the East Linn Museum: Anatomy of a massacre (part 2)
Roberta McKern EDITOR’S NOTE: The first installment of this two-part series ran in the March 29, 2023, edition…
Digging Treasures at the East Linn Museum: Anatomy of a massacre (Part 1)
Roberta McKern Recently, we explored Clifford Merrill Drury’s “Henry Harmon Spalding: Pioneer of Old Oregon” (1936), a new…
Digging Treasures at the East Linn Museum: Life of Henry Spalding a real page-turner
Roberta McKern Henry Harmon Spalding stumbled along through darkness. Having failed to adequately hobble his horse, he was…
Digging Treasures at the East Linn Museum: In consideration of the lowly bean (Feb. 1, 2023)
Roberta McKern While wandering through aged relics at the East Linn Museum, some attention-attracting items may set off…
Melodic fanfare at the East Linn Museum
Roberta McKern The East Linn Museum is now closed for the winter until February. In the meantime, we…
Remembering meals, atmospheres on holidays of the past
Roberta McKern We’ve come to the seasonal change when wintry weather nips at the warmth of memories –…
Shadows and doubts in the tale(s) of Frank Reid
Roberta McKern “Halt.” The order came from the darkness as a lone figure traveled down a moonlit Sweet…
Turning history’s pages (in a 1910 McCall’s)
Roberta McKern First, a joke: A lady lost her little shaggy poodle. When a policeman brought back her…
Adventures in preservation: saving Weddle Bridge
Roberta McKern “You know, this would probably make a good subject for an article,” an East Linn Museum…
What the nose knew (some scented vignettes)
Roberta McKern At this time of year, as summer begins to wane, some of us are lucky enough…
Teacher’s autograph albums full of notes from ‘dear friends’
Roberta McKern Among the more unexpected finds at the East Linn Museum are two small autograph albums and…
Following log drives downriver into history
Roberta McKern Thanks to late East Linn Museum volunteer Ted Fitzwater, we can float down the South Santiam…
Mining adventures in Linn County history
Roberta McKern Here at the East Linn Museum, we’re taking yet two more looks at the Quartzville Mining…