Roberta McKern
47 posts
55 Plus: The CCC Remembered
Some of us who were Girl Scouts back in the early 1950’s may recall the two or three…
April 26, 2024
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…
March 27, 2024
55 Plus: An Imperfect Paradise
Roberta McKern We are considering some of our earliest history in the East Linn Museum vicinity thanks in…
February 28, 2024
Same old, same old
Roberta McKern When rain and fog settle in they remind us of winter’s tedium and someone asks, “How’s…
December 27, 2023
It’s in the mail
Roberta McKern “Why not write about post offices?” a volunteer asked. She had come across an article about…
October 25, 2023
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…
September 27, 2023
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…
July 26, 2023
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…
June 28, 2023
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,…
May 31, 2023
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…
April 26, 2023
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…
March 29, 2023
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…
March 1, 2023
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…
February 1, 2023
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…
December 28, 2022
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 –…
November 30, 2022
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…
October 26, 2022
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…
September 28, 2022
Adventures in preservation: saving Weddle Bridge
Roberta McKern “You know, this would probably make a good subject for an article,” an East Linn Museum…
August 31, 2022
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…
July 27, 2022
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…
June 29, 2022
Following log drives downriver into history
Roberta McKern Thanks to late East Linn Museum volunteer Ted Fitzwater, we can float down the South Santiam…
June 1, 2022
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…
April 27, 2022
The art of speculation and history
Roberta McKern If we want to exercise our speculating and surmising abilities, the East Linn Museum’s the perfect…
March 30, 2022
Historic postcards worth more than a thousand words
Roberta McKern Not long ago, a number of colorful picture postcards at the East Linn Museum drew attention…
February 23, 2022
What chittem bark brought to the valley
Roberta McKern While reading through Lois Rice’s notes at the East Linn Museum, a couple of newspaper clippings…
January 26, 2022