Historical Society
The South Umpqua Historical Society welcomes new members to attend meetings and participate in museum events. Quarterly meetings are held the third Sunday of February, May, August and November at 2:00 p.m. at the Pioneer/Indian Museum.
Anyone interested in our local history is welcome to attend. We produce a newsletter which is mailed to members before each quarterly meeting.
Canyonville c.1885, Hamlin Collection, Pioneer-Indian Museum
Becoming a member helps to support our work here at the museum, whether you wish to simply receive the annual booklets and newsletter that lets you know about what is happening at the museum and events to come, or by being a member, you wish to volunteer in some area in which you are particularly interested. Either way a membership in our society is a satisfying and much appreciated experience. An annual membership is $35, a youth membership $10 and a ten-year membership is $200.
We, as member volunteers, are excited about our museum moving forward! This feeling is continually reinforced by community involvement at every turn in the road. The help that comes from outside the museum rewards us and urges us forward.
Fundraising
Last year at this time our immediate goal was a shed to house our wagons out of the weather and viewable all year. In 2015 the Ford Foundation Leadership Training Group Cohort Group 2 chose the Pioneer/Indian Museum as the recipient of their project. We, the members of the South Umpqua Historical Society were elated that this ambitious group had thought our museum was worthy of their help! We had needed a shelter for our wagons which had been stored under tarps for almost two years, but we had not yet been able to raise funds for such a structure.
They fund-raised and got in-kind donations from many businesses and not only constructed a wagon shed, but gave us mannequins for clothing displays, glass for a display cabinet top and signs to tell about our museum and where we are located. A plaque was made and placed on the shed to acknowledge the contributions from all of the local businesses. Our deep appreciation to those who gave materials to help preserve these wagons and for all of the extra things that were accomplished!
The Cohort 2 Group worked at the museum on clean-up days. Work is much easier and faster with many hands. Their group includes young people who were amazing! The members of their group are hard-working people and we hope some of them will continue with a membership in our organization. Their enthusiasm was contagious!
Once again the Pickett family and local business and individual donors have contributed to the Pickett Building with an expansion 3 times its size. We have created a wheelwright and blacksmith shop that showcases the old tools of the trade. This exhibit also contains a miniature wagon collection. We will be able to house our logging and mining displays in this new expanded exhibit space as well as other items we just did not have room to show. We will be working to finish the new building, inside and out, as funds become available.
Publication: Pioneer Days in the South Umpqua Valley
A part of the mission statement of the South Umpqua Historical Society is to produce an annual booklet, called ‘Pioneer Days in the South Umpqua Valley‘, dedicated to the preservation of the history of the South County communities of Canyonville, Days Creek, Glendale, Myrtle Creek and Riddle and the areas between them. In 2022, we will print our 55th issue!
Past issues of “Pioneer Days in the South Umpqua Valley”. may be ordered individually.
1968-1992 $4.00 each
We currently have two excellent local history books available along with past issues of “Pioneer Days in the South Umpqua Valley”. Please use same Printable Book Order Form