Historian and Author, Jarold Ramsey Looks At Homesteading
Posted By: Liz Goodrich
Date Posted: 5/20/2003
Join Jarold Ramsey on Wednesday, May 21st at 4:30 p.m. at the Deschutes County Historical Museum (129 NW Idaho, Bend) when he presents “The Legacy of Homesteading: A Personal History of Agency Plains,” as part of the History of the Month series.
Born in Bend and raised on a ranch north of Madras, Ramsey qualifies as a native Central Oregonian. Ramsey traces his Central Oregon roots to his grandparents, who left the rich farmlands of northern Missouri to homestead in the one of the last official homesteading regions in America. “I’m not sure why they became homesteaders out here, especially given the limitations of soil and climate. But, I’m proud of what they did,” says Ramsey. “Like most homesteaders, they knew they were subjecting their families to great risk and deprivation, but they showed an unshakable confidence in the future and their ability to shape it.” In Central Oregon, the homesteading era is still close at hand with only three or four generations separating our 21st century culture from the rigorous homesteading people.
Ramsey’s program is a personal history and “ethnography” of the farm where he grew up. Stories of his grandparents, who were some of the first Anglo people to take up land in Agency Plains, and his own one room schoolhouse experience highlight his presentation.
This program is part of the History of The Month lecture series, sponsored by the Library and the Historical Society. The joint effort is designed to keep the unique history of Deschutes County alive and available for county residents to explore. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 312-1032.
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