"Know Heritage" throughout May at Deschutes Public Library
Posted By: Tina Walker Davis
Date Posted: 4/17/2018
May is National Historic Preservation Month and Deschutes Public Library has planned a series of events and programs that will help us get to Know Heritage. From the folk life arts to flamboyant characters from our past, we’ll delve into our history and heritage throughout the month. All programs are free and open to the public; no registration required.
Quackery, the Heritage of Medicine
Join us as author and Deschutes Public Library community librarian Nathan Pedersen presents on the worst ways to cure anything. His new book, Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, delves into some of the wacky but true ways that humans have sought to cure their ills. Leeches, mercury, strychnine and lobotomies are a few of the topics that explore what lengths society has gone in the search for health.
Oregon Folklife Network
Hear from Director Rachelle Saltzman on the Oregon Folklife Network (OFN) and hear from community members from Central Oregon whose livelihoods and traditions are kept alive through OFN. OFN is the state of Oregon’s Folk and Traditional Arts Program, made up of a network of statewide culture and heritage partners that operate on state, regional, county and community levels to document, support, preserve and celebrate Oregon’s cultural traditions.
Terpsichorean Dance Studio Company
The Terpsichorean Dance Studio Co. (TDS) performs dances through time. TDS is founded on the principle that anyone, regardless of age or ability, can find joy through dance. They pride themselves on a high standard of dance education coupled with a family-friendly and inviting environment.
Savages in My Family Tree
Family savages? Every family has them. A family’s history can have hidden stories of characters and their capers, but not everyone goes out of their way to learn about their escapades. Actor and storyteller Clinton K. Clark did just that and couldn’t fathom the tales he uncovered. Join him on his journey to meet and discover the stories of his roughneck relatives who helped settle Oregon with all-around Wild West pizzazz.
Queens of the Roleo
Screen the documentary film Queens of the Roleo and meet the director, documentary filmmaker Dave Jones. Jones discusses how and why he decided to document the story of four girls from a small Idaho town who earned 11 log-rolling World Championships in 14 years and why it’s important to preserve the lost chapters of our heritage.
In Search of Japanese Gardens
Hear from Bend Pine Nursery reps Fred Swisher and Sarah Whipple, who spent a month in Japan last January visiting gardens throughout the country. During their presentation, they will discuss incorporating Japanese concepts and features in Central Oregon gardens.
Camp Abbot
Explore Camp Abbot’s heritage with writer and local historian Tor Hanson. Today Sunriver is an idyllic community, but during World War II it was the site of Camp Abbot, the western-most engineer replacement training center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mimicking the European landscape, the surrounding terrain and the swift-flowing Deschutes River were perfect for training 90,000 young soldiers how to build and demolish bridges.
Author Gregory Nokes: The Troubled Life of Peter Burnett
Few people in the 19th century American West could boast the achievements of Peter Burnett: an organizer of the first major wagon train to Oregon Country, Oregon’s first Supreme Court judge, and eventually the first governor of California. Yet he was widely perceived as a failure. Hear the story of Peter Burnett from Gregory Nokes, author of The Troubled Life of Peter Burnett: Oregon Pioneer and First Governor of California.
Pioneer Day at Tetherow Homestead
Join us for historic site tours and Pioneer fun for all ages at the oldest home site in Deschutes County. All ages are invited to celebrate Redmond Park and Recreation District’s special event at the historic Tetherow Homestead. Learn about the history of the homestead and river crossing, and plans for the coming restoration. There will be games, a pioneer general store, storytelling and mountain-man skills for kids, as well as site tours, Central Oregon oral histories and information about genealogy research.
For more information about these programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Liz Goodrich at lizg@deschuteslibrary.org or 541-312-1032.