Experience History Firsthand this September!
Photo credit (left to right): Bowman Museum, www.npshistory.com, East Linn Co Museum
With the support of a Travel Oregon grant, Cascade Volunteers bring you the first Santiam Wagon Road Exhibition. Celebrate the cultural heritage of the SWR and step back in time at the historic Fish Lake Remount Depot on September 28th, 2024 from 10 AM to 4 PM. This family friendly event features living history, site tours, packstring demonstration, local Native American artisans, historic wagons & cars, and the Leland Gilsen Traveling Museum. Admission is free, but the capacity of the event is limited to 150 people in order to minimize the impact to this historic location. If you plan to join us, please be sure to RSVP by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/abrmbm86ASevBksP8.
The Nationally Registered Historic Santiam Wagon Road (SWR) spans 38 miles passing through the Willamette National Forest and Deschutes National Forest. The road is not only a beautiful multi-use trail that traverses changing landscapes. This treasured gem is steeped in rich history and offers the opportunity to travel back in time. Ensuring the preservation of the SWR and its cultural heritage depends on us.
Photo credit: npshistory.com
Photo credit: okwhichway.com
Wagons Ahead!
Photo credit: East Linn Co Museum, Sweet Home
Experience the sensation of preparing for the adventure of a lifetime! Thanks to this amazing network of volunteers and history buffs, the exhibition will be featuring several historical, replica wagons rolling along Santiam Wagon Road this September 28th.
This will be the rare opportunity for our community to see the full historical caravan – wagons and all!
Join the Picnic!
Guests at Fish Lake are encouraged to bring a blanket and a picnic lunch. Cascade Volunteers will be providing limited refreshments throughout the day, but there will NOT be food vendors on-site.
You will be able to purchase refreshments at Clear Lake Resort, which is just a 5-minute drive away from the Fish Lake Remount Station. There are also plenty of choices for tasty food in the charming towns that surround the area if you’re looking for a substantial meal.
In the spirit of stewarding our public lands, we strongly encourage everyone to practice Leave No Trace principles at this site (and everywhere else, too!). We strive to bring attention to the value of Fish Lake’s history while preserving its integrity for future generations.
Photo credit: Back Country Horsemen of Oregon, High Country Wilderness Packers Chapter
Dress the part!
Photo credit: Friends of Fish Lake (www.fishlakehistoricsite.org/)
We highly encourage everyone to wear period-appropriate attire (1800s, early 1900s) so that the event is not just educational, but an immersive experience. Walking through Fish Lake on September 28th, 2024 will feel like it did hundreds of years before today, where travelers throughout history partook in much-needed rest and rejuvenation. before embarking on rugged and, at times, treacherous journeys.
If you do not have the attire, cannot afford it, or cannot find something period-accurate, you are still more than welcome to celebrate with us!
Livestock X-ing!
Mules and horses were essential to trade and travel throughout history and still play a vital role today in the Willamette National Forest. The Back Country Horsemen will be providing a professional demonstration for the public which you won’t want to miss!
Keep in mind: please do NOT bring your dog to the event! Animals that have not been trained to be around livestock can cause panic and potential injury.
Did you know that mules and horses are still used to supply the Forest Service and Volunteer Crews for multi-day trips in designated wilderness areas? This is because the use of motorized vehicles and tools are not permitted to be used in wilderness areas.
Photo credit: Back Country Horsemen of Oregon, High Country Wilderness Packers Chapter
Interested in Volunteering?
This exhibition will be a first-time experience for everyone involved, including Cascade Volunteers’ staff! Because of that, and the difficulty in being able to predict how much help will be needed, we are especially seeking volunteers who can be flexible on the day of the event.
Some activities that we will likely need volunteers’ assistance with are:
- Set (booths, chairs and tables, canopies, etc.)
- Tear down (booths, chairs and tables, canopies, trash pickup, etc.)
- Registration & Information Booth
- Walking Ambassadors (picking up trash, assisting attendees with directions and answering general questions, and/or finding people who can answer more involved questions)
- Refreshment Table
We will be hosting a meeting two weeks before the event with more details about what tasks/roles we will need help with. Please be prepared to answer how long you are able to help that day, and the degree of flexibility you have in regard to what tasks you’re willing to help with.
You will, of course, be able to claim credit for the hours you work just as you would with any other activity you participate in with Cascade Volunteers.