Welcome to the Oak Lodge History Detectives Website

UPDATE: Cancelled for inclement weather!!

See you in January.

Our December meeting will be a special event celebrating the upcoming holiday season, and a program highlighting precisely what we do best — some of the detective work involved in “investigating the past to enrich our future – promoting the place and appreciation of our local history”.

This month’s program, ‘Bricks and Mortar Chapter Two’, features a presentation by guest speakers Mary Ott Piper and Norman Goetz, as well as Martha Waldemar and Cynthia Hovind explaining the research that rediscovered the history of the Alexander Gill brick works and buildings in Jennings Lodge – complete with dozens of photographs and volumes of information.

As this will be our last meeting before the Holidays we will be enjoying refreshments. Please consider bringing a contribution to our holiday refreshment table.

Please join us for what promises to be a very informative evening, in the company of friends.

Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives

The History Detectives have not met since June 9th, when Jane Morrison gave us her great presentation on “What Style Is My House?”. So after a busy summer, and a long road trip by yours truly, it is high time we got back to the business of studying our local Oak Lodge history.

Our OLHD Bylaws stipulate that the month of October be designated as our “Annual Meeting”, at which time we elect officers. As our October meeting was cancelled we will be having our Annual Meeting at the November meeting instead. Because our Chair, Co-chair, and Treasurer are in the middle of their 2 year terms the only position that needs to be filled is that of Secretary. Chris Boyd filled that position admirably beginning Oct. 8, 2015 but was compelled to resign last June.

The Secretary takes notes at each of our meetings, generally aided by an agenda that I prepare in advance, and types them up as Minutes afterwards. This may take about an hour each month that OLHD meets. The Secretary is an OLHD Board member, and has one vote should the Board meet. Only current members of OLHD may serve.

An organization cannot run, nor will it succeed, without dedicated people stepping up to help out. No one person can do it all. OLHD has been fortunate thus far to have had individuals willing to help. But we cannot legally continue functioning as a non-profit without a Secretary. Please consider offering your services to OLHD for the next two year term. I will be accepting nominations for this position on Nov. 10th.

My membership records indicate that there are a number of individuals whose membership has expired, or is about to expire. I hope to send out reminder notices in the next few days, but if you think you might fall into that category OLHD would appreciate you checking your records and coming prepared to renew your membership on Nov. 10th.

I have not yet decided on an evening program, but we do have a lot of catching up to do. More than one has suggested a summary of my recent 6,300 mile road trip to conduct genealogy research in Wisconsin, and applying it to local research. In that we suffered a computer failure before our trip, and the associated complications from that, I will not be able to conduct a program in November that is up to my usual standard.

I look forward to seeing everyone again, and hope to see you Nov. 10th!

Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives

As an extension of OLHD's summer hiatus there will be no meeting in September.

Look for an announcement in October, when the monsoons will most likely resume, and we'll be retreating to inside our homes again — a great time of year to resume studying our local history.

BRICKS AND MORTAR:

The Oak Lodge History Detectives Annual Summer Field Trip will take place on Saturday, August 27, 2016, at 10 am, at 18606 SE Addie Street in Jennings Lodge.

Tour an early 20th century brick bungalow with 10 inch thick walls, and the former site of Alexander Gill’s Meldrum Station brick works.

The current home owners have restored the house and will answer questions on house restoration. Enjoy the beautiful grounds adjacent to the Gill House.

This OLHD Summer Field Trip is available to current members of OLHD but you can join or pay your past dues at the gate! Dues are $15.00 for individual; $20 for a couple.

We will meet at 10 am at 18606 SE Addie Street in Jennings Lodge; enter through the gate on SE Gill Street. Lots of street parking.

For more information, contact Mike Schmeer at gennutt@gmail.com or Lisa Bentley at lisabentley3@comcast.net

The Oak Lodge History Detectives will be meeting June 9th for the last time before our summer break.

OLHD is pleased to announce a presentation by our own Jane Morrison on Historic Architectural Building Styles found in our neighborhoods. See below:

Please join us on June 9th for an educational presentation on architectural styles. And by all means, bring your questions and photos that you would like more information about.

If we don’t see you, have a GREAT summer, and we’ll resume again in September.

Attention! Change of Usual Meeting Date

Due to Clackamas County’s scheduling a Town Hall meeting on our regular meeting night (which will be Thursday May 12th at Riverside School – 6:30 PM) we have postponed our OLHD meeting to the following Thursday.

Our guest that night will be Denyse McGriff of the McLoughlin Memorial Association telling us about the McLoughlin House, Rose Farm and Stevenson House. Denyse discovered Oregon and its wonders some years ago and never left. She currently resides in Oregon City in a 104 year old home. She is a reformed planner and is dedicated to community service and volunteering.

Come to the Oak Grove History detectives and learn about three of the oldest homes in Oregon City, and one of the oldest preservation organizations in the State of Oregon. Dr. John McLoughlin, Dr. Forbes Barclay and William L. Holmes all made significant contributions to the founding of Oregon.

Rose Farm

See you May 19th !

Due to extenuating circumstances, please note that the April meeting is one week later than usual — instead of being April 14^th, it is on the following Thursday night, APRIL 21^st.

Originally our guest speaker for the evening was to be Claire Blaylock, Executive Director of the Clackamas County Historical Society. Claire will be bringing us up to date about the activities of the CCHS and Museum of the Oregon Territory, and soliciting OLHD’s suggestions on museum's best way forward. We are hopeful that Claire will be able to meet with us April 21^st instead, and we are working on that. There will be an update the week of April 11^th.

We apologize for the schedule change, and hope to see you April 21^st.

There is HISTORY, then there’s HISTORY! Sometimes it’s fun to take a broader perspective to our local history.

We are pleased to announce to you that this month’s program will feature the presentation on the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, a project being advocated by the Ice Age Floods Institute and the National Park Service.

Rick Thompson, of the Lower Columbia Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will introduce us to this project and will have books and other media available to provide you with even more information about it. More information is also available at www.GigaFlood.com. As an introduction:

Mr. Thompson is President of the Lower Columbia Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute which holds monthly public educational meetings in Tualatin. He was instrumental in identifying and securing signage for several significant glacial erratics in Washington County; has been interviewed for a number of newspaper articles and was twice featured on Grant McOmie's "Grant's Getaways" television program.

Rick Thompson

Join us March 10th for what promises to be a fascinating evening!

It has been some time since OLHD has had a regular meeting - the last actual meeting being Oct. 8th. So at our February meeting we will pick up where we left off before the holidays, followed by a program.

This month's program will consist of the video recording of Punky Scott, owner of the Bomber Restaurant and Catering, giving an informal talk about the Bomber and her colorful father Art Lacey, which she presented at the "Jewels of Jennings Lodge" event last May 30th.

Punky Scott – Elks Lodge 2-24-2013

Please join us February 11th and learn more tidbits about our local history.

The Oak Lodge History Detectives is CANCELLING it's usual January meeting in lieu of the presentation "Families On The Ridge - The Oatfields and Thiessens", being presented by Mike Schmeer on January 16th at the Oak Hills Presbyterian Church at 5101 S.E. Thiessen Road, at 7:00 P.M. At the invitation of the Oak Hills Presbyterian Church this will be a community presentation and all are invited.

The earliest settlers to the Oak Lodge area filed their claims on the banks of the Willamette River. Later arrivals either had to file claims further from the river, or purchase land from someone else. The Oatfield and Thiessen families fall into the later category, settling on the ridge, and becoming highly repected residents in the area.

Join us on January 16th and learn more about two prominent families that settled on the ridge and carved their names into our local history.

Happy New Year from OLHD!