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- 2009
- June 2009
- June 24
- A Day at the Museum
A Day at the Museum
- By Coquille Valley Sentinel Editor
- Published 06/23/2009
- Community News , Columnists , June 24
- Unrated
by Patti Strain
Being a greeter at the museum has its interesting moments. All you do is talk to the visitors. Last Tuesday Keith and Shelba Summers of Lewellen Creek came in with pictures of log transfer operations on Johnson Pond. The pond in the 1950's was built and operated by Coos Bay Lumber Company and later Georgia Pacific. Keith worked at the pond thirty-six years, operating the pile-driver and other equipment. In 1981 Keith climbed 60 feet to the top of the pile-driving frame to get a good overview picture of the river. The number of pilings and boom sticks to contain logs floating from the pond to the mill is striking.
The logs at that time were still good size. Cut to eight foot lengths, they were six to eight feet on the butt, nice timber. You are welcome to view these pictures at the museum. The next visitor startled me when she said, "My name is Coquille." I responded, "Your name is Coquille?" She turned to her partner and said, "There - that is the look I always get when I say my name is Coquille." Well, "Is that your last name?" "No, it is my first name. My grandfather's last name was Dean, my last name is Gallagher." I blurted, "I'll bet you are a descendant of the Deans that had the first newspaper in Coquille Valley
in 1882.
That was the Coquille City Herald - 127 years ago. She looked skeptical. As the couple looked at artifacts she asked, "When was this picture on this sugar bowl made? I have a jewelry box in the same color with the same picture." The petite sugar bowl she referred to * is dark green and graced with a picture of Coquille's first Court House, built when Coquille became the county seat in 1896. There was little doubt left in my mind, this pretty, soft-spoken, young lady must have some connection to Coquille's first newspaper family, the Deans. She said, "I was told there would be some records of City Hall or the County Court House about my family, but I don't know the locations.
If I can find some records, maybe I'll learn why my family named the Coquille." A city map was found and she was soon oriented to the location of the City Hall, the site of the Dean brothers newspaper building in 1891, (on the same corner as the Roxy building, where the first Sawdust Theatre later burned), and the Court House. As Coquille left to do research I said, "You will have to do the research, but I'll bet my bottom dollar your Dean family left you a trail to follow to reach your family roots, and they will be found Coquille." Coquille left her email and we will stay in contact; we want to see what she finds out about her family.
Being a greeter at the museum has its interesting moments. All you do is talk to the visitors. Last Tuesday Keith and Shelba Summers of Lewellen Creek came in with pictures of log transfer operations on Johnson Pond. The pond in the 1950's was built and operated by Coos Bay Lumber Company and later Georgia Pacific. Keith worked at the pond thirty-six years, operating the pile-driver and other equipment. In 1981 Keith climbed 60 feet to the top of the pile-driving frame to get a good overview picture of the river. The number of pilings and boom sticks to contain logs floating from the pond to the mill is striking.
The logs at that time were still good size. Cut to eight foot lengths, they were six to eight feet on the butt, nice timber. You are welcome to view these pictures at the museum. The next visitor startled me when she said, "My name is Coquille." I responded, "Your name is Coquille?" She turned to her partner and said, "There - that is the look I always get when I say my name is Coquille." Well, "Is that your last name?" "No, it is my first name. My grandfather's last name was Dean, my last name is Gallagher." I blurted, "I'll bet you are a descendant of the Deans that had the first newspaper in Coquille Valley
That was the Coquille City Herald - 127 years ago. She looked skeptical. As the couple looked at artifacts she asked, "When was this picture on this sugar bowl made? I have a jewelry box in the same color with the same picture." The petite sugar bowl she referred to * is dark green and graced with a picture of Coquille's first Court House, built when Coquille became the county seat in 1896. There was little doubt left in my mind, this pretty, soft-spoken, young lady must have some connection to Coquille's first newspaper family, the Deans. She said, "I was told there would be some records of City Hall or the County Court House about my family, but I don't know the locations.
If I can find some records, maybe I'll learn why my family named the Coquille." A city map was found and she was soon oriented to the location of the City Hall, the site of the Dean brothers newspaper building in 1891, (on the same corner as the Roxy building, where the first Sawdust Theatre later burned), and the Court House. As Coquille left to do research I said, "You will have to do the research, but I'll bet my bottom dollar your Dean family left you a trail to follow to reach your family roots, and they will be found Coquille." Coquille left her email and we will stay in contact; we want to see what she finds out about her family.