Benton County Museum

Roofing project is under way!

2011-07-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

This summer the Benton County Museum will have a new cedar roof! The new historically accurate roof treatment is the most recent endeavor by Benton County Historical Society to preserve the community icon that houses Society offices, museum exhibitions and the Moreland Auditorium. The Philomath College building was built in 1867 with additions dating to 1905 and 1907. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The work began on July 25, 2011, supervised by Allen Nelson, ReConstruction, Inc. of Albany, Oregon, who has performed cupola and window preservation work on the building.

The Society received a timely estate gift in November 2010, which ensures the completion of the project. The Society also received $7,500 from the Kinsman Foundation to help pay for the roof replacement.

Cemeteries of Benton County, Oregon

2011-04-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

We have combined historical and contemporary photos from our museum archive with brief descriptions from the "Benton County Cultural Resources Inventory" and GoogleMaps technology to create a unique interactive map of Benton County cemeteries. We hope this will be interesting and useful for researchers and museum visitors.

Special thanks go to Susan Christie for her technological skills, editing abilities, and perseverance!

Online at http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/googlemaps/cemeteries.cfm.

If you find any inaccuracies, please let us know (Mark at 541.929.6230 x306) so that we can perfect this project.

Please respect private property. Many of the resources included on this map are private property and are not open to the public; others are accessible by appointment only.

Samplers International: a world of needlework

2011-04-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

We’re enjoying great success with our current exhibition called "Samplers International: A world of needlework", which showcases historical and contemporary samplers from United States, Mexico, England, Scotland, France, and Scandinavia that were stitched between 1747 and 2011.

“Samplers International” may be viewed in the 2,400 square foot Moreland Auditorium at the Benton County Museum through April 30, 2011. On display are more than seventy unique needlework samplers, on loan from museums and individuals across the United States. Most of the samplers have never before been exhibited. A printed catalog and web page at bentoncountymuseum.org will document the exhibition.

Historic schoolgirl samplers are from the collections of the Benton County Museum, Bush House Museum, Seaside Museum, Lynne Anderson, Nancy Tonkin, Be Davison Herrera, Queenstown Sampler Designs, and other members of the Sampler Consortium. Contemporary samplers were stitched by Walter Frankel, Kimberly Hart, Freda Merrick Herendeen, Be Davison Herrera, Judy Juntunen, Kristen McHuron-Guss, Leone Bowman Nicholson, Susan Patterson, Judith Roberts, Karen Skjei, Joyce Skogen, Frances Stilwell, Amelia Tolonen, Freda Vars, and Merrie Ziady.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 – 4:30. Admission is always free!

2011 Benton Lecture Series

2011-01-22T11:23:00.001-08:00

Group art exhibition at Benton County Museum through Jan. 8, 2011

2010-12-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

2010 Philomath Open Studios Artists:
Laura Berman, Katheryn Byram, Carolee Clark, Dale Donovan, Babette Grunwald, Lee Kitzman, Judith Sander, Harold Wood, Debby Sundbaum-Sommers

Please bring your guests to the museum this holiday!

2010-12-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

AMUSEMENTS is a 2,000 square foot exhibition of toys, games, trains, bicycles, dolls and more that appeals to adults and children alike.

In the Moreland Auditorium is the Philomath Open Studios exhibition, which showcases nine Benton County artists who are exhibiting their diverse media at the museum from November 12, 2010 through January 8, 2011.

With the acquisition of the Horner Collection in 2008, we have more than doubled the number of artifacts in our collections. Starting with “Horner Homecoming” in 2009 and “Can You Hear Me? Now?” in 2010, Mark Tolonen, Exhibitions Curator, and his team of dedicated volunteers have been developing thematic shows that illustrate the depth and breadth of the Society’s collections. Many of these artifacts have not been seen by the public since the Horner Museum at Oregon State University closed in 1993.

Admission is always free!

2010-11-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Randy Emberlin, well known Spider-man comic book artist and cartoon animator, is at the museum today to talk to middle school students about the art of comic books and animation. The students are familiar with many of his characters, such as Wonder Woman, Spider-man, Batman, G.I. Joe, Star Wars and many others. We're expecting 300 students to experience his multi-media presentations in the Moreland Auditorium.

This is also the final week of Earl Newman's colorful retrospective in the Moreland. The two artists' work complement each other, creating a very fun atmosphere. Randy is a jazz fan, and he was excited to see Earl's 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival poster.

What a pleasure it is to host such talented artists!

Beauty Secrets: 150 Years of Quilts in One Pattern

2010-10-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Quilt collector Bill Volckening gave us another sneak preview at some of the gems he will share with the public at our museum during Quilt County 2011. Bill loves to research each quilt and pattern and his passion is contagious. Read his thoughts and see some of the New York Beauty quilts on his blog at http://willywonkyquilts.blogspot.com/2010/10/quilts-for-exhibit.html.

Online Auction Fundraiser ends soon!

2010-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

We're tooting our own horn to let everyone know about our online auction! This year's auction ends soon, so we hope you'll log on to the Benton County Historical Museum's website at www.bentoncountymuseum.org and click on the link to view the restaurant gift certificates, services, trips, getaways, unique experiences, and more that are available for your bid. The auction closes at midnight on Sunday, Oct. 17, so there are only 3 days left!

A call to embroiderers, designers, and collectors of samplers

2010-09-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Samplers: Museum Exhibition of Historical & Contemporary Needlework

Benton County Historical Society presents a juried exhibition of hand stitched samplers, from March 11-April 30, 2011.

The museum will showcase some of its 18th and 19th century American samplers. To accompany these historic items, embroiderers, designers, and collectors are being asked to submit their creations for exhibition. These can be original historical samplers, original design contemporary samplers, reproductions of historic samplers, or samplers simply displaying a variety of stitches.

All must be hand embroidered. Typically, samplers can include mottoes, alphabets, landmarks, personalization, and a variety of other features. Samplers often (but not necessarily) incorporate a variety of stitches.

Look for submission deadlines and other details on the museum web site: www.bentoncountymuseum.org/samplers

1829 Sampler in museum collection

2010-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are planning an exhibition of needlework samplers to be held next spring. Walter Frankel and Sabriena Michaud have been researching 18th and 19th century samplers from the museum collection. Also, Lynne Anderson, of the international scholarly Sampler Consortium supplied us with this great information about one of our samplers:

Mary Brightwell Fitz Randolph

Born: May 27, 1813 in Redstone, PA

Married: March 1, 1831 to Strickler Forry (born about 1810 to Jacob and Samantha Forry)

Died: August 3, 1834 in Redstone, PA

Father: Stephan Fitz Randolph (born Feb 17, 1772 Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey to Thomas Fitz Randolph & Abigail Vail.

Married to Pamela Nutt on July 14, 1797 in Redstone, PA. Died 1849.)

Mother: Pamela (Permelia) Nutt (born April 10, 1780 in Redstone, PA to Adam Nutt and Tryphenia Ann Vernon. Died May 10, 1857.

Notes: Mary’s sampler has an alphabet, verse, and motifs that indicate it was stitched under the direction of a teacher who was a Quaker. She was 16 when she completed the sampler: the Quaker way of indicating age begins during the first year. At day 1, an infant is in the first year of his/her life. So, when someone is in the 17^th year of their life, they are actually only 16.

Redstone, Fayette County, PA is about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.

Celebrating life with Earl Newman

2010-08-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited Earl Newman's silkscreen studio where he's producing this year's posters for the Monterey Jazz Festival. In a couple of weeks BCHS will host a retrospective show of his life work. Photos of the jazz poster production are at http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/exhibitions/Earl_Newman

Earl Newman, who turned 80 this year, is an artist of national renown with much to celebrate. This year marks his 50th year as a self-employed professional artist and printmaker. Through the medium of silk-screen, also known as serigraphy, Newman has produced Monterey Jazz Festival posters every year since 1963. He also designs and prints posters for the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon State University Theater, and much more.

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., has collected the complete portfolio of Newman's signed and numbered Monterey Jazz Festival posters for their permanent collection. Other rare, out-of-print works are in the Benton County Museum collection.

Museum's docents visit schools

2010-08-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the thank you notes sent to our docents after a visit to a local school. Docent Marlene McDonald tells a very heart-touching story of survival on the Oregon Trail and a little girl named Patty Reed. This student was paying attention!

Compact Art Storage

2010-07-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Mary Gallagher and her dedicated legion of volunteers are preparing art for storage in our new rolling compact storage unit. They are starting with national treasures made by Oregon artists through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) New Deal program. Darrel Austin's "Machine" is currently exhibited in our 30th anniversary exhibition (http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/exhibitions/30). The rest of the WPA art is moving into comfortable new surroundings in the climate controlled Peter & Rosalie Johnson Collections Center.

Online Historical Timeline

2010-07-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Benton County Historical Society presents an online timeline detailing events that either occurred in Benton County or that influenced Benton County history, from 1850 to the present. http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/timeline/

Creation of this timeline was a team effort over the past two years. Thank you Marlene McDonald, Judy Juntunen, George Edmonston Jr., May Dasch, Mary Gallagher, Martha Fraundorf, Susan Christie, Aspen Padilla, Irene Zenev and Mark Tolonen!

Benton County Museum on Facebook

2010-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Please join us on Facebook and help spread the word about our dynamic and growing museum!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Benton-County-Museum/136198423072442

Polk Business Directories online!

2010-07-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can search the 1867-1932 McKenney, Langley and Polk Business Directories for free, from our web site? They emphasize Corvallis, Monroe, and Philomath, Oregon people and businesses. You can search for names, types of businesses and specific companies! Genealogists really find these books useful, so our volunteer archivist Walter retyped them for online use!
http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/research/directories.cfm

Oreodont skull & Mastadon jaw

2010-06-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

One aspect I love about my job is the opportunity to meet experts from diverse fields of interest who use the museum resources for their research projects. A Portland State University archaeologist was here conducting research yesterday and I took the opportunity to photograph a few artifacts from the Horner natural history collection. -mt

Here we have an Oreodont skull (circa 4 - 48 million years old)!
Lower jaw and teeth of mastodon, unearthed at Newberg, Oregon.

First Three Rows of Compact Shelving Installed!

2010-06-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that SpaceSaver Specialists, Inc. installed the first three rows of compact shelving in the Peter and Rosalie Johnson Collections Center on June 8, 2010. Two rows (on the left in the photo) will store rolled textiles and the one on the right is a rack to hang framed artwork. We hope to raise additional funds to complete our project: 22 more rows storage, including more art racks, drawers for small artifacts, costume cabinets, gun racks and open shelving to store our collections! Thank you to the donors who made this great start possible!Update June 24, 2010: Rolled textile storage is filling up with precious quilts!

Volunteer luncheon & statistics

2010-04-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

This week we held our annual volunteer luncheon to thank our dedicated museum volunteer staff. The camaraderie was much appreciated, as was the catered lunch.

Fifty-nine active volunteers donate over 4,000 hours yearly to the programs and activities of the Benton County Historical Society, almost double the state average of 33 volunteers donating just under 2,000 hours*!

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

*Oregon Heritage Commission survey results 2010.

Museums Advocacy Day videos from American Association of Museums

2010-04-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

Video clips of Members of Congress speaking about the value of museums during Museums Advocacy Day (March 22-23, 2010) are now available on the American Association of Museums advocacy website – www.speakupformuseums.org – and directly at: http://www.speakupformuseums.org/voices_for_museums.htm.

Portland in New York: Outposts of Precious | OregonLive.com

2010-04-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Portland in New York: Outposts of Precious OregonLive.com

Philomath-Siletz student cultural exchange

2010-04-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

The Students were accompanied by 2 teachers and 3 parents.

They were joined by 21 TAG students from Philomath who made the trip to Siletz last April.[Photo]The students were treated to a Philomath history presentation by Theresa Rybel, retired Philomath teacher.

The group was divided into 4 groups that were led by Museum docents Marlene McDonald, Judy Juntunen, Kate Mathews and Marcia Cutler. They explored 2 “history trunks”, the “Can You Hear Me? Now?” exhibition and a tour of the backroom artifact storage in the Collections Center.

Following lunch at PYAC the group was thrilled by a presentation by the high school forestry class out in the demonstration forest.

A great day for the kids funded by a grant from the Benton County Foundation.

--Ron Thiesen

Local Lore: Snow On Marys Peak

2010-04-01T08:11:00.001-07:00

The farmers and old timers who live in the shadow of Marys Peak instruct us to avoid planting tomatoes before the snow is melted from the Peak. This year we’ve gone all winter without snow, until now! So the forsythia and daffodils are almost done blooming, we’re on our second round of tulips, I for one am eager to plant the garden, and along came fresh snow on Marys Peak. Patiently, I’ll respect the elders and hold off planting tomatoes.

Volunteer Jim Micalek has been digitizing slides in our photograph archive and yesterday he made an interesting observation. He commented that we don’t have much snow in Benton County, so whenever it does snow everyone runs out and takes photographs. The result for historic record is a preponderance of snow photos that make it look like it’s frequently snowy here! I’m guilty, too, as I had to pause during my morning commute to take a quick photo of the beautifully frosted trees of Marys Peak.

Willamette Valley Art Student Wins National Award

2010-03-12T13:52:00.001-08:00

Benton County Historical Museum hosted the annual Willamette Valley Scholastic Art Awards from January 15 - February 27, 2010. 7th - 12th grade art students competed for scholarships and prizes and Winning work was exhibited in the Moreland Gallery. "Gold Key" winners were entered to compete in the national Scholastic Art Awards, and we're very pleased to announce that Haley Bourke's "Infans" won a Gold Medal national award!

The National Gold Medal Award is defined as "The most outstanding works in the nation."

From June 8-25, 2010, The World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery in New York City will showcase film, video, animation, writing, photography, painting, sculpture, fashion, drawing, graphic design and ceramics by emerging teenage artists recognized nationally through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These talented teenagers follow in the footsteps of Andy Warhol, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Philip Pearlstein, David Salle, Robert Indiana, Tom Otterness and Zac Posen, who all won Awards when they were in high school.

Blogable Oregon history

2010-03-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Lane County Historical Society in Eugene, Oregon, is planning an exhibition to address counterculture endeavors and entrepreneurships in Eugene, Oregon, from 1965 - 1975. Check out the "Tie Dye & Tofu" blog at http://tiedyeandtofu.wordpress.com/!

Chic Cyclist is an international resource blog intended to promote elegant transportation cycling. Selected entries from the personal journal of Ethel Starr Mack of Benton County, Oregon, 1897 are in the Chic Cyclist blog at http://chiccyclist.blogspot.com/2009/12/historical-chic-cycling-treat.html. On a recent Saturday a Corvallis bicycle club visited our museum, taking advantage of our new bike rack!

Willamette Valley

2010-03-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Greetings from beautiful Benton County, Oregon!

Philomath Middle School history projects

2010-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to host student history projects from Philomath Middle School. Many of Becky Goslow's social studies students visited our museum to do research about people and places around Philomath and Corvallis and the results are wonderful! Please stop by the museum to see what's new, including the student history projects! Projects exhibited include:

Harris Covered Bridge by Anna Rose Petersen
Peak, Oregon by Brooke Wendland
W.S. Walker by Josephine York
Phil-o-rink by Sage Forson
Flossie Overman by katelynn Thrall
Our Old House by Dustin Berry
The Church of Latter-Day Saints by lauren Hindman
Oregon State University by Jessica Hardenburger
Peace Lutheran Church by Courtney Croy
The Henkle Building by Simone Newell
The Sheak House by Haylee Grimmer
Calvin Presbyterian Church by Jordan Nelson
The History of Benton County Historical Society by Madeline Lehman
My Abode by Althea Hinds-Cook

2009 Holidays

2010-01-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

BCHS was proud to host the annual Philomath Christmas tree lighting ceremony. It was seasonably cold that evening, but our camaraderie kept us warm and not all of the student musicians froze to their instruments! The music was wonderful, Santa's cheer was contagious, and the community seemed to enjoy the cookies and new "Can You Hear Me? Now?" exhibition in the museum.

Can You Hear Me? Now? exhibition

2009-12-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

BCHS recently opened a new exhibition in the first floor gallery called "Can You Hear Me? Now?" The exhibition, which features musical instruments from the American Civil War and the DeMoss Lyric Bards, radios, televisions, telephones, flutes from around the world, and recording & playback devices, will be open for one year. Come see how technology has changed in the past 100 years, and try some of the interactive exhibitions, including a telephone "party line", an oscilloscope, a morse code telegraph, and and mp3 player programmed with many sounds that represent artifacts and eras presented throughout the gallery. More online at www.bentoncountymuseum.org/exhibitions/sound.

Donations Beautify Museum Grounds

2009-11-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Gene Newcomb and The Bark Place for their generous donations to beautify the Museum gardens.

Mr. Newcomb donated $100 to purchase bark mulch, and Development Director, Ron Thiesen, solicited free installation from The Bark Place. The bark was blown in this afternoon!

The tree pictured here is one of four Japanese Maples donated by Dick Bryant. The trees have been planted in the "bump outs" that were constructed during the hardscape project. Dick Bryant, local architect, propagates his own trees. Thanks to all for your generous gifts to the Museum!

Museum Open November 27-28, 2009

2009-11-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

Family and friends visiting for the holidays ? Bring them to the Benton County Museum in Philomath to see the "Horner Homecoming" exhibition before it closes at 4:30 pm on November 28th.

Unique and interesting items like this iron are on display, but only for a few more days!

You'll also want to check out the Museum store for unique gifts and books. Members receive a 10% discount.

For more information go to www.bentoncountymuseum.org

Oregon Heritage Commission to meet in Philomath

2009-10-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

The next quarterly meeting of the Oregon Heritage Commission is scheduled to meet in Corvallis and Philomath on Monday, November 2, 2009. The commisssioners will visit Oregon State University's Valley Library in the morning for a tour and overview of digital collections and initiatives, the Oregon Multicultural Archives, and the Northwest Digital Archives. James Fox of the University of Oregon will also speak abou the Envisioning Oregon project.

The commissioners will travel to Philomath for lunch, their regular meeting, and a tour of the Benton County Historical Museum's Collection Care Facility. Benton County Commisssioner Jay Dixon will welcome the commissioners at 1:00 pm. The public is invited to attend the afternoon meeting.

Rails Installed in Museum Storage Building

2009-09-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

In August, 2009, the Benton County Historical Society & Museum received $18,000 from the Oregon Cultural Trust to install rails in the Collections Care Facility. SpaceSaver Specialists, Inc. finished installation yesterday. This is an important first step to achieve our goal to install compacting shelving in this area of the storeroom for artifacts. Almost 75% of the collection still needs proper shelving. The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation will grant the Society $25,000 toward the purchase of shelving units if $150,000 can be raised.

Quilt Exhibition & Construction Update

2009-08-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

"Celebrating Oregon's Heritage" is the theme of our 2009 Quilt County exhibition! The quilt show will be open August 28-October 17, 2009.

The exhibition includes both contemporary quilts by Benton County quilters and quilts from the museum collection that date from 1824 through 1985. Six of the museum’s quilts were made in the 19th century. All of the quilts will be represented in an online museum exhibition at www.bentoncountymuseum.org.

Contemporary quilters represented in the show include Nancy Bryant, Diana Cleland-Boyle, Carol Davis, Pam Duren, Debbie Garvin, Marcia Gilson, Marcy Gregg, Babette Grunwald, Liz Hoffman, Dianne Jackson, Susan Johnson, Judy Juntunen, Kerry McFall, Sidney Snell, Shirley Strub, Ann Smith, Sandra Thiesen, Jan Tallis, Yvonne Thomas, and Lisa Ullmer.

The many contractors and sub-contractors working with Greenberry Construction are making rapid progress on our new hardscape. Although one side of the driveway is closed, the museum is open, with parking in the rear of the building. Thank you for visiting the museum.

Board of Trustees Honors John Croy

2009-08-21T08:56:00.001-07:00

At the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Benton County Historical Society on Thursday, August 20, 2009 John Croy was recognized for his generous sponsorship of this year's Chautauqua program.

In its 13th year, the summer Chautauqua lecture series was co-sponsored by the Museum, Corvallis/Benton County Public Library, and Linn Benton Community College Benton Center, with support from the Oregon Council for the Humanities. But, Humanities funding was awarded for only two lectures in the series. John Croy's generous sponsorship of four lectures made the program possible.

Four hundred twenty people attended the six lunch-time talks at the Corvallis Library, hearing scholars presentations ranging from "Stitched Patches: Quilts of Celebration" to "Changing Perspectives on Oregon's Geology".

Many thanks to John Croy, an Edward Jones financial advisor, for his generous support.

New Online Museum Exhibitions

2009-08-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is the last week to visit our decorative arts exhibition "Home Is Where The Art Is" in the Moreland Auditorium. Admittedly, low resolution photos are a poor substitute for seeing the real thing, but if you can’t visit the museum this week you might enjoy seeing the online exhibition at http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/exhibitions/Decorative_Arts. Researchers in Michigan and Lincolnshire, England were pleased to find examples of O.H. Copson’s paintings on our web site, so it is satisfying for us to fulfill our mission as "we explore with our visitors the dynamics of our region in relationship to the world".

This week we added a new online museum exhibition called “Tale of Two Colleges: Philomath College and College of Philomath”. Soon we will also have an online counterpart to the upcoming Quilt County exhibition in celebration of Oregon’s heritage.

Please keep checking back to our web site for more fun historical facts, anecdotes, featured artifacts, and online exhibitions. Thank you Susan Christie for assisting with our web work.

New Driveways, Sidewalks and Parking Lot at the Museum!

2009-08-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Demolition began this morning for the Museum's hardscape improvement project. Construction of new sidewalks, driveways and parking lot will take place over the next two months. Access to the Museum will be limited to one driveway, so please take care when turning off Hwy 20/34.

Thanks to Cody Timmins of Greenberry Construction for coordinating the project and soliciting many in-kind gifts from sub-contractors. This helped bring the cost of the project down and insured that the Museum could complete the project this year.

BBQ at the Museum kicks off Philomath Frolic and Rodeo Weekend

2009-07-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Museum's annual Philomath Frolic and Rodeo kick off BBQ last night (Thursday, July 9, 2009) was a great success. About 200 members and friends enjoyed dinner on the lawn behind the Museum building. Even the Frolic Rodeo Queen's horse joined the fun!
Thanks to our sponsor, Starker Forests, Inc. for making this event possible. Special thanks to Valley Catering and Costco for providing a delicious meal.

Museum Taxidermy: In The News

2009-07-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

Aspiring journalists Ning Ning Yang and Jennifer Shim wrote about BCHS taxidermy for the Oregonian.com and special publication "The Pride". They were participants in the Journalism Camp 2009 of the Newspaper Institute for Minority High School Students, sponsored by The Oregonian and Oregon State University. They interviewed collections staff and volunteer Len Brooks, took photos, and published their stories online. Click here to check it out!

OSU 4H Volunteers Spruce up the Grounds at the Museum

2009-06-26T16:04:00.001-07:00

About 50 volunteers from Oregon State University's
4H Youth Development Older Youth Program arrived in a motor coach at the Museum this afternoon about 3:30 pm to give an hour of help to Bob Holton, our maintenance man, on landscape projects. The 4H-ers hauled and spread bark mulch and chips to garden beds around the Museum. Thanks to these energetic young people for helping to spruce up our grounds!

New Exhibition: Home Is Where The Art Is

2009-06-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

"Home Is Where The Art Is" is open to the public through August 22. Some of the artifacts may also be seen online http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/exhibitions/Decorative_Arts.

Many volunteer hands made this exhibition possible. Martha Fraundorf saw this project through from planning, selecting objects for display, retrieving them from storage, detailed historical research, and installation of the final exhibition. Conservators J. Claire Dean and Tom Fuller advised us about how to best care for the sterling silver. Kate Mathews and Marcia Cutler cleaned some of the tarnished silver. Joyce Nesson dusted the furniture and wood items. Conservator Ingrid Seyb prepared the glass and ceramics.

The oldest piece in the exhibition is the sampler made by Sarah Lewis in 1796.

The most recent piece in the show is Richard Powell’s sequoia bowl, which he carved in 2007 using wood from giant Sequoia tree that formerly served as Philomath's public Christmas tree. The 105 ft. tree was felled in March 2007 to make way for the Hwy. 20/34 couplet.

Local contemporary pieces include Dale Donovan’s vase, Dick Powell’s sequoia bowl, a glass spaceship candle holder by Skip Horton (Gazelle Glass) and the frame of Don Wilson’s leather-backed chair.

Objects from thirteen countries are on display. Countries represented include Azerbaijan, Thailand, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, India, Iran (Persia), Italy, Japan, Syria and the United States.

Preparing for Upcoming Exhibition

2009-06-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

"Home Is Where the Art Is", an exhibition of decorative arts from the collections, will open on Friday, June 19, 2009 in the Moreland Gallery at the Benton County Historical Museum.

Joyce Nesson, at left, is our Tuesday front desk volunteer. She also helps Mark Tolonen, exhibitions curator, prepare objects for exhibition like this wood chair with inlay from Damascus, Syria from the Horner Collection. The chair dates from the early 20th century. Other objects in the exhibition include a Persian-influenced spoon and brass bowl. Come and see these beautiful objects when they go on display! The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is free!

First Friday Farmers' Market Huge Success!

2009-06-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

The first Farmers' Market was held in front of the Museum on Friday, June 5, 2009 from 4:30 to 7:00 pm.

The market was a success! Vendors reported brisk sales.

The Museum remained open until 7:00 pm, and many shoppers took the opportunity to view the exhibitions.

Thanks to Ron Thiesen, Development Director, for organizing a great event!

The next market is scheduled for Friday, July 3, 2009.

Alice Rampton Receives Recognition from Oregon Community Foundation

2009-05-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

At the Oregon Community Foundation Regional Annual Meeting Luncheon at the Springhill Country Club on May 27, 2009, Alice Rampton (holding flowers, left) was honored for her service to the Oregon Community Foundation since 1998.

Alice, current advisor and past president of the Board of Trustees of the Benton County Historical Society, has given countless volunteer hours in service to the community. We appreciate everything that Alice has done!

To learn more about the work of the Oregon Community Foundation, visit http://www.oregoncf.org/

BCHS Volunteer Recognized

2009-05-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Wanda Leach, dedicated Benton County Historical Society volunteer, was honored on Thursday, May 21, 2009 at the Samaritan Awards, sponsored by the Philomath Chamber of Commerce. Ron Thiesen served as master of ceremonies. The event took place at the Philomath Scout Lodge.

Mary Gallagher leads downtown Corvallis tour

2009-05-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

May is Historic Preservation Month! Benton County Museum staff member, Mary Gallagher, led a walking tour of the historic buildings in downtown Corvallis, Oregon on Saturday, May 16, 2009. The weather was perfect, and the crowd of 15 participants enjoyed the tour.

Philomath College Building Window Rehabilitation Project

2009-05-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

After several months of work on windows in need of rehabilitation and repair, all windows are back in place in the Old Philomath College building which houses the Benton County Historical Museum in Philomath, Oregon. The project was funded in part by a grant from the Heritage Programs Division, State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon Parks and Recreation.

Karen Illman Miller: The Art of Katazome

2009-05-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Benton County Historical Society is honored to host Karen Illman Miller: The Art of Katazome, a dramatic exhibition of unique fiber arts. The exhibition will be open May 1 through June 13, 2009. Please view online photos of the exhibition at http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/exhibitions/KarenMiller/index.cfm.

6th Annual Willamette Valley High School Art Competition

2009-04-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

The winning entries of the 2009 high school art competition are on public exhibition through April 25. It's a beautiful show by many very talented artists from fourteen Oregon high schools.

It is a lot of work to participate in the competition, taking a strong commitment by teachers, students and families. THANK YOU for your dedication!

This year we had 70 winners in 13 categories. Last year we had 102 winners in 14 categories. Fewer schools submitted art this year.

Was the timing of the show affected by Spring Break schedules? How can we improve the program and encourage broader participation? Please post your comments, ideas, suggestions.

Let there be light

2009-04-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

We are excitedly gearing up for the 6th annual Willamette Valley High School Art Competition, which will be open to the public from April 11 through April 25! This year fourteen schools submitted 214 entries in thirteen art categories. The award ceremony will be Saturday April 11 from 2-4pm.

As the winning art was selected I began laying out the room in preparation for hanging the show. Tuesday evening I turned out the lights in the gallery and had a beautiful surprise. The setting sun cast a triangle of light on a corner of one window pane in the gallery. By some cosmic coincidence, the triangle of light landed perfectly on a painting by Vicky Aceves of South Albany High School. Most of the painting is dark tones, with a bright, fiery, triangle at the bottom, and that is precisely where the sunlight fell!

Dressed for the 18th Century

2009-04-06T12:51:00.001-07:00

Nancy Bryant's lecture, "Dressed for the 18th Century" was the final presentation in this year's Benton Lecture series.

She started her "reverse strip tease" in a chemise and gradually added all the pieces--corset, petticoat, hoops, etc--that upper class women in Europe and America wore in the 18th century. She donned replica jewelry, shoes and wig to complete the outfit.

Eighty people attended the lecture.

Esther Stutzman addresses Society members and friends

2009-03-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Esther Stutzman of Kalapuya and Coos heritage, told stories of her ancestors to an 85-member audience yesterday morning in the Moreland auditorium.

The Enduring A's Chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America Visit BCHS Museum

2009-03-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

VALCO Choir Competition

2009-03-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today the walls of our Moreland Auditorium resonated with the beautiful sounds of about 160 students from five high schools. Organized by Dr. Dan Johnson of Philomath High School, the students gathered for a preliminary competition to qualify for the OSAA State Choir Competition.

The current art show in the Moreland is a student art show, called Art: The 4th 'R', which uns through March 28, 2009.

Museum Tour Guide Series Online

2009-03-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Twenty-six booklets featuring Oregon history were originally published in Horner Museum Tour Guide Series and are now available free online at http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/research/HornerMuseumSeries.cfm! Most of the articles were originally written by Kenneth Munford during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

We send gratitude and congratulations to the museum volunteers who made it possible for us to offer this series. Walter Frankel scanned and/or retyped all of the booklets. Susan Christie reformatted them and tweaked the HTML. As time allows, we would like to embellish the articles with sidebars containing historic photos, museum artifacts, and updates.

American Association of University Women met at Museum and toured Collections Care Facility

2009-03-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Museum Volunteers Make a Difference!

2009-03-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Mary Gallagher, Collections Manager and Curator of Research, (far right) working with volunteers in the Collections Care Facility, March 12, 2009.

Talented Philomath Kids Show their Creations

2009-03-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Kids K-12 show their work at the Benton County Museum during the month of March, 2009. Come check out this colorful exhibition!

Art: The Fourth "R" features artwork by Philomath kids

2009-03-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

The Benton County Historical Museum has presented "Art: The Fourth 'R'" for over 20 years. Philomath School District students K-12 display their creative work in the Moreland Gallery on the second floor of the Museum now through March 28.

"150 Years of Oregon Art" Exhibition a Success!

2009-03-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

As part of our year-long celebration of Oregon's 150 years of statehood, "150 Years of Oregon Art" exhibition drew over 1300 visitors during its two-month run in the Museum's Moreland Gallery.

On February 13, 2009, 100 Philomath Elementary School 4th graders visited the Museum to celebrate Oregon's birthday, and contemplated (see photo) the artwork. Each student chose their favorite piece in the show, then told their fellow students why they chose the piece. This student chose Mark Sponenburgh's wood sculpture, "Overture" ca. 1965.

The Benton County Historial Museum celebrates Oregon 150 all year long with lecture series, special exhibitions and events. Please visit our webiste for more information: www.bentoncountymuseum.org

Elvis was in the House!

2009-02-18T11:08:00.001-08:00

The Museum's 'Valentines in Vegas' event was very successful! Thanks to all those who came to the Alumni Center on Saturday, February 14, 2009 to support the Benton County Historical Society & Museum! Elvis entertained the crowd and led the gathering in song: Happy Birthday to Oregon in commemoration of 150 years of statehood. Team Casino provided the gaming tables and encouragement for the players. Thanks to the staff and wonderful volunteers who made it happen!

Oregon State Library selects 150 Oregon Books for the Sesquicentennial Celebration

2009-02-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate Oregon's statehood than read a book about the Oregon experience? The librarians at the Oregon State Library in Salem have chosen 150 titles for your reading enjoyment. The list includes books for young and older readers alike.
Go to http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/OR150.shtml to download the list.
The Benton County Historical Museum Store carries several of the titles. Visit the Museum Store and check it out!!

Bring Your Sweetheart to Valentines in Vegas

2009-02-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2009 - not only is it Valentine's Day but it's also Oregon's 150th Birthday!!

The Benton County Historical Society is marking this double celebration with its second annual Valentines in Vegas casino games event on Saturday, February 14, 2009 from 7 to 9 pm at the CH2M Alumni Center on the Oregon State University campus. Team Casino will be joining us again to help you play all your favorite games: blackjack, craps, roulette and Texas Hold em. Seasoned gamblers and beginners are all welcome!

The evening includes a silent auction, entertainment, hors d'ouevres, punch, Oregon birthday cake, and a cash bar. This year, childcare is provided for children ages 2 and up. Your $25 ticket includes admission to the event, "funny money" to play the tables, one drink, and lots of FUN! Tickets are available by calling the Museum at (541) 929-6230. Quantities are limited, so call today!

Free flyers may be downloaded at http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/ValentinesInVegas.cfm

Abraham Lincoln Visits Philomath

2009-02-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, Abraham Lincoln (Tim Holgate) will hold a Town Hall meeting at the Benton County Historical Museum from 7 to 9 pm in the Moreland Gallery/Auditorium. Other presenters include: Richard Etulain, Tony Wolk, Gary Kersey, and music from the Lincoln era by "Illinois" Doug Tracy. The event commemorates the bicentennial of Lincoln's birthday and cake will be served! This event free and open to the public. Please join Lincoln and his entourage at the Museum!

Forestry Students Ring the Bell

2009-02-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, February 4, 2009 about 20 students from the Forestry Department at Oregon State University visited the Museum.

Dave Stemper, instructor, wrote: "My interpretation students are JUST BEGINNING development of their small interpretive displays at OSU, and I wanted them to see what you have in place at Benton County as a means of sparking some ideas."

The students also learned a little about the history of our National Register Building. The thick, white bell rope in the auditorium/gallery caught their attention and two students asked if they could ring the bell. Since the bell can be heard best from outside the building, the group gathered in the parking lot while one stayed inside and pulled on the bell rope.

The bell was installed in the cupola of the Philomath College building 1867 .

BCHSM on KLCC's Northwest Passage

2009-01-31T11:19:00.000-08:00

VizCity Arts Reviews with Lotte Streisinger and Terry Way will briefly feature our "150 Years of Oregon Art" exhibition with a special focus on the WPA art works of the 1930s.

Listen to Northwest Passage on KLCC 89.7fm, Eugene, on Wednesday February 4, 2009 from 4:00 - 4:30pm.

Alaska Airlines

2009-01-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

If you're travelling on Alaska Airlines this month and you have an interest in Oregon history, be sure to read the "Sesquicentennial Celebration: The Beaver State Turns 150" article in the February 2009 issue of Alaska Airlines.

Events at Benton County Historical Museum that honor Oregon's 150th birthday will include an art exhibition entitled "150 Years of Oregon Art", a lecture series, a juried quilt show, and a dynamic online timeline of Benton County history.

2009-01-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 27, 2009 members and friends of the Marys River Quilt Guild gathered to study 19th century quilts from the Museum's collections. Collections specialist, Ross Sutherland, right, retrieved the artifacts and unrolled the quilts in the Collections Work Room in the Collections Care Facility.

SAE Fraternity Men Lend a Hand

2009-01-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

Collections manager, Mary Gallagher, looks on as four SAE Fraternity men from Oregon State University help move heavy artifacts into our Collections Care Facility. Thank you, guys!

Welcome to Our Blog!

2009-01-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Benton County Historical Museum is excited to join the blogosphere!