OTE Heritage Programs 2014 retrospect

While not quite the end of the year, 2014 was a busy one for both the Oregon Historical Marker and Heritage Tree Programs. The year started off in February with a memorial planting on the Oregon Department of Forestry’s grounds to honor Maynard Charles Drawson. In April, tree lovers celebrated the Class of 2014 Heritage Trees in Veneta at the Ellmaker Heritage Grove induction.

Also in April, Salemtowne Historical Marker Volunteers attended the Oregon Heritage Conference Banquet in Albany, where they received an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award for their work in refurbishing and maintaining the state’s historical markers. In May the Robert Valentine Short Heritage Fir Tree was honored in a dedication ceremony, followed by the Aurora Colony Black Walnut Heritage Tree in June.

By September, a new historical marker was dedicated at HillCrest Winery in Roseburg to mark the first commercial Pinot Noir planting by the vineyard’s founder, Richard Sommer. And, as the trees turned color in October, an updated and historically accurate Jedediah Smith marker was installed near Reedsport along the Oregon Coast.

OTE thought you might be interested in “flipping” through our photo retrospective of the year’s heritage events. We also included a few shots from the Salemtowne volunteer’s road trip across Oregon, as they restored markers both in their Salem workshop and in the field.

Photo gallery

Click on the first thumbnail image below to enter the slide show. Advance the show by clicking on the right arrow once inside the gallery. Hit “Escape” on your keyboard to exit the gallery at any time.