Marching band will highlight art stroll

Local historians are preserving living memories of Camp Sherman’s past.

The Camp Sherman Historical Society is interviewing current and former longtime residents about their memories of earlier times in Camp Sherman. The interviews will be recorded on DVD and combined with photos, paintings, and sketches to produce a documentary about life in Camp Sherman.

Interviewers spoke with local residents at the Camp Sherman Community Hall on Friday, April 28, and in local homes on Saturday. Memories covered much of the last century.

University of Oregon literary communications and journalism graduate students conducted the interviews.

“We felt it was important to have ‘neutral’ interviewers so as to not bias in any way the people being interviewed,” said Lorie Hancock, representing the Historical Society.

Powerful stories were captured over the weekend of interviewing.

Jim Sternberg’s recounted his 28 years in Camp Sherman, some as Metolius Meadows caretaker, some as Forest Service assistant in a salmon restoration project raising 62,000 Coho salmon fry and his role as part of the “grumpy old men” group meeting at the local general store.

Kitty Warner told of her school days in the one-room Black Butte School and performances by Duke Warner’s band at New Year’s Eve Community Hall parties.

Glen Corbett remembered stories of her life as Forest Service lookout at the Black Butte fire tower and earlier stories in and around the Corbett Ranch.

These stories were captured for posterity by interviewers Amy Duncan and Zack Jones, audio technician Jes Burns, and recorded by videographers Shane Simonsen and Marta VanPatten.

A “warm-up” luncheon was held Friday at the Community Hall.

“This gave participants a time to meet with old friends, reminisce, and stimulate memories of bygone days,” said Hancock.

Besides those mentioned above, others being interviewed over the weekend included Dave Amsberry, Clara Cool, Larry and Bettie Dyer, Irwin Holzman, Evelyn Lundgren, Kim Lundgren, Bill Miller, Joyce Osika, Lou Reznicsek, Tom and Marian Terrill, Kendra Van Patten and Ginny Watson. Others will be interviewed in phase two of the project later this year.

The oral history project, funded in part by a grant from the Jefferson County Cultural Trust, will continue through the summer. For more information contact Lorie Hancock at 595-2710. Donations for the project may be sent to the Historical Society, P.O. Box 146, Camp Sherman, Oregon 97730.