Emily Blakely
As It Was ContributorEmily Blakely writes from her rural farm nestled below Sutherlin’s Mt. Scott, a setting rich in natural beauty and inspiration. She has published poetry and prose, and frequently displayed framed works at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center as well as restaurants and libraries in the area. Her interest in writing for JPR’s "As It Was" program came from hearing Kernan Turner speak at her writer’s group meeting, and she has found it to be beneficial in developing her writing skill. Researching local history has become one of her favorite pastimes.
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Early fur trapping companies established outposts, known as forts, before the Oregon Trail opened. One example was the rendezvous point along the Umpqua…
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The first woman to become a senator in the Oregon Legislature was Kathryn Clarke in 1915. She had more than a little help from her cousin, Gov. Oswald…
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Travelers often ponder its name when they visit the Steamboat Inn at the confluence of Steamboat Creek and the North Umpqua River, some 40 minutes east of…
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In the summer of 1932, America's already famous author and sportsman, Zane Grey, made his first camp along the North Umpqua River in Douglas County, Ore.…
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In the early 20th century, the North Umpqua River drew anglers to Douglas County, Ore. They fished for Chinook and Coho salmon, as well as sea-run…
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The Civil War had been over for a year when inebriated supporters of opposing sides in the conflict clashed on Christmas Day in Roseburg, Ore. The brawl…
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Predictions of rain were threatening disaster at the fourth annual Strawberry Festival in Roseburg, Ore., in May 1913. But the clouds cleared and the…
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Sutherlin's Calapooia Free Methodist Church was established in Douglas County, Ore., in the summer of 1918 following revival meetings. The first pastor…
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One of the first women pilots to get a private pilot's license after World War II, 19-year-old Connie McCoy, lived in Lane County, Ore.As a teenager…
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One of Oregon’s most prolific and imaginative architects of his time, William C. Knighton, designed the National Guard Armory in Roseburg, Ore., that…
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Mount Elijah, a peak formerly known as Sand Mountain, overlooks the Oregon Caves in the mountainous terrain of the Illinois Valley in Oregon’s southwest…
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Early pioneers demonstrated their value of education by building the first schoolhouse in the English Settlement area of Oakland, Ore., in the 1850s. A…