Oregon Humanities

History by the People

Southern Oregon Historical Society collaborates with community members on traveling exhibits

Eric Gold

In 2009, the Southern Oregon Historical Society was in trouble. It had lost its county funding as well as the community’s interest. In response, SOHS conducted public forums to reconnect with the people of Jackson County.

The result is History: Made By You, a project that encourages people to reflect on changes in their communities and to design traveling exhibits that combine citizen-donated objects and artifacts from the museum’s collection.

Central Point’s exhibit, Icons of Agriculture, focused on four historic buildings, each tied to regional produce: a farmhouse, a restaurant once owned by an orchardist, the Grange Co-op’s grain elevator, and Rogue Creamery. Participants chose to include a scythe, a smudge pot (an antique heat lamp for delicate pear blossoms), a handheld machine for stitching up feed bags, and various cheese-making implements, along with photos and other materials. The exhibit was on display from June through October at two local banks, the county fairgrounds, and the Medford airport.

The next exhibit, from Lake Creek and funded by an Oregon Humanities grant, will likely focus on the way wires—from ranch fences to Internet cables—have affected the community over time. The project, says Amy Drake, curator of special projects, shows that “history is all around us. The museum is part of our community, not this separate temple.”