A Tag of Memory

Yesterday, November 14, Mission Mill Museum sponsored a program by June Schumann of the Portland Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. Her excellently prepared (and charmingly delivered) presentation reminded us of the experiences of the American West Coast families of Japanese descent who were "relocated" in 1942 during World War II. The chart above shows the areas effected by relocation. Families east of the line were not spared discrimination: they lived under strict restrictions and oppressive surveillance.

The photo below shows a typical family as they departed, leaving their homes and all their possessions, taking only one suitcase apiece. At the presentation, we were each given a tag like the ones shown.
We might ask ourselves two questions: How would we feel wearing such identification as our own families left our homes with the uncertain future they faced? What happened to the families who stood on the platform of the Salem Railroad Station more that sixty-five years ago wearing these tags?

Last walk across the Union Street bridge for 2009

The Union Street bridge closed tonight for the next six months. On a last walk across from the west side, Tom caught these photos with his iPhone. Above, the graceful curve of the trestle. Below, the last few steps before the bridge ends at Water Street. See you there in May of 2010!

The Eagles Have Flown

We have been waiting for the orange colored cones to go away so we could take an "after" photo to go with the one above and now we have it! It wasn't so long ago that the southwest corner of Broadway and Market Streets looked like this with the Eagles building being demolished.
What a difference Broadway Town Square (below) has made and we all enjoy the Broadway Theater! But we don't want to forget what a noble building this was and so encourage anyone with a historic photo of it in its glory years to send us a copy.