Current Issue: Fall 2011

selected articles from the Fall 2011 Newsletter

39th Annual Quilt Show

“Wonderful experience”, “Great quilt show and history of Oregon”, Good show, loved the traditional setting”, “Very nice, I’ll come again”, were some of the comments left during the 39th Annual Quilt Show, Bountiful Oregon.
Attendance was up from the previous year and quilt show proceeds totaled $11,270. The success of this 10-day show is dependent upon dedicated volunteers. Appreciation and well deserved thanks goes to our Quilt Show Chair, Annette James, our Featured Quilter, Mary Doak, the Old Aurora Colony Quilters, Ethel Combs, Mary Doak, Laude Hill, Joyce Branum, Sandy Nelson, and Carol Burger and our Colony Store Crew, Ginger Swift, Nancy Trivitt, Cheryl Burks, Florence Zwicker, and Nancy Robinson. Great job!
Congratulations to Myrna Bellovich of Petaluma, CA, winner of the raffle quilt. Myrna bought her winning ticket the week before the quilt show while she was visiting in Aurora.

Stauffer-Will Farm Dinner Party

by Roberta Hutton
More than 50 people attended the party at the Stauffer-Will Farm on September 10, 2011. The purpose was further fundraising for restoration of the Barn, and an opportunity for special guest, Jim DiSantos, our contractor to give tours and explain what was being done to ensure that we have that facility for decades to come.
Dinner was prepared by Chef Brett Hutton of Spirit Mountain Casino, assisted by Carl Hoover, and Jared Wilcox, a young Aurora lad, who was having his first experience as a caterer’s assistant. All of the food for the dinner and accompanying beverages were donations from local vendors. Most importantly we would like to recognize the extremely generous contribution from Pacific Seafood. Ken Johnson, the Clackamas sales director, deserves our warmest regard. Beverages were provided, primarily, by Brandon Zieg, also on staff at Spirit Mountain, and St. Josef’s Winery. Chefs Hutton and Hoover donated both their time and expertise. They both wish to express their thanks to our Board member Bill Wettstein who donated the wonderful organic vegetables used both in the appetizers and salads. Cheers to Bill, who also gave them a brief tour of his growing operation on French Prairie.
Heartstrings, provided music during the entire evening and took time to share the nature of their instruments and music with participants. Rob and Nancy Downie have been featured at a number of Museum activities. A good time was had by all and further events are being planned for next summer. We will set a date in the near future so keep your calendar open and watch for updates. From all reports, we have our first 50 returning.
Editor’s Note: A big round of applause also goes out to Roberta who orchestrated the entire event…Thank you Roberta!

Dr. John Keil Richards

by Patrick Harris
The death of John Keil Richards at the age of 93 in July brought to the end a career in music that touched thousands of lives. While he is best known for his long-time work with the Oregon Symphony and as a teacher at Lewis and Clark College, John was loved in Aurora for his appreciation of the Aurora Colony band and the music that they played. He and several of his symphony friends first organized a concert using some of the original colony instruments in 1977 when Aurora hosted the National Conference of the Communal Studies Association. This concert focused national attention on the quality of the Aurora music, a fact that Richards himself always stressed. “These fellows were exceptional musicians,” Richards said. Concerts followed in 1988, 1991, and at various other times as well. Articles about the band that were published in the Oregon Historical Quarterly helped spread the band’s fame. A CD was made of the colony band music. In 2007 Richards joined Andrew Willette in a “The Oregon Music Project” that has helped preserve many newly discovered musical manuscripts through digitization.
John was gracious to the end. Just a few months before his death, he spoke to our membership at the Annual meeting about the importance of our musical heritage. “You have something very special here.” Thanks John for helping us preserve it!

Edward J Finck Manuscripts Donated to the Museum Collection

by Patrick Harris
Elinor Golding, the Great Niece of Edward J. Finck donated twenty four of his original manuscripts written for the piano. Additionally, the museum received four other examples of sheet music attributed to Finck.
Two of these original pieces were played for the attendees of our annual Fundraiser on September 17th. Chris Engbretson, a young local pianist, performed the compositions flawlessly.
Edward J. Finck was one of five children of Beate and Henry Conrad Finck. His father was the Colony’s music master.
According to an article first published in the History of Oregon Literature Edward helped form the Amatuer Musical Society in Portland in 1875, the first regular orchestral organization in the city. In 1888 he won first prize in a national competition for the best method of piano playing. He died in 1915 and is said to have left much unfinished work in manuscript.
Elinor’s donation finally brings a portion of these manuscripts to the public.