In 1980, my husband accepted a job offer in Portland which meant our family would be leaving Steilacoom, WA, a small, historic town overlooking Puget Sound. We had lived there for 10 years. My husband and I were very involved in “Save Old Steilacoom,” an organization for the preservation of historic homes and businesses being threatened with demolition or loss … [Read more...] about A Warm Welcome to LO
LO Preservation Perspectives
This House Matters
The Case For Preserving Our History The beautiful, historic Koehler house at 718 3rd Street in the First Addition is slated to be torn down. Based on conversations with the new owner, who recently purchased the four- bedroom, two-bath, 2859 sq. ft. house for $1,547,650, the plan is to demolish the house and replace it. Because the house has not been listed on the … [Read more...] about This House Matters
The Unintentional Artist
In 1966 the Lake Oswego Development Department sent a photographer to document the condition of its downtown. Rendered in black and white, and without the context of the surrounding areas, these images simultaneously abstract a sense of place and heighten it. Presumably taken purely for pragmatic institutional purposes, through a different lens, some … [Read more...] about The Unintentional Artist
Racial Diversity in Early Oswego: Asian Farmers in Oswego
The racial justice movement sparked by the death of George Floyd has caused many cities to examine their history of race relations. Lake Oswego is no exception. The city’s reputation as an exclusive white enclave has made it a poster child for white privilege. But was it always this way? These articles explore what census records reveal about people of … [Read more...] about Racial Diversity in Early Oswego: Asian Farmers in Oswego
Racial Diversity in Early Oswego: In Search of Oswego’s Chinatown
The racial justice movement sparked by the death of George Floyd has caused many cities to examine their history of race relations. Lake Oswego is no exception. The city’s reputation as an exclusive white enclave has made it a poster child for white privilege. But was it always this way? These articles explore what census records reveal about people of color who lived in … [Read more...] about Racial Diversity in Early Oswego: In Search of Oswego’s Chinatown