Brooks Historical Society Newsletter January 2018, Volume I http://www.oregonpioneers.com/marion/BrooksHistoricalSociety.htm

MISSION STATEMENT The objective of the Brooks Historical Society and Depot Museum is to educate and stimulate an interest in and knowledge of the history of Brooks, Oregon, and the surrounding areas.

Check out the BHS Facebook page. The Caboose is Here! Welcome CBQ #14411 The Society welcomed their circa 1910 CBQ waycar (caboose) as it was settled

into place on specially prepared tracks east of the Brooks Depot Museum at Pow- erland Heritage Park on October 17, 2017. The waycar is planned to serve as a Brooks Historical Society BHS Officers and Board society meeting room, office and storage Membership Celebration Day 2018 Will President - Frank Cunningham room. This will clear room in the historic Adult Member ------$15.00 Vice-President - Dan Groah depot for future renovations to bring the Honor “Historic Gervais” Student Membership ------— $ 5.00 Treasurer - Dorene Standish depot back to more nearly to as it was Plans are already underway for our Brooks (Elementary and High School ) Recording Secretary - Vicki Cunningham when it was a working train depot. Historical Celebration Day, June 16 from Business Membership ------$35.00 Correspondence Secretary - Marilyn Barner 10 to 3 pm. We will focus on the City of Donation ------$______Board - Position 1- Louis Sowa Gervais, which is celebrating its 150th an- (Donors eligible for Oregon’s cultural trust The waycar began its working life for the Position 2- Leah Duda niversary. Join us for a planning day on tax credit. See culturaltrust.org for details) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CBQ) Position 3- Sharon Shelton January 18 at 10 am at the museum. Name: Railroad in the Midwest. When CB & Q Position 4 - Gary Clement merged with Burlington Northern, in Address: 1970, the car was brought west. In 1975, We have invited high school students in the area to participate in an essay contest City/State/zip: Meetings Burlington Northern sold it with several Phone The Brooks Historical Society meets at the other cars to the Oregon Pacific and East- for the event. On our celebration day, the $100 first prize will be awarded. Other ac- E-mail Brooks Depot Museum at 10 am the first ern Railway (OP&E). OP&E, a now de- Saturday of the month. tivities include presentations, slide shows, Checks should be written to: funct logging and excursion railroad out exhibits and music. Brooks Historical Society of Cottage Grove, Oregon, did not keep it Directions to the museum at Powerland Mail to: long. About 40 years ago (1977, approxi- Heritage Park: From I-5 - take Exit 263 -- go PO Box 9265 mately) it was sold again to private own- We would also like to include information Brooks, OR 97305 west approx. 1/4 mile to: Powerland Heritage about more recent Hispanic and Russian Park, 3995 Brooklake Road, Brooks, OR ers south and west of Eugene, Oregon. There it and an old S&P caboose were settlers. If you have some information to Videos, Books, & Research Collections for 97303 share, please contact Vicki Cunningham at sale: Visit our website at http:// Interested in Powerland Heritage Park? used as lodging for workers on the prop- www.oregonpioneers.com/marion/ Visit powerlandheritagepark.com erty. See our website and Facebook page 503-390-6697. BrooksHistoricalSociety.htm for more information The Fate of Charles H. nese ships fired with eight-inch guns and BHS Discovery Day Jan. 20 torpedoes. The Allied forces were sur- BHS will have its first Discovery Day on Meithof by Dan Groah prised. Saturday, January 20, at 10 am. We will meet at the Depot to carpool to the B-17 The Brooks Historical Museum is a place Some cruiser captains thought they were Alliance Museum at the Salem Airport, of many artifacts and documents. Many being fired on by friendly forces. Hits on 3278 25th St. SE. Or, you can meet us at of these are grouped in sections. There Allied ships were many. The ships still the airport, at 10:30, main entrance, and are sections for local historical agricul- had their peacetime trim of wooden furni- park in the Civil Air Patrol parking lot. ture, Japanese-Americans, French Prairie ture and painted bulkheads. These readi- Call Vicki to RSVP 503-390-6697, so we settlers and a section for Brooks area peo- ly burned. The cruisers carried spotting can arrange a tour. ple who served in World War II. aircraft on the sterns and the gasoline tanks ignited further illuminating the Room to Remodel Many photographs and documents are ships and presenting easy targets for the With the promise of office and storage displayed in the World War II section. Japanese. space in the new caboose, plans are being They honor those who served and came developed to remodel the northeast corner home after the war. However, not all of The Astoria was able to get some of her of the Brooks Depot Museum. We want it those that went to war returned. One guns in action even as she was sinking to more closely resemble what it had been such person was Charles H. Meithof. and gave some hits on a Japanese cruis- like when it was a working depot. Plans in- er. But it was all too late and at 12:15 the clude re-opening the now blocked north One can only wonder how Charles felt Astoria sank taking down with her over door, installing a ticket counter with some about going to war after the events at 200 of her crew including Charles H. display cases built in, and wire mesh cov- Pearl Harbor. Many couldn’t wait to en- Meithof of Brooks, Oregon. erings over part of the ticket counter open- list. Others were drafted into service with ings. The remodel will also shore up a reluctance remembering World War I. The USS Astoria in July, 1937, tied up at the The way to attack the unarmed U.S. ships beam over the ticket counter which is sag- However he felt, Charles enlisted in the docks in Portland for Fleet Week. Photo by Ray off Guadalcanal was open but the Japa- ging. If you would like to help, contact U.S. Navy. Atkeson. nese admiral feared Allied aircraft when Dorene Standish, 503-393-2053. dawn came, and withdrew back north to The Allied cruiser commodore was away After boot camp, Charles was trained help safety. consulting with other admirals this night. run the engines of the huge warships the Fun at the Park May 19 Early in the day, Australian air patrols would challenge the Japanese navy. He Look for our BHS table featuring antiques had spotted the Japanese forces ap- found himself assigned as a fireman on and collectables at this family event. We proaching but their sighting was hours Your Dues are Due! the U.S.S. Astoria, a heavy cruiser of the plan to also have our used book sale ready getting through channels. Also, the Aus- If you have not already, please pay your New Orleans class and named after the for this event. Free admission. tralian aircraft identified the Japanese dues for 2018 as soon as possible. See Oregon coastal town. ships as seaplane tenders and not heavily the information on the back page regard-

armed cruisers. ing your membership dues amounts, and BHS and Powerland Heritage In the late summer of 1942 the United how to remit. Thanks for your support! Park 2018 Calendar to June States forces challenged Japanese expan- Night found the Allied cruiser squadron in subject to change! The remainder in next issue! sion in the Solomon Islands at a place a line off Savo island defending the help- The tax deductible portion of your dues called Guadalcanal. The U.S. Marines less landing support ships. The Japanese qualifies as donation and makes you eligi- April 7 an 8 - Powerland Opens for the landed on Guadalcanal. There were many approached. Some of the Allied ships had ble for the cultural tax credit. You can season. BHS open Saturdays 10-2 transport and supply ships offshore to aid radar. But radar was new and not always double your gift for free by making a May 19 Fun at the Park - free admis - the troops ashore. On August 9th, the accurate and not trusted be many Allied matching gift to the Oregon Cultural sion, a family event Japanese navy came to sink these U.S. officers. Trust and claiming a cultural tax credit June 16 - Historic Gervais, Brooks His- ships. Defending the U.S. forces was a on your Oregon income taxes. Donate at torical Society Celebration , 10-3 line of four U.S. cruisers and one Austral- During the night, a small aircraft was culturaltrust.org or by mail. June 16 - The Rendezvous - NW Vintage ian cruiser. This turned out to be the bat- heard flying above the Allied cruisers. It Car and Motorcycle Museum tle of Savo Island and the Allied forces was assumed to be friendly. It wasn’t. June 22,23, 24 - Branch 15 Swap Meet committed a series of mishaps the led to Near midnight this Japanese aircraft re- June 24 Oregon Vintage Machinery Mu- an Allied disaster. leased illumination flares and the Japa- seum Annual Auction