ANTIQUE SPINNING WHEEL SHOWCASE IS MARCH 8-9

CHRIS THOMAS-FLITCROFT, chair of the Antique Spinning Wheel Showcase for Aurora Colony Handspinners Guild, shows off the spinning wheel which will be raffled at this year's event. As always, raffle sales benefit the Handspinners Guild, while receipts from the gate benefit the Aurora Colony Historical Society.

The 21st Annual Antique Spinning Wheel Showcase will be held March 8-9 at the Museum in Aurora . Part history lesson, part crafts show, part country fair and 100% enjoyable, the Spinning Wheel Showcase opens the 2003 Aurora Special Event calendar.

About thirty antique spinning wheels will be humming in the Museum complex as members of the Aurora Colony Handspinners Guild demonstrate the craft they love.

Other steps in the natural-fiber clothing process are on display as well: spinners bring their wheels, and other handwork demonstrations abound.

Some members bring pettable lambs, rabbits, goats and/or llamas, for visitors who want a close-up look at where wool comes from.

The Antique Spinning Wheel Showcase is sponsored jointly by the Aurora Colony Handspinners

Guild and the Aurora Colony Historical Society as a fundraiser for both organizations.

The Handspinners raise money for their scholarship fund through the raffle of a working spinning wheel. Restoration of the wheel is donated by Ron Antoine of Woodburn, as it has been for most years of the show’s existence. The Historical Society keeps the proceeds from ticket sales.

The entire five-building Old Aurora Colony Museum complex will be open, and coffee and cookies will be served at fireside in the 1867 Steinbach Log Cabin.

Hours for the event are Saturday, March 8, 10AM-4PM and Sunday, March 9, noon-4PM. Admission is $3.50 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and AAA, $1.50 for children. Admission is free if you're under six.

ANTIQUE BEDSTEAD IS FIRST AUCTION DONATION

THEY DON'T MAKE them like this anymore. Elaborately turned posts and spindles were popular in the last part of the 19th Century. This bed will go to the highest bidder on May 10, 2003. Community members are urged to start planning now for this major fundraising event.

The first donation for the May 10th, 2003 Benefit Auction has already been received by the Aurora Colony Historical Society.

It is an 1850s colony-like bedstead with extravagant lathe-work on the posts and spindles at the head and foot.

It is never too soon to be thinking about attending the auction — or donating items to it.

This annual event is ACHS' largest single source of income each year. Please consider a donation of an item, or items, that will assist the ACHS in raising the money we need to continue the educational programs of the Society. Of particular interest are items such as:

·         Quality Antiques & Collectibles

·         Trips

·         Lodging

·         Services

·         Dinners

·         Tickets to Events

You may drop off your donation or purchase tickets ($30.00, includes dinner) at the museum. To arrange pick-up of your item or to order auction tickets, call us at 503-678-5754.

The deadline to donate items is April 11, 2003 .

STEINBACH AND MILLS GIFTS FEATURED IN NEWEST DISPLAY

AURORA COLONY MUSICAL instruments awaiting placement in the exhibit form a still-life study in front of a red work quilt from the Steinbach collection of Bethel items recently donated to the Museum.

A TABLE, CRADLE AND QUILT donated by Robert Steinbach from his collection of Bethel artifacts. Steinbach has relatives in both the Bethel and Aurora communities.

“Colony Music & New Acquisitions” is the title of the exhibit running through June 30, 2003 at the Old Aurora Colony Museum .

The Aurora Colony Historical Society frequently acquires colony-related artifacts through donation and purchase, and some of the furniture, quilts, books, photographs, clothing and tools have never before been displayed.

Among these are items donated by Robert Steinbach of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Steinbach is a descendant of members of Aurora’s mother community, Bethel, Missouri. While some Steinbach family members remained in Bethel, ACHS records show that others traveled to Aurora in two wagon trains in the 1860s. Gifts included in this donation include a walnut table, a pine table, a cradle, a trunk, and eight quilts.

RICHARDS CATALOGS MUSIC, DREAMS OF NEXT CONCERT

DR. JOHN KEIL RICHARDS poses with a tuba he reconstructed from pieces found in the Mills collection. The music historian is cataloging the sheet music in the collection, trying to estimate its significance … and planning his next concert!

DOZENS OF TUNES, arranged for all of the instruments in the Aurora Colony Band -- that's what Dr. John Keil Richards found in the boxes from the farm implement store.

Dr. John Keil Richards, who has been studying Aurora Colony Band music for more than 40 years, still waxes enthusiastic a year after first seeing the band music ACHS acquired last spring with the Arthur L. and Doratha H. Mills Collection.

“This is a joy to me. This is . . . this is like finding your grandmother’s diaries,” he says, returning over and over to his delight with the crates of old sheet music found in the back of a farm implement store. And again, “It’s like finding a whole dinosaur.”

John Richards was the man mostly responsible, 20-some years ago, for assembling scraps of Aurora Colony music, patching together Colony instruments, and getting Oregon Symphony members to create the recording that plays in the permanent music exhibit at the Museum. He did this while he was still on the music faculty at Lewis & Clark College , still playing first tuba in the Oregon Symphony Orchestra.

He recreated the music from bits of manuscript — and from the memories of Aurora old-timers who had played the music in their childhood. He might discover a mouse-eaten trombone score in an old trunk — and months later, find somebody who recognized the name of the tune and could whistle the clarinet part for him. It was a painstaking process.

The material from the Mills Collection presents a different kind of challenge. Instead of working from scraps of material, he needs to work his way through a large volume of manuscript in order to figure out what he’s got.

Band members copied out their own parts, and it appears he has all of the parts — or nearly all of them — for an extended Aurora play list. Cataloging them is going to take time.

Dr. Richards is going to love every minute of it.

“These guys were good players, really good - just look at that,” he enthuses, pointing out a particularly tricky passage for cornet.

A moment later he is praising the manuscript itself: “This is fluent writing; it wasn’t drawn out one note at a time. This guy knew what he was doing.”

The Aurora Band got their music from a variety of sources. The gifted musicians of the bunch were capable of “borrowing” arrangements of popular music and creating their own versions of traditional tunes — and of course, they composed their own.

“Keil was a good composer — I mean a good one,” Richards says, counting them off on his fingers. “So was Yost. So was - what’s-his-name whose son became a critic - Finck. He was a good composer. And they weren’t the only ones.”

Some of the titles give away the sources of the music. “Battle Hymn of the Republic” was obvious, but it requires a historian to recognize the obscure ones, and it doesn’t help that some are titled in German. He pages through the cornet book, talking almost to himself.

“That was a popular Civil War tune — a lot of this is Civil War music — and that one, that’s got Bethel in the title, so it’s probably original.” Since a tuba is the only horn he brought to the interview, he sings a few bars to illustrate his point.

The tuba in question was also from the Mills Collection acquisition. Richards found the pieces in a box - correction, he found most of the pieces. He made the rest himself.

“I challenge you, tell me which pieces are new,” he says, but they are so carefully matched to the original patina that they need to be pointed out: they are the parts that aren’t dented.

“It’s a good instrument, it plays beautifully,” he says, and demonstrates with a soft, wistful snatch of melody. When queried about the quiet, sweet quality of the tone, he retorts, “Oh, I can play like a high school kid too, if that’s what you want to hear,” and sends out a volley that rattles the windows.

“There are more instruments like this,” he says, “and a lot of music nobody has heard for years.” His eyes focus somewhere distant. "We’ll be playing another entire concert.”

A NOTE FROM THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

By Elizabeth Corley

Volunteer Coordinator

Another year is upon us with many events to look forward to. Your continued support will make it another successful year for the Aurora Colony Historical Society.

Our next event is the Spinning Wheel Showcase on March 8-9. Many volunteers have already agreed to help with this event. Cookie donations are still needed.

We are looking forward to another exciting year at the Stauffer-Will Farm. We have over 2,500 students anxiously awaiting their day at the 1860s farm. If you would like to help fourth grade students learn about Aurora Colony farm life and its place in Oregon history, please contact the museum for information related to the program. March 12 is the date set for volunteers to meet at the farm for a clean-up day in preparation for the start of the portion on March 19. Hands-on training will take place on March 18.

Starting in February front desk greeters are needed on Fridays and from mid-April through the summer and fall greeters are needed Tuesday - Friday. Please consider taking a day each week or each month to greet visitors to Aurora and share the colony story.

Our biggest fundraiser each year is our auction, coming up on May 10th. We have already begun planning for this fun evening. Auction donations are needed and donation forms can be picked up at the museum. Some of the types of items needed are; antiques, quilts and artwork, dinners and food, seasonal activities (ski trips, summer trips).

The Program Committee is looking for volunteers who would like to help organize and promote activities that emphasize the history and purpose of the Aurora Colony. They meet at 5:30 pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the museum.

Please give me a call and volunteer for one of these opportunities.....you will be happy that you did. (503) 678-5754 or email: elizabeth@auroracolonymuseum.com.

THREE NEW MEMBERS JOIN ACHS BOARD, OFFICERS FOR 2003 ANNOUNCED

Three people appointed to the Board of Directors were approved by the Aurora Colony Historical Society membership at the December, 2002 Annual Meeting.

Linda Dryden of Hubbard, is a native of Aurora and a descendant of the brothers of William Keil who emigrated with the Aurora Colony but never joined it. Her term expires in 2004.

Ellen McCloskey has long volunteer service with ACHS, including many years in the Stauffer-Will Farm School Program.

Dale Wolfer, an Aurora Colony descendant, lives in Portland and owns an import/export business.

Current members Mike Byrnes, Bob Higgins and Charlotte Wirfs were re-elected by the membership for second terms.

At the January Board of Directors meeting, Mike Byrnes was re-elected as President; Brian Asher was elected Vice President, and Bob Higgins and Anne Heisler were re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.