Behind the Waterfall
A NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF SILVER FALLS MEMBERS
CCC Commemorative Display
by Patti Lindquist, Board Member
About the CCC
The early 1930s saw bleak times in America. The nation was entering the “Great Depression”. Men could not find work – soup kitchens had long lines, and President Franklin Roosevelt was determined to make it better through his “New Deal” policy. Part of that policy was the birth of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
CCC was open to unemployed unmarried men between the ages of 18 and 25 and in good health. They earned $30 a month, a portion of which had to be sent home. But more importantly they learned skills to prepare them for jobs, added to their education, and became part of a group of peers.
At Silver Falls there was focus on building the foundation for the new park – lodge, trails, shelters, etc. But over the whole country they also built roads, dealt with erosion control, built fish hatcheries, water storage basins, and more. Ahead of his time, Roosevelt was an environmentalist saying “the forests are the lungs of our land” and this was a basic part of the CCC policy.
Silver Falls, late 1934 – the first contingent arrived to prepare a camp for the CCC crew. The first to come were mostly from Illinois – later came men from Tennessee.
The camp had to provide for housing and feeding the men, as well as laundry facilities etc. By June 1935 this had been accomplished. The site is the former group camp at North Falls, which has now been moved. There was a commemorative plaque on a big log at the entrance to the area. The plaque (which contained an error) has been removed to the archives and the log has peacefully decomposed.
CCC Display Project
As this is an historic district within the Park permission was needed from the State Historic Preservation Office to use it for a parking lot, as the North Falls Gateway is being built up. This was mitigated by a collaboration between Kim Maley, FOSF Interpreter and Chris Gilliand, Park Manager who presented a plan to commemorate the CCC inside the existing meeting hall.
A display will consist of images and documents from the CCC time at the camp. There will be brief notations by selected images. FOSF archives has many photo albums and such from those who worked here, providing a wonderful source of material for the project. QR codes will provide further information.
The Redwood Water Tank
One of the most exciting things about the display will be the framing of some of the images. Back in the mid 1900s a huge redwood water tank was built for water supply in the park. It has been dismantled and pieces of that tank will be used to frame pictures and documents. How appropriate is that for repurposing? Roosevelt would have been proud!
When you visit the exhibit you will notice the absence of faces of women and people of color. This is indicative of the time period. There were indeed designated camps of African American, indicated with an A, and Indian Camps, indicated with an I.
Mock-up of the CCC Display at North Falls Meeting Hall
Eleanor Roosevelt was an avid advocate for women and attempted to get CCC Camps for girls. There were indeed a few such camps on the east coast but they did not see much success. The attitudes of the day are reflected in the nickname of the women’s camps as “ she-she-she “ camps.
Sadly, as our nation approached war, the CCC boys traded in their logging shirts for uniforms and went off to fight a very different kind of battle.
The results of the work accomplished by these boys/men is in evidence all over our nation. This shows how well they were taught and worked. Here at Silver Falls when you enter the lodge or the stone shelter, or hike the trails, or picnic under a roof, think of those dedicated people who made it all for us to enjoy!
Once the construction is complete, I urge you to visit the Meeting Hall at North Falls Gateway and enjoy the wonderful exhibit Kim has made possible!
Park Project Updates
By Chris Gilliand, Park Manager & Chelsea Sims, FOSF Administrator
What a winter it has been! Some parts of the park have accumulated more than two feet of snow. Seen here, Ranger John next to a pile of snow in the shop yard. For reference, John is our tallest ranger and sometimes used as a form of measurement.
The recent winter weather has delayed some park projects, but they are still underway. Below are some updates from park manager, Chris Gilliand.
Project Updates:
The old, leaking south Redwood water reservoir tank has been replaced with a steel tank. We are waiting on a few parts to bring the new tank on-line. Some of the redwood from the old water reservoir will be incorporated into the CCC display at North Falls Meeting Hall.
The west side of Buck Mountain Loop trail is closed for trail construction from the Howard Creek Loop intersection to the Cutoff Trail (Big Maple) intersection (1.4 miles). The closure is in place until May 1st, 2023.
A new RV and Trailer dump station is under construction. The new location is positioned as you leave the overnight side of the South Falls campground.
Four new Electric Vehicle Charging stations have been installed in the South Falls day use parking area.
North Development
The new North Canyon day use parking lot and trailhead, located in the area previously used for group camp A, will be completed by mid-June.
The new North Rim Trail will connect the new North Canyon day use area to the North Falls trailhead and provide additional connections to the Canyon Trail and the Trail of Ten Falls. The North Rim Trail will be open by mid-June.
The North Falls Viewpoint construction is expected to be complete with the North Rim Trail.
Ransom Notes
By Susan Ransom, FOSF President
Snowy Salutations Friends!
As I write this we still have a bit of snow dotting the landscape of the Park. In the photo above I made a quick trip over to South Falls in the snow to enjoy the view. I think Winter is my favorite season here; it is quiet, less crowded, the falls are very full and the snow makes for a dramatic landscape. But it is more challenging to hike in the winter! Luckily, most of our guests come prepared by dressing warmly, bringing spikes for the bottom of their shoes (to dig into the ice) and carrying sturdy hiking poles.
Our Interpretive Ranger Kim Maley recently gave a talk on ‘Hibernators at Silver Falls’ for Friends Members and Volunteers. (I imagine many of you – like me- wish we could hibernate the winter away!) But now spring is around the corner – Yay! And we have our Birding and Wildflower festival to look forward to May 13th and 14th; it is a great time that you won’t want to miss. Also coming up soon is the opening of the new ‘North Rim Trail’ with a never before seen view of North Falls. It is a must see!
Keep an eye on our website: friendsofsilverfalls.net for updates, activities and articles. Hope to see you all up at the Park soon! And if you visit on a Saturday be sure to come visit me in the Nature Store 😊.
Let me leave you with this quote:
‘There is no WiFi in the forest, but I promise you’ll find a better connection.’
~Ralph Smart
Nature Store Water Fountain
By Chelsea Sims, FOSF Administrator
In 2021, FOSF funded two drinking fountains for the South Falls Day-Use area. These fountains have a water bottle fill, regular fountain, and dog bowl. The first was installed this spring at the main restrooms, where over a million visitors enter the park every year.
The second was recently installed by park staff at the Nature Store. Friends hope these water fill stations will encourage visitors to be prepared before hiking into the canyon, and reduce the waste of single-use water bottles. Both drinking fountains will be turned on in the spring when temperatures are above freezing.
THANK YOU BUSINESS SPONSORS!
Upcoming Friends Funded Projects
By Chelsea Sims, FOSF Administrator
Several new projects have been approved by our Board of Directors and Park Management. Funding will be coming from 2022 memberships, general donations, and revenue from Nature Store sales. Over $40,000 has be designated for new projects.
Campground Amphitheater
Amphitheater: This is a long-term, at least four year, project. The Amphitheater is located in the campground and used for educational programming primarily in the summer months. Friends would like to upgrade the campground amphitheater to provide a welcoming space and extend the season of campground programs. This fund account has begun at $4,000 and will be added to on a yearly basis. More info to come!
National Park Entrance Sign
Entrance Signs: This is a long overdue addition to Silver Falls! Park Management and FOSF would like to see something similar to the well-known NPS signs. Friends has set aside $20,000 for the design and construction of a north and south entrance/exit sign.
Lodge Pavers: Pavers around the lodge would improve accessibility to the lodge. Friends has funded $12,000 for this project.
Nature Trail
Nature Trail: The Nature Trail is a scenic, although often underwater trail, circling the campground. This one mile trail is great for seeing wildflowers, beaver activity, fall leaves and it’s pet friendly! Friends would like to add interpretive information and make the trail accessible year-round.
Nature Store Upgrades: The Nature Store often loses power and we are forced to close during these outages. With the knowledge that rolling outages are likely to occur during peak summer months, Friends will be making some upgrades to ensure we are open for visitors as much as possible.
Friends of Silver Falls App: In an effort to reduce printing, FOSF will be funding and designing an interpretive app. We aim to digitize interpretive brochures to give visitors more information that is fun to use and FREE! We do not have a date for the launch of the app. Stay tuned for updates!
Wildflower & Birding Festival
By Chelsea Sims, FOSF Administrator
The annual Wildflower and Birding Festival is going to be May 13th and 14th. Stay tuned for a more detailed schedule.
As always, we’ll be selling lots of native plants outside the Nature Store. The raptors will be back again this year. If you missed their presentation last year, it is worth the trip! Guest presenters include William Sullivan (Sunday only) and Steve Shunk. Discovery Tables will be located throughout the historic district. Native Plant display will be in the South Falls Theater.
Nature Store: Successes, Challenges, & Solutions
By Chelsea Sims, FOSF Administrator
The Owl Display in the Nature Store
The Nature Store has gone through many changes over the years. We’ve made a conscious effort to direct our focus to interpretive products that reflect the unique story and ecology of Silver Falls. The results have been nothing less than enormous. Conversations with visitors are often focused on the history, geology, flora, and fauna of the park. Revenue has more than doubled in a matter of two years. This has enabled the Friends to invest in several impactful projects for the park, including the North Falls Viewpoint being built right now.
Growth of this speed has come with challenges. In order to sustain our business and keep the Nature Store stocked, we had to think outside the box for solutions. Park staff has been extremely generous and helpful in providing more storage space, in fact we doubled our storage after last summer. This will allow for larger, more consistent ordering this year.
Solution = Utility Golf Cart
Because of the location of the store, we are not able to have a separate address to receive deliveries. Product must be moved from one end of the park, through day-use to storage, then to the store. This called for a large investment. There were several options discussed, but the best long-term solution was to purchase a utility golf cart. We are very excited to have this tool to ensure we are able to maintain growth and provide quality merchandise that reflects Silver Falls and sparks curiosity in our visitors.
