Free Saunders Memorial Lecture Series to feature local historian Steve Lent and Mark Hatfield biographer
by Jason Chaney for the Central Oregonian
The Saunders Memorial Lecture Series returns to Bowman Museum this month with two events planned on different Thursday evenings.
The free lecture series is co-hosted by Friends of the Crook County Library and the Crook County Historical Society/Bowman Museum. The series originated when Curt and Martha Saunders, long-time local residents and members of the Crook County Historical Society, bequeathed money to both the museum and Friends of Crook County Library.
One day, after both Curt and Martha had passed, former museum director, Gordon Gillespie, took a phone call from an attorney who informed him that the Saunders had left money to the museum as part of their will. "We were pleasantly surprised," Gillespie said, noting that the Friends of the Library were left a similar amount by the Saunders. When we were discussing the lecture series, we thought that was a good way of honoring them and also putting the idea in people's heads that that is the kind of thing they can do. They can bequeath to organizations that they like to support."
The 2022 series kicks off this Thursday, Oct. 6 with a presentation by local historian and author Steve Lent. Lent is a native of Prineville who has a keen interest in local history and has avidly researched the past of central Oregon and rephotographed rare photos for the Bowman Museum. He has published books on Central Oregon Place Names and the photographic history of the Crook County area. In 2001, he was awarded a commendation award from the National Association of State and Local History for contributions to local history. He is a member of the Western Writers of America.
Lent will speak on early transportation in Central Oregon, providing a visual presentation with many old photographs of various transportation methods through the years. It will include the transition from livestock trails to wagon roads and then to automobiles. The various travel routes that provided access to and from Central Oregon will also be discussed and include the Willamette Valley Cascade Mountain Wagon Road (Santiam Road), the McKenzie/Salt Springs Road, The Dalles to Canyon City Wagon Road and the roads from The Dalles to Prineville. "Anecdotes on early travel will give a sense of what it was like to travel on rugged and primitive mountain roads and the hardships that were endured in traveling," said Museum Director Sandy Cohen.
UPDATE: The October event has been changed due to speaker cancellation. In his place Matt Cleman will present as Barney Prine. The show must go on. Everyone is welcome!
Oct. 20, Richard W. Etulain -- see update
Doors open for each lecture at 6:15 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. They are one hour long, and each program will be recorded.