The Eighth Annual Willamette Living History Tour Was A Celebrated Success; Thank you to to the Willamette Historic Neighborhood
(left to right) West Side Improvement Scene: Dan Gardner, Jesse Knight, Meagan Kaufmann, Dody Lang, Tom Mayer, Larry McIntyre, and Carol Elliott.
(left to right) Vinol Scene: Kassy Williams, Aron Helligas, Jenni Tan, Lyneil Vandermolen, and Kris Olson. Shower Scene: Kennedy Roby, Kia Vandermolen, Mary Gilmour, Kelly Gardner, Franny Heald, Keska Skinner, and Melenda Bria. Outside the Temperance Scene: Andrea Swenson and Alexa Bria. Townsfolks: The Sample family.
From the Hops Pickers Scene: Brady McDevitt and Devyn Jacobson
(left to right) The Aviator Scene: Ann Swenson, Ava Neudeck, Summer Tan, Jim Gordon and his Model T, Don Plumb and his model T with Richard Browning and Ashlin Vandermolen.
(left to right) The Council Scene: Jody Carson, Steve Elliott, Kraig Williams, Thomas Frank, Steve Koeppen, Glenn Russell, and Mike Selvaggio.
(right to left) Tour Guides: Shelly Wert and Darlene Schwartz. Photo of the Vandermolens: Lyneil, Ashlin and Kia by Kelly Shane Fuller with his 1919 Folmer-Graflex 4x5 camera.
Willamette Living History Tour Cast 2015
As I pack up our lanterns I continue to marvel that for the eighth year in a row we have been able to turn this tiny neighborhood back in time (one actor several years ago described it as West Linn's own Brigadoon) and produce an event that is as much fun to participate in as it is to watch.
We were blessed with perfect weather and the cooperation of the entire area to keep the 1913 neighborhood as authentic as possible. More riders and horses were with us this year creating the magical sounds of the horses hooves clip clopping on the pavement (...and making a little more street clean up than we were prepared for so please accept our apologies).
This year, I snuck into one of the final tours to see the entire event as a guest for the first time in the eight years I have helped produce the Tour. Every scene was charming, well played, and educational all at once. This is a unique event that turns a pretty humble historic neighborhood into live theater for our families and high school thespians to participate in, and guests to enjoy.
The West Linn Historical Society formed, in part, to help provide the financial framework for this program and to provide an organization that is capable of planning future programs celebrating our local history in a way that is meaningful for our residents and visitors. I am so proud to have been a part of making this event happen over the past eight years and as long as the neighborhood will let us, we want to keep this theater open.
For now, we will prepare for winter and put our costumes back into storage. But we will not be gone long, look for us in the Holiday Parade December...or better yet, consider joining us.
Come springtime, we will be waking up to think about 1916...
