It's no secret that kids love field trips The proliferation of living history museums is testament to that fact. My own involvement began as an archaeology student sifting dirt in the basement of an Aurora Colony farmhouse in Oregon that has become a much anticipated excursion for many schoolchildren. I was lucky enough to find a significant artifact: the stub of a pipe used to smoke opium by the Chinese laborers who lived in the basement while they cleared Douglas Fir stumps for two cents a piece for early Oregon Trail emigrants. This was in 1974, during the time that my father was hosting a program for public broadcasting, "Oregon's Colonial Heritage" which was to become quite popular in reruns thanks to in-school viewing.
Both of these projects though viewed as risky in terms of returns on investment now seem tame compared to subsequent media "adventures". Although Dad's show is not currently available digitally due to format issues, it has survived in the consciousness of those exposed to it.
Maybe the ghosts of the past will be remembered well by future generations. A new series being filmed in Oregon, "The Librarians" will add to the legacy of history appreciation that Oregonians take for granted while entertaining and informing a much larger audience.
Both of these projects though viewed as risky in terms of returns on investment now seem tame compared to subsequent media "adventures". Although Dad's show is not currently available digitally due to format issues, it has survived in the consciousness of those exposed to it.
Maybe the ghosts of the past will be remembered well by future generations. A new series being filmed in Oregon, "The Librarians" will add to the legacy of history appreciation that Oregonians take for granted while entertaining and informing a much larger audience.
