Yearly Archives: 2023

The Willamette Valley Project, and the towns it drowned, are currently at the center of the Atlas of Drowned Towns research focus. The town of Old Detroit, a small unincorporated community along the North Santiam River, was a victim of dam construction that many in the Willamette Valley were thrilled see built. The Willamette ValleyContinue reading “The Willamette Valley Project— Old Detroit’s Inundation on the eve of the Dam Building Boom”

Since time immemorial, the North Santiam Canyon has been part of the territorial homelands of the Kalapuyans in the west near the Willamette Valley and the Molallans in the east near the Cascade Mountains. To better understand the history of Detroit, Oregon, we must know the stories of the people who first inhabited the land.Continue reading “Since Time Immemorial—The Kalapuyans and Molallans of the North Santiam Canyon”

Hello! My name is Jack Warner, and I am one of the graduate research assistants apart of the Drowned Towns team. My time with the Atlas began shortly after my enrollment at Boise State in January 2023, and will continue for the foreseeable future. I am originally from San Diego, California and received my B.AContinue reading “Meet our Graduate Assistant, Jack Warner!”

Hello! My name is Rachel, and I am one of the graduate assistants for the Atlas of Drowned Towns. I joined the team in January 2023 while pursuing my M.A. in Public History at Boise State University. Although I recently graduated in May, I will continue to work with the Atlas team through the summer. Continue reading “Meet our Graduate Assistant, Rachel Klade!”

Visitors to the Atlas of Drowned Towns may have noticed a few changes in the last few months: more inundated places added to the directory and map, a beautiful new website and logo designed by Atlas team member and recent Boise State MA in History Rachel Klade, and a preview of the next version ofContinue reading “Project Update: Back to the North Santiam River”