Category Archives: Uncategorized

Hello! My name is Nate, and I am one of the graduate assistants for the Atlas of Drowned Towns team. I joined the Atlas quite recently, in early January 2024. I plan to help out with the project until at least the end of the year. Pacific Northwest born and raised! I am from Boise,Continue reading “Meet the Team: Graduate Assistant Nate Muir”

Old Detroit was a community unafraid to resist their government when it did not promote their interests. This is evident when many residents petitioned the courts to award them more money for their property than the United States Army Corps of Engineers initially offered. Eventually, the United States District Court of Oregon determined that USACEContinue reading “Condemnation Proceedings in Old Detroit”

From the founding of Old Detroit in 1889, the Southern Pacific Railroad embodied the economic and social lifeblood of this community. Residents relied on the railway to transport their goods and connect their town with the greater Willamette Valley. In 1945, the United States Government and the Southern Pacific Company almost decimated Old Detroit’s economicContinue reading “Old Detroit’s Fight to Retain the Southern Pacific Railroad”

Hydropower has been a driving force behind the evolution of dam development, finding its modest origins in ancient civilizations, evolving to become the fourth largest producer of energy worldwide. Its enduring presence significantly shapes the narrative of inundated communities. The allure of dependable, eco-friendly energy sources spurred government agencies to construct immense hydroelectric dams acrossContinue reading “Hydropower- Enough Energy to Go Around!”

Asa Whitney and other Americans advocated for a railroad connecting the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the United States and transforming the region into an economic powerhouse. This proposed railroad would provide settlers access to Eastern markets and inexpensive transportation options for their goods. However, transcontinental railroads in the Pacific Northwest did not fullyContinue reading “The Impact of the Pacific Railroad on the Pacific Northwest”

The Atlas project embodies a dedication to collaboration, aiming to integrate stakeholders’ voices in historical narratives and foster reflection on lost communities. Through the History Jamboree, participants can engage with unseen historical materials, offer their stories, and learn more about the project. Collaboration is at the heart of the Atlas. Our goal is to offerContinue reading “The Inaugural History Jamboree!”

Hello! My name is Rebecca Mills, and I am one of the graduate assistants for the Atlas of Drowned Towns team. I joined the Atlas in August 2023 and will remain on the team for the next two years. I am originally from Caldwell, Idaho, and received my B.A. in History from the University ofContinue reading “Meet our Graduate Assistant, Rebecca Mills”

The Great Depression’s effect in the Pacific Northwest revealed the human cost of New Deal policies and the displacement they wrought. Although FDR’s attempt at stabilizing the economy did provide the much-needed relief for men and women across the nation, infrastructure projects like large dams resulted in the displacement of communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.Continue reading “The Great Depression in the Pacific Northwest– The Human Cost of Infrastructure Development”

Nestled in the tall evergreens of the Cascade Mountains lies a group of geothermal springs that have attracted visitors for generations. Breitenbush Hot Springs are situated in a natural clearing along the Breitenbush River some twelve miles northeast of Detroit, Oregon. To this day, visitors continue to enjoy the curative powers of the mineral waterContinue reading “Restorative Waters—Breitenbush Hot Springs”

The Pacific Northwest’s logging industry brought thousands to its dense forests. The environmental and social effects of logging were significant as ghost towns and stripped-down forests were left in the wake of loggers. The town of Detroit served as the home of many loggers in the Willamette Valley who, alongside the companies who employed them,Continue reading “Trees Aplenty- Logging in the Pacific Northwest”