By Sue Bell - Special to Salem Reporter
COLUMN: Oregon’s early Christmas celebrations
From the Corps of Discovery to gold rush settlers in Salem, Sue Bird of the Willamette Valley Genealogical Society pulls from historic documents and newspaper accounts to chronicle the first century of recorded Christmases in Oregon.
SALEM HISTORY: The “bicycle craze” in Oregon’s capital
Ralph Emerson, son of Peter Emerson, in Salem in 1885 with a bicycle (Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collections) Sue Bell (1932-2019) for many years until her passing, wrote numerous local historical research articles for local newspapers and numerous Salem focused…
SALEM HISTORY: The volunteer fire crews who (sometimes) kept downtown from burning
This antique fire apparatus is decked out with flags as for a parade in front of the Marion County Courthouse in Salem in this undated photo (Ben Maxwell collection/Salem Public Library) Sue Bell (1932-2019) for many years until her passing, wrote…