Detroit, Oregon

Photos

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  Detroit Post Office 1946
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  USACE Foot Bridge 1946
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  Detroit Church 1946
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  Detroit Cafe 1946
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  Detroit High School 1946
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  Detroit Hotel 1946
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  Detroit Businesses 1946
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  Detroit Grade School 1946
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  Stahlman House in the Winter
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  Postmistress Mable Moore and Charles Deenbor 1959
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  Pack Train
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  Outerson Pack Train in Forest
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  Outerson Park Logging Site
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  Old Detroit Split By Railroad
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  John Outerson Store
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  First Logging Engine in Detroit
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  One of the Better Dwellings---Detroit Village 1946
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  Breitenbush River Summer House Area Detroit Dam Campsite Area 1946
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  Bridge Over North Santiam River and Railroad Log Loading Station Elk River Siding, with in Reservoir Area 1946
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  Dwelling--Logging Camp, Kinney Creek in Reservoir Area 1946
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  Better Type Detroit Residence 1946
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  Detroit Tourist Cabins 1946
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  Summerhome Breitenbush River 1946
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  Building of Old CC Camp Privately Owned Converted to Apartments 1946
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  Old CC Buildings Converted to Two Family Apartments 1946
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  Homesite Tract on North Santiam Highway 2 miles SW of Detroit 1946
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  One of the Better Dwellings---Detroit 1946
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  Kitchen and Dining Room Logging Camp. Elk River Siding. Reservoir Area 1946
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  One of Buildings---Logging Camp Located on Kinney Creek With in Reservoir Area 1946
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  Part of Logging Camp, Elk River Siding. Reservoir Area 1946
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  Suspension Foot Bridge N. Santiam River at Detroit 1946
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  3 of 16 Cabins Located on Kinney Creek, within Reservoir Area 1946
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  Looking Up Near French Creek
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  Forest Landscape
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  Landscape Near Detroit
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  North Santiam Canyon in Winter
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  Looking Up Breitenbush River 1949
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  Roe Family 1898
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  Hollingworth and Hoover Men
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  Oskies Family
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  Family Photo 1959
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  Three People in Front of a House
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  Greetings From Detroit Back 1912
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  Detroit Hotel Back 1952
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  Headtowers Back 1950
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  Group Photo Carpenter Home Back
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  John and James Hollingsworth Post Office Back
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  John Outerson Store Back
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  Stahlman House in Winter Back
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  Outerson Pack Train in Forest Back
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  Detroit Theater Being Torn Down 1952
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  Removal of Buildings in the Town of Detroit 1952
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  Ruth Roe Postcard Back 1951
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  Postmistress Mabel Moore and Charles Deenbor Back 1959
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  Old Detroit Mill
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  Santiam River Diver
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  Daily Train to Detroit 1907
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  Briles Saw Mill 1953Saw mill near Old Detroit run by the Briles family.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Large Motor at the Briles Lumber Mill 1953A large motor that powers the Briles Lumber Mill saw.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Briles Lumber Mill Workers 1953Men gathered in the center of the Briles Lumber Mill.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Briles Lumber Mill Construction 1953Men building a sheet metal roof over the Briles Lumber Mill.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Briles Mill Construction 1953The Briles Lumber Mill mid-construction.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Briles Mill Workers 1953Workers gathered around a large saw at the Briles Lumber MillAtlas of Drowned Towns
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  Pfaff Homestead in Old Detroit 1931Photos of the Pfaff household which was moved from Old to New Detroit in 1951.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Wayne Moore at the Detroit Dam Dedication 1953Wayne Moore speaking to a crowd of hundreds at the Detroit Dam dedication.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Chorus Line at the Detroit Dam Dedication 1953Chorus line performing at the Detroit Dam dedication.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Hoover Oregon Winter 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Debris 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Loggers 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Saw Mill 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Santiam 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Railroad Tracks 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Hotel 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover After the Fire 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Bridge over Santiam 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Logger Tent 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Logging Camp #9 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Logging Crew 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Steam Donkey on Land 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Steam Donkey on Santiam (3) 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Steam Donkey on Santiam (2) 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Steam Donkey on Santiam 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Logging Camp Dining Room 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Post Office 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Pack Train 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Hoover Deer Hunting 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Roofing 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Balcony 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Porch 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Interior 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Framing 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Interior Looking Over Balcony 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin External Stairs 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Framing with Jeep 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Interior Under Construction 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Interior Under Construction (2) 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Peils Cabin Exterior with Surroundings 1969Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Detroit Dam Dedication 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Pam Doan with Nephew 1957
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  Pam Doan on front porch with Sparky and the three legged cat Tom. 1950
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  Pam Doan in house in New Detroit 1955
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  Pam Doan as a child on family house porch 1950Undated photograph of Pam Doan when she was 1-3 years old. Pam Doan's family moved to Detroit in 1950, when Pam was one year old and lived there until moving to "new" Detroit in 1953.Pam Doan
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  Detroit Dam Access Roads
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  Detroit Dam Base Back 1951
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  Detroit Dam Excavation
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  Detroit Dam Office
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  Suspension Bridge over North Santiam River 1946
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  Detroit Grade School Dismantled 1952
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  Train at Hoover Logging Camp 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  Ma Dickie Back 1952missingmissing
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  Cabin at Hoover 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns
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  First Logging Engine in Detroit 1900
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  Bauta and Harold Champion Wedding 1900
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  Blow Out Camp 1900
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  North Santiam Highway Near Pamelia Creek 1940Detroit History Jamboree
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  Logging Crew in Hoover 1900
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  View of Mt. Jefferson from Hoover 1900
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  Hoover Logging Camp Dining Room 1900
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  3 of 16 Cabins Located on Kinney Creek, within Reservoir Area 1946
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  Young and Morgan "Early Years" with Caption 1940The young brothers moving a caterpillar on the North Santiam Highway.Detroit History Jamboree
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  Hoover Logging Camp 9 1953
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  Hoover Logging Camp 1953
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  Ma Dickie in Front of Detroit Hotel 1952Hilma "Ma" Dickie was the owner and proprietor of Dickie's Hotel, which was dismantled to make way for Detroit.Oregon Historical Society

Bird’s-eye Views

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  Detroit in Winter
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  Detroit Dam Site West 1949
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  Detroit looking West 1949
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  Detroit Mud Flats 1958
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  General View of Detroit and Surrounding Area 1948
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  Old Detroit 1920
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  Downtown Detroit 1900

Aerial Imagery

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  Detroit 1939 1939
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  Detroit 1953 1953

Maps

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  Map of Old Detroit, 1950 1950Jim Stahlman

• Santiam River Proposed Dam Projects 1960Geographical maps of the Santiam Rivers with proposed dam projects. Including those that were never constructed.US Army Corps of Engineers · National Archives and Records Administration Seattle

News

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  Detroit Will Evacuate Fall 1951 1949
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  Engineers Start Buying Reservoir Land 1949
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  Luncheon Accompanies Dedication at Dam 1952Statesman Journal article discussing the Secretary of the Interiors attendence at the Detroit Dam dedication.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
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  Detroit People Hear About Condemnation 1949Capital Journal
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  The Safety Valve (Statesman Journal) 1952Capital Journal
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  Brings Improvement (Statesman Journal) 1952Capital Journal
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  Brings Improvement 1952
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  Detroit People Hear About Condemnation 1949

• Old Detroit is Dead, Long Live New Detroit 1952
• Outerson Estate 1952
• Detroit Had Dramatic Year in 52 1952
• Front Page of Mill City Enterprise 1949
• Substation at Lyons Approved 1951
• Front Page of the Mill City Enterprise in August 1951 1951
• Plan to Incorporate Stirs Up Lively Fight 1949
• N. Santiam River Kill Vexes Community 1951
• Detroit Rejects Incorporation 1949
• Detroit Order Ok'd 1949
• Idanha Voters Reject Detroit Becomes City 1949
• Passing of Detroit Brings Both Cheers and Moans 1952
• Caravan Sees Big Changes at Site of Detroit Dam 1950
• Detroit Land Check Arrives 1949
• U.S. to Ask Detroit Bids 1948
• Detroit Task at Milestone 1951
• Engineers Move to Restrict Detroit Land Speculation 1949
• Highway Group Stands Pat on Detroit Dam Road Sum 1946
• Detroit People Hear About Condemnation 1949Articles detailing the residents of Old Detroit's resistance to the enviornmental impact of the Detroit Dam.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Detroit Vote to Incorporate 1949
• Detroit Dam Land Acquired 1949
• Detroit Asks Incorporation 1949
• Name Selected For Dam Town 1946

Official Records

• Detroit Construction Manual 1948
• Columbia River Management Report- Detroit Reservoir 1978Report from USACE on the efficiencies of flood control around the Detroit Dam. Similarly details pool levels for the Detroit Dam.US Army Corps of Engineers · Detroit History Jamboree
• Detroit Reservoir Flow Schedule 2001 2001Atlas of Drowned Towns
• 1941 Detroit Dam & Reservoir Definite Report 1941US Army Corps of Engineers
• Detroit Dam Drainage Schedule, 2001 2001US Army Corps of Engineers

Personal Accounts

• Detroit-Idanha Telephone Directory 1953Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Melvin LaVine Union Card 1951Union card beloning to Melvin LaVine. LaVine worked on the Detroit Dam from July 1951 to January 1952.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• White Family Tree 1804The White family lived in Detroit before its inundation. Otis White served as super-intendent during the 1950s. They owned a number of properties in Old Detroit and were paid out by the Army Corps of Engineers.Atlas of Drowned Towns
• 1958 Detroit High Year Book 1958Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1940 Detroit High Yearbook 1940Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1942 Detroit High Yearbook 1942Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1944 Detroit High Yearbook 1944Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1948 Detroit High Yearbook 1948Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1949 Detroit High Yearbook 1949Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1950 Detroit High Yearbook 1950Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1951 Detroit High Yearbook 1951Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• 1946 Detroit High Yearbook 1946Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Grace Ruth Smith's Reminiscences 1973Oregon Historical Society
• 1947 Detroit High Yearbook 1947Detroit History Jamboree
• 1945 Detroit High Yearbook 1945Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree

Oral Histories

• Loren Clark and Phyllis Clark (Ketchum) 2023Interview with Loren Clark and Phyllis Clark who recall growing up in Detroit, Oregon, during and after the construction of Detroit Dam, sharing memories of the old town, small school classes, logging work, and community life. They describe how the dam and relocation affected local families but remember most residents as largely neutral about the project while continuing to build their lives around the new lake and town.Loren Clark and Phyllis Clark (Ketchum) (narrators) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Melody Munger 2023Interview with Melody Munger who reflects on her family’s long history in the Santiam Canyon and their connection to the construction of Detroit Dam, which her father helped build. Drawing on family stories and her own experiences as a local teacher, she discusses community resilience, the relocation of buildings from Old Detroit, and how economic and environmental changes, such as shifts in the timber industry and the loss of local schools, have shaped life in the area.Melody Munger (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Norman Pfaff 2023Interview with Norman Pfaff who discusses his family’s cabin in Detroit, Oregon which was one of the buildings relocated from Old Detroit during the construction of Detroit Dam. He reflects on how the area evolved from a small mill town to a recreation-based community. He also describes the community’s recovery after the 2020 wildfire and shares his perspective that the dam brought both benefits and trade-offs for the region.Norman Pfaff (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Edward Ethan Bowman 2023Interview with Edward Ethan Bowman who reflects on his long career with the Oregon Department of Transportation in Detroit, Oregon, and his experiences living in the Santiam Canyon after the construction of Detroit Dam. He discusses changes in the community over time, including the decline of logging, natural disasters such as the 1996 flood and the 2020 wildfire, and growing tensions over development, tourism, and shifting demographics in the town.Edward Ethan Bowman (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Greg Sheppard 2023Interview with Greg Sheppard who reflects on moving to Detroit, Oregon in 1979 to work for the U.S. Forest Service and later the Oregon Department of Transportation, describing the region’s once-bustling logging economy and its gradual decline. He also recounts his experience during the 2020 wildfire that destroyed his home and discusses ongoing efforts to rebuild the community and shift the local economy toward recreation.Greg Sheppard (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Julie Ann Gunderson 2023Interview with Julie Ann Gunderson who discusses purchasing and restoring a historic cabin in Detroit, Oregon, originally built around 1940 and one of the few structures that remained in place through the creation of Detroit Lake and later the 2020 Labor Day wildfire. She reflects on the cabin’s layered history across multiple “versions” of Detroit and her efforts to preserve and learn more about the property’s past while rebuilding and adapting to the town’s post-fire landscape.Julie Ann Gunderson (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Kathy Snyder 2023Interview with Kathy Snyder who recounts moving to Detroit, Oregon in 1964 when her father began working for the highway department and reflects on growing up in a small logging and highway community where neighbors supported one another and many buildings had been relocated from Old Detroit after the dam’s construction. She also describes how the 2020 Labor Day wildfire destroyed her home and much of the town, highlighting the profound changes the disaster brought to the community.Kathy Snyder (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Ken Graves 2023Interview with Ken Graves, who moved to Detroit, Oregon in 1977 to teach at the local K–12 school. Ken shares memories of classroom life in the tight‑knit community and local legends such as a story about a car driven on the submerged streets of Old Detroit. He also reflects on the town’s evolution since the Detroit Dam era, noting the decline of local mills and how the community adapted and changed over time during his years teaching there.Ken Graves (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Lucy Bishop (Young) 2023Interview with Lucy Bishop who recalls growing up in the remote Marion Forks area near Detroit, Oregon, attending a small high school, and enjoying seasonal outdoor activities like snowmobiling and horseback riding. She reflects on the community’s relationship with the dam, local tourism, and logging, sharing family stories that connect her to the region’s history and development.Lucy Bishop (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Melinda Hills 2023Interview with Melinda Hills, a lifelong resident of Detroit, Oregon, who shares her deep family ties to the community, including her grandfather who helped build Detroit Dam and later became a long-serving mayor. She reflects on the town’s changes over time, from logging and dam construction to wildfire destruction, and describes her role preserving local history and memories as Detroit’s informal community historian.Melinda Hills (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Melissa Shaw (Young) 2023Interview with Melissa (Young) Shaw who reflects on growing up near Detroit Lake and Marion Forks, where her family had deep roots in the local timber industry and community institutions like the Marion Forks Lodge. She discusses how Detroit has endured major changes, from dam construction and shifts in the logging economy to recent wildfires, while emphasizing the lasting sense of identity and community shaped by growing up in a small mountain town.Melissa Shaw (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Stephen Galbraith 2023Interview with Steve Galbraith, a lifelong resident of Detroit, Oregon, who reflects on growing up in a Forest Service and timber industry family, working more than forty years in logging, and experiencing the community’s close ties to the surrounding forests and Detroit Lake. He discusses the impacts of the timber industry’s rise and decline, recreation and tourism, the 2020 wildfire, and why he and his wife chose to rebuild and remain in the small mountain town he has called home his entire life.Stephen Galbraith (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Verna Ketchum 2023Interview with Verna Ketchum who recalls moving to Detroit, Oregon in 1951 as the community was transitioning from Old Detroit to the new town during construction of Detroit Dam. She reflects on attending high school during the relocation, playing flute at the dam’s dedication, working for the Forest Service for 32 years, and witnessing major events such as the 1964 flood and the community changes brought by the dam and later wildfire.Verna Ketchum (narrator) · Detroit History Jamboree
• Harold Baughn 2023Interview with Harold Baughn, who lived in Detroit, Oregon, in the 1920s. Harold recalls living in Old Detroit, Oregon in the early 1930s as a young child, sharing memories of logging camps, tight-knit community life, and family stories from the Santiam Canyon before the construction of Detroit Dam. He reflects on his family’s experiences during the Depression, the local logging economy, and how community members supported one another during difficult times.Harold Baughn (narrator) · Old Detroit History Jamboree

• Lowell "Buzz" Fleetwood 2000
• Eugene Noyes Whitten 2000
• Helen Gustine 1997
• Verna Rosina Ketchum 2000
• Roy Silen 2000
• Walter E. (Ed) Seamster 2000
• Wendall L. Jones 2000
• Dorothy Jeanette Young Newman 2008Bob Reinhardt collection
• Alvin L. Sorseth 2000Alvin L. Sorseth (narrator)
• Clifford H. White 2001

3D Artifacts

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  Detroit High School Wooden Plaque 2023Large wood carving from New Detroit High School.Detroit History Jamboree

• Detroit Dam Ceramic Tray 1954Picture of Detroit Dam in a ceramic dish.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Detroit Shingle SignSign advertising red cedar shingles in Old Detroit.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Detroit High BugleBugle from the new Detroit High School.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Old Detroit Dance Tonite Sign 1949Sign advertising a dance at the Canyon Moon Dance Hall in Old Detroit Oregon.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Detroit Dam Ceramic Tray 1954Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Old Detroit MailboxA mailbox from Old Detroit found near the Ranger Station after the dams creation.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Detroit Shingle Advertisement SignSign advertising red cedar shingles in Old Detroit.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Mongold Boat Ramp Painting 1957Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree
• Idanha Shingle Advertisement SignAdvertisement for shingles from Idanha. Found in Old Detroit.Atlas of Drowned Towns · Detroit History Jamboree