July 18, 2026

Recovering from the Fire with Debra Gwartney

Debra Gwartney lived for many years on the McKenzie River in Western Oregon with her husband and cat. Her newest book is the memoir I Am a Stranger Here Myself. She will share and discuss her latest essay about recovering from the Holiday Farm Fire.

This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Rural Libraries from Oregon Humanities.

2:00 p.m., O'Brien Memorial Library, Blue River

August 15, 2026

Molly Gloss on "The Jump-Off Creek"

Oregon author Molly Gloss will lead a discussion of her novel The Jump-Off Creek.

This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Rural Libraries from Oregon Humanities.

2:00 p.m., O'Brien Memorial Library, Blue River

September 17, 2026

Past and Future Cultural Lifeways of Western Oregon Tribes

The Willamette Valley is rich with history that has been largely unrecorded—its riverbanks, forests, and mountains have been home to the tribes of Kalapuya, Chinook, Molalla, and more for thousands of years. Please join us for a presentation by OSU Professor and Indigenous scholar David Lewis, who will highlight Native perspectives on the history of the region and take us through a journey from then to now. Dr. Lewis is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and author of the book Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley.

7:00 p.m., Beaverton City Library, Beaverton

September 29, 2026

Wilderness Treasures with William L.. Sullivan

William Sullivan is the author of many books and articles about Oregon. In this talk, moderated by John Witte, he will discuss the many wilderness treasures of the Upper McKenzie region in Oregon.

This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Libraries from Oregon Humanities.

2:00 p.m., O'Brien Memorial Library, Blue River

September 29, 2026

Voices of Gresham Season 2 Launch Party

Gresham Historical Society presents a launch party for season 2 of its original podcast, Voices of Gresham. This party will include a short talk by host Stephanie Vallance followed by a presentation of the first episode and a Q&A. Enjoy snacks and drinks while you listen.

Voices of Gresham is a lively, one-of-a-kind podcast based on oral history recollections of Gresham residents past and present. Using interviews conducted from the 1980s to the present day, hosts Stephanie Vallance and Melissa Bevency explore themes from local history including the main arc, "Coming to Gresham," and shorter arcs exploring the history of libraries and live music.

This podcast will be available for free on all major platforms starting September 30. Season 2 will consist of ten episodes, with new episodes released weekly.

This event and the podcast are supported by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.

5:00 p.m., Gresham Historical Society, Gresham