Exhibits

Museum displays trace the history of the South Umpqua Valley from the days of the Indian through the arrival of the pioneers who were lured by the Donation Land Claim Act and tales of mineral wealth. The forests supplied a variety of trees for constructing homes and furnishings.

Our main museum building has exhibits that allow visitors to view the kinds of items that pioneers used in their homes --- cast iron pans, butter churns, crockery, old washboard, hand-turned-wringer and metal irons that had to be heated on the stove to use them. A parlor exhibit features furniture donated by members of the Riddle family, a table that came across the plains (and fell out of the wagon on the way) and a rocking chair that came around the Horn. We have various pieces of furniture and dishes from the old Riddle Hotel.

Clothing, baskets, stone bowls and pestles from the Cow Creek Band and other tribes of Oregon are in an adjoining room. The painting, done by Elva Paulson, well-known Roseburg artist, recreates her conception of the Upper Dog and Medicine Creek rock shelters on the North Umpqua River. 

We are fortunate to house the plate collection from Mexia and Loson Winn’s Pie Shop, once located south of Canyonville on old Highway 99. Many plates from all across the country were given to Mexia over the 60-plus years she and Loson operated the pie and sandwich shop. Her pies were known far and wide. 

Our new exhibit in the Pickett Building includes a wheelwright shop and a blacksmith shop, with tools related to each shop. The historic Benham Forge in the wheelwright shop and tools from the George Poole Shop in Roseburg.