Trip Report

The Obsidian bus pulled out of Valley River parking lot at 8 a.m., heading for Albany via Coburg and Peoria. A lovely pastoral drive with lots of spring flowers to see. The Monteith River Park was our coffee break location. We took a quick look at the sternwheeler Willamette Queen. Bill & Ellen Lilja of Flinns Tours gave us a quick narrated view of early waterfront and downtown Albany. As we drove out toward Boston Mill they told us lots of history about early settlers to the area. We made a photo stop at the water-powered Boston Grist Mill. Then on to our Rock Hill School for our lessons and lunch. The beautiful school marm was most patient with Clair Cooley and his antics, but eventually he found himself in the corner with a dunce cap! An alumnae of the school told of the olden days at the school. We all had our turn reciting our lessons for the state visitor, so the teacher could be rehired for the next year. After returning to Albany we made several neighborhood stops so riders could walk around several blocks to see historic houses. They all had maps with the houses described. As people tired we hopped on the bus for a ride to Brownsville for our ice cream stop. Then home via Crawfordsville and the Mohawk Valley. It was a great day (sunny) for our trip.

Riders were: Ethel Allen, Helen Barnard, Marian Borchardt, Ingrid Carmichael, Clair Cooley, Florence Douglas, Bette Hack, Dora Harris, Rosella Jones, Cecily Joost, Virginia Kapsa, Helen Knowlton, Cleora Mersdorf, Frances Newsom, Myrtle Sagan, Janet Speelman, Carol Stroud and Liz Reanier (leader).