Photos Head up new exhibit

Social media feeds these days don’t seem complete without a shot of the account holder on top of Cascade Head near Lincoln City. This Saturday, May 14, a new exhibit at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum will give a view of the area over time and an update on current conservation efforts.

In 1940, Earl Nelson, son of the cofounder of Nelscott, and two friends went on a hike around the rocky coves north of the Salmon River and up Cascade Head. Luckily, Nelson had his camera with him and snapped beautiful black and white photographs. These photographs were donated to the museum in 1998 by Ruth Grover, renowned local artist and friend of Nelson.

In the new exhibit, the multi-faceted perspectives of Cascade Head can be explored through Nelson’s photography. These impressions start with the Nechesne, or Salmon River Indians, through the lens of early traders, settlers and authors. The Nechesne were the southern band of the Tillamook Tribe and lived well off of the land until they were devastated by disease and by their forced removal at the hands of white settlement. The exhibit includes many quotes from the early settlers who farmed on Cascade Head and along the Salmon River.

At Saturday’s opening reception, Catherine Dunn, Oregon Coast preserves steward for the Nature Conservancy, will pick up where the exhibit leaves off, discussing the evolution in the conservancy’s efforts at Cascade Head over the past 40 to 50 years. This includes intensive cataloging of the rare coastal meadow species and protected special areas, habitat restoration and prescribed fires as a management tool. She will also describe the group’s current effort on recreation management/planning, which becomes increasingly important as the hike becomes more popular.

While at the museum, don’t miss the new interactive element, “Swipe Through History.” Two iPad kiosk stations, each loaded with 100 photos and interpretations, have recently been installed, one containing early history and the other with more recent images. These two kiosk stations give visitors the opportunity to finally view photos that usually live in storage at the museum.

The presentation is at 1 pm, and seating is limited to about 35, so arriving early is recommended. The North Lincoln County Historical Museum is located at 4907 SW Hwy. 101, Lincoln City. For more information, go to northlincolncountyhistoricalmuseum.org.