done
all this, we found the main attraction just outside town. The
Bureau of Land Management's "National Historic Oregon Trail
Interpretive Center" on top of Flagstaff Hill. Although now
added to the "Fee Program" of federal sites, the $5.
per person was well worth the price. Located high on Flagstaff
Hill, the building overlooks the original Oregon Trail. Ruts made
by the wagons of a 150 years ago are still visible in the ground
several hundred yards down the hill. A circled wagon train
outside, created all the feelings we needed to put ourselves into
the time past. The stark expanse of the sage prairie with its
endless rolling hills tired us just thinking about the walk here.
We sat a spell in the middle, then walked from wagon to wagon
absorbing more of the time and place. We entered the building and
were immediately drawn into the main attraction, A replica of the
trail that ran a 100 feet to the back of the building, 
complete with wagon
ruts in the floor. On ether side of the pathway were mannequin
size figures entwined in a scene of a wagon train moving
westward. As we slowly passed by each figure they began to speak,
as though they were speaking their thoughts out loud, telling of
their greatest hopes and worst fears. There was happiness and
tragedy all rolled into one scene, from the opening Indian
setting to the ending wagon scene with the ever-exuberant kids at
play. Although spectacular in its presentation, this is but one 
part of a large
complex of presentations. Several films play endlessly, depicting
the stories of this epic journey. The center was laid out in a
twisting turning pattern with each turn displaying yet another
aspect of this period. The concept of what is now the National
Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center began as little more
than a coffee table discussion between local community leaders in
Baker City, Oregon in 1987. With the help of the Bureau of Land
Management, a local non-profit corporation (now the Oregon Trail
Preservation Trust) they refined the concept of a major visitor
facility to interpret the Oregon Trail at Flagstaff Hill.
show called Patchwork. It was a
dramatic presentation, she had helped create, of voices of 19th
century women. She did it in costume with some props but the
majority of changes were simply the sounds of her voice and her
body language. She presented the ideas, the songs, the hopes and
the fears of 17 different women. It was simply enthralling to
watch her performance and I got so caught up in the performance,
I found myself weeping with the women for their fears, angers and
frustrations and celebrating with their joys and accomplishments.
Her show was based on, and contained excerpts from, diaries and
letters that were written by women who had made the long and
arduous journey from back east to the Oregon area on the Oregon
Trail. This show was followed by another she did, in which she
played several instruments including a hammered dulcimer, a lap
dulcimer, and a guitar. Linda has a lovely clear voice and does a
wonderful job on presenting the music of the century. Linda was
gracious enough to talk with us after the performance and we
found out that she travels all over the country to various
festival and centers doing her presentations. I am sure her
performances are moving for anyone, but for any woman with even a
small amount of imagination it is a REALLY exciting presentation.
I found myself so caught up in the performance that I was off
with the various women fighting Indians, raising children, loving
and hating men who had dragged me off to that God-forsaken land,
and longing for a home and relatives left behind that I would
probably never see again. If you ever get a chance to see this
lovely, gracious lady in person be sure and avail yourself of
this opportunity. As we moved on to new adventures we carried
with us a new understanding and respect for the emigrants who
braved this epic journey.
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