The beautiful mountains are near the lumber camp Opal's family moved from.

Before Opal moved to Cottage Grove she lived in Wendling, Oregon (1902 - 1903) near the present day site of Marcola Oregon.

Picture: the other logging camp in the beautiful mountains

Paragraph 1: The house in the blue mountains 

The blue hills are mountains a few miles east of Opal's home.

These mountains were called the blue hills because they were colored blue by camus flowers in the spring. The camus plant was a main food for the Kalapula Indians. It is sort of like a potato.

Picture: the Blue Mountain School

Paragraph 6: The blue hills 

Opal's bridge is the Mosby Creek Covered bridge. It is made of wood.

A wooden covered bridge is still used today to cross Mosby Creek.

Picture: Mosby Creek Bridge today

Picture: Mosby Creek and Walden Railroad Bridges today

Paragraph 9: The road to the upper camps

Paragraph 230: Singing to the river 

The canyon A canyon is a deep, narrow area where the side of a hill comes down to a stream or river.

The canyon Opal is next to Layng Hill and the Row River. Opal rides the old horse William Shakespeare down Layng Road to the canyon and the Row River.

Paragraph 240: Thoughts from the hills

Scene 45: Riding William Shakespeare 

The cathedral is a small clearing in the woods surrounded by tall trees.

Opal calls this clearing a cathedral because she uses it for religious services. The word cathedral is also often used to describe tall Old growth forests.

Picture: Sky view

Paragraph 97: The goodness of Sadie McKibben

Paragraph 350: A cream lily for the soul of Peter Paul Rubens  

A corduroy roadwas a road made from wooden logs and boards. It was used to haul newly cut logs down to the mill. A corduroy road was used in muddy areas where wagons and horses could not work.

Paragraph 40: Hurrying with the milk 

The far woods is a forest near the McKibben Mill, about a quarter of a mile west from Opal's home.

Opal calls this area the far woods because she thinks it is far from her house.

Picture: Sky view of the far woods today

Paragraph 194: A box in the woods

Paragraph 479: The place where the ferns grow  

The hospital is a place in the woods where Opal takes her sick and injured animals to get well.

The hospital is in the near woods just behind Opal's house. Also close to the hospital are Opal's nursery and the cathedral.

Paragraph 94: The nose of Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus

Paragraph 494: Helping a hurt bird 

The house of Elsie and her young husband was very close to Opal's house.

Elsie and her young husband are Opal's aunt and uncle.

Picture: Sky view

Paragraph 318: Dancing song notes 

The house of Sadie McKibben is located near the mill by the far woods, the McKibben mill.

Picture: Sky view

Paragraph 5: The road to Sadie McKibben's house

Paragraph 445: Rolling the hair of Sadie McKibben  

Opal's house is between the singing creek and her grandparent's house.

Opal lives in a very small wooden house with one room divided into two by a quilt. It is also called a lumber shanty

Picture: Sky view of the farm

Paragraph 1: The house on the edge of the near woods

Paragraph 3: The lumber shanty  

The lane is a narrow dirt road that Opal walks to school on.

The lane was quite long - at least a mile or more. It runs from her grandparent's house west all the way to the mill by the far woods. It was owned by the Limbergers.

Picture: The Lane

Paragraph 38: Our lovely lane 

The little house of Dear Love is close to the McKibben mill by the far woods where her husband works.

Dear Love and her young husband are friends of Opal's and neighbors of Sadie McKibben. They lived in a one room house like Opal's family did.

Picture: Sky view

Paragraph 198: The angel's mistake

Paragraph 341: Flower bed for Dear Love 

Opal's first home is Oregon was a logging camp near Marcola, Oregon.

The other logging camp was called Wendling and employed nearly 900 people doing logging and working in the saw mill. Opal lived for 18 months in Wendling. her family moved to Cottage Grove in December, 1903.

Picture: Wendling, Oregon

Paragraph 1: The logging Camp 

The meeting of the roads is where Mosby Creek road and Layng road intersect. It is in front of Opal's grandparent's house.

Opal calls this place where the road goes three ways. Her child's imagination sees Mosby Creek road as going two different directions. One way going west to Cottage Grove. The other way the road goes is east to her school. The third road, Layng Road, goes north to the upper logging camps and the Bohemia gold mines.

Picture: Sky view of Walden

Paragraph 5: The road to Sadie McKibben's house

Paragraph 6: The road to the school house

Paragraph 9: The road to the upper camps  

The mill by the far woods was owned by Sadie McKibben's family. Several other neighbors of Opal's also worked in the McKibben mill.

A lumber mill turns cut trees and logs into planks and lumber. The loggers and mill workers live near it in bunk houses housing as many as 20 or more men. The McKibben lumber mill burned down in 1907, a couple of years after Opal moved from Walden into Cottage Grove.

Picture: the McKibben mill by the far woods

Picture: sky view of the mill by the far woods

Paragraph 5: The road to Sadie McKibbon's house

Paragraph 303: Watching the folks from the lumber camp  

The the mill town is Cottage Grove, Oregon. It can be seen from the hilltops near her house.

Opal calls Cottage Grove the mill town because that is where the railroad takes lumber to the sawmills. Cottage Grove had about 2,000 people in 1905 and today has over 8,000. Opal lived in the tiny community of Walden, about 3 miles east of Cottage Grove. In September, 1905 Opal moved from Walden to Cottage Grove. Her diary ends as they are preparing to move to the mill town.

Picture: Cottage Grove, the mill town

Paragraph 5: The road to Sadie McKibben's house Paragraph 576

Paragraph 576: Making prepares to move to the mill town  

The mines are the Bohemia gold mines about 25 miles from Opal's home.

Several members of Opal's family worked in the gold mines near Cottage Grove. The mines are located far up the Row River and the upper logging camps.

Paragraph 240: Thoughts from the hills 

The near woods is the forest just behind Opal's house.

Opal names this forest the near woods because it is close to her home. Also in the near wood are Opal's cathedral, the nursery and the hospital.

Paragraph 1The house on the edge of the near woods

Paragraph 68: Looking for the fairies  

The nursery is Opal's place to grow little plants from seeds. She also keeps tiny insects and young animals in the nursery.

The nursery is in the near woods close to the hospital and the cathedral.

Picture: Sky view

Paragraph 152: The papa's big coat

Paragraph 500: Morning chores 

The oak grove is a large group of oak trees.

Opal walks near the oak grove on her way to school.

Picture: Sky view

Picture:Sky view

Paragraph 19: On the way to get milk 

The onion garden is part of their family farm. It is located at the western edge of their farm, toward Cottage Grove.

Paragraph 317: Working the garden 

The railroad track was built from 1902 - 1903 from Cottage Grove to Walden and then on to the upper logging camps and the Bohemia Gold Mines.

The railroad was called the "Old Slow and Easy" - it's real name was the Oregon & Southeastern Railway. It ran from 1904 to 1985. Today, the old railroad track has been made over into a 14 mile long bike path and hiking trail.

Picture: the Old Slow and Easy Railroad

Picture: the first Hollywood train wreck tranwrek.jpg

Paragraph 10: The railroad track  

The house where the owner of a farm and his family lives

"The ranch house was owned by Opal's grandparents, who also owned the land."

Paragraph 185: at grandma's ranch-house

Paragraph 7: other ranch-houses

Picture: Northeast Sky View of Opal's Home

Picture: The ranch house

Picture: Side of the Ranch House 

rivière is French for "river".

The rivière's real name is Mosby Creek. It is directly across the road from Opal's schoolhouse.

Picture: the riviere - Mosby Creek bridges today

Paragraph 9: The road to the upper camps

Paragraph 55: Staying in at recess time  

The road runs in front of Opal's grandparent's house. It's real name is Mosby Creek Road.

Opal calls this place where the road goes three ways . It is the intersection of Mosby Creek Road and Layng Road.

Picture: where the road goes three ways today

Picture: sky view of where the road goes three ways

Paragraph 5Paragraph 5: The road to Sadie McKibben's house

Paragraph 6Paragraph 6: The road to the school house

Paragraph 9Paragraph 9: The road to the upper camps  

Opal went to the Walden School from 1904-1905. It had only one classroom for students from grades six thorough grade six.

Teachers would have one group of students working on an assignment and then teach another subject to the other students. One teacher usually taught 30 or more students of all different grades and subjects.

Picture: Walden School in 1905

Picture: Opal's Class

Paragraph 45: Being "screwtineyesed" by the new teacher

Paragraph 224: Standing in the corner at school  

Opal went to the Walden School from 1904-1905. It had only one classroom for students from grades one thorough grade six.

Teachers would get one group of students working on an assignment and then teach another subject to the other students. One teacher usually taught 30 or more students of all different grades and subjects.

Picture: Walden School in 1905

Picture: Opal's Class

Paragraph 45: Being "screwtineyesed" by the new teacher

Paragraph 224: Standing in the corner at school  

The singing creek flows off the mountain behind Opal's house.

Opal names this the singing creek because of the pretty sound the water makes.

Picture: the singing creek today

Picture: Carolina Creek - the singing creek

Paragraph 4: The singing creek

Paragraph 182: Dropping grey leaves upon the water  

The Talking fir trees Opal describes are still standing today. Opal believes that nature is alive and aware. Trees, creeks, and animals can all speak if we can hear and understand their language. This is an example of Opal's use of "personification", giving human characteristics to animals or trees.

Picture: the talking fir trees

Picture: sky view of layng road and talking fir trees

Paragraph 9: Road by the talking trees 

The road to the upper logging camps is Layng Road - named for the farmer, George Layng.

Layng Road goes north from Mosby Creek to Row River Road - and, then east up to Dorena and on up the mountains to the Bohemia gold mines. The railroad follows the same route.

Picture: the row river and upper logging camps

a href="Action.lasso?-database=opal&-layout=standard&-op=eq&pg1=9&-response=format/opal1fmt.html&-noResultserror=/sorry.html&-search">Paragraph 9: The road to the upper camps  

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Last updated: February 7, 2002