Floras Creek

Langlois Library's Author Night Video: Margaret Grundstein "Naked in the woods"

Ledbetter House Steve on Guitar & Tchanan Fiddle

Langlois Library's Author Night featured Margaret Grundstein with her first book, evocatively titled "Naked in the Woods." The author chronicles her journey of self-discovery stimulated by the desire to show that society could live in a different way. The move was sparked by the turmoil of the times- Vietam War, Kent State, etc. The first part of the books deals with the establishment of a commune in an area close to Eugene, Oregon- the trials, set backs, joys, the accomplishments. Read more about Langlois Library's Author Night Video: Margaret Grundstein "Naked in the woods"

Langlois- Coho Country

2/10/15

 

Langlois -- Coho Country

Langlois is nourished by, and centered around Floras Creek, a little-known, but highly productive salmon and steelhead stream on the southern Oregon Coast. Floras Creek is also the source of the City’s drinking water, with the water intake located just above Highway 101.

 

Each fall and winter, salmon and steelhead pour into Floras Creek and its tributaries. Some of these fish have been out in the Pacific Ocean for up to four years, ranging as far west as Alaska and Japan. When instinct urges them to return home, they align themselves with the earth’s magnetic fields and swim towards the waters north of Cape Blanco. When they finally arrive off-shore between Thanksgiving and Christmas, scientists believe they orient themselves even further by sensing the distinctive smell, or signature of Floras Creek water. These fish then cease eating, swim against the current for several days to ascend Floras Creek, and eventually spawn and die in their native stream, very near where they were born.

This miraculous process has been going on in our area for at least 15,000 years, and it is our responsibility to make sure it continues into the future.

Langlois residents have been active in restoring salmon habitat on the creek over the last 25 years. Projects up and down the creek have included:

  • Placing rock “barbs” or vanes in the creek to reduce erosion and sedimentation.

  • Providing off-stream watering systems to pull cattle and sheep away from the creek.

  • Fencing out livestock to protect riparian areas (floodplains and lands next to the creek).

  • Planting native tree species to hold soil, provide shade, reduce water temperatures, and provide macroinvertebrates (caddis flies, mayflies, stoneflies, etc) to the stream food web.

  • Adding large whole logs to the stream in selected locations for hydrologic complexity and creating deep-water pools and refugia.

Langlois as an Artist Colony-Who Knew.

Unbeknownst to many, Langlois is home to many artists using various media to include painting, woodcarving, woodworking, spinning and weaving, fabric art, hand-crafted items of clothing, felting, pottery, jewelry making, greeting card making and more.

Some of this body of work can be seen at the RainCoast Gallery and the Wild Rivers Factory in Langlois and in other galleries in Bandon and Port Orford. There are also rotating exhibits at the local libraries, plus periodic special exhibits.

Below are four Langloisians (?) show their work after completing a watercolor/pastel class taught by a Langlois artist, Jean Stephenson.

Floras Creek by Jean.

Jean , our illustrious instructor

  Read more about Langlois as an Artist Colony-Who Knew.

Tale of a Floras Creek School Marm- Geraldine Purdy Merz Looks Back

 

 

EARLY DAYS OF THE LANGLOIS SCHOOLS

The following story was written by Olive Kreutzer ( 1904-1991) who was a legendary figure in her own right. Olive, married to Louis in 1926, was the mother of the twins, Lowell and Lloyd, Kenneth, Ruth and Anne and was known for her outstanding community contributions. Written sometime after 1981. ( The year of the Centennial), it is faaithfully transcribed- comments for clarity in brackets. Used with permission 2014 by her son, Lowell Kreutzer.

D. McDermott

 

GERALDINE PURDY MERZ LOOKS BACK

One December evening in 1918, a shy little high school graduate arrived in Bandon aboard the old " Charm" a passenger boat on the Coquille River. Gerry was on her way to Langlois to begin her teaching career in the Floras Creek school. Certainly, she did not imagine the part that the people there would play in her future life. Read more about Tale of a Floras Creek School Marm- Geraldine Purdy Merz Looks Back

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Floras Creek