July 12, 2024 3:20 a.m.
Douglas County Commissioners Chris Boice, Tim Freeman, and Tom Kress, in conjunction with the Douglas County Museum of History and Natural History and the Douglas County Museum Foundation have announced the re-publication and exclusive availability of the book, “Lone Rock Free State”.
A county release said the iconic book was originally published in 1970 by local author and historian Lavola Bakken.
Dubbed the “little green book”, copies of it have been passed down from one generation to the next much like a family bible for the descendants of early settlers of the North Umpqua territory. Through stories and hard facts, Bakken skillfully documents the biographical and sociological history of the region – starting millennia earlier with the first indigenous inhabitants. The territory referred to as the Lone Rock State has no distinct boundaries, but Bakken’s stories span a geographic area from the Lone Rock ferry – now Glide’s Green Bridge, to Bill Bradley’s cabin past Dry Creek and up to Cap’s Illahee.
Today, this authentic narrative is considered the bedrock of any research of the North Umpqua region of the county. Copies of the book are exceedingly hard to find – until now. Copies of the reprint of “Lone Rock Free State” are currently available for sale exclusively in the gift shop at the museum for $24.99.
Commissioner Tom Kress said, “This book is a must-have for any Douglas County resident or history buff who wants to learn more about the history of Douglas County and the North Umpqua area”.
The Douglas County Museum Foundation spearheaded re-publication of the book to ensure that copies are available for the current generation of Oregonians. While the text was kept entirely as it was in 1970, however most photographs were upgraded to high resolution images from their original copies held by the museum’s archives or on loan from local families. Foundation President Matt Hill is a relative of Lavola Bakken.
The museum is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and veterans, $2 for students ages 5-17 and free those ages 4 and under. Museum members are admitted for free.
For more information about the museum or to find out about volunteering, go to: https://umpquavalleymuseums.org/