What's in Salem Oregon?

Welcome back to the road. Today we are leaving the desert behind, and trading it for the amazing greenery of Western Oregon in the city of Salem. People have been living in the area of Salem for quite a long time, long before it was ever called Salem, or any of the many other names it has been called over it s history. The original inhabitants of the area were the Kalapuya people. There were many groups of people who fall under this banner, mostly because they spoke some dialect of the kalapuya language. Their descendants still live in Western Oregon today. They called the place Chimikiti, which I am told means resting place. Later settlers came in the form of trappers who traveled from the coastal region in Astoria Oregon, and others who made their way along what would become the Oregon trail. As the trail taken was expanded and further developed, it became passable by wagons. The Oregon trail was born, and larger numbers of people began moving into the area. In 1840 a Methodist mission put down roots and named the place Chemeketa, something I suspect they borrowed from the natives already calling it this. It was also about this time that our current city of Salem was being called the Mill. There may have been a mill here at that time, but it was apparently called this because of its proximity to Mill Creek. In 1840 the Methodists also started the Oregon Institute, which is today called Willamette University. Establishing the institute led to the place being called The Institute . In 1844 the mission was dissolved. I don't know if they continued their missionary work, had converted everyone they could, or simply gave up on the area, but the town was formally established. A few short years later the place being called Salem, the Institute, Chemeketa and so on, became the capital of the new Oregon territory. I guess it was time to settle on a name. Several of the cities founders, including W.H. Wilson who we will be paying a visit to later, wanted to give it a biblical name. Someone apparently suggested using the last part of the word Jerusalem, and it stuck. Salem is still the capital of the state, and so it is home to the Capitol building. The grounds around the capitol are very park like. There are brave squirrels that live here, brave enough that they actually jumped on my shoes. The capitol grounds have a lot to see, including beautiful plants and flowers, sculpture, and more. Also on the capitol grounds are some memorials for fallen heroes. There are so many names, it is a reminder that the life we live came at a great cost. Oregon is home to many artists, and those who appreciate the work of artists. The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is a great place to appreciate amazing works of art here in Salem. There is a lot here from near and far. This section displaying Native American art is a favorite of mine. There are some truly amazing works in here. This display of arctic images is also amazing. Now let's take a look at some art from the days of antiquity from around the world. This sort of reminds me of home. Earlier we mentioned that we would be visiting W.H. Wilson, one of the founders of Salem. I wish he were able to have a conversation with us about what it was like back then, but if that happened then I think this would be a very different kind of show. He is buried here in the pioneer cemetery along with many of the city s oldest residents. His grave is easy enough to find, right between two roads. I have to say this is a city that has done a lot to preserve its past, and in this case to keep it alive The Willamette Heritage Center has a fully preserved textile mill, and much more. It was originally water powered, and you can see the shoots where they would divert the water from the river to power the machinery. The place is amazingly well preserved, as if the workers just left everything and went home one day. getting caught in the machinery, but I imagine it was quite hazardous work back in the day. Let's take a look inside the mill building. There is a lot to see inside the mill building, including this exhibit on music from the area. It seems you can learn a lot about textile manufacturing here. I have even heard that they have enthusiasts who actually make fabrics in here. Downstairs there is even more to see, and a lot of information about each of the stations. If you remember all the way back to the beginning of our visit here, Salem started off as a Methodist mission. Many of the buildings that were part of that early settlement are preserved here to see. I wasn t sure what a parsonage was before visiting. Apparently it is just a house provided for a member of the clergy. This house, the Jason Lee House is the oldest standing frame structure in the entire Pacific Northwest. Let's have a look inside. In addition to the two houses, they also have the old church house as well. Our next stop takes us a bit out of town, but its well worth seeing. We are making a stop at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. This place is massive, and features some pretty incredible air and spacecraft. I'm already amazed by being so close to all these military jets, and we have just gotten started. I know that red star. This A-10 is like a flying tank. It s not really fast, but it makes up for that in toughness. The A-10 was slow, this one is the opposite. Apparently this crazy looking airplane can travel at speeds over mach 3. I guess that s one way to avoid trouble, just run faster than the bad guys It looks so futuristic, its hard to believe they were making them in the 1960s. Check out this mockup of the lunar surface. The space suits look a bit wilted when they aren't pressurized or in a vacuum. There are a lot of rockets here at Evergreen. Some big, some small, some for peaceful purposes, and others a bit more menacing. It s hard to imagine three people fitting in that Apollo space capsule. I guess leg room was a bit of a luxury that couldn't be afforded. Here is a bit of the menacing side I mentioned a minute ago. I feel as if I have entered a scene from the end of the world here. This piece of the Berlin Wall reminds me that there is hope for This piece of the Berlin Wall reminds me that there is hope for humanity no matter what. This ball is an incredible piece. The first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, rode there in one of these pods called the Vostok 1. This isn t the one he flew in, but its amazing to see just the same. I believe East and West got their start from these terrible relics of world war 2, the V2 rocket. Outside there are more jets to see, like this Mig 29. The F-14 has variable wing sweep technology. They look pretty high tech, but they have been retired from service for a while. Our last stop in Salem will be the Riverfront City Park. If you just want a walk through a beautifully sculpted park, you're covered. They also have plenty to offer families with small children, like a splash pad in the summer. Apparently this used to be an industrial site. It was redeveloped as part of an urban renewal project. They did a very good job, it is hard to imagine this as an industrial site. I hope you enjoyed this visit to Salem Oregon. This is a beautiful part of the world, and the people here have done so much to preserve their history for future generations to see. Let us know in the comments what you enjoyed the most, and what you would like to see in future videos.Thanks for watching, see you next time.