St. Helens, Images of America
Right from its start in 1847, this little town along the Columbia River was built with calloused hands. In these pages, one will see the loggers, shipbuilders, quarrymen, and mill workers. Their wives, mothers, and children are here, too, softening the edges and nourishing a community in the woods. Those early settlers built St. Helens to last, and through decades of booms and busts, tragedies and triumphs, the people's love for this place, so rich in beauty and possibility, shows in more than 200 images. It is a record of endurance, yes, but also of hope.
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The Columbia County Museum Association (CCMA) opened its archives and invited locals to do the same. The result is the collective memory of a city. Author Tricia Brown has written more than two dozen books, mostly about her former home, Alaska. CCMA board members include Joanne LeMont Pellham, who is descended from a city founder; Les Watters, whose family has been here for generations; Barbara Larsen, who cowrote Arcadia's book on Vernonia, Oregon; Dave Parsons, whose expertise lies in logging and railroads; Duke Smith, with a background in law enforcement and history; and Dave Sprau, the resident railroad historian and author. Their commitment to local history shines in this book.
