Welcome to “All Things Lorane”

Pat & Rocket by slough

Sixteen year old Pat Edwards and her “best buddy,” Rocket, in 1959 on their bean and berry ranch near Lebanon, Oregon

Hello!

My name is Pat Edwards and this is my personal website.

“But, I thought I was going to find a site about Lorane, Oregon!” you say.

You’ll find a lot of Lorane on these pages. It has been our family’s home since 1966, and was my grandparents’ home in the early 1940s when I was a little mite. They had a ranch located on Powell Road, about 8 miles northwest of Lorane, but they were active in the Lorane community.

With the help of two very special friends, Nancy O’Hearn and Marna Hing, I researched the history of the Lorane area in the late 1980s and we published a book on that history. I revised the book again in 2006. I’ve also written two Lorane newsletters over the years and am currently the Lorane correspondent, writing a newspaper column that appears weekly in both the Fern Ridge Review in Veneta and the Creswell Chronicle.

All of these things will be included here eventually. I will be adding portions at a time and will post my weekly columns here to share with each of you.

In addition, I am including the books, essays and stories that I’ve written over the years on other subjects — my family, my childhood, my experiences, my inner-most thoughts and beliefs.

So, no… it’s not just about Lorane, but at the same time, it does include a lot about the community because “All Things Lorane” live within my heart.

20 thoughts on “Welcome to “All Things Lorane””

  2. Ramona

    My family lived on Territorial land Rd in the 1950’s and were acquainted with Frank and Fay Mc Cullough (?), Joe and Mae Sweeney (?) and a family whose last name was Neece(?). Might any of these be familiar to you?

    Like

    Reply
    1. paedwards

      Hello Ramona… Yes, the Frank McCulloch family was quite prominent in the area. In fact there is a small, beautiful cemetery sitting on a hill overlooking the beautiful vineyards in the area named McCulloch Cemetery on Briggs Hill Road, just off of Territorial where most of the McCulloch family are buried… as a side note, my mother and great grandfather are buried there, too. I believe that my grandparents knew Frank and his wife when they had their ranch near there (on Powell Road, also off of Territorial) in the late 1930s and early 1940s. I have a few mentions of Frank and a T.J. McCulloch in my book on the history of Lorane, “From Sawdust and Cider to Wine.” The Sweeney and Neece names are somewhat familiar to me, but I can’t find anything on them in the book.

      Thanks for writing!
      Pat

      Like

      Reply
  3. Timothy Mahar

    Hi Pat, My name is Tim and I’m researching the Mitchell/Skelton/Herendeen/Dunn/Barton/Loper/Needham families. My Wife is a relative and found some information regarding a book written by Lorane Mitchell Whitney (illustrated by Velma Mills Mitchell) titled “The Feather Bed.” Have you come across this book by chance? I understand that the book is about the families growing up in Lorane, and I would love to obtain a copy if possible.
    Thank You,
    Tim Mahar

    Like

    Reply
    1. paedwards

      Hi Tim… Yes, I’ve seen a copy of that book, but it was published mainly for the family and I doubt very much if it is available outside of the family members. I can put you in touch with the daughter of Stell (Mitchell) and Lloyd Counts to see if she can find a copy for you. Her name is Vicki Brown and she lives in Eugene or Cottage Grove. Her mother and father passed away several years ago. I don’t have Vicki’s address for phone number, but she is on Facebook and I can try to reach out to her that way.

      My book, From Sawdust and Cider to Wine has a lot of history on all of these families. Have you read it yet? I can send you some of the family histories that it contains, if you’d like.

      Pat Edwards

      Like

      Reply
  4. Sally Gibbins

    Hi, Pat. I’m researching the Crow(e) family in Lorane, OR. I was there last week and purchased your book Sawdust and Cider. Awesome book!! I would love to get in touch with you! My name is Sally, and I’m in Sacramento. My email is sallygee333@hotmail.com. Please contact me when you can. Thank you for your work!
    Sally

    Like

    Reply
  6. Terra Jenkins

    Hey there! I love Lorane. My husband and our 3 kids are moving out there as soon as our house closes…Maybe you can fill me in on the history of the place we’re getting. I was told it was moved from it’s original location and was the, or one of the first homes built in Crow? 28202 Cottage Grove Lorane Rd… Here’s the zillow link : https://www.redfin.com/OR/Cottage-Grove/28202-Cottage-Grove-Lorane-Rd-97424/home/26223465
    I love history and would really like to find out more about the story with it if you have any info. Thank you! My name is Terra and my email is terra@mike-fisher.com

    Like

    Reply
  8. Dawn Kinyon

    My great or great-great grandparents owned a stage stop in Lorane. Atkinson or Addison would have been their name(s) my mom wrote about it and has pictures, but she is gone now. I have all her stuff in boxes. Someday I’d like to go through it all and find people like you to share it with. Maybe you already have it ? Her name was Sharlene Chase.

    Like

    Reply
    1. paedwards

      Hi Dawn… Yes. The family’s name is Addison and we have a large section on them in our book on the history of Lorane. They were a prominent family in the area and owned a large lumber mill. I’d love to get copies of anything about the family and their time in Lorane… especially your mother’s memoirs. My email address is paedwards42@yahoo.com if you are willing to share it. My mailing address is Pat Edwards, P.O. Box 50, Lorane, OR 97451. Thanks so much for writing!

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment