McKenzie History Highway
Keeping the McKenzie River’s story alive, on the road and online, so the people and places that shaped the river aren’t lost, especially after a fire that took so much.
The project in one minute
Ongoing. The 37 roadside panels went up in 2019 and the website is live. Some panels have been moved since, so checking every panel is our next step.
Along Hwy 126 from Cedar Flat to Clear Lake, through the river’s eight unincorporated communities, in Lane County, Oregon.
Families whose stories these are, travelers who stop to read the panels, and students and anyone researching the river’s past.
Creator and steward: MCP volunteers built the panels and website, and we keep both accurate and growing.
$10,000 to $30,000 a year for panel upkeep, oral histories and website work.
Funded in part by the Willamette Valley Visitors Association with Travel Oregon funds, with help from the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce, Lane County and local donors.
History is easy to lose and hard to get back
The McKenzie River’s story runs from First People through homesteaders, gold miners, loggers and dam builders to the river communities of today. Much of it lives in family photos and in the memories of longtime residents. In September 2020 the Holiday Farm Fire burned 173,393 acres along the river and destroyed homes, buildings and the records inside them. Every year, more of the people who remember the old river are gone. The panels and website hold what was gathered before the fire. The work now is to keep them accurate and to collect what remains.
We built it, and we’re still here
- We built it. An MCP volunteer team led by local historian Margaret Beilharz gathered the photos, wrote the captions and installed all 37 panels.
- We’re local. The stories come from river families, who trust neighbors to tell them right.
- We connect past and present. Next, we’ll add the panels to VisitMcKenzieRiver.com so travelers find the history as they explore.
- We share it freely. The panels and website are free to everyone, and any rural corridor can copy the approach.
The plan grows with funding
Each phase stands on its own. Volunteers keep phase 0 going; funding is what lets us collect new stories before they’re lost.
Panels, website and a panel check
Live now: 37 roadside panels and the mckenziehistoryhwy.org website, organized by chapter and settlement. Next: find every panel, note any that were moved or damaged, and fix their locations online.
New stories
- Return moved panels or update their locations
- Recorded oral histories with longtime residents
- Fire-era stories and photos, gathered with care
- Panel stops added to VisitMcKenzieRiver.com
The next chapter
- A redesigned, mobile-friendly History Highway website
- Replacement panels for any that were lost
- New panels for places the fire changed
- Digital kiosks and school programs
Why this matters beyond one panel
A shared identity
Knowing the river’s story ties newcomers and longtime families to the same place.
Reasons to stop
History gives travelers a reason to pull over, and to spend time and money here.
Memory after the fire
Recording what was lost helps the community decide what to rebuild.
A model for rural corridors
Any highway community can tell its story this way.
Ways to help this project
MCP is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3). Gifts to this project pay for the work described above, and we report what changed.
Give any amount
Pays for panel repairs, recording gear for oral histories, and website upkeep.
Sponsor a panel
Businesses and families can sponsor the repair or replacement of a panel, with credit online.
Fund the next chapter
Heritage and humanities funders can support oral histories and the website redesign.
Results we’ll report
History projects can drift. So we’ll count what happens and report it here and in River Updates.
- Panels checked, returned or relocated
- Oral histories recorded and published
- Website visitors and most-viewed panels
- Panel stops listed on VisitMcKenzieRiver.com
- New or replacement panels installed
So far: 37 panels were installed along Hwy 126 in 2019, and mckenziehistoryhwy.org is live.
Before you give
Yes. McKenzie Community Partnership (McKenzie Community Development Corporation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax ID 93-1186618. Gifts are deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Yes. Choose “McKenzie History Highway” as the fund when you give, and we’ll put your gift toward this project.
Museums and agencies keep some records, but the everyday history of a rural river lives with its families. It takes neighbors to collect it and put it where travelers will see it.
Volunteers keep the website online and check on the panels. Funding lets us record oral histories and redesign the site.
No. The panels and website are free to everyone, and gifts go to panels, recordings and the website.
Yes: sponsor a panel, share family photos or stories, or tell us where a panel has moved. Contact us.