RelyLocal

Normal_logo
    0 ratings

    Read Reviews

Mission Mill Museum

100% Local

1313 Mill St SE
Salem , Oregon 97301 (view map)
Phone: 503-585-7012 FAX: 503-588-9902 Website: http://www.missionmill.org/ Hours:

Museum M – S 10AM to 5PM
Closd Sundays and some Holidays


Details

Remodeled in 1999, Mission Mill Museum houses informative and captivating interpretive exhibits about the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill and Historic Houses.This historic 5-acre site interprets the vibrant red structures of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill and the simple white frame houses of devout Methodist missionaries, the founders of Salem. The history presented at Mission Mill helped shape the state of Oregon from 1834 to 1962. The mill and missionary stories are woven together by the use of water - water that sustained life and powered industry. Visit us and take time to become acquainted with early heroes - missionary and industrialist. Their lives, struggles and successes are the stories of Mission Mill Museum. Together they weave a legacy that continues to enrich our lives.

Oregon in the Industrial Age Tour (Woolen Mill tour)
The Thomas Kay Woolen Mill was a focal point for industry in Salem for four generations. The impact of the Mill goes beyond the local community to encompass the emergence of Pendleton Woolen Mills which is still in operation today. In 2003, the Museum’s unique mill structure was designated one of America’s Treasures by the National Park Service. The Mill tour gives visitors insight into the complex process of turning raw wool into fabric as well the use of water power and child labor in early industry in the Willamette Valley.
The tour leads visitors through several buildings following the fiber to fabric process and highlights the authentic machinery used. Working belt-run drills, lathes and planers in the Mentzer Machine Shop illustrate how the millwright kept the Mill running. The second floor of the Mill building gives visitors a sense of the working conditions in the Mill as the group walks over lanolin coated floors, touches carded wool and the docent operates the clattering loom. In the finishing room visitors discover how fabric was fulled, washed, dried, napped, sheared and pressed. The finishing room also showcases the important role the Mill played during World War I and World War II in the production of army blankets for the war effort.

Explore the Lives of the Methodist Missionaries
and Oregon Trail Settlers
(early settlement tour)
Up until 1834 the non-native settlement of Oregon and the Willamette Valley was primarily confined to French-Canadian Fur Trappers working for the Hudson’s Bay Company. In that year, they were joined by Reverend Jason Lee, leader of the Methodist Mission to Oregon. Lee, and a continually growing band of missionaries, established several mission stations around the Pacific Northwest. In 1840, after requesting additional people and equipment, a group of more than fifty new missionaries (known as the Great Reinforcement) came to Oregon on the ship Lausanne. Traveling by ship allowed the missionaries to bring large and heavy items with them such as the materials for a saw mill and a grist mill. It was this saw mill, established in Salem, which cut the boards for the Jason Lee House and the Parsonage. The missionaries had a large impact on Oregon. They not only worked with the indigenous population of Kalapuya who lived in the Valley, but they helped lay the ground work for what would become the provisional government of the Territory of Oregon, for formal education and for business.
The Lee House is the oldest frame house still standing in the Pacific Northwest, and it was home to four Mission families including Jason Lee and his second wife Lucy Thompson. Several items belonging to these families are on display in the House. These original artifacts help to bring the story of the Mission alive.
The Parsonage was built to house the missionaries involved with the Indian Manual Labor Training School. These same missionaries established the Oregon Institute which became Willamette University in 1853.
The Boon House was home to Oregon Trail migrant John Boon, who served as the Territorial, and later Oregon’s first State Treasurer. Boon was a businessman in early Salem, influencing the development of the city’s transportation, communication and commerce. For more information contact [email protected] by email of phone at (503) 585-7012.

 

Activities–These hands-on activities reinforce the lessons learned during the tour and can be gauged to the level of your class. Activity descriptions are listed below.

Outreach – A Mission Mill Museum Interpreter can bring the history to you. All of our activity programs are available to visit your class. We will provide an activity leader and supplies.

Family Fun Saturdays – every second Saturday, 11am -1pm. Free, except for special Victorian Valentines day. See Calendar section for details.

Group Tours and Activities
Scheduling
:
Call Mission Mill Museum at 503-585-7012 two or more weeks in advance.

Chaperones: Mission Mill Museum requires one adult for every 5 students. The required chaperones are admitted for free, additional adults pay the student price.

Payment: We require a non-refundable registration fee of $35. This fee is due at the time of scheduling and is applied to the cost of the tour. Please mail in the fee with your signed confirmation. The balance is due the day of the tour. We accept cash, checks, VISA, Master Card, Discover and Purchase Orders. Prices are subject to change

Late Arrival: If your group is more than 15 minutes late, your tour/activity will be shortened by 15 minutes. If you are 30 minutes late your tour/activity will be shortened by 30 minutes.

Fees:
Mission Mill Museum has a tiered fee structure for school groups:
1st Tour or Activity: $2.50
Each Additional Tour or Activity: $2.00

Woolen Mill Tour - Length: 1 hour
Max. Group Size: 75
(plus chaperones)

Mill Tour and Activity - Length: 2 hours Max.
Group Size: 60
(plus chaperones)

Early Settlement Tour - Length: 1 hour
Max. Group Size: 45 (including chaperones)

Early Settlement Tour and Activity - Length: 2 hours
Max. Group Size: 60 (plus chaperones

Activity Program
Fee: $2.50 / Student - Length: 1 hour
(Maximum group size for these tours will vary.)

Outreach (at your school)
Fee: $2.50 per student/$84 minimum, plus $0.45/mile if outside 25 miles from the museum.
Length: 1 hour
Maximum Class Size: 30

Prices are subject to change!

Reviews

Login to post a review