MNKL: Dorris Ranch Field Trip

I went with K's 2nd/3rd grade class the last week of May to Dorris Ranch. During the tour, we learned about the lives of Kalapuya Indians, Hudson's Bay Company trappers and Oregon Trail pioneers.

We started with the trapper who told us all about trapping beavers and other animals. They preferred to catch beaver because they got the most money for them but they also caught mink, raccoon, fox and bob cats. Trappers used steel traps attached to a chain that was nailed into the bank by a river. A piece of wood that had been chewed on by a beaver and then rubbed by a beavers tail was placed inside the trap. Beavers would be curious about the wood and go after it, getting caught in the trap. The traps had no teeth because the trappers didn't want holes in the pelts. The beaver would try to get away by jumping into the river and swimming for home. Since the trap was nailed down, the beaver would swim and swim, not getting any where and eventually drown.
After 4-6 months, the trapper would take the pelts he collected and walk to Portland to sell them off. It was a two week walk. Instead of coin he would receive colored beads that he could trade for services and supplies. After a wash and shave he would buy supplies like salted pork, dry tack, tobacco, and possibly a brick of tea. He would then head back to the wilderness in search of more beavers. Beaver pelts were used for coats and pants.

At our next stop we learned about the Kalapuya Indians that inhabited this area. They ate plants, berries and meat. They figured out what plants and berries to eat by tasting a small amount and seeing how they felt after. If they got sick they would pass on the information to the other members. If they felt better or their headache went away, they knew it was a medicinal plant.

They ate mostly deer and fish. When they killed an animal, they used every piece of it for something. In this picture the man is holding a fox that had been turned into a bow and arrow holder. We also learned that the Indians would wear deer hides and antlers so they could get up close to deer to kill them because the only thing that doesn't scare deer, is other deer.

Each of the kids got to take a turn shooting a bow and arrow. None of them were able to hit the deer hide 15 feet in front of them. It would definitely take practice with hand made bows and arrows.

After learning about Indians, we headed over to the pioneer homestead and learned about their way of life. The kids dressed up in pioneer clothing and went about doing the chores children did in that era.

They started with pumping water from a well to fill buckets that where then placed on a yoke the children had to carry to their home for cooking and washing. We were told that children might have to do this 5 or more times a day to get enough water for their family.

Then they learned how to wash clothes with a bar of soap and a wash board inside of a wooden tub. Granted they didn't do a great job and their little fingers were frozen when they were done since it was only 60 degrees that day.

Next they learned how to plow a field with a hoe. I can't imagine the blisters you would have after hoeing a field full of rows all day long in order to plant your garden to feed your family.

They then headed inside to sort beans for the soup and grind corn into cornmeal. The house was very small. It was maybe 10x6 feet with a loft about 4x6 feet. We learned that the kids would sleep huddled together in the loft and the parents would sleep in the kitchen by the stove.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have some land out in the country with a little cabin to stay in. No electricity, just living off the land. A place we could go to in the summer for a few months away from the hustle and bustle of the world. A place where we can teach our kids what hard work is really like so they can appreciate all the convenience and ease of their day to day life. I don't know if it will ever happen, but it is one of my many dreams.