The Abandoned: Abandoned Ramblings

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Abandoned Ramblings

Last Spring, Sissy and I, on one of our walks through The Abandoned, came across this interesting object crushed into the soft carpet of fir needles covering the roadway. At first I thought it was a vase, but it was a light bulb!

The vast parking lot is covered with soft blades of green. It almost looks like a meadow, but up close you can see the gravel beneath.

Clytie found these near the base of an old fir tree near the ruins of The Abandoned. I hadn't seen a star flower in years. This delicate starry flower was one of our favorites when we were young--and still is today!

WARNING: If you intend to visit The Abandoned, be sure to get permission from the owners first. If you do not have permission, you may be arrested and prosecuted for trespassing.

2 comments:

Clytie said...: I love your starflower picture! Mine never turn out.

I can't wait for your next visit, and our next secret walk at The Abandoned. Who knows what we will find next!; September 1, 2010 at 8:54 AM
JANN said...: BETH,
I didn't realize you had this great blog. So creative and interesting , will grab the link and run it on my blogs. Have a happy heart day.; September 2, 2010 at 9:18 AM

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The Abandoned

Years ago, I dedicated this blog to The Abandoned, a huge complex of abandoned buildings in rural Oregon.

Surrounded by wetlands and old growth timber, The Callahan Center was built in the 1970's by the State of Oregon as a rehabilitation center for people recovering from injuries on the job.

In 1992, the property was bought by a mega church. However, the Living Enrichment Center closed in 2004, amidst financial scandal and the property was abandoned.

The buildings stood empty for many years. Over that span the property was vandalized and looted. Yet the beauty of its rare architecture shone through the shambles of abuse and disrepair.

In the summer of 2013, the complex was completely demolished. We were all sad to see the buildings go, but because of trespassers and vandals, it was necessary to take them down.

The area where The Abandoned once stood is filled with $500,000 mushroom houses (homes built so fast they pop up like mushrooms) built on postage stamp lots. There are sidewalks and tall lamps where I once watched the foxes of the field leaping above the grass, hunting rodents.

The surrounding woodlands still survive. It is my prayer the wetlands and forests with their pristine creeks, native trees and flowers, as well as the wildlife which shelter there, will be protected.