The Abandoned: Walking the Forests of my Childhood

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Walking the Forests of my Childhood

In the canyons which surround what once was The Abandoned, one can find among the old fragrant cedar trees, these giant oaks. They have been alive for hundreds of years.

Once my sister and I saw a mountain lion sleeping in the branches about three stories up. These trees are home to all kinds of wildlife. I love them. These big old Oak trees remind me of dear wrinkled grandfathers. I like to hug them.

There are castles in the woods nearby--festooned with moss, the fairies and elves must love living here.

Have a lovely day, dear Friends.

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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.