March an Engaging Month at Mission Mill Museum

(Salem) - March is an active month for families at Salem`s Mission Mill Museum. Scheduled events include the monthly free Family Fun Saturday; the museum`s third speaker of its winter series; and a week of day camps during spring break. Reservations are needed for the day camps, those wishing to attend must reserve their spot now.

Family Fun Saturday happens March 11th from1:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Many cultures around the world have distinctive baked goods; in Ireland, the national specialty was a loaf made with buttermilk and leavened with baking soda. People can learn to make traditional Irish soda bread at Family Fun Saturday.

Parts three and four of the Mission Mill Speaker Series takes place March 16th at 7:30 PM. Dr. Suzann Henrikson looks at leftovers in archaeology to understand the past. Dr. Henrikson has spent her career as an archaeologist examining lava tubes in Idaho, where there is evidence of ancient people storing food in the caves. Cold air sinks into below-ground-level lava tubes, and with limited air transfer, the caves are turned into natural refrigerators. Mission Mill staff encourages the public to learn more about what Suzann Henrikson has discovered.

The Spring Break Day Camps are set for March 27th-31st from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM daily. Each day is a different subject relating to the history interpreted at the museum. Prices are $10-12 per child. Visit the Mission Mill Website or call (503) 585-7012 for more information or to reserve your child`s place.

Classes for ages 5-7 include:

· History Communicated: smoke signals, telegraph, letters, e-mail-- these are all ways people have sent messages. Explore different means of communication, and take home your own early movie machine. · The Pattern makes the Quilt: play with sound, color, and texture to learn about patterns, and apply what you learn to your own quilt project. · Lewis and Clark: hear the story of Seaman, the dog who went on the Lewis and Clark Expedition; and explore the expedition through hands-on activities. · Dyeing for Color: explore colors and materials using Jello, berries, and other colorful ingredients. Wear stainable clothes, just in case. · Measuring Up: try your hand at some old-fashioned measuring devices and make some to take home.

Classes for ages 8-14 include:

· History Communicated: explore different mediums in which history is communicated, including movies, music, art, and literature. · Quilting: design a four block quilt pillow and learn the basics of quilting. · Exploring Cultures that Weave: from ancient Egypt and China to the Americas, come travel the globe with hands-on activities to discover the different ways weaving interacts with culture. · Lewis and Clark: learn about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, one of the most significant explorations in American history, through hands-on activities. · Weaving: this beginning class will introduce weavers to floor looms, frame looms, and many more weaving techniques.

Classes are available in March in beginning spinning, wool combing, and cattail weaving. You must sign up for these classes in advance. Visit the Website or call (503) 585-7012 for more information or to reserve your child`s place.

· Kay Fielding will teach four sessions, beginning March 7th, of beginning spinning. Kay is a wonderful and popular teacher. If you`ve ever wanted to learn to spin, March is an excellent time to start! · Paula Shull will teach a hands-on lab on March 18 in wool combing techniques. She is an expert spinner and a knowledgeable and entertaining instructor. · Connie Graves will show what can be made with cattails on March 25. Cording, twining, and braiding will be covered as you make a woven bag. The Mission Mill Museum also has an ongoing exhibit of women`s weavings from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico! The rugs displayed are all made of handspun, handwoven wool dyed with natural materials. The story of the women`s cooperative that makes the rugs, La Vida Nueva, is also interpreted in the exhibit.

Mission Mill Museum interprets the history of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill which produced wool products from 1889 to 1962 and represents one of Oregon`s earliest and strongest industries. The museum also interprets the history of Jason Lee's Methodist Mission to Oregon which settled the Willamette Valley in 1834 before the major Oregon Trail migrations. The missionaries brought formal education, industry, and large-scale agriculture and advocated for U.S. government in the Oregon country.