7/24/13 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser
The Ina M. Daugherty Memorial Garden is a local oasis of
serenity and inspiration. This private, church-owned garden is located adjacent
to the First Presbyterian Church of Cottage Grove, at the corner of Adams and
South 3rd St. It invites neighbors and churchgoers to enjoy the
shade of old growth trees and drink in the sweet surroundings of fragrant
flowering plants. It offers free serenity.
Recently, someone(s) decided to steal the serenity. In fact,
they first went all around town and helped themselves to a selection of plants
that didn’t belong to them. They tipped over a planted barrel downtown, yanked
out geraniums at The This ‘n That store and then brought shovels to the
Daugherty Garden. There, they brazenly dug up specimen size azaleas, hydrangeas
and more.
That same week, vandals were also out wreaking havoc at Pine
Meadows Campground. Six young males were allegedly drinking beer and walking
through the campground looking for trouble. Perhaps they were the ones who tore
the porch off the entrance booth and stole a golf cart. Later, someone sped
through the Primitive Campground at 4:30 a.m. waking up campers and spinning
donut circles in the ground.
Ina and Warren Daugherty would not be happy. They were
givers not takers and believed in building up the community—not tearing it
down. Like many of Cottage Grove’s pioneers, Mr. Daugherty was in the logging
business. In the early 1920s, he and a partner harvested timber until the best
of it was gone. Mr. Daugherty’s partner decided to quit but he persevered
saying, “We’ve built the roads and made the investment, let’s harvest the
smaller trees as piling. The opportunity is where you are-not someplace else.”
In 1923 Daugherty established a wholesale lumber and piling
business. It was successful and eventually moved to offices above the
Knickerbocker store on Main St. In the late 1940s, he purchased the Chambers
lumber mill. To pay for it, he mortgaged everything he had, borrowed from
family and went deeply into debt to finance the remaining one million dollars
needed.
The mill was a success but burned down in 1950. Today, South
Lane Fire Dept. sits on a portion of the property and the children’s park
across the way on Harrison St. was a gift from Mr. Daugherty. One of many that
enhanced our city.
As profits from his businesses came in the couple partnered
in giving back to the community. Some of their money established the Warren H.
Daugherty Aquatic Center. Some was set aside to build a new Presbyterian Church
on Adams Ave. Ina was very active in church activities. Warren was not much of
a church goer but a great giver.
Ina worked with the famous Italian architect Pietro
Belluschi in designing the building that is now on the National Register of
Historic Places. Built in 1951, it is all wood and the style became known as
Pacific Northwest Architecture. Mr. Daugherty donated all the lumber for the
building and his wife helped with the design.
Later, the Benson property adjacent to the church was
purchased from an endowment fund that the Daughertys had established in 1963.
The house on the property was torn down and the site landscaped in honor of Ina,
a longtime member and benefactor of the church. It was a proper memorial and
recognition for one who loved flowers and was often found weeding in the church
gardens.
Over the years, the property fell into disrepair: paths were
washed away; vines, weeds, fallen branches, debris and general overgrowth
obscured the garden’s original intent and beauty. It became obvious that a
complete overhaul of the property was necessary.
In 2009 a volunteer work force headed by a master gardener,
began a restoration project that continues today. Together, a small core of men
and women, worked tirelessly every week. The first two years they hauled away
dozens of truckloads of overgrowth revealing the good bones of the garden and
(surprise!) a large cedar tree!
Slowly the shape of a classic urban garden began to emerge.
In 2011 a rose garden was established along with other
perennials such as azaleas, daffodils, holly bushes, tulips and Japanese
maples. The volunteers also tediously replaced 1,000 feet of path border while
the weeding; pruning and general clean up continued.
In 2012, the garden underwent more major renovations and
plantings. Nearly three dump truck loads of wet quarter-minus gravel were
spread and compacted on the paths. Dozens more perennials were added, patches
of day lilies were separated and spread throughout the garden and of
course…more pruning and weeding.
Last summer, the garden was chosen to be on the South Lane
Mental Health’s 4th Annual Town and Country Garden Tour. The
Daugherty’s would have been proud that their investment was still reaping
benefits for others to enjoy. And it was a dream shared for all who contributed
time, money, energy and sweat equity.
Today, the garden is an on-going project bringing peace and
joy to the workers and all visitors. There is also documented on-going
vandalism and graffiti by young people. Now some anti-theft measures must be
put into place because some yardbirds wanted landscaping material for their garden
at no cost to themselves.
Today, more than ever, we must always be vigilant about our properties. Fortunately, there are now available a variety of
cameras, motion-activated sprinklers and lights that can be installed to
protect our stuff. I’m not sure they can bring peace of mind but they can help.
Maybe one can find the Pine Meadows campground golf cart!
It’s sad. We work. Thugs steal. It has ever been this way.
So folks, look out for one another. Know your neighbors. Cooperate and
communicate. Teach your children and your grandchildren that private property
means just that. It’s private. It
belongs to someone else. Don’t steal, deface or tear it up. Respect is more than the Golden Rule. It's also good
karma.
Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people,
places, family, and other matters of the heart.
