Gold, timber and history in Sweet Home

Sweet Home, Oregon, located at the east end of “civilization” in Linn County, has a history heavily influenced by two things: gold and timber.  And it just so happens that its museums reflect those two themes as well, along with a lot of other history.  

The East Linn Museum, located at the intersection of Highways 20 and 228 in Sweet Home, features a collection of some 3,000 artifacts dates back to 1852, including a variety of period rooms, logging and farm tools and equipment, and a collection of antique firearms from the Sweet Home region.

Visitors are greeted by carved wooden sculptures of a miner and logger, which signal the importance of natural resources in the history of Sweet Home region. The museum also has an extensive photo collection and files of documents which are frequently used by families researching their genealogy or by historians seeking information on the people or activities unique to this area.

Since its beginning in 1976, the East Linn Museum has been staffed and managed entirely by volunteers from the Sweet Home community. Hours are 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays from June through August, and Thursday through Saturday from September through May, with the exception of December and January, when it is closed. For more information, call(541) 367-4580.  

White’s Electronics Museum, operated by White’s Electronics, one of the earliest manufacturers of metal detectors in the world and maker of some of the top models on the market today, is open to the public during business hours, 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1011 Pleasant Valley Road (first intersection north of the bridge) in Sweet Home.

Displays include some of White’s earliest metal detectors, dating back to the 1950s, and a diverse assortment of treasures discovered with White’s instruments, including items from a Spanish fleet that sank off the coast of Florida in the 1700s that were found by Ken White, president of the company. In addition to the museum, White’s also offers a demonstration room, a test garden and tours by appointment. For more information, call (541) 367-6121.


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