As you are preparing to come to the 2023 ANWG Conference, you might want to stop to see some interesting sites along your way. The Conference provides the perfect opportunity to explore all that Oregon has to offer.  Visit the Old Aurora Colony Museum located mid-way between Portland and Salem.

The Museum explores the history of the Aurora Colony (1856-1883), one of the more successful American utopian communal societies in the 19th century.  Dr. Keil organized the Aurora Colony around the concepts:

• “From each according to his abilities: to each according to his needs”
• “Love one another”
• Tenets of the New Testament, including the instruction to believers to hold all things in common.

Aurora Colony became known for its orchards, food, music, textiles, furniture and other crafts as well as its communal lifestyle and German traditions.

Men and women of the Aurora Colony were responsible for creating a wide range of finely crafted textiles. Sheep and flax from Colony farms provided fibers for spinning and weaving while cotton yardage was available to members at the Colony Store.   

The old Ox Barn is the home of the current museum and is the cornerstone of a historical campus area.  The Old Aurora Colony Museum exhibits focus on Colony families, crafts and history.  The members of the colony did everything needed for the community to prosper and the exhibits highlight this amazing diversity of activities.

To learn more about the Old Aurora Colony Museum and the history of the area, please visit: www.auroracolony.org.

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon conference steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming 2023 ANWG Conference. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog .  An announcement of the venue and dates coming soon!