Every town has its legends. Most are unknown to outsiders. However, our legend, Opal Whiteley, is known worldwide. Many visitors come to Cottage Grove each year to see where she lived and wrote about. People love to take selfies by her mural. In 1918 Opal was the most...
Enjoy this talk by Steve Williamson in July 2021 about the Mysteries of Opal Whiteley. Enjoy exploring the Many Mysteries of Opal Whiteley. Steve has collected over twenty mysteries in Whiteley's life and writings. This talk was done at the Axe and Fiddle, a historic...
Thurston High School - Springfield May 21, 1998 Without Fred Ure may have been no Opal Whiteley Memorial. Fred created the beautiful sculptures for the Opal Park exhibit back in 1994 (photo on left) He has been my friend for 20 years. Fred's two teenaged sons,...
The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow By Benjamin HoffFor High School & College Students Benjamin Hoff - best-selling author of the Tao of Pooh has written a wonderful biography of Opal Whiteley. His book also reprints her original diary - in it's original...
The following selections from Opal Whiteley’s The Flower of Stars have been slightly edited by Pacific Northwest author Jennefer Jane Harper. Currently, she is working on a book about Opal Whiteley which features Whiteley’s original poems accompanied by annotation...
"OPAL", by Katherine Beck A Flawed Book about a Flawed Gem Reviewed by Stephen Williamson ** two starsPeople interested in the writer Opal Whiteley have long waited for an objective biography. It was hoped that K.K. Beck, author of over a dozen pulp fiction...
Did Opal have have Autism/Asperger's, Not Schizophrenia?I started the Opal Whiteley Memorial in 1994 to talk about subjects that are often taboo like child abuse and schizophrenia. Opal's life and writings offer important lessons for how we treat people. I know of no...
Our Brothers in the Camps Opal Whiteley, age 17 circa late 1916 English Composition Assignment, Freshman term University of Oregon 520 words NOTE: THIS IS AN ASSIGNMENT OF OPAL'S AT THE UO. I HAVE INCLUDED ITS SCANS AND A COMMENTARY Commentary by Steve...
The Lost Grave of Sadie McKibben "A Comforter in Times of Trouble" and a Friend to Opal Whiteley by Stephen H. WilliamsonDedicated to the Memory of Mr. John Wilson"That's her, that's Sadie McKibben." John Wilson said, pointing to a woman sitting in the distance. I...
Opal Whiteley's Christian Endeavor Years 1911-1918 In 1916 Opal Whiteley was the brightest and most beloved leader of the Christian Endeavor youth groups. Opal attracted over 5,000 children to join Oregon's Christian Endeavor in just three years! Opal became the...
Letters from Christian Endeavor Leader Evert Baker (below) Opal left Oregon at age 19 with the goal of publishing her first book, "the Fairyland Around Us" as a benefit for the youth organization Christian Endeavor. People within Christian Endeavor had long believed...
1933 NEWS ARTICLE FROM ELBERT BEDE "OPAL HAD DIARY AS A SMALL CHILD" Here is a newspaper article, written in 1933 by Elbert Bede where he say he has "definitely established" that Opal wrote a diary as a small child, and it was torn up. Elbert Bede was Opal's strongest...
Fragments from Opal Whiteley's Lost Diary Did She Keep a Diary When She was Young? Was it Really Torn Up By Her Sisters? By Stephen Williamson (c) 2001How this Diary Fragment was Found On July 20, 1999, the Dorena Oregon post office held a 100th birthday party....
Newspaper Article Featuring Elbert BedeHere is a newspaper article, written in 1933 by Elbert Bede where he say he has definitely established that Opal wrote a diary as a small child, and it was torn up. Elbert Bede was Opal's strongest critic. However, here he says...
I learned of this story about Asians in Western Oregon while researching the life of Opal Whiteley. She was a best-selling Oregon writer and lived in the Mohawk Valley as a child. It is important to understand the events around her family that shaped her life. There...