The Rainier Junior/Senior High School History Club hosted their Second Annual Rainier Revisited, a reenactment of the local and regional history, on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Set into the backdrop of the Beaver Homes Grange, students in grades 7-12, presented a recreation of 1853 life.  Funded in part by the Columbia County Cultural Coalition with money from the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Students worked hard the past year to fund-raise, gather props, costumes and community support, as they prepared to host their reenactment. Students were proud and pleased to build a program based on student, staff and community support and gained the support and participation of not only school personnel, but community members as well as some visitors from the Portland area including a blacksmith and a period musical duet who entertained participants and guests alike.

Throughout the day, students who portrayed characters in the military section of the reenactment learned various drills a soldier in 1853 would have needed to know. Meanwhile, female participants were able to experience what life in a newly emerging Oregon town might’ve included. Throughout the day, visitors were able to walk around the recreated town, watch military drills and the blacksmith, take in the period music and enjoy food cooked on Dutch ovens, while participants stayed in character and presented a history lesson come to life.

The Rainier Junior Senior High School History Club would like to thank the sponsors who helped make their event possible including the National History Club, Oregon Chapter of Lewis and Clark Foundation, Friends of Fox Creek, Tobie Finzel – Vernonia Hands-on Art Board, Bob’s Towing, Mt. St. Helens Chapter – DAR, Ray and Terry Maloney, the Brandner Family and the Demko Family. Additionally a big thankyou goes out to Mel Brady and the Beaver Homes Grange for graciously donating the use of the Beaver Homes Grange land and facilities to their event.

The History Club does not charge an entrance fee to their reenactment, but instead asks visitors to bring a canned food or monetary donation for H.O.P.E., the local food bank. During the 2009-2010 School Year, the Rainier Junior/Senior High School was named as one of ten National History Clubs of the Year by the National History Club.
For more information on an upcoming Rainier Revisited, please contact Mr. Andrew Demko, History Club Advisor at Rainier Junior/Senior High School, andrew_demko@rsd.k12.or.us.