About
Photo by Steven D. Lenhart
The summer of 2004 is a time that I will never forget; my days were spent alongside Merel Hawkins as he told me of his history within the lower valley of Wallowa. Being a teenager with little idea of what I should make of my life, I decided to tread water on a slow moving ranch where I would sometimes make a few bucks, but learn something new every day that only someone like Merel Hawkins could teach me.
Realizing it was my time to make the big move to the city, I packed my bags and did just that; leaving behind me a story that would inspire me so much, that it couldn’t be ignored. It was in 2007 that I decided to sign up for an integrated media program at Mt. Hood Community College on a whim, and soon became a broadcasting student. After only a few terms into the program, I became intrigued by the idea of documenting people’s stories; whether it was the elderly lady knitting in her rocking chair down the street or the homeless man sipping a bottle at the waterfront, everyone to me was a story.
To most locals in Wallowa County, men like Merel Hawkins and Arnold Schaeffer are respected and adored with good reason. Henry Schaeffer and Viola Powers were the first white citizens of Wallowa County to marry and these men are the descendants of such people. Their heritage is the heart of Wallowa County and Wallowa County is in their hearts. The truth is that in the history of Wallowa County, there are a thousand stories to be told. From chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Tribe to William O. Douglas, the United States Supreme Court Associate Judge who frequented these parts, told and untold stories of this place surround you and you can feel them in one glance at this mountain range. But as the stories echo through the valley, one seemed sharper in my ears, begging for release the more I came to know the ins and outs of recording and filming. With so much to document in this wide world, I found myself taken back to a place I call home; hence, Little Switzerland came to be not only their story, but mine.
This website in designed to allow viewers to follow this project as it unfolds. We will be posting a monthly video update, as well as weekly blogs with descriptions of the steps we are taking to produce the documentary itself. In this media you will be able to grasp not only the fulfillments of such a project, but the underlying frustrations and irritations that occur behind the scenes. Here we give you the story of our story.