Cottage Grove, Oregon

3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 and the other side was getting all of the improvements, the sidewalks and things like that. So, they broke away. They actually stole some of the records from City Hall and the post office moved in the middle of the night.” Known as Slabtown and Lemati, these communities remained separate until an act of the legislature had them reunited in 1897. In recognition of this interesting period in their history, Cottage Grove residents participate in Slabtown and Lemati competitions during the annual Bohemia Mining celebrations. The city also celebrates their heritage in the film industry, with three classic films –Animal House, Emperor of the North, and Buster Keaton’s silent film, The General – all filmed in Cottage Grove. As recipients of a $5 million EDA grant for the revitalization of the city’s historic downtown, with an additional $1.6 million in contributions from the local community, Meyers shares that this will go towards rebuilding and enhancing Cottage Grove’s Main Street area, which is a National Historic District. The city is also working on restoration of the Cottage Grove Armory, a 33,000 square foot, Art Deco building. Constructed in 1931, it is the first poured-in-place concrete structure in the area. “We acquired it when the National Guard moved and consolidated their services into a new Armory in Springfield in 2010,” says Meyers. “We’re restoring it back to its original look, giving us the ability to do events and activities in the community. That’s another big project.” An old railroad engine repair yard has also been AT A GLANCE COTTAGE GROVE, OREGON WHAT: A city of 10,000 in the scenic Willamette Valley region WHERE: Lane County, Oregon WEBSITE: www.cottagegroveor.gov