Changing Cultures & Economies
From the mid-1800s to the mid-1980s, logging defined the Cottage Grove region. Its impact can still be felt today in the memories of those who recall the industry’s heyday. Many residents worked or lived with workers in the area’s mills and forests. And many have experienced layoffs and retraining during the industry’s decline in the 1980s and 90s. Community members remember a once thriving downtown that catered to workers and their families with meat markets and hardware stores. Gift shops and antique malls that serve a new tourist industry have replaced many of those stores. To truly understand the community of Cottage Grove, one must trace the trajectory of this important industry.
