Hat People History
Up stream from Silver Creek Falls, the wilderness stretchs all the way to the Kalmiopsis. A Great snowcovered Douglas Fir
onoffon offonoff Jim waving from the Studio
onoffon offonoff We were in the Wilderness of the Siskiyou for 14 years.
We began here, one winter, in the wilderness of southwestern Oregon near Silver Creek Falls onoffon offonoff
The Woodshed
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We began here one winter, in the Wilderness of Southwestern Oregon near Silver Creek Falls. Hat People History (circa 1978).

Our cabin at Silver Creek was truly in the Wilderness. Located in the Siskiyou National Forest on a gold claim that was patented in 1945, we were surrounded by virgin timber and took our water directly from the stream. Yes, you can drink the water in that portion of the Forest. It was 18 miles to our nearest neighbor and we were snowed in every winter. The longest I was snowed in alone, with only my dog Lara for company, was two & one-half months. Carol, Jacob & I were snowed in together, one winter in the mid '90's, for four months. We did not have snow at the cabin for the entire time, but two passes and the dark side of the mountain kept us home.

We started Hat People because we could make the hats at home with our treadle sewing machine, scissors, & irons heated on the wood cook stove. We would then market the hats in Portland & Eugene at the "Saturday Market". Eugene Saturday Market is the oldest Artisans Market in the United States, Portland was started a year later. Eventually we began doing Art Festivals. We paid $1 a year to lease the cabin, took water from the Fountain of Youth, and gathered our firewood ~ so a little cash went a long way.

I lived at Silver Creek for 14 years, beginning in 1972. It was an incredible lifestyle, the Wilderness is such a teacher.