Corvallis, Oregon, a city known for its rich history and vibrant community, has garnered attention in various contexts, from fictional portrayals to the dedicated service of its residents. This article delves into aspects of Corvallis's history as depicted in literature and highlights the contributions of individuals connected to the city.
Corvallis in Fiction: S.M. Stirling's "Emberverse" Series
The "Emberverse" series by S.M. Stirling offers a unique perspective on Corvallis, portraying it as a key location in a post-apocalyptic world. The series, which began with "Dies the Fire" (2004), explores a world where technology has failed, and society has reverted to a pseudo-feudal structure. "A Meeting at Corvallis" recounts events between December 2007 and September 2008.
In this fictional setting, Corvallis is home to Oregon State University, with its Faculty of Economics acting as a steering committee. The city is divided between those who wish to placate the Portland Protectorate Association (PPA) and those who distrust them. Their primary goal is to maintain the school's teaching functions and not let knowledge die out.
Major Peter Jones leads their militia and is inclined toward the Bearkillers and Mackenzies. Pre-Change, he'd been a Society fighter and teaching assistant in the Faculty of Agriculture. Nancy is his wife, and they have kids as well. He'll end up leading the First Corvallis Volunteers with Edward Finney. Seems there's a loophole in the Corvallis charter.
The third book of the Emberverse Series recounts events between December 2007 and September 2008. In Portland, Oregon, Norman Arminger summons an unarmed Jabar Jones, Baron Molalla. The Protector berates Jones for allowing his daughter Mathilda to be captured by the Mackenzies the previous May during a raid into the Portland Protective Association territory. Jabar explains and a mollified Lord Protector returns his weapons. Arminger appoints Emiliano Gutierrez, Baron Dayton, as Marchwarden of the South, replacing Eddie Liu, Baron Gervais, who died attempting Mathilda's rescue, incidentally almost killing Rudi, Juniper Mackenzie's son. Arminger orders Dayton are to keep the Bearkillers and Mackenzies on their side of the border.
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On December 12 in Portland, Norman Arminger meets two people from Corvallis, Master Turner and Agnes Kowalski. Arminger introduces them to Sandra, Conrad Renfrew, and Father McKinley. Arminger impresses his visitors by serving them coffee from Hawaii. On December 12, Rudi Mackenzie and Mathilda Arminger practise archery with Chuck Barstow. They return to the main cabin, where Mathilda is greeted with frowns by some.
During supper, Juniper Mackenzie senses the continuing resentment toward Mathilda; she stands and lays a geas -a compulsion- on the clan, using her powers as High Priestess and Chief of Clan Mackenzie; binding all present to treat Mathilda as a member of her family. Juniper later discusses the practical aspects of having Mathilda under her supervision with Bearkillers Eric and Luanne and concludes that the Lord Protector will attack Clan Mackenzie to get his daughter back sooner rather than later, though even if his army is defeated, the feudal nature of the PPA and the castellated territory will make it impossible to hold his lands.
On December 15, Nigel Loring is recovering from the injuries he sustained saving the life of Juniper's son Rudi. He talks with Dennis Martin as Juniper coaches a group of children in their Rite of Passage- choosing a totem animal and joining a Sept. Dennis tells him about the early days of the clan, when he deliberately annoyed Juniper by starting the fashion for kilts and referring to her as 'Lady' or 'Chief'.
On December 12, Mike Havel conducts a training exercise of pike infantry defending against mounted A-Listers, granting victory to the infantry that day. On the way back to the fortified Larsdalen, he and Signe discuss the progress they have made with their defences. They discuss Signe's sister Astrid and her interest in the writings of J. R. R. On December 17, Eilir Mackenzie, Astrid Larsson, John Hordle, Alleyne Loring, and ten Dúnedain Rangers are preparing the Rangers' Yule log in Mithrilwood when they become aware that they are being watched. More than twenty bandits enter their ambush. They kill several and the rest retreat. While the Rangers recover the bandits return, running. The Rangers kill a few more and the pursuers show. They are a patrol from Mount Angel Abbey, led by Father Andrew of the Order of the Shield of Saint Benedict. The bandits are all killed or captured, the Rangers and monks find that the leader is a PPA knight in service to Gervais. The knight identifies himself as a brother of Mary Liu. Astrid keeps the knight for ransom and proof of PPA involvement in raids.
On January 10, Mike Havel, Signe, their twin daughters Mary and Ritva, and brother-in-Law Eric and his wife Luanne arrive in Corvallis. They are greeted by Major Peter Jones and discuss the Corvallis defences and Ken Larsson's new rapid-fire crossbow, which Mike implies does not yet work. Hugo reveals that someone in Corvallis is putting money around in the PPA's favour. Signe adds that her sources put Turner and Kowalski at the PPA and having high level meetings. Mike tells Peter he wants to attend the Corvallis Senate to propose a formal alliance should the PPA attack.
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January 11th, Juniper is visiting Luther Finney's farm and discussing the changes he made with his son Edward Finney. Edward tells her Luther dropped dead, harvesting his land, on the hottest day of the year; a long-standing joke of his father since he served in Korea. Juniper says Someone is always listening. Mathilda and Rudi discuss their guards; Mathilda finds it slightly alarming that the two girls are in love with each other.
March 4th.Mike Havel, Lord Bear, is at Larsdalen. A messenger from Astrid Larsson of the Dúnedain Rangers arrives. Two thousand, five hundred troops of the Portland Protective Association in three columns have crossed the border and entered the Waldo Hills area southeast of Salem, Oregon. A waterborne force is rowing up the Willamette River, and a fifth force has laid seige to Mount Angel. Astrid adds that her Rangers are attempting to delay the PPA forces. Mike sends Will Hutton with a detachment to screen his northern border. He orders the remainder of the A-List and the militia 'Field Force' to rally west of Salem to head off the main PPA thrust up the Willamette river. Ken Larsson is ordered to take his heavy assault weapons by rail to defend the Salem bridges. Pam is to take an infantry detachment to guard him. Visitor Peter Jones of the Corvallis City State returns to defend his city.
March 5th. Samuel Aylward receives his message while plowing near Dun Fairfax. Sam passes the message to Juniper Mackenzie with his recommendation that the First Levy of Clan Mackenzie be called out to rally near Sutterdown.
On March 5, the Dúnedain Rangers, led by Astrid Larsson and Alleyne Loring ambush a PPA wagon train escorted by crossbowmen and by Pendleton Round-Up light cavalry at a sabotaged bridge. They successfully burn the cargo -a prefabricated fort- and drive off the enemy forces. Piotr Stavarov is tasked with moving a column of two hundred bicycle infantry (crossbows and spears) and one hundred knight lancers with men-at-arms from the Waldo Hills across the Santiam River by nightfall on March 5. En route, he encounters what he judges to be a holding force of fifty archers and fifty spears and Lochaber axes of Clan Mackenzie. Piotr decides he can force the blockade. While his crossbowmen engage the Mackenzie archers, he sends his spears against the Mackenzie spearmen. As the attack goes in, one hundred more Mackenzie bows engage the Protectorate spears. Thinking he has now pinned and revealed the whole Mackenzie force, Piotr charges the new archers with all one hundred heavy lancers. Juniper Mackenzie reveals an additional seven hundred archers, who decimate the mounted force. Piotr is wounded in the attack. He tries to put the best light on his actions by telling Conrad Renfrew that he has driven off the enemy.
Juniper and her First Levy are joined by Sam Aylward and a CORA leader, John Brown, with over four hundred light cavalry when the messenger from Dun Juniper reaches her. Mike Havel's pike and crossbow meet Eric Larsson's cavalry and Ken Larsson's field artillery west of the Willamette and Salem, with suburban ruins behind them. Mike quickly determines that he faces pike, crossbow, cavalry and light siege artillery, in greater numbers, led by Alexi Stavarov, Baron Chehalis. Mike deploys his troops from soft ground on the right, placing his cavalry and artillery on the left below Chapman Hill. Mike orders his horse archers forward to take on the artillery crew and handlers with a firing circle. Alexi, to protect them, sends spearmen forward with shields, whereupon Mike withdraws the cavalry, leaving Stavarov's artillery and spearmen wide open to his artillery which reloads faster and shoots harder than Alexi's. Alexi loses patience and sends cavalry forward. At the railway bridge Ken Larssen's heavy weapons open fire on the lead turtle boats with jars of napalm. As the boats close in, Ken switches to armour-piercing javelins and flamethrowers and drives them away.
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Three sides of the town are river, and the north side has a moat. All gates are protected by gatehouses, and turrets house Larsson hydraulic catapults capable of throwing a quarter mile. Renfrew's dilemma is that he does not have enough troops to control the occupied duns, lay siege to Sutterdown, and protect sixty miles of road behind him. His scouts report empty duns and many trails of cattle, sheep and men leading up into the hills, but he does not know how many Mackenzies there are. He does know that eight hundred defeated Piotr, and they could be anywhere. He makes it clear he is not happy with the PPA war strategy.
March 5th, and Epona is getting restless at Dun Juniper. Rudi Mackenzie asks permission to take her out for a ride, and Dennis Martin agrees. Rudi rides out with Mathilda Arminger and their escorts. Rudi and Epona race with Mathilda. Mathilda's horse gallops along the road into the forest, Rudi following on Epona. Mathilda runs straight into a trip rope, and she is thrown. Epona avoids the rope but Rudi is thrown, too. He recognizes PPA troops and shouts to Epona to go home. The PPA Special Forces leader is Tiphaine Rutherton, sent to rescue Mathilda, but quick to realize the prize she has with Rudi. The alarm is raised at Dun Juniper, and Dennis quickly gets the clan's trackers following the trail while he organises sniffer dogs to join them. He must then send a messenger to find Juniper.
As the crops are being harvested in September 2010, Norman Arminger calls out his army and the allies respond. The allies are preparing for a bloody experience in which they expect, at best, to fight to a draw. Mike Havel decides the solution is to defeat the Association by defeating Arminger in single combat. Mike and Arminger fight.
The island of Hawaii survived the Change because of the low density of its population. A major work by an authentic master of alternate history. - Booklist (Starred Review)In the tenth year of the Change, the survivors in western Oregon live in a world without technology. Michael Havel’s Bearkillers hold the lands west of Salem in peace and order. To the east, the Clan Mackenzie flourishes under the leadership of Juniper Mackenzie, bard and High Priestess.
Together, they have held Norman Arminger - the warlord of Portland - at bay. With his dark fantasies of a neofeudal empire, Arminger rules much of the Pacific Northwest, spreading fear with his knights, castles, and holy inquisition. Even more dangerous, and perhaps Arminger’s most powerful weapon of all, is his ruthlessly cunning consort, Lady Sandra.
These factions haven’t met in battle because Arminger’s daughter has fallen into Clan Mackenzie’s hands.
The Mackenzies, led by Juniper Mackenzie, a Wiccan Priestess and Chief of Clan Mackenzie, play a significant role. Based in Dun Juniper, the clan includes notable members such as Rudi Mackenzie, Juniper's son and heir, and Chuck Barstow, the Clan's Second Armsman and High Priest.
The Portland Protectorate Association, led by Norman Arminger, encompasses Portland and its surrounding area. Arminger, influenced by historical figures and the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), seeks to establish a neofeudal empire.
The Bearkillers, a mercenary group assembled by Mike Havel, operate in Larsdalen. Mike Havel, also known as Lord Bear, is married to Signe and plays a crucial role in protecting the region.
Mount Angel, a Benedictine abbey led by Abbot-Bishop Dmwoski, is another key location. The Bearkillers follow him for their religious leanings.
The Faculty of Economics at Oregon State University is the steering committee. They're split between those wanting to placate the Protectorate and those who don't trust 'em. Their primary goal is to maintain the school's teaching functions and not let knowledge die out.
The series delves into themes of survival, leadership, and the clash between different ideologies in a world transformed by the "Change."
Community Contributions
Beyond its fictional representation, Corvallis is home to individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields. Here are a few examples:
- Nelson Lomax: A mortgage broker with Professional Mortgage Corporation since 1999, Mr. Lomax is also involved in coaching and athletic training.
- Sarah Forbes: Served as President of the Oregon Midwifery Council in 2007-2008. After years of private practice, she has worked in global maternal health in Ghana, Haiti, Vietnam and Cambodia.
- Mr. Ainsworth: Earned a Master's of Science, Health and Human Performance, in the Applied Exercise Science Option at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, and a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Table: Community Contributors
| Name | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Nelson Lomax | Mortgage Broker, Coach, Athletic Trainer |
| Sarah Forbes | President of the Oregon Midwifery Council, Global Maternal Health |
| Mr. Ainsworth | Athletic Trainer |
These individuals exemplify the diverse talents and dedication within the Corvallis community.
The story of Connie Jamieson-Stavenau is a poignant example of talent and dedication. After graduating from Corvallis High School in 1969 and Oregon State in 1975 with a degree in Music Performance, Connie pursued a career in opera. She won a national talent search and sang operatic roles at the Blossom Festival in Kent, Ohio. Despite facing challenges, she remained active in music and community theater. She died of complications from breast cancer in August of 2016.
In recent years before her passing, she and I became very close - I continue to cherish the memories of our frequent late-night conversations. She also introduced my parents back in 1979, so thank you Aunt Connie! After Connie’s graduation from Corvallis High School in 1969 she attended Oregon State, graduating with a degree in Music Performance in 1975. In 1977 she married Jamie Jamieson, an Air Force pilot stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. Connie immediately got involved in the Bay Area music scene, continuing her studies with Edwin Barlow and winning a national talent search which resulted in her singing two operatic roles at the Blossom Festival in Kent, Ohio; those being Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutti and Lady Billows in Barber’s Albert Herring. When Jamie was transferred to Hill AFB, Utah in 1982, Connie took her career with them. When the Jamiesons went on to Dover AFB, Delaware in 1985, Connie’s opera career was hampered by the lack of operatic outlets in the local area. Iowa in 1989. While at Dover, the Jamiesons adopted the second of their children, a girl named Chandra who was born in India. When Jamie retired in 1990, the family “followed the job” to Southern Ohio, where he flew for an overnight freight company. They bought a house in the Dayton area, where Connie remained active in singing in churches and Community Theater until abdominal surgery in 1997 resulted in some restriction of her diaphragm support. In the same year they adopted two more children (Stacey and Nick), this time from Russia, completing their family. In her last few years Connie’s health began to deteriorate, and in August of 2016 she died of complications from breast cancer.