Canoe’s Journey towards its new case.

April 8, 2011 the Willamette Heritage Center will open a new exhibit, Grand Ronde’s Canoe Journey.  The exhibit will feature historic canoes from the Marion County Historical Society (MCHS) and The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Collections, as well as the reconstruction of a Kalapuya shovelnose canoe by Grand Ronde community members.

Today, the MCHS canoe took a journey of its own to rest in a brand new, custom-designed display case.  The new case, created by Interpretive Exhibits, is designed to allow the brittle canoe to rest in a bed of sand, which will help support its fragile sides.  A glass vitrine will allow the canoe to be displayed, but keep it safe.

Some Assembly Required

Step 1: Unload and place base

Step 1: Unload and base

  

 

 

 

 

Step2 : Bring in and Place rest of the base.

This is the part that will hold the sand to support the canoe. We planned the move really well, moving right through Spring Break Activities and a tour!

Five lifters

Step 3:  Install supports

These blocks fill-in part of the box so less sand (and weight) is needed.

Step 4: Add 2000 lbs of sand.

2000 lbs of sand

Step 5: Add 1  Canoe

Canoe in Transit

Cloth strips help lift canoe, plastic layer protects canoe from sand

Now, the glass case top will be built around the canoe for further protection.