Former Oregon Lumber Town Tries To Reinvent Itself

by Al Letson, NPR

NPR, along with the Public Radio Exchange, has launched a new show called State of the Re:Union. State of the Re:Union has been traveling the country, visiting cities and towns to explore the idea of community.

For decades after World War II, the small town of Oakridge in the southern Cascade mountains of Oregon was a booming lumber town. But by the early 1990s, the lumber industry had collapsed, and Oakridge has struggled ever since, losing families and businesses.

Now, residents like Randy Dreiling are trying to reinvent the place as a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Dreiling owns Oregon Adventures, which offers mountain bike tours. Some 350 miles of trails have earned Oakridge the self-proclaimed title of “Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest.”

Read on here.