The Story of LaRue and Earl Morris

The Story of LaRue and Earl Morris. . The family of Earl and LaRue Morris moved to Southern Oregon from Illinois in the early 1940s after an acquaintance bragged of large amounts of gold in a mine near Blackwell Hill., The Morris brothers father was a mining engineer, but he had a stroke soon after arriving in Oregon and, without his expertise, the family couldn't open the mine. Instead, they ran cattle on the property and worked a local sawmill., Eventually, the Morris brothers created the Hidden Valley Ranch replica gold mining town along Interstate 5, partially from old buildings moved onsite and partially with replica structures built by local students., The town, known as Gold Gulch, was officially brought to life in 1959, just in time for the Oregon's Centennial celebration. When it reopened in 1980, the brothers provided summer tours of the buildings and artifacts and provided educational programming for area children., When LaRue Morris died in 1991, the tours ended, and Earl Morris eventually sold the 883-acre ranch in May 2004., A new Science center was built at Crater High School in honor of the Morris Family. LaRue was a very popular and one of the most memorable Science teachers in the Central Point School District. Proceeds from the $1.6 million sale of the Blackwell Road property are held in trust, administered by the Morris Family Foundation to assist Crater High graduates and area schools pursuing vocational and technical education. This wonderful mural and the Morris Family Foundation will keep their legacy alive for years to come.