The Charbonneau Villager
Page 13
October 2013
CCC
Toussaint Charbonneau in Seaside this August.
A Conversation With Toussaint
Charbonneau in 1806 (Really 2013)
By Christie Gorsline
It was August, 2013 in Seaside,
Oregon and a cast of volunteers
had staged a living history event
at the north end of the prom. A
sign read: “You are now entering
the year 1806.” We were instructed to “suspend reality.” Walking the path to the re-created salt
works between the rocks and the
sand, the hotels and houses disappeared. There were no cars in the
parking lot. It wasn’t August; it
was January.
Toussaint Charbonneau was
there.
“Bonjour,” he began.
I had my dog, Jack, on a leash;
and Toussaint politely ignored the
obvious presence of modern day
pet-owning. In 1806, the little
dog would have made a sumptuous feast. I complimented the
Frenchman on his fine demeanor.
“Merci,” was his reply.
We lapsed into english for obvious reasons. He told me that
he was a fur trader living with
the Hidatsa and Mandan Indians
when the expedition wintered at
Fort Mandan in 1804-05. After
that, he worked as a cook with
Captain Meriwether Lewis and
Captain William Clark. He married Sacagawea and, on February
11, 1805, they had a child they
named Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.
I asked Charbonneau why the
Salt Works efforts were set up so
far from their base at Fort Clatsop (Astoria). In a French accent,
with a hint of Warrenton dialect
sprinkled in (after all, they were
volunteer actors), he explained,
“We need sea water for salt. That
is everywhere. But, to get rocks
for a fort and fire base. Logs, too.
This is closest place.”
I always wondered about that now we know. They built stone
cairns, ovens built of rock and
shaped like an upside down “u.”
Wood was piled beneath the rocks
and the fire kept constantly going. Between December of 1805
and February of 1806, three men
worked with five brass kettles.
They boiled about 1,400 gallons
of seawater to make about 20 gallons of salt to use on their return
trip east.
This was the 13th season for
the historical presentation. It’s
held on the third weekend of August. Watch for it when you visit
the coast next year.
Continued from page 2
a way to generate more activity
and interest in the village Center,
while providing another place for
residents to gather. The project
did not move forward at that time,
but it was never forgotten.
Then, in late 2012, the Board
re-visited the idea. Jon Woerner
was enthusiastic from the beginning; and as the idea grew, he
took the lead. There were lots of
frustrating delays, as one might
expect, but Jon kept his eye on
the vision that would eventually
become the Garden Terrace. Assisting Jon along the way were
Joan Buccino, Kathy Fuller,
Ron Reiter, Paul Schwindt and
Larry Turner. This dedicated
group worked collaboratively to
make decisions on design, color,
materials and a myriad of other
choices. The committee was supported by CCC Property Manager
Rick Schram, who coordinated
the various contractors, obtained
the necessary permits and did the
follow-through to make sure the
project stayed on track.
From the initial approval and
through the on-going updates, the
CCC Board of Directors continued to provide support, ideas and
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encouragement. So, a big thank
you to everyone who made our
Garden Terrace possible. Your
hard work is truly appreciated.
And, as a reminder to all as to
why we do such improvements:
it is important to remember that if
Charbonneau is to remain a premier residential community, we
must continue to stay current with
the attractiveness, amenities and
ambiance needed to draw new
home buyers to our community
and customers to our businesses.
The Garden Terrace is just one
more accomplishment that meets
this goal.
The CCC House Committee
continues to work on upgrading
the interior of the Clubhouse. At
the September Board meeting, the
Board approved moving forward
with new carpeting, draperies and
cabinetry. As an example, the
Clubhouse cabinets are over 20
years old and, with our heavilyused facility, are showing their
age. House Committee Chair
Kathy Fuller and her committee
members have done an excellent
job in selecting materials and colors to give the Clubhouse a muchneeded and refreshing update.
reserve funds have been saved
for such a purpose. The work will
commence in January and February, the Clubhouse’s least busy
time. However, regular meetings
and activities will need to be relocated to other spaces within the
community for this short period.
Fall is upon us, and I would
like to make a request. When the
rains begin, it is important that the
storm drains on our streets remain
clear of debris and leaves. If there
is a catch basin near your home,
please monitor it and clear away
any debris before a heavy storm
hits. Standing water in the roads
can be dangerous to drivers and
pedestrians alike.
enjoy the coming fall colors!