Some of Central Oregon's oldest living history stands quietly on the Crooked River National Grassland, in the form of gnarled apple trees planted by homesteading families more than a century ago. Today, Friday, October 2, those trees get a voice.

Heritage Apple Corps, the U.S. Forest Service, and community partners are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon at Cyrus Historic Orchard — located approximately half a mile west of Cyrus Horse Camp, east of Terrebonne and south of Madras — to unveil newly installed interpretive signs at both the McCoin and Cyrus Historic Orchards.

Living Reminders of Homesteading Families

When pioneer settlers arrived in Central Oregon in the late 1800s and early 1900s, one of the first things many of them planted was fruit trees. The McCoin and Cyrus family orchards represent some of those earliest agricultural efforts — and remarkably, many of those trees are still standing and still bearing fruit.

The new interpretive signs share the stories of those families: who they were, how they worked the land, and what apple varieties they cultivated. The signs were developed collaboratively by Heritage Apple Corps, the U.S. Forest Service, and historian Steve Lent of the Bowman Museum, with content funding provided by the Pacific Northwest Forest Service Association and donor Nora Scott.

"These pioneer fruit trees are living pieces of Central Oregon history. The signs help visitors understand why these orchards matter and how we are protecting them for future generations." — Peter Loverso, Heritage Apple Corps

More Than Signs: Year-Round Restoration Work

Heritage Apple Corps does far more than install plaques. Each year, the volunteer group partners with the U.S. Forest Service to host hands-on heritage fruit tree restoration workshops, bringing together arborists, orchardists, and community members to prune, care for, and study the veteran trees.

The partnership also supports DNA identification and genetic preservation work — ensuring that rare, heritage apple varieties found in these pioneer orchards aren't lost to time. Wildfire risk-reduction is another component of the restoration effort, as healthy orchard trees with cleared understory are better positioned to survive fire.

Following today's ribbon-cutting, volunteers will spend several hours removing deadwood from nearby heritage trees on the Grassland — the kind of hands-on stewardship that has kept these orchards alive.

How to Get There

The Cyrus Historic Orchard is reached via unpaved roads and may require a high-clearance vehicle. The ceremony begins at noon. Community members are welcome to attend, view the new sign, and speak with Heritage Apple Corps volunteers about the ongoing restoration work.

For more information about Heritage Apple Corps and their work across Central Oregon, visit heritageapplecorps.org.