When we drove through Antelope, OR, population 48, there were people out visiting in front of modest homes, the temperature cooling and the shadows lengthening in the late September afternoon sun.
It would've been fun to stop at the recently re-opened Antelope Cafe, given them a little business, soaked up some tiny town atmosphere, but we had to move on. At the edge of town a herd of antelope raced away. What a quiet, remote place.
Does Antelope, OR, sound familiar to you? Maybe. Nearby Big Muddy Ranch was notable for being the location of John Wayne/Katherine Hepburn's movie
Rooster Cogburn... until it became infamous as the site of the largest and first confirmed bioterrorism activity since 1945.
I say "infamous" but who really remembers this?
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| A drive-by greeting to 2,000 followers, by Baghwan Shree Rajneesh. He owned a fleet of Rolls Royces, several aircraft, and a landing strip on Big Muddy Ranch. Photo by Samvado Gunnar Kassatz ©1982, used with permission. |
In 1984 the cult of
Rajneeshpuram, in an insane attempt to lower voter turnout, added salmonella to the salad bars of 10 county restaurants, and in glasses of water handed to two county commissioners: the Rajneeshis were trying a creative way to elect 3 of their own to the County Circuit Court. They sickened 750 people.
The Rajneeshis also had the largest wiretapping operation ever
uncovered; the NSA could take lessons from these guys. There's even
more; if you don't believe it, go
here. Crazy. If this stuff happened now, in a post 9-11, post-anthrax world, there would be a national panic attack.
It did happen, and is now a weird little footnote in national history. Antelope has returned to quiet solitude, and people forget. Well, maybe not the 48 people who live in Antelope; I bet they remember.
wow. that's pretty scary - back then!
ReplyDeleteScary! Both then and now.
DeleteWow, that is scary! I love the Antelope, they are pretty critters.. Have a happy new week!
ReplyDeleteI was excited to see the antelope in Antelope. :-D
DeleteOh my goodness,..that is amazing!
ReplyDeletePopulation of 48...and I thought my little village was small!
48 is mighty darn small. But after the Rajneesh population boom of the 80's I think they're happy. :)
DeleteHello, just stopping back to say thanks for linking up to my critter party!
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteAmazing photos of antelope...the part I focused on. Usually when I see them they are far away and running farther.
ReplyDeleteWell...this post was really just going to be about antelope, but then it ended up being about Antelope. I love antelope. My new-ish camera was tested on these shots. The antelope were pretty far away.
Delete"If this stuff happened now, in a post 9-11, post-anthrax world, there would be a national panic attack." We keep being told "never forget" when bad people hurt us, but that seems mostly to spur us into endless fighting. Maybe it's better to forget, and leave the crazies forgotten in the dustbins of Weird History.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, Kerry. As always.
I like the way you think, Stephanie. I sometimes feel like laying a blanket of amnesia over certain events. It seems we are bound to repeat our mistakes whether or not we remember history. Dang it, this is what I should have written about.
DeleteYes, that's a good point, Stephanie. And a great post, Kerry. where the deer and the antelope play....
Delete*Home, home on the range* :)
DeleteWow.. not quite the way you'd want your little town to be famous. Lovely pics... antelope are interesting creatures.
ReplyDeleteThe Rajneesh thing is a bad memory for Antelope for sure. I wonder who owns Big Muddy now, or if it reverted to the Texas landholding company that sold it in the first place.
DeleteThe Dude with all the cars rings abell, but not the bioterrorism stuff...nasty!
ReplyDeleteSeems like he wasn't the only cult leader with a bunch of outrageous cars, but maybe I'm wrong.
DeleteIt just occurred to me that the 750 people who got salmonella poisoning probably remember this stuff. Ugh.
I vaguely remember that guy. I think Antelope is a much better place now.
ReplyDeleteYes, Antelope is better off. The Rajneeshis dressed in red and armed themselves with uzis...who wants all of that in their little town?
DeleteI must have been under a rock as I do not recall this story. But then again, that was the year I was getting married. I probably had my head in a wedding book.
ReplyDeleteA wedding has a way of dominating, doesn't it? I think you were well-advised to concentrate on that, rather than the crazy events in Antelope.
DeleteWow. You got some neat nature shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks LL. I wish I were a better wildlife photographer, but I was pretty satisfied with these. My limitations are significant.
DeleteWhere have I been? Never heard of this. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? I barely remember all of this. Guess it wasn't as newsworthy back then as it would be now.
Delete