ComJour 333 - Reporting Across Platforms

The Spruce Mill Project: no longer just an empty field.

"In this room there is more knowledge of the Spruce Mill than 99 percent of the rest of America. This group knows more than Google about the Spruce Mill."

- Greg Shine, Chief Ranger & Historian - Fort Vancouver National Historical Site

We started with an empty field, a 300 page document, and some images. Our assignment was to create media content for an app about the former Spruce Mill that occupied the field now adjacent to Fort Vancouver. The class divided into three groups, each with complete freedom to pursue any topic related to the Spruce Mill. With little defined direction the groups set forth to learn about something forgotten.

Some of us researched and read numerous documents (including old microfilm), while others spent hours editing, recording, writing, and designing. While in production, we learned about the historical resources available in our community and was surprised by the amount of content and subjects available to explore related to the Mill.

As a result of our challenges, we produced postcards, audio for a news app, several short videos, infographics and more. We hope for this content to be used either in a future app or some other form at the Fort Vancouver National Historical Site. However, our biggest hope is that the location that was once a Spruce Mill will one day be seen as more than just an empty field, instead as an important historical site.

CREDITS:

The Wartime Whistle Punks: Saundra Beauchaine / Samantha Codi / Deborah McIntosh /

The Lumberjacks: Jon Davidson / Nicholas Rudy / Jacob Schmidt /

The Lucky Loggers: Jenni LeBaron / Cyndie Meyer / Joshua Wagner / 2013