More clues emerge on totem pole mystery

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2018-06-15

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Do you know what happened to the totem pole that stood at the entrance to Uncanny Canyon above Casey State Park? — J.J. More information has emerged about the fate of the totem pole since we first took a stab at answering your question in May, so here’s an update, J.J. For people not familiar with the totem pole, it stood at the entrance to a tourist attraction called Uncanny Canyon, similar to the Oregon Vortex that still exists outside Gold Hill. In May, local author Dennis Ellingson provided us with a New York Times clipping announcing the totem pole would be auctioned off by the “Army Engineers” before the site was inundated by rising waters behind the newly built Lost Creek Dam north of Shady Cove. The Uncanny Canyon site now lies beneath reservoir water near the Takelma boat ramp on the west shore, according to Ellingson, author of “The Lost Villages of Lost Creek Lake.” After we published that information, Medford resident Bob Hearth contacted us to say his neighbor Clint Neely, who has since passed away, bought the totem pole. Hearth guesses he paid about $300 for it. Neely had the totem pole installed in his yard on Madrona Lane in Medford, where it stood for years, according to Hearth. Hearth said he remembered Neely using a shotgun to scare off woodpeckers attracted to the totem pole. Sometime around 1990, Neely moved away from Madrona Lane and may have taken the totem pole with him, according to Hearth. Hearth believes Neely may have moved to property somewhere near the U.S. Forest Service J. Herbert Stone Nursery and Madrone Trail Charter School, formerly known as the West Side School, between Central Point and Jacksonville. We contacted a long-time worker at the nursery who she said she hasn’t seen a totem pole in the area, but it could be tucked back on someone’s property. We also talked to Neely’s former wife, Marilyn Mulhall, who confirmed Neely did move out to property somewhere outside Jacksonville after they were no longer together, but she doesn’t know whether he took the totem pole with him. Mulhall said after he bought it, Neely spent several months repairing and painting the totem pole. We have not heard back from a relative of Neely’s and one of his friends who might have more information about the totem pole. If you have information about the totem pole, please call 541-776-4486. Maybe we’ll have Part III of the totem pole mystery. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected].