Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, May 4-5, 1964

May 4 – Monday –

Late P.M. – Took sandwiches, and drove down to the Oregon road to see the trilliums — We were totally unprepared for the shock awaiting us – when we arrived at what had once been the greatest trillium wooded hill (in a chain of such woods and ravines –) of all – we were horrified to see that vandals (masquerading as reclamation or real estate agents) had felled trees all over the woods removing only the trunks leaving behind great tree-tops in the greatest disorder – wherever they fell, there were no trilliums –

I felt sick at my stomach, a whole world seemed tumbling about me –

Bertha begged me to turn my back on it, and try to ignore it for the time being, and enjoy our evening lunch by the stream that paralleled the road. With an effort I did so, and we did have a pleasant hour — listening to the murmuring of the water over the rocks, and the many birds (robins, red-birds, redwings) —

Having finished lunch, we turned back, and drove up a side road, where we had caught sight of many trilliums (on our way down) – Here we found a delightful secluded, untouched extensive woods on both sides of the road, where not only were there many trilliums, but also sweet-williams, Johnny-jump ups, yellow violets, and bellwort –

May 5 – Tuesday –

Far into the night I brooded over the destruction of the trillium woods, with a sense of helplessness over the spreading cancer of “civilization”

— Charles E. Burchfield, May 4-5, 1964