Rootworks records

The Rootworks records collection is composed of six different series of materials. These series comprise of events, correspondence, land administrative records, subject files, water rights, and community documentation.

Rootworks, as a part within a larger network of Oregon women’s lands, includes correspondence to and from other communities within Oregon and nationally, as well as materials from local and national events, newsletters subscribed to, and letters from organizations and individuals. This can help the researcher connect Rootworks, as well as rural Oregon intentional communities broadly, to the larger women’s rights, back to the land, gay and lesbian rights, and feminist separatist movements.

The events series will help researchers see what subject areas Rootworks community members were most concerned with or interested in, how members organized events on the land, and what areas and issues the larger movements were focusing on through conferences, workshops, and speakers. This series is organized alphabetically by event name.

The correspondence series will connect Rootworks to many other intentional communities, as well as provide insight into the different relationships, friendships, and hardships women on the land faced. This series is arranged alphabetically by letter or correspondence name.

The land administrative records series provides resources referred to during the construction process of Rootworks, maps of and directions to Rootworks and neighboring communities, as well as legal and financial information. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

The subject file series offers an assortment of resources, publications, and materials on different projects. This series is organized alphabetically by subject name.

The Water Rights series provides insight into Jean and Ruth Mountaingrove’s fight for rights to water on BLM land, which had been used as the only fresh water source by Rootworks for years before BLM served them a trespass notice. This led to a battle over those rights spanning several years. Within this series the researcher can follow the struggle through incoming and outgoing correspondence to BLM, Oregon legislators, Oregon Forestry, and C and D Lumber, the appeal process, as well as information regarding the BLM and Rootworks’ legal information. In addition to this fight for water usage, Rootworks also came into contact with the BLM while protesting their pesticide use and when sections of their water pipe were stolen. This series is split into five subseries: Appeal, BLM, Correspondence, Environmental Resources, and Legal Information. All of these subseries are arranged alphabetically by file name.

The community documentation series includes home movies and audio recordings, including oral histories, created by members of the Rootworks community, a communal diary and guest book detailing farm activities and crop growth, as well as photographs of the commuity buildings and members.