the oregon cavemen
The Oregon Cavemen, claiming to be the direct descendants of the Neanderthal Man of ancient times, incorporated as a unit in October 1922, in a ceremony held secretly in the depths of the Oregon Caves-their claimed homeland, and now a national monument. The group of Cavemen were composed of business and professional men, back then there were about fifty in active membership. They travel at their own expense, far and wide, spreading good will and tourist information. They appear at openings of national and local interest alike. They appeared at the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, a Broadway Show, and the Bay Area's Treasure Island Exposition, just to mention a few.
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The Oregon Cavemen received considerable mention in Europe when they kidnapped Governor T.E. Dewey while he was campaigning in Oregon for the presidency. The Russians used the picture of Dewey and the Cavemen to make an issue of the dominance of the Wall Street Industrialists and said the group was dressed like this in protest against the cruel and Wall Street-backed church.
The Cavemen, dressed in animal skins, wearing horsehair wigs, buck teeth, and "big horns" run rampant in parades and gatherings of the public. Usually, they will have their rustic cage in which they imprison their victims and display them for the public to see. They are always on hand for a prank or a joke to be played on an important personality visiting in Grants Pass or elsewhere, and are quick to spot and capture pretty girls who look like they can take a joke.
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Their main purpose as an organization is to publicize Grants Pass and the surrounding area and to attract tourists and new residents by showing them what a good time is to be had here. Their "ritual" include orientation of the members in the geographical and scenic features of the Caveman Domain, instructions in the Cavemen "tactics" of greeting visitors (including presentation of an inscribed chamois). There are also "secret rites" of initiation.
No one can escape being emotionally involved, one way or another, whether it is sheer ecstasy or something less. They have had the whole populace of Josephine County and a number of other places they have visited on the jump since they began their practice of calling attention to Grants Pass in any way that occurs to them.
The Cavemen have never been inhibited and thousands of pictures appearing in papers across the country prove they let their hair down literally and figuratively. As for formalities and amenities, Grants Pass Cavemen make their own rules as they go along, always calculated for the most fun and the best gag at the moment. With each new trick and each visit to a new area, they spread the good word for Grants Pass and Josephine County, calling everyone to come and see the Rogue River Valley where people are enjoying life to the fullest.
Today, the Cavemen are a committee of the Grants Pass Active Club (since 1952). The GP Active Club plans and runs Boatnik (Memorial Day Weekend) and helps hundreds of kids throughout Josephine County. The Cavemen now frequent Boatnik and Grants Pass throughout the year. UGGGGG!
Grants pass Active ClubP.O. Box 961
Grants Pass, OR 97528 |
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