Preserving the Past. Bringing History to Life.
History is more than dates, places, and events. It's the people who lived it, the stories they carried, and the legacies they left behind.
At Rise Above Studios, we bring history to life through archival photographs, personal interviews, historical research, and cinematic aerial and ground footage. By connecting the past with the places we recognize today, we create meaningful visual stories that educate, inspire, and preserve the memories that shaped our communities.
Because when we preserve history, we're preserving more than what happened. We're honoring the people who made it happen.
The Woodard Flume | A Historical Storytelling Project
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History isn't always found in museums or history books. Sometimes it's hidden in the landscapes we pass every day.
In collaboration with Casey Woodard, Rise Above Studios helped bring the story of the historic Woodard Flume to life for an October 2026 History Pub presentation in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
The project brought together historical research, archival photographs, recorded recollections, and original aerial footage following approximately eight miles of the historic flume route from London to Latham.
By connecting the people, places, and stories of the past with the landscape we recognize today, this presentation offered audiences an opportunity to experience a remarkable piece of local history in a new way.
Following the Historic Woodard Flume Route
Follow the historic Woodard Flume route through approximately eight miles of Oregon history. Beginning upriver along the Coast Fork Willamette River, this aerial journey crosses Cottage Grove Lake, where the former community of Hebron now lies beneath the water. From there, the route passes the spillway and dam, continues across open fields and properties toward Cottage Grove, crosses London Road, and follows Latham Road to the present-day Weyerhaeuser mill site, formerly the Woodard Mill.
Through original drone footage, we connect today's landscape with the people, places, and history of the Woodard Flume.
A Glimpse Into the Past
Historical photographs, archival records, and personal recollections help reconnect the places we see today with the people and stories that came before us.
Preserving History Through Partnership
Rise Above Studios welcomes opportunities to collaborate with philanthropic foundations, grantmaking organizations, nonprofits, and grant recipients to document the people, places, and projects their funding helps support.
Through historical documentaries and visual storytelling, we help preserve community legacies, demonstrate the meaningful impact of funded initiatives, and create lasting stories that can be shared with donors, stakeholders, and future generations.
Every Community Has a Story Worth Preserving.
Whether you're a family, historical society, foundation, nonprofit, or organization with a story worth telling, Rise Above Studios would be honored to help preserve it.
Let's bring the past to life and create something meaningful for generations to come.