Thanks to a grant from The Kinsman Foundation, award-winning musician and playwright Marv Ross created a musical play about Maxville, On to Higher Ground. This fictional story about Maxville is based on firsthand historical accounts, transcripts, and research.

The musical theatre project explores the historical logging culture of the 1920's and 1930's in Wallowa County where African American and Caucasian cultures were impacted by the development of the segregated lumber camp that became known as Maxville.

The play premeired October 25, 2012 at the World Forestry Center in Portland, during MHIC’s regional fundraiser. Gwen introduced this theatrical program with a special presentation by Marv on crafting a script and the development of characters that experience conflict , arc, and transformation. Questions and input from all attending were welcomed by Marv & Rindy who have helped create three previous original musicals, The Ghosts of Celilo, Voices From The Oregon Trail, and Triangle Theatre's upcoming show '69 - The Sexual Revolution Musical.

On to Higher Ground Media Archive

On To Higher Ground: a Deep West Video by Gwen Trice

A video by Gwen Trice about the making of the play On To Higher Ground.

On to Higher Ground

3 songs/scenes from On to Higher Ground, a play inspired by historical Maxville research, transcripts and interviews produced and written by Marv Ross.