I had come to Albany because it was located near a number of covered bridges. I am a child of urban America. Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City are my heritage. And so it was that I had few expectations about such a small town as Albany. What I found became another lesson in my education. I found a town that had come back from adversity to not only survive but also thrive. I learned that small does not mean uneducated or unsophisticated. And I discovered a hidden gem testifying to the spirit of Albany, Oregon. Carousels can be traced back to the Middle East, and earlier to India and Pre-Columbian America. Although their origin is not exactly known, they have been around for thousands of years. Used as a ride for amusement as well as cavalry training, the spinning configuration traveled to Europe via the Crusades of the 12th and 13th centuries. The story of the carousel in America can be traced back to 1837 when Michael Dentzel traveled in horse drawn wagons the southern German countryside with his portable hand carved machine, going from fair to fair or market. Michael's sons followed in his footsteps and were all sent by their father to try their hands in America. For more than a century, the Dentzel name has been identified with the pioneering and development of the hand carved carousel. The family continues the tradition to this day. The Dentzel Family had a 100 year-old carousel that had sat in storage for many years. Several years ago they offered it to Albany. The town accepted the gift but found that most of the hand carved animals were in such poor condition that they could not be saved. Rather than admit defeat the town put out a call for wood carvers. The pieces of the carousel were transferred to a warehouse near the downtown district and the people went to work. Starting with local artisans, the project eventually drew carvers from as far away as Montana and the central coast of California. People with no experience but who had always wanted to learn the art were accepted and trained. Today the work continues. Everyone is a volunteer.