Situated on the banks of the Columbia River, a scenic area of north-central Oregon that’s steeped in Native American culture and tradition is considered one of the most historic in the state. The French traded there. Lewis and Clark passed through as they made their way to the coast. It’s where the Oregon Trail ended. And there’s yet another unique distinction.

Cats roaming the countryside, keeping the rodent population down, are a common sight in this quiet farming community. On a spring day in 1982, a barn cat known as Speedy built herself a nest in a woodpile underneath the kitchen window of Richard and Linda Koehl’s farm, snuggled down and began delivering kittens.

**Get the September 2008 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article.**