City historic preservation officer Kimberli Fitzgerald explains how Salem set up a group to hear civil rights concerns in the early 1960s.
Tag: LOCAL HISTORY
COLUMN: 100 years ago in Salem, a fundraising drive for the state’s oldest university
Salem historic preservation officer Kimberli Fitzgerald recounts how Willamette University was founded, and how a century-old fundraising push secured the university’s future.
LOCAL HISTORY: The removal of the Kalapuya people
For Indigenous History Month, Salem’s historic preservation officer Kimberli Fitzgerald dives into an early historic account of Indigenous inhabitants in what is now Salem.
SALEM HISTORY: The city’s Civic Center turns 50
May is Historic Preservation Month, and it’s a great time to notice Salem’s wonderful historic landmarks. Some buildings we previously thought of as modern are now eligible for historic designation. Just last year the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission realized that our very own Salem Civic Center would be turning 50[Read More…]
Mystery passport in state hospital archive tells of laborer who slipped across border, found love
A bright red booklet caught Todd Shaffer’s eye as he was working through a stack of patient files. Shaffer, an archivist with the Oregon State Archives, said it’s not unusual to find surprises in the decades-old records of people committed to the state’s psychiatric hospital. But Johannes Blankrud’s file had[Read More…]
SALEM HISTORY: Unraveling the mystery of 901 Capitol St. NE
A 1921 Oregon Statesman photo of “The Home Electrical” at 901 Capitol St N.E. A routine part of my job includes reviewing building permits and completing historic design reviews on properties in Salem that are designated historic resources. Part of the work that I do includes summarizing the history and[Read More…]
SALEM HISTORY: Once a horse stable downtown, Durbin name now graces nearby alley
A sixteen horse team stands in front of the Durbin’s Livery Barn in Salem during a heavy snow storm on Jan. 20, 1895. (Ben Maxwell collection/Salem Public Library) In 2019, the Salem Main Street Association asked residents to suggest names for downtown alleys and vote for their favorites. About 600 people weighed in.[Read More…]
SALEM HISTORY: Downtown’s sky bridges took shape as malls went up in Salem
Sky bridges on Center Street in downtown Salem under construction in July 1987. (WHC Collections 1998.004.0011) Once a month, Willamette Heritage Center curator Kylie Pine shares a historical photo from the center’s collections with a brief description of Salem history. July’s photo highlights a piece of downtown Salem soon to[Read More…]
SALEM HISTORY: A firebombing brings a neighborhood together to restore historic home
The Bucher House boarded up following the 1992 firebombing (Courtesy/Hazel Patton) Neighbors in the Court/Chemeketa Residential Historic District called the classic bungalow located at the corner of 14th and Court the “House from Hell.” Built in 1914 by Walter and Mary Buchner, the once stately home had been converted into[Read More…]
LOCAL HISTORY: Juneteenth offers opportunity to explore Salem’s Black history
The Oregon Black Pioneers memorial at Pioneer Cemetery in Salem (Courtesy/Friends of Pioneer Cemetery) This month we are celebrating Juneteenth, which is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. At their meeting on June 14, 2021 Salem’s Mayor and Council proclaimed June 19, 2021 as Juneteenth Independence Day.[Read More…]
