Make Eugene, Cascades & Coast Your Classroom

Culture & History Unit Studies

Native Americans

Delve into this Oregon's cultural history starting with the area's Indigenous people. In the early 1800s, the Kalapuya peoples had a population around 15,000 — the largest Native American group in the Willamette Valley. Visit the Whilamut Natural Area in Alton Baker Park and find the "Talking Stones" which connect Kalapuya language with natural sites. Dorris Ranch in Springfield offers a "living history" program showcasing a modern day replica of a Native American plank house alongside a replica trapper's / pioneer's log cabin.

The Native Americans Student Association at Lane Community College hosts an annual Pow Wow every May which is one of the largest in the Northwest. The University of Oregon campus also recognizes our Native American community with the Many Nations Longhouse and the Oregon Tribal flagpoles. Learn more at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History where you can see collections of Native American baskets, cloth, masks and more in person or online. Expand your lesson plans with resources from the Oregon Department of Education. 

Next, head to the Oregon Coast and walk Amanda's Trail. This approximately six-mile trail memorializes the forced footsteps of a Coos woman driven from her home in 1864 along with other tribal people on a march to reservation land.

To the south of Amanda's Trail is the Heceta Head Lighthouse which was finished in 1894. The assistant light keeper's home has been converted into a bed and breakfast. Stay overnight and imagine what is was like on this quiet coastline a hundred years ago.

Community museums across Lane County, including the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum in Florence, the Creswell Historical Museum, and the Applegate Pioneer Museum showcase Kalapuya artifacts and/or pieces of history from pioneers and settlers following the Oregon and Applegate emigrant trails.

Explorers, Pioneers & Settlers

Interpretative kiosks and monuments also mark the Applegate Trail from Creswell to Veneta. This trail, traversed by Jesse Applegate and Levi Scott in 1846, was thought to be a shorter and safer route to the Willamette Valley. Stay in a road side hotel or campground and explore local trails for the experience of what it was like walking through the valley. Return to Dorris Ranch to see the old homestead replicas.

Eugene Skinner was one of the early pioneers to declare a homestead in the vicinity, along with Elijah Bristow, William Dodson and Captain Felix Scott. Skinner Butte Park now marks the site where he built a house and operated a ferry business before Eugene's township eventually took shape, formerly established in 1846. Tour historical markers in the park and visit the Eugene Public Library where a bronze statue commemorates the city's founder.

In Junction City, the Camas Country Mill has preserved an old school house from one hundred years ago. Imagine what is was like attending school there! Now you can order pastries and fresh baked bread to go.

For an even deeper dive into early pioneer days, sign up for Singing Creek Educational Center's homeschooling program held at the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House or other area locations. 

Book a stay at the historic Campbell House Inn adjacent Skinner Butte Park. This home was built in 1862 and now operates as an elegant bed and breakfast. Also nearby is Shelton McMurphey Johnson House which has re-opened for limited hours, so you can tour the historic home and learn about what living was like for several prominent Eugene families.

The Gold Rush - a subset of exploration

Sift through the region's "gold rush" history. Set up basecamp in historic Cottage Grove for your era explorations and learn about gold at the Bohemia Gold Mining Museum, which has re-opened with limited hours. Then hike up Bohemia Mountain, skirting an abandoned mining town. Be cautious of old mine shafts in the vicinity (most have been closed off). 

You can pan for gold at Brice Creek or Sharps Creek. Gold panning is allowed on most U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and you don't need a permit — just a pan. Cottage Grove also has six historic covered bridges that you can tour while you're here.

Black History

When Wiley Griffon arrived in Eugene in 1891, he was one of the first known African Americans to live in the city despite an exclusion clause in the state constitution that made it illegal for Blacks to settle in Oregon. Griffon drove a mule-drawn trolley and worked as a janitor for the University of Oregon. A plaque honors him near today's EWEB building downtown close to the site of his former home. A mural in his honor adorns the residential walls across for the Civic Park in South Eugene. 

One of the first Black-owned properties in Eugene, the Mims House, was built in what is now Alton Baker Park (outside Eugene at the time). Black artists Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong stayed here when they performed in Eugene as local hotels were not friendly to Black entertainers. Today you can visit this historic home currently occupied by the NAACP who offers a small museum, free loaner library of books on topics such as feminism and race. They also host frequent small community events. 

Explore local Black history with the exhibit "Racing to Change: Oregon's Civil Rights Years — The Eugene Story" at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Learn about today's Black community and expand your lesson plans with presentations and resources from the University of Oregon's Black Cultural Center or check out anti-racist education supplements from Eugene's Ayisha Elliott and Black Gold Culture Camp. You can also download the app Strides for Social Justice which pairs exercise with a tour of Black cultural sites.

Scandinavian Immigrants

Junction City was settled by Danish immigrants in the early 1900s. Explore its historical roots on a walking tour or visit the local museum. The original Danish Lutheran Church, established locally in 1902, held services in Danish until the 50s. Now in its second location, and known as the Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, the largely Danish congregation still gathers — and proudly serves up aebleskivers at the community's annual Scandinavian Festival. This celebration of the town's Scandinavian heritage draws thousands from across the region for traditional dancing, food, artisan crafts and more every August. 

Oregon's Asian Community

Chinese and Japanese immigrants started arriving in Oregon in the 1850s to work in the lumber mills, on the railroads, on farms and in canneries; contributing their labor and culture to local development. A memorial to the Japanese-American internments during World War II is located adjacent the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. The region's Asian communities today also include Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Pacific Islanders. 

Visit the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art's ancient Chinese, Japanese and Korean art collection. Attend the annual Asian Celebration or the Asian Night Market in downtown Eugene. Shop at a local Asian market and make a cultural recipe!

Eugene's "Counter Culture" Era

Eugene's peace, flowers and love legacy blossomed in the late 60s and early 70s. From the Saturday Market to Nancy's Yogurt, this was the budding of many things to come. Learn about the local author Ken Kesey and his bus "Further." High school students might consider a book report on one of Kesey's books. Check out the origins of the Oregon Country Fair and tie dye some t-shirts. Shop some of Eugene's original natural foods markets like the Kiva and Sundance. Take the kids on a culinary tour, sampling tofu and growing their own sprouts. Start at the Saturday Market, then explore the wholesome menus at Morning Glory and New Day Bakery. The eclectic Whiteaker neighborhood will give you a modern taste of how the legacy of Eugene's counter culture has shaped the town today.

Eugene's creative thinkers, artisans and local innovators are the genesis for many nationally-recognized and environmentally aware products like the Burley bike trailer and today's Bike Friday travel bicycles. You can also learn about tech start ups, food products from Yogi teas to Toby's salad dressings, and recycling businesses like BRING. There are many environmental groups offering voluntarism opportunities that children can partake in. All of these avenues demonstrate the community's alternative and pioneering approach for improvement.