A new plaque in Eugene honors the life of the late jokebook salesman David Henry Miller, better known to locals as “Frog.”
A small crowd gathered at the unveiling Sunday afternoon outside of the Duck Store on 13th Avenue, recounting jokes and sharing stories about one of Eugene's most iconic eccentrics.
Frog, who died last year at age 76, often stood at that site, asking passersby whether they’d read the world’s funniest jokebooks, and giving out free samples. He also sold his books at the Saturday Market and the Oregon Country Fair.
"He was more than an author and a a bookseller. He was an experience," said Bill Goldsmith, a former Saturday Market manager. "He was himself. That's what made him worth remembering, setting an example for people that they can be themselves, too."
Frog has now been immortalized with the plaque, which local sculptor Alison Brown designed, and more than 60 community donations helped fund.
The installation includes a QR code which passersby can scan, which will take them to a website with audio recordings of Frog telling some of his "groan-worthy" jokes.
At Sunday's event, David Rogers read a jaunty poem honoring Frog. He said the bookseller was a product of the hippie movement, an author of many jokes in bad taste, and his best friend.
"He was one of a kind," said Rogers. "We're not going to see another Frog. You're not going to see characters like him again."
Eugene resident Tai Pruce-Zimmerman said he grew up in this town, and encountering Frog was an important part of his childhood memories. He said it's been hard to comprehend the vendor's absence from his spot on 13th Avenue since his death.
“I'm very, very glad to know that he is here again," said Pruce-Zimmerman. "And this time, he's here for good."
