Benton County is asking the community to help name a new road.
The street will be located off Highway 20, where the new District Attorney’s office and courthouse will be built.
“It’s important to us that everyone gets to take part in honoring an influential individual or culture from our area,” said county spokesperson JonnaVe Stokes.
People can choose between three historical figures and an indigenous name. The options were submitted by community and staff and were reviewed by the county’s equity coordinator, as well as the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde.
They include:
Champinefu, which is the Kalapuyan name for where Corvallis now sits, and the name of a band of the Kalapuya tribes whose ancestral home is in that area.
Letitia Carson was the first Black woman to claim land in Oregon. Her homestead is now used by OSU as grazing for beef cattle.
Lewis Southworth was a formerly enslaved man and violinist. He worked in the Corvallis area in the summers harvesting wheat and hay, and lived at his Waldport homestead in the winter.
Harriet Forest Moore spent decades as archivist at OSU’s library. She was known for her commitment to accuracy, and depth of knowledge on local history.
To cast a vote to help name the road, email PIOinfo@bentoncountyOR.gov. The public has until Jan. 5 to submit their thoughts.
