Community members gathered Monday morning at the Mims House—the historic site of one of Eugene’s first Black-owned homes—to remember the 75th anniversary of a dark time in the city’s history.
In 1949, Lane County ordered the destruction of the homes and church of Eugene’s first Black neighborhood. Known then as the Ferry Street Village, the area was settled predominantly by Black families who had been banned from living within Eugene city limits.
The demolition, which was deemed necessary by the county to construct a new Ferry Street Bridge, bulldozed the homes of at least five Black “first families”.
Andiel Brown, the Managing Director of the Eugene-Springfield NAACP branch, said he believes the removal was a blatant effort to destabilize Eugene’s Black community.
“The strategic timing of their uprooting was to ensure that they would not be able to lay claim to that land going forward,” said Brown.
After the razing, at least 65 Black and 36 white residents were forced to relocate. Most were sent to the West 11th Avenue area, which Brown says was largely undeveloped and without access to sewers or running water.
In the courtyard of the Mims House, descendants of the displaced families spoke to the public alongside members of the NAACP and the Black Cultural Initiative. Comments on the behalf of the city, the Oregon Senate, and the University of Oregon were also shared.
Eugene-Springfield NAACP President Demond Hawkins said the event served as a reminder of the unjust, and often forgotten, parts of the city’s past.
“This 75-year acknowledgement is just a reminder that, one, that history was not that far away," said Hawkins. “We need to learn our history here.”
The organization said it hopes the shared dialogue will bring awareness to past discrimination as a step in rectifying the actions taken years ago.
The area where Ferry Street Village once stood is now known as Alton Baker Park. Those interested in learning more about Black history in Eugene can contact the NAACP through their Facebook page.
