Oregon Black Pioneers’ expansive new project, Staking Their Claim, researches and highlights the experiences of the state’s early Black homesteaders. Thanks to a generous grant from the Roundhouse Foundation, we’re developing a presentation, tour media, and a new digital exhibit about the Black men and women who received land via the Homestead Act between the 1860s-1920s.
The Homestead Act was signed by President Lincoln in 1862. Unlike previous land laws, the Homestead Act did not prohibit Black Americans from applying. Black Oregonians did apply, and secured land grants of up to 160 acres each. Homesteading was a distinctly rural experience. Many of Oregon’s Black homesteaders lived far away from the state’s Black community centers.
Oregon Black Pioneers is working to discover more about this first generation of Black homesteaders. How many Black homesteaders were there? Where specifically did these people live? As part of this project, we’re sharing our findings in a special presentation called Staking Their Claim: Black Homesteaders of Oregon. This presentation is being offered for free in select rural communities in 2025, courtesy of the Roundhouse Foundation.
May 2
The Spot, Madras, OR MORE HERE
6:30pm
June
Canyon City, OR TBD
July
Prineville, OR TBD
We’ve also partnered with Eastern Oregon Visitors Association to develop an audio driving tour throughout the region. The tour will feature stories of Black people who called Eastern Oregon home prior to the 1940s.
In late 2025, we will feature the findings from this project in a new Black homesteaders digital exhibit on the Oregon Black Pioneers website. This exhibit will use interactive tools, maps, audio, and video to help tell the stories of Black Americans and the Homestead Act, locally and nationally.
Homesteaders were some of the most industrious and independent figures in Oregon’s Black history. The Staking Their Claim project will ensure that their unique experiences are not forgotten.