Oregon Black Pioneers is excited to debut our newest exhibit – Staking Their Claim: Black Homesteaders of Oregon. Thanks to a generous grant from the Roundhouse Foundation, we’ve shared the stories of the Black men and women who claimed land under the Homestead Act of 1862 across Oregon, and we’ve now made that information available for anyone to access online.
The Homestead Act of 1862 was the first public land law that allowed Black Oregonians to apply. At least 20 Black Oregonians are known to have secured land grants of up to 160 acres each, including Letitia Carson, Louis Southworth, John A. Brown, Columbus Sewell, and more. These pioneers settled all across the state, staking claims in rural communities far from the state’s Black community centers.
Despite the odds, these homesteaders built lives for themselves, and their stories still resonate today. Our research to uncover and share these stories continues, making Staking Their Claim an evolving online resource.
This exhibit uses interactive tools, maps, audio, and video to help tell the stories of Black Americans and the Homestead Act, locally and nationally. Homesteading had a huge impact on Oregon, and the folks staking that claim were some of the most industrious and independent figures in our history. Acknowledging the reality of Black homesteaders helps ensure that their unique experiences are not forgotten.
View the online exhibit here.