April 18, 2019 Episode.
We always look forward to the interesting events that pop up in our area as we celebrate National Historic Preservation Month each May. Kimberli Fitzgerald, City Historic Preservation Officer & Staff Archaeologist, visited with us today to share the events planned for the Salem area. One special event is the Heritage Fair that takes place on the Capitol Mall in early May. This event brings together representatives of many of the historic and cultural venues in the state who set up displays showcasing their programs. I learn about a new (or at least new to me) group or program each time I attend. It's free, and there's usually an opportunity to take a tour up to the Golden Pioneer. Salem tends to spread their preservation events over the entire year, so look for future announcements as they become available.
We always look forward to the interesting events that pop up in our area as we celebrate National Historic Preservation Month each May. Kimberli Fitzgerald, City Historic Preservation Officer & Staff Archaeologist, visited with us today to share the events planned for the Salem area. One special event is the Heritage Fair that takes place on the Capitol Mall in early May. This event brings together representatives of many of the historic and cultural venues in the state who set up displays showcasing their programs. I learn about a new (or at least new to me) group or program each time I attend. It's free, and there's usually an opportunity to take a tour up to the Golden Pioneer. Salem tends to spread their preservation events over the entire year, so look for future announcements as they become available.
"Willamette" by Max Quintero, 2019 Youth Category Entry [Photo: City of Salem FB] Another well-anticipated event is the Historic Photo Contest, now in its fifth year, sponsored by the Historic Landmarks Commission. There are several categories for entries this year, including a new entry for selfies. The winners will be announced at the regular meeting of the HLC on May 16. The photos will also be displayed in the gallery of the Capitol Building for a few weeks. To see some of this year's entries, check out this post on the City of Salem's Facebook page.
At their May 16 meeting, the HLC will also award their annual historic preservation awards: the Ben Maxwell Award which recognizes an exemplary preservation project, and the Virginia Green award which recognizes an individual who provided exemplary service in historic preservation within the Salem community. I was honored (and totally gobsmacked, to boot) to have been presented this award last year.
Qing Ming Festival, April 2019 [Photo: CoS-FB] At every periodic visit with us, Kimberli tells us of another recognition that Salem's first public archaeology project, the Chinese Shrine at Pioneer Cemetery, has received. This time, the Northwest Anthropological Conference showcased this unique project due to its community involvement as a public project and for how it has engaged the Chinese-American population in a new way. The recognition also noted the unusual coordination of agencies and institutions enacted to pull off the project.
The Hoy Yin Association is an organization focusing on the immigrants from the southern region of China, with 15,000 members here in the Salem area. It is hoped their active participation in both phases of this project will encourage them to continue with the Qing Ming Festival in future years.
An article published by the Keizer Times years ago was recently discovered by staff at the Willamette Heritage Center. The article by Ann Lossner includes an interview with Suie Lai Sun, the third of eight children of Chinatown Mayor George Sun and his wife Leong She Sun, in which he describes a Qing Ming festival in the early 1900s. Suie and his siblings went on to be very active in hop growing and other businesses in Keizer.
The Hoy Yin Association is an organization focusing on the immigrants from the southern region of China, with 15,000 members here in the Salem area. It is hoped their active participation in both phases of this project will encourage them to continue with the Qing Ming Festival in future years.
An article published by the Keizer Times years ago was recently discovered by staff at the Willamette Heritage Center. The article by Ann Lossner includes an interview with Suie Lai Sun, the third of eight children of Chinatown Mayor George Sun and his wife Leong She Sun, in which he describes a Qing Ming festival in the early 1900s. Suie and his siblings went on to be very active in hop growing and other businesses in Keizer.
Dent/Chesley Farmhouse built in 1901 on Boone Road SE, Salem [Photo: T. Green, SHINE] Christy joined Kimberli in describing the process they undertook to determine if the Dent/Chesley Farmhouse at 225 Boone Road SE could be eligible for listing as a Local and/or National Register historic resource. Researching the chain of ownership for this property proved to be problematic due to changes over the years in the political boundaries of Marion County and City of Salem, with this property being within both. Additional research by the current property owner will be necessary to proceed. You can learn more about the Dent farmhouse on the SHINE blog.
Kimberli noted that she has spoken with other property owners desiring historic designation in order to be eligible for the City's Toolbox Grant Program, a matching $1000 grant for maintenance projects funded by a private citizen. It is wonderful that this donor has been so generous for a number of years, and we hope that other sources become available to help homeowners preserve these resources that are such a part of our public identity. All of us share in this historic legacy, and we all should participate in its protection and preservation. We owe this to our children's children, and beyond.
Those of us concerned with historic preservation will be interested in legislation being proposed at the Oregon Legislature this year. Check out this link to learn what is being proposed.
Those of us concerned with historic preservation will be interested in legislation being proposed at the Oregon Legislature this year. Check out this link to learn what is being proposed.
~~ Posted by Deb Meaghers
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