What was everyday life like for Black families in Eugene a century ago, or 50 years ago? A city project is now asking residents to help answer that question by contributing stories, photographs and documents that shed light on the area's Black history.

Eugene, and Oregon as a whole, have historically not been friendly or welcoming places for Black people. Even so, Black communities took root and thrived in the city. One of them was known as the "across the bridge community," located on the north side of the Willamette River in the area where Alton Baker Park now stands.

Some families from that community still live in Eugene, and they have already shared their memories with the project. Lorna Flormoe, an equity and access planner with the city of Eugene, said the historical record handed down from grandparents to grandchildren, and from families that may have moved away, remains incomplete.

"It may never be complete, so we're getting as much as we can," Flormoe said.

In its first phase, the project worked with the organization Oregon Black Pioneers to collect accounts from families who have remained in the city and were willing to share their recollections.

Fabio Andrade, manager of the city's office of Equity and Community Engagement, said elders described how they came to Eugene and the hardships they faced once they arrived.

"But they also described a lot of what day-to-day life was like, and the resiliency of the community and the joy that they found having each other to support whatever they needed to survive here," Andrade said. "So it was really interesting to get to hear those stories as well."

Andrade said the city is now issuing a broader call to the public for additional stories, photos and documents to help fill in the larger history of Black life in Eugene. "So, we are really hopeful that we'll get a better understanding of the people who were living in the 1940s and 50s and what their experiences were and, perhaps, why their families are no longer in Eugene," he said.

Community input is being accepted through Dec. 15, 2026. All of the materials gathered will be used to finalize a Black History context statement that is currently in progress.

This story was reported by Rachael McDonald of KLCC and comes from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.