Browse Exhibits (6 total)
Mining Methods in Oregon
Gold was first discovered in Oregon sometime around 1851 after the initial gold strike at Sutter’s Mill in California. Hundreds of miners flocked to the Applegate area in Southwest Oregon, including a group of Chinese immigrants from Guangdong Province in China. Miners often worked for hire for companies that owned claims. In many counties, Chinese miners weren’t allowed to own claims and were often forced to work unsafe, brutal contract positions for white claim owners. Eventually, the focus shifted from gold to include other resources, such as coal, silver, copper, sulfur, chrome, and quicksilver (mercury). Miners in Oregon have used many methods and tools to extract these resources—some of which have damaged the local environment in long-lasting ways. Research more about these methods here and here.
Read Southern Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement here.
Women's History of Southern Oregon
There is a rich history of women’s rights activism and education in Southern Oregon. Hundreds of women in the area have worked in their own unique ways to improve our world and humanity’s place in it, and over the decades, these women have made great strides towards gaining equity for all genders. March celebrates National Women’s History Month.
Research more about some of the incredible women who have worked so hard to improve Southern Oregon here and here.
Peter Britt
Peter Britt was a Swiss immigrant who came to Jacksonville, Oregon, in 1852. Here he married, had children, and started a photography business where he documented the life, landscape, and people of Southern Oregon. He would become one of the most accomplished photographers in the history of Oregon. Britt also dabbled in painting, horticulture and winemaking, meteorology, and property management.
Needed: Virtual Volunteers!
Special Collections holds several handwritten documents created between 1880 and 1939 that need transcribing. Among them are the Francis G. Swedenburg papers, the Walter Phillips papers, and the Anderson - Phillips family papers. Materials document the experiences of Dr. Swedenburg and the Anderson - Phillips family. How their lives were affected by WWI's bitter conflict and the Spanish Flu may be of particular interest.
Hannon Library seeks to make these materials keyword-searchable and more comfortable to read for student researchers and local historians. In transcribing these documents, Hannon Library hopes volunteers will help make the materials more accessible, engage with our collections, and feel a connection with Special Collections.
Anyone can participate in the transcription effort. Special Collections' staff will review the completed transcriptions. The approved transcription will be available alongside the original document.
Primary Sources
A Primary Source provides first-hand information about an event, object, person, or study. The person creating the materials witnessed or experienced the event. Examples include diaries, oral histories, eyewitness accounts, and interviews.
Natural History
The environment of Southern Oregon is a defining aspect of our region's heritage. Natural areas like the Rogue River, the Cascades, and the Siskiyou Mountains predate human settlement and therefore chronicle millions of years of natural history. Through Special Collections & University Archives, you will unearth the past, present, and future of Southern Oregon's natural resources, ecology, and environmental management. View the journals and photography of local naturalists, maps, and original research conducted by local scholars.