Oregon Black Pioneers’ Black History Walking Tour Comes to Jacksonville

For immediate release, September 28, 2023

Media contact: Belinda Miller [email protected]

Oregon Black Pioneers’ Black History Walking Tour Comes to Jacksonville

Jacksonville, OR – Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon’s only statewide African American historical society, brings its Black History Walking Tours to Jacksonville on Saturday, October 21. Oregon Black Pioneers’ guided walking tours are offered once per quarter in communities around the state. Each tour is unique, and led by one of our knowledgeable staff members to uncover each area’s Black history.

“People often ask us where they can find Black history in Oregon. The answer is, everywhere!” says Executive Director Zachary Stocks. “Our Black History Walking Tours relate the stories of our state’s Black history in the places where it was made.”

Saturday, October 21, from 10:00 AM to Noon, the tour will take place in the historic gold mining town of Jacksonville in Jackson County’s Applegate Valley. Led by Oregon Black Pioneers’ Public Programs Manager Mariah Rocker, this two-hour, 1-mile loop will make stops at locations connected to the town’s Black history. The tour will begin at the Jacksonville Cemetery before moving to the Jackson Creek Junction Gazebo. Vehicle transport is encouraged to avoid walking up and down the steep cemetery road. The rest of the tour, starting at Jackson Creek Junction Gazebo, will be on foot. Guests will discover more about pioneers Ben Johnson, Charles Blockwell, Sam Vose, and other members of one of the first Black communities in the state.

Tours are limited to 35 people. Comfortable walking shoes, a hat, and sunglasses are advised, and guests are encouraged to bring enough water to stay hydrated. The tour will be walking on public streets where ADA accessibility can vary.

For more information and tickets visit: bit.ly/OBPWalkingTours
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Oregon Black Pioneers is Oregon’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans statewide. Oregon Black Pioneers is 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered in Salem, Oregon.

oregonblackpioneers.org