Catharine Kendall Emerald
(above) Matthew Inglizian looks at the view from the Butte while Tracy Corwin stands
to take a drink of water, (right) The picturesque peak of the Butte at sunset in winter.
■With more than 150 years of history behind it, Skinner
Butte still provides a setting for local outdoor recreation
By Will Wyer
for the Emerald
Students and families looking to
get outdoors over the weekend can
head up to historical Skinner Butte
for a view of downtown Eugene
and beyond.
Besides providing an overview
of the landscape, the point also rep
resents the birthplace of the city.
On the southwestern slope of the
butte, city founder Eugene Franklin
Skinner and his wife, Mary, settled
down and built their log cabin back
in 1846.
“This is the heart of the city; I
mean, this is where it all began,”
said Ray Wiley, Rotary Club project
manager for Skinner Butte Renova
tion. “This is our historical re
source, and it’s pretty important.”
In 1997, the Eugene Rotary Club
took steps to help repair the top of
the butte that had been left polluted
and rundown through the years.
Through member donations, the or
ganization was able to clean up the
surrounding area and provide the
community with a place for fami
lies and visitors to overlook the val
ley, Wiley said.
Whether driving up to the top or
hiking the various trails to reach the
peak from the base of the park that
surrounds it, the view remains a
place of activity and leisure for stu
dents and residents alike.
“It’s a special place as far as get
ting a workout for me because I like
the hills, ” Eugene resident Dorothy
Shannon said. The trip up the butte
doesn’t have to be exercise-orient
ed, however.
“Most of the time I spend up here
is just me looking out over all of Eu
gene,” said University student
Mike Meisel, a sociology major. “If
the weather does hold up, this a
good place to come and just be lazy
in the sun.”
In addition, other monuments
can be found atop the butte.
A 90-foot flagpole commemorat
ing fallen Eugene veterans of every
American war stands at the center
of the butte, and a plaque naming
all soldiers remains at the base of
the park.
Just below the flag, a huge letter O
lies across the slope, a symbol Uni
versity alumni donated in 1908.
The big O helped initiate the Uni
versity’s growing rivalry with Ore
gon State University.
OSU students routinely burned
the letter that was originally made
of wood, park planner Robin Ho
stick said, until the letter was re
paired with a metal foundation.
Hidden on a trail 50 feet up hum
the parking lot, visitors will find a
big letter E, a monument donated in
1915 by a local high school.
At the base of the butte lies Skin
ner Park, dedicated in 1914, pro
viding various activities for all. In
addition to the hiking trails found
throughout the park, a bike trail lies
just along the Willamette River for
people interested in a quicker
means of transportation.
The most popular attraction is
the view that looks out across the
city atop the butte. Even on overcast
days, cars can be seen parked fac
ing downtown, enjoying the same
view Eugene Skinner saw when he
first arrived.
“It’s a real inspirational site, ” said
Wiley. “I’ve seen people stand there
at that view and stay mesmerized
for a half-hour at a time just stand
ing there.”
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