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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 2020)
2 Thursday, October 22, 2020 GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon COVER STORY — ‘WE CAME BY BOXCAR’ VIRTUAL CELEBRATION & ENTERTAINMENT SUPPORTS Maxville’s heritage JOSEPH — “We Came by Boxcar,” a virtual gala, live per- formance and fundraiser, will be presented Oct. 24 by the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center in Joseph, which seeks to gather, catalog, preserve and interpret the rich history of the multicultural logging community of Maxville and similar communities in the Pacifi c Northwest. The event will take the audi- ence on “a journey through timber culture and heritage” exploring “the untold stories of one of Oregon’s Black and multicultural logging communities.” Interpretive perfor- mances and entertainment will be highlights of the online program. In its heyday, between 1924 and 1933, Maxville, about 13 miles north of the town of Wallowa, was the largest town in Wallowa County. Unlike most timber towns in the Pacifi c Northwest, it was home to Black loggers and white loggers who worked side by side felling timber. Many of Maxville’s loggers and their families came from the South and the Midwest in search of work in the early 1920s. The Bowman- Hicks Lumber Company, which owned the town, brought the Black workers and their families to Max- ville even though Oregon’s exclu- sion laws prohibited “free Negroes” from moving to the state to live and work. Both Black and white loggers from the South, local loggers and homesteaders logged Maxville. Through historical records, the Maxville Heritage Center has identifi ed Maxville loggers of Black American, Greek, Philippine, Guamanian, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Latinx and Native Ameri- can descent, among others. The lumber town was home to 50 or so Black Americans and their families and had the only segregated school in Oregon at the time. Despite Bowman-Hicks’ en- forcement of Jim Crow-inspired segregation mandates, Maxville’s isolation from mainstream society encouraged the formation of inter- racial friendships. Black and white townspeople socialized and often shared resources. Economic conditions, especially the Great Depression and conse- quent downturn in the lumber market, led to Maxville’s decline. In 1933 Bowman-Hicks closed its operations, and Maxville eventu- ally became a ghost town. When Bowman-Hicks ended its logging operation in 1933, the schools desegregated and the remaining Maxville students at- tended school together. Some 60 years later, the children and grandchildren of the original logging families began researching the history of the town and uncov- ering the stories of their ancestors. This effort led to the founding in 2008 of the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center, 103 N. Main St., Joseph. As stated on the organization’s website, the mission of the Maxville Heritage Center is “to serve Oregon and the greater Pacifi c Northwest by preserving resources and pro- viding information and education about this little-known chapter of the American experience.” Visitors to the website can virtually experience the center’s collections, exhibits and program- ming. Its archives include historical photographs, oral histories and audio interviews. “We Came by Boxcar” begins at 7 p.m. Saturday. There is no fee to join the “gala,” which can be viewed on the center’s Facebook page or via Zoom. To register for the link and more information, visit the Events section of the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center’s Facebook page. Information also is available at 541-426-3545 or info@ maxvilleheritage.org. The program is hosted by Max- ville Heritage Interpretive Center and Beyond Toxics, a non-govern- mental charity organization based in Eugene that “strives for a clean and just Oregon.” Maxville Heritage Center’s governing board members repre- sent national, regional and local volunteers dedicated to educating the public about the signifi cant history of Maxville and similar communities. Your One Stop Music Shop Get Everything You Need to Keep the Beat Going Lessons Rentals Jam Sessions Direct Music Source Maxville Heritage Center Timber Culture Exhibit / Contributed Photos In 1926, buildings to be used as schools were hauled to Maxville. The school for Black students (above left, circa 1926) was located on the north side of town, and the school for white students (above right, circa 1926) was on the south side of town. Maxville’s schools were the only segregated schools in Oregon at that time. Despite such ethnic separation, there is evidence that friendships were formed among all of Maxville neighbors (far left, circa 1937). WEEKEND OUTLOOK 1206 Adams Ave La Grande, Oregon 97850 (541) 962-0307 FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY High 46 Low 29 High 34 Low 5 High 33 Low 17 Rain and drizzle Partly sunny Sunlit and cold
