CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
CULTURE & HERITAGE
21
AUG. 10�17, 2022
Learn about Union’s history at Third Tuesday event
Talk is Aug. 16 at the
Little White Church
By Janet Dodson
For Go! Magazine
UNION — The Union County Museum
will host their Third Tuesday event in the
Little White Church on Tuesday, Aug. 16,
7 p.m.
The title of the presentation is “Main
Street Union’s History & Hopes,” present-
ed by Walt Brookshire, a retired Union
pharmacist, longtime Union advocate and
owner of a restored historic building on
Main Street.
The presentation is open to the public
and there is no admission fee.
Brookshire was a principal author for
Union’s Commercial Historic District,
which was recognized in the National
Register of Historic Places in 1997. He
will give a brief history of Union’s Historic
District and discuss how the change in
architecture over time may be indicative
of the commercial district’s economic
importance. He will provide an update on
how Union’s participation with the Oregon
Main Street Program, through its newly
created Main Street Union organization,
may lead to improvements in Union’s
commercial area and public spaces.
The buildings on both sides of Main
Street from Blue Mountain Brewery
(which was demolished by Union School
District) to the Union Historic Hotel will be
included in his discussion. In 1997, David
York, with Livable Oregon, a predecessor
to Oregon Main Street, reviewed Union’s
22 historic brick buildings and provid-
ed restoration plans for them. York also
illustrated a historic interpretation of east
and west sides of Main Street, showing
historically appropriate facades. These
illustrations will be used in Brookshire’s
presentation.
The discussion will also include Steve
Wadner’s presentation to Main Street
Union on Main Street being part of The
Old Oregon Trail Highway and eff orts
by Main Street Union to recognize the
Learn about Union’s
history during
Walt Brookshire’s
Third Tuesday
presentation for
the Union County
Museum. The talk is
Aug. 16 at the Little
White Church in
Union.
Union County Museum
collection/Contributed
photo
historic name.
The Main Street method of downtown
revitalization is a program of the National
Trust for Historic Preservation that has
been in use by many communities in
Oregon and across the country for sev-
eral decades. If a downtown in Oregon is
attractive, historical and vibrant, it is prob-
ably a Main Street participant. Some of
the longest running programs in Oregon
are in La Grande, Albany and McMinnville.
Once part of the Oregon Economic
Development Department, Oregon Main
Street is now under the Oregon Heritage
State Historic Preservation Offi ce, which
is part of Oregon Parks & Recreation
Department. This offi ce provides the
support, training, expertise, and planning
assistance participating communities rely
on for their success.
“We can’t preserve our history if we
don’t have a plan,” Brookshire said. “Main
Street Union’s ‘museum’ will be a pre-
served and functioning downtown.”
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
The Union County Museum is a
non-profi t organization whose purpose is
to collect, preserve and present the histo-
ry of Union County, Oregon. The museum
is governed and operated by volunteers
with the Union County Museum Society.
Find more information and join our cause
at www.ucmuseumoregon.com.
The museum is open Thursday through
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mother’s Day
through September. If you love history
and would like to volunteer a few hours a
month sharing that interest with museum
visitors, please contact Raye Clark, volun-
teer coordinator, by sending an email to
history@ucmuseumoregon.com, or call
the museum, 541-562-6003, and leave
her a message. Proposals for Third Tues-
day presentations are also welcome.