N ew D e a n B r fi n g s D fi v e r s e E x p e r fi e n c e W a rn e r Pa c fifi c h fi r e s adm fin fi s t ra to r QR c o d e f o r P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r O n l fi n e ‘C fi ty o f Ro s e s ’ S e e s to ry , pag e 4 V o lum e XL IV Numb e r 29 M fi s s fi s s fi p p fi S t r e e t F a fi r N e fighbo r hood s e t fo r Sa tu r da y c e l eb ra t fion S e e Lo ca l N ew s , pag e 3 www . p o r t l a n d o b s e r v e r . c om W e d n e s d a y • J u l y 8 , 20 1 5 E s t a b l fi s h e d fi n 1 9 70 C omm fi t t e d t o C u l t u r a l D fi v e r s fi t y PHOTO COURTESY OF M ETRO A new head s t one t o commemo ra t e the wo r k and l fi fe and Po r t land ’ s fi r s t A f r fi can -Ame r fi can fi re figh t e r , Adam Augu s tu s “Gu s ” Wa t e r fo rd , fi s p la ced on h fi s g ra ve s fi t e a t Lone F fi r P fionee r Ceme t e r y . Ce leb ra t fing the g ra s s roo t s e f fo r t led b y a Mad fi son H figh S choo l h fi s t o r y c la s s a re the t ea che r Ja son M fi l le r ( f rom le f t ) , h fi s s tuden t s Do ro th y Ma r t fin , Hannah Owen s , and L fi l l y Ba r che r s and Po r t land F fi re and Re s cue L t . R fi ch T y le r . A H e a r t f e l t C au s e BY O L IV IA O L IV IA T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER Th e long fo r go t t en s to ry o f Po r t l and ’ s fi r s t b l a ck fi r e- figh t e r fi s fin a l ly b e fing hono r ed , and mo r e fimpo r t an t ly , c r e a t fing m e an fing fu l d fi s cu s s fion s su r round fing th e c fi ty ’ s r a c fi a l h fi s to ry . M ad fi son H figh S choo l s tud en t s who s fign ed up fo r a h fi s to ry c l a s s a t th e no r th e a s t Po r t l and s choo l th fi s y e a r d fi s cov e r ed th rough th e l e c tu r e s and w r fi t fing s o f lo c a l h fi s- to r fi an J .D . Ch and l e r th a t Po r t l and ’ s fi r s t A f r fi c an Am e r - fi c an fi r efigh t e r – and co fin c fid en t a l ly , fi r s t b l a ck po s t a l s e rv fi c e wo rk e r – w a s bu r fi ed fin 1909 w fi thou t a m a rk e r a t Lon e F fi r P fion e e r C em e t e ry fin sou th e a s t Po r t l and . No on e know s fi f th e ab s en c e o f a m a rk e r w a s fin t en- t fion a l , o r fi f th e r e w a s on c e a g r av e s ton e th a t h ad d e t e r fi - o r a t ed ov e r t fim e o r w a s ev en s to l en o r v and a l fi z ed . Bu t wh a t w a s c l e a r w a s th a t Ad am Augu s tu s “Gu s ” W a t e r- fo rd w a s a b l a ck p fion e e r fin th e young c fi ty a t a t fim e wh en ho s t fi l fi ty tow a rd s A f r fi c an Am e r fi c an s w a s ex t r em e ly h figh and th e e f f e c t s o f s l av e ry and th e C fiv fi l W a r w e r e b e fing f e l t th roughou t No r th Am e r fi c a . Now , W a t e r fo rd h a s a n ew m a rk e r ov e r h fi s g r av e s fi t e , fin s t a l l ed and d ed fi c a t ed fin ju s t th e p a s t f ew d ay s th ank s to th e M ad fi son s tud en t s r a fi s fing don a t fion s and bu fi ld fing commun fi ty fin t e r e s t fin th e fi r c au s e . J a son M fi l l e r , th e M ad fi son t e a ch e r who h a s gu fid ed Jou rney o f d fiscove ry tu rns fin to ac t o f soc fia l jus t fice th e s e s tud en t s th rough th fi s fimpo r t an t h fi s to ry l e s son and a c t o f so c fi a l ju s t fi c e , s a fid th e e f fo r t go t s t a r t ed a f t e r g e t - t fing h fi s s tud en t s fin t e r e s t ed fin o ffi c fi a l r e co rd s . “P eop l e l fiv e h e r e , bu t mo s t p eop l e n ev e r l e a rn how th e c fi ty go t to wh e r e fi t fi s now o r who m figh t b e bu r fi ed fin ou r c em e t e r fi e s , ” s a fid M fi l l e r . “On c e you g fiv e s tud en t s th e too l s to und e r s t and th e fi r own h fi s to ry th ey ’ l l u s e th em to s t a r t ch ang fing th e w ay th fing s a r e tod ay . I t c an b e v e ry so c fi a l ju s t fi c e o r fi en t ed , ” M fi l l e r exp l a fin ed . No t s a t fi sfi ed w fi th no t know fing why ex a c t ly W a t e r fo rd d fidn ’ t h av e a tomb s ton e , th e s tud en t s s e t abou t to r a fi s e C ONTINUED ON P AGE 5