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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 2015)
A u g u s t 2 6 , 20 1 5 P a g e 9 M fi s s fi s s fi p p fi A fl b e r t a N o r t h P o r t fl a n d V a n c o u v e r E a s t C o u n t y B e a v e r t o n The de cade s - flong home t o the fla t e Po r t fland c fi v fi fl r figh t s fleade r s O t t o and V e rde fl fl Ru the r fo rd , a suppo r t cen t e r fo r c fi v fi fl r figh t s cau se s fo r mo re than ha fl f a cen tu r y , ha s been added t o the Na t fiona fl Reg fi s t e r o f H fi s t o r fi c P fla ce s . Hom e L fi s t e d a s H fi s t o r fi c Ru th e r fo rd hou s e w a s a hub du r fing C fiv fi fl R figh t s e r a A no r th e a s t Po r t fl and hom e th a t s e rv ed a s a f am fi fly r e s- fid en c e and suppo r t c en t e r fo r c fiv fi fl r figh t s c au s e s fo r mo r e th an h a fl f a c en tu ry h a s b e en fl fi s t ed fin th e N a t fion a fl R eg fi s t e r o f H fi s to r fi c P fl a c e s . Th e hou s e fi s b e fl fi ev ed to b e th e fi r s t h fi s to r fi c p rop e r ty fin O r egon fl fi s t e d fin th e N a t fion a fl R eg fi s t e r p r fim a r fi fly fo r fi t s a s so c fi a t fion w fi th th e C fiv fi fl R figh t s e r a . O t to and V e rd e fl fl Ru th e r fo rd fl ed th e Po r t fl and b r an ch o f th e NAACP du r fing th e 1940 s and 1950 s a s th e o r g an fi z a - t fion p r e s s ed fo r equ a fl oppo r tun fi ty and th e end o f r a c fi a fl d fi s c r fim fin a t fion fin pub fl fi c a c commod a t fion , emp floym en t , edu c a t fion and hou s fing . Th e Ru th e r fo rd s w e r e among a g roup o f a c t fiv fi s t s th a t pu sh ed fo r d e c ad e s fo r O r egon ’ s Pub fl fi c A c commod a t fion s A c t wh fi ch , w fi th th e h e flp o f som e fl eg fi s fl a to r s su ch a s R ep . M a rk O . H a tfi e fld , w a s p a s s ed by th e O r egon L eg fi s fl a tu r e fin 1953 . Th e p fl a c e wh e r e mu ch o f th e o r g an fi z fing took p fl a c e , th e Ru th e r fo rd ’ s hou s e , w a s fl fi s t ed fin th e N a t fion a fl R eg fi s t e r e a r fl fi e r th fi s mon th . “Ou r hou s e w a s hom e fo r my two b ro th e r s and m e , ” s a fid O t to and V e rd e fl fl ’ s d augh t e r Ch a r flo t t e Ru th e r fo rd . “Bu t fo r y e a r s fi t a fl so s e rv ed a s th e o ffi c e fo r th e NAACP h e r e . In th e m fid -50 s th e NAACP F ed e r a fl C r ed fi t Un fion w a s a fl so s t a r t ed fin ou r d fin fing room . My D ad m ad e th e sp e e ch e s , bu t my Mom w a s do fing th e wo rk . Th e m fim eo - g r aph m a ch fin e fin th e b a s em en t and h e r typ ew r fi t e r w e r e th e found a t fion fo r th e o r g an fi z a t fio n and o th e r g roup s , too . ” O t to mov ed fin to th e hou s e a t 833 N .E . Sh av e r S t . w fi th h fi s p a r en t s and s fib fl fing s fin 1923 . In 1936 , h e m a r r fi ed V e r - d e fl fl Bu rd fin e and fin th e hou s e th ey b eg an m a r r fi ed fl fi f e o f 64 y e a r s , d e c ad e s o f c fiv fi fl r figh t s a c t fiv fi sm , and th e do cu- m en t a t fion and p r e s e rv a t fion o f Po r t fl and ’ s A f r fi c an Am e r fi- c an h fi s to ry . Th e Ru th e r fo rd s ’ con t r fibu t fion s to th e c fiv fi fl r figh t s mov e- m en t c am e wh fi fl e th ey h e fld fu fl fl - t fim e job s , r a fi s ed a f am fi fly , w e r e a c t fiv e fin th e fi r chu r ch and so c fi a fl o r g an fi z a t fion s , and h e fld o ffi c e fin s ev e r a fl o r g an fi z a t fion s , fin c flud fing th e NAACP . In 2000 , th e s t a t e ’ s fl a r g e s t n ew sp ap e r Th e O r egon fi an pub - fl fi sh ed a f e a tu r e on O r egon ’ s 150 mo s t finflu en t fi a fl p eop fl e f rom 1850 -2000 . Th e fl fi s t fin c flud ed O t to Ru th e r fo rd and w a s a c comp an fi ed by a pho to o f O t to and V e rd e fl fl . In th e 1990 s and onw a rd , O t to and V e rd e fl fl Ru th e r fo rd sp en t con s fid e r ab fl e t fim e fi fl fl fing fin d e t a fi fl s abou t m any p eo - p fl e and p fl a c e s fin Po r t fl and ’ s A f r fi c an Am e r fi c an h fi s to ry un- t fi fl th e fi r p a s s fing s . V e rd e fl fl Ru th e r fo rd p r e s e rv ed do cum en t s , f am fi fly p a- p e r s , m emo r ab fi fl fi a and pho tog r aph s th a t p rov fid e a sn ap- sho t o f an A f r fi c an Am e r fi c an f am fi fly and commun fi ty fin Po r t fl and du r fing mo r e th an a 60 -y e a r p e r fiod . Th e co fl fl e c- C ONTINUED ON P AGE 14
