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Willamette Street Trolley Stairs History

1/13/2020

 
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by Jim Watson

A century ago Eugene's Mercy Hospital was located on College Hill (see blog post "Eugene General/Mercy Hospital"). To connect the closest College Crest trolley stop on Willamette Street to the hospital, stairs were constructed in 1910. Though both the hospital and the trolley disappeared in the mid-1920s, the stairs remain across Willamette Street from Civic Park.
 
The stairs, perhaps the last of their kind, connected to one of Eugene’s trolley routes that was part of a streetcar system that was once described as the greatest for a small city in the United States. The pioneer railway is remembered for having employed Wiley Griffon, Oregon’s first black trolley operator.

Gwynne McLaughlin spearheaded a project to paint a mural on the stairs to honor their history while preventing the graffiti that has plagued them. Muralist Ila Rose painted the mural in May of 2019. Questions? Interest in helping keep the mural in good shape?  Please contact Jim at [email protected].

Black and White Images Property of Lane County History Museum. Used by Permission. Historical information compliments of Andrew Fisher.

Calling all writers

1/1/2019

 
The Outreach Team is looking for local historians, writers, and art lovers to write articles for our new blog. Topics should cover the rich cultural, artistic, or historical diversity of the Friendly neighborhood, including photographs, stories, and profiles of artists, poets, and writers. Please contact us to express your interest in contributing articles.

We also have an archive of dozens of history articles that need someone to copy and paste into our blog.

Basic knowledge of how to use a web browser, copy-paste, and solid grammar and spelling skills are the only requirements.
 Training will be provided and takes no more than thirty minutes.

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Contact
​Newsletter
  • Get Involved
    • Annual FAN Summer Celebration
    • Equity Action Team >
      • Earthly Reverence Mural
      • Kalapuya Cultural Project and Wetlands Preservation
      • Dr. Edwin Coleman, Jr., Center Mural Project
    • Friendly Park
    • Outreach
    • Ready Friendly
    • Rodent Control
    • Sustainability Committee >
      • Plastics Recycling Update
      • Local Food Resources
      • Westmoreland Park Wetlands Enhancement Project
    • Transportation Committee
    • Common Ground Garden
    • Madison Meadow
    • ToolBox Project
    • Woodfield Microhood
  • About
    • Board
    • Subscribe
    • Meetings
    • Newsletter
    • Resources
  • Calendar
  • Contact
  • Blog