Shows
Salem History MomentKwanzaa 2025Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1rst and is an annual celebration of African American culture, and was created by activist Maulana Karenga in 1966, a Professor of black studies at California State University at Long Beach after the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles left many people dead and injured. Professor Karenga looked for a way to unite the black community and reinforce family and community values found in the African culture. This year For Kwanzaa 2025 (Dec 26, 2025 - Jan 1, 2026), the overarching theme, set by founder Dr. Maulana Karenga, is "Practicing the Seven Principles in Dimly-Lit Times: Lifting Up the...
2025-12-2405 min
Salem History MomentOregon Governor Patterson and Holiday HouseGovernor Isaac Patterson died on December 21 1929 right before the holidays. He was considered a popular and well-respected figure by rivals and supporters alike. After his sudden and unexpected death at his farm in Eola, he was laid in state at the Oregon Capitol Building on December 23rd with a funeral service held in the House Chamber. The casket was taken down the front of the Capitol steps. Patterson’s widow sold their farmhouse in Eola soon after her husbands death to Agnes Schucking and her husband. Agnes had become famous as Salem’s first cherry queen in 1903. In 1938 Agnes open...
2025-12-1907 min
Salem History MomentSalem's First Outdoor Christmas TreeSalem’s first outdoor Christmas tree was set up on the lawn of the Marion County Courthouse in December 1913 and was reported to be the first outdoor tree in Oregon (and perhaps the nation) to be decorated with electric Christmas lights. This tree served as Salem’s Christmas tree for 38 more years after that initial lighting, and by 1951 it was 72 feet tall. On August 18, 1952 the 70 year old tree was pulled over by a bulldozer and was burned along with three other evergreen trees from this block. Even though the original tree is gone, Salem continues to use a living tree...
2025-12-1205 min
Salem History MomentThe Ancient Highway100 years ago today, on December 9, 1925- the front page of the Capitol Journal had an article advertising a new film called “The Ancient Highway” at the Oregon Theater, which was located in the Oregon Building on the sw corner of High and State. While the movie isn’t available, the book published in 1925 written by James Oliver Curwood is. The novel is set in the years following the First World War, and describes the adventures of Clifton Brant, a young war veteran, and his adventures in the vast northern forests of Quebec. This book is in the public domain – you can...
2025-12-0506 min
Salem History MomentHuman Rights DayInternational Human Rights Day is December 10th. Human Rights Day has been observed annually around the world since 1948, and originally began with a Declaration of Human Rights that was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10th 1948 that set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. This declaration stated the rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It is available in 577 languages, from Abkhaz to Zulu...
2025-11-2808 min
Salem History MomentThe Turkey TrotHistorically the turkey trot was a popular dance that was done to fast ragtime music. Many people felt the dance was scandalous and it was banned in many places around the country. Today, Turkey Trots are more commonly walks or runs held around Thanksgiving. The first Turkey Trot Run was held in Salem in 2002, and the Salem Parks Department held their annual turkey trot on Saturday November 22, 2025. On Thanksgiving Day, Salem’s Run’ucopia will be holding a walk and run starting at Riverfront Park.
2025-11-2207 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on West SalemFew people realize that West Salem was an independent town for over 30 years. From its early development in the mid-19th century—when valley homesteaders grew wheat, hops, and fruits—to the founding of Fairview School in 1868, the opening of the Center Street Bridge across the Willamette River in 1886, the rail line in 1909, and a city charter in 1913 to the surrender of that charter to Salem in 1949, the West Salem area forged its own unique identity. Today, West Salem is a thriving community full of cherished memories alongside physical reminders of its independence, such as the Art Deco–style city h...
2025-11-1410 min
Salem History MomentVeterans DayVeterans Day was first known as Armistice Day and celebrated on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I, which ended on t the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. In the United States, November 11th was celebrated to honor Veterans of World War I until June 1, 1954, when November 11th became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars.The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs is hosting the Statewide Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, in front of the Oregon State Capitol on Court Street NE in Salem...
2025-11-0705 min
Salem History MomentNative American Heritage MonthNovember is Native American Heritage month. Native American Awareness Week began in 1976 and recognition was expanded by Congress in August 1, 1990, designating the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. If you are interested in participating in events to Celebrate indigenous heritage this month – there will be restoration Pow-wows for both the Siletz and Grand Ronde – The Siletz are celebrating their 48th annual restoration pow wow and the Grand Ronde are celebrating their 42nd. For more information on these pow wows, please visit each of the respective tribal websites – ctsi.nsn.us and grandronde.orgOur Histor...
2025-10-3107 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Nell SykesNell Sykes was a Salem schoolteacher, who lived at 1251 Center Street NE here in Salem during the 1920s. She was a teacher in Salem Public Schools - dietician who served the American Red Cross Commission to Siberia between 1918 and 1920. To see a photo of Nell in the Library of Congress prints and photographs online catalog from April 10, 1920, please visit their American National Red Cross photograph collection. If you want to learn more about the work of the American Red Cross in Russia during their Civil War, please take a look at Julia Irwin’s article titled “The Grea...
2025-10-1609 min
Salem History MomentCelebrating 100 Years of Salem City PlanningOctober is National Community Planning month where we celebrate the role that planning plays in creating great communities. Our first planning commission was established in 1925 after a significant period of growth.Please join us as we celebrate Community Planning month, and the role that planning plays in creating great communities at Salem’s 4th Annual Planner Palooza on October 15, at 4:30 p.m. at Fork Forty Food Hall at 440 State Street. Meet your city planners, learn about planning and win prizes.To learn more about how Salem planning and policies have impacted underserved communities please see ou...
2025-10-0907 min
Salem History MomentIndigenous Peoples DayThe City of Salem has celebrated Indigenous People’s Day since 2021 to honor Native Americans and recognize significant indigenous people and their contributions to our community. Chemawa opened in Salem in 1885, and while it has a difficult history, this school currently focuses on fostering student achievement while honoring tribal cultural identity. Historically, Chemawa Indian School’s Athletic program was very successful, with teams like their Baseball Team successfully competing throughout Oregon and Washington. These teams had many skilled Indigenous athletes such as Reuben Sanders, who was inducted into Oregon’s American Indian Hall of Fame in 1999.To learn...
2025-10-0306 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Salem Human RightsThis weeks Salem History Moment highlights the work the City has completed this year on Human Rights in Salem, including a historic research report about how Salem’s policies have impacted underserved communities since 1857. We also share the results of Salem’s Human Rights Commission’s annual Community Belonging Survey, Salem Police Department’s new use of force policies as well as the results of this year’s Freedom Forum’s annual State of Free Speech survey.For more information:To find our Historic Research report on underserved communities please visit City of Salem.net and you’ll f...
2025-09-2607 min
Salem History MomentHispanic Heritage MonthSeptember 15th is the start of National Hispanic Heritage month. This week in September was consciously chosen to coincide with Independence Day celebrations in several Latin American Countries. Here in Salem,O regon’s Latino Leadership Network, celebrated the 16th anniversary of the annual Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast & Summit at the Salem Convention Center on September 15.The Urban Art Fest was held on September 21rst at Riverfront Park hosted by Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS) – they had graffiti artists at work, live music, and they dedicated the People’s Art festival to our immigrant community. Our City Council issued...
2025-09-1806 min
Salem History MomentSalem's Capital Pride in the ParkSalem’s 47th Annual Capital Pride in the Park Festival will be held on September 20th, to celebrate the LGBTQIA2S community in Salem. In the past few years, the Grand Ronde Museum has held several art exhibits honoring queer indigenous history including an exhibit about Shimkhin, a Two Spirit healer who lived in the 19th Century. Two Spirit is a term used by some Native American communities to describe individuals who possess both male and female spirits. These individuals have been revered and respected in many Native American cultures for their unique gifts and abilities. Salem’s Capital Prid...
2025-09-1304 min
Salem History MomentSalem's Art FairThe first Salem Art Fair sponsored by the Salem Art Association was celebrated in 1949. The first Art Fairs in Salem were celebrated at Willson Park, near the Capitol Building before they were held at Bush’s Pasture Park. However, before SAA’s Art Fair there was an annual Salem Art Fair held in November from the late 1930s through the early 1940s. These were held at the Salem community Art Center and this Art Center was funded by the federal government through the Federal Art Project which was a New Deal program established in 1935 which funded the visual Arts in t...
2025-09-0508 min
Salem History MomentBack to SchoolThis week many children, college students and teachers are heading back to school. In Salem in the 19th century the first schoolhouse was a log cabin, and the school year was shorter than it is now, and only for elementary school. By the turn of the century, Salem had grown to have five schools, but they were all of wood, and susceptible to fire. By 1909, the Salem community voted to fund the construction of its first brick school, Garfield school, in order to reduce the risk of fire. While Salem had passed school levy to set aside taxpayer funds...
2025-08-3006 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Oregon's State FairThe first fair for the Oregon Agricultural Society was held at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds, near Oregon City on the 1st, 2d, 3d and 4th days of October in 1861. The Weekly Oregon reported on June 28, 1862 that the Board of Managers for the Oregon State Agricultural Society, meeting in Salem on June 16, 1862, decided to hold the second State Fair at the Fairgrounds of the Marion County Society on the first Wednesday in October for four days. The location near Oregon City was problematic, due to its proximity to the river and flooding. The Weekly Oregon reported on September 20, 1862 that the...
2025-08-2206 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Englewood ParkEnglewood was the first Park to be purchased by the City in 1926 and how this came about was a bit of a controversial story. Regardless of this controversy, Salem’s first park had been acquired and in 1936 the first Parks Committee was established by the Council. Elisabeth Lord, of Lord and Schryver, was one of three members who were appointed to manage Salem’s first 8 parks. Englewood Park Forest Festival is coming up soon, on August 9, 2025, which started in 2017! To learn more about how the Englewood Park Forest Festival came about you can visit kmuz.org and listen to a Wi...
2025-08-0108 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Prohibition in Oregon100 years ago this week, on July 29, 1925, the first man from Marion County entered prison for violating prohibition laws. He was the first to be sentenced to the Oregon state prison. Amy Platt wrote “The Moon Shines on the Moonshine” An Oregon Bootlegging Story for the Oregon Historical Society in 2020 and she shares a story about a bootlegging adventure on the Oregon coast in 1932 which went awry and resulted in a prison break. To read more about this caper in 1932 as well as many others you can find their story (including mug shots) on the Oregon Secretary of State’s websit...
2025-07-2509 min
Underground HistoryArchaeologists uncover a Native American mission school in SalemMethodist missionary Jason Lee's 1836 arrival in the Willamette Valley marked the beginning of a new period of evangelization and colonialism towards Native Americans in modern-day Oregon. This work included establishing a series of schools designed to instill Euro-American religious and cultural values on Native children. One of those schools was the Oregon Mission Indian Manual Labor Training School, opened in 1842 and closed in 1844 on what is today Willamette University's campus. Now, a new archaeological project is aiming to locate the site and recover artifacts to provide more information about its history....
2025-07-1814 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Coast Guard SPARSDuring World War II there was also a Women’s reserve of the US Coast Guard during World War II called SPARS – this was an acronym derived from the Coast Guard’s motto “Semper Paratus” – meaning always ready. SPARs was established in 1942 along with the Army WAC and the Navy WAVES. To learn more about the history of the SPARS, please visit the United States Coast Guard webpage and search for the article by Robin Thomson about SPARS. Marilyn Johnston, a retired City of Salem Employee, has created a documentary – about her mother Theresa Davis which not only...
2025-07-1705 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Guide Dogs for the BlindGuide Dogs for the Blind is the Largest guide dog school in North America. Since their founding in 1942, they have raised and trained over 16,000 Guide dogs. Their services are provided free of charge to their Blind clients, including personalized training and ongoing support. Their work improves mobility for their clients, empowering people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired to make their way in the world. If you want to learn more about Guide Dogs for the Blind, please visit guidedogs.comTo read more about the story of Guide Dog Roselle and her owner...
2025-07-0506 min
The Influential OregonianThe Influential Oregonian - Jason Lee Archeology Project Ft. Kimberli Fitzgerald & Pen McBainWelcome to The Influential Oregonian, a show where we discuss all things Oregon and interview important people who made their mark on the Beaver State! This Week, we go on our first field trip to Willamette University to visit the Jason Lee Missionary Archeology site, where we interview Kimberli Fitzgerald and Pen McBain to gain some insight on the project, as well as goof around a little with David while he works and take in the sights of campus.For more shows, social media, and content, check out www.oregonvoices.net!
2025-06-281h 17
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Oregon's UFO FestivalMay is when the annual "UFO Festival" in McMinnville is celebrated. This is the second-largest UFO festival in the nation after the one held in Roswell, New Mexico. The McMinnville UFO festival began in 1999 – and was a way to honor the 1950 sighting where two local citizens witness and photographed a UFO. The photos were printed in Life magazine by Paul and Evelyn Trent at their farm outside of McMinnville. On June 8, 1950, Powell's story of the incident—accompanied by the two photos—was published as a front-page story in the McMinnville Telephone-Register. The headline read: "At Long Last—Authentic Photographs Of Flyin...
2025-05-1706 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Salem's Lord & Schryver ConservancyApril is World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM). Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver practiced landscape architecture together in Salem, Oregon, from 1929 to the 1969. Their firm was the first office of professional women landscape architects on the West Coast.In Salem, the Lord and Schryver Conservancy works to ensure the home gardens designed by Elisabeth Lord and Edith Schryver are maintained.To learn more:Read the Book: “Northwest Gardens of Lord and Schryver”Visit Lord and Schryver Conservancy: lordschryver.orgNew in 2025: Drop by and enjoy Gaiety Hollow Garden at on Wedn...
2025-04-1906 min
Salem History MomentSpotlight on Salem's Chinese History: Helen Ng Mun TayneOn April 5th we celebrated our 7th annual Qing Ming Festival. Qing Ming is an annual celebration where we honor the Chinese who have lived and worked in our community. This year Salem’s Mayor, Julie Hoy read the Qing Ming Proclamation and swept the Chinese community funerary table at Pioneer’s Cemetery – and also shared her connection of a relative of hers, to Helen Ng Mun Tayne, who was born here in Salem. Helen’s father had come to Salem from China in 1879, and he became a hop grower. Helen Ng Mun Tayne was born on a hop ranch no...
2025-04-0808 min
Salem History MomentSalem's ChinatownSalem had a Chinatown downtown from the late 19th Century through the early 20th Century. Salem's Chinese contributed significantly to Salem's community and culture during this period, with George Lai Sun serving as a key leader in this community. While Salem's Chinatown is no longer extant downtown, we still have evidence of their culture and tradition, which can still be found within Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery where we continue celebrating the Qing Ming Festival. To learn more please see the OHQ Article Searching for Salem’s Early Chinese Community as well as Russell Lowe’s book A...
2025-03-2908 min
Salem History MomentWillamette University's First Teacher: Chloe Clarke WillsonMarch is Women’s History Month. 2025’s theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.”Chloe Aurelia Clark was a Methodist Missionary who initially came to Oregon in 1840 and served as a Missionary teacher in Nisqually, Oregon City and Salem. Chloe reflects the intelligence, strength and resiliency of a woman from this period. Chloe was born in Connecticut, and educated at the Wilbraham Academy, the seminary that trained a number of the Oregon missionaries including Jason Lee. Chloe married William Willson and she came to Salem in 1844 where she became Oregon Institute’s first teacher. This school lat...
2025-03-2209 min
Salem History MomentThe Nation's First Woman GovernorShow notes:March is Women’s History Month. 2025’s theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.”Caralyn (Carrie) B. Shelton, was the Nation’s first female Governor, who served right here in Oregon in 1909. She stepped into this role after Governor Chamberlain resigned and before Governor Benson could be sworn in. This was three years before Oregon women even had the right to vote! It took another 11 years for women nationwide to finally earn the same right with the ratification of the 19th Amendment.In response to being asked by the Capitol Jo...
2025-03-1307 min
Salem History MomentWomen's History MonthMarch is Women’s History Month. 2025’s theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.”Nell Sykes was a Salem schoolteacher, who lived at 1251 Center Street NE here in Salem during the 1920s. She was a teacher in Salem Public Schools - dietician who served the American Red Cross Commission to Siberia between 1918 and 1920. To see a photo of Nell in the Library of Congress prints and photographs online catalog from April 10, 1920, please visit their American National Red Cross photograph collection.If you want to learn more about the work of the American Red Cross in...
2025-03-0809 min
Salem History MomentUFO SightingIn the Spring of 1964 an 11 year old boy named Charles from Salem Oregon sent a hand written letter to Cape Kennedy in Florida. The Chief of the Aerial Phenomena Branch at the Airforce wrote back to Charles in October of that year, and the sighting became part of the thousands of reports collected by the Air Force as part of Project Blue Book, which was the code name for the systematic study of unidentified flying objects by the US Air Force between March 1952 and December 1969. To learn more, visit vault.fbi.gov and search for Project Blue Book.
2025-03-0307 min