I live in Centralia, WA. I might as well put that out there, because what I'm about to write is going to doxx my black ass anyway.

So, a man named George Washington (not kidding), lived in St. Louis, MO with his white parents (long story - it's better described in the links below). After the Missouri Compromise, he said, "We're out!" and convinced his parents to go with him on the Oregon Trail.

When they arrived in the Oregon Territory, people were like, "Nope! No black man or Chinaman can own property here." Plus they ordered all of the black people to leave THE ENTIRE TERRITORY and entered the Union as an all-white state. You can't make this shit up. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/06/07/when-portland-banned-blacks-oregons-shameful-history-as-an-all-white-state/

I haven't read the Oregon Constitution since ~2000, but IIRC the state didn't rescind the prohibition against Chinese people owning land until the 1960s, I think. It wasn't enforced at that time, but it sure as shit was in their constitution. Shameful. Washington state treated Chinese people like total crap as well, beat them up in Seattle. The Chinese Exclusion Act warrants discussion.

Back to George...

So, George was like, "Ain't this some shit right here in Oregon?", and he and his parents crossed the Columbia River and settled in The Washington Territory where no such restrictions applied. His father was a straw purchaser and bought land, and then sold it to his son for ~$6K. George picked this piece of land because he knew that the railroad was going to come through and Centralia would be a stop (we still are for Amtrak).

There was a depression in the late 19th century, and George gave people interest-free loans to keep them in town and solvent. He fed people. He donated land for a house to people who wanted to start businesses here. He was a decent guy.

Anyway, he did cool stuff, and some dude with a huge white truck with a huge black and white League of the South flag mounted in the bed (League of the South is a hate group), drives by my house on the regular. https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/league-of-the-south

More about George Washington:

https://www.historylink.org/File/5276

https://www.opb.org/news/article/centralia-washington-george-200-birthday-founder-oregon-trail/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2020 03:09PM by Beth.

Interesting history. I've watched some of the pbs specials on youtube about Washington State and apparently it was a very racist place, with lots of exclusive neighborhoods and prohibitions on letting certain people buy houses. I've only been up there once so I don't know much about Oregon or Washington, it's a beautiful place though. Here in Utah (Ogden) we have our own legacy of housing restrictions in the 1960s, which I'm sorry to say my people were involved in. We were on the wrong side of history like all the other Mormons in Weber county.

Thank you. :)

And we even know his dog's name was Rockwood...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2020 10:39PM by anybody.

I was aware that Oregon Territory had been white property owners only, but was not aware there was a Washington Territory. I of course had no idea about Centralia.

In more recent history, there was a restaurant chain founded in SLC in 1925, the Coon Chicken Inn. The entrance was a large caricature of a black Porter. You walked in through the mouth,

The other two restaurants in the chain were in Portland and Seattle. The Utah one lasted the longest, 1957. I found images and apologetic mention on historical websites for the other two restaurants, but not about the Utah one. It was at 2950 S Highland Drive, south edge of Sugarhouse.

https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/links/essays/chicken.htm

ETA: I see this article does describe the SLC founding, though it is not a website specifically about Utah history.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2020 10:44PM by Brother Of Jerry.

Good Hell, that is disgusting. I am glad I was too young to see that, I would have been scarred for life. I do think it is important that there is a record of this kind of thing though.

Very interesting Beth. I didn't know about this. Cool to live in a town with that kind of history :)

Do you remember the restaurant chain "Lil Black Sambo's"?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pancakes-and-pickaninnies-the-saga-of-sambos-the-racist-restaurant-chain-america-once-loved

Not mentioned in the article is that Sam Battistone, Sambo's owner, was also the owner of the New Orleans/Utah Jazz.

Good times-huh?

It's nice to see such a man receive the recognition he deserves. A minor figure nationally, to be sure, but a major one in the history of what I choose to call Bethalia.

Thanks. So nice to see along with the beautiful story. I am so hungry for some sweet news for a change and that fits the bill. And seeing that beautiful dog right in the mix where he should be made my day.