The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has released Oregon Women’s Labor History: A Historic Context Statement 1903-1990. The document, which can be found at www.oregonheritage.org , is the initial product of a larger effort to prepare and submit a Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF) for listing in the National Register of Historic Places to encourage future National Register nominations for properties related to women’s history.
People and organizations have been researching and documenting women’s histories in Oregon for decades; there is a lot of history to cover. Many historians and organizations like the Oregon Women’s History Consortium have moved this topic forward and efforts to commemorate the women’s suffrage anniversaries highlighted meaningful stories across the state. But it is “way past time,” notes deputy state historic preservation officer Chrissy Curran, “to specifically recognize the special places associated with the other fifty percent of the state’s population.”
One document cannot sufficiently capture the complexities and diversity of Oregon women’s experiences, or the places associated with those experiences. The SHPO contracted with Northwest Vernacular, Inc. and SJM Cultural Resource Services to study how this topic has been approached in other states, conduct a literature review, and identify already documented historic places in Oregon, with the goal of finding a way to narrow the broad topic of women’s history into a useful final tool. The resulting plan uses themes to phase the project, and the theme of women’s labor history was selected to launch the effort.
Oregon Women’s Labor History: A Historic Context Statement 1903-1990 includes a draft context of the theme, a methodology summary, and recommendations for next steps required to complete an MPDF. This document is a fascinating compilation of history that reaches all areas of the state and represents the diverse experience of, and the properties associated with, Oregon women through labor law and practice between 1903-1990.
The SHPO has been developing and supporting efforts to diversify the types of properties listed in Oregon’s National Register. Recent work includes the funding of documentation and nomination of properties to the National Register associated with the history of Black and LGBTQIA+ communities in Portland, the funding and promotion of the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project’s efforts to document and designate related properties, and the coordination with partners to list a statewide MPDF about African American history to support future nominations. These efforts align with the new 2024-2033 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan and the 2020-2025 Oregon Heritage Plan.
Oregon Heritage, a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), includes the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The Oregon SHPO locally administers National Park Service (NPS) programs created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, including the identification and designation of historic properties and archaeological sites; tax and grant programs; and the Certified Local Government Program (CLG), a partnership program between local jurisdictions and the state and federal government. The SHPO office is funded in part through a grant from NPS. The SHPO also coordinates closely with other Oregon Heritage programs, including the Oregon Heritage Commission and Oregon Main Street, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, and various grant and technical assistance programs. SHPO is also guided by the Oregon Heritage Plan and the mission and goals of OPRD.
To learn more about the Oregon SHPO and Oregon Heritage programs, visit www.oregonheritage.org.
