Imagine the government giving away hundreds of acres of land to individuals to establish homes, farms, and businesses. But only for white people. The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 to 1855 forcefully displaced Indigenous people from their native lands, excluded non-white settlers and disqualified single or widowed women from gaining property. The Donation Land Claim Act set into motion the rapid transformation of Oregon Territory. Multnomah County Archivist Terry Baxter discusses the process of systematic land measurement, different ideas of land "ownership," the Cayuse War, and the lasting effects of the Donation Land Claim Act on Oregon today.

Terry Baxter has been an archivist for 40 years and currently works with Multnomah County Archives and the Oregon Country Fair Archives. Terry is a former president of the Society of American Archivists and a founding member of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums.

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp