The Benton County Genealogical Society will host a presentation on the Letitia Carson Legacy Project from 11 a.m.-noon Saturday at Philomath Museum.
The program will explore the story of one of Oregon’s first Black pioneers who settled in Benton County’s Soap Creek Valley in the mid-1800s.
Born into slavery in Kentucky, Carson made the 2,100-mile Oregon Trail journey in 1845 with her Irish husband, David Carson, giving birth along the way. The couple settled in Soap Creek Valley in spring 1846, but Letitia was forced off the land in 1852.
Despite those challenges, Carson built a life as a farmer, mother, midwife and entrepreneur. She is believed to be the first Black woman in the country to receive a homestead patent under the 1862 Homestead Act.
The presentation will detail Carson’s life story and discuss the origins, partners and goals of the Letitia Carson Legacy Project, which works to preserve and share her historical significance.
The program is free and open to the public. The museum is located at 1101 Main St.
This is great news. Research on Letitia’s life was first uncovered at the Benton County courthouse in the late 1980s, where it had been stored without opening since the 1850s. It is too bad her namesake school is closing. Here is more information on her life for those who are interested: http://www.orww.org/History/Letitia_Carson/index.html