By Jackie Shaw

LA GRANDE—The Union County, Oregon History Project has brought together volunteers from Union County including staff, students, and retired faculty from Eastern Oregon University. The project’s mission includes conducting tape-recorded interviews of over 200 long time Union county residents ranging in age from 70’s to 100’s. The final bound transcripts will include photographs lent by each narrator. A Community Encyclopedia is being created that will encompass the array of Union County History.

Retired EOU faculty Charles Coates is Co-chair of the project along with Eugene Smith. Jessie Streeter got involved with the oral history project through her involvement with History Club. Dr. Richard Hughes asked Eugene Smith to speak at a History Club meeting attended by Jessie. She thought the project sounded interesting and found that it would meet her last Cornerstone requirement, Research with Faculty.

Research for the Union Hotel entry of the Community Encyclopedia is Jessie’s main volunteer project. She has spent many hours researching the hotel’s history, but finds editing the vast information to a 500-word entry the most difficult aspect of the project. There is a tour of the Union Hotel, offering many colorful stories, which Jessie suggests to all who are interested in local history.

The Oral History component has also been part of Jessie’s volunteer work. She feels this is a very important project and beneficial to our society. "The oral histories of people in their 80’s and 90’s offer a very different perspective," says Jessie. Eugene Smith said in an interview with The Observer that he senses the narrators are grateful that they are getting so much attention in their elderly years.

When asked if her experience with Cornerstone volunteer work will compel her to do more volunteer work in the future, Jessie stated, "Yes, it takes up a lot of time but its fun." She explained how interesting the newspapers from the 1920’s were especially the local news section. Without the transportation capabilities we have today, local news included notices of couples from La Grande staying the night in Union.

Finally, Jessie wanted people to know that she enjoyed the Cornerstone Program and would not have gotten involved with such an interesting project without the program as well as her involvement in History Club. Jessie will graduate from EOU in Spring 2003.