No city has held on to the decade of tie dye and peace signs like Eugene has. It has permeated the culture through Grateful Dead cover bands and pot smoke leaving some residents perma-fried.
Kidding, kind of.
People who lived it talk about Eugene in the ’70s as a utopia of arts and culture and LSD. And the people who were born too late have no choice but to live through those who saw the Grateful Dead for $3 in Veneta.
But the ’70s weren’t just about smoking pot in a circle like Eric Foreman and his friends on That ’70s Show. For some people in Eugene, the ’70s were about opportunity.
In November 1969 the first Oregon Country Fair was held in Eugene’s Hawkins Heights to raise money for the alternative school Children’s Community School.
In May 1970, the Eugene Saturday Market opened where 150 local vendors and artisans sell handmade products every fall, spring and summer. This was the same year natural grocer Kiva opened in the Scarborough Faire aka the Hippie Mall.
Local community health organization White Bird got its start in 1970, too, creating a 24-hour crisis line and providing low to no-cost health care; it would later launch CAHOOTS, which has changed policing across the country.
The Oregon Bach Festival started its annual two-week-long celebration of classical music in July 1970, with live musical performances and workshops.
In December 1975, local artists and community members saved the Woodmen of the World aka WOW Hall from demolition by raising $10,000 for a downpayment on the venue in 13 days. The venue has been a designated historical landmark since 1996.
And in 1976 the NAACP formed a chapter here in Eugene.Long before student apartments demolished iconic restaurants like the Excelsior and The Glenwood, this was what some considered to be Eugene’s heyday. Here’s a snapshot — or a Polaroid, if you will — of Eugene in a decade that mattered.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519