Most Oregonians are unaware that there once was a school in Mohawk named Ping Yang, and that it was bombed three times between 1895 and 1901 — the last bombing destroyed it. Why was a school named Ping Yang in Lane County? Why was it the target of attack? Why were the tensions engulfing the institution of learning? Presented by the Springfield History Museum (and made possible through the federal Library Services and Technology Act via the State Library of Oregon), “The Story of The Ping Yang School Bombing (1895-1901) in Mohawk, Oregon” is a free event at the Wildish Community Theater on August 23. Historian Steve Williamson, who has been the historian for the Oregon Asian Celebration for more than two decades, will answer those whys by delving into the troubled history surrounding Ping Yang. Often schools are used as a lightning rod to air political or social grievances, and while the issues may be different today, the same thing was happening over 100 years ago. This event is the opportunity to learn from an expert about an overlooked and under-acknowledged aspect of Lane County’s history, and perhaps by better understanding the past, we can better understand the present. The history of Ping Yang is a layered and complicated one, with surprising and not-so-surprising reasons for the tension. But in the midst of enmity, there was still amity among some people — unexpected friendships bloomed. What is stronger, bonds or bombs?
