By David G. Turner
Arcadia Publishing, $21.99, 128 pages
Eugene, Oregon, is an interesting city. It is one of the birthplaces of the modern environmental movement. It is a city defined by its commitment to education, research and the arts. It is a city that sits in the Willamette Valley, where the sun is an infrequent visitor, yet they have many outdoor activities. Eugene might be known for its hippie lifestyle, but what was it like during its early days?
In this new book, we get to see Eugene rise from a small town to become what it is today. Even back when it was a small town, the citizens had a different take on their surrounding environment. They wanted to protect certain parts, preserving it for future generations. They came up with many different types of transportation, and much more. Through pictures we see the birth of the city along the river, as well as the birth of the University of Oregon and how it got its start as a top research university. Counter-cultural life has been a main stay of Eugene since the 1960s, and that is briefly documented at the end of the book. Eugene is a different city than most, and this book helps bring it to life.
Reviewed by Kevin Winter
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