Honoring Letitia Carson Through Land, Learning and Community
The Letitia Carson Legacy Project (LCLP) continues to connect history, land, and community through place-based education and storytelling. The collaborative effort honors Letitia Carson—one of Oregon’s earliest known Black homesteaders—on lands she once stewarded while creating opportunities for learning, reflection and reconciliation today.
In 2025, the project expanded its programming and partnerships across Oregon. At the Carson Donation Land Claim site near Soap Creek, organizers cleared a new “Memoir Path,” a trail leading visitors through the landscape where Carson once lived. Along the way, the reemergence of native camas sparked new partnerships with Native-led restoration efforts and inspired programming that weaves together the stories of Black and Indigenous land stewardship.
Throughout the year, the site hosted field days, artist residencies and community gatherings that brought more than 200 people—adults and youth alike—to the land. A traveling exhibit on Carson’s life reached audiences across the state, while fourth-grade students from Letitia Carson Elementary School visited the site to connect classroom lessons with Oregon’s agricultural and cultural history.
Research highlighted during the project’s annual symposium also continues to reshape the historical record. Work by Oregon Black Pioneers director and historian Zachary Stocks suggests Carson may be the earliest known Black person in the United States to receive a Homestead Patent under the 1862 Homestead Act for her Douglas County land claim.
Looking ahead, the Letitia Carson Legacy Project will host its third annual symposium on May 15, 2026, bringing scholars and community members together to explore Carson’s legacy and the broader histories of land, justice and belonging in Oregon. A multi-tour field day on April 25 will also invite participants to experience the Carson Donation Land Claim and homestead site firsthand. Two more multi-tour field days will be offered in summer and fall, tailored to the seasons.
Learn more about the project, explore the 2025 highlights, and find event details on the Letitia Carson Legacy Project website or on LinkTree.