A Look Back…

C B Mims and his wife Annie D (pictured here) relocated from Texas to the west coast during the early days of the Second World War. Even as a black man, he had no trouble finding work supporting the war effort. However, when the war ended, C B and scores of other people of color were dismissed, leaving them to find work elsewhere.

Moving to Eugene, C B was able to find employment only as a busboy in the Osburn Hotel. At the time, the city’s strict Exclusion Laws prevented non whites from owning property, but with the backing from the hotel’s owner, Joe Earley, C B and Annie eventually were able to buy a dilapidated piece of property on High Street near Skinner’s Butte.

This misguided culture of prejudice persisted for many years to come, even affecting black athletes attending the University of Oregon. As a result, off-campus housing became an unfortunate necessity for non white students.

For over two decades, the Mims home was a sanctuary for University of Oregon students deprived of living on campus, as well as black visitors to Eugene solely because of their skin color.

Regrettably, Mister Mims died in 1960, before the significance of the Mims family’s contribution to the local black community gained the recognition it deserved. Acknowledging this, in 1980 Historical Preservation funds helped begin restoration of the two houses sitting on the property.