Medford, Oregon (my home town) was one of the last cities to stop enforcement of the Sundown Laws. Eugene, Oregon (my current place of residence for the last 38 years) had an interesting situation in the past 15 years or so. There was a "Reynolds" St. in one of the subdivisions that grew up after WWII. Out on the west edge of town (so…
Medford, Oregon (my home town) was one of the last cities to stop enforcement of the Sundown Laws. Eugene, Oregon (my current place of residence for the last 38 years) had an interesting situation in the past 15 years or so. There was a "Reynolds" St. in one of the subdivisions that grew up after WWII. Out on the west edge of town (south of where this subdivision is) there was a Black community, and a Christian Methodist Episcopal Church built by local families. Sam Reynolds was the pastor there. Upon his retirement, the congregation petitioned the city to name the street "Sam Reynolds Street." The city refused, allowing the name "Sam R." St. because it would be "too confusing" to have streets with such similar names. It wasn't until 2018 that the street was named "Sam Reynolds St."
Sidebar #1: there was an arson fire there in November, 2021; no suspects or arrests to date.
Sidebar #2: Quentin Reynolds is the pastor for the other predominantly Black church in town, Bethel Temple Church. This building was built in the past 15 years, also in west Eugene, replacing a smaller church in unincorporated Glenwood, which is a curious area between the cities of Eugene and Springfield that neither city particularly wanted until the past 5 years or so. Quentin is Sam Reynolds' son.
Medford, Oregon (my home town) was one of the last cities to stop enforcement of the Sundown Laws. Eugene, Oregon (my current place of residence for the last 38 years) had an interesting situation in the past 15 years or so. There was a "Reynolds" St. in one of the subdivisions that grew up after WWII. Out on the west edge of town (south of where this subdivision is) there was a Black community, and a Christian Methodist Episcopal Church built by local families. Sam Reynolds was the pastor there. Upon his retirement, the congregation petitioned the city to name the street "Sam Reynolds Street." The city refused, allowing the name "Sam R." St. because it would be "too confusing" to have streets with such similar names. It wasn't until 2018 that the street was named "Sam Reynolds St."
Sidebar #1: there was an arson fire there in November, 2021; no suspects or arrests to date.
Sidebar #2: Quentin Reynolds is the pastor for the other predominantly Black church in town, Bethel Temple Church. This building was built in the past 15 years, also in west Eugene, replacing a smaller church in unincorporated Glenwood, which is a curious area between the cities of Eugene and Springfield that neither city particularly wanted until the past 5 years or so. Quentin is Sam Reynolds' son.