Featured on C-SPAN 2 (Book TV) and C-SPAN 3 (American History TV)

(SALEM) - Hosted by our Comcast cable partners, our C-SPAN Cities Tour staff visited numerous locations to explore the history and literary culture of Oregon’s capital city.

In addition to having the below pieces sprinkled in throughout the weekend on the respective networks, both C-SPAN 2 (BOOK TV) and C-SPAN 3 (American History TV) will have a block of programming where ALL of the respective Salem pieces for their networks will air.

BOOK TV SALEM BLOCK (C-SPAN2, Comcast channel 25): SATURDAY, March 1 at 12pm ET

· Tour the Oregon State Capitol and learn how Salem became the capitol of Oregon. Tour Guide Dick Reese explains how Oregon went from a territory to becoming the 33rd state in 1859. Learn about the state’s history through artwork displayed throughout the building including the rotunda, legislative chambers and ceremonial governor’s office. See the Pioneer Man, which is a gold plated statue that looks out over the city, and hear about the fires that completely destroyed the state’s capitol.

· Tour the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill at Willamette Heritage Center. Founded in 1889 by Thomas Lister Kay, it was one of numerous textile mills that operated throughout the Willamette Valley. These textile mills were critical components in Oregon’s economic stability.

· Learn about Oregon’s history of mental health care treatment dating back to the 1800s at the Oregon State Hospital’s Museum of Mental Health. See artifacts from the institution including a lobotomy table, restraints, and other early treatments. Hear what sent patients to the hospital, its historical significance and stories of patients who spent their lives in the facility. In 1975, the movie One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest was filmed at this hospital.

· See some of the oldest buildings in the Pacific Northwest at the Willamette Heritage Center. Hear site curator Kylie (KYE-lee) Pine talk about pioneer Jason Lee, who came to the Willamette Valley to prosthelytize to the Native Americans and fur traders. Learn about the impact religion had on Salem, and hear the stories of Lee and other early settlers who moved here.

· Visit the Asahel Bush House. Built by Asahel Bush II in 1877-78 and occupied by members of his family for the next seventy-five years, the house tells the story of a family with deep roots in Salem’s history. Bush started the Oregon Statesman newspaper and the Ladd and Bush Bank in the late 19^th century. Both businesses are still in operation today. Bush utilized the newspaper to promote political issues of the day such as slavery and prohibition. Hear Ross Sutherland, Director of the Asahel Bush House, talk about this Victorian Style home’s history, and the impact the Bush family has had on Salem.

· Tour Oregon Cherry Growers, the largest producer of sweet cherries. Learn about the history of the maraschino cherry. Originating in Croatia, the maraschino cherry became popular in the rest of Europe during the 19^th century. Tour the maraschino cherry plant; hear about the modern-day maraschino cherry industry and why Salem is called the Cherry City. *HD SCREENGRABS ATTACHED

· Learn about the Jewish response to the removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII from author and Willamette University Professor, Ellen Eisenberg. In “The First to Cry Down Injustice?” Eisenberg explores the range of responses from Jews living in the Pacific Northwest – from complete silence to funding propaganda campaigns supporting mass removal.

· Hear about the only slavery case ever adjudicated in Oregon courts from R. Gregory Nokes, author of “Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory.” Missouri slaves Robin and Polly Holmes and their children were brought to Oregon in 1844 by Nathaniel Ford, an influential settler and legislator. They were promised their freedom in exchange for help Ford develop his Willamette Valley farm. Robin and Polly were freed in 1850 however, Ford refused to free their children. Robin Holmes took Nathaniel Ford to court and won the case in 1853.

· Tour the Ben Maxwell Collection at the Salem Public Library. Ben Maxwell was a journalist and historian who began writing stories for the Capitol Journal newspaper in 1939. While out looking for history stories to write, Maxwell brought a camera with him to help illustrate his stories. After his passing in 1967, over 5000 of his photographs were donated to the Salem Public Library. Learn about how the library obtained the collection and its importance in preserving Salem history

· Learn about one of the most contentious constitutional issues from Willamette Law Professor Steven Green author of “The Bible, the School, and the Constitution.” The debate over school prayer and public funding of religious schools peaked just after the Civil War, between 1863 and 1876. During the 19^th century, Protestants believed schooling should have a moral if not religious basis, in response to the growing Catholic presence which they felt threatened their culture. Steven Green analyzes the history of “The School Question” and how the debate between church and state is playing out today.

· Hear Ron Miner discuss the life and experiences of his father Howard Miner, a Black Cat during WWII. The Black Cats flew at night in seaplanes that had been painted entirely black. Their missions ranged from patrols to bombing raids to rescues. “Sketches of a Black Cat” is the memoir Ron Minor put together for his father containing his memories of the war as well as the sketches he drew during his tour of duty.

· Learn about the massacre of over 30 Chinese miners in 1887 in “Massacred for Gold: The Chinese in Hells Canyon.” It recounts the events of the massacre from when the bodies were first discovered to the subsequent trial of six men and boys – the youngest being 15 - over a year later. During this time, witnesses admitted to have little interest in convicting anyone for crimes against Chinese immigrants and they were found not guilty by a jury. A cover-up followed and the massacre was soon forgotten over the next 100 years until a Wallowa County clerk found the hidden records in an unused safe. Author R. Gregory Nokes, explores the details of the trial and what is says about the experience of Chinese immigrants living in the Pacific Northwest.