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History of Park Blocks in Downtown Eugene, Oregon

In 1856, Eugene and Mary Skinner and Charnel and Martha Mulligan each donated forty acres to Lane County in order to found, what was then called, Eugene City. Seventy-six acres of the combined eighty were sold off to finance the building of Eugene City. Four acres were reserved for the placement of the Lane County Courthouse and a public square (See 1856 map).The documents and maps listed below pertain to the Skinner/Mulligan donations and the creation of the Park Blocks.

List of Documents

City Hall, the Butterfly Lot, and Eugene's Public Square: A History of the Public Square in Eugene.

Park Blocks Chronology: Chronological history of the Park Blocks.

Commissioners Journal Entry 1854: This is first description of the Public Square.

Document A: Warranty Deed from Eugene and Mary Skinner to Lane County, 1855.

Document B: Warranty Deed from Charnel and Martha Mulligan to Lane County, 1856.

Document C: Skinner Note of Obligation, 1856.

Document D: Decision against suit of Lane County for division of public square with extensions of Oak Street and Eight Street, 1897.

Document E: Decision to move City Hall from Public Square, 1909.

Document F: Eugene City Attorney Eugene Venn memo to Lane County Board of Commissioners, 1954.

Document G: Order to Vacate North Park Street, 1958.

Document H: Transfer of ownership of two park blocks from Lane County to City of Eugene, 1988.

Document I: Letter from Circuit Court Judges objecting to changes in Butterfly Parking Lot, 2007.

Document J: Letter from City Manager of Eugene John Ruiz to Lane County Administrator Liane Richardson regarding use of Butterfly Plarking Lot property, 2011.

Document K: Memo from Steve Mokrohisky to the County Commissioners, 2014.

1856 Map: Map from 1856 showing Skinner and Mulligan 40 acre donations and location of Public Square.

1925 Map: Map from 1925 showing placement of East, West, South, and North Park Streets.

2006 Map: Map from City Of Eugene's Park Block Masterplan.

2014 Map A: Map of two pieces of property in proposed exchange between Lane County and the City of Eugene.

2014 Map B: Map of ownership change should property exchange between Lane County and the City of Eugene be agreed upon.

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