Virginia Green, a longtime volunteer historian, has dedicated herself to preserving Salem’s heritage by volunteering at the public library and serving on its advisory board, the City Budget Committee, and the Historic Landmarks Commission.
Early Years in Salem
Green and her husband moved to Salem from California in 1999, following friends who had also moved to Oregon. She soon began looking for ways to get involved in the community and meet locals. After years as an American history teacher, she was interested in exploring community heritage and uncovering history.
Green started volunteering at the library, where she was taught everything she needed to know. Around the time she began volunteering, the library had received a grant for starting a website to act as an encyclopedia of history, culture, people, and events in the city. During the project’s five-year duration, she wrote articles about historic homes, influential women, walking tours, and other pieces capturing Salem’s heritage.
SHINE on Salem
Her work eventually became the website SHINE on Salem, or the Salem Heritage Network. It started to celebrate the city charter’s 150-year anniversary, according to SHINE’s website. The effort expanded when Green’s son, Tom Green Jr., moved to Salem, and the two began collaborating. He took photos while she continued to write about history.
SHINE includes an organized list capturing Salem’s history from 1860 to 2017, four articles written by Green for the Marion County Historical Society’s periodical, and deep dives of all 20 towns in Marion County.
Guided Walking Tours
Green and her son began hosting guided walking tours, including a guide through the Court-Chemeketa Historic Residential District and the Grant Neighborhood, both of which feature homes built in the early 1900s. They’re also available virtually. Green researched using the Salem Statesman Journal’s archives for historical events, resources from the library, and talking to people and getting their stories.
While volunteering at the library, she met people with further insight on Salem history. Green said that her grandfather was one of the circuit riders, Methodist Church missionaries in the 1800s, and she was surprised to see a statue of a circuit rider on Willamette University’s campus.
Award and Recognition
Green is the namesake of an annual Salem Historic Landmarks Commission award and the recipient of the 2011 Heritage Award from the Willamette Heritage Center. The city of Salem recognized Green for her volunteer service and her work building the SHINE on Salem website.
Mayor Hoy proclaimed her birthday, July 9, to be named in her honor. Green said she is no longer doing historical research but is appreciating the city every day.
Original reporting: Salem Reporter — read the source article.
