A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788-1940

Published in cooperation with Oregon Black Pioneers

Elizabeth McLagan’s A Peculiar Paradise: a History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788-1940 remains the most comprehensive chronology of Black life in Oregon more than forty years after its original publication. The book has long been a resource for those seeking information on the legal and social barriers faced by people of African descent in Oregon. McLagan’s work reveals how, in spite of those barriers, Black individuals and families made Oregon their home, and helped create the state’s modern Black communities. Long out of print, the book is available again through Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon’s statewide African American historical society. This revised second edition includes additional details for students and scholars, an expanded reading list, updated artwork, and a new foreword.