University of Oregon - Oregana Yearbook (Eugene, OR)

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OM1-Muem-L llnhnann Gall aah Serum Illlag

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posed of J. M. Thompson, J. J. Walton, W. J. J. Scott, B. F. Dorris, J. B. Underwood, J. J. Comstock, A. S. Patterson, S. H. Spencer, E. L. Bristow, A. W. Patterson and E. L. Applegate, voted to com- promise betweenthe three factions, and purchased five acres near' the present center of the city. Not feeling satisfied with this location for the University, men from outside the city of Eugene were asked for an opinion. Upon the advice of these men the Union University Association then de- cided in favor of the present campus site, and purchased eighteen acres for the use of the University. The Eugene City Guard commented on the selection of this site as follows: The site chosen for the State University is a beautiful spot of ground in a healthful place. By placing a ram at the mill dam a short distance from the University building site water can be carried all over the structure when it is completed. Work was at once commenced on the first University building, now known as Deady Hall. The Union University Association had a paid-in capital of 9'p25,000. With the understanding that the board of commissioners of Lane County would appropriate an additional SE10,000, a total of 335,000 was spent on the building by the fall of 1874. Because the board of commissioners changed its mind and voted not to take advantage of the clause in the legislative bill which located the University at Eugene and provided that Lane County could vote up to 330,000 for the building, a total of 310,000 was owed by the Union University Association. As the feeling among the townspeople had not been helped by the location fight, it was difficult to raise money to off-set the amount promised but not voted by the board of county commissioners. Difficulty in securing the nec- essary iinancial backing after all apparent sources had been ex- hausted by the friends of the University movement finally led to an expression of sentiment favoring the sale of the uncom- pleted building now known as Deady Hall and an abandonment of the project. . Sell the building for what it will bring, pay up the debts and Faculty Meeting x T ty 'Q lx!

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J' THE OREGANA 1 let the legislature do as it wishes, and get a new site, a citizen suggested in a letter to the Eugene City Guard. Here another stand was made by the supporters of the University. One argument advanced shows that living expenses at the University today are not much more than they were expected to be in 1874. Free tuition for one student from every county in the state and one additional student to be designated by each member of the legislative assembly will bring a large number of people to live in Eugene, supporters of the movement suggested through news- paper columns. Each of these students will during the course of the year spend from 95300 to S600 in Eugene City. Friends of the University went about the work of raising funds for the completion of the building and the paying off of the debt incurred against it with renewed vigor. The following quotation from the Eugene City Guard illustrates one means adopted by Eugene people in 1874 that they might have a State University: The sociable and ball on Monday evening in aid of the State University 'panned out' fully as well as the most sanguine expected. The net proceeds netted 3200.7 Thanks were extended to the brass and string bands which .furnished music for the event. wk wk 'lf ik Eugene people, because of the showing already made. were able to get a favorable vote on a measure before the legislature in 1874 to extend the time for the completion of the University building to 1877. All manner of financial campaigns were tried then in order to raise the necessary sum to open the University in accordance with the new requirement of the legislature. The campaign was extended to the surrounding country and the argument was advanced through the press that the University would benefit greatly the entire county by furnishing a better market for produce in Eugene. Members of the University Union then began a personal subscription campaign from farm to farm, taking stock and produce where money was not available and selling on the market to help pay off the debt on Deady hall. Success in this campaign resulted the next year in a visit to the University site by Governor Grover, Secretary of State Chadwick, Treasurer Brown, constituting the state board of land commissioners. The University building was inspected and accepted in the name of the State of Oregon on July 13, 1875. ' The Board of Directors-the Board of Regents had not yet been provided for by law-voted to open the first year's work the third Twenty-lhroe E I xl