By Melissa Wagoner
Did you know Silverton was once home to the first secular university west of the Mississippi? Created in the 1890s by a group of “freethinking” Silvertonians – including Homer Davenport’s cousin, Pearl Geer, and his sister, Alice – the Liberal University of Oregon (LUO) aimed to “impartially cover and stimulate the higher culture and motives of life.”
“Our common school education is excellent as far as it goes, but it only covers ‘the three Rs’ and those rudiments of learning which are merely the instruments by which any higher education must be reached,” LUO professor of history, society, law and ethics, Thaddeus B. Wakeman, said in a description of the school published in 1899. “The sciences, such as economics, politics, ethics, art and the religious meaning of science and humanity, in a word, the higher and final motives and purposes of life, and all of its higher hopes and aspirations remain to be determined.”
Aimed at furthering these ideals, LUO’s faculty also produced a weekly newspaper, coined The Torch of Reason from 1896 to 1903.
“It was a prominent voice during the ‘Golden Age of Freethought,’ advocating for secularism, science, and reason in a time when religious conservatism dominated American society,” historian Gus Frederick wrote in a press release describing The Torch, which he believes is still relevant today.
“It promoted the ideals of reason, logic, and critical thinking, which were then – and even today – often controversial in mainstream societies,” Frederick explained. “The Torch of Reason provided a platform for voices that would have otherwise been silenced.”
And it could still be silenced if the 2,912 pages – currently preserved on microfilm in the archives of the University of Oregon’s library – are not upgraded to a digital format.
“Our goal is to preserve this important piece of history by digitizing the entire collection of Torch of Reason newspapers, making them accessible to scholars, historians, and the general public,” Frederick said.
But doing so requires funding.
“To achieve these goals, we have decided to initiate a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign of $2,500, to cover the [Oregon Digital Newspaper] ODNP scanning process, rewards and other logistical costs.”
Accepting donations the entire month of August – with a free family membership to the Oregon Historical Society for the first 15 donations of $100 or more – the campaign aims to ensure the history of LUO and The Torch of Reason are available for generations to come.
“The Freethought movement of the late nineteenth century was a significant cultural force in American history, and The Torch of Reason was one of its most prominent publications,” Frederick said. “By digitizing and making this newspaper available online, researchers will be able to easily access and study primary source materials that were previously difficult to find. This will undoubtedly lead to new insights and a deeper understanding of the social and intellectual history of the Silverton Country, as well as the United States.”
For more information on the project and Kickstarter campaign, visit TOR.LiberalUniversity.org/.
