George Fox Project Hopes to Capture Newberg’s Voice Through Oral History

NEWBERG, Ore. — A new oral history initiative from George Fox University is inviting Newberg residents to take a seat, grab a mic, and share their stories.

The project, an expansion of the university’s Mapping Our History effort, aims to collect dozens of short audio interviews from community members about their connections to Newberg’s historic downtown. With support from the Council of Independent Colleges and the Mellon Foundation, the initiative now includes a mobile podcasting booth designed to pop up at public events this spring and summer.

“This is about connecting people to their place,” said Dustin Kelley, university archivist and project lead. “Everyone’s history is important, and oral history is a great leveler—it gives people a voice, no matter when they arrived in town or what their background is.”

The first phase of the project kicks off at three Newberg Wednesday Markets in May and June, where the George Fox team will be on-site with a portable podcast setup—microphones, headphones, canopy tent, and all.

Visitors will be invited to record short-form interviews, usually lasting between three and five minutes. Kelly said prompts might include questions like, Which local business or storefront do you remember most? Or do you have a favorite memory tied to this place?

“It’s modeled a bit after NPR’s StoryCorps,” Kelley said. “We’ll guide folks through a couple of light questions if they want help, but it can also be two people interviewing each other instead. We just want to make it easy for people to share their stories.”

Those stories will then be archived on the university’s Digital Commons and linked back to the Mapping Our History website, where users can browse historic downtown addresses and click through to listen to memories tied to specific places.

Started in collaboration with the university’s history department and archives, Mapping Our History began as a way to fill in historical gaps—especially those left after a fire destroyed city records in 1993.

City Recorder Rachel Thomas, who previously led the GFU Archives program, said the fire essentially baked a collection of permits and building records in their filing cabinets. Historic city council minutes were spared, she said, and noted that no records were lost in the January 2024 freeze-flood event.

Students in the public history program helped launch the original map, which focuses on downtown buildings and their former uses.

This latest oral history addition not only builds on that work but brings it into the present, Kelley said.

“Our focus is on the area already covered by the map, but the hope is to grow from there. Long-term, this could become a broader project documenting the full story of Newberg through voices that live here now.”

The team plans to be present at two July events as well—the Willamette Valley Lavender Festival and the Newberg Old Fashioned Festival—with the goal of collecting at least 50 interviews by summer’s end. But Kelley says there’s no maximum.

“Anyone who wants to participate is welcome. And if someone can’t make it to the markets or festivals, they can still reach out—we’ll do our best to include them.”

While participants will be asked to sign a simple release form, photo participation is optional. Kelley said the audio-only format was intentional to keep things comfortable and accessible.

“I didn’t want people worrying about how they look or what they’re wearing,” he said. “It’s about the memory, not the appearance.”

That sense of inclusivity is key. While longtime locals may have deep roots and rich stories, Kelley said newcomers shouldn’t feel disqualified.

“If you moved here in 2021 and have a meaningful memory—something kind someone did for you, or a favorite hangout spot—that’s valuable. The present becomes history, too.”

For more information or to contribute a story, residents can visit Mapping Our History or stop by the George Fox booth at upcoming markets.