Historian Jan Wright will present the lecture “Oregon Outcast, John Beeson: Indian Rights Activist” on Wednesday, November 7 at the Medford Library, 205 South Central Avenue, and Wednesday, November 14  at the Ashland Library, 410 Siskiyou Boulevard from 12 noon–1:00 p.m. at both locations.
 
John Beeson spoke out when he witnessed the Indian Wars in southern Oregon in the 1850s. Though it impoverished him, made him extremely unpopular, and nearly destroyed his relationship with his family, he steadfastly promoted peace between the whites and the Native peoples of America. While his family stayed behind in Oregon, he launched a career in social reform which took him to New York and the nation’s capital to fight for Indian rights.
 
Jan Wright has written a book titled Oregon Outcast: John Beeson's Struggle for Justice for the Indians 1853-1889, which details the career of one of Oregon's first Human Rights activists. She will speak on the discoveries she made during the writing process and weave local history into the story.  

The monthly “Windows in Time” lunchtime lectures are offered free to the public from 12 noon – 1:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the Medford Library and the second Wednesday of each month at the Ashland Library.  These lectures feature well-known writers and historians, and bring alive the people, values, and events that shaped our Southern Oregon heritage. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society and Jackson County Library Services.