Along the trail are many small towns that were stopping points along the Oregon Trail. Some either flourished or faded away as the Oregon Trail era came to a close. One of those towns is Huntington, Oregon.
In the mid to late 1800s, Huntington was the last camp of the pioneers before they headed over the mountains down to the Columbia River. Before it became a major rail head for shipping cattle, it was also a stagecoach stop for weary travelers. Like many small towns, it also went through a time of bad "publicity", being known for its Chinese opium dens, saloons and gunslingers.
Recently, we took the opportunity to drive through Huntington on our way home from Washington. The town is only one square mile in size and has a population of just over 500 citizens. We found this old building, which was a restaurant in the early 1900s, that clearly identified "All White Help". It's hard to imagine that a small town, out in the middle of nowhere, felt the need to advertise that it's employees were white (versus black, Chinese, or any other color) in order to solicit business.
It would seem that the prejudices of the east followed the pioneers west. While most were looking for a better way of life, some of the biases and stigmas were still attached to the color of their skin.
I am so thankful that I have a loving God that doesn't care about skin color or physical abnormalities or education or financial status. He loves me. Period. Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a world where everyone was loved by everyone, with no prejudices? Soon and very soon, Jesus is coming to take us to that world!
