In the 1880s, the societal landscape of Portland changed quickly. The young city's population expanded with newcomers from the Oregon Trail and Transcontinental Railroad. This rapid growth brought unprecedented challenges, especially for Portland's youngest citizens, who were often abandoned on the streets and forced to fend for themselves and resort to petty crime just to survive. 

A group of Portland's leaders came together to find a solution for these vulnerable children. The Boys & Girls Aid Society was founded in 1885 with a mission to "improve the condition of the homeless, neglected, and abused children of Oregon." 

Yet many of the same challenges Portland's youth faced 140 years ago still remain today. Historian and author Dr. David Peterson del Mar and a panel of experts will journey back to the early years of Boys & Girls Aid and reflect on how the agency's founding vision remains relevant when caring for young people in Oregon's communities today.  

Dr. David Peterson del Mar retired from Portland State University in 2025. He is the author of six academic books, including What Trouble I Have Seen: A History of Violence Against Wives, published by Harvard University Press, and Oregon's Promise: An Interpretive History, published by Oregon State University Press.

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp