CANYON CITY — A little-known slice of Grant County history will be the topic of an upcoming presentation, “The Sewells of Canyon City,” which focuses on the county’s first Black family.

The free event, sponsored by the Grant County Oregon Historical Association, will be held 5:30-7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23, at the Canyon City Community Hall.

Zachary Stocks, director of Oregon Black Pioneers, will head up the presentation. Stocks will share a wealth of research information and offer an insightful look back at the Sewell family — where they came from, what drew them to Grant County and their daily lives here in the late 1800s.

Columbus Sewell was born in the early 1920s in the District of Columbia and fought in the Black Hawk War of 1832, a battle between the United States and Native American tribes. After working in the gold mines of California, he decided to follow the rush in Oregon, and moved with his wife Louisa, to Canyon City.

Sewell mined a claim for a time but then turned to hauling freight as his primary occupation — making round trips between Canyon City and The Dalles that often took several weeks.

He died on Jan. 17, 1899, six years after his wife, Louisa. They and the couple’s two sons, Tom and Joseph, are all buried at the Canyon City Cemetery.

By many accounts, Columbus Sewell was a well-known and respected member of the community.

An early pioneer in the Grant County area, he was also a pioneer during a time when exclusion laws kept African Americans from settling in Oregon.

That’s just the tip of the story of this inspirational and influential family. Those interested in learning more and exploring this rich chapter of Grant County’s past will want to mark the date on their calendar.

The presentation is free and all are welcome. Canyon City is two miles south of John Day on Highway 395. The community hall is at 131 Washington St.

For more information, call the Grant County Historical Museum at 541-575-0362 or visit www.gcoha.org.