Gresham Historical Society · Northwest Digital Heritage

Provenance

Found in collections. Dr. Hughes comes up in conversations both about influential leaders in 20th Century Gresham and about anti-Japanese activities in the area. He remains the longest-serving mayor in the city's history, serving from 1940 to 1956, and is responsible for the first sewage treatment plant, planning and zoning process, and city reservoir in Gresham. His home at the corner of Powell and Wallula is on the National Register of Historic Places. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War I.

In 2006, City Council discussed a plan to build a monument to Hughes in Main City Park. Soon after, Joe Onchi found Hughes's name on records from the Japanese Exclusion League, leading to a controversy with input from people and organizations all over the state. Eventually, City Council abandoned the plan, with then-Mayor Shane Bemis saying "it would be difficult to honor someone with that background."

Dr. Herbert H. Hughes

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