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1887 First seal — Keeping Eatonville first in all that we do1887First

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Independent reporting from Historic Eatonville.

Land, government, business, history, culture, and youth — reported and argued from inside the town.

Opinion · Opinion

An 1887 First Op-Ed: Charity Is Not Self-Government — Do Not Trade Eatonville's Sovereignty for Development

Charity Is Not Self-Government: Eatonville Must Stop Trading Sovereignty for Development

What's happening with the flooding, HostDime, the proposed museum, and the remaining Hungerford land isn't a handful of separate issues. It's what happens when a Black town loses control of the institutions and land that once made it independent.

By Julian Johnson · Published 2026-08-29 · 16 min read

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Opinion · Opinion

An 1887 First Op-Ed: Before You Call Eatonville Incapable, Show Us Your Record

Before You Call Eatonville Incapable, Show Us Your Record

Orange County Public Schools cannot spend generations controlling Hungerford, watch the school disappear and the land shrink, then point to the community left behind as proof that we cannot control our own future.

By Julian Johnson · Published 2026-08-22 · 12 min read

Opinion · Opinion

Eatonville has paid a price. Let's find out how much. — The Battle for the Negro Land & Mind

Eatonville Has Paid a Price

Before another acre changes hands, let's find out how much. The Battle for the Negro Land & Mind — Founders Day 2026.

By Julian Johnson · Published 2026-08-15 · 14 min read

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