An audio recording of an oral history of Eldo L. Nofziger on the Cold War and Korean War and its effects in the Washington County area. Nofziger discusses his draft into the Army in 1950 in first group of Oregon draftees. He was a non-combat soldier, stationed in France at the communications center at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE). Nofziger did not feel Communism was much of a threat to U.S. He mentions Senator McCarthy. He describes Hillsboro in 1950s as a small farming community.
An audio recording of an oral history of Robert C. Barnes and Irene Barnes on the Korean War era in Hillsboro, Oregon including topics such as the politics of the Korean War, the United States' response to communism, and comparing the war to World War II and Vietnam. They talk about nuclear weapons, fear of nuclear attack and civil defense drills. They comment on Hitler, Stalin and Joseph McCarthy and discuss veterans, government help, and great sacrifices. They also touch on the polio epidemic.
An audio recording of an oral history of Bill and Bernice Tescher on the Korean War. The Teschers discuss life in the Beaverton/Portland area in the 1950s, including their feelings about Communism, fear of attack, bomb drills and Senator Joseph McCarthy. They talk about the local impact of the Korean War.
An audio recording of an oral history of Walter Vandervelden, volunteer fire chief of the Forest Grove fire department, who experienced the first hours of the 1933 Tillamook fire. The interview abruptly starts in the middle of a conversation. Forest Grove fire department had very limited equipment at the time so did not take anything with them when they were first sent out to the scene of the fire to see the seriousness of it. It would take the firefighters three to four hours to get to the location of the fire with the equipment lent to them by the Northwest Forest Fire Association. Men who would stay overnight would wake up unable to see because of the damage done to their eyes due to the fire; an easy fix of dampening a handkerchief and resting on their eyes for fifteen to twenty minutes. After the fire was contained and put out 73 million trees were hand planted along with seeds being dropped from planes flying above. The audio interview cuts out at 31:02 and 45:58, to start again in the middle of a conversation.
An audio recording of an oral history of Larry Williams, head of the Oregon Environmental Council, on his views regarding forestry and the ecology movement. Larry Williams strongly believes that the government and industry are not doing everything they can to sustain our forests. The argument of clear cutting is brought to the interviewer's attention with strong facts supporting the idea that the industry and government are not being smart when choosing where to clear cut. The interview cuts out at 6:47, 31:54 and 46:41 with multiple interruptions due to a ringing phone. The last ten minutes of this audio are strictly the observations of the interviewer.
An audio recording of an oral history of Wes Lematta, helicopter pilot and founder of Columbia Helicopters, about the use of helicopters in lumber operations. Wes explains the process of collecting lumber while using a helicopter as well as the benefits. With the lack of roads they are able to go places other people were not able to travel to. This is one of the first businesses to do this job using a helicopter, doing business all over Oregon and in San Bernardino, California. A phone interruption occurs at 2:15.
An audio recording of an oral history of Charles Renard of Milwaukie, a trolley operator in Portland, Oregon for several years, starting in 1912. Renard explained the many routes he would take and how technology changed during his time as an operator. He describes a fight he got in with a senior conductor after only being on the job a few months. There were three trolley barns in Portland at that time and Mr. Renard worked on all three after being fired or quitting and returning to work. He gives brief demographic descriptions based on the different areas the trolley services, such as Alberta, Mt. Tabor, etc. At the time horse-drawn vehicles were still in operation and Renard recounts one carrying a milk truck not moving out of the trolley’s way on the Burnside Bridge resulting in a collision. He reflects that he shouldn’t have hit the brakes so hard and locked the wheels. He compares the Portland trolley system to the Oakland system and claims the Portland system was superior.
An audio recording of an oral history of Earl Mossman, an entertainer known as the 'Mayor of Broadway', about his life and the theater and vaudeville business in Portland, Oregon. Recorded in 1971, he talks about how he got involved in show business in the first place, started learning and improving his dancing, and what shows he took part in. Mossman talks about his friend Ray who got drafted into the military during World War One while Mossman was denied into the draft. Waiting for Ray to return, Mossman continued performing and producing shows, including a play called “Sunny Side of Broadway” in New York. Much of Mossman’s time was spent in Oregon, but he also spent a large amount of time traveling and performing around the country. In 1940, Mossman moved back to Portland in order to look after his ill mother, but he stayed in contact with people in show business through letters and reviews. He mentions the Oregon Centennial and who he performed with. Mossman talks about each of the theatres that were in Portland and where they were located during his time there. While in Portland, Mossman appointed himself the unofficial greeter for all of the celebrities to the city. He would meet them at the airport and make sure they were able to get around town safely. Much of his ability to do this comes from him already knowing many of the celebrities beforehand. Mossman comments on the rise of television and what that does to show business and the people involved in it. The beginning of the recording is hard to hear, but at about three minutes, the recording focuses and becomes easier to hear for the rest of the interview. There are intermittent background noises of airplanes overhead and cars passing by. Throughout the recording are names of actors, dancers, and other famous people that Mossman know. There is a full transcript of the recording. Many of the names and companies could be misspelled in the transcription.
An audio recording of an oral history of Al Weisendanger, Director of Keep Oregon Green, about his long career in forestry and the Keep Green movement. From the age of 16, Weisendanger began working in forestry and found his calling relating to young students to explain forest practices and fire prevention. He talks about the Keep Oregon Green organization educating people on fire prevention as well as Oregon’s Green Guard to encourage young people to get involved. He talks about Smokey the Bear, involvement in fairs and parades, and where most of the fire prevention advertisements go to in order to lessen the amount of fires in Oregon. They remember large fires that had happened recently to the interview and how each county had help from the forest service. Weisendanger comments on Oregon being the only state with a young program for the forest service and funds preventing him to sending materials to other states. He also talks about the importance of watchmen placed in the forest to look out for fires and raise the alarm as well as having planes that can quickly get over the fire and help put it out. The recording starts in the middle of a conversation and has frequent pauses as the tape gets paused.
An audio recording of an unnamed woman's recollections of growing up in Portland. First 30 minutes is a personal message to Ellis Lucia and his wife Elsie addressing them as a friend or acquaintance; last 20 minutes are recollections of growing up in Portland in an ethnic German neighborhood.
An audio recording of an oral history of Robert 'Bob' Torheim, U.S. Forest Service, about current issues of the Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, including the relationship between the environmental movement and the lumber business.
An audio recording of an oral history of Jim Wakefield, Meteorologist and head of the Portland office of the National Weather Service, on the Vancouver tornado of 1972. The recording starts in the middle of the interview and ends before the interview is over. In the interview, Wakefield and the interviewer talk about the tornado that happened in Vancouver and their opinions on the possible climate change over the last hundred years. They cover topics such as having the buildings secured, the level of preparedness in the northwest as in the midwest, and whether people were able to take pictures of the tornado. Wakefield had put out a notice in the 'Columbian' asking for people to submit pictures of the storm, but he was not very hopeful. There is a lot of background noise throughout the entire recording including telephones ringing, the tapping of a typewriter, and an airplane flying overhead. Sometimes it is hard to discern what the speakers are saying.
An audio recording of an oral history of Clifford 'Cliff' Johnston of Forest Grove, a long-time logger who was present at the start of the 1933 Tillamook fire. Mr. Johnston, in his sixties, was still a logger at the time of the interview.
An audio recording of an oral history of Ormond Bean, former City Commissioner of Portland, about his memories of Portland. Unfortunately, Ormond does not remember specifics about old Portland, but does tell the interviewer detailed recounts of some memories. Ormond talks about the progression of Portland from streetcars and trolleys to personal cars. With the advancement of technology and automobiles Ormond worries that the small villages that made up Portland will be overtaken with streets and highways. Suggested multiple times to head decision makers that they should focus on public transportation so the city does not get congested with personal cars. Ormond shares a number of photos and scrapbooks of old Portland with the interviewer throughout the interview to give him references as to what he is explaining. The recording cut out at 15:50, 26:45 and was difficult to hear from 27:30 till the end.
An audio recording of an oral history of Arthur J. Prideaux, Pacific University alumnus, about the old Slabtown area of Portland and his recollections of life in the area. During the interview Arthur was ninety-two years old trying to reminisce on memories from his younger years of playing in Slabtown with friends, teaching and various other memories that come to him during the interview. Slabtown was not a distinguished community but had a reputation of gang violence, yet, Arthur did not recall any gangs or fights while growing up in the community; playing baseball with all the boys from the area. Arthur discusses his fond memories of the Lewis and Clark fair where he met his wife, both attended and graduated from Pacific University. After graduating from Pacific Arthur started his career of working in the school system with various jobs ranging from teacher to principal for the next thirty-four years after graduating from Pacific University. Growing up Arthur would play with his close friends from the Scott family, brothers of Harvey Scott who was Pacific’s first graduate. With the many years of living and working in Portland Arthur accumulated many documents and papers that he donated to a historical society to put on display and use as references. The growth of Portland is not a bad or good thing in his eyes, but the loss of many historical landmarks is upsetting to him. At 32:37 the recording cuts out and then continues with a loud squeaking noise for the next thirty seconds.
An audio recording of an oral history of Ada Henley, former public stenographer of the Portland Hotel for 27 years, about her memories of the hotel. Ada and the interviewer talk about the various organizations that held events and meetings at the hotel; no names in specific besides the geological organization were mentioned. Numerous names were shared between the two with little context to their connection to the hotel. Ada has lived in Portland her entire life except for three years as a young child. The recording was interrupted at 6:20, 17:14 and 33:00.
An audio recording of an oral history of Sidney J. Harris, sternwheeler riverboat captain on the Columbia and Willamette towing logs and ships from 1913 until retirement in approximately 1955. Harris operated a Stern Weaver from Astoria or Cascade Locks down carrying crates and logs. It took around 13 men to operate a single ship during a trip. Running into things, going onto the ground, sinking were all part of the job.
An audio recording of an oral history of Edna Tupper about her memories of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition of 1905 and ethnic neighborhoods of Portland at the time.
An audio recording of an oral history of Mike Huffsmith and his brother about the old Albina district of Portland, Oregon. A woman is on the recording as well, possibly Mike Huffsmith's wife. The Huffsmith brothers explain how they lived in an area with many different settlements of ethnicities; Jewish, German, Italian and Russian. Growing up in the heart of the city they were about to use streetcars to get to most places, including their father's work. There was a conversation about the building of Swan Island Airport in 1927, following a discussion about a disaster involving Swan Island in the 1920’s or 1930’s. There was a phone interruption at 16:40 and recording cutting out at 31:10 and 47:00.
