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Yasui Brothers business records

  • Mss 2949
  • Collection
  • 1904 - 1990

The Yasui Brothers records primarily document the business, personal, and community-related activities of the Yasui family in Hood River, Oregon, from the start of the 20th century until World War II, when they were among the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated by the U.S. government.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence and records relating to the business activities of Masuo Yasui (1886-1957). These include the general store, Yasui Bros., that he ran with his brother Renichi Fujimoto; and orchards in the Hood River Valley and surrounding areas that the firm operated. Store records include a variety of advertising materials, while farming records include packing lists, crop reports, and records of local farming associations Masuo Yasui was involved with. The collection also reflects Yasui’s involvement in the local community, including his work assisting other Japanese immigrants to the United States. A small quantity of materials relates to the Yasui Bros. store’s forced closure and the management of the family’s property and assets while they were incarcerated during World War II.

The collection also includes personal papers of Masuo Yasui; his wife, Shidzuyo Yasui; his brother Renichi Fujimoto; and his children. These consist of correspondence, ephemera, and a personal history that Masuo Yasui wrote at the request of the Japanese consulate. Other materials in the collection include records from the 1970s and 1980s of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), in which Masuo Yasui’s son Homer Yasui and his wife, Miyuki Yasui, were active, and magazines and newspapers the family received in both Japanese and English.

A substantial amount of this collection is in a pre-World War II Japanese script that is distinct from modern Japanese. Some of these materials, particularly those in Series 1 (Business correspondence and related materials) and Series 6 (Personal papers) have been reviewed and summarized by translators. Selected documents have been translated into English and modern Japanese.

Yasui family

William L. Finley Papers, 1899-1946

  • MSS Finley
  • Collection
  • 1899 - 1946

William L. Finley's papers primarily document his work as a wildlife conservationist, author, lecturer, photographer, and filmmaker from about 1900 to 1940. The collection also documents the work his wife Irene Finley and photography partner Herman Bohlman. The collection consists of published and unpublished manuscripts, lecture and field notes, reports, correspondence, photographs and motion picture films.

An addition to the collection (Accession 2014:062) is made up of correspondence and newspaper clippings documenting the wildlife conservation work of William and Irene Finley. Among the topics addressed in the correspondence include: song bird protection laws in Oregon, requests to Finley for use of his photographs, the forming of an Oregon Fish and Game Commission, biological surveys conducted by Finley, legislation in California repealing meadowlark protection, and letters by Finley to various organizations regarding the presentation of one of his lectures. A highlight among the correspondence is a thank you letter from Finley to President Theodore Roosevelt for his establishment of wild bird reservations. The clippings are newspaper articles written by Irene and William Finley about encounters with wildlife, nocturnal bird sounds, and their filming of wildlife at Paulina Lake. The four articles all appeared in editions of the "Oregon Sunday Journal."

Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953

Vortex I music festival photographs

  • Org. Lot 666
  • Collection
  • 1970

The collection consists of 17 black-and-white photographs of attendees and performers at the Vortex I music festival. The photographs depict crowds arriving at the festival, performers on stage, audience members dancing, and attendees sunbathing in the park.

The Vortex I music festival, also known as Vortex I: A Biodegradable Festival of Life, was a rock festival held at Milo McIver State Park near Estacada, Oregon. Members of Governor Tom McCall’s staff in collaboration with members of the Portland counterculture community planned the state-sponsored festival. Vortex I officially ran from August 28 to September 3, 1970 to coincide with the American Legion annual convention held in Portland the same week.

Vanport flood photographs collection, 1948

  • Org. Lot 131
  • Collection
  • 1948

Photographs of the aftermath of the flood that destroyed Vanport, Or. on May 30, 1948. The images depict the damage to buildings, bridges, roadways, and other structures in both Vanport and Portland, Or. Includes postcards and snapshots, as well as photographs taken by the Camera Art Studio of Portland, Or.

Camera Art Studio (Portland, Or.)

Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church collection, 1940-2015

  • Coll 189
  • Collection
  • 1940 - 2015

The collection covers various aspects of the history of the church and of its leader, Rev. O.B. Williams, and his wife Willa Jackson Williams. It includes a variety of photographs, with a large percentage of the images relating to the various church groups, including choirs, youth groups, and ushers. A large collection of members’ memorial cards, the pastoral anniversaries of Rev. Williams, some bibles and hymnals (many annotated by Rev. Williams, including two dated 1867 and 1890), church financial records and meeting minutes, and a collection of materials from Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1961 visit are included. A small collection of the Williams’ personal photographs and ephemera can also be found in collection.

Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church (Portland, Or.)

Valley Migrant League photographs

  • Org. Lot 74
  • Collection
  • 1965 - 1968

Collection consists of photographs used by the Valley Migrant League (VML) for its program newspaper, "Opportunity News." Most of the photographs were taken by VML staff. Many of the individuals and places depicted in the prints and negatives in this collection were identified by Oregon Historical Society archivists from the corresponding articles in "Opportunity News."
Subjects depicted in the photographs include VML-sponsored adult education and vocational training programs, including photographs of classrooms, workshops, and businesses hosting work-training programs as well as portraits of program graduates and teachers. Also depicted are VML’s children’s daycare programs including photographs of children in the daycare centers and on educational field trips as well as community events, sports, and cultural celebrations including the Woodburn Fiesta Mexicana, May Day, and Christmas. Photographs in this collection also document living and working conditions for Migrant laborers including depictions of laborers in fields, operating agricultural equipment, and in labor camps, as well as rural healthcare and mobile medical clinics. Also represented in the collections is VML involvement in labor and community organizing, including meeting with political leaders and local picket lines in support of the Delano Grape Strike. The photographs in the collection also include portraits of many individuals associated with VML and the agricultural labor movement of the 1960s.

Valley Migrant League

Tsuboi Family home movies

  • MI Tsuboi
  • Collection
  • 1925 - 1960

The collection contains home movies filmed by members of the Tsuboi Family circa 1925-1960. The films depict Japanese American family scenes and feature locations around Oregon, Washington, California, and British Columbia, including the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood, downtown Portland, Pendleton Round-Up, the Oregon Coast, Seattle, Yosemite National Park, and Los Angeles. Also included in the collection is footage taken in Northeast China, Japan, and on voyages across the Pacific Ocean.

Tsuboi family

Tim Smith films

  • MIC 9
  • Collection
  • 1962-1982

The collection contains satirical and comedic short films and early film experiments by Portland, Oregon, filmmaker Tim Smith. The collection includes 9 complete films (three on one reel) and one reel of assorted home movies, experiments and outtakes. The collection includes the following titles: "The Orange"; "Irritation and Frustration"; "Come and Get it"; "The Salmon Street Saga"; "This is Portland"; "Drugs: Killers or Dillers"; "The Case of the Kitchen Killer"; "Infernal Voyage"; "Hyperactivity: The Facts." All films are 16mm. The collection also includes various picture and audio production elements for some films, including A and B rolls, magnetic soundtracks, answer prints, negatives, and assorted lab and printing paperwork.

Smith, Tim (Timothy John), 1955-

The Video Access Project video recordings

  • MIC 8
  • Collection
  • 1971-1990

The Video Access Project (TVAP) recordings consist of over 800 3/4" Umatic Video tapes and 1/2" Open Reel video tapes, most produced in the Portland Community Access facilities from the early 1980s into the 1990s. These programs were mainly produced and recorded in a television studio and covered various Portland related topics, including politics, music, art and social services. The collection also contains earlier video recordings that were not produced by TVAP. These videos, from the 1970s, were shot on location (not in a studio) and are more focused on art, sexuality, performance and neighborhoods in transition.

The Video Access Project (Portland, Or.)

The Bo's'n's Whistle

  • BW-OSC
  • Collection
  • 1941 - 1946

The Bo's'n's Whistle was a publication distributed to the employees of the Kaiser Shipyards in Oregon and Washington between 1941 and 1946. The first publication was released on July 18, 1941 under the editorial direction of Chick Johnson, and was given its distinctive name by Edgar Kaiser the General Manager of the shipyard. Subsequent issues released bi-weekly, along with a special issue on September 27, 1941 commemorating the launch of the "Star of Oregon". Distribution expanded to the Vancouver and Swan Island Shipyards in April 1942, with Hal Babbit, director of public relations for Kaiser Company serving as editorial supervisor.

The format of the Bo's'n's Whistle changed from a magazine to a weekly newspaper beginning March 10, 1944, with separate editions for each of the three shipyards - Oregon Shipyard, Swan Island, and Vancouver. On September 7, 1945 The Bo's'n's Whistle was again consolidated into one edition for all three shipyards, and on January 1, 1946 it was moved to a twice-monthly publication schedule. The final issue of The Bo's'n's Whistle was published on May 24, 1946. At its peak, The Bo's'n's Whistle was circulated to 90,000 employees, with over 4,000,000 copies distributed over its lifespan.

Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation

Tabor family photographs

  • Org. Lot 968
  • Collection
  • 1885 - 1895

Collection consists of photographs collected by the Tabor family. Most of the photographs are believed to have been taken or acquired by J. W. Tabor and Margaret Tabor during a trip to Portland, Oregon in 1895. Subjects include various views of Portland, including City Park (now Washington Park) gardens and bear pit, Mount Tabor reservoir, the Portland Heights cable car line, the Willamette River waterfront, and the Morrison Bridge; Celilo Falls; photographs of James Waucop Tabor, Margaret S. McNulty Tabor and her cousin, Alice Bachman Bettner; and a coroner's investigation of a body found in a mining camp near Granite, Oregon. None of the photographers are identified.

Stella Maris House collection, 1940-1973; bulk : 1960-1972

  • Mss 1585
  • Collection
  • 1940 - 1973

Ranging in date from 1940 to 1973, the Stella Maris House Collection consists of printed material, correspondence, and administrative, financial, and legal records created and collected by the Portland, Oregon-based social justice group during the course of their work. The collection demonstrates the local evolution of social issues key to the history of the United States during the 1960s. Over a third of the archive's content is dedicated to Oregon's migrant labor rights movement, and it also features records documenting the area's civil rights movement, urban renewal projects, interstate highway infrastructure, and social welfare programs initiated by the Economic Opportunity Act.

The bulk of the collection consists of printed material created by a number of local and national organizations between 1960 and 1972, then collected by the Stella Maris House. This portion of the archive includes programs, reports, studies, surveys, correspondence, brochures, and flyers generated by civil rights, migrant rights, and peace movement groups. Items of note include the Albina Neighborhood Improvement Project's plans for urban redevelopment (Series B), an African-American employment survey conducted by the Metropolitan Interfaith Commission on Race (Series E), and records documenting the Housing Authority of Portland (Series I). The collection also features printed material created by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Series E), the Valley Migrant League (Series J), and the United Farm Workers (Series J). Newspaper clippings that document events important to social justice movements constitute a substantial part of the collection.

A small but significant portion of the collection was created by the staff members of the Stella Maris House; it includes notes by the staff documenting the meetings of local groups. These meeting notes often provide remarkably candid insights into the workings of area groups. Additionally, Stella Maris House staff members also contributed group and program histories to the collection.

Stella Maris House (Portland, Or.)

Steamship Oneonta Plans

  • Mss 4044
  • Collection
  • Circa 1863 - Circa 1950

Plans of a sidewheel steamer, Oneonta. The plans may be a depiction of the steamer Oneonta built in 1863 and operated by the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, but features in the plans differ from contemporary photographs of that steamboat. It is unknown whether the drawings are originals or later reproductions. The drawings consist of 3 plans on 1 sheet: a top view, a side view, and a plan of the pilot house and rooms. Sheet is stamped: "Oregon Historical Society - Portland, Oregon / from collection of L. C. Hosford."

Spruce Production Division lantern slides

  • Org. Lot 1062
  • Collection
  • 1917-1919

Lantern slides depicting activities of the Spruce Production Division in Oregon and Washington State during World War I.

United States. War Department. Spruce Production Division

Rev. Lee Owen Stone Collection

  • Org. Lot 651
  • Collection
  • 1903 - 1977

Photographs documenting the career of Rev. Lee Owen Stone, (4/24/1903-3/10/1977), at St. Philips Episcopal Church, 120 N. E. Knott St., Portland. Rev. Stone was Vicar of St. Philips from 1936 until his retirement in 1972. He was active in community agencies and the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. Rev. Stone was a founder of the Portland Urban League. In addition, he established the St. Philips Church Cooperative (Lee Owen Stone) Preschool. Rev. Stone was Portland's first black Episcopal priest, and hist first wife, Leota A. Stone, was one of Portland's first black public school teachers.

Stone, Lee Owen, 1903-1977

Portland General Electric Photograph Collection

  • Org. Lot 151
  • Collection
  • 1880 - 1965

Negatives documenting company activities, including electrical infrastructure, employees, power generation and distribution throughout Portland, the Willamette Valley and the Oregon Cascade Range. Additional general images include streetcars and trains, street lighting, power line installation, Rose Festival floats, office buildings, car barns and bridges. Of particular note are dam building projects at Bull Run and along the Clackamas River (1910-1930), and early electric stations in Oregon City at Willamette Falls.

Portland General Electric Company

Photographs of Vanport, Oregon, circa 1948

  • Org. Lot 1364
  • Collection
  • 1942 - 1948

Photographs of Vanport, Oregon before and after the flood of 1948, including images of Dale Skovgaard and his family, who lived there at the time.

Skovgaard, Dale

Oregonian glass negatives

  • Org Lot 139
  • Collection
  • 1850-1930

This collection consists of glass negatives taken by photographers for the Portland, Oregon based newspaper, The Oregonian. Most of the photographs in this collection are undated but the bulk of the photographs are believed to be taken between 1890 and 1920.

Oregonian (Firm)

Oregon elections collection, 1846-1888

  • Mss 1231
  • Collection
  • 1846 - 1912

Collection assembled by the Oregon Historical Society regarding elections in Oregon. Included are Poll Books for Sauvie Island (1859), Astoria Precinct (1857), Elkton Precinct (1856), Santiam Precinct (1860), and Butte Creek (1872); contributors to the 1873 election fund; certified documents of electors, president and vice-president, U.S. (1876, 1880, 1888); and newspaper clippings and list of contributors to the 1888 election. Additional materials include oversize ballots and tally sheets (in 2 flat boxes), and 1860-1862 election materials (1 reel of microfilm).

Oregon. Constitutional Convention (1857)

Oregon Constitutional Convention records, 1857-1859

  • Mss 1227
  • Collection
  • 1857 - 1859

Documents created during the Oregon Constitutional Convention of 1857. Includes: committee reports, drafts of articles and schedules, general notes, corrections, and other materials. Sections of the constitution represented include: preamble and bill of rights; suffrage and elections; distribution of powers; Legislative Department; Executive Department; education and school lands; finance; militia; corporations and internal improvements; seat of government; general provisions; boundaries; schedules, and related papers. Also includes printed speech of James Hughes of Indiana, on the admission of Oregon, delivered in the House of Representatives, 1859 February 10.

Oregon. Constitutional Convention (1857)

Oregon Black History Project records

  • Mss 2854
  • Collection
  • 1844-1981

The Oregon Black History Project was a grant-funded project that conducted research on the history of African-Americans in Oregon up to the beginning of World War II. The project was directed by Elizabeth McLagan and culminated in her book "A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788-1940," which was published by the Georgian Press of Portland, Oregon, in 1980.

The collection consists of administrative records, research files, and photographs gathered or created by the Oregon Black History Project. Most of the research files consist of notes and quotes, photocopies, or excerpts from primary and secondary resources concerning the history of African-Americans in Oregon from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century. Most of these source excerpts were assembled between 1976 and 1979. Topics include early African-American emigrants to Oregon; the slavery debate in Oregon; exclusion laws and other forms of discrimination or violence against African-Americans; African-American business, social, and activist organizations; and early 20th-century African-American newspapers such as The Advocate, the New Age, and the Portland Times.

Photographs include portraits of African-American Oregonians; African-American social groups and activities; residences; and businesses operated by African-Americans in Portland, Oregon. Some of the photographs are copies of images originally published in newspapers such as Portland Times and The Advocate.

McLagan, Elizabeth, 1947-

Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs photographs, 1953-1988.

  • Org. Lot 587
  • Collection
  • 1953 - 1988

Photographs and other materials that were assembled for the Northwest Black Heritage exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society, documenting the history and activities of the Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs and its constituent groups. The photographs depict the presidents of the Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs, including Katherine Gray, the association's first president; state and regional conventions; affiliated clubs; community service activities; winners of the association's Katherine Gray Memorial Scholarship; and federated girls' clubs associated with the organization. Also included is a photograph of the exhibit panel and photocopies of newspaper clippings and other materials used in the exhibit panel.

Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs

Oral history interview with Zennah M. Buse

  • SR 1713
  • Collection
  • 1991-01-15 - 1991-02-20

This oral history interview with Zennah M. Buse was conducted by Susan L. Smith in West Linn, Oregon, from January 15 to February 20, 1991. The interview was conducted in three sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 15, 1991, Buse discusses her family background and childhood in West Linn, Oregon, including life on a farm, her elementary school education, and her recreational activities. She describes life in West Linn during the early 20th century and talks about attending Territorial Days picnics.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 23, 1991, Buse discusses her teenage years in West Linn, Oregon, including life on a farm, her high school education, and her recreational activities. She talks about her wedding and marriage to Herman Richard Buse. She discusses raising a family in West Linn, and talks about family and holiday traditions; shares her memories of her activities during World War II; and talks about her children, their families, and their careers. She speaks about her health, about her involvement in clubs and organizations, and about growing vegetables. She also revisits the topic of her childhood and describes the foods she ate, the process of doing laundry, and the clothes she wore.

In the third and final interview session, conducted on February 20, 1991, Buse revisits the topic of her marriage to Herman Richard Buse and raising a family in West Linn. She talks about camping with her family, shares the history of places and landmarks in West Linn, and describes how the city has changed over her life. She closes the interview by talking about the Romani people who would come to West Linn in the summers.

Buse, Zennah M. (Zennah Marguerite), 1904-1994

Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins

  • SR 470
  • Collection
  • 1986-07-07 - 1986-08-01

This oral history interview with Windsor Calkins was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in Calkins' office in Eugene, Oregon, from July 7 to August 1, 1986. In the interview, Calkins discusses his family background and early life in Eugene, including a 1922 trip on foot from Newport to Florence, Oregon, with his father. He also discusses his father's career as a court reporter, as well as his own interest in the law. Calkins talks about studying law at the University of Oregon, including taking classes from Wayne Morse. Calkins talks about practicing law in Eugene and some of the cases he argued, including bootlegging and murder cases. He also discusses the effect the Depression had on his family. He then talks about his experiences in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Calkins also talks about notable people from Eugene, including William G. East and other judges. He then discusses his work as a lawyer for the Eugene Water and Electric Board and Sacred Heart Hospital, as well as his involvement with the Lane County Bar Association, the Eugene City Health Board, and other civic organizations. He closes the interview with a description of malpractice lawsuits, as well as his family life.

Calkins, Windsor, 1910-1989

Oral history interview with William Francis Lambert

  • SR 81
  • Collection
  • 1980-07-14

This oral history interview with William Francis Lambert was conducted by Linda S. Dodds on July 14, 1980, at Lambert's home in Portland, Oregon. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Lambert discusses his family background and early life in Portland, Oregon. He speaks at length about spending summers at the YMCA Spirit Lake Boys' Camp from 1913 to 1916, describing the camp rules, activities, and buildings. He also talks about some of the camp personnel and his fellow campers. He then discusses his work history, particularly working in the timber industry in Oregon and as a railroad worker in Alaska. He closes the interview by talking about his experiences in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Lambert, William Francis, 1902-1985

Oral history interview with Weldon T. Hibbard

  • SR 9666
  • Collection
  • 1976-12-19

This oral history interview with Weldon T. Hibbard was conducted by Rachel Foxman at Hibbard's home in Woodburn, Oregon, on December 19, 1976. Hibbard's son, Michael H. Hibbard, was also present and occasionally contributed to the interview.

In this interview, Hibbard discusses the history of the Oregon Donation Land Claim Act, and talks about the Hibbard family land claim in Marion County, Oregon. He speaks at length about his family background. He talks about his early life in Molalla, including his education. He speaks about the lumber industry in the area, and about people who lived there, including the Indigenous Molalla peoples. He talks about his career in education as a public school teacher and in the Oregon Department of Education.

Hibbard, Weldon T. (Weldon Thomas), 1909-1977

Oral history interview with Teunis Wyers, Jr.

  • SR 2099
  • Collection
  • 1964-08-06

This oral history interview with Teunis Wyers, Jr., was conducted by Elizabeth Strain at the Wyers Stage Company Barns in White Salmon, Washington, on August 6, 1964. An unidentified man was also present. In this interview, Wyers discusses the history of White Salmon during the late 19th century, and talks about a murder in The Dalles. He speaks at length about Native people who lived in the area. He talks about his stagecoach company and about caring for horses.

Wyers, Teunis, Jr., 1876-1965

Oral history interview with Rose Iva Dalton and Peggy Wetzler

  • SR 44-1
  • Collection
  • 1981-02-27

This oral history interview with Rose Iva Dalton and Peggy Wetzler was conducted at the home of Peggy Wetzler. The first session was conducted by Bernice Pluchos of the Camas-Washougal Historical Society on February 27, 1981, and the second session was conducted by Peggy Wetzler on February 28, 1981. The sound quality is extremely poor.

In the first interview session, conducted on February 27, 1981, Dalton discusses her family background and early life on Government Island, Oregon, including life on the family ranch, transportation, and her social life. She also briefly talks about her wedding to Louis Stanis Dalton in 1907. Wetzler also discusses her family background and early life in Long Beach, Washington.

In the second interview session, conducted on February 28, 1981, Dalton continues discussing her early life on Government Island, including her education, other families that lived on the island, and floods. She also describes the house she lived in. Wetzler and Dalton talk about taking ferry boats to and from Government Island, catching crabs on the beach, and life in Long Beach, Washington. Wetzler closes the tape with a brief narrative of Rose Iva Dalton's family history and additional historical information about Government Island and Long Beach.

Dalton, Rose Iva, 1881-1984

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