Oral history interview with John A. Silvertooth

Oral history interview with John A. Silvertooth [Sound Recording 1]

Identity elements

Reference code

SR 463

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Collection

Title

Oral history interview with John A. Silvertooth

Date(s)

  • 1970 (Creation)

Extent

.1 cubic feet; 1 audiotape reel (59 min., 9 sec.) 5 in.; 1.875 ips

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Addison Silvertooth was born in Antelope, Oregon, in 1885. In 1909, he and Laura Elizabeth Stocker were married; they later had two children. He owned several businesses in Antelope, including the Idle Hours Tavern, the Silvertooth Store, a barbershop, and a museum. His museum was destroyed in a 1964 fire. He also served as Antelope mayor, town clerk, and justice of the peace. He died in 1972.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This oral history interview with John A. Silvertooth was conducted by Jack P. Steiwer at Silvertooth's store in Antelope, Oregon, around 1970. In this interview, Silvertooth discusses the history of Antelope and the Wasco County area. He talks about his family background and early life in Antelope in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He talks about the businesses he owned in Antelope, particularly the Idle Hours Tavern and a museum that burned down in 1964. He also briefly talks about his unsuccessful campaign for the Oregon Legislature. He speaks about homesteaders in the area, sheep and cattle ranching, and some of the families that lived in the area. Silvertooth tells a story about a bar brawl in his tavern; talks about some of the items in his store where the interview took place; and shares his memories of early automobiles and railroad lines in the area. He also talks about the origins of place names in Wasco County. He closes the interview by discussing running his tavern during Prohibition.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of John A. Silvertooth. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/.

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Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

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Finding aids

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Notes element

General note

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with John A. Silvertooth, by Jack P. Steiwer, SR 463, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Alternative identifier(s)

Description control element

Rules or conventions

Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.

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