Items

• 
  Bessie Helen Jones oral history recording

  An audio recording of an oral history of Bessie Helen Jones of Cornelius, born in 1896. She speaks about her life before coming to Oregon, including: early life in Minnesota; going to school on the frontier in North Dakota circa 1910; teaching country school; working as a dishwasher at Yellowstone National Park probably in the 1910s; living on a homestead in a sheep ranching area of Wyoming circa 1920; and various anecdotes about frontier life. The interview was recorded in front of an audience in 1987, possibly at Pacific University's Old College Hall. This oral history is accompanied by a transcript.
• 
  Mary Windle oral history recording

  An audio recording of an oral history of Mary Windle about her family’s history reaching all the way back to the early nineteenth century. Windle first talks about her father’s side of the family, the Bennetts, who originally came from Cornwall, England, and emigrated to Canada in the early nineteenth century, and eventually moved to Washington. Windle inherited her grandfather’s sea chest that he had brought over from England. Then she talks about her mother’s side of the family, the Delanor-Sadds. They had settled in Cedar Canyon about the same time in the early nineteenth century. Eventually Windle’s family ended up in Cornelius, Oregon, where most of her relatives, including herself, attended school at Greenville. Windle talks about her childhood and remembers having a dog named Rover and riding ponies in long skirts. Windle recounts names and stories of her teachers at Greenville and her adventures into Forest Grove for shopping. She had started an annual family reunion that lasted for a while before it fizzled out. At about 20:00 of the recording, Windle shows her audience pictures of her parents and an uncle, as well as a book that came from her mother’s side of the family. The recording is really hard to hear in the beginning and throughout the first half with a popping in the sound and white noise.
• 
  Alberto Garcia oral history recording Part 2

  An audio recording of an oral history of Alberto Garcia, father of Virginia Garcia, a young child who died in 1975 in Washington County. Part 2 of 2. The recording continues from the end of Part 1, where Garcia was describing the inauguration of the clinic. He tells the story of a man by the name of 'Cortez' and some financial problems that were involved with this man (who was involved in the creation of the clinic). At about minute 11:45, Garcia tells more details of Virginia's death, sharing that the capsule that killed her was administered at home. They also share that Virginia's family nickname was 'Gina,' due to her younger brother being unable to pronounce her full name. Virginia is referred to as 'Gina' for most of the interview. At minute 20:30, Garcia talks of their decision to leave Oregon after Virginia's death and explains the various reasons why they did not return to after that. Garcia returns to the topic of the inauguration of the clinic and how they felt that day at minute 25:00. At minute 27:00 he talks about his big family, which now includes 12 grandchildren and a great-grandchild, and there is a brief pause at minute 30:35. He speaks of his wife's last days alive at around minute 31:45, and proceeds to share about his wife's life working in the fields. He ends the recording sharing that he is happy the clinic is helping the community, and shares of the many people he knew throughout his life as a migrant worker who did not have access to health care./////// Una grabación en audio de una historia oral de Alberto García, padre de Virginia García, una niña que murió en 1975 en el condado de Washington. La grabación continúa el tema del final de la Parte 1, donde García estaba describiendo la inauguración de la clínica. Cuenta la historia de un hombre con el nombre de 'Cortez' y algunos problemas financieros que estaban involucrados con este hombre (quien estuvo involucrado en la creación de la clínica). Alrededor del minuto 11:45, García cuenta más detalles de la muerte de Virginia, compartiendo que la cápsula que la mató fue administrada en casa. También comparten que el apodo familiar de Virginia fue 'Gina', debido a que su hermano menor no pudo pronunciar su nombre completo. Continúan refiriéndose a Virginia como 'Gina' durante la mayor parte de la entrevista. Al minuto 20:30, García habla de su decisión de abandonar Oregon después de la muerte de Virginia y explica las varias razones por las que no regresaron después de eso. García vuelve al tema de la inauguración de la clínica y cómo se sintieron ese día alrededor del minuto 25:00. En el minuto 27:00 él habla de su familia grande, que ahora incluye a 12 nietos ya un bisnieto, y hay una pausa breve en el minuto 30:35. Habla de los últimos días de vida de su esposa antes de morir alrededor del minuto 31:45, y procede a compartir acerca de la vida de su esposa trabajando en los campos. Concluye la grabación compartiendo que está contento que la clínica esté ayudando a la comunidad y comparte de los muchos trabajadores migrantes que conoció a lo largo de su vida que no tenían acceso a la servicios de salud.
• 
  Alberto Garcia oral history recording Part 1

  An audio recording of an oral history of Alberto Garcia, father of Virginia Garcia, a young child who died in 1975 in Washington County. His daughter, Alma, is also present in the interview. Alberto Garcia was born in 1926 in McAllen, (Edinburg?), Texas. Garcia is about 81 years of age at the time of this interview. He began working in the fields at the age of 16 - from picking cotton in 'El West' of Texas, working in the orange groves near his home town, and migrating seasonally to Idaho to harvest potatoes. He talks about meeting his wife Maria, who he married in 1980. Maria had already passed away from leukemia at the time of this interview. They had eight children together; Linda, Jesus, Alma, Estela, Rubi, Martin, Virginia, and Mario (listed from eldest to youngest). Garcia continues to describes his experiences as a migrant worker, detailing the various types of produce that he harvested from place to place, talking about his experience communicating with different employers while having a language barrier, and traveling from place to place with a young family. Before moving to Oregon, the family lived in Santa Ana, California and Washington. At about minute 28:00, Garcia begins to recount the death of his 6 year old daughter, Virginia. After a small pause in minute 30:00, Garcia begins to talk about Virginia, where she was born, and what she lived through as a child. Alma and Alberto cheerfully remember Virginia as an energetic, mischievous child who loved to sing. Virginia was taken to the doctor due to a fever, and both Garcia and Alma reveal that the cause of death was poisoning due to taking an oral capsule of an adult-dose of penicillin, which was prescribed by the doctor (this disputes the popular story of Virginia dying of an infection due to a cut in her leg). At about minute 47:00, Garcia details the events leading to her death and the aftermath. Starting at minute 48:45, Garcia begins to talk about the decision to sue for the medical malpractice, a case that they won. At minute 54:45 begins to tell the story of how the Virginia Garcia Health Center came to be, a clinic that was already being developed before Virginia's death. This interview is in Spanish. Part 1 of 2. ////////////// Una audio grabación de la historia oral de Alberto García, padre de Virginia García, una niña que murió en 1975 en el condado de Washington. Su hija, Alma, también está presente en la entrevista. Alberto García nació en 1926 en McAllen, (Edinburg?), Texas. García tiene alrededor de 81 años de edad durante esta entrevista. Comenzó a trabajar en los campos a la edad de 16 años - desde la cosecha de algodón en 'El West' de Texas, trabajando en los naranjos cerca de su ciudad natal, y su migración temporal a Idaho para cosechar papas. Habla de conocer a su esposa María, con quien se casó en 1980. María ya había fallecido de leucemia en el momento de esta entrevista. Tuvieron ocho hijos juntos; Linda, Jesús, Alma, Estela, Rubí, Martin, Virginia, y Mario (de mayor a menor). García continúa describiendo sus experiencias como trabajador migrante, detallando los diversos tipos de productos que cosechó de un lugar a otro, hablando de su experiencia comunicándose con diferentes mayordomos con la barrera de idioma, y ​​viajando de un lugar a otro con una familia joven. Antes de mudarse a Oregon, la familia vivío en Santa Ana, California y Washington. Alrededor del minuto 28:00, García comienza a contar sobre la muerte de su hija de seis años, Virginia. Después de una pequeña pausa en el minuto 30:00, García comienza a hablar de Virginia, donde nació, y lo que vivió como una niña. Alma y Alberto recuerdan alegremente a Virginia como una niña enérgica y traviesa que le encantaba cantar. Virginia fue llevada al médico debido a una fiebre, y García y Alma revelan que la causa de la muerte era una intoxicación por tomar una cápsula oral de una dosis de penicilina para adultos, la cual fue recetada por el médico (esto disuelve la historia popular de que Virginia murio de una infección debido a un corte en su pierna). Alrededor del minuto 47:00, García detalla los eventos que llevaron a su muerte y lo que ocurrio despues. A partir del minuto 48:45, García comienza a hablar sobre la decisión de demandar por la negligencia médica, un caso que ellos ganaron. Al partir del minuto 54:45, Garcia comienza a contar la historia de cómo llegó a ser el Centro de Salud Virginia García, una clínica que ya se estaba desarrollando antes de la muerte de Virginia. La entrevista es en español. Parte 1 de 2.
• 
  Reynold Geiger oral history recording on Indians in the Tualatin Valley

  An audio recording of an oral history of Reynold Geiger on Indians in the Tualatin Valley. Reynold’s grandfather came to Oregon as missionary in 1839 claiming land outside the present town of Cornelius. Talks about stories passed down to him from his older family members and their interactions with the Indians living close by. Stories about the sweat house were shared. The interview ended with Reynold sharing that his great-grandfather was a minister, relating back to the conversation at the beginning of the interview. There is a transcript of this interview. Note: the recording and transcript have been redacted to protect sensitive information related to Native American graves and artifacts.
• 
  Giores oral history recording

  ?Giores” (name changed at narrator’s request) was born in Colima, Mexico and spent most of his adult life in Mexico City before relocating to the United States. Giores found life in Mexico City fast paced, uncertain, and stressful. After working at a number of different occupations there he moved to Oregon—a place that he had some knowledge of through a relative. Starting with fieldwork, he transitioned to landscaping, and now works as a painter. Giores obtained his GED after relocating and lives in Cornelius. He and his wife are enrolled in the microbusiness program at Adelante Mujeres; they hope to begin a tax preparation business and create more financial stability for their family. Giores talks about the reasons why he left Mexico and the pull of the “American dream” that prompted him to relocate. He speaks about the difficulty of the border crossing. The experience inspired him to write a short piece about the border crossing of an individual named Juan. An excerpt from that piece is included at the end of this transcript, shared with the permission of the narrator. Giores elaborates on the process of adjusting to life in Washington County. He explains his relationship with Mexican culture, the country of Mexico, and the ways that he remains in contact with family members there. He also offers his opinions on English-speaking U.S. culture and society. Though work in the United States has not been easy, Giores has overall felt well treated in Washington County and recalls the support of volunteer English teachers and the appreciation that bosses and clients have demonstrated for his work accomplishments. Interview is in Spanish. There is a transcript of this interview.
• 
  Ariadna Covarrubias oral history recording

  An audio recording of an oral history of Ariadna Covarrubias on her university experience and Cornelius. There is a transcript of this interview.
• 
  Sister Ina Marie Nosack oral history recording

  Sister Ina Marie Nosack was born in 1926 in Gervais, Oregon. She spent her senior year of high school at Saint Mary of the Valley (now Valley Catholic) and after high school entered the convent at Sisters of Saint Mary. While working as a teacher, Sister Ina earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education. She spent several months in Mexico learning Spanish, then worked in the Amazon region of Peru as the principal of a school from 1966 – 1973. After returning from Peru, Sister Ina resumed work as an educator, but after some years made a conscious decision to work with the Hispanic community and became the director of religious education at the Saint Alexander parish in Cornelius. St. Alexander was the first church in the area to offer mass in both Spanish and English. Sister Ina Marie details the ways she sought to assist families and individuals in and beyond her formal duties at Saint Alexander parish. Sister Ina recounts the pain of seeing migrant families struggle to survive or support loved ones, but also the joy of seeing migrant workers and their children build successful lives for themselves in Oregon. She recounts tension between different groups, but also how individuals from different backgrounds came together to provide aid and form bonds with newer arrivals. There is a transcript of this interview.
• 
  Oliver VanDomelen oral history recording on the history of the Mountaindale area

  An audio recording of an oral history of Oliver Vandomelen about his experiences with farming and logging in Oregon, recorded on May 15, 1978. Vandomelen was born in Banks, Oregon, in 1906. He was a member of the Dutch-Catholic clan who settled in the town of Verboort and has spread to the northern part of Washington County. Growing up in the unincorporated area of Oregon called Mountaindale, Vandomelen helped on his father’s farm doing every bit of chore imaginable. The Mountaindale store had been in the area before he was born, so it was really old. When his father lost the farm during the Great Depression, Vandomelen found work on other farms and was able to survive until he got into logging with his brother-in-law. He talks about the best ways to log with horses, the ideal conditions under which to log in the woods, and his first experiences to getting the hang of logging. Vandomelen lived in or near Cornelius for seven years. He then bought land in Mountaindale and started his own farm. He mostly grew strawberries, but also had grains, some oats, barley, and wheat among others. Vandomelen talks about the benefits of using horses rather than machines when plowing land. He also mentions the different kinds of crops that farmers used to grow in the area, including growing corn to send to the Bird’s Eye cannery in Hillsboro. When describing logging, he mentions the different woods and sawmills that were around, including Sherman’s Mill. Much of the areas in Washington County where people were farming, logging, and living were made up of unincorporated communities such as Mountaindale, Bacona, Shady Brook, Green Mountain, and Dixie Mountain, among others. Snooseville was another where it was so named because of the snoose (snus) that was used by the area’s inhabitants. Vandomelen briefly mentions that Native Americans must have been in the area at one time, because his father and others would find many arrowheads while farming. Vandomelen talks about the local dance halls with its dancing and fights and his own experience with them. He talks about how his children grew up in the area also and how he was seeing new people move into the area. At the end of the interview, Vandomelen says that he will continue farming strawberries with horses as long as he can. Voices in the recording are clearly audible throughout, but there are some background noises of dogs barking and a baby crying. Vandomelen’s wife also chimes in periodically. The recording ends in the middle of a question in the interview. There is a full transcription of the interview along with a two-page introduction and an index.
• 
  Julia Ramirez oral history recording

  An audio recording of an oral history of Julia Ramirez, including migrant life as a child, citizenship, choosing to live in rural Cornelius, and her taco truck business. File includes finding aid. There is a transcript of this interview.
• 
  Mrs. Echo Shaw oral history recording on the story of Colonel Cornelius and the early history of Cornelius

  An audio recording of an oral history of Mrs. Echo Shaw on the story of Colonel Cornelius and the early history of Cornelius.
• 
  Paul and Gus Moelly oral history recording

  An audio recording of an oral history of Gus Moelly about C.C. Ruth and Company, a feed store in Cornelius, Oregon. Moelly grew up in South Dakota working on a farm. When offered a position to work for the feed store in Oregon in about 1936, he took it. The feed store was run by Charlie Ruth, who took over the manager position in about 1934. Moelly describes how Ruth ran the feed plant, buying and selling grain, and eventually starting his own brand of animal feed, later named Champion Brand. Ruth started selling the Purina “checkerboard square” Feeds in about 1946. Before taking over the store, Ruth was an instructor at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Moelly talks about the decrease in small production farms and the increase in large production farms and small, suburban interest in livestock. It was an “exit” from the farm. There was also an explosion in ownership of horses in Washington County. As tractors replaced the need for horses on the farms, there was an increased interest in horses for riding purposes. Moelly talks about how the store was only a feed store and though people sometimes called on them, they were not veterinarians or county agents and did not sell produce like other feed stores might have done. Moelly talks about his retirement from the store that was happening in the coming weeks after the recorded interview and how his son, Jerry, was going to officially take over. A change that Jerry was planning on implementing followed the community’s demands to sell more horse tack in the store. Moelly and the interviewer finish by talking about Charlie Ruth again and describing his physical and personal characteristics as well as the C.C. Award that was introduced to the Washington County Fair. At the time of the recording, it was the oldest continuous, rotating award at the fair and they mention a few of the first people who won the award.
• 
  Jose Jaime oral history recording, Part 1

  An audio recording of an oral history of Jose Jaime. Jose Jaime was born in 1942 in Temascaltepec, Mexico in the state of Morales. Jose was the youngest of 10. His family of farmed, but had considerable difficulty supporting themselves and were affected by the Campesino Movement under the leadership of Emeliano Zapata. He attended Seminary in Cuernavaca, and came to Mount Angel in 1963 to graduate college. He worked between Mexico and the US through the Catholic Church and community organizing. Jose worked for the Valley Migrant League in 1965, and returned to continue his studies in theology. In this interview, Jose describes working for the Valley Migrant League and the beginnings of Centro Cultural in Cornelius. He discusses some issues of migrant labor and camp conditions, and the various administration changes that occurred while Centro Cultural was establishing itself in the community. Near the end of the interview Jose discusses leaving the ministry, returning to Washington County to marry, work as a probation officer and later at OHSU.
• 
  Margaret Garza, Alfredo Garza, Hector Hinojosa, Greg Van Pelt, Dr. Greg Mecklem, and State Rep. Mitch Greenlick oral history interview about the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center's history.

  A video recording of Margaret Garza, Alfredo Garza, Hector Hinojosa, Greg Van Pelt, Dr. Greg Mecklem, and State Rep. Mitch Greenlick giving short interviews about the history of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. The video begins with Margaret Garza talking about her early memories of the clinic, and when her family came to Oregon as migrant workers. She states that the clinic was really a 'child' of Centro Cultural. Her parents and family were immensely involved with the clinic, from being part of the janitorial staff, working as nurses, and to running specimen to labs. She mentions the impact that the clinic has had on the migrant and poor community of Washington County, and talks about where she sees the future of the clinic going. At minute 4:15, Alfredo Garza begins by stating that the clinic began due to a need in the community. He mentions the story of the young child, Virginia Garcia, who died due to lack of communication and not receiving the right medical treatment. He mentions that in Washington County, agriculture is a strong base, and would like to see Virginia Garcia turn into a major hospital someday. Hector Hinojosa begins at minute 9:10, and talks about how he and his family came to Washington County as seasonal migrant workers in the 1960s. He was the summer school principal at the school where Virginia Garcia attended and was actually one of the administrators that suggested she be sent home due to her high fever. He mentions that the community support was split in terms of the movement to open the clinic, but that once Virginia Garcia died, it sparked and sped up the movement to open this community clinic. Greg Van Pelt starts at 13:20 describing his early memories of the health center. He remembers that Virginia Garcia died at St. Vincent's hospital and recalls a man named 'Tom' who really influenced him into understanding the the child's death was unacceptable. He describes the community reaction to starting the clinic as 'fantastic' and argues that the health centers has set an example of innovation and new models of care. At minute 17:55 Dr. Greg Mecklem starts and remembers first hearing of the clinic by reading an article about a community group that was trying to start a community clinic due to a child's death from a preventable disease. Being touched by this story and his desire to work in a rural community he became hired by St. Vincents hospital who funded his first year working at the Virginia Garcia clinic. He mentions some of the grants that the clinic obtained in order to keep the health center running and at minute 23:35 mentions two directors who really pushed the growth of the clinic. Lastly, State Rep. Mitch Greenlick starts at minute 25:35 and explains how in the early days of the health center, he was the supervisor of a group of Americorps Vistas. He explains a time he and two Vistas were arrested for 'trespassing' a migrant camp for simply speaking to the owner and arguing that they should be allowed to take a child to the doctor. He mentions how they went to Federal Court and ensured their right for the Vistas to go to the migrant camps to offer care to the migrants. He feels that the blood and heart of the community is in this clinic.
• 
  Gladys Hutchison Cornelius oral history transcript

  A transcript of an interview of Gladys Hutchison Cornelius.
• 
  Joe Rodriguez oral history transcript

  A transcript of an oral history of Joe Rodriguez, Hillsboro School District Superintendent, on Hispanics in the Hillsboro schools. Mr. Rodriguez has been a junior high principal, a high school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent in the Hillsboro School District. Hillsboro School District works with students from the migrant summer school program. the school district also runs an extensive ESL program. Within the Hillsbioro School District's program, the majority of the students are Hispanic, nevertheless, there are also Russian, Korean, and Vietnamese students. The Office of Hispanic Outreach works with Hispanic families to help them feel more involved in the community. Mr. Rodriguez works to actively recruit role models who are bicultural and bilingual as teachers, counselors, and administrators. It is his hope to expand dual language immersion programs at W.L. Henry School to other schools. The movement at Groner elementary school hosts a program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, teaching American Sign Language. Rodriguez explains that some of the long term goals for Hillsboro School District include more Hispanic students involvement in sports and activities and hiring more role models. But most of all, to make all students feel welcome and safe at school. Within the community, poverty is still an issue, Mr. Rodriguez elaborates, stating that 38% of students on free/reduced lunch, 28% in Beaverton, and 54% in Forest Grove. Portland State University has a bilingual program that enables instructional assistants to become teachers. The Migrant Education Program has proven to be very successful; Henry Williams helped start the program and run it for Washington County. they currently have good partnerships with Hillsboro Police Department, Central Culture in Cornelius, and other agencies to meet broader needs of students and families.