An audio recording of an oral history of Floyd Parsons, his wife Becky Parsons, and their daughter Becky Parsons. Floyd was born in Kentucky, and Sally and Floyd met in Ohio as young teenagers on the farm about 73 years before the time of the recording. Floyd got involved with music at six years old when he taught himself to play the guitar. He could never read sheet music, but played by ear. Becky can read music, but Sally doesn’t play music at all. They moved to Hillsboro, Oregon in 1962, and then one town over in Forest Grove in 1963. In 1964, they bought a music store in Hillsboro after Floyd had been a manager there for a year. They sold all kinds of instruments, sheet music, and music supplies, as well as records and record players. It was just a family business and they never had any outside employees. Their store was the central place for the locals to get their records for a time. They stopped selling records after an eighty-eight cent store moved into town and started selling popular records. Floyd had a band for a while and they played in prisons and at small venues. At the store, Floyd also gave music lessons to students. They talked about the local businesses in Hillsboro and Forest Grove, particularly old record shops including “What’s Up Music?” and “Forest Groove”. The local businesses worked together well and even held social nights for the community, including a pajama night. They looked at pictures of the family and Floyd even plays the guitar a bit at about 37 minutes into the recording.
An audio recording of an oral history of Hector Hinojosa. He was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and migrated to Harlingen, Texas with his family when he was two years old. After Harlingen experienced an economic downturn, the family began migrating seasonally across the country for agricultural work and eventually settled in Washington County. In spite of his abilities, Hector found himself struggling in high school due to a strict policy that penalized him for absences he took to help his family. Hector dropped out during his sophomore year and worked full-time managing a co-op gas station to help support his parents. After a year he was able to return to school through Job Corps in Portland and obtain his GED. Upon graduation Job Corps offered Hector part-time work as a counselor and gave him a scholarship to attend Portland State University to study guidance and counseling. Once he completed the program, Hector worked as a counselor at Forest Grove high school, and after several years began work with a program at University of Oregon to help struggling high school students obtain GEDs. Hector then spent a year working as a recruiter for Colegio César Chávez, and then moved to California to work for Castle & Cooke and negotiate labor contracts between the company and union leaders such as César Chávez. Hector eventually returned to Washington County. He resides in Hillsboro and continues to do independent consulting work for businesses. During his years in Washington County Hector has also been involved with a number of social service organizations.
Hector speaks about why his family moved to Washington County, the living and working conditions that his family experienced in Oregon, and the racism that he experienced in Texas and Oregon. He describes his own struggles in an education system that was not sensitive to his familial obligations, and how those experiences informed his work as a counselor, negotiator, and consultant. Hector elaborates on the importance of culture and language to one’s sense of identity, and on both personal and community struggles to offer improved opportunities for Mexican-ancestry and Latino people in and around Hillsboro. There is a transcript of this interview.
An audio recording of an oral history of Laura Gamboa. Gamboa was born in Cuautla in the Mexican state of Morelos south of Mexico City and lived there until she was twenty-one years old. In Cuautla her family had a refreshment stand. Over time the area became increasingly populated, and more and more people opened similar business of their own. Laura noted that sales began to decrease and that the family had less control over which products they offered for sale. Laura moved to Washington County with her two daughters to join her husband and her mother who had relocated there a short time earlier after spending about six months working in Madera, California.
Laura found work ironing shirts at a dry cleaner, and took English classes at Saint Matthew Catholic Church and at Portland Community College in Hillsboro. She eventually secured a job with Oregon Childhood Development Coalition where she served as a teacher.
An audio recording of an oral history of Eduardo Corona. Corona was born near Mexico City. He graduated from Mexico City’s Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana with a major in Business Administration. He moved to California in 1999 to work for a U.S.-based company with multinational operations, and then moved to Beaverton, Oregon to work for a telecommunications company that was opening a branch in Mexico. After a work-necessitated return to Mexico and several changes of employment, Eduardo and his family moved back to Oregon. He began working as the director of the small business development program for Adelante Mujeres; the program provides Spanish-language instruction and support for men and women in Washington County who are looking to start their own businesses. Eduardo recalls the work opportunities that brought him and his family to Oregon, and compares his life in Oregon to his experiences in both California and Mexico. He mentions instances of discrimination in Washington County, but believes that overall he and his family are comfortable in Hillsboro. He shares his perceptions of the community of Hillsboro, and talks about the opportunities that his work with Adelante Mujeres is helping to create for Spanish-speaking individuals residing in the county. Eduardo is proud of his Mexican identity and culture, and appreciates the ways that his children retain Mexican values while incorporating U.S. culture into their lives. There is a transcript of this interview.
Part 1 of an audio recording of an oral history of Dr. Toshio Inahara, speaking about his experience as a Japanese American in Washington County during World War II. This is a brief introductory interview that was conducted in order to prepare for the longer interview in Part 2. Topics in this section include: moving to a strawberry farm Hillside, Oregon, near Gales Creek and Forest Grove in the 1930s; driving at age 10; going to school in Hillside, Forest Grove High School and Hillsboro High School; moving to other farms near Hillsboro and Helvetia; obtaining a special permit in 1942 to allow the family to continue farming and not go to an internment camp; picking hops and doing other labor to make ends meet; hearing about Pearl Harbor; and white neighbors who leased one of their properties during the war. There is a transcript of this interview.
Part 2 of an audio recording of an oral history of Dr. Toshio Inahara, speaking about his experience as a Japanese American in Washington County, Oregon. Topics in this section include: birth in 1921 in Tacoma, WA; moving to Hillside near Forest Grove, OR in 1931; his father learning to farm and raising strawberries; education in a one-room schoolhouse; playing baseball; going to the Japanese School in Banks on Sundays; driving a truck beginning at age 10; moving to other farm properties near Hillsboro and Helvetia; building a house near Hillsboro in 1941; hearing about Pearl Harbor and facing discrimination and restrictions; getting a special permit for his family to spend the war farming in Eastern Oregon, avoiding detention at Minidoka internment camp; moving to Vale, Oregon; renting a former chicken hatchery as a house; losing most of their land in Washington County; leasing their house to a white family during the war; going to college to become a doctor; the postwar Japanese community; and other topics. There is a transcript of this interview.
An audio recording of an oral history of Detective Troy Dolyniuk on trends in crime and law enforcement in Hillsboro, Oregon from 1980-2005. There is a transcript of this interview. Detective Dolyniuk has worked with both Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Beaverton's. He joined Hillsboro's law enforcement team in 1993. Recently there has been an increase in Internet based crimes and methamphetamine problems. Computer fraud is being investigated by local police. However the issue of hacking into computer systems is handled at the federal level. Within the community, WinCo food store has had a large problem with fraudulent checks. Also as a result of the technological evolution, the rise in E-mail and IRC used in high tech child abuse has become a rising issue. Gangs are now utilizing the internet to commit fraud as well as purchase and sell drugs online. Cases can be difficult to investigate and prosecute as they sometimes cross state lines or happen outside of the U.S. Criminals have also been using computers to print counterfeit money; these bills often pass in garage sales and farmer’s markets where no one checks authenticity of bills. During 1998-2000 Dolyniuk worked the gang unit, MS 13 or Mara Salvatucha Trece is a paramilitary gang from El Salvador, based in Southern California but spreading throughout the United States. Brown Pride Locos is an up and coming small gang. Dolyniuk explains a horrible incident years back when the Brown Pride Locos shot a 12 year old girl on Main St. in Hillsboro. He goes on to discuss the recent spike in gang activity among younger kids – middle school and high school. He also touches on the 90’s methamphetamine made from pseudoephedrine and other household chemicals, and how it slowly became more widespread. Restrictive laws on pseudoephedrine in place around 2000.
An audio recording of an oral history of Betsy Biller, Assistant Superintendent of Hillsboro School District, on trends in crime and law enforcement in Hillsboro, Oregon from 1980-2005. There is a transcript of this interview. Ms. Biller has worked in Hillsboro for 29 years, part of her job involves interfacing with agencies that deal with criminal rehabilitation, juvenile crimes, and juvenile crime prevention. She also supplies a staff member to Parkins House, a residential center for students/youths waiting to go through the court system. One of her bigger concerns recently has been the rise in methamphetamines, identity theft and the violence that somes with them. Law enforcement provides resource officers to the schools, Pat Hess at Century H.S. Puts students and police together in positive situation. The cost of incarceration is very expensive; budget cuts cause problems. Biller discusses Measure 11 and it has made the system more punitive and less rehabilitative. The “Understanding Racism Foundation” has given training sessions to staff and students at Century High School. Since 1995 the government has doing more economically to help all citizens in the community. Biller also expresses her feelings regarding the way in which media can often be manipulative when dealing with juvenile crime. Ms. Biller believes that parents need to get more involved with their children; talking to and supervising them., this can help to combat future problems. Recent student surveys show slight increase in drug use but bigger increase of use in younger students. The D.A.R.E program has proven helpful.
An audio recording of an oral history of Janae Davis on trends in crime and law enforcement in Hillsboro, Oregon from 1980-2005. Audio quality not good. There is a transcript of this interview.
An audio recording of an oral history of Donald and Bonnie Eidem. The Eidems discuss the evolution of Hillsboro over time from a small agricultural town to the current growth in population. They also recall their son Michael's enrollment in the military after graduating high school in 1969. Their son trained at Fort Lewis and went to Vietnam and Laos. Beyond individuals from the community enlisting, the Eidem's state that the town was not impacted a great deal by the war.
An audio recording of an oral history of Linda Garcia on the Vietnam War. During the recording of the interview, Ms. Garcia recollected her time as a high school student in Hillsboro at the start of the Vietnam War. Many people she knew were drafted in the war and it was well-known that one could avoid the draft through attending college or starting a family. Out of those she knew were attempting to avoid the draft she explains that she had not met any that fled to Canada. Also during this time in the community the draft resulted in countless women working jobs men normally had.
An audio recording of an oral history of Jack Kirkwood on the Vietnam War. Jack Kirkwood was a teacher at Poynter Junior High and at Hillsboro Middle High during the war. His began his teaching career in Ganado, Arizona, at a boarding school on the Navajo Indian Reservation. At the end of the Korean war, Mr. Kirkwood enlisted and participated in basic training at Camp San Luis Obispo in California. Afterwards, he was assigned to signal corps message center in the United Nations Far East Headquarters. This position consisted of monitoring propaganda broadcasts from China after the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1948-49. The interviewee was a noteworthy activist against the war, he wrote various anti-war pieces. One was a letter to the Oregonian and as a result he was called by the Portland Council of Churches to join the Clergy and Laity Concerned about Vietnam. Kirkwood also wrote a pamphlet in 1967 entitled
An audio recording of an oral history of Jan Katsberg on the Vietnam War. Jan Katsberg graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1966 and went on to college. Katsberg's twin brother enlisted in the National Guard and her husband was in the Navy, assigned to an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam. Katsberg does not recall any protests in Hillsboro, but some in Portland, at Portland State University, and in California. With regard to societal trends at the time, she states that Veterans were respected in the Hillsboro area and generally speaking, people supported the war. Additionally, she remembers the increase in hippie culture, specifically in Eugene, as well as the rising popularity in drug consumption.
An audio recording of an oral history of Ken Skipper on Hillsboro during the Vietnam War. Ken Skipper came to Hillsboro in 1968 as a first year teacher at Poynter Jr. High. In 1969, Mr. Skipper was drafted and did basic training at Fort Lewis. Later he was transferred to Denver, Colorado to finish his master’s degree and became an occupational therapist for the army at a psychiatric hospital in Denver. Later he went on to work in counseling people with mental disorders and drug issues. Skipper describes how he returned to Hillsboro in the early 1970s as a counselor at Poynter Junior High, then transferred to Hillsboro High School where he taught for a long time.
An audio recording of an oral history of Robert and Marilyn Senko on the Vietnam War. Robert Senko grew up in Hillsboro and his father ran the Birds Eye food processing plant. He attended Jesuit High School and the University of Portland. Marilyn grew up in Antelope, OR, and met Robert while attending the University of Portland. While attending University of Portland, Mr. Senko took Air Force ROTC and received his Air Force pilot license.
An audio recording of an oral history of Jim Roehm on the effects of the Vietnam War in Hillsboro. Roehm was a college student just before the war and later joined ROTC. The U.S. was involved in a guerilla war in Laos/Vietnam during his sentior year of college. In the military, he was stationed in Texas for 9 months then sent to Panama for training in jungle warfare. For two years, he was a platoon leader and executive officer of the company in Vietnam. Overall, Mr. Roehm remembers Hillsboro being a fairly conservative town, there being only one individual he would describe as an
An audio recording of an oral history of Dr. Stan Miller. Not dated, but based on other cassettes stored with it, year is likely 2001. The interview begins with Dr. Miller quoting an article from the Argus newspaper on discussion of the Vietnam Conflict at Hillsboro High School. In 1965 Dr. Miller was the Assistant Principal at the school, and in 1971 he became Principal. Dr. Miller recalls a topic of conversation among students at Hillsboro high school was a student attending Lewis & Clark high school that refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance. There was a period of change for students as society was evolving: the women
An audio recording of an oral history of Peggy Ploem on the impact of the Vietnam War on Hillsboro. At the time of the Vietnam War, both Ms. Ploem and her family were Dutch nationals and not American citizens. Their son was classified Y-4 at the time, before the classification process was outlawed. Then, ROTC was recruiting high school seniors for officer training. The family recalls their first reaction when U.S. got involved in the Vietnam war was remembering General MacArthur
An audio recording of an oral history of Donna Lynn on the Vietnam War and its impact on school life. The Vietnam War began while Ms. Lynn was attending high school. She remembers teachers being highly careful when discussing the war in class, not expressing strong feelings either way. Fashion trends reflected throughout this time include flower power and short skirts. Two individuals known by Lynn, Robert G. Donnet, and Captain Michael Lewis, were declared MIA, or Missing In Action and she wore their bracelets. Some men went to Canada to avoid the draft and then could not reenter US without being court-martialed. There existed a negative sentiment towars returning Veterans at the time. She does not recollect protests occuring in Hillsboro, but some in Portland. There is a transcript of this interview.
An audio recording of an oral history of Jeff Wagemann on the Vietnam War. Hillsboro during the Vietnam era, as Wagenmann recalls, was a typical small town with farming and small businesses. Intel had a place in Aloha but had not yet expanded into Hillsboro. Most people were concerned about the war, but supported the government. He remembers feeling as if people were tired of hearing about the war, wanting it over so
An audio recording of an oral history of Blaine Whipple on the Vietnam War. The interview begins with Daniel, the interviewer, showing Blaine Whipple a clipping of an editorial he had written to the Hillsboro Argus opposing the war in Vietnam. Mr. Whipple felt there was no reason for the U.S. to be fighting in Vietnam, so he wrote letters to the editor to that effect, made speeches and talked to the newspapers. Mr. Whipple was elected the Democratic National Committeeman of Oregon and helped to organize anti-war protests. There were also pro-war meetings in Hillsboro. Whipple was at the White House with both John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Whipple talks about serving in the Navy for 4 years during the Korean War and about his family, which had a history of being involved in politics, including a relative from New Hampshire who was a leader in the Continental Congress. There is a transcript of this interview.
