Part 1 of an audio recording of an oral history of Isabelle and Raphael Mendoza. Recording sounds a bit distorted. Rafael was born in Michoacan, Mexico in 1958 and shares memories of poverty during his childhood. He describes his father coming and going between US and Mexico to do farm/field work. Rafael's first arrival to the U.S was to Stockton, CA where he then migrated to North Plains, OR to work at Jerry Stenker's camp. He shares his devastation in not finishing school to focus on work. Rafael met his wife, Isabel, in 1977. He shares how he and Isabel started their own business. Isabel was born in Wyoming in 1957. Her parents separated and they moved to Mora, New Mexico in 1962 with her mother's family. She shares fond memories of helping out with her family business as a child, as well as helping clean homes for people. She moved to Oregon in 1975. At minutes 29:49 she talks about the SETA program that helped her family find a job, which cemented their stay in Oregon. She describes her experience working at a mink farm as well as her experiences working at Washington County Community Action. Isabel shares how she and Rafael met, cultural differences between the two, and they both go into further detail starting their business in 1982 - which included constant travel to and from California. There is a transcript of Part 1.
An audio recording of an oral history of Lorenzo Rubio, including his chilhood in Mexico, moving to North Plains, and life on the Tankersley farms. There is a transcript of this interview.
An audio recording of an oral history of Lorenzo Rubio, including his chilhood in Mexico, moving to North Plains, and life on the Tankersley farms. There is a transcript of this interview.
Group portrait of the school-aged members of the Eschmann family, with their teacher. Another copy of this photograph identifies the school as Mason Hill School, which was located northeast of the modern town of North Plains, Oregon.
Group portrait of a class of schoolchildren, taken in 1915. According to a local school historian, these are most likely the children who attended North Plains School, which at this date, did not yet have a regular school building. Classes were conducted in various buildings until about 1915; this photograph thus likely dates to just before it opened, during the 1914-15 school year. The building in the background appears to be the Glencoe Methodist Church, where classes were sometimes held. The teacher is Miss Betroche. The names of some of the students are noted on the back of the photograph.
A group of children standing in a row outside of Mason Hill School. Mason Hill is located northeast of the modern town of North Plains, Oregon. A note on the back of this photograph dates it to "About 1901"; however, another copy of this photograph that belonged to the Eschmann Family (several of whose members appear in this portrait) identified it as being from the 1890s.
Black and white image of a students in the yard near their schoolhouse. Shadybrook School was north of North Plains; the building still exists today but has been remodeled into a private residence. Thirty-six students would have attended this school at one time or another in the mid-1930s.
Black and white image of a three-story, double-gabled building, with a porch and an awning. A power pole sits to the left of the building, and there are two entrances, but no other indications as to what might be the purpose of the structure.
Black and white image of half a dozen people, four men and two women, standing beside a roadster-style automobile parked next to a curb on a dirt street. Two square-fronted buildings stand directly behind them; the second-story of the first building has a recessed marker indicating it is the Knights of Pythias building set in the center above a window. Both buildings appear to be stores on their first floors, with display windows and recessed entries filling the front. There appears to be a gas pump sitting on the sidewalk down the street. The men wear loose pants and shirts; the two women have dresses with skirts that e just below the knee and short curly hair. A third building down the street both appears to be older, two story with a false-square front, but also appears to be abandoned, with brush grown up along the front and an uneven porch roof.
Black and white image of a blank check draw on North Plains Commercial Bank. A shield in the top left corner proclaims 'Safety First' and 'Service', and the date is 192_. The check number appears to be 12.
Black and white image of a white, two-story gabled building with double front doors and curtains in the double-hung, single-paned windows. There is a covered front porch, and a rail fence runs in front of the building, which appears to be somewhat overgrown. A sign at the very top of the front facade reads 'Washington Grange No. [illegible]'.
Black and white image of gravestones knocked down and laying about on the ground in a cemetery. Several bases are visible, one with its tablet leaning on it, one missing its tablet entirely, and another with a broken off tablet.
Black and white photograph of a man and woman examining vandalized graves in an overgrown cemetery. One headstone has been knocked over in this image. Note the woman's sweater and collar with the brooch.
