Oral Histories: Highlights

Items

• 
  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.
• 
  Mary Patton Kurtz oral history recording on the Indians of Patton Valley

  An audio recording of an oral history of Mary Patton Kurtz on the Native Americans of Patton Valley, which is near Gaston and Cherry Valley, Oregon. Her family, the Pattons, were among the earliest white settlers in the area. The land nearby was, up through the mid-1800s, the center of population of the Tualatin (Atfalati) tribe. Mary recalls family stories about Native Americans as well as her experiences finding Native American artifacts. 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.
• 
  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.
• 
  Arthur J. Prideaux oral history recording

  An audio recording of an oral history of Arthur J. Prideaux, Pacific University alumnus, about the old Slabtown area of Portland and his recollections of life in the area. During the interview Arthur was ninety-two years old trying to reminisce on memories from his younger years of playing in Slabtown with friends, teaching and various other memories that come to him during the interview. Slabtown was not a distinguished community but had a reputation of gang violence, yet, Arthur did not recall any gangs or fights while growing up in the community; playing baseball with all the boys from the area. Arthur discusses his fond memories of the Lewis and Clark fair where he met his wife, both attended and graduated from Pacific University. After graduating from Pacific Arthur started his career of working in the school system with various jobs ranging from teacher to principal for the next thirty-four years after graduating from Pacific University. Growing up Arthur would play with his close friends from the Scott family, brothers of Harvey Scott who was Pacific’s first graduate. With the many years of living and working in Portland Arthur accumulated many documents and papers that he donated to a historical society to put on display and use as references. The growth of Portland is not a bad or good thing in his eyes, but the loss of many historical landmarks is upsetting to him. At 32:37 the recording cuts out and then continues with a loud squeaking noise for the next thirty seconds.
• 
  Hugh McGilvra Talk on Washington County Newspapers and Forest Grove History for the Tualatin Valley Historical Society

  An audio recording of Hugh McGilvra, journalist and newspaper publisher in Forest Grove, giving a talk to the Tualatin Plains Historical Society on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of work. He talks about the newspaper history of Washington County for the first 25 minutes; the final 27 minutes are about his experiences working on the newspaper in Forest Grove and the community there. Topics include the chain of ownership of the various newspapers in the county; the newspaper business in Forest Grove; other businesses in Forest Grove; news items of interest in the 1920s such as banking, water supply and the creation of the Forest Grove united school district; doctors and ambulance services; and other topics. This oral history is accompanied by a transcript.
• 
  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.
• 
  Rich Iwasaki oral history recording

  A video recording of an oral history of Rich Iwasaki. Iwasaki talks about growing up on his parents farm in Hillsboro. He recounts the manual labor that he had to perform on the farm. As well as his travel to Japan where he came to understand some of his families values.
• 
  Akira and Rich Iwasaki oral history recording Part 1

  Part 1 of a video recording of an oral history of Akira 'Ike' Iwasaki and his son, Rich Iwasaki.
• 
  Pat Reser oral history recording Part 1

  Part 1 of a video recording of an oral history of Pat Reser on life in Canada and Beaverton, and Reser's Fine Foods. There is a transcript of this interview.
• 
  Stories from Wess Hebron's Barbershop

  A video recording of Wess Hebron at his barbershop, sharing stories about the memorabilia displayed in the shop.
• 
  Arthur Iwasaki oral history recording.

  An audio recording of an oral history of Arthur Iwasaki, including his family's farming history in Washington County, starting out with a dairy farm and moving to strawberries and vegetables in the late 1920s; his experiences in World War Two and discrimination against Japanese people; buying his own farm after the war and building a nursery business.
• 
  Shirley Huffman oral history recording

  A video recording of an oral history of Shirley Huffman, including her experience as a Hillsboro city councilor from 1979-1984, first female mayor of Hillsboro from 1985-1993, working on getting blue MAX line to Hillsboro and facilitating tech companies to locate in Hillsboro. File includes photos. There is a transcript of this interview.