Digital Exhibits

Florence Gross oral history recording

An audio recording of an oral history of Florence Gross on the early nineteenth century in Washington County, Oregon. Mostly talking specifically on the town of Orenco, Gross describes the roles of the nurseries and the church in the community. Through the interview, she talks about particular aspects of the town including a local bachelor who went to the First Baptist Church in Hillsboro, Pittock Mansion and the changing ownership of another large mansion in Orenco, the Barby-Howe House on Sauvies Island, the physical layout of the buildings in Orenco in the 1930s, and the Orenco Herald newspaper. Gross had grown up in Missouri and came to Oregon in 1928. She mentions the social activities that were available including spelling bees, dances, ice skating, a male chorus, the golf course, and the school putting on “county” fairs. She talks about the nurseries in the area and how they got started, mentioning the Western Plant Nursery, Mr. Oliver, and Mr. Solvo. Gross then describes why many of the nurseries did not last because they would not diversify their products, unlike the Thomason nursery on Sauvies Island that did diversify and was successful. She mentions the Orenco apples and then finishes with describing Orenco as a place that people liked to live. There are two mostly full transcripts of the interview, the second one having written, edited comments. Both transcripts leave out some of the inaudible sentences and transition statements, and there is no break in the type between interviewer and interviewee. There is a lot of background noise and other voices in the recording.

Gross, Florence

Washington County (Or.) -- History

Gross, Florence

Washington County (Or.)

Hillsboro (Or.)

1 sound cassette (1 hr., 5 min.)

English

WCM_OH_253

In Copyright

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Five Oaks Museum

Vasks, Karla

Stevens, Becky

Audiocassettes

Sound