Digital Exhibits

Cal Clayton oral history recording

An audio recording of an oral history of Cal Clayton at his home in Forest Grove, Oregon. Clayton brings the interviewer into his den to show him various things of his life including a gun collection, photographs of his wife and her family, and animals that he has hunted. Clayton had come to Oregon right after high school with the intentions of going to college, but instead he joined the service and entered the war. Clayton talks about his experiences in the military and his traveling around Europe. After returning to Oregon, he started working for Haney Trucking as a trucker. During his time driving, Clayton became the first person to ever pull a set of triples in a truck. When he got in an accident on a trucking route, he was put in a hospital for three months with a broken back. Haney, the owner of the company, promised him a continuing job and had him go back to school for a couple years. Clayton then worked as an attorney for two years then at Haney in sales, was promoted to sales manager, and slowly worked his way to the top as vice-president of the company. During his time in Forest Grove, he has also served as a city councilman and governor. Clayton had met his wife in Portland and tells the story of how he met her. Clayton’s daughter joins the interview about halfway through to fill in some of the stories. Clayton also had three sons, but has since lost all of them in the military. The daughter shows pictures to the interviewer of her trip to Mexico with her sister and some of the grandchildren. She talks about her time working and her experience with those of different cultures, specifically with a Japanese worker. Near the end of the interview, all three people go outside to the yard and discuss rose bushes and how Clayton continues working on the land to “keep him young.” The interviewer asks about a guy named Ray Hodges since he lives in his old house, and Clayton talks about what kind of person he was. The interviewer finishes the interview with mentioning the “table” that people gathered around to talk about Forest Grove and how things have changed. Clayton also mentioned a truck that he had given to Washington County Museum, but since they could not keep it, it was moved to Vernonia and was there at the time of the recording. There are a couple short pauses in the interview at 11:27 and 16:15.

Clayton, Cal

Washington County (Or.) -- History

Clayton, Cal

Washington County (Or.)

Forest Grove (Or.)

1 sound file (49 min.)

English

FHFG_OH_32

In Copyright

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

Friends of Historic Forest Grove

Buhler, Skip

CDs

Sound