Washington County Oral Histories

Charles Renard oral history recording

An audio recording of an oral history of Charles Renard of Milwaukie, a trolley operator in Portland, Oregon for several years, starting in 1912. Renard explained the many routes he would take and how technology changed during his time as an operator. He describes a fight he got in with a senior conductor after only being on the job a few months. There were three trolley barns in Portland at that time and Mr. Renard worked on all three after being fired or quitting and returning to work. He gives brief demographic descriptions based on the different areas the trolley services, such as Alberta, Mt. Tabor, etc. At the time horse-drawn vehicles were still in operation and Renard recounts one carrying a milk truck not moving out of the trolley’s way on the Burnside Bridge resulting in a collision. He reflects that he shouldn’t have hit the brakes so hard and locked the wheels. He compares the Portland trolley system to the Oakland system and claims the Portland system was superior.

Renard, Charles

Ellis Lucia papers

Trolley cars -- Oregon -- Portland Metropolitan Area

Portland (Or.)

1 sound cassette (32 min.)

English

PUA_OH_50

In Copyright

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

Pacific University Archives

Lucia, Ellis

Audiocassettes

Sound