Washington County Oral Histories

Elva Rossi oral history recording Part 2

Part two of an audio recording of an oral history of Elva Rossi and her life in Beaverton, Oregon, recorded on October 26, 1982. Rossi continues with talking about growing crops on her dad’s farm and how he got them to Portland. She describes traveling by horse for about 2.5 hours to Portland to shop and the stores they stopped at. In 1900, her father left their farm and opened up a saloon that was very law abiding and kept until the Prohibition. Rossi attended Beaverton Grade School, Lincoln High School in Portland, and then Normal School to become a teacher. After teaching all of the grades in a one-room schoolhouse, Rossi left teaching to be a bookkeeper at Standard Oil company and then the Bank of California as a file clerk and in the analysis department. Rossi got married in 1935 but was divorced after only seven years. After her divorce, she was able to get a full time job again until she moved back to Portland to be with her sick mother. While living at home, she worked at Portland Trust in the analysis department. Rossi mentions the Columbus Day Storm, the Klu Klux Klan, and special holidays. From talking about family life with her grandparents to her friends in her youth and going to dances, Rossi describes life in Beaverton. A couple teachers Rossi talks about area Carl Fisher and Merle Davies who were both well liked in Oregon. The interview ends in the middle of a conversation. The voices are clearly audible throughout the recording. There is a full transcript attached with penciled-in corrections.

Rossi, Elva

Beaverton Oral History Project

Washington County (Or.) -- History

Rossi, Elva

Washington County (Or.)

Beaverton (Or.)

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

English

WCM_OH_252b

In Copyright

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

Five Oaks Museum

Tanzer, Shirley

Audiocassettes

Sound