Hoover's Happy Hustling Helpers--County Agent, A.R. Chase and County Supt. C.T. Bonney with the Wasco County Canning Team, ca. 1917

Grass, grain, cows, and “Hoover’s Happy Hustling Helpers”… Curious? Well this week we’re heading to the tippy top of the state, right along the border with Washington, to explore the history of the counties in the Columbia Gorge with our new Flickr Commons set celebrating the centennial of OSU’s Extension Services. Extension is important up north, particularly since this region is known for both field crops *and* orchards that produce delish produce!

Dillard Gates, Extension Range Specialist, inspects Sherman Bib Blue Grass, Gilliam County, ca. 1965

Located in the heart of the Columbia Basin Wheatlands, Gilliam County might be known for a rural agriculture life style and is bordered on the north by the Columbia River and on the west by the John Day River, but it isn’t too terribly far from the urban centers of the I-5 corridor of the Willamette Valley. “Gilliam County is in the heart of the Columbia Basin wheat area. Its economy is based primarily on agriculture centering on wheat, barley, and beef cattle. Apples and other irrigated crops are becoming an increasingly important part of the economy of the north end of the county. After agriculture and livestock, other principal industries of Gilliam County include tourism, hunting, and fishing” (History – Gilliam County). The County is was established in 1885 and is named for Cornelius Gilliam, who commanded the forces of the provisional government of Oregon after the Whitman Massacre. Fun fact? The county has two Nobel Prize Winners to boast about — both two-time winner Dr. Linus Pauling (Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 for research into the nature of the chemical bond, Nobel Peace Prize in 1962) and Dr. William Parry Murphy (the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for 1934 for work on pernicious anaemia and the treatment of it by means of a diet of uncooked liver). For more on these two, see Nobelprize.org.

Truck loaded with workers in Hood River County, circa 1943

Hood River County was established in 1908 and is named for the Hood River, a tributary of the Columbia River. According to Wikipedia,

“The first permanent settlers in present-day Hood River County filed a donation land claim in 1854. The first school was built in 1863 and a road from The Dalles was completed in 1867. By 1880 there were 17 families living in the valley. By the latter part of the nineteenth century farmers of Japanese, Finnish, German, and French ethnicity had settled in the valley” (Hood River County, Oregon).

Speaking of the history of Hood River, namely who had what land,

“At the turn of the twentieth century, the people of the Hood River region in the northwest portion of Wasco County expressed a desire for political separation from the parent county. The passage of a statewide initiative established Hood River as the thirty-fourth county of the state. It was made official by a governor’s proclamation on June 23, 1908. The Columbia River Highway was completed in 1922 from Portland to The Dalles, improving access between both those cities as well as to Hood River” (Hood River County, Oregon).

Where does Extension fit in? Agriculture, timber, lumber and recreation are the major sources of revenue and industry — trust me, go there for cherries, apples, and a pear! The Hood River Extension site reports that they have been serving the residents of Hood River County and the Mid-Columbia area for over 80 years. The also share a little history, of the agricultural sort:

“Nathanial Coe brought to the Hood River Valley the first fruit trees in 1854 when he arrived to establish Oregon’s first post offices and mail routes. In 1876, E.L. Smith planted the first commercial orchard, 30 acres of apples (Newtown Pippins and Spitzenburg) and peaches. In time, apples became the dominant crop. In 1919 the Hood River Valley had a disastrous freeze that killed many apple trees. With that, growers began planting pear trees to replace the apples. Today pears are the major commerical crop grown in the valley. In recent years more sweet cherry trees and vineyards have increased in acreage” (Hood River County Extension).

Knowing the history of Hood River is more than just knowing about its original settlers and agricultural production, to learn more about how Executive Order 9066 impacted the lives of Japanese Americans in the region, read the Oregon Encyclopedia article Japanese Americans in Oregon, Immigrants from the West.

Kent-Sherman Counties Dairy calf club; C.E. English, local leader

Sherman County, named for William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union general in the American Civil War. Borders shift, don’t they? Sherman County was created in 1889 from the northeast corner of Wasco County… However, “the county’s borders have been changed only once, in 1891, when the Legislative Assembly moved the county line 18 miles (29 km) farther south into Wasco County” Sherman County, Oregon. The Sherman County Extension Office gives us a great description of the county:

“Sherman County is frequently referred to as the ‘Land Between the Rivers.’ Located in north central Oregon, the Columbia river forms the northern border, while the east and west boundaries are marked by the steep, deep canyons of the John Day River on the east and the Deschutes River on the west. The rugged canyons of Buck Hollow, a tributary of the Deschutes, mark the southwest border.”

Sherman County is also known as “the Land of Wheat” — and, interestingly, it is also home to the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, the largest project of its kind in Oregon.

School bus loaded with children to help in harvesting crops, Wasco County, ca. 1943

Wasco County, once home to parts of both Sherman and Hood River Counties, is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. Lots goes on in Wasco County, with an economy

“based upon agriculture (orchards, wheat farming, livestock ranching), lumber, manufacturing, electric power, transportation, and tourism. Aluminum production was previously a major support of the local economy, but electrical price fluctuations and a slump in global aluminum prices has forced the closing of a number of local aluminum foundries” (Wasco County, Oregon).

Celilo Falls on the Columbia River served as a gathering place and major trading center for the local Native Americans, including the Wasco, Paiute, and Warm Springs tribes, for thousands of years — the falls were submerged by the construction of The Dalles Dam in 1957. You can see wonderful images and read about Celilo Fallsin the description of this Flickr set.

Want to see other pictures from counties in Oregon? Check out the OSU Extension Service Centennial collection in the Commons.

Tree felling contest, 1941

Head up to the north coast of Oregon to find tree felling, dress forms, and turnips? Nope, it isn’t all about the rocky coast or spraying sea, the extension offices in Lincoln, Tillamook, and Clatsop counties support their communities by providing education on agriculture, horticulture, forestry, youth development, family & community development, fisheries, and (of course) marine science.

H. R. Hartley and turnip field

Head to Lincoln County to find our colleagues on the coast in Newport, home to both OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center (and the HMSC branch of our Libraries) as well as the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Lincoln County was created by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 20, 1893 with Toledo was picked as the temporary county seat. In 1954, the county seat moved to Newport. “The northern part of Lincoln County includes the Siletz Reservation, created by treaty in 1855. The reservation was open to non-Indian settlement between 1895 and 1925. The Siletz’s tribal status was terminated by the federal government in 1954, but became the first Oregon tribe to have their tribal status reinstated in 1977. The current reservation totals 3,666 acres (15 km²)” (Lincoln County, Oregon).

"Uncle Samme's Canners" Tillamook County, State Champions, 1919

Timber, tourism, agriculture, and turnips! In the mood for cheese to go with your surf? Tillamook County is the place to be. Named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement, the twelfth county in Oregon was established on December 15, 1853.

Boys of Warrenton School harvesting cranberries, 1942

Near and dear to my heart, Clatsop County is at the tippy tip of the Oregon Coast. As theClatsop County Historical Society says “it is no coincidence that the place with the most spectacular scenery in the Pacific Northwest is also the place where the most important events in the history of the region have occurred.” Clatsop County, Oregon is where the largest river on the West Coast of the United States, the Columbia, meets the Pacific Ocean. “It was this river, in 1792, that Captain Robert Gray searched for and finally found on his voyages of exploration up and down the coast … this river to the west that Lewis and Clark also searched for and found on their journey across the continent in 1805.” But long before these men thought of their passage across the continent, the river was home to the Chinook, Clatsop, Kathlamet, and other people of this region.

So enjoy this set, without a single shot of the ocean!

Portland 4-H youth at the PGE test kitchen, circa 1975

According to Wikipedia, the “Portland metropolitan area” or “Greater Portland” is an urban area in Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Census Bureau’s currently all of the following counties: Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill Counties in Oregon and Clark and Skamania Counties in Washington. In the Flickr-verse that is of our own making, or at least according to the loosely logical map that we’ve organized the Extension Centennial set around, we’ve dropped Yamhill and the two counties in Washington to come up with our version of the Portland Metro area!

Barrels of pickles, circa 1945

Though it’s heavy on the rural, the Portland Metro area itself is a delightful mix of rural and urban … As are its counties…

Shirley Gamble and Haroldine DeBord, 1946

In the Community Report 2011 for Clackamas County, FARMS•FOOD•FAMILIES, the first person to work in Extension was a woman, Lorene Parker – the year was 1917.

“One month later, the first staff chair administrator was hired, Richard Werner. Eight months later in June, 1918, agent Brenton Vedder joined the staff. These three agents concentrated on home economics and agriculture. Interestingly, from 1917 to today, there have been only 12 staff chairs. John Inskeep held the title and managed programs throughout the county for 35 years from 1926 to 1961.”

Pledge to the flag by 4-H at the Columbia County Fair, ca. 1938

Columbia County, named for the Columbia River, was created in 1854 from the northern half of Washington County. According to the Oregon Historical County Records Guide,

“the primary industries of Columbia County are timber, fishing, water transportation, dairying, horticulture, and recreation. The extensive stands of old growth timber, which had attracted many of the early settlers to the area, were completely logged over by the 1950s. Second growth timber provides the raw material for local lumber and paper mills. The Trojan Nuclear Plant, located near Rainier, was in operation from 1975 to 1993.”

Multnomah County was created on December 22, 1854 “when the people living in Portland found it difficult to travel to Hillsboro to conduct business at the county seat of Washington County” (Oregon Historical County Records Guide).

Cauliflower harvest, 1944

Residents also thought they were “paying too much in taxes to support the farmers in the rural areas surrounding Portland,” so in 1854, Portland business owners “petitioned the Territorial Legislature for a new county and Multnomah County was created at the subsequent session.” The county was named after the Multnomah Indians, a part of the Chinookan tribe that lived on the eastern tip of what we now call “Sauvie Island” in the Columbia River. Ironically, while the “principle industries of Multnomah County are manufacturing, transportation, wholesale and retail trade, and tourism,” the Portland Metro Area Extension Services provide a plethora of information on local food and farms, rural/urban connections, sustainable living, urban forestry, urban gardening, and 4-H youth Programs.

Victory Farm Volunteers parade through Hillsboro, Oregon

Washington County, settled on a fertile plain that attracted farmers long before there was an Extension Office to offer community assistance, still boasts a strong economy based on agriculture. Vineyards, lumber, manufacturing, and food processing are all mainstays; however, in the 19080s and 1990s, electronics moved in as well. And, on a non-Extension note, you’ll also find the headquarters for Nike, Columbia Sportswear, and Reser’s Fine Foods in Washington County.

Marion County 4-H club members on KOAC radio broadcast, 1950

Polk, Marion, and Yamhill counties make up the mid-valley region of Oregon. Plenty of produce, picking, and harvesting happens in this region – and Extension Services has been an integral part of this work!

Miller's dept. store window display in Salem, 1944

The OSU Extension Service has been in Marion County since September, 1911, when the first Oregon Director of Extension was appointed. The first Extension Agent, Luther Chapin, was appointed in on September 7, 1912. Funding for this first agent came from commercial monies raised through the local Chamber of Commerce. Although no state funds were used, the county agent still had close connections with the college, using experiment station results as the basis of his demonstration program and calling upon college specialists for assistance. Learn more on the Marion County Extension history page.

A.W. Oliver demonstrating butchering techniques, 1938

Polk County Extension has been an integral part of Polk County life and development since 1918. It continues to be important today. Visit the page The History of Polk County Extensionfor some wonderful historic photos and facts about Extension in the county. It is a robust page with information about the history of 4-H, women working during WWII, notable visitors, and technological developments to aid in harvesting.

Weighing beans, 1946

Yamhill County has a diverse agricultural production including wheat, barley, horticulture, dairy farming, orchards, commercial timber, and wine. Read more about the history of Yamhill County on the State of Oregon page.

Elsie Hill on a tractor, 1944

We can thank county extension agents for marvelous reports detailing the activities in the 36 counties in Oregon, but also for the pictures they took. These images record the communities (rural and urban), the varied economies, and the life throughout the last one hundred years. So this summer, instead of travelling the globe via Flickr Commons contributions, we’re travelling the state via Extension Services! Since there are 36 counties and only 12 weeks, we’ve decided to release a new set from a region in the state each week. The first starts close to home with Linn & Benton counties.

One hundred years and one mission

The OSU Extension Service has a history that would make any program feel proud.

“At the close of the 19th century, most Oregonians were newcomers living on newly established farms. They approached their work much the same way their fathers and grandfathers had, clinging to methods that had worked well enough back in Minnesota or Germany. It was the mission of Oregon’s land-grant college to research practical solutions to real problems, and OAC faculty spent part of their time traveling by horseback or train to organize farmers’ institutes and deliver lectures to far-flung communities. Their topics aimed to improve rural life, from food safety and family nutrition to animal husbandry and pest management. Demonstrations might draw hundreds of people.

Oregonians have always loved learning, and the demand grew. OAC faculty wrote educational pamphlets and columns for the state’s three largest newspapers. They gave correspondence courses in accounting, rural law, and farm economics; they volunteered as judges at county and State Fairs; and they worked with public schools to teach boys’ and girls’ Industrial Clubs, the forerunners of Extension 4-H clubs in Oregon. Eventually, faculty were working off campus so much that OAC President W.J. Kerr established a recognized division within the college dedicated solely to the educational service of communities beyond campus. On July 24, 1911, the Board of Regents established the Extension Service at Oregon Agricultural College.”

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