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.”