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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