Category Archives: Oregon Archives Month

History, plus a movie for lunch? Sure!

OPB's Oregon Experience, "Linus Pauling"

OPB's Oregon Experience, "Linus Pauling"

Join us to watch the fabulous Oregon Public Broadcasting “Oregon Experience” documentary on Linus Pauling, an amazing man and native Oregonian. You’ll learn fascinating facts about OSU alumnus and Nobel Prize winning chemist and peace activist Linus Pauling in this new film about his life, including a look at Pauling’s childhood in Portland and a great story about rowing carboys of chemicals across the Willamette River to conduct chemistry experiments at home!

You might just spot someone you know — OSU luminaries such as Cliff Mead, Chris Petersen, and Mina Carson are featured.

When & Where? Wednesday Oct 19th, noon-1:00pm (Willamette East Room — 3rd Floor of Valley Library)

Have some history for lunch!

From Flickr, "filmstrip," by bmitchellw

From Flickr, "filmstrip," by bmitchellw

Celebrate Oregon Archives Month and join us for a lunchtime viewing about campus history and famous alums from the 1960s and 1970s.

  • When & Where? Thursday 13th, noon-1:00pm (Willamette East Room-3rd Floor of Valley Library)

These three films, produced at OSU from 1968 to 1974, offer a glimpse into campus and student life during an intense period of cultural change in American life; this change is reflected in the variation in the tone of each film.

Two of the films, “Nuthin’ Comes Easy” and “Gotta Start Somewhere,” were created to attract minority students to study pharmacy and media services at OSU. The third, “The Possible Dream,” celebrates OSU in its centennial year in 1968. Highlights include a funky re-creation of an average student party in the early 1970s.

Come judge for yourself — and bring your lunch!

Be Local

Benton County Courthouse with pruned trees

Benton County Courthouse with pruned trees

To celebrate Oregon Archives Month 2011 we’re heading home (again) with a new collection called “Be Local: some things to note…” and an innaugural set called “Be Local: some places in Benton County.”

Oregonians are passionate about our state, and Corvallis-ites and residents of Benton County are no different. Starting as the first territorial capital, at the confluence of the Marys and Willamette Rivers, and arriving now at this place in the 21st century, with an ever-expanding community and university, it’s always fun to take a look back over our shoulder to see where we were. And yes, for me, that’s means to read more about our history.

Joseph C. Avery settled a land claim at the mouth of Marys River where it flows into the Willamette River in 1845. In 1849, Avery opened a store at the site, platted the land, and surveyed a town site on his land claim, naming the community Marysville … In 1853, the legislative assembly changed the city’s name to Corvallis, from the Latin phrase cor vallis, meaning “heart of the valley.” Corvallis was incorporated as a city on January 29, 1857 … [and] the town served briefly as the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1855 before Salem was eventually selected as the permanent seat of state government. Corvallis, Wikipedia

Territorial capital at Corvallis, Oregon

Territorial capital at Corvallis, Oregon

Though you can find great contemporary books on Corvallis and Benton County, I encourage you to consider David Fagan’s 1885 A history of Benton County, Oregon including its geology, topography, soil and productions (call no. F882.B4 F2), the 1890 Benton County, Oregon: the heart of the famous Willamette Valley (F882.B4 C6), and the 1912 Corvallis and Benton County, Oregon (F884.C6 S6 and available electronically on ScholarsArchive). Each is available at OSU Libraries’ main library in Corvallis. Fear not, there is plenty more research and reading to be done!

  • The Benton County Historical Society is the ideal place to start! “The Benton County Historical Museum artifact collection comprises approximately 66,000 items that illustrate the diverse themes of our Benton County, Oregon heritage.”
  • Search the Oregon Encyclopedia site for Corvallis and you’ll find a plethora of information about the people, places, and amazing things that have happened here. Want to know about the Women’s Land Army, Corvallis and Eastern Railroad, or Bernard Malamud (1914–1986)? All there – plus much more about both our great state.
  • The City of Corvallis website has a very informative Historical Narrative (1811 to 1945), which includes a historic walking tour of downtown and a historic property inventory.
Campus store

Campus store

  • Because I love Wikipedia, check out the article on Corvallis. The info there isn’t limited to our history, but gives all those delicious up-to-date details. Wikipedia also has a great article on Benton County.
  • Finally, in the spirit of historic renovation, we’re delighted to see the Whiteside Theater coming back to life! It opened to the public on November 9, 1922, but closed in winter of 2002. The Whiteside Theatre Foundation is currently raising funds to rehabilitate and reopen the Whiteside Theatre, and they have shared the history of this gem on their site.

Enjoy!

McDonald Rare Book Collection Tour!

Wilson Room Collection

Wilson Room Collection

Get a peek at OSU’s oldest and rarest volumes in this tour of the Library’s fascinating McDonald Rare Book Collection. Trevor Sandgathe of Special Collections will show off this unique collection that includes cuneiform tablets, incunabula, and fine bindings.

When and where?

  • Wednesday, October 26  from 2:00-3:00 in Special Collections

Time for Taste of the ‘Chives!

Ava Milam and Camilla Mills making wedding cakes for Mrs. Stanley Wilson at the Yenching Womens College in Peking, China, circa 1945

Ava Milam and Camilla Mills making wedding cakes for Mrs. Stanley Wilson at the Yenching Womens College in Peking, China, circa 1945

Sample the tastes of the past in this annual celebration of the recipes found in historic publications written by OSU students and staff. This year, we’ll showcase recipes celebrated as “international” in flavor and we highlight four different sources dating from 1928 to 2008. These publications are all available online at the OSU ScholarsArchive site and downloadable here as PDF files:

When and Where?

  • Thursday October 27 (12:00-1:00 Willamette Rooms)

Volunteers to help prepare the recipes are always appreciated! Please contact karl.mccreary@oregonstate.edu for more details.

A Whole Month to Celebrate Archives!

OSU Archives 50th Anniversary Display

Celebrate Oregon Archives Month and the OSU Archives 50th Anniversary!

Check out our latest display for a look into the behind-the-scenes past of the Archives – you’ll find out 50 years worth of fun facts like who the first OSU archivist was and which campus buildings have housed the archives, plus you’ll get to see images of previous decades archives fashions and technologies. 

Come see the display in the 3rd Floor Archives Reading Room and check out the Digital Collection in Flickr

And as an added bonus, we have another Flickr Set for you…

Over the past year, two archives student workers have been curating displays almost every month – find out how they do it by browsing through their Flickr Set Under Glass and In PowerPoint

Want to learn more? Contact Oregon Multicultural Librarian Natalia Fernández at natalia.fernandez@oregonstate.edu

Exhibit Co-Curated by OSU University Archives Student Workers Kelsey Ockert and Ingrid Ockert with special thanks to Archivist Karl McCreary

Want to watch your history?

You know how picky archives can be about eating and historical collections? Two film events offer you a great chance to watch some historical and eat some lunch. Best of both worlds, I tell you.

Thursday, October 13 (12:00-1:00, Willamette Room East-Library)
Rewind in time to campus ca. late 1960s and early 1970s through a showing of 3 films that document OSU’s efforts to attract minority students and observe the university’s centennial in 1968.

Wednesday, October 19 (12:00-1:00, Willamette Room East)
Learn more about the life and times of native Oregonian and alumnus Linus Pauling in a showing of a recent production by Oregon Public Broadcasting on the brilliant Nobel Prize-winning chemist and peace activist.

It’s Oregon Archives Month, celebrate with a story!

Linus Pauling, circa 1905

Linus Pauling, circa 1905

Learn about the amazing legacy of documentation from alumnus Linus Pauling and other gems in the OSU Library’s Special Collections. Chris Petersen of Special Collections will be your guide to the diverse and fascinating Pauling Collection, which illuminates the brilliance, creativity, and conviction of the Nobel- Prize winning Chemistry professor.

When & where? Wednesday, October 5 from 2:00-3:00 in Special Collections (5th floor, The Valley Library).

Oregon Archives Month: Celebrating archival anniversaries at OSU with tours, film, and food!

Honoring 50 years of the University Archives and 25 years of the Special Collections at OSU, we’re celebrating our merger this year with a palette of events highlighting Beaver history!

Lace up your sneakers and join us Saturday, October 1 from 2:30-4:00 for a fabulous outdoor historical walking tour of campus buildings! Some lost, some forgotten, some just moved to another spot… OSU Archivists Larry Landis and Tiah Edmunson-Morton will walk you through history to discover the “forgotten landscapes” of campus.

Using historic maps and photographs, Tiah and Larry will reveal what’s here, what’s gone, and what is somewhere else. We’ll bring places like the campus gazebo, brooder house and octagonal barn back to life! Please let Tiah know if you want to join us! tiah.edmunson-morton@oregonstate.edu

Meet in the Valley Library on the 3rd floor in Archives reference room.