Author: Gina Murrell

Now More Historic Newspapers from Independence, OR!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Thanks to a partnership with Independence Public Library, more Historic Oregon Newspapers from Independence, Oregon, are now online! Specifically, additional issues of the Independence Enterprise have been added, as well as the complete run of the Independence Monitor.

Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) December 22, 1911. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088094/1911-12-22/ed-1/seq-1/

Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) December 22, 1911. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088094/1911-12-22/ed-1/seq-1/

Newly added issues of the Independence Enterprise range in publication date from July 21, 1911, to December 15, 1922. The newspaper began life as the West Side Enterprise, which was in existence from January 14, 1904, to October 8, 1908, and was published on a weekly basis. Then veteran newspaper editor Charles E. Hicks took over as publisher and proprietor of the paper. Under Hicks’s leadership, the newspaper was given a new name: the Independence Enterprise. The first issue was first printed on October 15, 1908, and, like the West Side Enterprise before it, the Independence Enterprise was published on a weekly basis.

In the early years of the Independence Enterprise, an annual subscription to the weekly paper was $1.50; a six-month subscription cost 75 cents. For more than six decades, the newspaper would keep the people of Independence, Polk, Oregon, abreast of current events. Local, state, and national news was covered in its pages. A sampling of headlines from the inaugural issue, published October, 15, 1908, includes “Prize Winners at School Fair” (page 1), “Portland Markets” (page 8), and “White House Stable Fire” (page 6). A political cartoon from this same issue shows then president Theodore Roosevelt wielding his “Big Stick,” and advertisements tout businesses and products ranging from the Little Palace Hotel to California Medicated Soap. The last issue of the Independence Enterprise would be published on June 26, 1969.

Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) January 3, 1913. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088094/1913-01-03/ed-1/seq-1/

Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) January 3, 1913. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088094/1913-01-03/ed-1/seq-1/

Besides more issues of the Independence Enterprise, the Historic Oregon Newspapers website now features the entire run of the Independence Monitor. The Independence Monitor was in publication for only six years, from 1912 to 1918. The first issue appeared on newsstands and doorsteps on August 1, 1912; the last issue was printed on July 6, 1918. The Independence Monitor was a weekly newspaper. At the beginning of its run, in 1912, the paper came out every Thursday. Beginning in January 1913, however, the newspaper was released every Friday. For much of its six-year existence, the Independence Monitor would be published on Fridays except toward the very end of its run. In its final weeks, the paper was printed on Saturdays.

In 1912, readers of the Independence Monitor could buy a one-year subscription to the weekly publication for $1.50. The $1.50 subscription rate remained constant throughout the life of the newspaper, and subscription payments were “strictly in advance.” G.A. Hurley was publisher and proprietor of the Independence Monitor during the entirety of the newspaper’s six-year run. The newspaper, under Hurley’s direction, published “Local News Items of Interest” and “Oregon News Notes of General Interest,” as well as national and international news stories. Headlines from the January 31, 1913, issue of the Independence Monitor include “Revival Meetings Closed Sunday” (page 1), “When Woodrow Wilson and W.J. Bryan Talked It Over” (page 2), and “Two Prominent Turks in the Balkan Peace Conference” (page 4). The Independence Monitor kept the citizens of Independence, Oregon, well informed of current events.

Independence monitor. (Independence, Or.) January 18, 1918. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2012260081/1918-01-18/ed-1/seq-1/
Independence monitor. (Independence, Or.) January 18, 1918. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2012260081/1918-01-18/ed-1/seq-1/

As with all historic newspapers available on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website, each and every issue of the Independence Enterprise and the Independence Monitor can be browsed and searched by keyword, thanks to optical character recognition (OCR) technology. In addition, these historic Independence, Oregon, newspapers can be downloaded as a PDF or JPEG file and saved for future reference or research purposes at absolutely no cost to visitors to Historic Oregon Newspapers. So, check out the newly added issues of the Independence Enterprise and the entire run of the Independence Monitor at Historic Oregon Newspapers today!

Independence monitor. (Independence, Or.) February 1, 1918. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2012260081/1918-02-01/ed-1/seq-1/

Independence monitor. (Independence, Or.) February 1, 1918. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2012260081/1918-02-01/ed-1/seq-1/

More Heppner Gazette-Times!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Thanks to a partnership with the Morrow County Museum in Heppner, Oregon, even more issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times have been added to Historic Oregon Newspapers!

Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) April 21, 1977. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071042/1977-04-21/ed-1/seq-1/
Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) April 21, 1977. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071042/1977-04-21/ed-1/seq-1/

The newspaper that would inform the people of Heppner in Morrow County, Oregon, for more than a century was first published as the Heppner-Weekly Gazette in 1883. It wasn’t until 1925, when the paper underwent a final name change, that the Heppner Gazette-Times as it is known today came to be. Familiarly called the Gazette-Times, the newspaper is published weekly.

Issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times that have been newly added to the Historic Oregon Newspapers website range in publication date from January 6, 1977, through June 28, 1984. That’s nearly 5,000 pages of historic Oregon newspaper content now available online! As is the case with all content on Historic Oregon Newspapers, these additional issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times can be browsed and searched by keyword. Newspaper content can also be downloaded and saved for later as PDF or JPEG files, at absolutely no cost to you!

Take a look at these newly added issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website today! Plenty of great historic newspaper content awaits you online!

Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) July 22, 1982. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071042/1982-07-22/ed-1/seq-1/
Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) July 22, 1982. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071042/1982-07-22/ed-1/seq-1/

Spring Fashion of 1921, as Seen in Historic Oregon Newspapers

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Spring is in the air, and so is the desire for fresh attire to match the gaiety of the season. In 1921, spring fashion was a focus for historic Oregon newspapers, which, through pictorials, articles, and advertisements, relayed that year’s haute new looks to dedicated readers.

The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) January 16, 1921, Image 64. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1921-01-16/ed-1/seq-64/
The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) January 16, 1921, Image 64. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1921-01-16/ed-1/seq-64/

In 1921, historic Oregon newspapers‘ reportage of spring fashion was largely geared toward female readers, with photos featuring women’s clothing, footwear, and accessories such as hats, wraps, and gloves. Fashion reporters of the era looked to Paris, France, for the latest trends. After all, Paris was (and still is) the fashion capital of the world. Typical of the newspaper copy for these spring fashion spreads was what accompanied the above pictorial, published in the January 16, 1921, issue of the Sunday Oregonian: “Nothing is so fashionable as grey just now – the Paris craze for all shades of grey has reached America.” Aside from highlighting the color of the season, the above pictorial focused on “little fur wraps” (“easier to take care of than a bulky coat in a theater seat”), with the furs of choice being “Russian mink” and “smoke grey fox.” Rounding out the look were silk hats, chiffon frocks, silk stockings, and strap slippers.

The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 20, 1921, Image 66. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1921-02-20/ed-1/seq-66/
The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 20, 1921, Image 66. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1921-02-20/ed-1/seq-66/

The Sunday Oregonian continued its reportage on fur wraps in a pictorial that ran in the February 20, 1921, issue. In this same fashion feature, an image from which can be seen above, the newspaper went beyond talk of “Paris wraps for spring” and elaborated upon the latest in women’s hats, specifically noting that “nobody needs hatpins in low-setting millinery now in vogue.” (“Hatpins Again Are Being Taken Up as Ornaments, Not Being Essential.”) Among the “low-setting millinery now in vogue” were the “new turban from Lewis – one of the flat, saucer affairs that are so very smart this spring” and the one seen in the image above: “a low-crowned model on fine black milan, with flange brim of black satin and under the brim at the back is tucked a tuft of Erin green ostrich from which stray spiky tendrils of black ostrich. The hat has stunning lines and with the tall-collared spring wrap makes its wearer very smart indeed.”

The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 27, 1921, Image 68. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1921-02-27/ed-1/seq-68/
The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 27, 1921, Image 68. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1921-02-27/ed-1/seq-68/

In a February 27, 1921, pictorial, the Sunday Oregonian shifted its attention to women’s “Spring Street Suits Just from Paris.” The newspaper observed “these saucy little suits,” by French designers Drecoll, Bernard, Lanvin, and Jenny, have jackets that are “short and jaunty and coat fronts show vests of embroidered linen.” About the street suits shown in the image above, the Sunday Oregonian stated the Lanvin model on the left “is of black serge with a lining of white cashmere in the jacket and cape… The cape is detachable and may be left off on a warm day.” On the right is a street suit by Jenny, its “short, loose jacket part of a navy blue serge suit, is slashed below the waistline and in the slashes are godets of old rose poplin embroidered with navy blue silk. The silk embroidered rose poplin is also introduced in bands on collar and sleeve and in a yoke at the top of the skirt.” “Flashy hats” further accentuated these spring looks.

Within the pages of historic Oregon newspapers from 1921, modern looks in men’s spring fashion were likelier to appear in advertisements, rather than in pictorials or feature-length articles. Common were advertisements such as this one (seen below) by Pendleton, Oregon-based retailer Alexanders, which ran in the April 14, 1921, issue of the East Oregonian.

East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, Umatilla Co., Or.) April 14, 1921, Image 3. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1921-04-14/ed-1/seq-3/
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, Umatilla Co., Or.) April 14, 1921, Image 3. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1921-04-14/ed-1/seq-3/

Instead of photographs of models wearing trendy attire, crisp line drawings illustrated the new spring fashions for men. The emphasis was on “reputation” and “quality.” “Hand-tailored workmanship” and “superior values” were touted. However, for men as well as women, the appeal of thinness and youth was deftly used to market the new styles. In smaller print, in the lower right-hand corner of the Alexanders print ad, the newspaper’s male readership was assured of the “slenderizing treatment of the close fitting coat which gives it youthfulness of line.” As early as 1921, thin was “in,” as was the desirability of youthfulness. This is decades before the rise of Twiggy and the “Youthquake” movement in the mid-century fashion world!

Although men’s fashions were likelier to be seen in advertisements than in pictorials or feature-length articles in historic Oregon newspapers published in 1921, there’s still the occasional news article that informed fashion-forward readers of fresh developments in men’s style. Two examples of such news articles spotlighting men’s fashion were published in the March 19, 1921, issue of the East Oregonian. Shown below, the articles “New Color Jones Offered in Spring Haberdashery” and “Simplicity Marks Spring Hats for Men” were penned by Otto A. Engel and Milton Conhaim, respectively. Both articles largely focused on hat trends for men, but in his article Engel went even further, reporting in great depth on the latest in shirts and neckwear. Declaring “smaller stripes this year,” “fiber silk shirts improve,” and “Scotch madras popular,” Engel gave East Oregonian readers the real scoop on what was current in men’s spring fashion. In his frank manner, he even noted, “There’s nothing really new in the pajama line,” and “No radical changes mark underwear, belts, jewelry, handkerchiefs and walking sticks.”

If you’ve ever wondered what the women and men of Oregon wore as winter turned into spring in the year 1921, look no further than historic Oregon newspapers. Through pictorials, articles, and advertisements, the spring fashions of 1921 were on full display. See for yourself today!

East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, Umatilla Co., Or.) March 19, 1921, Image 14. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1921-03-19/ed-1/seq-14/
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, Umatilla Co., Or.) March 19, 1921, Image 14. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1921-03-19/ed-1/seq-14/

More Historic Newspapers from Independence, OR, Online!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Even more historic newspapers from Independence, Oregon, are now on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website, thanks to a partnership with the Independence Public Library, and funding from the Polk County Cultural Coalition and Friends of the Independence Public Library.

The historic Independence, Oregon, newspapers the West Side and the West Side Enterprise, as well as additional issues of Independence Enterprise, have been added to Historic Oregon Newspapers. So much excellent historic newspaper content!

Independence west side. (Independence, Or.) March 15, 1901, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2011260136/1901-03-15/ed-1/seq-1/
Independence west side. (Independence, Or.) March 15, 1901, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2011260136/1901-03-15/ed-1/seq-1/

The West Side was established in the 1880s and ceased publication at the turn of the century. Published on a weekly basis, the West Side kept the citizens of Independence, Polk County, Oregon, abreast of local, national, and international news. Front-page headlines for its March 15, 1901, issue (the masthead for which can be seen above) include “Oregon State News” (“A new opera house is to be built at Eugene”; “The Baker City post office will have a stamp-cancelling machine”), “News of the Week” (“Carnegie denies that he is going to Europe with J.P. Morgan”), and “Almost a Clash” (“Friction Between the British and Russians at Tien Tsin”).

West side enterprise. (Independence, Polk County, Or.) August 3, 1906, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088099/1906-08-03/ed-1/seq-1/
West side enterprise. (Independence, Polk County, Or.) August 3, 1906, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088099/1906-08-03/ed-1/seq-1/

Published twice a week for much of its existence, the West Side Enterprise served the people of Independence, Polk County, Oregon, for just four years, from 1904 to 1908. The first issue of the West Side Enterprise was printed on January 14, 1904; its last, on October 8, 1908. Above is the masthead from the August 3, 1906, issue of the West Side Enterprise. Front-page headlines for this issue include “Gives Franchise” (“County Court Acts on Application of Falls City and Dallas Railroad”), “He Goes to Jail” (“George Hoaglin Makes Gun Play and Gets a Pummeling as a Result”), and “California is Booming” (“In the state, conditions indicate one of the most prosperous years in the history of California”). Like the West Side, the West Side Enterprise reported on news happening locally, nationally, and internationally.

The Independence Enterprise was published by the Enterprise Pub. Co., beginning in the 1890s.  It would continue to be published on a weekly basis through the 1900s. Using a quote by Thomas Jefferson as an early motto (“Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty”), the Independence Enterprise was vigilant in keeping up on a variety of news events, from happenings in the arts and politics, to goings-on in commerce, education, and local society. Front-page news for the Independence Enterprise in its October 2, 1902, issue (seen below) was the success of Susie Fennel Pipes, a violinist who was born in Independence but who would go on to gain greater renown for her musical talents in Portland, Oregon. “Former Independence Girl Winning Name for Herself” says the headline just above a photo of Pipes holding her violin and bow. Front-page coverage of Pipes further informed readers of her upcoming concerts.

In its later years, the Independence Enterprise would merge with the West Side newspaper to become the Independence Enterprise and West Side. The newspaper’s name change can be seen on the front page of the October 2, 1902, issue below.

As with all newspapers on Historic Oregon Newspapers, these newly added issues of the West Side and the West Side Enterprise, as well as the additional issues of the Independence Enterprise, can be read, searched by keyword, downloaded, and saved as a PDF or JPEG for future perusal – at no cost to users! Enjoy this new content on Historic Oregon Newspapers!

Independence enterprise. : (Independence, Polk County, Or.) October 2, 1902. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088097/1902-10-02/ed-1/seq-1/
Independence enterprise. : (Independence, Polk County, Or.) October 2, 1902. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088097/1902-10-02/ed-1/seq-1/

Monmouth Herald – More Added!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Thanks to a partnership with the Monmouth Public Library, and funding from the Polk County Cultural Coalition and Monmouth Friends of the Library, even more issues of the Monmouth Herald have been added to the Historic Oregon Newspapers website!

Monmouth herald. (Monmouth, Or.) June 11, 1909. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088093/1909-06-11/ed-1/seq-1/
Monmouth herald. (Monmouth, Or.) June 11, 1909. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088093/1909-06-11/ed-1/seq-1/

In print from 1908 through 1969, the Monmouth Herald kept the people of Monmouth, Oregon, informed, reporting on local, national, and international news events. The newspaper came out on a weekly basis until its last issue, published on June 26, 1969. Its publisher was Acorn Press.

The Monmouth Herald can still be read, researched, and enjoyed, with issues available for free online at the Historic Oregon Newspapers website. Additional issues of the Monmouth Herald now up on the Historic Oregon Newspapers site range in date from September 4, 1908, through March 24, 1927. As with all newspapers on Historic Oregon Newspapers, each issue of the Monmouth Herald can be searched by keyword because of optical character recognition (OCR) technology. In addition, each issue of the newspaper can be downloaded and saved as a PDF or JPEG file, at absolutely no cost to visitors to the Historic Oregon Newspapers website.

Check out these additional issues of Monmouth Herald on Historic Oregon Newspapers today!

Monmouth herald. (Monmouth, Or.) November 25, 1926. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088093/1926-11-25/ed-1/seq-1/
Monmouth herald. (Monmouth, Or.) November 25, 1926. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088093/1926-11-25/ed-1/seq-1/

More Historic Morrow County Newspapers Added!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

A partnership with the Morrow County Museum in Heppner, Oregon, means more historic newspapers are now up on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website!

Fresh new content on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website includes the Boardman Mirror, which informed the citizens of Boardman, Morrow County, Oregon, on a weekly basis from 1921 to 1925. Historic Oregon Newspapers now has the complete run of the Boardman Mirror, from the first issue, published on February 11, 1921, to the last, printed on September 4, 1925.

Boardman mirror. (Boardman, Or.) September 4, 1925. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088002/1925-09-04/ed-1/seq-1/
Boardman mirror. (Boardman, Or.) September 4, 1925. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088002/1925-09-04/ed-1/seq-1/

In addition to the Boardman Mirror, four newspapers that served the people of Ione, Oregon, are now available on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website. They are the Ione Bulletin (June 12, 1913 – September 11, 1913), the Ione Independent (January 4, 1924 – June 19, 1931), the Ione Journal (April 28, 1915 – April 12, 1916), and the Ione Proclaimer (Jume 25, 1909 – December 10, 1909). So much great historic newspaper content to read, research, and enjoy!

Ione independent. (Ione, Or.) January 18, 1924. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071039/1924-01-18/ed-1/seq-1/
Ione independent. (Ione, Or.) January 18, 1924. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071039/1924-01-18/ed-1/seq-1/
Ione independent. (Ione, Or.) June 25, 1909. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071034/1909-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/
Ione independent. (Ione, Or.) June 25, 1909. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071034/1909-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/
Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) October 26, 1905. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071052/1905-10-26/ed-1/seq-1/
Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) October 26, 1905. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071052/1905-10-26/ed-1/seq-1/

Historic Oregon Newspapers now also has the Lexington Wheatfield (September 28, 1905 – September 19, 1907) and the Lexington Weekly Budget (November 14, 1889 – September 25, 1890). Both of these Historic Oregon Newspapers were printed for and read by the residents of Lexington, Morrow County, Oregon. Additionally, both newspapers were published on a weekly basis. Alternate titles of these historic newspapers are the Wheatfield and the Weekly Budget, respectively. All content of these historic Oregon papers can now be viewed – at no cost to you!

Lexington weekly budget. (Lexington, Morrow County, Or.) May 15, 1890. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071051/1890-05-15/ed-1/seq-1/
Lexington weekly budget. (Lexington, Morrow County, Or.) May 15, 1890. Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071051/1890-05-15/ed-1/seq-1/

The Story of Valentine’s Day, as Told by Historic Oregon Newspapers

Posted on by Gina Murrell

“Tomorrow, Valentine, the patron saint of all lovers, especially amateurs, will receive proper recognition all over the civilized world.”

This is how The Dalles Daily Chronicle began its February 13, 1895, article “St. Valentine’s Day.” The newspaper served the people of The Dalles, Oregon, from 1890 to 1948.

Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 2, 1913, Image 21. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1913-02-02/ed-1/seq-21/

After a cursory mention of how Valentine’s Day is celebrated (“The handsome souvenir, telling of love, will rest in the mailsacks alongside of the gaudily-colored caricature, telling of envy, malice, or spice”), The Dalles Daily Chronicle article lengthily delves into the history of the holiday:

“How the day came to be kept in the way it is, is more than anyone knows. St. Valentine himself is rather an uncertain personage, as it is hard to tell which Valentine the day is kept for. It is sometimes ascribed to Pope Valentine, who occupied the papal chair for thirty or forty days about the year 827, and of whom some one with A. P. A. proclivities, many years ago, remarked that ‘He was too good a man to make a good pope, and so he died within forty days of his assuming the office.’ St. Valentine’s day was not kept on his account however.”

The Dalles Daily Chronicle article goes on to further explore the seemingly hazy origins of Valentine’s Day, hypothesizing about its beginnings. Historic Oregon newspapers that were published around the turn of the century typically took the tack of reporting on the origins of Valentine’s Day when covering the holiday. For the Sunday Oregonian, the tone of this reportage is somber and somewhat chiding, noting the secularization of a holiday that had its roots in the church and was named after a religious figure. This sentiment is clearly evident in a February 11, 1906, article succinctly titled “Saint’s Day That Cupid Stole.”

The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 11, 1906, Image 40. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1906-02-11/ed-1/seq-40/
The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 11, 1906, Image 40. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1906-02-11/ed-1/seq-40/

The Sunday Oregonian article notes that “St. Valentine’s Day began somewhere about the opening of the third century. It is a quaint combination of religion and sentiment. It represents the dual worship of a great man of the church, and Cupid, the mischievous patron saint of love.”

Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 2, 1913, Image 21. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1913-02-02/ed-1/seq-21/
Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 2, 1913, Image 21. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1913-02-02/ed-1/seq-21/

The February 11, 1906, article in the Sunday Oregonian continues:

“It was a queer beginning for a great holiday that people should have united on the same day to honor St. Valentine and Cupid. No more dissimilar deities could be found… St. Valentine was an early day martyr. He died for the church, and in commemoration of his goodness and piety the Holy See set aside February 14 as the day on which the faithful should do honor to his memory… Eventually the young folk passed from the purely religious feature of the holiday, and began to give it a somewhat secular tone… Thus in a gradual way Cupid had come to usurp the place that St. Valentine had once held all alone, and what was originally a time of prayer gradually transformed itself into the season when love sent out its messengers and pleas.”

Three years later, the Sunday Oregonian, in its coverage of Valentine’s Day, took a different, lighter approach. The paper declared: “Should Have Been Cupid’s Day, Not St. Valentine’s.”

Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 14, 1909, Image 52. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1909-02-14/ed-1/seq-52/#date1=1870&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Day+day+VALENTINE+Valentine&searchType=advanced&sequence=0&index=15&proxdistance=5&date2=1950&ortext=&proxtext=valentine%27s+day&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) February 14, 1909, Image 52. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1909-02-14/ed-1/seq-52

In this February 14, 1909, article, the Sunday Oregonian focuses less on the Christian origins of Valentine’s Day and more on Cupid and the tales of Greek mythology from which “the jolly little god of love” arose. The newspaper concedes that “Not many of the young folks who on this occasion will try by divers means to lift the veil of the future and try to determine who their future husbands and wives will be know much of St. Valentine, but all of them are well supplied with information on the subject of that tormenting sprite, Cupid, whose venomed darts lead the way to the altar.” The paper’s defeatist view on the subject is aptly reflected in the article’s subhead: “Wrong and Inappropriate Name Became Attached to February 14 and Can Not Be Changed.”

The Boardman Mirror, like The Dalles Daily Chronicle and the Sunday Oregonian, also ran in-depth articles that looked at the story behind Valentine’s Day. The newspaper was in print for just four years, from 1921 to 1925, and its readership were the citizens of Boardman, Oregon. Reflecting the Sunday Oregonian‘s later coverage of Valentine’s Day, the Boardman Mirror also chose to highlight the pagan history of the holiday. It did so in the February 6, 1925, article “Valentine’s Day of Pagan Origin.” However, unlike the Sunday Oregonian, the Boardman Mirror downplayed, if not outright dismissed, the role of St. Valentine and of Christianity in the formation of the holiday. The newspaper took its opposite stance even further, boldly stating it wasn’t Cupid who “had come to usurp the place that St. Valentine had once held all alone,” but it was Christianity that “‘took over’ the pagan festivals and adapted them to its own uses.”

In the February 6, 1925, article, the Boardman Mirror explains:

“In ancient Rome a sort of love lottery was annually held at the time of the festival called the Supercalia, because it was believed that at that season of the year birds chose their mates. It was a festival celebrated in February, in honor of Pan and Juno, and tablets bearing young women’s names were drawn out of a box by the young men. Each youth availing himself of this privilege was expected to be until the next Supercalia the faithful attendant of her whose name he had drawn.

“It was a pretty custom, and worth preserving. So Christianity, when it ‘took over’ the pagan festivals and adapted them to its own uses, kept the anniversary of the Supercalia as St. Valentine’s day, renaming it in honor of a holy martyr, who had been done to death at Rome in the Third century, A. D.

“There was no special reason why St. Valentine should be chosen in preference to any other saint. It does not appear that he took any particular interest in lovers and love-making. But, having first been clubbed to death and then beheaded, he deserved to be immortalized in some fashion, and in this way the object was obtained.”

It is enlightening, and even entertaining (depending on your disposition), to witness the different ways in which historic Oregon newspapers describe the origins of Valentine’s Day. Although their viewpoints were not always in alignment, these historic newspapers did faithfully print articles on the history of the holiday, year after year – at least around the turn of the century. Regardless of what readers of this blog believe about the holiday, it is hoped that Valentine’s Day will be a pleasant holiday for you all. As The Dalles Daily Chronicle says in its February 13, 1895, article, “We hope The Chronicle readers – especially the young perusers of our invaluable sheet – will all receive a quantum suf. of billing doves, pierced hearts, and the divers and sundry emblems that show how much and how anguishingly they are beloved.”

More Heppner Gazette-Times!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Thanks to a partnership with Morrow County Museum in Heppner, Oregon, more great issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times are now available on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website.

heppner_gazette_times_front_page_19601027
Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) October 27, 1960, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071042/1960-10-27/ed-2/seq-1/

Now, visitors to the Historic Oregon Newspapers website can access issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times from July 5, 1951, through December 30, 1976. This new content is a huge boost to the robust collection of Heppner Gazette-Times issues already online at Historic Oregon Newspapers. As with all issues on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website, these additional issues of the Heppner Gazette-Times can be read, searched by keyword, downloaded, and saved as a PDF or JPEG file for future perusal – all at no cost to users!

The Heppner-Gazette Times has been in print since 1925. For more than 80 years, the Heppner, Oregon, newspaper has chronicled news at the local level in Morrow County and at the state and national levels. For an introduction to Heppner, Oregon, and its history, see the blog post “Morrow County Now Represented in Historic Oregon Newspapers Online!”

In addition to the partnership with the Morrow County Museum, this excellent new content was also made possible by copyright permission given by the Heppner Gazette-Times.

Thanksgiving Charity, as Seen in Morning Oregonian, 1906-1913

Posted on by Gina Murrell

Giving back on Thanksgiving is a time-honored tradition, one that has been reported on throughout the decades by historic Oregon newspapers. One such historic Oregon newspaper, the Morning Oregonian, faithfully chronicled how the people of Portland, Oregon, have been charitable to those with less during a holiday that is celebrated by sharing abundance.

Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) November 30, 1906, Image 11. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1906-11-30/ed-1/seq-11/
Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) November 30, 1906, Image 11. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1906-11-30/ed-1/seq-11/

Looking through the pages of the Morning Oregonian, from 1906 through 1913, it becomes apparent that a favorite focus was how Portland’s littlest residents benefited from the generosity of others on Thanksgiving. In a November 30, 1906, article titled “Big Dinners for Little People,” the Morning Oregonian assured that “Babies Not Overlooked” in the marking of the holiday. These babies who got to partake in the bounty of Thanksgiving were sheltered by the Baby Home, established in 1888 to house homeless and neglected infants. On November 30, 1906, the Morning Oregonian reported:

The tiny tots at the Baby Home were too young to understand the reasons for the observance of Thanksgiving Day, but they were old enough to realize that a Thanksgiving feast was not something that could be enjoyed every day. There are 16 babies at the Home and 10 of them were old enough and strong enough to sit at the tables. For more than an hour they literally stuffed themselves with the good, old New England bird, roasted to a turn, and the many other good things that go to make up a regulation Thanksgiving dinner.

Like the Baby Home, the Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society was established as a haven for Portland’s homeless youth. The Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society was founded just three years prior to the Baby Home, in 1885, but it had the similar mission “to improve the condition of the homeless, neglected, and the abused.” The same November 30, 1906, Morning Oregonian article stated:

Sixty-four little boys and girls sat down to dinner in the home of the Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society and sixty-four full-grown men and women could not possibly have eaten more than they. They had everything that was really worth eating. Turkey, of course, cranberries, oysters, sweet potatoes, rich brown gravy, mince, pumpkin pies, etc.

In its November 29, 1912, edition, the Morning Oregonian ran a photograph of children in the care of the Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society sitting at rows of tables set for Thanksgiving dinner, with each table having its own a robust roasted turkey. The photograph was published alongside the article “Happy Day Passed: Orphans and Invalids Receive Additional Attention.” Its caption read: “There were no keener appetites in Portland yesterday than these.”

Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) November 29, 1912, Image 20. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1912-11-29/ed-1/seq-20/
Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) November 29, 1912, Image 20. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1912-11-29/ed-1/seq-20/

The following Thanksgiving, in 1913, the Morning Oregonian recounted how the boys and girls who resided at the Children’s Home in South Portland were “made happy” on the holiday. The Children’s Home was “a dormitory for impoverished and orphaned children” that had opened its doors in 1884. In the November 28, 1913, article “‘Turk’ Holds Sway on Charity Day” that had the subtitle “Children’s Homes Remembered by Benefactors,” the Morning Oregonian noted:

At the Children’s Home, in South Portland, six lavishly laden tables were arranged for the 84 little boys and girls of the institution. Each table was presided over by an attendant and it was wonderful to see the bright, happy faces of the kiddies when the big, brown turkey appeared. Such radiant happiness could only be characteristic of childhood. The soup plates soon were empty and then came the principal part of the dinner – the turkey. With it there were celery, vegetables and cranberry sauce. When each child had eaten all he wanted, there was ice cream, cake and fruit for everyone.

“There was enough turkey for everyone,” read the caption of the photograph that accompanied the article. In the photograph, there is row upon row of boys and girls at the Children’s Home, each child wearing his or her holiday best and enjoying the Thanksgiving meal. Some of the children seemed to have cheeks filled with food as they turned to look at the camera.

Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) November 28, 1913, Image 18. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1913-11-28/ed-1/seq-18/
Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) November 28, 1913, Image 18. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1913-11-28/ed-1/seq-18/

In the November 28, 1913, article “‘Turk’ Holds Sway on Charity Day,” the Morning Oregonian further reported:

The children in the home all were healthy and happy and gave evidence of great care on the part of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Matlock and the assistants. The donations received at the Children’s Home came largely from the public school children and consisted of dozens of jars of jam, glasses of jelly, canned goods of all varieties, package goods, potatoes and apples. Miss Miriam Jacobs sent cakes and turkeys were donated by Mrs. H. W. Corbett, Mrs. C. H. Lewis, Miss Sally Lewis, Kessler and Fry, Mrs. P. J. Mann and others.

On this Thanksgiving, may we all be as charitable as Miss Miriam Jacobs, Mrs. H. W. Corbett, Mrs. C. H. Lewis, Miss Sally Lewis, Kessler and Fry, and Mrs. P. J. Mann were toward the less-fortunate little ones of 1913 Portland. Whether the holiday season is spent with the family we were born into or the one that we chose, perhaps we can take time to give back to the community in one way or another, whether it is initiating a food drive, donating food to a charitable institution or organization, or lending a helping hand at a local soup kitchen. As the Morning Oregonian shows in its early 20th-century reportage, giving back on Thanksgiving can “make happy” those who could benefit from our kindness the most.

Historic Oregon Newspapers: Even More NEW Content!

Posted on by Gina Murrell

More than 9,000 pages of historic newspaper content have been added to the Historic Oregon Newspapers website! Much of this content is from papers that served Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon, including Corvallis Gazette, Corvallis Times, Union Gazette, and Oregon Union.

Oregon union. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) November 19, 1897, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042402/1897-11-19/ed-1/seq-1/
Oregon union. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) November 19, 1897, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042402/1897-11-19/ed-1/seq-1/

Rich in fascinating historic content, the new additions to Historic Oregon Newspapers are:

Athena, Umatilla County, OR. The Athena Press (June 9, 1893-Jan. 8, 1909)

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. The Benton Democrat (Dec. 28, 1872-June 21, 1873)

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. The Corvallis Gazette (April 22, 1865-Dec. 30, 1898)

The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) August 14, 1908, Image 71. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088356/1908-08-14/ed-1/seq-1/
The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) August 14, 1908, Image 71. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088356/1908-08-14/ed-1/seq-1/

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. Corvallis Gazette (April 27, 1900-Dec. 29, 1908)

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. The Corvallis Times (June 2, 1900-Dec. 30, 1903)

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. The Oregon Union (Feb. 28, 1863)

Benton democrat. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) April 26, 1873, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn84022649/1873-04-26/ed-1/seq-1/
Benton democrat. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) April 26, 1873, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn84022649/1873-04-26/ed-1/seq-1/

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. Oregon Union (Sept. 3, 1897-Feb. 10, 1899)

Corvallis, Benton County, OR. The Union Gazette (Feb. 17, 1899-April 20, 1900)

Corvallis Gazette (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) March 5, 1901, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn93051660/1901-03-05/ed-1/seq-1/
Corvallis Gazette (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) March 5, 1901, Image 1. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn93051660/1901-03-05/ed-1/seq-1/