Homer Davis Oral History Interview

In this interview, Homer Davis discusses his experiences growing up on a farm in Oregon and his family life. He discusses the chores he and his siblings were expected to do on the farm, and provides a description of what each of his brothers did after leaving their childhood farm. He then provides an overview of his experiences in World War II and the time that he spent deployed to the Pacific front as a Marine. From there, Davis returns to a discussion of his family life, and talks about his grandparents, their careers, and the farm they worked on, noting that his grandparents’ farm was the place where he first became interested in forestry.

Next, Davis describes his early career in logging. He talks about the prominent logging companies of the time and the other loggers he worked with. The conversation concludes with his description of the forested property where the interview took place, and his future plans for the property.

Homer Davis was born in 1924, in Oregon. He grew up on a farm near Corvallis, Oregon and graduated from Philomath High School. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to Japan during World War II. After completing his term of service, Davis began working in the logging industry, a career path he would continue for the rest of his life. He worked as a truck driver for the Gee Logging Company and Fenner Logging Company, and later as an equipment operator for the Benton County Road Department. He retired in 1980 and passed away in 2010.