Elmer and Dorothy Taylor Oral History Interview, January 11, 2008

Partial Transcript: Hello there. This is Elmer Harris Taylor.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer and Dorothy Taylor introduce themselves and discuss their respective backgrounds. Elmer explains that his family has lived in Corvallis, Oregon, since 1865. He grew up on a farm during the Great Depression and offers anecdotes about his family's difficulties. Dorothy Taylor recounts her early years, explaining that she was born in China to missionary parents. She talks about her childhood memories, including being homeschooled in China and later being evacuated to India during World War II. Dorothy also shares the lasting effects of the war, expressing her aversion to war-related media due to the traumatic memories from her childhood in China.

Partial Transcript: This picture behind us is picture part of how Dotty got back to China when the family returned in 1940.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor shares his memories of growing up on a farm, emphasizing the hard work and community involvement. He recalls starting to milk cows at the age of six and the transition from hand milking to using a milking machine when electricity arrived in 1942. He also describes the communal aspect of farming, with neighbors sharing a threshing machine and the evolution of farming equipment from horse-drawn to steam-powered to tractors. Elmer then reminisces about childhood activities. He discusses the games and hobbies he enjoyed participating in with his friends and also describes his close connection to his grandfather.

Partial Transcript: When first came back to the Chicago area we lived in what they called mission home apartments.

Segment Synopsis: Dorothy Taylor describes her family's return to the Chicago area from China due to the political conditions. Her father, a missionary, worked various jobs, including at General Motors and as a maintenance man for a Catholic hospital, retiring at 75. She notes that he lived until the age of 97, and passed away shortly after her mother. Elmer Taylor recounts his memories of high school, where he learned typing, and his graduation in 1942 during World War II. He discusses his involvement in the Oregon militia and recalls patrolling the north slope between Woods Creek and Mary's River. He recalls classmates and mentions the post-graduation activities of some.

Partial Transcript: I went to high school in Chicago: Steinmetz High School.

Segment Synopsis: Dorothy Taylor reminisces about her high school days in Chicago. She explains that she was actively involved in the Bible school and the Bible club program, and she also did a lot of babysitting. She expresses her love for baseball, noting that it was a passion she inherited from her father. Dorothy then reflects on her family dynamics, noting that her parents were strict but that she appreciates the love they showed. She also provides information about her siblings. Dorothy’s middle sister, Emily, lives in Salem, Oregon, and her youngest sister and her husband reside in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with two children. Dorothy explains that she and her husband, Elmer, have two children, Tim and Patty, with Tim living in Texas and Patty in Washington, each with their own families.

Partial Transcript: My mother and dad met because the Carter family bought the farm, joining the Harris family on Harris Road.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor reflects on his family's history. His father, A.C. Taylor, married Violet Ginetta Harris, while his uncle James Taylor married Alice Harris, creating a close connection between the Harris and Taylor families. He describes his immediate family, mentioning siblings, their spouses, and their locations. He then talks about his attendance at Oregon State College, where he pursued a major in business administration and a minor in agricultural engineering. Taylor details his daily routine of taking care of the farm, attending classes, and doing fieldwork. After graduating in 1950, Elmer focused on farming.

Partial Transcript: When I graduated from high school, a friend of my dad's came to visit us and he said to me: “So what are you going to do when you graduate?”

Segment Synopsis: Dorothy Taylor recalls her move to Portland. She explains that she initially considered pursuing further religious schooling, and when she received information about a bible school in Portland, Oregon and she decided to enroll. Elmer Taylor reflects on the time following his graduation from Oregon State College in 1950. He notes that he purchased a log truck and began expanding the family farming operation. He notes that he became more religious at that time, leading him to pursue his education at the same bible school that Dorothy attended in Portland, which is where they met.

Partial Transcript: And Elmer and I were at the same table and we got caught on a conversation one day, one night.

Segment Synopsis: Dorothy Taylor talks about how she and Elmer first met and offers some anecdotes from when they were frist dating. She notes that they were married in 1955, and talks about their early years together. Elmer Taylor also reflects on their marriage, the challenges they faced, and the birth of their son Tim. He then describes their move to Dallas, Texas, where they lived in a small trailer while Elmer completed his studies. After graduation, they participated in a missionary internship program in Detroit.

Partial Transcript: We lived in Michigan and then spent our summers in New York. And that's a lot of fun.

Segment Synopsis: Dorothy Taylor discusses raising her children and her experiences of being a mother. She also recounts what it was like when their children began to grow up and move away, leaving them with fewer connections to Texas and ultimately causing them to move to Corvallis, Oregon, where Elmer Taylor’s family is from. Elmer delves into the history of his family's connection to the area. He talks about his family’s farm and involvement with the lumber industry as well as the historical significance of logging in Oregon more broadly. The conversation then shifts to a discussion about how the land has been developed over time and what different property owners have done to manage it. Dorothy and Elmer Taylor discuss their ongoing projects on the farm and the plans they have for the future.

Partial Transcript: I know I brought in another famous Benton County party, Mr. Pat Brown, and Pat Brown and I worked together for almost forty-eight years before he died in 1989.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor reminisces about his longtime collaboration with Pat Brown, a collaboration that spanned nearly fifty years and was only ended by Brown’s death in 1989. He recalls logging jobs that involved moving many loads of logs in a week using Brown's crawler and his own tractor truck. Taylor reflects on the last week of Pat Brown's life and the last projects they worked on together. While discussing the projects he and Brown worked on together, Elmer Taylor emphasizes the historical significance of the land they worked on, and notes that their fathers also worked on the same land together.

Partial Transcript: It's over seventy years ago that Mr. T.J. Starker, who I remember, started acquiring property basically in the Compton Road area.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor discusses the history of land acquisition in Corvallis. He focuses on the Frank M. Taylor property, discussing how it was first bought by his family, how it transitioned into Starker Forest operation, and recalling memories associated with the Clark Memorial property, including an old farmhouse and orchard. Taylor’s narrative focuses on how his father and grandfather transformed the land and created the business he inherited.

Partial Transcript: As best I can recall, the House sat across this road kind of to the south side of this driveway, which goes back to the other lands beyond structures of the state, forest land, and everything back there.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor talks about how to manage land, specifically how to manage forested areas that are being used to harvest lumber. He provides a variety of personal anecdotes, talking about how he, his father, and his grandfather, have worked on and transformed their land over the years. Taylor also reflects on changes in the timber industry, noting that there are fewer smaller businesses and that is is more difficult to manage a plot of land as an individual or as a family unit.

Partial Transcript: But the big summer, the big operation was of the summer of 2007.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor discusses a significant timber operation during which he was able to clear large swathes of forest to harvest timber. He notes that he’s planning to replant with 2,000 trees, but emphasizes that he needs to wait for favorable weather conditions. Taylor then discusses his ancestry, noting that his family originally came from England before immigrating to the United States. He shares stories about his distant relatives and ancestors, noting where in the U.S. they lived and what they did.

Partial Transcript: Everybody negotiated something.

Segment Synopsis: Elmer Taylor talks about railroad crossings and deed restrictions, specifically as they relate to the Harris Road Bridge. He then discusses an older railroad crossing called Russell Spur, which he states was installed by Frank Jim Taylor in 1930.Taylor recounts how the Russell Spur Crossing was created and its importance to the lumber industry.