Dean Beauchamp Oral History Interview

In this interview, Dean Beauchamp, a longtime farmer in Umapine, Oregon, describes his family history as it relates to the history of the region. He begins the interview by describing his grandfather Beauchamp, who emigrated from Montréal on his way to California to search for gold in 1848. He then describes his grandmother’s family and how she met his grandfather. Beauchamp also discusses his great-uncle and father’s business raising horses for the cavalry remount station and local farmers.

Next, Beauchamp speaks of his grandmother, her shopping habits, and personality, and recounts what his great-uncle told him of the Indian Wars in the Umapine area. He moves forward to describe the dairy his father operated, and how his family made it through the Great Depression. Next, he discusses his son Grant’s agricultural enterprises and describes the problems facing local farmers, including onion worms.