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Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt, 1995 February 23-April 13
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Jernstedt, Ken (Kenneth Allen), 1917-2003
- Title
- Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt
- Dates
- 1995 February 23-April 13 (inclusive)1995-02-231995-04-13
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (19 audiocassettes (21 hr., 10 min., 21 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 1170
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt conducted by Clark Hansen from February 23-April 13, 1995, in Hood River, Oregon, as part of the Oregon Legislature Oral History Series. Jernstedt was an Oregon state representative and senator.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- This project is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Kenneth Allen Jernstedt was born in Yamhill County, Oregon, in 1917. He attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. In 1941, he joined the U.S. Marines air corps and trained as a marine aviator, but before deployment, he was recruited into the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, also known as the Flying Tigers. He married his first wife, Laura Elliot, in 1943, shortly after returning from the war. He returned to Oregon to raise his family in 1946 and purchased Hood River Bottling Works, which he ran for the next 25 years. Laura Jernstedt died in 1960, and he married in 1962, to Genevieve Weder Carl. He served as mayor of Hood River from 1959 to 1961, and again from 1980 to 1991. He was a Republican and represented Hood River in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1967 to 1968; Hood River and Wasco counties in the Oregon Senate from 1969 to 1984; and Sherman, Gilliam, Wasco, Jefferson, and Wheeler counties from 1985 to 1988. He died in 2003.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt was conducted by Clark Hansen from February 23 to April 13, 1995, in Hood River, Oregon. In this interview, Jernstedt describes his family background and early life on a farm in Yamhill, Oregon, including growing up during the Depression and his education at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. He also discusses his service during World War II, including his pilot training in the U.S. Marines aviation corps; joining the First American Volunteer Group and flying with the Flying Tigers for the Chinese Air Force; and his experience fighting against Japanese forces in China. He also talks about working as a test pilot after the war and meeting Charles Lindbergh. He then discusses returning to Oregon in 1946; purchasing Hood River Bottling Works; and his experiences as mayor of Hood River. Jernstedt also discusses his experiences in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1967 to 1968, including his campaign, party politics, and Monte Montgomery as speaker of the House. He then talks about his experiences in the Oregon Senate from 1969 to 1984, including legislation on taxation, particularly a sales tax; revisions to the criminal code; his objections to the 1971 Bottle Bill; liquor laws; and campaign finance. Other topics include prison labor, field burning, the expansion of the Capitol building, wage increases, elections, and the state's investments in apartheid South Africa. Jernstedt also speaks at length about Shree Bhagwan Rajneesh and his coming to the central Oregon town of Antelope in Jernstedt's legislative district. He also discusses working in the Senate with Ted Hallock, John D. Burns, Vic Atiyeh, Jason Boe, and John Kitzhaber. He also briefly talks about U.S. Senate Majority Leader Newt Gingrich.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Forms part of the Oregon Legislature Oral History Series.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright held by the Oregon Historical Society. Licensed under Creative Commons, BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Kenneth A. Jernstedt, by Clark Hansen, SR 1170, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Alternative Forms Available
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Cassette | ||
1 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 February 23 |
2 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 February 23 |
3 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 February 23 |
4 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 1 |
5 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 1 |
6 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 8 |
7 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 8 |
8 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 8 |
9 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 13 |
10 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 13 |
11 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 13 |
12 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 20 |
13 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 20 |
14 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 March 20 |
15 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 April 5 |
16 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 April 5 |
17 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 April 5 |
18 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 April 13 |
19 | Oral history interview with Ken Jernstedt | 1995 April 13 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Alcohol--Law and legislation--Oregon
- Campaign funds--Law and legislation--Oregon
- Convict labor--Law and legislation--Oregon
- Crime--Law and legislation--Oregon
- Farm life--Oregon
- Fighter pilots
- Hood River (Or.)
- Mayors--Oregon--Hood River
- Political Campaigns--Oregon
- Sales tax--Law and legislation--Oregon
- Taxation--Law and legislation--Oregon
- Test pilots
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Personal Names
- Atiyeh, Victor
- Boe, Jason, 1929-1990
- Burns, John D. (John David), 1936-
- Gingrich, Newt
- Hallock, Ted
- Jernstedt, Ken (Kenneth Allen), 1917-2003
- Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974
- Montgomery, Monte (Finis Ferman), 1924-2016
Corporate Names
- China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group
- Hood River Bottling Works (Hood River, Or.)
- Oregon. Legislative Assembly
- Republican Party (Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Hansen, Clark (interviewer)