Archives West Finding Aid

This oral history interview with Donald W. McInnis was conducted by Mary Gorsline from August 25 to November 10, 1992. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on August 25, 1992, McInnis speaks at length about his family background and how they came to settle near Reedville, Oregon, including his parents' overland journey to the Pacific Northwest. He speaks in detail about driving oxen-drawn wagons. He talks about his early life on a homestead near Reedville, including the store his father ran, meeting his future wife, Julia Flint, and working at a feed mill. He describes the communities of Hazeldale and Reedville, including a story of a man who abused his horses; Chinese members of the community; and a lost cemetery. He also talks about the social life in those communities; Julia Flint's family background; and the wildlife in the Reedville area.

In the second interview session, conducted on November 10, 1992, McInnis discusses his father, Duncan Mullen McInnis, and his father's career as a police officer in Portland, his memories of the general store his father ran, and the fire that burned the store down. He shares more stories from his early life and talks about his education. He closes the interview by talking about using public transportation in the Portland area in the early 20th century, working on the family dairy farm in Ridgefield, Washington, and loading Fresno scrapers, a type of earthmoving machinery.