Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Oral history interview with Elston L. Ireland, 1980 November 21
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Ireland, Elston L. (Elston Longmoor), 1900-1986
- Title
- Oral history interview with Elston L. Ireland
- Dates
- 1980 November 211980-11-211980-11-21
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (59 min., 38 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 9244
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Elston L. Ireland conducted by Curtis Johnson on November 21, 1980, as part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project. Ireland was a restaurateur affiliated with a total of 14 restaurants in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, over the course of his career, including Ireland's Restaurant in Portland.
- 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
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Elston Longmoor Ireland was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1900. He moved to Oregon with his family in 1910 and attended high school in Pasadena, California. He attended the University of Oregon. In 1931, he and Mary C. Peattie were married; they later had two children. He was a restaurateur affiliated with a total of 14 restaurants in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, over the course of his career, including Ireland's Restaurant in Portland. He died in 1986.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Forms part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Handwritten index (2 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Elston L. Ireland was conducted by Curtis Johnson on November 21, 1980, at Ireland's home in Portland, Oregon. The interview was conducted as part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project, a series of interviews that Johnson conducted about the history of Portland drive-ins, with a particular emphasis on Tik-Tok and Yaw's Top Notch.
In this interview, Ireland discusses how he got involved in the restaurant business during his early life in Pasadena, California. He talks about opening and running restaurants serving toasted sandwiches, particularly Ireland's Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, and about competing with drive-in restaurants, particularly Yaw's Top Notch. He speaks about the popularity of hamburgers; discusses government regulation of restaurants; and talks about unionization. He closes the interview by discussing the effect of World War II on the restaurant business; using infrared light to cook sandwiches; and the cost of running a restaurant.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio is available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Elston L. Ireland, by Curtis Johnson, SR 9244, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cassette | ||
| 1 | Interview session 1 | 1980 November 21 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Drive-in restaurants--Oregon--Portland
- Restaurants--Oregon
- Restaurateurs--Oregon--Portland
Personal Names
- Ireland, Elston L. (Elston Longmoor), 1900-1986
Corporate Names
- Ireland's Restaurant (Portland, Or.)
- Yaw's Top Notch (Portland, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Johnson, Curtis (interviewer)
