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Alderman Farms Films, 1943-2001

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Alderman Farms.
Title
Alderman Farms Films
Dates
1943-2001 (inclusive)
1943-1955 (bulk)
Quantity
1 cubic foot, including 13 films and 11 videotapes, (1 box)
Collection Number
FV P 214
Summary
The Alderman Farms Films document the farming operations of the Alderman Farms, located near Dayton, Oregon, during the 1940s and 1950s.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

Alderman Farms had its beginning in 1847, when Albert Alderman settled, cleared and began farming a tract of land in Yamhill County. In 1893 one of Albert's sons, Ennis (1870-1939), began farming a small piece of land given to him by his father. In the 1920s, Ennis and his son, Urie (1898-1964), began expanding the farming operation. Urie, who attended Oregon Agricultural College from 1919-1921, experimented with new crops, constructed an on-farm frozen food plant and sawmill, and maintained his own airborne spraying operation. Alderman Farms peaked in the late 1950s, with at least 3100 acres under cultivation, as one of the largest row crop farms in Oregon. In addition to the primary farm in Yamhill County, Alderman Farms cultivated land in Benton, Linn, Marion, and Klamath Counties. After Urie's death in 1964, much of the Yamhill County farm was sold to the Carlton Nursery Company in 1971.

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Content Description

The Alderman Farm Films were made by Urie S. Alderman. The films are 16 mm, silent, Kodachrome color. Aspects of the farming operation filmed include planting, harvesting, and processing of corn, beans, strawberries, peaches, and potatoes; irrigation; barbecues and other social activities; logging and sawmill operations; political campaigning; and general farm views. Of special note is footage of Mexican migrant farm laborers. Duplicate videotapes in VHS and Betacam SP formats are part of the collection.

The manuscript materials include copies of newspaper clippings pertaining to farming operations, Urie S. Alderman, and L. S. Alderman, 1952-1965; a film list; and a copy of Last Harvest: The Story of Alderman Farms, published by Carlton Plants in 1996.

Digital video duplication masters and DVD use copies are available for all the films.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Alderman Farms Films (FV P 214), Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection consists of three series: I. Films, 1943-1950; II. Videotapes, 1996-2001; and III. Paper Records, 1952-1996.

Custodial History

The films, made by Urie S. Alderman, were maintained by the family until 1996.

Acquisition Information

The films were donated to the Archives in 1996 by Peggy Childs, Jack Shelburne, and Mary Ann Wiser (nieces and nephews of U.S. Alderman.)

Related Materials

Other films and videotapes pertaining to agriculture are located in the Agricultural Experiment Station Motion Picture Films (FV P 029); Agricultural Engineering Department Motion Picture Films (FV P 106); Experiment Station Communications Films (FV P 132); and Extension and Experiment Station Communications Moving Images (FV P 120).

The memoirs of Lewis R. Alderman, a long-time 4-H program extension agent and brother of Ennis Alderman, are located in the Extension Service Records (RG 111), Subgroup 4.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Series I: Films, 1943-1950

    13 reels

    Series I consists of 16 mm silent color film footage of farming operations at the Alderman Farms near Dayton, Oregon. The reels vary in length from 100 feet to 450 feet. All are stored on 3-inch cores; new leaders were applied in 2010.

    • Description: Reel 1: Potato harvest
      200 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 2: Cattle, travel, barbecue
      175 feet
      Dates: 1943
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 3: Water tower, garden, cattle train
      450 feet
      Dates: 1943
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 4: Barbecue, Mexican migrant workers show, Dean Johnson
      350 feet
      Dates: 1944
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 5: Corn, beans, barbecue, pump, bus travel
      300 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 6: Corn, helicopter, politics, employee cafeteria
      375 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 7: Aerial views, farm, sawmill, peaches, silo
      375 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 8: Sawmill, pump, cake, logging
      350 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 9: Stearman plane, bean planting, corn
      425 feet
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 10: Strawberries, planting, harvesting, packaging (processing plant)
      250 feet
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 11: Strawberries, water, hoeing, processing plant
      250 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 12: Beans, freezing (processing plant), garden
      100 feet
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: Reel 13: Stearman plane, bean planting, corn
      450 feet
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 1
  • Description: Series II: Videotapes
    11 videotapes

    Series II consists of videotape duplicates made from the original film reels. They include 9 VHS and 2 Betacam SP videotapes. One of the VHS videotapes includes all the reels; it was made in 1996. Seven videotapes include duplicates of individual reels (reels 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12); one VHS tapes includes reels 4 and 7. These 8 VHS videotapes were made in 1999. The Betacam SP videotapes include reels 1, 9-10, and 12. They were made in 2001.

    Dates: 1996-2001
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Series III: Paper Records

    Includes newspaper clippings pertaining to Alderman Farms, U.S. Alderman, and L.S. Alderman from 1952-1965; a film list; and Last Harvest: The Story of Alderman Farms, written by John Schmitz and published by Carlton Plants in 1996.

    Dates: 1952-1996
    Container: Box 1

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agriculture--Oregon.
  • Farm life--Oregon.
  • Field crops--Oregon.
  • Fruit--Harvesting--Oregon.
  • Logging--Oregon.
  • Migrant agricultural laborers--Oregon.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Silent films.
  • Videotapes.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Alderman, Urie S. (creator)
    • Schmitz, John. (creator)
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