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Walker Farms records, 1945-1977

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Walker Farms (Athena, Or.)
Title
Walker Farms records
Dates
1945-1977 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.2 cubic feet, (3 document cases)
Collection Number
Coll 188
Summary
Records of an eastern Oregon farm, near Athena in Umatilla County, engaged in large-scale growing of wheat, oats, and peas from the 1940s to the 1960s.
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
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Historical Note

In Eastern Oregon during the post-World War II era, wheat and oats were cash crops that not only grew in abundance, but also sold readily on the world market. One of the successful farming ventures in the area was Walker Farms, in the Athena area in Umatilla County. The farm was financed by Emery Walker, a businessman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and managed by his partner and son-in-law, Herbert Whitacre.

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Content Description

Records of Walker Farms primarily consist of correspondence, particularly between Emery Walker and his business partner, Herbert Whitacre, and of financial documents, which relate to the farm, the financial holdings of Emery Walker and to his estate after his death, and to Walker's widow, Constance. The collection also includes a small number of brochures for agricultural and food processing equipment. The materials in the collection reflect the concerns of farmers with the ways crops can be ruined by weather, insect invasions, and low prices.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Walker Farms records, Coll 188, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series:

  • Series 1: Correspondence
  • Series 2: Financial records
  • Series 3: Printed matter

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Wauwatosa Historical Society, care of Charles Davis, April 2010 (Lib. Acc. 27089).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

  • Farms--Oregon--Umatilla County

Personal Names

  • Walker, Emery--Correspondence
  • Walker, Emery--Estate
  • Whitacre, Herbert--Correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Walker Farms (Athena, Or.)--Records and correspondence

Form or Genre Terms

  • correspondence
  • financial records
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