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Oral history interview with Kirby Ross, 1979 December 20

Overview of the Collection

Interviewee
Ross, Kirby S. (Kirby Stewart), 1893-1984
Title
Oral history interview with Kirby Ross
Dates
1979 December 20
Quantity
.1 cubic feet, (2 audiocassettes (1 hr., 25 min., 52 sec.))
Collection Number
SR 18
Summary
Oral history interview with Kirby Ross conducted by Charles Pavlovich on December 20, 1979. Ross was awarded a Silver Star for his service in the U.S. Army in France and Germany during World War I.
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
Digitization funded by the James F. Miller Endowment.
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Biographical Note

Kirby Stewart Ross, also known as Kirby G. Ross, was born in Huntington, Oregon, in 1893. In 1899, his family relocated to Hood River, Oregon. In 1914, he moved to Portland from Hood River and joined the Oregon National Guard. He served on the U.S.-Mexico Border in 1916. He served in the U.S. Army in France and Germany during World War I, and was awarded a Silver Star. He attended Oregon State College. In 1921, he and Madeline Alice Nelson were married; they later had three children. He worked as a Multnomah County bridge operator, primarily on the Broadway Bridge, retiring in 1966. Ross died in 1984.

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Other Descriptive Information

Incomplete transcript (6 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Content Description

This oral history interview with Kirby Ross was conducted by Charles Pavlovich on December 20, 1979. Ross' son, Kenneth Nelson Ross, and a person identified only as Mr. Johnson were also present and occasionally contributed to the interview.

In this interview, Ross discusses his service in the U.S. Army in France and Germany during World War I, including capturing enemy soldiers, retrieving bodies of fallen Allied soldiers, and fighting in the trenches. He also talks about where he was during the signing of the armistice. He then talks about his civilian life and serving in the Oregon National Guard before the start of World War I, including being deployed to disrupt efforts by the International Workers of the World to unionize agricultural workers. He then revisits the topic of his service in the U.S. Army in France and Germany during World War I, and describes at length his experiences on the front lines. He closes the interview by discussing where to donate the oral history interview and related materials.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Oral history interview with Kirby Ross, by Charles Pavlovich, SR 18, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the estate of Kirby S. Ross. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

Kirby Ross papers, Mss 2688, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives, American

Personal Names

  • Ross, Kirby S. (Kirby Stewart), 1893-1984

Form or Genre Terms

  • interviews

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Pavlovich, Charles (interviewer)
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