Oral history interview with Leslie E. Poole, 1980 October 31
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Poole, Leslie E. (Leslie Erving), 1899-1987
- Title
- Oral history interview with Leslie E. Poole
- Dates
- 1980 October 311980-10-311980-10-31
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (2 audiocassettes (1 hr., 36 min., 32 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 9249
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Leslie E. Poole conducted by Curtis Johnson on October 31, 1980, as part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project. Poole was a structural engineer and worked on buildings for Fred Meyer Inc. and Bart's Drive-in in Portland, Oregon.
- Repository
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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.
Biographical Note
Leslie Erving Poole was born in Jamestown, Kansas, in 1899. He came to Oregon with his family when he was 2 years old. During World War I, he enlisted in the Navy. In 1922, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. In 1925, he and Lela G. Howitt were married; they later had one child. He worked on several buildings for Fred Meyer, Inc., and designed the building for Bart's Drive-in in Portland, Oregon. He died in 1987.
Other Descriptive Information
Forms part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project.
Other Descriptive Information
Handwritten index (3 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content Description
This oral history interview with Leslie E. Poole was conducted by Curtis Johnson on October 31, 1980, at Poole'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, Poole discusses his early life in Oregon and his experience in the U.S. Navy during World War I. He talks about his early career as a structural engineer for various construction companies in the Pacific Northwest. He discusses why he liked engineering and talks about working with different construction materials, including concrete and steel. He speaks about working with Fred Meyer Inc., and describes the techniques he used in designing buildings for the company. He then speaks at length about his design for Bart's Drive-in in Portland. He talks about his design process and closes the interview by sharing his experience getting his engineering license.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Leslie E. Poole, by Curtis Johnson, SR 9249, 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 Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
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Description: Interview session 1Dates: 1980 October 31Container: Cassette 1
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Description: Interview session 1Dates: 1980 October 31Container: Cassette 2
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Architecture--Oregon
- Drive-in restaurants--Oregon--Portland
- Restaurants--Oregon
- Structural engineering
Personal Names
- Poole, Leslie E. (Leslie Erving), 1899-1987
Corporate Names
- Bart's Drive-in (Portland, Or.)
- Fred Meyer, Inc.
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Johnson, Curtis (interviewer)
