Oral history interview with Ellen B. Berry, 1977 March 28
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Berry, Ellen B. (Ellen Bowman), 1888-1980
- Title
- Oral history interview with Ellen B. Berry
- Dates
- 1977 March 281977-03-281977-03-28
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (30 min., 1 sec.) + transcript (14 pages))
- Collection Number
- SR 9544
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Ellen B. Berry conducted by Charles Digregorio on March 28, 1977. Berry discusses the life of her first husband, John Linden Bowman.
- 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 Note
Ellen Bowman Berry, nee Ellen E. Bates, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1888. She later worked as a music teacher in Grand Rapids. In 1913, she and John Linden Bowman were married. They moved to Portland, Oregon, and later had two children. After John Linden Bowman died in 1928, Ellen Bowman became the manager of his clothing business. In 1936, she remarried, to Frank J. Berry. The Berrys lived in Seattle, Washington, and St. Paul, Minnesota, before returning to Portland in 1956. Ellen B. Berry died in 1980.
Sources: Vital records in Ancestry.com; information provided by Berry in her interview; Berry's obituary in the Oregonian, December 28, 1980.
Content Description
This oral history interview with Ellen B. Berry was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on March 28, 1977, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library. Berry's daughter, Ellen Bowman Martin, and son-in-law, Samuel H. Martin, were also present. In addition to the audio recording of the interview, a transcript is available.
In this interview, Berry discusses the life of her first husband, John Linden Bowman, including their marriage, their family, and his death in 1928. She talks about Bowman's clothing business, which she later ran. She closes the interview by sharing memories of the area around the Arrah Wanna Hotel in Wemme, Oregon, which Bowman owned in the early 20th century.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
Audio and transcript available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Ellen B. Berry, by Charles Digregorio, SR 9544, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Ellen B. Berry. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Clothing trade--Northwest, Pacific--20th century
Personal Names
- Berry, Ellen B. (Ellen Bowman), 1888-1980
- Bowman, John L. (John Linden), 1868-1928
Corporate Names
- Arrah Wanna Hotel (Wemme, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
- oral histories (literary genre)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Digregorio, Charles (interviewer)
