Document text
Triter/II UNIT
Accessional°.
W 9628
Date received
10/10/40
Consignment no.
1
Shipped from
Wash. Office
Label
Amount
8P.
WPA L. C. PROJNICT
Form ---3
Folklore collection (or Type)
Title Life and
Place of origin
Project worker EToward -Cora-tag
Project editor
folloren_pf_the_pld Aurora__
(ift<1.104,4A- nu'
PortikAde OregOIL
Keil Form k 2.
Although the house sets well back from the highway, on a slight rise, it
now has little frontyard; a strip about 20 feet deep runs before the house. Between
that and the road is a garden patch. At the front south corner of the tall structure
stands the most massive cherry tree I have ever seen, itself a landmark, possibly as
old as the house. It throws a dense shade. Shrubbery grows wildly in the north yard.
Other fruit trees stand about the home premises. A constant stream of water flaws
from beneath the small water tower at the back, pumped there by the water ram at
the foot of the slope to the south. Sheds and barns are spaced about the sprawling
irregular area.
The whole place is in general and sad disrepair and neglect. The owner's
sole interest in life seems to be in caring for his cultivated acreage, berries,
young orchard, and vilest lands, lying to the north and vest. These fields climb
the slope to the old Keil burial plot where the owner's parents and grandparents,
the founders of the town, lie buried.
Form B
Federal Writers' Project
Personal History of Informant Works Progress Administration
Name of worker
Address
Subject
OREGON FOIADRE STUDIES
Howard M. Corning
Date May 10, 1939
Life and Folkways of the Old Aurora Colo.y
Name and address of informant Elias Keil, Aurora, Oregon,
Infriaont,latained should supply thc, 'olL1-41n7, fa. 4s:
1. Anccstry 6. 0-:cupa-:f,.-s nd c,Lcc-nplishments with dates
2. flaos and date of birth 7, Spc:.ir. 3nLrlre,:ts
3. Forr.r.y 8, C=un. 5w1 ,-c7;r:::yu.5 activities
4. Plac,3,1 lived in, wihh dates 9,
5. Education, with dates 10. OtIlex poLlts gal:2ert in interviaff
1. Father, Frederick Keil, German parentage.
2. Aurora, Oregon, 1875.
3. Wife (deceased some years); has five children, all married, all living.
4. Always lived at Aurora.
5. Educated in local colony schools only.
6. Farming.
7. Musician. Pianist of some ability once but no longer playa. Played violin
at one time also.
8. Was a very young boy when Colony life was discontinued. Gradually lost interest
in religious activities although father once studied for ministry. Took some
part in community activities while wife lived, but not recently.
9. Is of spare, wiry build, about five feet ten inches tall. Be is smart, his skin
is deeply tanned and he wears a stubbly beard that suggests that he shaves
periodically only. The beard is mixed gray and black. His hair is nearly white
and slightly curly. The grime worked into his pores is only one evidence of the
thoroughness with which he has harmonized his life with his environment. His
movements are unhurried but decisive, at times even agile.
10. His life charts the passing of a tradition.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to which the material refers).
Form C Federal Writers/ Project
Text of Interview (Unedited) Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIRS
Name of worker Howard M. Corning Date May 10, 1939
Address 407 Elks Building, Portland, Oregon
Subject Life and Folkways of the Old Aurora Colony
Name and address of informant
Elias Keil, Aurora, Oregon
Text: (First interview)
No, this wasn't the old William Keil house; my father built this some
time in the 60's. Yes, my father was Frederick Keil, one of William's sons.
The lumber was all cut down at the mill on the millrace. That VCRS the second
mill. The first mill was a small up-and-down one, it stood right down on Mill
Creek. Sometimes when there was high water, in the winter or the spring the first
mill would be flooded so they couldn't work it. But that didn't happen very often.
There were a few times, I guess, when the water was too low for the saw to operate.
So they built the new mill. They built a dam back up over there to the south about
a half mile, and dug a mill -race from it down to the creek. That gave them plenty
of water force. The new mill set up too high to be under high water. Oh we had
some high water in the spring. You could take a rowboat from right in front of the
house here and boat clear over to the other side of town. That was nothing. We
did it lots of t imes. Water stood all over the low parts. But that never happens
now.
Those spokes in the banisters of the porch, you mean? They were turned
out down at the mill, just like the main pillars of the church were. They had a
turning lathe. It VAS run by a horse walking around in a circle. So were the
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).
Keil Form C 2.
porch pillars. They did some good work then.
The big mill "burned off" one night, some years ago.
That half-moon window in the side of the barn there? That's only one of
them; there's another on the south side. They were from the old Colony church,
when it was torn down. The two of them were over the front doors.
No, I don't seem to remember many of the old stories. There were things
happened, of course. We had some visitors. The old stage route from Portland to
Salem ran through here. There was where one of the old hotels stood see that
excavation over there? (He pointed several hundred yards to the south). A lot
of travelers stayed there. A good many more stopped in town after the railroad
came through (1873).
Things were lively during the time they were building the railroad. Most
of the work was done by the Irish red -bearded Irish. They were a noisy bunch,
always getting drunk, Saturday nights, especially. I remember once there was one
got pretty drunk and started yelling "There ain't no Dutchman can lick me." Well,
we had a teamster in town, a great big fellow. He stood this Irishman's bragging
for a while, then he went up to him and said, "See here, you better quit yellin'
so loud; somebody might hear you." But this Irish fellow kept on; "I'd like to
see the Dutchman can lick the Irish." Well, this teamster Schaefer was his
name he grabbed this red -bearded fellow around the shoulders like he was wrestling
with him, and laid him down on the mill platform, where they were standing. Schaefer
wasn't mad; just telling him to quiet down. That fellow just turned his head to one
side and sunk his teeth into Schaefer's arm. Right here in the muscle of the upper
part. That made Schaefer mad. Be just picked that Irishman up and threw him out
into the millrace. That quieted him down. He floundered out and never said another
word. There were a lot of people saw it happen and everybody laughed. I'll never
forget that Oh, I don't think of many stories like that.
Keil Form C 3.
About the work gangs on the railroads The Chinamen came in next; there were
quite a lot of them for awhile. After that there were a lot of Japs. No, not many
Italians, but Greeks. Only Americans work on the tracks now.
In the early years the wagon roads were kept up by the people owning property.
In the spring the men all got out and worked the roads.
But I missed most of the Colony life; I was five years old when it broke up.
I do remember the fine music we had; two of the best bands in Oregon. My father
belonged to one. He always said old John Ehlen was as good a musician as Finck
(Henry Conrad Finch). He may not have been any better but he was just as good.
We had festivals and picnics up in the park, and the band would play. To get there
you go up the gravel road to the house on the hill, then turn west. The park's pretty
much grown up now.
No, there were only three bells in the old church; not five. One was exhibited
at Portland a few years ago and is somewhere down town; I don't know where it's stored
now. It hung in the fire hall until they bought the siren. One of them is up here in
the school -house. The other hangs in a church at Sherwood, I believe.
You can photograph this house if you want to. SOMB people came out from the
Historical Society some years ago and measured it and everything. I live here alone
now, in this (south) side of the house. I had a family living in part of it for
awhile. But now people seem to like to live by themselves. In the old Colony days
there were several families to a house.
Yes, that's a water ram. It pumps half a gallon every minute. It's a
spring stream; comes from back up the ravine a short ways. It's good water. Sure,
it pumps clear up here.
(Text of second interview; obtained in lower field which the informant and a second
man were plowing with a tractor and a walking plow).
See, I intend to irrigate this piece down here. Most every other year there
Keil Form C 4.
has been enough overflow water from the tank above to keep it moist. But not this
year. I'll do SOMB troughing and run some ditches around and keep it watered. Yes,
the water -ram will pump it around.
Any more stories? Well, I don't know. Yes, I remember way back when Aurora
had an old soldiers' lodge. All the old soldiers belonged to it; you know, there
were American soldiers and some who had fought in foreign wars. All of them were
together. They would all get together on Decoration Day and on the Fourth of July.
One of them was my uncle (great uncle); he was the brother of my grandfather (Dr.
William Keil, founder of the colony). Oh, I think he came about the same time
in 1855, when the first settlers came across the country. He fought in the war
against Napoleon. Let's see, when was that? About 1812. That would make him 15
or 20 years older than his brother, I guess that was right.
Well, you know, they were all up at the park for the celebration one Fourth
of July; all these old soldiers, you know. And you know, my uncle was there and he'd
been drinking. He'd got just enough to talk big and strut around. He VAS all dressed
up, you know; had on his uniform and sabre and everything. Well, they were all talk-
ing, and my uncle he pulled out his sword and thrust it in the ground in front of
him, exclaiming "Well I fought Napoleon. I was in the wars and I fought Napoleon."
Well, he had his sword out and he wasn't very sober, so the rest of the old fellows
took hold of his arms, you know, and patted him on the back, and said, ”Yes, Henry,
you fought Napoleon." He put his sword back then.
Yes, I used to play the piano. I still have it up at the house. But they
don't play the good music now. They play "The Firefly" and "The Bumblebee", and
they're good. But Bennett wrote some pieces were just as good, but they don't
play him any now. I don't know why. The radio playsmostly noise.
Form D Federal Writers' Project
Extra Comment Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker
Address
Subject
Howard W. Corning ,Date May 10, 1939
407 Elks Building, Portland, Oregon
Life and Folkways of the Old Aurora Colony
Name and address of informant Elias Keil, Aurora, Oregon
Comment:
The informant talked with thoughtful composure, carefully, with little
sense of drama but also with little carelessness of speech. Be seems well
content with life, making few demands of it. We stood in the sunny south yard,
where he pointed out the landmarks and sites of a vanished life. To the south
and east the scattered structures of the village, many of them painted white,
as many more deeply weathered, sprawl in the bottomlands of the creek and of
Pudding River, and climb the surrounding slopes. Much of the acreage about is
cleared and cultivated, or lying fallow. There are scattered clumps of wood-
land. In this excessively dry spring the farmers are wondering if they will
have any crops at all to show for their early -season diligence. The informant
came back to this contingency several times as we talked. But his wants are
few and with only himself to look out for, he cannot expect to suffer greatly
from a lean year. As we talked a passenger train passed through the town, the
track nearly a half -mile from the Keil house; yet the engine's whistle blasted
against the hills with such force that the interviewer, who was speaking at the
moment, had to leave his sentence temporarily unfinished. The informant referred
me to yqlliam Kraus, living nearby, and to his sister, Mrs. Ehlen, at Canby.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).