Document text
Acatsion 6.
i'VP.A. 'L. C.')PROJE61(
771
UNIT
Form -3
W/g
Date received
a
Consignment no.
:Shipped from
Label
Amount
‘,A
Title..
Collection (or Type)
Date /2/..2/98'.
Place of origin,.0_2d5Zake-2eZ
Project worker .42 -0 -pa.
Project editor
editor
Remarks
Form A Federal Writers' Project
Circumstances of Interview Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker
Address
Subject
Sara B. Wrenn
505 Elks Bldg., Portland, Oregon.
Early Songs and Ballads.
Date December 2, 1938.
Name and address of informant Mrs. Cora Jamerson
1917 Sff Third St, Portland, Oregon.
Date and time of interview December 2, 1938.
Place of interview 1917 SW Third Ave., Portland, Oregon.
Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant
Encountered her while seeking for Mrs. Merath, deoeased.
Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
Description of room, house, surroundings, etc. Apartment living room of small
apartment house, a wooden struoture in a "rundown" neighborhood. Fairly com-
fortable though crowded roam. A large kitchen adjoined.. The living room appeared
to be also the sleeping quarter, in the usual two -room apartment manner.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to -which the material refers).
Form B
Federal Writers' Project
Personal History of Informant Works Progress Administration
Name of worker
Andress
Subject
OREGON FOLKSIORE STUDIES
Sara B. Wrenn
505 Elks Building. Portland. Oregan.
Early Songs and Ballads.
Date December 5. 1938
Name and address of informant lire. Cora Jamerson
1917 SW Third Street, Pertland, Oregon.
Information obtained should supply the following facts:
1. Ancestry 6. Occupations and accomplishments with dates
2. Place and date of birth 7. Special skills and interests
3. Family 8. Community and religious activities
4. Places lived in, with dates 9. Description of informant
5. Education, with dates 10. Other points gained in interview
1. Scotch.
2. Kelso, Washington, 1871.
3. Daughter of John Ayers and Monterey Ann Havird Ayers.
4. Kelso, Washington, Forest Grove and Portland, Oregon.
5. Public school of Forest Grove.
6. Taught country public school when young. Later learned and followed
trade of dressmaking, a trade she still pursues. At present in charge
of apartment house where she lives.
7. None other than above.
8. No particular religious affiliations. Sang in choir when young.
9. Small, alert, gray-haired woman.
10. Mrs. Jamerson's father, John Ayers, was one of five brothers who originally
spelled their name Airs. Because of family trouble in settlement of father's
estate in Scotland the four brothers who came to America changed their name.
John Ayers, so his daughter said, built the first railroad bridges between
Portland and The Dalles, the first boat dock at Celilo, and the first bulkhead
(UseLtaAillp19ifiltIonsl 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
Name of worker
Address
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Sara B. Wrenn.
505 Elks Building, Portlsmd, Oregon
Date December 5, 1938
Subject
Early Songs and Ballads.
Name and address of informant Mrs. Cora Jeaterson
1917 SIT Third Street. Portland,
Text:
Oregon.
My father, John Ayers, when he came from California to Oregon in 1852,
worked for some time for Barlow of the Barlow Route. Mrs. Barlow after settle—
ment where they lived so long, what is now Barlow Station, was considered quite
the lady of the country roundabout. My mother was with her a lot. After Abraham
Lincoln's inauguration Mrs. Barlow pieced him a quilt of silk ribbon. There was
a wide border all around the quilt, and this border 11114 embroidered in red roses.
Mother helped her on it, and was always very proud of her share in the work.
Mother used to sing to us a lot, lullabys, old ballads and so on. One of
her favorites was 'The Drunkard's Dream.' My sister has a copy of that and I'll
write and get it for you. She had a lot of old lullabys and I think sister has
some of those too. Father played the violin and we used to sing together. Father
never approved of kissing games. There were two games we used to play. I don't
remember just how we played them, but the names were 'As the Mill Goes 'Round',
and 'Pop Goes the Weasel'. There was a big family of us in our youth --ten
altogether. My brother, John, who died October 12, 1937, was the inventor of
the cigar log boom, that could withstand almost any sort of high seas. The first
log raft got loose and was lost two months before being found and then it was all
there, not a log missing.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).
Form C Cont'd. -2-
Mother died last year, She was 91 years old. She looked young and
felt young clear up to the lest. She was married to father when she was 14
years old and he was thirty. Father died at the age of 63.
In going through some discarded papers of Mrs. McGrath in the base-
ment I found a letter apparently written by her and not sent, relating to
Bomar Davenport. I have no use for it and will give it to you. It is un-
signed.
(Copy of letter, original of which is in files).
"Dear Friends, Bessie and Jim:
Well here I am, writing to you for reference. There
VIVA a girl here who heard I was from Silverton and asked me
to give her some information about Homer Davenport. Seems
like Hamer was quite a hero amongst the Portland people. Well
I wrote down all I could think of when he was quite young, and
if you know anything I would be very grateful to you. We mover
knew much about him after his father sold the farm and moved to
Silverton.
At the time he came to our house he TIVA 8 or 10. Was on
the trade for chickens. We had one of the largest roosters I
ever seen, and Homer said he must have him, so my mother gave him
to Homer. He was a fighter, and he matched him up with another,
and presume they made a lot of fun. The poor boy was always hungry.
When my brother would see him coming he would say to mother, 'Here
Homer comes, get out your pie and doughnuts.' He was always drawing
pictures. Said to me, 'Adele, you have the talent, why don't you
study to paint?'
Form C Cont'd.
-3-
I would match him draw houses and go do them too,
so that is why I love to paint houses and trees. Be put
me next to it. I might have been 100 per cent artist if
I had studied it."
Form D
Extra Comment
Federal Writers' Project
Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker Sara Wrenn ,Date December 5, 1938
Address 505 Elks Building, Portlraud, arraign.'
Subject Early Songs and Ballads.
Name and address of informant Mrs. Cora Jamerson,
1917 SW Third Street. rprtland, Orftenn.
Comment:
Mrs. Jamerson was very cooperative and helpful, and celled up a number
of people over the telephone, trying to secure interview for me. She promised
to write her sister, who lives somewhere in Washington, for copies of the
lullabys and the close -to -a -hundred -year -old popular ballad of the Drunkard's
Dream.
She WWI unable to obtain any interviews, however, but did give the name
of Mr. Haberly, Third and Harrison Streets, who knows Silverton.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).