Oral history interview with Frances S. Charlton and Mary H. Clair
Scope and Contents
This oral history interview with sisters Frances S. Charlton and Mary H. Clair was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on February 2, 1977, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library. In addition to the audio recording, a transcript of the interview is available.
In this interview, Charlton and Clair discuss their early life living with their grandparents in the King's Hill neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. They describe the house they lived in, talk about other families in the neighborhood, and discuss the manners and customs of wealthy people in early 20th-century Portland. They talk about spending summers in Ocean Beach, Washington, and winters in Santa Barbara, California. They also share their experiences during the 1918 flu pandemic. They talk about their education and lessons, about their leisure activities, and about businesses in the neighborhood.
Dates
- 1977 February 2
Creator
- Charlton, Frances S. (Frances Spaulding), 1905-1977 (Interviewee, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estates of Frances S. Charlton and Mary H. Clair. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Biographical note
Mary Helen Clair, nee Spaulding, was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1903. In 1925, she and Harry Cornelius Clair, Jr. were married; they later had three children. She died in 1986.
Biographical note
Frances Spaulding Charlton, nee Frances E. Spaulding, was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1905. She graduated from Mills College in Portland, Oregon. In 1930, she and David Barry Charlton were married; they later had four children. She served on the boards of the Women’s Convalescent Home and the Portland Mills College Alumnae. She died in 1977.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (48 min., 3 sec.) + transcript (42 pages))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Oral history interview with Frances S. Charlton and Mary H. Clair conducted by Charles Digregorio on February 2, 1977. Charlton and Clair were sisters who grew up in the King's Hill neighborhood in Southwest Portland, Oregon, in the early 20th century.
Existence and Location of Copies
- Charlton, Frances S. (Frances Spaulding), 1905-1977
- Clair, Mary H. (Mary Helen), 1903-1986
- King's Hill (Portland, Or.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
- Neighborhoods -- Oregon -- Portland
- Oral Histories
- Portland
- Sisters -- Oregon -- Portland
- Youth -- Oregon -- Portland -- Social life and customs
- interviews
- oral histories (literary genre)
Creator
- Charlton, Frances S. (Frances Spaulding), 1905-1977 (Interviewee, Person)
- Clair, Mary H. (Mary Helen), 1903-1986 (Interviewee, Person)
- Digregorio, Charles (Interviewer, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the oral history interview with Frances S. Charlton and Mary H. Clair
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Stroman
- Date
- 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
- Sponsor
- Digitization funded by the James F. Miller Endowment.
Revision Statements
- 2024-07-15: Record updated with completed transcript.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org