Oral history interview with Katherine O'Neill
Scope and Contents
This oral history with Katherine O’Neill was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at O’Neill’s home in Portland, Oregon, on March 14, 1980. At the time of the interview, Dodds’ name was Linda S. Brody. Admiral John H. Besson, who was a cousin of O'Neill's, and several unidentified women were also present and contributed to the interview.
In this interview, O’Neill discusses Smith and Watson Iron Works in Portland, a business operated by her grandfather, Charles Smith. She talks about the sorts of items the business produced, including steam donkeys and parts for the Kaiser shipyards in Portland. She also talks about the Schnabel family home that later became the Multnomah County Hospital; the family’s ownership of the Congress Hotel and many of the hotel’s famous guests; and the legal career of her father, Charles J. Schnabel, including his 1921 murder by a disgruntled client. She closes the interview by talking about her early life and education in the King’s Hill neighborhood of Portland.
Dates
- 1980 March 14
Creator
- O'Neill, Katherine E. S. (Katherine Elizabeth Schnabel), 1899-1995 (Interviewee, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following license: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Biographical note
Katherine Elizabeth O'Neill, nee Schnabel, was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1899. She and Edward A. O’Neill were married around 1918; they later had one child. Katherine O’Neill was the daughter of prominent Portland lawyer Charles J. Schnabel, who was shot and killed in the Multnomah County Courthouse in 1921. She died in 1995.
Extent
.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette ( 1 hr., 3 min., 13 sec.))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Oral history interview with Katherine O'Neill conducted by Linda S. Dodds on March 14, 1980. O'Neill was the daughter of a prominent Portland, Oregon, attorney.
Existence and Location of Copies
General
Handwritten index (2 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
- Congress Hotel (Portland, Or.)
- Hotels -- Oregon -- Portland
- Ironwork -- Oregon
- Lawyers -- Oregon -- Portland
- Murder -- Oregon -- Portland
- O'Neill, Katherine E. S. (Katherine Elizabeth Schnabel), 1899-1995
- Oral Histories
- Oregon
- Schnabel, Charles Joseph, 1867-1921
- Smith and Watson Iron Works
- Smith, Charles E., 1839-1912
- interviews
Creator
- O'Neill, Katherine E. S. (Katherine Elizabeth Schnabel), 1899-1995 (Interviewee, Person)
- Dodds, Linda S. (Interviewer, Person)
- Besson, John H., Jr. (John Henry), 1912-2011 (Interviewee, Person)
- Title
- Guide to oral history interview with Katherine O'Neill
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Stroman
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
- Sponsor
- This project is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
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