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Walker Farms records

 Collection
Identifier: Coll 188

Scope and Contents

Records of Walker Farms primarily consist of correspondence, particularly between Emery Walker and his business partner, Herbert Whitacre, and of financial documents, which relate to the farm, the financial holdings of Emery Walker and to his estate after his death, and to Walker's widow, Constance. The collection also includes a small number of brochures for agricultural and food processing equipment. The materials in the collection reflect the concerns of farmers with the ways crops can be ruined by weather, insect invasions, and low prices.

Dates

  • Creation: 1945-1977

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Historical note

In Eastern Oregon during the post-World War II era, wheat and oats were cash crops that not only grew in abundance, but also sold readily on the world market. One of the successful farming ventures in the area was Walker Farms, in the Athena area in Umatilla County. The farm was financed by Emery Walker, a businessman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and managed by his partner and son-in-law, Herbert Whitacre.

Extent

1.2 Cubic Feet (3 document cases)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Records of an eastern Oregon farm, near Athena in Umatilla County, engaged in large-scale growing of wheat, oats, and peas from the 1940s to the 1960s.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series:

  1. Series 1: Correspondence
  2. Series 2: Financial records
  3. Series 3: Printed matter

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of the Wauwatosa Historical Society, care of Charles Davis, April 2010 (Lib. Acc. 27089).

Title
Guide to the Walker Farms records
Status
Completed
Author
Grace Hawes and Geoffrey B. Wexler
Date
2010; revised 2024
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.

Revision Statements

  • 2024-04-29: Minor revisions to conform to current standard and clarify some folder titles.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240