April 4, 2019 Episode.

When we've spoken with our Yesterday's Voices guests, they all mention the many parades and community celebrations they enjoyed during their earlier life in Salem. What kiddo doesn't love a parade?  But these folks remember participating in many celebrations even as adults. Let's look at a few of the events that so many guests mentioned as part of their stories.

The circus coming to town was a more frequent occurrence than one might suspect. Each circus was heralded with a parade of performers and animals down the main streets of Salem. Both well known circus troupes like Barnam & Bailey and Sells-Floto, as well as many lesser known companies visited Salem.  In 1915, Buffalo Bill came to town as pat of the Sells-Floto Circus--quite a big deal for the times. Many of our guests told about being hired for the day by the circus to do simple tasks, allowing them an up-close and personal experience. The photos below from the archives at Willamette Heritage Center chronicle these exciting event through the years.

As the Cherry Capital of the World, Salem hosted many cherry-themed events: Cherry Fairs, Cherry Festivals, Cherryland Festivals. We've found photographs going back as early as 1908. These events were much anticipated annual events put on by various business groups until the Salem Cherrians officially took over in 1913. The last festival was in the late 1950's. The events often included a baby parade, a performing band, and a queen's coronation. ​ You can learn more about the Cherrians and their festivities by checking out this previous blogpost.

One of the largest and most encompassing celebrations in Salem's history is that which marked its Centennial in August 1940. The booster organization was called the Wiskerinoes, and the planning spread over several months. It was a multiple day affair, including such events as a contest to choose the official slogan, "From Wilderness to Wonderland," beard-growing contests, period costume seminars, and commemorative editions of the local newspapers. The event culminated with a Pioneer Parade and a large dramatic presentation at the Fairgrounds.  The call was put out for 2500 folks to participate in the pageant: 1000 children, 500 dancers, 500 singers, and 500 general characters including Indians, guides pioneers, ox drivers, riders and others. Special stages were constructed to showcase the drama; one scene planned would feature 750 dancers. After all, you only celebrate your Centennial once--go large or go home.

We would be so amiss if we did not mention one of the longest-running community events in our region, the Keizer Days/Keizerfest/Iris Festival. Beginning with children's parades organized in the 1940s by mothers in the Manbrin Gardens neighborhood of Keizer, the festive tradition evolved into the multiple-day event we know as the Iris Festival or Keizerfest. The first Keizer Days Parade down River Road was organized by the Keizer Commercial Club in June 1950. Over the years, festivities were added to complement the parade, becoming the Keizerfest in 1980. The parade today brings more than 25,000 folks to Keizer each year, and celebrates Keizer as the Iris Capital of the world! The Keizer Heritage Museum provided the following photographs from their collections.

Fond memories of the celebratory events in Salem's past, as well as real sorrow over the lack of such community-connecting events now, are repeatedly expressed by our Yesterday's Voices guests. Perhaps it is time to resurrect citywide events like these that strengthened the character of Salem and bonded its residents together. We would certainly benefit from such unity, and creating such strong memories for the youth of our area would certainly be another effective avenue for preserving and sharing Salem's historic legacy for future generations. 

March 21 & 28, 2019 Episodes.

Farming families have very deep roots that weave through foreign soils, float across vast seas, grow new communities wherever they land, and anchor future  generations. Family farms survive because they become a way of life for all the members, each totally invested in making the operation succeed in supporting the larger family. But what if a member of that farming family is not drawn to that way of life, one who chooses a different path? Such is the case with Matthew Kaser, now a fifth-generation farmer in eastern Marion County, whose heritage stretches from the southern Silverton hills north to the Marquam/Scotts Mills area. Matthew and his daughter, Salem City Councilor Sara Kaser, joined us to share the story of their family's agricultural legacy.​

The family farming tradition followed through the generations (although not always at the same location) from Fred, Sr., to  Fred, Jr. and Sarah Frauhiger, to Harvey W. and Edith Knight (who expanded the holdings), then to Fred D., III, and Carolyn Ruth Jeffery, and now to Matthew D. and Diane Smith, Cara's parents. The farm(s) grew grass seed, hops (especially around the World War I years, pigs, and now hazelnuts.  The original 10 Kaser children would further expand the family farming tradition throughout the Willamette Valley and into eastern Oregon. 

Although the original Kaser farm was sold in later years, Fred's grandson Harvey purchased land along Butte Creek near Marquam where Matthew still farms hazelnuts. Both Matthew and his father, Frederick Daniel, III, were reluctant farmers, initially pursuing other careers--engineering and electrical engineering, respectively, But those deep farming traditions come with deep obligations, and both men came back to the family farm to help out the older generation, both eventually returning to their full-time farming roots.  

Matthew Kaser has modernized the farming practices for his operation, a necessary reality to survive in the agricultural industry of today. Although still labor intensive at certain phases, he explained that farming today has become much more efficient, relying on science, technology, and marketing to produce the best crop outcomes, rather than just planting the traditional seeds and waiting to see how nature plays out. Matthew is able to operate his farm, Sublimity Hazelnuts, primarily by himself, employing laborers only during the pruning and harvest phases--totally unheard of in the times of his forefathers.

Although Cara does not plan to continue the family farm tradition, she  shared that she feels blessed to have spent so much time on the family farm, freely exploring the woods, rivers, and hills that she, too, came to know so well. Joining in with the work was expected and even somewhat enjoyed--she could lift 50-pound bags of grass seed as an early teen--and she was able to experience the cycle of life up close and personal. Matthew, a grand storyteller, shared several of his own memories of that freedom, and also the responsibility, that only kids on a farm get the chance to embrace. 

We are not privy to the succession plans for Matthew Kaser's farm, but we cannot help but to believe that those deep roots will yet again raise up another branch to continue the farming tradition that began so long ago with Fred & Bertha.