Oregon has a long history of farming and agriculture. Take a look at these amazing, bucolic photographs of Oregon farmland taken between 1936-1943. They’ll transport you to the past.
- Hood River Valley, 1941.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF347-070357-D Photo caption: “Orchards in Hood River Valley. Mount Hood in background. Oregon”
- A wagon in a cornfield, Ontario, 1943.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF33-013207 Photo caption: “Wagon of corn at cornhusking contest, Ontario, Oregon”
- A general farm in Benton County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ Library of Congress LC-USF34-020612 Photo caption: “Note on changing rurual life. On U.S. 99. Benton County, Oregon, Williamette Valley”
- Bean harvesters, Marion County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ Library of Congress LC-USF34-020495 Photo caption: “Oregon, Marion County, near West Stayton. Migrant pickers harvesting beans. Farm people came from South Dakota”
- Workers in a celery field, Malheur County, 1942.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF33-013309 Photo caption: “Malheur County, Oregon. Japanese-American girls washing celery sprouts for transplanting”
- Willamette Valley, 1941.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-070464 Photo caption: “Fall gardens and orchards. Willamette Valley, Clackamas County, Oregon. This section produces truck for the Portland area and some out of state export”
- Hop yard, Polk County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ Library of Congress LC-USF34-020631 Photo caption: “View of hop yard, pickers at work. Near Independence, Polk County, Oregon. "
- Tillamook County, 1941.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-070704 Photo caption: “View of prosperous dairying section. Tillamook County, Oregon”
- A man picking pears in Hood River, 1941.
Russell Lee /LC-USF347-013163-Q-D Photo Caption: “Pear picker. Hood River, Oregon”
- Dead Ox Flat, 1941.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-039030 Photo caption: “Ray Halstead making a turn while harrowing an irrigated field. He is a FSA (Farm Security Administration) rehabilitation borrower. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon”
- A boy and his pet goat, 1941.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-038973 Photo caption: “Son of Mr. Browning with his pet goat. Mr. Browning in a FSA (Farm Security Administration) rehabilitation borrower living at Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon”
- Sunset Valley, Malheur County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021486 Photo caption: “View of Sunset Valley, showing hay and clover, pasture land, corn land, grain land. Some of this valley has been under cultivation four or five years. Malheur County, Oregon”
- A sugar beet field near Ontario, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021328 Photo caption: “Loading truck in sugar beet field. Average wage of field worker: two dollars and fifty cents per day and dinner and supper during topping. Near Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon”
- An irrigation canal at Dead Ox Flat, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021278 Photo caption: “Irrigation canal and the preacher’s farm. These large haystacks are characteristic of the country at this period of development. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon”
- Umatilla Valley wheat fields, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021105 Photo caption: “Looking down the newly plowed wheat fields of the Umatilla Valley, Oregon. Thirteen miles south of Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon”
- A man harvesting red clover in Malheur County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021223 Photo Caption: “Mr. Roberts harvesting red clover on his forty acre farm. Malheur County, Oregon.”
- A bean field in Marion County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-020599 Photo caption: “Bean pickers at harvest time. Pickers in foreground came from South Dakota. Oregon, Marion County, near West Stayton”
- A cow and her calf in an open field in Madras, 1936.
Arthur Rothstein/ LC-USF34-004940 Photo caption: “Grazing land. Madras, Oregon”
- A couple picking sweet potatos in Morrow County, 1939.
Dorothea Lange/ LC-DIG-fsa-8b34934 Photo caption: “Couple digging their sweet potatoes in the fall. Irrigon, Morrow County, Oregon”
We want to give a big thanks to Yale University and the Library of Congress for archiving these photographs and making them available to the public. Amazing, aren’t they? Do you have memories of growing up on a farm? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments.
Russell Lee/ LC-USF347-070357-D
Photo caption: “Orchards in Hood River Valley. Mount Hood in background. Oregon”
Russell Lee/ LC-USF33-013207
Photo caption: “Wagon of corn at cornhusking contest, Ontario, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ Library of Congress LC-USF34-020612
Photo caption: “Note on changing rurual life. On U.S. 99. Benton County, Oregon, Williamette Valley”
Dorothea Lange/ Library of Congress LC-USF34-020495
Photo caption: “Oregon, Marion County, near West Stayton. Migrant pickers harvesting beans. Farm people came from South Dakota”
Russell Lee/ LC-USF33-013309
Photo caption: “Malheur County, Oregon. Japanese-American girls washing celery sprouts for transplanting”
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-070464
Photo caption: “Fall gardens and orchards. Willamette Valley, Clackamas County, Oregon. This section produces truck for the Portland area and some out of state export”
Dorothea Lange/ Library of Congress LC-USF34-020631
Photo caption: “View of hop yard, pickers at work. Near Independence, Polk County, Oregon. "
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-070704
Photo caption: “View of prosperous dairying section. Tillamook County, Oregon”
Russell Lee /LC-USF347-013163-Q-D
Photo Caption: “Pear picker. Hood River, Oregon”
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-039030
Photo caption: “Ray Halstead making a turn while harrowing an irrigated field. He is a FSA (Farm Security Administration) rehabilitation borrower. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon”
Russell Lee/ LC-USF34-038973
Photo caption: “Son of Mr. Browning with his pet goat. Mr. Browning in a FSA (Farm Security Administration) rehabilitation borrower living at Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021486
Photo caption: “View of Sunset Valley, showing hay and clover, pasture land, corn land, grain land. Some of this valley has been under cultivation four or five years. Malheur County, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021328
Photo caption: “Loading truck in sugar beet field. Average wage of field worker: two dollars and fifty cents per day and dinner and supper during topping. Near Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021278
Photo caption: “Irrigation canal and the preacher’s farm. These large haystacks are characteristic of the country at this period of development. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021105
Photo caption: “Looking down the newly plowed wheat fields of the Umatilla Valley, Oregon. Thirteen miles south of Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-021223
Photo Caption: “Mr. Roberts harvesting red clover on his forty acre farm. Malheur County, Oregon.”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-USF34-020599
Photo caption: “Bean pickers at harvest time. Pickers in foreground came from South Dakota. Oregon, Marion County, near West Stayton”
Arthur Rothstein/ LC-USF34-004940
Photo caption: “Grazing land. Madras, Oregon”
Dorothea Lange/ LC-DIG-fsa-8b34934
Photo caption: “Couple digging their sweet potatoes in the fall. Irrigon, Morrow County, Oregon”
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