671 Flagg, Christopher c. UO PDX LIBRARY RESERVES >rj HP 1985 r-< g; ALl-'.At02.7 1 O IN LIBRARY USE ONLY Q The Percy Giese farm. FINES: $3.00/hour overdue RETURN TO UO POX LIBRARY ,/ LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON L THE PERCY GIESE F~ A STUDY OF AN HISTORIC LANDSCAPE by CHRISTOPHER C. FLAGG A THESIS Presented to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program: tBistoric Preservation-' and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 1985 ii APPROVED, ~ i ~'dl Robert Z. Melnick r LLJILlllllllr ~ iii (s) Christopher C. Flagg iv An Abstract of the Thesis of Christopher C. Flagg for the degree of Master of Science in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Historic Preservat i on to be taken June 1985 Title: THE PERCY GIESE FARM: A STUDY OF AN HISTORIC LANDSCAPE Appmed, ~{iwt l ~Q'.. Robert Z. Melnick Places that evince distinguishing characteristics of an earlier period, or are associated with significant human activities, merit recognition and protection as historic or cultural landscapes. This study identifies the Percy Giese Farm as a historic landscape worthy of preservation. This claim is established by identifying the relationship between the farm's operation as a filbert orchard and the development of filbert cultivation as a regionally unique agricultural industry. The National Park Service's criteria for evaluating historic and cultural landscapes are utilized to determine the significance and integrity of the Giese Farm. Since one of the purposes of identifying historic and cultural resources is to protect them for future generations, a proposal for the farm's future management is an essential part of this study. This study was undertaken to assist the owners of the Giese Farm and the Gresham Historical Society in making informed decisions regarding the farm's future use and disposition. r ---- ------ --- ~ LLIILll!lallff VITA NAME OF AUTHOR: Christopher C. Flagg PLACE OF BIRTH: Mount Kisco, New York DATE OF BIRTH: May 26, 1956 UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Arizona University of Oregon DEGREES AWARDED: Bachelor of Arts, 1981, University of Oregon Master of Science, 1985, University of Oregon AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Ar chi tee ture Landscape Preservation Environmental Design PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Intern, Department of Housing and Community Conservation, City of Eugene, 1982. Field Architectural Historian, Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Montpelier, 1983. r L.L_llll___llallr ~ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my appreciation to Professors Philip Dole, Robert Melnick and Al Urquhart who served on my thesis committee. am especially grateful to Hazel and Harold Wogsberg who welcomed me into their home and shared with me their experiences on the Giese Farm. Thanks also to the members of the Lewis and Clark Chapter of the Questers for their financial assistance. Finally, many thanks to my friends who listened, provided comments and, most of all, accommodated my needs. r ---------- ---- , LLlll_--f: vii Dedicated to the memory of Joann Catherine Landgrebe :.,i1--------_I_J viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page ONE INTRODUCTION •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Notes •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• TWO THE CULTIVATION OF FILBERTS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Historical Overview.................................. 9 Major Producers of Filberts in the World............. 11 The Beginnings of Filbert Cultivation in the Pacific Northwest........ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 12 Characteristics of Early Filbert Orchards in the Willamette Valley............................. 17 Summary.............................................. 29 Notes.................... . ........................... 31 THREE THE PERCY GIESE FARM.................................... 33 Biographical Overview................................ 33 Description and Analysis of the Percy Giese Farm................................... 42 Summary................ . ............................. 58 Notes................................................ 62 FOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF THE PERCY GIESE FARM................................. 65 Basic Philosophy..................................... 65 A Proposal for Managing the Percy Giese Farm......... 67 Postscript........................................... 78 Notes................................................ 80 APPENDICES A. STATISTICS ON HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS................. 81 B. DATA PERTAINING TO THE PERCY GIESE FARM................. 88 C. STANDARDS AND RESOURCES FOR MANAGEMENT.................. 102 BIBLIOGRAPHY. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 104 ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1.1 Location of the Willamette Valley, Oregon and the Percy Giese Farm ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2.1 Filbert Orchard at Gresham, Oregon ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2.2 A Filbert Nut •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2.3 Two Methods of Laying-out an Orchard • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 2.4 Mechanical Methods of Harvesting and Maintaining a Filbert Orchard • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 28 3 .1 Location of the Giese, Hicks and Linnemann DLCs • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 3 .2 Surveyor's Map of the area encompassing the Giese DLC in 1855 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 37 3.3 Location of Cedarville and Causey Suburban Acres 40 3.4 View of Percy Giese I s Filbert Orchard circa 1920 41 3.5 Partitioning of Percy Giese' s Property 44 3. 6 Enlargement of 1935 Aerial Photograph Illustrating the Percy Giese Farm • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 45 3. 7 Enlargement of 1948 Aerial Photograph Illustrating the Percy Giese Farm • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 46 3. 8 Eolargemeot of 1982 Aerial Photograph Illustrating the Percy Giese Farm • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 7 3. 9 Site Plan of the Percy Giese Farm (1984) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 48 3.10 A Rejuvinated Filbert Tree • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 52 3.11 View of the Giese Farm (ca. 1965) • • •• • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 53 3 .12 Two Views of Percy Giese' s Farmhouse: ca. 1905 and 1984 • • • • 55 3.13 View of the Giese Farm (1984) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 57 3.14 Two Scenes from the Giese Farm: ca. 1935 and 1984 • • • • • • • • • 59 r - .. .- -- ---- -. , LLIILDRllr CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION It has often been noted that the history of ·a place is recorded in the laodscape. 1 People create places to accomodate their particular needs and interests, although physical and socioeconomic conditions influence the kinds of activities that are pursued in any one place at any one time. When a place retains the characteristics of an earlier period, enduring as a significant remnant of our heritage, it merits special recognition and protection as a historic or cultural landscape. This study identifies the Percy Giese Farm as a significant historic landscape worthy of preservation. The basis of the farm's historical significance is twofold. The Giese Farm comprises a pioneer filbert orchard, planted between 1906 and 19-10, whicn is associated with the founding of a regionally unique agricultural industry. The farm also exists as a remnant of the local community's agricultural heritage; as such, it satisfies an important human psychological need for environments which provide visual linkages with our past. Io order to fully comprehend the significance of the Giese Farm, it is necessary to unders taod the con text in which it developed. Thus in Chapter Two tne geographic limits of filbert cultivation are defined, ...........................: ·- :ll'_ ____I _J as well as the various conditions and circumstances which prompted an interest in cultivating filberts (also known as hazelnuts) specifically within the Willamette Valley, Oregon ( Figure 1.1). The physical characceristics of the region's early commercial filbert orchards are also identified in order to provide a basis for comparison with ·the Giese Farm. In addition to determining the farm's historical significance, it is also necessary to evaluate ics historical integrity. Thus, in Chapcer Three the history of the farm's physical development is ouclioed; the purpose of this is to ideocify the manner and extent of the changes that have occurred co the farm I s material components. The integrity of the Giese Farm can then be evaluated on the basis of known conditions and comparitive examples. Al though the retention of significant components and features is important, the character of the farm as a whole is of greater importance with regard to evaluating the 2 iocegrity of historic landscapes. Change is an ioevi table factor in any landscape. Plan ts grow, change shape and die; pathways become worn or overgrown depending upon the frequency of their use. Change, per se, is not necessarily damaging to a hiscoric landscape; what is damaging, however, is change which subscaocially alcers the visual character or significant features of a hiscoric landscape. The inevitability of change must be recognized when evaluating the integrity of hiscoric landscapes as well as during the process of developing a plan for Che site's future management. Thus, in Chapter I r- --- · ___ ·_ --- .. ~ LLIILIIIIIUr 01'-E;,'V (~ ""> ~cb 1- \" ~ 1'- \ ~.., .....q -~ MU LT/JO MAH C,OUfJTY Figure 1.1: Location of the Willamette Valley, Oregon, and the Percy Giese Farm I I - - -~ .. -- ~ ---- - . LLIIIL■- Four a proposal for managing the Giese Farm is presented which provides for the protection and maintenance of the farm 1 s visual character and significant features. Moreover, since the farm must be viewed within tne context of tne larger landscape system, this proposal also identifies a compatible contemporary use for the farm, thus maintaining ic as a fuocciooal component of the surrounding community. Within the last decade, the identification and preservation of historic and cultural landscapes has emerged as a major new concern among historic preservationists. As a result of this, the traditional purview of historic preservation, which focused almost exclusively oo individual buildings, structures and sites, has been expanded to include the full gamut of our historic and cultural inheritance. This expanded sense of purpose has brought with it a more holistic approach to the investigacioo, evaluation and protection of historic and cultural resources. Geographers have traditionally studied large-scale patterns of numan manipulation within the landscape. Their studies are significant tor historic preservationists because they serve to illustrate the dynamic relationship between human activities and natural forces; in so doing, they have ". • • forced us to appreciate and evaluate the common and ordinary places in the American landscape. 113 Places exist within both a geographic and historical context. This context is often different from the immediate context, or setting, in which a place is readily perceived. While the area immediately surrounding a historic site provides a setting wherein physical changes I I ~ • ·I •··· .• can be perceived, this context often does not provide an understanding as to the comp.I.ex web of factors -- political, social, economic or aesthetic -- which may influence a site's development. These factors must be identified through historical research. This is especially true in the case of the Giese Farm. Al though its immediate context serves to define the farm as a remnant of the community's agricultural heritage, the farm's association with the beginnings of commercial filbert cultivation in the Willamette Valley requires a broader contextual understanding. Thus, one of the first steps in defining the significance of a particular place is to define the full context wherein it developed. This study has greatly benefited from .the work done by a number of professionals within the fields of geography, architecture, history, 4 landscape architecture and planning. Their studies have contributed to this project in generally one of either two areas: studies directed toward revealing the dialectics of landscapes, the myraid of forces that have helped to shape landscapes and how these can be understood and investigated, and studies directed toward examining the issues of landscape preservation, the inherent differences between landscape preservation and building preservation as well as the different tools and approaches necessary to manage and protect a site's material components. Studies outlining methodologies for evaluating the significance and integrity of historic landscapes unite these two concerns of identification and preservation. This study has one additional purpose beyond that of identifying tne significance of the Giese Farm as a historic landscape. It is that by examining the Giese Farm as a place, as one piece of a larger landscape upon which human activities and events are recorded, I hope to dispel the myth that historic preservation is exclusively concerned with the safekeeping of precious objects and that the only way to preserve something is to pacly raising the temperature. This susceptibility to spoiling may account for the limited numt>er of mechanical dryers either developed or modified for drying filt>erts. The region's filbert industry developed through the concerted efforts of a few pioneering horticulturists. Growers such as A.A. Quarnberg, George and Ben F. Dorris and Percy Giese were all active during the first quarter of the 20th century; their orchards were largely experimental enterprises as the business of marketing filberts was largely undeveloped until the 1930s. Much of the current nursery steel< comes from the trees which were perfected by these pioneer growers. The earliest filbert orchards were generally in existance by 1920. They are distinguishable by their relatively small size (typically from three to six acres), a preponderance of broadly spaced intervals between plantings · (ranging from twenty to twenty-four feet) and a wiae range of different cultivars planted as pollenizers in conjunction with the Barcelona (as the main planting). Percy Giese' s orchard evinces each of these three major characteristics. The cultivation of filt>erts in the United States is limited to a relatively small part of western Oregon and Washington, with commercial production concentrated within Oregon's Willamette Valley. The history of this industry is a significant component of the Willamette Valley's hor ticultural nistory, which has performed an important role in the Va lley's settlement and economic development. ~c:__:_:•• ,,,,,. ....._ . -- - - 1 9 - ---·_LJ 1 30 The purpose of this chapter has been to acquaint the reader with the history and significance of filbert cultivation io the Willamette Valley, and to identify some of the more salient features and practices which distinguish early filbert orchards from their contemporary counterparts. The fact that these features are also found on the Percy Giese Farm, as will be illustrated in the following chapter, substantiates it as one of the Willamette Valley's pioneer filbert orchards. ::....::.:...:..::...c.:· '_,_. ' .:__:,..': ·---- - - -1 al~1 I r ---~· ·_·_ . ·-· .... LLIILIUIIII 31 1For a more extensive discussion on the habit and range of the different species of filberts see: Harry B. Lagerstedt, "Filberts", in Advances in Fruit Breeding, edited by Jules Janick and James N. Moore (west Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press, 1975), pp. 459-60. 2Ibid., p. 458. 3A. S. Fuller, The Nut Culturist (New York : Orange Judd Co., 1896), cited by Lagerstedt in "Filberts", p. 456. 4John Evlyn, Sylva (1664), cited by Claire Lowenfeld in Britian's Wild · Larder Nuts (London: Faber & Faber, 1957), p. 41. 5The history of plant breeding and selection is discussed in detail by U. P. Hedrick in A History of Horticulture in America to 1860 ( New York: Oxford University Press, 1950), pp. 431-66. 61.agerstedt, "Filberts", p 459, 461-5. 7There have been attempts at breeding cultivars from crosses of C. colurna and c. avellana; however, none have achi eved sufficient merit t o encourage plantings on a commercial scale . For a detailed discussion on the varieties and physical characteristics of these ioterspecific crosses see: Lagerstedt, "Filberts", pp. 477-8. 8A. J. Downing, The Fruit and Fruit Trees of America, 14th edition (New York: Wiley & Halsted, 1856), pp. 261-2; A. S. Fuller, The Nut Culturist . 9u. s. Department of Agriculture, Yearbook of Agriculture, 1937 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1937), pp. 839-40. lOFuller, The Nut Culturist, cited by George A. Dorris in "Filbert Growing in Oregon", in Proceedings of the Oregon State Horticultural Society, (Portland: Metropolitiao Printing Co., 1915), p. 3 7. Note: the botanical name Corylus Rostrata, which was used by Fuller and others to represent the beaked filbert, has been superceded by the name Corylus Cornuta; see Lagerstedt, "Filberts", p. 460, for a complete explaination. llLagerstedt, "Filberts", p. 472; Andrew Anderson Quarnberg, Filbert Growing in the Puget Sound Country • • • (Seattle: Puget Mill Co. , 1917), n.p •• 12carl E. Schuster, Filberts: O. A. C. Extension Station .Bulletin No. 208 (Corvallis: Oregon Agricultural College, 1924), P• 8. Sunsequenc reports were issued by Schuster under this same headi ng in ~.... . .- .. ....- ..- ....- _.- .- .. ---_-L-J l 1 . ·- ..... r:LLIIL- f: 32 1930 and 1937; see bibliography for complete listing . l3rbid., p. 38. Under the heading "Acknowledgements", Schuster wrote: "The writer wishes to express his appreciation to the following men who allowed the use of their orchards to carry on work for which the Experiment Station orchards were not fitted: George A. Dorris, John Forbes, A. A. Quarnberg, and Percy Giese". l4state Board of Horticulture, Tweotith Biennial Report (Salem, Oregon: State Printing Office, 1929), p. 7; Oregon's First Century of Farming ••• (Corvallis: Federal Cooperative Extension Service & Oregon State College, 1959), p. 25. Statistics on filberts were not ga thered by the U. S. Census of Agriculture until 1930. lSHomer A. Kruse, "The Filbert", in Seventeenth Biennial Report of the State Board of Horticulture (Salem, Oregon: State Printing Office, 1923), p. 212. 16Hedrick, History of Horticulture, p. 378. 17Fred A. Shannon, The Farmer's Last Frontier: Agriculture, 1860-1897 (New York: Harper & Row, 1968), pp. 262-7; James R. Cardwell, "Report of the President", in First Biennial Report of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture (Salem: State Printing Office, 1891), pp. 14-21. 1810 1924 Oregon State College sponsored the first state-wide conference on agricultural economics; this conference was followed by others which focused upon individual counties. The significance of the state-wide conference is discussed in detail in An Analysis of Oregon Agriculture (Corvallis: Oregon State College, 1946), pp. 53-6. 19 11current Filbert Problems", in Eighteenth Annual Report of the Oregon State Horticultural Society (Portland: Metropolitian Printing Co., 1926), p. 200. 20u. S. Census of Agriculture, Oregon: Preliminary Report (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1982), P• 3. 21These include: Ben F. Dorris, "Planting a Filbert Orchard", in Sixteenth Biennial Report of the State Board of Horticulture (Salem, Oregon: State Printing Office, 1921), 134-8; Jackson F. Jones, "Filberts", (Gresham, Oregon: typewritten, 1936); Schuster, Filberts: /1208; A. A. Quarnberg, Filbert Growing in the Puget Sound Country. 22schuster, Filberts: 1/208, p . 6. 23Dorris, "Current Filbert Problems", P• 208. 24quarnberg, "Filbert Culture in the County of Kent, England", in Twel th Annual Report of the Oregon Horticultural Society (Salem: Pacific Homestead, 1921), p. 50. . . .. . ..... -- ----------1 al- ~ 1 33 CHAPTER THREE THE PERCY GIESE FARM Biographical Overview Percy Giese was one of the Pacific Northwest I s pioneer filbert growers. He, along with other contemporaries such as A. A. Quarnberg and George A. Dorris, helped to create a successful filbert industry. Through personal study and experimentation, Percy Giese helped to identify viable pollenizers for use in conjunction with the Barcelona; thus, he contributed to improving filbert yields for all growers in the Pacific Northwest region. Like many of his contemporaries, Percy Giese cultivated filberts primarily as a hobby (albeit a hobby that paid off handsomely). He was also an amateur, but one who possessed a keen understanding of horticultural science. Unlike some of his colleagues, Percy Giese was not ostentatious; he worked diligently and with great perseverance, but without a concern for self-aggrandizement. In fact, his modesty is at least partially responsible for his relative obscurity among other pioneer filbert growers. Most of the information on Percy Giese' s activities as a filbert grower is contained within three references: C. E. Schuster's report on filberts published in 1924 (0. A. c. Bulletin Number 208), an extensive " . .. . ------- ---1 a __ll_LJ1 I r -----=-- ... rl.LIIL- 34 article on Percy Giese' s farm published in the Gresham Outlook (December 10, 1929) and an unpublished manuscript written by Jackson F. Jones (proprietor of Jones' Filbert Nursery in Gresham, Oregon) in 1936. A tew additional references are contained within trade journals (The Oregon Grower and the annual reports of the Western Nut Grower's Association). The enumerated returns of the U.S. Census of Population as well as the property deeds and tax assessor's records for Multnomah County provided supplemental information on Percy Giese's activities. This biographical overview is based primarily upon the information ga cnered from these resources. My investigation into Percy Giese's life focused upon answering three basic questions which underlie his involvement in cultivating filberts. These questions include determining when he established his filbert orchard, what (if any) technical training he received within the field of horticul cure and what contributions did he make to advance the filbert industry I s development. The following discussion offers some answers to these questions. Percy Giese was born to Elizabeth and Ernest Giese on July 5, 1853 at Portland, Oregon. The Giese' s came to Oregon from Louisville, Kentucky, only about one month before Percy's birth. While in Louisville, Ernest Giese owned and operated a tailor shop; however, he chose to abandon this in favor of a more healthful life farming in Oregon •1 Within a few months of their arrival, the Gieses settled a donation land claim (DLC) about twelve miles east of Portland, within . . . -- ---------·1 BI__IL___LJ1 r L--L~I-I--L---- ·-t ~ 35 the area that has become Gresham (Figure 3.1). Several settlers preceded the Gieses in establishing claims within this area; among these were Gerard and Eliza beth Unnemann and Laban Hicks, both of whom established claims in 1852. Ernest Giese and Gerard Linnemann had much in common, as they both emigrated from Germany and worked as tailors; according to a newspaper article (see Appendix 2), Unnemann helped Giese adjust to life as a farmer. The Gieses also developed a close association with Laban Hicks, who married Elizabeth Giese's sister, 2 Catherine, in 1854. It is tempting to speculate that this relationship was at least partially responsible for the establishment of Percy Giese's farm on Hicks' DLC. According to the enumerated returns of the U. S. Census of Population (for the years 1870 and 1880), Percy Giese resided at the family's homestead and, by 1880, was engaged in farming. In 1873, Percy was granted eighty acres of the family's DLC, consisting of roughly the southwestern one-quarter. 3 The manner and extent to which Percy farmed this land remains unknown. Some assumptions concerning the family's farming activities, however, can be made based upon the Coun-ty's general pattern of agricultural development. 4 The clearing of land dominated the activities of many settlers throughout the 1870s; according to the reports of the First Federal Survey, the area surrounding the Giese DLC consisted of burnt timber and dense fir and cedar forests (Figure 3.2). Witnin those areas that were cleared, the most commonly planted crops were hay, oats and potatoes. During the 1880s, increases occurred in 36 I ' " 3~l ·t,: ) t--E : ~:1 ,i_ """-'-~~-~··---·~. ' "' . .- ---~~}\f" ' -;~ ~~\;;;{; 1 t~ .. ·:-~- ·t··· 0J.' ·:1: \ · R, '. , ' r : }I -t I I O.ZO ------,:; , O 7_ __- t-t~+.+-- t:;~;::= 7:,• ..,z.!JO .> a 9tfo-~'hr1- . _ z Figure 3 .1: Loca tioa of the Giese, Hicks and Liaaemaaa DLCs. (Note: The blackened spot is the location of Percy Giese's Farm.) I i:i]___II___I_J ~ rLL_.._- 37 I I _____ :I; ---- - I •t,·~··,,.-f "--=- - •'Jo t )t J~ - I s.,u,•41'W 60.100 I I I er -~- " . - I -1-----ril" -- -~-~-- ---· ~1)5' --- - - : 1; (/ V :~~ I I I• 4 N • 'w. I : 4 80(0 ·t : --t:9------ ---- zr --- - ____ z; 80,ZO ,I too aoro .faro-~ 7.!J. B'-"'" T/,.,.,ber: ./'\ I I I A I : ,. _{<'_ ----- - _____2 ,_:'1'4 - - ----+--------- I Zj - - - - - --- j z'~ -- - - : :/ I - I I I I : .t ,t, I I I -~& I :'.: -,, \;t,· ~ W~.ST .,,o ,,,,,, 's. ,·.-..sw. -l -,l 8 (o I Or:;::-c i lj : I I , I I __,,,. d I I ftCO JJ I i.z ___ ____ _.,19_ _ __ - .J~ Figure 3.2: Surveyor's Map of the area encompassing the Giese DLC (ToWIJship 1 South, Range 3 East) in 1855 rLLJIIL- 38 the number of acres planted to hay and oats and in the value of market garden and orchard products sold; accordingly, the value of lumber products sold declined sharply during this same period. By the end of the century, the County's agricultural productions concentrated upon satisfying consumer markets in Portland. The farms closest to Portland tended to specialize in growing fruits and vegetables, while those farther away specialized in dairying, poultry or livestock. 5 Based upon the County's general pattern of agricultural development, by 1890 the Giese DLC probably consisted of a mixture of pasture, cropland (including orchards) and woodland. There exists at least one specific reference to the family's farm in a newspaper article, which mentions that: • • • [ Ernest Giese' s] apple orchard was the best in the county. No scale or pests bothered those early apples. • • Mr. Giese' s cider mill, press and cellar were quite famous. Orders for vinegar came from many Portland institutions. 6 Percy Giese' s interest and skill in horticulture may have developed as a result of his experiences growing up on the family's farm. Percy's brother, Arthur, also had an interest in horticulture; he was noted in the First Biennial Report of the State Board of 7 Horticulture (1891) for his success in growing walnuts. By 1900, Percy Giese established himself on his farm. A series of events occurred between 1889 and 1894 which appears to have precipitated the farm's establishment. In 1889, Percy sold his portion of the 8 family's DLC to a Thomas Ellingham for twelve hundred dollars; this sale occurred about three weeks after the death of Percy's eldest brother and may have been prompted by it. About two years later, - -- ----------1 1.:if ____lll_L_I 1 39 Percy's father died; one month after his father's death, Percy sold some property in which he is recorded as owning the southern half of Hicks 1 9 DLC. The proximity of these last two events strongly suggests that Percy inherited the southern half of Hicks' DLC following his father's death in 1891. It is unlikely, however, that Percy Giese actually resided on the farm before 1894. Throughout his life, Percy maintained very close ties with his family; he never traveled to any great extent and married relatively late in his life. Io all likelihood, Percy would have felt a greater sense of responsibility to his family following the deaths of his brother and father. Furthermore, the first evidence of Percy's involvement with the farm occurred in 1894, when a new house was built either by or for Percy Giese; his mother died in March of that same year. 10 These events and circumstances suggest that Percy Giese began to develop his farm in 1894. Between 1907 and 1909, Percy Giese was involved in numerous real estate transactions. Most of these involved sales of property; a few, however, were more extensive undertakings. By 1908 the Portland Traction Company had established an interurban railroad station at Linnemann Junction (near the site of the Giese family's original homestead); this was followed by the creation of two residential subdivisions, namely the ·community of Cedarville and Causey Suburban Acres. 11 Cedarville, a small community situated near the railroad station and within the extreme northern portion of the Giese DLC, was established by several members of the Giese family; the Causey 40 Suburban Acres tract, however, was developed solely by Percy Giese (Figure 3.3). Both developments may have provided Percy Giese with the capital to establish his filbert orchard, which he began sometime between 1906 and 1910. Figure 3. 3: · Location of Cedarville and Causey Suburban Acres; Two Suburban Developments Founded by Percy Giese in 1908. The establishment of Percy Giese's filbert orchard within the first decade of the 20th century is substantiated by three separate references. One of these consists of a photograph (Figure 3.4) with the caption "Filbert Grove, 11 Years Old - Percy Giese, Gresham, Oregon"; it accompanied an article entitled "Planting a Filbert Grove", which was wri tten by Ben Dorris and published in the Sixteenth Biennial Report of 12 the State Board of Horticulture in 1921. There is no mention of Giese or his orchard within the text of the article itself, however; such omissions are indicative of the fierce rivalry which existed among growers and nurserymen during the 1920s . -------- - -- :.,)1____11_LJ 41 Figure 3 .4: View of Percy Giese' s Filbert Orchard circa 1920 (west of the farmhouse, looking north?) Throughout the 1920s and, presumably, into the 1930s, Percy Giese was engaged io maiotaioiog aod operating his filbert orchard aod nursery. He was an active member of the Western Nut Grower's Association aod io 1922 delivered ao address entitled "Filbert Yields" at their annual meetiog. 13 By 1929, Percy Giese was acknowledged as ao authority oo cultivating filberts. Io a report published io the Gresham Outlook, which describes Giese's orchard and the practices that he recommended, the author confidently states: [Percy) Giese has worked and experimented for many years with the 20 varieties oo the place. His ranch has been a workshop where horticultural problems peculiar to the filbert growing industry have been solved for the benefit of all engaged io the work. Here he determined related truths and put them into practice years before the State Agricultural College covered the same ground. That is why his trees not only are sold over a wide range of territory but why his advice is sought as we11.14 Io addition to conducting his own experiments and assisting with ~· '...' ...... ------1 B ~1 I I f LLIIL- -.. 42 those of others (notably C. E. Schuster's study), Percy Giese provided the nursery stock for at least four filbert orchards within the vicinity 15 of Gresham. Nooe of these still exist; however, according to contemporaneous reports, these orchards were successful enterprises. Io 1933 Jackson F. Jones (proprietor of Jooes's Filbert Nursery) acquired an interest in Giese' s nursery. Jones credited Giese with being a very knowledgeable grower of filberts; he noted that Giese produced a strain of filberts that had a remarkably high capability for self-pollination and which regularly bore heavy yields of outs. 16 Presumably, Jones perpetuated Percy's filbert stock for several years arterwards in his own nursery and thereby contributed further to dissemioa ting cul ti vars which Percy Giese developed. Giese continued to reside on his farm until 1937, when he retired and moved into Gresham; he died three years later, at the age of 86. Percy Giese was actively engaged in cultivating filberts for about twenty years. His experiments focused upon identifying and developing polleoizers for the Barcelona as well as improving upon the Barcelona's own characteristics. The filbert industry has persistaotly striven to develop varieties that are capable self-pollioizers and copious yielders of nigh quality outs. The success of the region's filbert industry, which produced revenues of over eleven million dollars in 1982, attests to the skill and persistaoce of pioneer filbert growers like Percy Giese. Description and Analysis of the Percy Giese Farm The Percy Giese Farm, which is situated near the northwest corner ................... _. -· ---- --- ·1 :11,_ __ lll___L_j 1 43 of the southern half of Laban Hicks' DLC, encompassed about five acres. During the 1890s, Percy Giese owned over ninety acres, which consisted of the southern half of Hicks' DLC and a narrow strip of land lying between the Hicks and Giese DLCs. Percy sold most of this acreage between 1907 and 1909, at about the same time that he began to plant his filbert orchard. In 1920, he sold a relatively large tract of land which bordered his farm, thus reducing his holdings to approximately ten acres (Figure 3.5). Of this acreage, Percy developed only that portion east of the county road, which corresponds with the Giese Farm's historic boundries. By 1935, Percy Giese I s farm was well-established. The filbert orchard comprised nearly two-thirds (about three acres) of the farm's total area. According to a report in the Gresham Outlook written in 1929, Giese had about three hundred mature trees in his orchard and about three thousand two-year-old trees in his nursery. 17 A large part of the orchard was concentrated within the area south and west of the farmhouse (Figure 3.6; for comparison with later phases see figures 3.7 through 3.9); the nursery appears to have been located within the area east of the farmhouse and north of the barn. In addition to the farmhouse and barn, there were two other sizable structures on the Giese Farm. One of these, which was located south of the farmhouse and along the driveway, may have been Catherine Hicks' residence; 18 the other, located south of the barn along an extension of the driveway, still exists and may have been a workshop wherein Percy experimented with and developed new filbert cul tiv ars• ·~···· - .......... - ._ ......... ,. ...- - - -- i_ll__LJ 44 IMO lJ~30 oae& ~/ CAU:)EY lqJQ : ri 6UBURBAl-i : \ \ ACRE6 : i\----- 1 ~ I L - - 11 - - _ _ _ _ _ _ .J Figure 3.5: Partitioning of Percy Giese's Property: 1890, 1910 and 1920 ................................- ---- 1 ::1j1__ll___l_J 1 .,_._. . , .. -_-_. - ........ , . LLllll_lllllfr~ 45 7 I I _ _ J 6 C. A LE. (APPJZO X.) : ...C- i"= 80' 1 94; still exists) . molished c. 1940) , · molished 1977) 10 ; moved 1977; still exists) about five acres. About two-thirds of hin the area west and south of the north or east of the barn. an interest in Percy Giese' s nursery in y have been relocated by the time this jC.AL E (APPROX .) : 1935 Aerial Photograph he Percy Giese Farm ... ,.. ............................. · ---- 1 ::ll~i 45 Key: 7 I I _ _ J 6CA LE. (APPF-OX.J: ....--l 1"=80' l - Farmhouse (built io 1894; still exists) 2 - Residence (built ?; demolished c. 1940) 3 - Baro (built?; demolished 1977) 4 - Workshop (built c. 1910; moved 1977; still exists) The Giese Farm encompassed abou t five acres. About two-thirds of the orchard was concentrated within the area west aod south of the farmhouse; the nursery may have been located north or east of the barn. (Since Jacicsoo F. Joo es acquired ao interest io Percy Giese' s nursery io 1933, the nursery's operation ma y have been relocated by the time this pnotograph was taken.) jCALl:. (APPROX.\: /''= 400' Figure 3. 6: Enlargement o f 1935 Aerial Photograph Illustrating the Percy Giese Farm 46 a expaaded to about eighteen acres, the and a row of aacillary structures de of the workshop. Catherine Ann the time this photograph was takea. 6CAL E. (APPROX.): ~ - ' I" = 400' 1948 Aerial Photograph . e Percy Giese Farm .................... _. ... _. - ---~ aJ'___II_LJ 1 46 By 1948 the orchard had beeo expanded to a bout eighteen acres, the barn was converted to a residence and a row of ancillary structures flacked the driveway on either side of the workshop. Catherine Ann Hicks' residence was demolished by the time this photograph was taken. :>CALE. (APPROX.) : __,..... J Figure 3. 7: Eolargement of 1948 Aerial Photograph . I"= 40 0 ' Illustrating the Percy Giese Farm ~ LLJIIL~ l::l)I__II_LJ . 47 development encompassing a portion of Fully two and one-half acres of exists, which includes about two-thirds nants of former settlements and Farm. Note the rows of suburban development (within the of houses and along the southern elds and roads as well as former est of the Giese Farm are remnants r homesites belonging to the 5CA LI: (APP!'?-OX.) : ...,;- ' I" = 5 00 1 1982 Aerial Photogra ph · 1e Percy Giese Farm 1 ~..:.__;_;_ ' _. - --- -- -- - --- laJ1_ ___II__LJ 47 "Filbert Hill", a suburban development encompassing a portion of the Giese Farm, was developed in 1977. Fully two and one-half acres of tne farm's original extent still exists, which includes about two-thirds of the orchard's original area. There are also numerous remnants of former settlements and land-uses within the vicinity of the Giese Farm. Note the rows of filbert trees retained within the s uburban development (within the oackyards of tne central cluster of houses and along the southern boundry); also, the pattern of fields and roads as well as former homesites are still discernable (west of the Giese Farm are remnants trees and roads -- of three forme r homesites belonging to the descendents of the Giese family). :>CAlt (APP~OX.) ~ ' I" = 500' Figure 3. 8: Ea largemeot of 1982 Aerial Photograph · Illustrating t he Pe rcy Giese Farm I r _.. __ ..... -·_ _ . . ·- ··- ·- ~ LL_lll_- f I ,-- 48 i o ---~-o- -J oo o o e • lar I Coop/Studio 0 0 0 0 0 OPL s Trees 0 s Shrubs 0 0 00 a .n Trees and Shrubs 0 0 OOL H Holly ORC.j.jARl7 HT Hawthorne HYD Hydrangea 0 0 IVY English Ivy Q 0 JPL Japanese Plum L Lilac MAG Magnolia 0 0 0 p Pine (Mugho) PH Photinia PL Plum PR Pear 0 0 0 0 RH Rhododendron s Spruce SP Spirea 0 0 WE Weigel a 0 WI Wisteria WN Walnut y Yew 0 0 0 0 VIB Viburnum W>J 0 0 0 (0 0 0 - -- -- · - C,// he Percy Giese Farm (1984) ---- ~- ~ ---~ -- -~ Bl'~ 48 Key: Structures: I Farmhouse II Root Cellar III Garage IV Chicken Coop/Studio V Workshop Symbols: 0 Deciduous Trees 0* Deciduous Shrubs Evergreen Trees and Shrubs Lawn 0 AB Abelia H Holly AN Andromeda HT Hawthorne AP Apple HYD Hydrangea AR Arborvitae IVY English Ivy 0 AZ Azalia JPL Japanese Plum BB Beauty Bush L Lilac BLKB Blackberry MAG Magnolia 0 BLUE Blueberry p Pine (Mugho) BR Birch (Weeping) PH Photinia BOX Boxwood PL Plum CD Cedar PR Pear 0 0 0 0 CH Cherry RH Rhododendron CL Clerondendrum s Spruce CAM Camellia SP Spirea DW Dogwood OQ WE Weigel a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 FIG Fig WI Wisteria Of<.(,I..JAf

ert orchard is clearly the farm's most significant historical component. The orchard's existence and historical characteristics (such as its size, density and number of different cultivars) are essential to the farm's definition as a pioneer filbert orchard. Furthermore, the orchard is tangible evidence of Percy Giese' s skill as a horticulturist. During Giese' s tenure, the orchard encompassed about three acres. Of this area, most of the trees were located south and west of the farmhouse, extending south to the farm's driveway and west to the county road, Presently, the orchard encompasses almost two acres; much of it is concentrated within the area west of the farmhouse, bounded by the driveway and county road, Thus, approximately two-thirds of the orchard's original area still exists; furthermore, over ninety percent of the trees within this area were planted by Percy Giese, Only that portion of the orchard located along the farm's eastern boundry, encompassing about one acre, has been lost. _..... , ·- -- ---------~ -,__.__LJ 51 The orchard's design, which is based upon the square system with the trees spaced about twenty to twenty-four feet apart, also survives virtually intact. A few trees have been planted to replace those lost or severely damaged by storms and a few trees have developed on their own (with the help of birds and squirrels) along the orchard's 19 perimeter. These subsequent plantings generally conform to the orchard's established design. According to a report in the Gresham Outlook, 20 Giese had about twenty different varieties of filberts in his orchard and nursery. It is unlikely, however, that all twenty varieties proved worthy of commercial cultivation; as such, not all varieties would have been maintained. Among the filbert trees that remain, at least five 21 different varieties have been identified. Some of the less common varieties are Nottingham, Nonpareil and Clackamas; according to C. E. Schuster's report (which evaluated the effectiveness of pollenizers), Nottingham proved to be an effective pollenizer for Barcelona, while 22 Clackamas was well suited as a pollenizer for DuChilly. Within the extreme northeast corner of the farm there exists a small cluster of filbert trees that were planted during the orchard's expansion (between 1937 and 1945). The characteristics of this planting differs significantly from that of the rest of the orchard; the trees are planted much closer together, about twelve to fifteen feet apart, and almost all are Barcelonas. (The trees probably were planted closer together with the intention of removing some trees after they had used up their allotted space; however, this was never accomplished.) These .. . .. ---------- 1~ ,r L-L·- l.. l-l· l--_--- .·- · ·--f··• 52 characteristics exemplify the predominant system used in the orchard's expansion and typify the differences between early, more experimental, f ilbert orchards and those that were planted strictly as commercial enterprises. The existence of a large number of filbert trees that· were planted t>y Percy Giese is more important than their physical condition. The r eason for this is that an exact replica can be reproduced from the s uckers that a filbert throws out; in fact, it is possible to rejuvinate a n entire tree from little more than a stump (Figure 3.10). Furthermore, the primary significance of the trees pertains to their genetic characteristics and not their physical form. Figure 3.10: A Rejuvinated Filbert Tree on the Giese Farm I ... ..... .... .... ... . .. . . . - - ---;-i ai-----_LJ 1 53 Giese's filbert orchard continues to be a prominent feature in the landscape. Tne rows of trees distinguish the farm from its surroundings and its spatial characteristics identify it as a pioneer orchard. The orchard contains a large number of trees that Percy Giese planted, some of which Percy propagated in his own nursery. Each of the orchard's significant characteristics -- its extent, design and constituent parts -- remain sufficiently intact so as to reinforce the farm's historical in tegrity. Farmstead Percy Giese' s farmsteact2 3 consisted of a collection of buildings and spaces which supported the farm's operation and daily activities (Figure 3 .11). Some of these related d i rectly to the orchard's operation or maintenance, while others supported domestic functions or provided opportunities for recreation or aesthetic enjoyment . These buildings and spaces were developed and modified over an extended peri od of time; they are indicative of the changing needs and interests of the fa rm's proprietors. Figure 3.11: View of the Giese Farm from the Southwest (ca.1 965) L--L-I.I.- ·I·_L·__- .... , .. 54 During Giese' s tenure, the farmstead comprised two distinct a reas: a domestic area and a storage and work area. The farmhouse, s ituated near the center of the farm, dominated the domestic area; the s torage and worl< area, which was located behind the farmhouse and along t he farm's eastern boundry, ea compassed a barn and workshop. This separation of domestic functions from those related to the farm's business is characteristic of the spatial organization of many fa rmsteads within the Willamette Valley during the late 19th century. 24 The farmhouse is one of the more distinctive buildings oo the Giese Farm. It was built io 1894 io accordance with the principles of the late Queen Anoe style (Figure 3.12). Although the farmhouse has been altered, it still retains the basic form and proportions which distinguish its architectural style. Furthermore, the house's location upon a prominent hilltop and its distinctive red-colored roof, which were among its most noted features historically, also survives. The grounds surrounding the farmhouse are e x tensively landscaped; over thirty different kinds of trees and shrubs exist. Many of these were planted subsequent to Giese's tenure; however, a few are · large 25 enough co have been planted by Percy or his wife, Alida Culy Giese. Among these are a weeping birch, English holl y and fig trees; io addition, there is an assortment of roses planted around the house, some of which may have been planted by the Gieses. The arrangement of plantings and ancillary structures surrounding the f armhouse define and denote service yards, lawns and gardens• An old well, cistern and root cellar are located within the service yard 55 View of the Farmhouse, circa 1905 View of the Farmhouse, 1984 Figure 3, 12: Two Views of Percy Giese' s Farmhouse: ca. 1905 & 1984 r ____ . ------ ~ LLJILlllllllff 56 east of the farmhouse adjacent to the kitchen (and, formerly, the woodshed). A dense row of flowering trees and shrubs extend along the western flanks of the farmhouse creating a small garden alcove, while a broad expanse of lawn north of the house affords one with a panoramic vi ew of the valley below·. Collectively, these areas serve to define and distinguish this part of the farmstead from the surrounding orchard. The barn and workshop were simple, utilitarian structures s urrounded by open space to allow for easy access and maneuverability of s upplies and equipment. The driveway provided direct access to both s tructures and, presumably, the nursery as well. The orchard's expansion changed the character of this area somewhat; the workshop became one of three accessory structures flanking t he driveway on the south, and the barn was converted to a residence ( possibly for a caretaker) and secluded from the work area by rows of fi lbert trees. This area was altered again in 1977, in conjunction with t he developmemt of the residential subdivision. At this time, the workshop was moved (as well as a former chicken coop) about fifty feet t o its present location, and the remaining structures were demolished. Nevertheless, the workshop I s location along the driveway which led to the work area serves to reinforce the farmstead's original spatial organization. Furthermore, since the workshop is associated with Percy Giese' s experiments in breeding new filbert cul tiv ars, it is an important component of the farm's historical fabric. Thus, the farmstead contributes to the farm's overall definition by denoting the location and kind of activities which were a part of the 57 farm's daily life. The organization and embelishment of each area denote their relative rank and role; these, more than anything else on the farm, reveal the interests and aspirationns of those who have helped s hape the Percy Giese Farm. Farmsite and Context The Percy Giese Farm is situated upon the crest of a gently rising foothill about one-half mile southeast of the family's homestead (Figure 3 .13). The farmsite is an ideal location for a filbert orchard: the ground slopes gently downward and away from the site in all directions enabling excessive moisture and cold air to drain readily. Perhaps, too, the site provided Percy Giese with the opportunity to contemplate upon his life as he overlooked the family's homestead. Certainly Percy's selection of this site was fully intentional, for he had over ninety acres to choose from, most of which was equally suited to cultivating filberts. Figure 3.13: View of the Giese Farm from the West (19 84) -------------~ - 1__11___Lj _. . ___ ., .. - - ·___ . ·- ..... LLaL■llllr 58 Within tne vicinity of the Giese Farm there are numerous markers which reflect the area's history and settlement (Figure 3.14). The f ilbert trees that exist within the residential subdivision attest to t he orchara 's former extent and serve to explain the history of the name "Filbert Hill". There are place names, such as Cedarville and Linnemann J unction, which denote the area's former appearance and early settlers. The boundries of many DLCs within the area are also discernable, marked by roads and fences. In tensive farming, of the sort which once predominated throughout the area, still exists within the area southwest of the Giese Farm. Each of these markers helps to establish a historical context for the Giese Farm which defines the farm's position wi thin the history of the community's settlement and transformation. The Giese Farm has always been a distinctive feature in the lanascape. The rows of filbert trees not only define the farm's boundries, but also visually set the farm apart from its surroundings. This distinction persists in spite of the changes that have occurred wi thin the area; in fact, the contrast between the farm and the subdivision actually reinforces its distinction. In its present context, the farm is clearly a remnant which evinces the manner and ex tent of the area's transformation . Summary The Percy Giese Farm is a historic site which i s both locally and regionally significant . As a local innovator and disseminator of both ma terials and met nods of cultivating filberts, Percy Gi ese was .... , .............._ . ·----- 1-----_LJ r ·-- .... ·_·__ ·•· ... ~LLJIL■-i 59 Photo of Percy Giese in his Filbert Orchard, circa 1935. Similar Scene Taken from the Giese Farm in 1984. Figure 3.14: Two Scenes from the Giese Farm: circa 1935 and 1984. •••••••••h,_ --------~ liiiiil]----_LJ i r L-L- ..I..I ·L_·_- ......· 60 responsible for the establishment of several local filbert orchards. His experiments in developing, testing and breeding new filbert cultivars helped to advance the filbert industry's development tnroughout tne Willamette Valley. The filbert industry was certainly not founded by any one person; rather, it developed out of a consortium of entrepreneurs which included Percy Giese. The Percy Giese Farm is significant because it is the place where Percy Giese conducted his experiments. The orchard provides tangible evidence of Giese' s workmanship; the vitality and productiveness of the filoert trees attests to his skill as a horticulturist. The farmstead's various components, which survive from Giese' s tenure (notably the farmnouse and the worksnop), augment the orchard's significance by providing the context wherein he lived and worked. The farm is also significant because it is representative of the early style and method of establishing and maintaining a filbert orcnard. Tne farm's primary stylistic characteristics include its small size, broad spacing between trees and a diversity of different cul tiv ars. The coo tioua tioo of such practices as tilling the soil and harvesting the outs by hand (rather than mechanically) further dis tioguishes tne farm from the mechanized orchards of today. The historical integrity of the Giese Farm remains intact because a majority of its components, which distinguish it as the Giese Farm and a pioneer filbert orchard, also remain intact. Fully two-thirds of the orcnard' s original extent still survives; moreover, there exists a large number of trees which Percy Giese planted. The farm's bouodries are . . . --------- ::11__11.__L_J ~--·· ·_·__ ... 'LLJIL_- 61 much the same as they were during Giese' s tenure, delineated by rows of filbert trees or the driveway; the only exception is the farm's eastern boundry, which is now closer to the farmhouse. The farm's spatial organization, its clustering of buildings and s paces into related units, has also been maintained. Many of these buildings and spaces are original components; although many have been modified, they still serve io the same or a similar capacity. The integrity of the Giese Farm has also withstood the changes tnat have occurred within the surrounding landscape. This is largely due to the fact that the farm has served primarily as a residence; the orchard has operated primarily as a hobby which paid for itself and at times provided a secondary source of income. Because the farm has not had to compete on the same basis as other strictly commercial en terprises, it also has not had to adopt modern practices. The circumstances which have helped to preserve the farm no longer exist however, and a different approach is necessary if the farm is to be preserved into the future. -·--- -- -~ ---- - i___llL_.___L_l r -___ .. ---- .. tLLIIIL..U 62 1The reasons for Ernest aod Elizabeth Giese' s departure from Kentucky, as well as their trip to Oregon, is described io a newspaper a rticle (publication data missing) provided by Mrs. Jaoe Truman (Percy Giese' s great niece). The article is reproduced io its entirety io Appendix B. 2Labao Hicks died io 1857; Catherine Aoo Hicks remarried, but her second husband died shortly thereafter. Catherine Hicks resided oo t he southern half of Hicks' DLC until her death io 1872. The Giese family's genealogy was provided by Mrs. Jaoe Truman. 3Book W, pp. 69-70 of the Multnomah County Deeds aod Records (Portland, Oregon); see Appendix B for complete citation. 4oregoo Agricultural College aod U.S. Department of Agriculture, Reports of the Mul toomah County Agricultural Conference (Corvallis: Oregon Agricultural College, 1925), pp. 33-S. 5Duriog the first quarter of the 20th century, Gresham became the major agricultural clearinghouse for all of eastern Multnomah County. 6quoted from the newspaper article provided by Mrs. Jaoe Truman (publication data missing; reproduced in Appendix B). 7Heory E. Dosch, "Report of the Commissioner for the First District", in First Biennial Report of the State Board of Horticulture (Salem, Oregon: State Printing Office, 1891), pp. 66-68. The first dis trict included the counties of Multnomah, Clackamas, Yamhill, Washington, Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook. 8Book 123, p. 278 of the Multnomah County Deeds and Records (Portland, Oregon), dated 21 June 1889. Percy's eldest brother, Ernest G. Giese, died oo Juoe 3, 1889 at the age of 44. 9Book 156, p. 368 of the Multnomah County Deeds and Records (Portland, Oregon). This transaction involved the sale of about ten and one-half acres, consisting of a narrow strip of land located between Hicks' DLC and Giese' s DLC, to Christian F. Ruegg. Ruegg ~cquired the northern half of HiclCs' DLC from the "heirs of Laban Hicks in a sheriff's sale in 1881 (.Book 48, p. 52). Ernest and Elizabeth Giese bought the soutnero half of Hicks' DLC from Ca therioe A. Hicks io 1859 io a mandatory sale to pay off Hicks' debts; in 1860 the Giese' s conveyed this property back to Catherine A. Hicks under an agreement of indenture (Book c, p. 7). Presumably, ownership of the property reverted back to the Gieses following Catherine Hicks' death io 1872. 63 10Tax Assessor's Records (Microfiche), Mul toomah County Tax Assessors Office, Portland, Oregon. It has been suggested that Percy Giese built a small building (what I've referred to as "the workshop") t o live in while building his house. This seems illogical for two r easons. First, a house already ex isted within close proximity to where Percy built his house (presumably this was the house that Catherine Hicks lived in); second, the building's location and design is wholly incoosistant with what might be expected for that era. lluat of Cedarville: Book 414, p. 67 (May 14, 1908); Plat of t he Causey Suburban Acre Tracts: Book 440, p. 28 (September 29, 1908). The Portland Traction Company was granted a right of way by members of t he Giese family on January 8, 1906 . The location of the Giese family's homestead is noted in the newspaper article (publication data missing) provided by Mrs. Jane Truman and reproduced in Appendix 2. 12pp. 135-41. Since both George A. and Ben F. Dorris were working with C. E. Schuster of the State Agricultural Experiment Station a t the same time that this article was published, it is likely that they also knew of Percy Giese. No correspondence between the Dorrises and Giese has been found however. 13oregon Grower, 4 (November 1922): 6. Unfortunately, the minutes of this meeting are missing . 14 11Gresham Filbert Farm is Pioneer in Industry", Gresham Outlook, 10 December 1929, p. 2 . 15These include: H. w. Fritz's orchard, formerly located at the in tersection of Section Line and Strebin roads northeast of Gresham; C. N. Taylor's orchard, formerly located about one mile south of the Percy Giese Farm at the intersection of Pleasant View and Richey streets; the Nor thrup-Becker orchard, formerly located on Gresham Butte (also known as Walter's Hill); and Schuyler c. Jones ' (father o f Jackson F. Jones) orchard, formerly on the W. G. Cathey DLC. A portion of this last named orchard may still exist on the east side of Heiney Road south of the intersection with 19th Street. Gresham Outlook, 10 December 1929, P•. 2; and Jones, "Filberts", p. 10-11 . 16J. F. Jones, "Filberts", p. 9. 17"Gresham Filbert Farm is Pioneer in Industry", 10 December 1929, p. 2. 18The enumerated returns of the U. S. Census of Population for 1870 lists Catherine Hicks (as Catherine Aughter) as "keeping house" with a personal estate valued at nine hundred fifty dollars. --~ - -------- LL_IIII_- J: 64 19Harold and Hazel Wogsberg purchased twenty-five two-year-old trees on February 23, 1965 from the Sander Filbert Nursery at Dundee, Oregon; not all of these were planted within the orchard's original area. Information provided by the Wogsbergs during a taped interview in February 1983. 20 11Gresham Filbert Farm is Pioneer in Industry", 10 December 1929, p. 2. 21rhe Oregon State University Agricultural Extension Service i dentified the following varieties from a sample of outs gathered from t he- orchard: Nottingham, Fitzgerald, Nonpareil, DuChilly, Daviana, Pointed Barcelona, Clackamas and Willamette (Barcelona). Clackamas was developed in 1917 and Fitzgerald and Nonpareil were developed in 1936 (Lagerstedt, "Filberts", p. 462). 22schuster, Filberts, p. 4. 23rhe definition of the word "farmstead" as used herein corresponds with the definition provided by Glenn T. Trewartha, "Some Regional Characteristics of American Farmsteads" in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 38 (September 1948): 169-225. His definition, which appears on page 169, · is as follows: "The farmstead is the center of operations on an American farm. It contains the operator's residence; barns and sheds for the shelter of animals, the storage of feeds, and the protection of tools and machinery; together with adjoining feeding pens and yards, a home garden, and possibly an orchard." 24rhomas Vaughan and Virginia Guest Ferriday, editors, Space, Style and Structure: Building in Northwest America, 2 Vols. (Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 1974), 25percy Giese married Alida Culy on March 12, 1912; Gresham Outlook March 14 1912 p. 1. She was an avid gardener and a member of theGre;ham Garde~ Club: r: L-L---I-I·I ·L--------~ ~ 65 CHAPTER FOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF THE PERCY GIESE FARM Basic · Philosophy The physical environment is a vast historical and cultural montage. The impress of human activity is evident in vegetation and t opography as well as in buildings and structures. This impress is not i ndelible however, and preservationists are obliged to identify and protect their true character and importance for the benefit of future generations. Preservation does not require that a resource be removed from its setting or isolated from its environment in order to be protected. Some r ather sophisticated means of protecting resources within their contexts 1 exist; although, not all resources require their use. What is essential, however, is that any proposal for future management ensue fr om a clear understanding of the resource's significance and the impact that any activities might have on its historical integrity. One of the reasons for preserving things from our past is to provide people with visible and tangible reminders of our heritage. Environmental remnants can be especially poignant indices of the history of a place; they not only reveal previous land-use activities and pa tterns of settlement but also the manner, pace and extent of r LL.. __ _...I..I.I -_·_ -....... , :···-~-,-~ 66 subsequent changes within the surrounding area. Remnants achieve their affect through contrast and allusion; they are visually discrete and antiquated in comparison with their surroundings. Preservationists, among others, have come to recognize a basic human need for environments which reflect a historical continuum: environments which provide visual linkages with past cultures and events. It is what Peirce Lewis and others refer to as "a sense of place. 112 A sense of place is not something that can be reconstructed however, and Lewis admonishes us to identify places where it already exists and 11 • • • to nurture it when we find it. 113 A sense of place derives from an understanding of the particular history of a place, a history which is visible and determinable. It requires some sort of distinction, some characteristic which provides the viewer wich a semblance of the place's uniqueness. The distinction does not need to be especially spectacular, but it does need to be tangible and sufficiently intact to be recognizable. The Percy Giese Farm can provide the residents of "Filbert Hill" an d the surrounding community with a sense of place and historical con tinuum. The farm serves as a reminder of the community's former agricultural predominance as well as an indicator of its subsequent t ransformation. Moreover, the farm provides a visual reference point which bespeaks of the history of those filbert trees that remain within the yards of the surrounding residential district• The object of preservation is to protect and maintain at least those features and components which are essential to !;ustain the ...... -- .. . . '...~ -- .. . -- . - l af__ll__LJ 1 L"' L. . .. I~ I..L - ·_ -·.,' . ... . : :··· ·:-.. ·:: 67 character and integrity of a historic resource. Ideally, historic resources should l>e preserved as they exist (excluding, of course, conditions Which accelerate a resource's deterioration); however, since all materials have a finite lifespan, preservationists can only moderate the effects of time. The greatest cause of deterioration, however, is not time or the effects of weathering but irresponsible actions undertaken by people, including those who espouse preservation. 4 Those who are in charge of preserving a resource must review and evaluate the impact of any proposed treatment or action. "So far as may be possible, we should seel< to approximate the slower, steadier, more organic processes of change that shaped our settlements in the past. We should minimize our interventions in historic areas, if only to leave the maximum flexibility of choice to future generations. 115 A Proposal for Managing the Percy Giese Farm The reasons for preserving the Percy Giese Farm are twofold. As a remnant of the community's agricultural heritage, the farm serves to illustrate the character of the area's physical transformation. At a different level, the farm is a constituent part of the horticultural history of the Willamette Valley; the filbert orchard serves as a testimonial of Percy Giese' s contribution to the development of a new and regionally unique industry. Al though it is necessary to have prior Knowledge of the history of filbert cultivation to fully appreciate the Giese Farm I s regional significance, it is still possible to appreciate ~. ---~u·- ~ 68 the :farm simply as a remnant. Nevertheless, any proposal should be sensitive to the full extent of the farm's historical significance. The objectives of this proposal are to maintain the existing form ana integrity of the Percy Giese Farm by protecting it from adverse development and providing for a program of ongoing maintenance. Al tnougn this can be achieved by using a single land-use control, two measures are recommended, Foremost of these is a conservation easement, co be acquired by the Gresham Historical Society in consort with a State or regional organization experienced in managing historic or cultural resources. A cooperative management agreement between the Historical Society and the Parks Department of the City of Gresham could provide for a portion of the orchard's maintenance. The need for these measures, their general purpose and application are outlined below. Defining a Compatible Use Throughout the history of the Giese Farm, the filbert orchard has not functioned as the farm's economic mainstay. Large scale production and marketing of filberts within the Pacific Northwest did not occur until tne 1930s; moreover, the experimental nature of Percy Giese's orchard (as with other pioneer orchards) limited its commercial potential until relatively late in his career. Even after the farm was sold, tne farm I s subsequent owners continued to derive their income from sources independent of tne farm's operation, Although the City's zoning ordinance permits the continuation of existing agricultural operations, to operate the farm as a commercial r .. -- .... -. ·... ..... ,- :---~-'· , Ll_llll_■-f 69 enterprise is not feasible. The orchard is much too small to operate profitably, and tne filbert trees within the surrounding subdivision harbor pests which thwart any effort aimed at producing a marketable grade of outs. The orchard's functional obsolescence, however, is a charac teristic of its age and an indicator of its history. Providing for the orchard's maintenance is an essential requisite of any proposal that espouses to preserve the significance of the Giese Farm. Perpetuating the farm's usefulness as a private residence is clearly the simplest and most direct way to provide for its preservation. Such a use obviates any need to institute changes or modifica tioos to procure a con temporary usefulness. Furthermore, such a use is coosistaot with the area's designation as a low-density residential district. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that this use is less than the site's potential use whicn, according to the standards adopted in 1981, would permit the construction of twelve single-family 7 residences on the farm's two and one-half acres. Thus, there are two major issues relative to preserving the Giese Farm. The farm must be protected from the threat of suburban develo pment and a means must be devised to provide for the orchard's maintenance. Existing State and local programs designed to help preserve historic resources are ineffective in abating the threats that confront the Giese Farm; 8 therefore, additional controls are necessary in order to achieve the stated objectives• L~ _L,_._.,J_·__:I_.[.:____· -•• ••• ! :- _ ...., .• 70 Proposed Land-Use Controls A conservation easement provides a relatively simple and efficient means of controlling the farm's use and development. An easement coastitutes a partial interest in a property; it is a legal iastrument which grants specific rights to a persoa or organization other thaa the property's owner. The specific rights granted vary in accordance with the intent of the easement; however, once established the legal authority of aa easement coatinues in perpetuity regardless of aay subsequent changes in the property's ownership. A coaservation easement specifically designed to meet the needs of the Giese Farm must include three basic ingredients. Foremost among these is the right to develop (or not develop as is the case here) the property in accordance with local regulations (e.g., twelve single-family residences). In order to prevent inappropriate alterations to the farm's physical fabric, the easement should also stipulate that before undertaking any alterations or other kinds of actions that may impact the farm's historic fabric the property owner must ootain the approval of the holder of the easement. As with most easements, the holder must be guaranteed a reasonable right of access to tne property in order to perform periodic inspections, monitor activities and conduct repairs or maintenance if necessary. While easements can require that a property be maintained, those cnarged with the tasl< may lack the necessary skills to perform the job adequately. Since the filbert orchard is such an important part of the ...... _ .................. '..'.:'":~·••"- .. .:....'..._~ - 1__11.__LJ 71 Giese Farm, maintaining it is of special concern. A cooperative management agreement, which is essentially a contract, providing for the orchard's maintenance could augment the requirements stipulated in a conservation easement. The State's Agricultural Extension Service could provide the necessary technical advice for the City of Gresham's Department of Parks wnicn would perform the actual work to maintain the trees in a heal thy condition. The holder of the conservation easement should be permitted to enter into any such agreements as are necessary to insure the proper maintenance of the orchard. In Oregon, conservation easements may be acquired by any state agency, local government, park or recreational district, public corporation, political subdivision or non-profit organization having the purpose of protecting or enhancing historic sites. 9 The organization or agency nolding an easement is responsible for monitoring and ensuring its enforcement. This includes reviewing proposed changes as well as defending the easement's legitimacy in a court of law. Because of the comoined need for local monitoring and considerable technical skills (such as legal counsel and design review) and resources, it is often oeneficial for tne easement to be owned by a consortium of local, state or regional organizations which share a common interest in the property's preservation. lO In this proposal, the Gresham Historical Society would act as the local organization in charge of monitoring compliance with the conditions of tne easement. Other organizations could provide technical advice, such as commenting on the appropriateness of a proposed 72 treatment, and serve as a companion agency io the event of a legal challenge. Included io Appendix C is a listing of such organizations which might assist the Gresham Historical Society with developing and monitoring a conservation easement. Easements can be acquired through either donation or purchase. There are several ways in which a property owner may benefit from donating a conservation easement; a few of these are outlined below. The value of a conservation easement that is donated to a qualified organization or agency qualifies as a charitable contribution 11 f or the purpose of determining federal income or estate taxes. Many s tates, including Oregon, have provisions for assessing property that is encumbered with a conservation easement at its current use. The r estriction preventing a property's full development io accordance with generally applicable standards may result in a significant reduction in t he owner's annual propery tax bill. Furthermore, the restrictions that accompany a conservation easement may serve to enhance the property's a ppeal by assuring its uniqueness in comparison with other neighboring properties. Io those cases where a property owner cannot realize the full benefits of ao outright donation, the bargain sale offers an alternative approach. Io a bargain sale the owner agrees to sell an easement (or full title) at less than its full value. This approach effectively reduces the cost of acquiring ao easement while providing the seller with both a cash award and a charitable deduction (the value of the deduction being equal to the difference between the easement's full 73 assessed value and that of the sale price). The value of a conservation easement is highly variable. They have ranged from five to over ninety-five percent of a property's full assessed value. Io general, the value of an easement is considered to be the difference between the property's value with and without the encumbrances imposed by the easement. Qualified appraisers should be consulted to determine the impact of a conservation easement on the value of the Giese Farm prior to undertaking any efforts toward defining which approach to pursue. Standards and Guidelines As the holder of the conservation easement, the Gresham Historical Society will be required to review proposed alterations and other kinds of treatments that may impact the farm's historic fabric. The easement should stipulate specific procedures and standards for reviewing all such actions. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects provides standards and guidelines for evaluating the appropriateness of certain activities or treatments involving historic properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. (The general standards as well as the specific standards for preservation are listed in Appendix C.) These standards should be adopted as the basis for determining the appropriateness of any proposed treatment. While a few general rules apply to all resources, most treatments need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis• Applying these standards to specific issues is not easy. It -1---------_-_-- --_-_-___ i - __ -- ----- - --- . ·-· -...... LLIIILllllllli 74 requires a thorough knowledge of the resource's important physical cnaracteristics and how a proposed activity may effect this. A few examples may serve to illustrate the need to carefully consider the full effect of seemingly minor treatments. Consider, for example, the impact that would occur from paving the farm's driveway with asphalt. It would be an obvious intrusion upon the farm's visual appearance and inappropriate with its allusion to a rural, agricultural landscape. While the desire for a paved driveway may seem reasonable enough, the material chosen is wholly incongruous with the existing color, texture and character of the driveway. Substituting asphalt with some othet material which more closely approximates the color and texture of the existing gravel bed (such as concrete with an exposed aggregate finish) might be an acceptable solution. As a second example, consider the effect that would occur from a wholesale rejuvination of the old filbert trees, especially those within the area west of the farmhouse which are highly visible to passers-by. The visual clues which bespeak of the orchard's age would be destroyed. Uniformity in stages of growth is not characteristic of an old orchard wherein trees die, are damaged and replaced. Certainly the trees deserve the best possible care that is available, but a heavy-handed approach should be avoided. By contrast, included here is what I c.onsider to be an appropriate treatment to a potentially real concern. If maintenance of the filbert orchard is to be 1:eept within reasonable limits, assuming that the City will want to limit their involvement, it may be desisrable to --- ------~ -I__II____J_j 75 discontinue the practice of tilling the orchard's grounds and instead permit it to be maintained as a lawn. Certainly this activity has no historical basis, but its impact in comparison to the benefits acheived weigh in its favor. (Presumably, the owner would be responsible for periodically mowing the lawn.) Moreover, the effect of this action is entirely reversable; the lawn could easily be tilled several years later without harming the filbert trees. These three examples are intended to illustrate the range of variables that need to be considered in evaluating proposed actions. These actions involve both design considerations (e.g., the color, texture and character of an asphalt driveway) and maintenance activities (e.g., discontinuing the practice of tilling the orchard's grounds). Listed below are a series of specific guidelines which address the particular needs of the Giese Farm's major components. Filbert · Orchard The orchard's design, which is based upon the square system with t he trees spaced at intervals of twenty to twenty-four feet, must be maintained. There is one exception to this rule. Within the northeast corner of the farm the trees are spaced about fifteen feet apart; this in terval should be maintained within this area• The variety of each filbert tree (e.g., Barcelona, DuChilly and Nottingham) should be accurately determined and plotted on a site plan. In the event that a tree dies or is severely damaged, it should be replaced with another tree of the exact same variety. Io order to . . . . . ·- .... ·. ILL_llll_- f 76 iosure that a progeoy exists, cuttings should be propagated and deposited with the Northwest Germplasm Repository or maintaioed at some otner suitable location. Maintenance of the filbert trees should be performed regularly; this includes removing suckers, pruning out the old limbs and treating damaged or diseased parts. The practices employed should be of the highest standards currently available. No permanent structure or incongrous plantiogs should be permitted within the area devoted to the orchard. Incongruous plantings ioclude ornamental trees or shrubs and wild trees, shrubs or vines; it does oot include cover crops, lawn or existing fruit and nut trees. Farmstead The location and orientation of each buildiog should be maintained. Alterations to the farmhouse or workshop must not destroy the character of the building I s architectural style or impinge upon existing external circulation patterns or spatial relationships between othe r buildings or spaces. No new buildiogs or structures should be permitted to be constructed. The design and function of the various spaces surrounding the farmhouse should be maintained. This is especially important for the service yard, whicn includes a well, cistern and root cellar. The existing planting materials should be maintained; chaoges, however, are permissible provided that the new plantings are compatible with the visual character of other plants within the same area• ................. ............. ·.:. __ ~ -I~ - L_L_.__1 1..1 __. - ··-·· .. · 77 The buildings should be used in a manner appropriate or compatible with their current or historical use. Restoration or reconstruction should be based upon authenticated evidence; although neither are absolutely required. Any alteration should take precautions to protect adjoining features or elements which may be historically or architecturally significant, and should be fully documented with verbal descriptions and graphic representations. Alterations to the interior spaces of any building, except the worKsnop, are permissible provided that they do not negatively effect tne building's overall form, fenestration or structural integrity. Immediate stabilization and protective treatments are required to protect the workshop from further deterioration. These treatments include malting repairs to the building's foundation and structural members, making repairs to the building's envelope and taking security measures. Regular maintenance should be performed on all buildings. Conclusion The basic intent of this proposal is to protect the visual character of the Giese Farm. The includes the farm's individual elements -- trees, shrubs and other plantings, buildings and structures, walks and driveways --as well as their spatial relationships. These collectively contribute to the farm's overall historical appearance as a remnant of a rural, agricultural landscape• Through the use of relatively simple tools, it is entirely possible to perpetuate the usefulness of the Giese Farm and retain its ..............._ . ..... -- --- __ --~ - '__IIL____Lj 78 character as a historic landscape for many years to come. Nevertheless, these measures cannot be expected to preserve the Giese Farm forever; time will take its toll oo the farm's l iving elements no matter how much effort is taken to maintain them. By slowing the pace of the farm I s transformation• to one which more closely approximates the natural process of aging, we can pass along to future generations remnants from both our past as well as remnants from today. Postscript The duty of a historic preservationist is to identify and help to preserve elements of our cultural heritage. We pursue historical truth with dogged determinism, if only to justify what we intuitively sense. When the evidence fails to support our contentions, we can remain s teadfast and continue to seek ways to justify our belief or we can find s olace io the fact that we've discovered something that previously existed largely unrecognized. This study began with the hopeful pretense that it would prove a s omewhat popularly held notion. This notion concerned one of the buildings oo the Giese Farm; what I have referred to io the course of this study as "the workshop" was originally presented to me as "the Percy Giese pioneer cabin. 11 Io spite of my desire to accept this de termination off handedly, the historical evidence simply did not permit it. What the historical evidence did reveal, however, was the significance of the farm as one of the birthplaces of a regionally significant industry. r L-_L__I -I..:_L.:____-·. . ......· .. 79 To me, discovering the significance of the Giese Farm as a place has had far greater meaning and impact than I would have expected. It has revealed numerous nuances of cause and effect with regard to the physical development of our built environment. It has established connections in time and place that a singular structure rarely offer. Moreover, it has opened my eyes to the particularities of place. There is still a fundamental lesson to be learned from this study. It is that if we truly hope to discover our heritage, we must be willing to look at the whole of our surroundings. Moreover, although intuition can serve to benefit, we must let the evidence be our guide and work on perfecting our skills at identifying more ways to reveal historical evidence. 80 1For a review of a wide range of land-management strategies see: U. S. Department of the Interior, New Tools for Land · Protection: Ao Introductory Handbook (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1982) • Other, more detailed, studies include: Montana Land Reliance and the Land Trust Exchange, Private Options: Tools and · Concepts for Land Conservation (Covelo, California: Island Press, 1982); William Toner, Saving Farms and Farmland: A Community Guide, Planning Advisory Service Report Number 333 (Chicago: American Society of Planning Officials, 1978). 211Defining a Sense of Place", The Southern Quarterly 17 (Spring-Summer 1979): 24-46. 3 Ibid., p. 30 4Robert Utley examines the schism between principle and practice, and identifies four "urges" that conflict with the idea of preservation as stewardship; see: Robert M. Utley, "A Preservation Ideal", Historic Preservation, 28 (April-June 1976): 40-4. ---- 5Michael Middleton, "Perspective on Preservation" in Preservation: Toward and Ethic in the 1980s, Recommended Goals from a National Preseration Conference at Williamsburg, Virginia in March 1979 (Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1980), p.72. 6volume 2 of the Gresham City Development Plan states that it is the City's policy to acquire historic and cultural sites for inclusion in the City's park system. Although this policy seem overly ambitious, to utilize City services to protect community resources seems both justifiable and prudent. 7This figure was determined using the formula outlined in Section 2.0110 and 2.0112 of the City's Development Code. 8These include Oregon I s farm tax-deferral program, the 15 year property tax freeze available for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places and Gresham's Historic District Ordinance. 9oregon Revised Statute 271.715(2)a & b. lOFor a review of what is involved in establishing a conservation easement program see: National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Establishing an Easement Program", Information Sheet ~ (Washington, D.C.: By the Author, 1982). 11Ibid., pp. 5-6. rLLa_- 81 APPENDIX A STATISTICS ON HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS Number of Selective Classes of Fruit and Nuts Trees in California, Oregon and the Willamette Valley: 1890 1950 1890 California Oregon Willamette ValleI Apples 1,269,784 1,268,395 956,249 (75%) Apricots 1,442,749 856 50 Cherries 236,945 51,277 7,784 (84%) Peaches 2,669,843 ll5,244 22,956 (20%) Pears 695,738 74,816 57,299 (77%) Plums and Prunes 1,509,833 247,305 164,201 (66%) 1900 California Oregon Willamette Valley Apples 2,878,169 2,825,898 1,665,703 (59%) Apricots 4,244,384 10,869 1,796 Cherries 686,891 237,155 163,651 (69%) Peaches 7,472,393 281,716 67,294 (24%) Pears 2,512,890 374,165 226,876 (61%) Plums and Prunes 9,823,713 2,517,523 1,365,485 (54%) Walnuts 701,426 7,201 5,963 (83%) Note: California's yield for apples in 1899 was 3,488,208 bushels compared with Oregon's yield of 873,980 bushels. Presumably, many of Oregon's apple trees were old aod thus produced a small crop. 1910 Oregon Willamette Valley California (50%) Apples 2,482,762 2,029,913 1,013,697 461 Apricots 2,992,453 10,656 140,262 (63%) Cherries 522,304 223,456 273,162 65,947 (24%) Peaches 7,829,011 273,542 152,535 (56%) Pears 1,410,905 1,247,485 (71%) Plums and Prunes 7,168,705 1,764,896 9,526 7,893 (83%) Walnuts 853,237 . . ·- _. ~· -----~ - __II_LJ1 L~I_-I-II-_--_---- 82 Number of Selective Classes of Fruit and Nut Trees - Continued 1920 California Oregon Willamette Valley Apples 3,128,386 3,315,093 1,057,113 (32%) Apricots 3,688,217 3,922 not available Cherries not listed 395,073 248,740 (63%) Peaches 9,057,760 412,936 171,921 (42%) Pears 2,305,646 727,444 170,756 (23%) Plums and Prunes 8,768,436 2,999,480 2,235,419 (75%) Walnuts 1,274,434 88,686 84,582 (95%) Note: 1920 was the first Census in which a distinction was made between bearing and non-bearing trees; the figures listed for 1920 and thereafter represent the number of bearing trees. There were a significant number of non-bearing plum and prune trees (1,331,606) and non-bearing walnuts trees (93,214) recorded for Oregon in 1920. 1930 California Oregon Willamette Valley Apples 2,870,417 1,641,101 590,769 (36%) Apricots 5,585,496 27,649 1,474 Cherries 974,876 446,106 304,439 (68%) Peaches 10,222,215 222,001 ll8,283 (53%) Pears 5,644,227 1,005,188 186,559 (19%) Plums and Prunes 16,668,590 5,292,900 3,859,097 (73%) Walnuts 2,032,021 231,881 220,061 (95%) Hazelnuts 707 192,578 189,931 (99%) Hazelnuts were listed for the first time in the 1930 Census. 1940 California Oregon Willamette Valley 1,969,449 931,873 360,113 (39%) Apples Apricots 4,778,741 42,629 1,631 (65%) Cherries 954,677 714,676 461,391 Peaches 6,645,718 347,616 212,835 (61%) 4,203,134 1,078,847 174,688 (16%) Pears Plums and Prunes 12,915,324 3,580,434 2,737,777 (77%) 2,352,129 480,975 450,662 (94%) Walnuts (98%) Ha zelnuts 2,458 793,143 771,559 ,r LL--I-I-L-----&·-·-:· 83 Number of Selective Classes of Fruit and Nut Trees - Continued 1950 California Apples Oregon Willamette Valle;t: 1,635,986 Apricots 662,769 234,768 (35%) 3,348,873 Cherries 42,366 2,091 702,180 Peaches 749,024 446,322 7,672,067 (60%) 448,886 Pears 270,916 (60%) 3,902,328 1,208,222 Plums and Prunes 98,672 (8%) 9,998,135 2,142,249 Walnuts 1,622,912 (76%) 2,544,055 488,014 Hazelnuts 460,317 (94%) 2,173 1,706,369 1,691,495 (99%) .....,._.... ·_··• , ... ,._ .. ·.--_~__ ~ - -------~-- LLIII__- J: 84 1,760,000 1,540,000 nI~ 1,320,000 I \ 1,100,000 \ I 880,000 I I 440,000 I 220,000 1930 1 940 19 j 0 1960 1970 Total Number of Bearing Trees in Oregon: 1930 - 1970 (Source: U. S, Census of Agriculture) 85 3,200 ,00() 2,800,000 2,400,000 2,000,000 1,600 ,()00 / \ i \ 1,200,008 \ 800,000 \ Oregon 400,000 '.\'illamet tc \"al l ey 1390 1900 1910 1920 1930 194'1 19]0 Total Number of Bearing Trees in Oregon and the Willamette Valley, 1890 - 19 50 (Source: U. S. Census of Agriculture) 86 Plums and Prunes 5,200,000 4,550,000 3,900,000 3,250,000 2,600,000 Oregon 1,950,000 Willamette Valley 1,300,000 650,000 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 Total Number of Bearing Trees in Oregon and the Willamette Valley, 1890 - 1950 (Source: U, S. Census of Agriculture) ,r ···____:._.:_~i~ ........... ,. :··:-::--:::::-.: lL__lll__- (r 87 Quantity of Filberts Imported to the U. S • (in millions of pounds) L--~- I I I ! ! I I I I I I/ I I I I I I i I I I .L-+-+-- I I I I !/ I I I l I Ir---+-. I I I '{ I L L+--t-T I I 1' i I I I I I -,.._ rl-1.. I I I \I I I I l......._ r-1 I I i I I I 11 I I I ['.,_ I I I I I I I/ I I I I i I I I I I I ! ! I I I ! ! I I I r------L I I I I I I I I I 11 I I i I I I I 177-1 I I I I I ! I ! I 1-- I i i I I I i i I ~ I i I i I I I v I I V I I___.!---- : I i -- Source: USDA Agricultural Yearbook 1923 and 1935, and The Oregon Grower, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 12 (August 1920) H•---•--• -· .:._••_• .. ••_______.:.~~ :.,J--------_LJ - __ -=.._____:.: _:.__~ LLIIIL..Uf 88 APPENDIX B DATA PERTAINING TO THE PERCY GIESE FARM Real Estate Transactions Associated with the Development of the Percy Giese Farm May 24, 1859 Book B, p. 478. Graator: Catherine Ana Hicks, admx. Grantee: Ernest and Elizabeth Giese A forced sale to pay the debts of La baa Hicks deceased· pertaining to the southern one-half of the Laban Hi~ks DLC c~asistiag of eighty acres more or less, in consideration of $240. ' September 10, 1860 Book C, p. 7. Grantor: Ernest and Elizabeth Giese Grantee: Catherine Ana Hicks Ao indenture made in the sum of $250 to convey a certain piece or parcel of land known and described as follows: to wit, the south eighty acres of the land of the late Laban Hicks Land Claim Number 51, Section number 17 and South Range 3 east. April 14, 1873 Book W, p. 69-70 . Graator: Ernest and Elizabeth Giese Grantee: Percy Giese Eighty acres more or less being a part of the Ernest Giese DLC No. 71, notification No. 7055, being parts of sections 17, 18 and 19 in Township 1 South, Range 3 East bounded and described as follows: Beginning at the SW corner of the Ernest Gustavio Giese Farm, thence running west 18 chains 68 links, thence north 38 chains 57 links, thence east 28 chains 7 5 links, thence south 7 chains 82 links, thence west 10 chains 8 links, thence south 30 chains 75 links to point of beginning. June 21, 1889 Book 123, p. 278. Graator: Percy Giese Grantee: Thomas Ellingham In consideration of $1200, a certain piece of real land being a part of the Ernest Giese DLC ••• sections 17, 18 and 19 in Township South, Range 3 East ••• containing eighty acres more or less. (Same parcel as described in Book W, p. 69-70 with minor adjustments.) I ~ -.. ~ _LJ r LL--_-I-I-I_--_- ·-· ~. 89 Real Estate Transactions - Continued April 24, 1891 Book 156, p. 368. Grantor: Percy Giese Grantee: Christian F. Ruegg In consideration of $177, a certain piece of real land situated between the northern one-half of the Laban Hicks DLC and the eastern boundry of the Ernest Giese DLC containing ten and one-half acres, more or less. April 20, 1907 Boole 387, p. 239 Grantor: Percy Giese Grantee: H, Lampert A tract west of the county road and bordering on the Ernest Giese DLC. October 24, 1907 Book 405, p. 233 Grantor: Percy Giese Grantee: Margaret McAdam Tract of land lying between the eastern border of the Giese DLC and the county road, containing three and one-eigth acres, more or less. March 4, 1908 Book 415, p. 104 Grantor: Percy Giese Grantee: Earl Bort In consideration of $1135, a tract of land lying between the eastern border of the Ernest Giese DLC and the county road, containing seven and one-half acres, more or less, July 24, 1908 Book 425, p. 263 Grantee: Percy Giese Grantor: Elenor Fonseca In consideration of $300, Lot 1 of the Pleasant View Boulevard Acre Tracts, containing one acre more or less • ..... __ ._ _ . ····-~ ':IJ_II_LJ1 --- ------------- LLJILII-~ 90 Real Estate Transactions - Continued October 12, 1908 Book 436, p. 62 Gran tor: Percy Giese Grantee: George A. Davis Lot 18 of the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. April 6, 1909 Book 450, p. 251 Gran tor: Percy Giese Grantee: Burber Lot 25 of the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. April 6, 1909 Book 450, p. 250 Gran tor: Percy Giese Grantee: Sievers Lot 16 of the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. July 2, 1909 BooK 462, p. 250. Gran tor: Percy Giese Grantee: Simmonds A lot in the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. February 2, 1910 Book 486, p. 216. Grantor: Percy Giese Grantee: Weber, et. al. In consideration of $650, lots 11, 12, 13, 2 7 through 30 of the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. February 5, 1910 BooK 482, p. 160. Gran tor: Percy Giese Grantee: Simmonds Lots 14 and 15 of the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. - - - --- ---- - - _____II__I_j ------ LLIII_- 91 Real Estate Transactions - Continued February 7, 1910 Book 485, p. 250. Granter: Percy Giese Grantee: Gangloff Lots 3 through 10 of the Causey Suburban Acres Tract. June 14, 1910 Book 503, p. 46. Gran tor: Percy Giese Gran tee: F. G. Miller In consideration of $1200, a tract of land lying between the eastern boundry of the Ernest Giese DLC and the county road, containing three and five-eights acres more or less. May 14, 1920 Book 735, p. 375-6. Gran tor: Percy Giese Grantee: Joseph H. and Clara Y. Gorbea Io consideration of $4,335, a certain piece of real property described as follows: to wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of a tract of land known and recorded as the Causey Suburban Acre Tract, the same being a part of the Laban Hicks DLC situated in section 17, township 1 South, range 3 East, thence north 21 rods; thence east 39 rods; thence north to the north line of the Percy Giese farm, the same being the south line of the C.F. Ruegg farm, thence east to the intersection with the east line of the said Laban Hicks DLC, thence south tracing said line to the northeast corner of the said Causey Suburban Acre Tract, thence west tracing the north line of said Causey Suburban Acre Tract to place of beginning, the above described parcel of land containing nineteen and one-half acres more or less. -- - -------- _a___a_J _ .. _··.:__:.._ .•., ,.::···-!"--:-":· LLIIII_- 92 Real Estate Transactions - Continued August 6, 1937 Book 411, p. 42. Gran tors: Frank and Edith Brickell, and Percy and Alida Giese Grantee: Bruce H. and Ruby A. Dirks In consideration of $10, ••• beginning at a point in the East line of the County Road, said point being the northwest corner of tract platted as Causey Suburban Acre Tracts in s ection 17, Township 1 South, Range 3 East; thence northerly along the east line of county road to the north line of the Percy Giese farm, the same being the south line of the C.F. Ruegg farm, thence easterly t o intersection with the east line of Laban Hicks DLC, thence south tracing said line to the northeast corner of said Causey Suburban Acre Tracts to the place of beginning, containing twenty-four acres, more or less. April 11, 1945 Book 923, p. 82. Grantor: Ruby Dirks Grantee: John and Gertrude Wicks Same property as described above. r --- ----------=---.:: ~LLIILllllllf 93 Aerial Photograph taken in 1935 illustrating the Percy Giese Farm. Source: u. S. Army Air Corp, Columbia River Project ------------ LLIIL- f 94 Aerial Photograph taken in 1948 illustrating the Percy Giese Farm. Source: U. S. Soil and Conservation Service --~__:_.__:-_ ., ·•· ::···:-.. !"": lLJIL1 1111111/ 95 Aerial Photograph taken in 1955 illustrating the Percy Giese Farm. Source: U. S. Soil and Conservation Service ---~-- ·- .. , . LLIILIIIDII 96 Aerial Photograph taken in 1963 illustrating the Percy Giese Farm. Source: U. S. Soil and Conservation Service -~- LLIII_- 97 Aerial Photograph taken in 1970 illustrating the Percy Giese Farm. Source: U. S. Soil and Conservation Service r ----- t LL_III_- 98 Aerial Photograph taken in 1982 illustrating the Percy Giese Farm. Source: WAC Corporation (Eugene, Oregon) - ------ LLIIL- 99 The following is the text of a newspaper article provided by Mrs. Jane Truman of Gresnam, Oregon (March 1984). "Gieses Have Been Here Since 18S3" Determination will carry a person far. Without it John Henry Ernest Giese, a "tenderfoot", would never have wrested health and happiness from the wilds of the uncharted Oregon woods. His will power and the trust of his good wife, Eliza Jane Ryer Giese, brought them tnrough sorrows and hardships to that goal. Born in Hamburg in 181S, Ernest Giese came to New York when a young man. There he plied his tailor's needle and married Miss Ryer, a fine seamstress, born and raised in the city and unused to any other life. The young couple moved to Louisville, Kentucky where they established themselves in a tailor shop. All went well until the husband's health failed and he was forced to seek employment less confining. Selling his business, he left Louisville with his wife and tnree small children early in 18S3. The plan was to go to Oregon territory and become a farmer. But the prarire schooner trip was not to be considered. The family physician would not consent to it. So the Gieses were traveling over the Baltomore [sic] & Ohio railroad from Kentucky to New York where they would take passage on a vessel bound for Panama. Their heavy luggage, together with an ax, a spade and a plow, was sent around the Horn. Misfortune soon overtook them. As their train climbed through the Alleghaoies the car in which they rode left the track and was precipitated into a rocky canyon. They were all terribly injured and one small daughter was killed. The baggage cars also were demolished, so they were without trunks. The mother showed great heroism. Severely lacerated and • • • • • • after the railroad company had replaced some of the lost baggage they continued to New York and sailed for Panama. The trip across the Isthumus was thrilliog--partly by rail, partly on mules. The children made the trip in the arms of natives. Followed then the rough coast voyage to San Francisco where a new gold exci temeo t oeclconed all comers to the mines. But the Gieses' quest was for heal th and not gold, so they took boat again, arriving in Portland in the summer of 18S3, shortly before Percy Giese was born. Ernest Giese located his donation land claim that summer. It adjoined the Linnemann claim in the heavy cedar woods. With his one hundred dollars capital, Mr. Giese hired men to help him clear an acre of ground and build a log house. While the cabin was being finished, Mrs. Giese and the little children were cared for at the Gates home, two miles to the west on the trail to Portland. There was no sweep of sunny valley then as there is now at Linnemann Junction. When the Gieses wished to see the sky, they looked straight up. • • • • • unless money was forth commiog for flour. So tne father followed Mr. Linoemann's example and went to Portland to work in a tailor shop to earn the money to clear his land. For two years or more he wor1