Front matter

THE SOAP CREEK VALLEY HISTORY PROJECT

The Soap Creek Valley History Project was undertaken by the Oregon State University's Research Forests in 1989 for the purpose of better understanding the history, ecology, and culture of an area that has been directly impacted by OSU land management practices for over sixty years. An important part of the project has been the locating of recorded interviews with individuals who have had an influence upon the valley's history. Additional recordings have also been made with significant individuals who have not been previously consulted, as well as "follow-up" interviews with a few people who have continued to contribute to our understanding of the Soap Creek area.

The publication of these interviews as a series of cross-referenced monographs has been undertaken in an effort to make them available to resource managers, researchers and educators. It will also provide accurate and accessible references for a planned written history of the Soap Creek Valley, a primary objective of this research.

One of the basic accomplishments of the project has been the creation of a computerized concordance file. This was made possible through the assistance and expertise of Bonnie Humphrey-Anderson, of the Horner Museum staff, and Lisa Buschman, secretary for the OSU Research Forests. This file allows for both the efficient and systematic indexing of the monographs in this series, as well as providing a method for cross-referencing other research materials being used in the construction of a scholarly history of the Soap Creek Valley. Wherever possible, that history is being assembled from the written and spoken words of the people who made it and lived it. The use of the concordance file allows information from the journal entries of botanist David Douglas, the transcribed words of Kalapuyan William Hartless, the spoken memories of pioneer "Grandma" Carter, and the recollections of "3-C Boy" Edward Sekermestrovich -- a history spanning over a century and a half -- to be systematically searched and organized as if they were all products of the same pen (or word processor).

Citations should mention both the Horner Museum and OSU Research Forests.

INTRODUCTION TO EDWARD SEKERMESTROVICH INTERVIEW

The following interview with Edward Sekermestrovich took place in Corvallis, Oregon on February 6, 1980. It was recorded under the direction of Dr. Royal Jackson of the OSU College of Forestry, assisted by Karen Thomas, a graduate student doing her thesis on the history of CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Camp Arboretum. For those readers interested in obtaining more information regarding the CCC'S or the history of Peavy Arboretum, please refer to Jackson's 1980 McDonald-Dunn Forests: Human Use and Occupation, or Thomas' Camp Arboretum: The Dynamics of the Civilian Conservation Corps in McDonald Forest and Surrounding Areas. A brief summary of CCC history at Peavy Arboretum was also recently printed by OSU Research Forests under the title, "Welcome to Camp Arboretum."

Funding for this interview was initially provided by the OSU College of Forestry. In addition to Jackson's and Thomas' work, Mr. Sekermestrovich's contributions were made part of Horner Museum's Oral History Program: "Oregon State University and Its Effect on the Larger Community." The stated goal for Horner's program "is to document, through oral sources, the role the University's diverse programs have played in the social, economic, and political life of the state and region."

Edward and Ida Sekermestrovich have been married for nearly 50 years. For most of that time they have resided in the same house in which their 5 children were raised. Today they share their home with photographs of their eight grandchildren, momentos from a long and memory-filled career, and an extensive doll collection. Edward's ("Eddie" to his wife) gruff countenance and abrupt answers quickly become apparent as the manifestations of a happy man with a dry sense of humor; an important point to keep in mind when reviewing this interview. The absence of vocal inflections, facial expressions (especially poker-faced "expressions"), and hand gestures greatly reduces the humor in many of Mr. Sekermestrovich's replies. Certain types of research will require listening to the tapes on file with Horner Museum, or meeting personally with the Sekermestroviches, should the opportunity present itself.

Bob Zybach Corvallis, Oregon December 18, 1990

Photograph, as printed: “Cover Photo: This photograph of an early OSC School of Forestry work crew is from Royal Jackson's personal photograph collection. It was first used for the cover of his 1980 book, McDonald-Dunn Forests: Human Use and Occupation.”

Title Page — printed leaf [front-2].

Acknowledgements — printed leaf [front-3].

Photograph, as printed: “CCC Company 3503, Camp Arboretum, December, 1938”

Table of Contents — printed leaf [front-5].