Extended Content
1a.
Hops - Additional Info
Hops have also been used to make baking yeast as an alternative to the traditional yeasts from the
store and were planted around the home as ornamental shrubs. For yeast recipe see:
http://christadovel.hubpages.com/
German hop info on website of http://www.codex99.com/unclassified/134.html
1. The Reinheitsgebot, signed into law in Ingolstadt on 23 Apr 1516, restricted beer ingredients
to water, barley and hops (yeast hadn’t yet been discovered). Despite what your local craft brewer
advertises, the law had nothing to do with the “purity” of beer. Rather by restricting beer to barley, it
prevented price competition with bakers for the more valuable grains of wheat and rye, insuring
steady supplies of affordable bread.
2. Hops are the female flowering seed cones of Humulus lupulus. The Spalter hops are considered a
Noble hop (meaning that it occurs naturally – not a variant or cultivar, of which there are many). They are
characterized as mildly bitter, herbal and flowery. For more than you probably care to know about the subject,
see Verbandes deutscher Hopfenpflanzer’s The Spirit of Beer: Hops from Germany. Illustration Image:
Echter Hopfen, 1885. BioLib.de
3. The Stadtbrauerei Spalt is the last remaining municipally-owned brewery in Germany.
4. A note on road numbers. The Royal Bavarian State Railway classified the original 42 Glaskastens as
P(assenger) t(ank) L(ocal) 2/2 and assigned them the road numbers 4508–4548. When the Deutsche
Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft was formed in 1924 it reclassified the branch line locomotives as Class 98 and the
Glaskastens were given the road numbers of 98.301–98.322. 21 Jan 2013, updated 27 Jan 2013 ‧Unclassified
Medicinal Use - Parts Used & Where Grown
The hops plant, Humulus lupulus, is a climbing plant native to Europe, Asia, and North America.
Hops are the cone-like, fruiting bodies (strobiles) of the plant and are typically harvested from
cultivated female plants. Hops are most commonly used as a flavoring agent in beer. Source:
http://www.lifesourcenaturalfoods.com/wellness-resources/ see also: http://aisle7.com/ More info: Jenkins, Freda
“You Picked What?” pg i, 1993, Heritage Museum Collection.
How It Works
Hops are high in bitter substances. The two primary bitter constituents are known as humulone and
lupulone;8 These are thought to be responsible for the appetite-stimulating properties of hops. Hops
also contain about 1–3% volatile oils. Hops have been shown to have mild sedative properties;
although the mechanism is unclear.9 Some herbal preparations for insomnia combine hops with more
potent sedative herbs, such as valerian. Hops also contain phytoestrogens that bind estrogen
receptors in test tube studies but are thought to have only mild estrogen-like actions.10 Source:
http://www.lifesourcenaturalfoods.com/wellness-resources/ see also: http://aisle7.com/
How to Use It
The German Commission E monograph recommends a single application of 500 mg of dried herb for
anxiety or insomnia.11 The dried fruits can be made into a tea by pouring 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling
water over 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 grams) of the fruit; Steep for ten to fifteen minutes before drinking.
Tinctures, 1/4–1/2 teaspoon (1–2 ml) two or three times per day, can also be used. As mentioned
above, many herbal preparations use hops in combination with herbal sedatives, including valerian,
passion flower, and scullcap. Source: http://www.lifesourcenaturalfoods.com/wellness-resources/ see also:
http://aisle7.com/
Medicinal Action and Other Uses---Hops have tonic, nervine, diuretic and anodyne properties.
Their volatile oil produces sedative and soporific effects, and the Lupamaric acid or bitter principle is
stomachic and tonic. For this reason Hops improve the appetite and promote sleep. A pillow of warm
Hops will often relieve toothache and earache and allay nervous irritation.
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hops--32.html#med
More on Medicinal: Hops were used in medicinal teas, oils, and dyes in medieval times. The
official preparations are an infusion and a tincture. The infusion is employed as a vehicle, especially
for bitters and tonics: the tincture is stomachic and is used to improve the appetite and digestion.
Both preparations have been considered to be sedative, were formerly much given in nervousness and
hysteria and at bedtime to induce sleep; in cases of nervousness, delirium and inflammation being
considered to produce a most soothing effect, frequently procuring for the patient sleep after long
periods of sleeplessness in overwrought conditions of the brain.
The bitter principle in the Hop proves one of the most efficacious vegetable bitters obtainable. An
infusion of 1/2 oz. Hops to 1 pint of water will be found the proper quantity for ordinary use. It has
proved of great service also in heart disease, fits, neuralgia and nervous disorders, besides being a
useful tonic in indigestion, jaundice, and stomach and liver affections generally. It gives prompt ease
to an irritable bladder, and is said to be an excellent drink in cases of delirium tremens. Sherry in
which some Hops have been steeped makes a capital stomachic cordial. A pillow of warm Hops will
often relieve toothache and earache and allay nervous irritation.
An infusion of the leaves, strobiles and stalks, as Hop Tea, taken by the wineglassful two or three
times daily in the early spring, is good for sluggish livers. Hop Tea in the leaf, as frequently sold by
grocers, consists of Kentish Hop leaves, dried, crushed under rollers and then mixed with ordinary
Ceylon or Indian Tea. The infusion combines the refreshment of the one herb with the sleep inducing
virtues of the other.
Hop juice cleanses the blood, and for calculus trouble nothing better can be found than the bitter
principle of the Hop. A decoction of the root has been esteemed as of equal benefit with Sarsaparilla.
As an external remedy, an infusion of Hops is much in demand in combination with chamomile
flowers or poppy heads as a fomentation for swelling of a painful nature, inflammation, neuralgic and
rheumatic pains, bruises, boils and gatherings. It removes pain and allays inflammation in a very
short time. The Hops may also be applied as a poultice.
The drug Lupulin is an aromatic bitter and is reputed to be mildly sedative, inducing sleep without
causing headache. It is occasionally administered as a hypnotic, either in pills with alcohol, or
enclosed in a cachet.
Preparations of Lupulin are not much used in this country, although official, but in the United States
they are considered preferable for internal use. Courtesy of Botanical.com at
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hops--32.html#par
3a. Indian pickers (full text): In 1855 the native inhabitants were sent to the Grand Ronde
Reservation. They were intermingled with 26 different tribes and bands living in or near the
Willamette Valley. The region where they were forced to live was inadequate to support farming or
even the great number of people living there. They would sell wares to the whites and many would
come to the hop fields for work. Polk County Historical Society, Historically Speaking Vol. Xii, Change is the
Constant, by Arlie H. Holt, pg 4.
At the beginning of the hop boom, growers were concerned as to where their labor force would come
from. Indians from the Siletz and Grand Ronde Reservations adapted well to the festive atmosphere
present in the hop yards. Polk County Historical Society, Historically Speaking Vol. Xii, Change is the Constant, by
Arlie H. Holt, pg 4.
But growers wanted to attract whites. One could read such appeals as: “WANTED - 1000 pickers
for…Hop Field…We pay $1.10 per 100 pounds…Perfect accommodations, food at city prices; free
whiskey, dance five nights in the week, evangelists on Sunday and a hell of a time”. The appeals
worked and it was these people coming for many reasons (vacations, rest, change, excitement, money,
etc.) who were the regulars for the growers year after year. Polk County Historical Society, Historically
Speaking Vol. Xii, Change is the Constant, by Arlie H. Holt, pg 4. Note: disclaimer the Heritage Museum infers no
disrespect to the current day term of Native Americans, the original article was quoted verbatim.
3b. Chinese Labor (full text): An early record of hop grower Miles M. Porterfield describes how he
contracted for Chinese workers. Jim Sam Gong was to furnish a yard boss, a cook and pickers, to
begin around August 25 through September 10, 1889. The contract further stated they will, “pick hops
on his 11 acres free from leaves, stems and bines until all are picked at a rate of fifty cents a box.”
Chinese labor also cleared the land of brush in order to create fields for new hop yards.
Porterfield also agreed to pay the yard boss $2 and the cook $1.50 per day. The agreement includes
provision for providing a cook room, wood, water & sleeping room for the men and would haul their
provisions and baggage from Independence and back at the end of the season free of charge. Gong
was contracted to receive $50 per week when the crop was harvested as described above. Historically
Speaking, XVI, Polk County Historical Society, pg 20
3c. Hispanic Info (full text): - Beginning in 1542 through the 1800’s Hispanic maritime
expeditions explored mapped and laid claim to much of the Pacific Northwest including Oregon.
Later, under the terms of the Transcontinental Treaty of the Northwest region in 1819, the United
States purchased title from Spain/Mexico. It now became the Oregon Country. For the remainder of
the century, Hispanics traveled continuously to Oregon from Mexico. Until 1848, the northern border
of Mexico was just a few miles south of present day Ashland. Source: “Nosotros: The Hispanic People of
Oregon Essays and Recollections”, Edited by Erasmo Gamboa and Carolyn M. Buan, Ch.3 A Personal Search for
Oregon’s Hispanic History by Erasmo Gamboa, pg11 other info: Mexican "Bracero" agricultural workers pick hops in
Polk County fields in 1943. More than 15,000 Mexican men worked on farms throughout Oregon during the war years
of World War II (courtesy of the OSU Archives).
Image caption: Migratory boy aged eleven, and his grandmother work side by side picking hops.
Started work at five a.m. Photograph made at noon; Temperature 105 degrees, Oregon, Polk County,
near Independence. *source: Library of Congress Category: Children http://portraitsfromthepast.com/childmigrant-worker/;
Perhaps the largest influx of Hispanic people was during World War II’s Bracero Program. With so
many Americans off fighting or working for the war effort the farms were left severely undermanned.
The federal government contracted with Mexico to bring over 15,000 Mexican men to Oregon
between 1942 and 1947. These contracted laborers were crucial to the success of war-time agriculture,
particularly the hop fields. Source: “Nosotros: The Hispanic People of Oregon Essays and Recollections”, Edited by
Erasmo Gamboa and Carolyn M. Buan, Ch.3 A Personal Search for Oregon’s Hispanic History by Erasmo Gamboa,
pg12-16; (see also, The Bracero Program, Chapter 6, pg41), Published by the Oregon Council for the Humanities, ISBN
1-880377-01-2; Image courtesy of Oregon State University ArchivesP20:1981, Braceros picking hops, Willamette Valley,
1942; Image Migratory boy, aged eleven, and his grandmother work side by side picking hops. Started work at five a.m.
Photograph made at noon. Temperature 105 degrees. Oregon, Polk County, near Independence (Oregon). *source:
Library of Congress, Category: Children; image found at website: http://portraitsfromthepast.com/child-migrantworker/
Related text: From the 1890s to the 1940s, Independence, Oregon was the “Hop Capitol of the
World.” Hops were first introduced into the rich bottomland soils of Polk County in the 1860s. By
1935, Oregon’s hop acreage swelled to 26,000 acres, about two-thirds of the total U.S. acreage.
Workers picked hops by hand, transferring their harvest from basket to burlap bags before sending it
to be dried.
By the 1950s, demand for hops dropped—new brewing technologies required fewer hops, and
competition from foreign markets intervened. Today, with a little over 5,000 acres in production,
Oregon is the second largest hop producer in the United States, after Washington. The United States
still leads the world in hop production, followed by Germany, China, and the Czech Republic.
3d. Dutch (full text): - Perrydale, a small community in the northern portion of Polk County, had
a large number of Dutch settlers. An account by Christina Strikwerda Van Staaveren recalls her
experience in the Independence hop yards. “My Dutch friends asked me if I would like to go with
them to the hop yards near Independence. I had never heard of hops. They explained what picking
hops was like and if I was interested they would send my name to the Horst Brothers in
Independence. It sounded good. There was a cabin and we provided our own bedding. At the depot in
Independence was a horse drawn wagon to haul the load of people and entire families to different
camps. Upon arrival at Camp #3, there was a large pile of straw. Some workers had pots and pans and
some provisions. We also came prepared and found that each camp had a temporary store where we
could buy food. The cabin had a table, a few chairs and outside was an old stove for cooking. There
was very little room after we had put the bedding down. The mother of the girls had come too, so it
was pretty crowded for four. We spent most of the time outside picking hops. Marie and I picked with
one basket together, and Alice and her mother were together. If there were too many leaves in the
basket we had to pick them out. But we enjoyed the three weeks we were there. We shared the
expense of food and I remember that by the end of three weeks I had $15 left. A wagon took us to
Salem to a bank where we cashed our checks, and from there took a train to Portland. I learned that
many families went every year to the hop yards before school started. It was called the “poor man’s
vacation.” Polk County Historical Society, Historically Speaking, Vol. X, Independence Hop Yards, pg 38. Extended
content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrydale,_Oregon
Additional Resources and References:
‘You Picked What?’ by Freda W. Jenkins, September 19, 1993, Heritage Museum Society Collection
‘Hops’ by Al Haener, 1987, photos taken in 1958; Heritage Museum Society Collection
‘Historically Speaking’, series, published by Polk County Historical Society
Oregon Encyclopedia (online) - Kopp, Peter A.
http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/hop_industry/
Lockwood, Craig, “Hops -- The Crop that made Independence Famous” A Special Edition by SunEnterprise Newspapers (Craig Lockwood, Editor) “Great Events II”, 1977, pg 16. Independence
Heritage Museum
Pomeroy, Thomas Dole, “Hops in Oregon” article - Hop Festival Celebrations finding aids, pgs 1 - 3.
Polk County Historical Society Archives
Keeler, Elizabeth Louise, “The Landscape of Horticultural Crops in the Northern Willamette Valley
from 1850 to 1920” PhD Dissertation, University of Oregon 1994.
Tomlan, Michael A. “Tinged in Gold: Hop Culture in the United States” Athens, GA: University of
Georgia Press, 1992.
Newton, Sidney W. “Early History of Independence, Oregon” Panther Printing Company, Salem OR
© 1971.
“History of Polk County Oregon” ©1987 ISBN# 86-61303
United States Department of Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places,
Oregon Dept. of Transportation, State Historic Preservation , Parks and Recreation Division, 1989
Courtesy of Independence Heritage Museum Archives
Courtesy Pete Strong, Polk Itemizer Observer - www_polkio_com_images_15508.jpg
http://webservices.orcities.org/Portals/6/Independence1906.jpg (Messners store, Main Street)
Horst Farm - Sacramento branch - video of harvest http://sacramentohistory.org/films_hopfarm.html
Other images of interest from Oregon State Library
http://www.historicphotoarchive.net/scripts/ImageFolio43/imageFolio.cgi?img=0&search=picking&
cat=all&bool=phrase
Curtis, Edward S. “North American Indian: The Complete Portfolios ©1997 Benedikt Taschen ISBN
3-8228-8183-X
Exhibit Panel Text…
1. Hop - History
1a.
The hop plant, Humulus Lupulus, is a climbing plant native to Europe, Asia, and North
America. They were used in medicinal teas, oils, and dyes in medieval times. North American hops
were grown in New York beginning in the early 1800’s. Hops are the cone-like, fruiting bodies
(strobiles) of the plant and are typically harvested from cultivated female plants. Early pioneers
brought the roots overland to plant in Oregon soil. Hops are most commonly used as a bittering or
flavoring agent in beer.
1b.
Records show that hops were first grown commercially in Polk County, Oregon in 1867 by
William G. Wells of Buena Vista. The acreage planted was small but turned out to be quite lucrative.
Wells encouraged other farmers to grow hops in the Independence area, as well. Most of the farms
growing hops in the early years were less than 20 acres. Hops were the most important crop cultivated
in the rich alluvial soil around the Willamette River for nearly a century.
1c.
The hop harvest was laboriously conducted by local families and the Tribes and bands living at
Grand Ronde. In the mid 1920’s the demand for hops increased. The population of Independence
residents at that time was 1,300. Recollections by local participants, state that 20,000 - 50,000
pickers travelled great distances to work the fields in the Northwest. Many people, including entire
families, would take the train to Independence to pick hops. ‘You Picked What?’ by Freda W. Jenkins,
September 19, 1993, Heritage Museum Society Collection, ‘Hops’ by Al Haener, 1987, photos taken in 1958; ‘Historically
Speaking’, series, published by Polk County Historical Society
2. Transportation - Pickers Arrive
2a.
Independence Ferry - Independence Ferry from the east bank of the Willamette River looking
towards town, ca 1909. This was the first cable ferry of this style of construction and was held in
position by a high cable set at the top of two 100 foot poles 996 feet 7 inches apart. It only operated in
the summer as the river’s current was too strong the rest of the year. Builders from around the world
came to see it and the design was copied many times. The Independence/Marion Bridge was opened
in 1950, rendering the ferry unnecessary. Source: Newton, Sidney W. “Early History of Independence, Oregon”
Panther Printing Company, Salem, OR © 1971. Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society/Oregon State Archives/Salem
Public Library
2b.
Hop Bowl - These hop pickers are waiting for the ferry at the East end of C Street. This area,
now the Riverview Park Amphitheater, was known as the “hop bowl” and was owned by a man by the
last name of Damon. ca 1916. Heritage Museum Image 1977.001.010; Courtesy of the Oregon Historical
Society/Oregon State Archives/Salem Public Library
2c.
Skinner Launches - George Skinner built two boats to haul passengers and freight between
Independence and Salem in the mid 1880’s. The boats were christened the Independence and the
Louise. It took three hours to make the round trip between the two cities. These boats were referred
to as the Skinner launches. Later, the steamers “Pomona” and the “Oregona” plied this route, carrying
more than 900 passengers bound for the hopyards. Heritage Museum Image 1986.041.005; Courtesy of the
Oregon Historical Society/Oregon State Archives/Salem Public Library
2d.
Trains - The trains from Portland were a viable means of transportation to the hopyards.
About 1100 pickers were taken out on the Oregon Electric and several hundred more travelled on the
Southern Pacific's East and West Side lines. Other trains left Portland each morning. The largest
single crowd sent out was bound for the Wigrich Hop Ranch near Independence. They traveled on the
Southern Pacific line directly to Wigrich using a 14-car train. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu;
oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1913-09-02/ed-1/.../ocr.txt
2e.
Others would travel miles by wagon or car to work in the hop fields
3. Cultural Influences
3a.
Indian - In 1855 the native inhabitants were sent to the Grand Ronde Reservation. They were
intermingled with 26 different tribes and bands living in or near the Willamette Valley. The region
where they were forced to live was inadequate to support farming or even the great number of people
living there. They would sell wares to the whites and many would come to the hop fields for work.
At the beginning of the hop boom, growers were concerned as to where their labor force would
come from. Indians from the Siletz and Grand Ronde Reservations adapted well to the festive
atmosphere present in the hop yards and they were happy to be away from the reservations. Polk
County Historical Society, Historically Speaking Vol. Xii, Change is the Constant, by Arlie H. Holt, pg 4.
3b.
Chinese - An early record of hop grower Miles M. Porterfield describes how he contracted for
Chinese workers; Jim Sam Gong was to furnish a yard boss, a cook and pickers, to begin around
August 25 through September 10, 1889. The contract further stated they will pick hops on his 11 acres
free from leaves, stems and vines until all are picked at a rate of fifty cents a box. Chinese labor also
cleared the land of brush in order to create fields for new hop yards. Historically Speaking, XVI, Polk
County Historical Society, pg 20.
3c.
Hispanic - Beginning in 1542 Hispanic maritime expeditions explored, mapped and laid
claim to much of the Pacific Northwest. Under the terms of the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, the
United States purchased title from Spain/Mexico to the Northwest region. Hispanics traveled
continuously to Oregon from Mexico - the northern border of Mexico was just a few miles south of
present day Ashland.
Between 1942 and 1947 the US Government contracted with Mexico to bring 15,000
Mexican men to Oregon in the Bracero Program. Due to the war the farms were left severely
undermanned. These contracted laborers were crucial to the success of war-time agriculture,
particularly the hop fields. Source: Nosotros The Hispanic People of Oregon Essays and Recollections, Edited by
Erasmo Gamboa and Carolyn M. Buan, Ch.3 A Personal Search for Oregon’s Hispanic History by Erasmo Gamboa,
pg11-13; Published by the Oregon Council for the Humanities, ISBN 1-880377-01-2
3d.
Dutch - A large number of Dutch settlers lived in Perrydale, which is a small community in
Polk County. An account by Christina Strikwerda Van Staaveren recalls her experience in the
Independence hop yards. She and some friends worked for the Horst Brothers Farm in Independence.
After three weeks she had earned $15, after expenses. She learned that many families went every year
to the hop yards before school started. They called their time there the “poor man’s vacation” Polk
County Historical Society, Historically Speaking, Vol. X, Independence Hop Yards, pg 38.
4. Farm Life - Memories of life on the hop farm point to the diverse populations of pickers. Workers
were often segregated into groups at different camp areas of the larger farms. Single men, single
women, families, Indians, blacks, Armenians, and Japanese were sent to different sections of the farm
to camp. Some were self-segregated such as the Dutch families that came as a group and camped
together. The pay was based on how many pounds were picked each day, and how clean the picking,
with few leaves and vines.
4a.
The larger camps had cabins--some of these were three sided structures with a roof, or
framework to hold canvas. Families would sometimes have a small cabin with a door that could sleep
four. Often there were fire pits or small cook stoves as well as fresh water available. Many workers
would camp in the woods or on the river bank. Hop pickers would inquire, or be contracted for work
at a farm and would often return year after year. Growers preferred hiring young men, women and
girls, as they were better pickers and were willing to work for less.
4b.
Dunckel Apartments - The Dunckel Apartment building was originally built in 1880 as a
school. Sometime prior to 1902 the building was moved to 489 2nd Street and was converted and
enlarged into the Dunckel Apartments around 1920. Many Hop workers stayed at these apartments as
they were very close to the train depot. Sometimes a room would provide sleeping quarters for 10 or
more workers. Historic Properties Inventory 1988, US Department of Interior, National Park Service, National
Register of Historic Places, 1989
4c.
Wigrich Farm - The Wigrich Ranche was a city in itself complete with post office, dance hall,
bakery, restaurant, grocery store, black smith shop, ten dry-kilns, and a full-time peace officer. Major
Rose and his family lived in the main house on the ranch. There was a separate house for the
Japanese contractor. They employed pickers for the 12 different sections of the farm. The Japanese
workers would set the tie down wires early in the season. They also employed workers to tend the
fields spraying pesticides, herbicides and training the vines.
4d.
Additional successful farms were the Horst, Alluvial, Porterfield, Cobine, Davidson, Sloper and
Haener, among many others. It was common for vendors to drive out to the farms with various wares
from candy and groceries to household items.
5.
Boom Town - Commerce - Due to the number of hop laborers, the population on
Independence exploded, seemingly overnight. Merchants catered to the hop pickers offering clothing,
a millinery (hats for men and women), a second hand store, restaurants, grocery stores, horseracing
and entertainment. There were numerous taverns, a Chevrolet dealership, the Isis Theater, an Opera
house, a JC Penney’s, and Craven’s Fountain, to name just a few of the activities and businesses
available. The boom of the hop industry also provided revenue for city improvements.
5a.
The Palace Hotel at the corner of Main and B streets was destroyed by a fire in 1912. Albert
Sperling, a prominent businessman who operated the local meat market and slaughter house, built a
new hotel in the same location naming it the “Lerona” after his two daughters Leona and Rowena. The
building had a bank, dining room, lobby, baker on staff and sample room. In 1925 Moss Walker
managed the property and renamed the building the Beaver Hotel. This photo was taken in 1934.
Heritage Museum Image 1986.041.005; Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society/Oregon State Archives/Salem Public
Library
5b.
Activities on the mile-long Talmadge race track reached a fever pitch into the early 1900’s.
Betting was often involved and between horse races they would hold foot races, or bicycle races..
Heritage Museum Image 1986.041.005; Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society/Oregon State Archives/Salem Public
Library
5c.
Independence Main Streets being paved in 1912; Heritage Museum Image: 1991.024.018, postcard.
5d.
Gathering outside Cravens Fountain and Stationery store
5e.
Independence Hop Growers Association awards banquet ca 1953
5f.
Crowded downtown sidewalks
6.
Hop Fiesta – The site for the first Hop Fiesta, held in 1934, was called the “Hop Bowl.” The
site included a vacant lot plus seven acres of Damon’s hopyard and grew through the years. The
original organizers were Tom Smith (grocery store owner) and John Black (newspaper man) who
quickly raised interest from the Chamber of Commerce prompting other local business owners.
6a.
Independence was billed as “The World’s Hop Center” or “Hop Capital of the World” The Hop
Fiesta was designed to celebrate the end of the hop harvest and to develop a local civic center for
citizens and visitors. They held a contest to coronate the first Hop Queen, Marjory Plant and several
Princesses. ‘Historically Speaking series, ”Hops in Oregon” By Thomas Dole Pomeroy, Jr. Published by Polk County
Historical Society
6b.
The Hop Fiestas were quite elaborate with parades, rodeos, sports, vaudeville, and
performances by local Native Americans and local youth. People came from all over the Northwest to
take part in the Hop Fiesta.
6c.
Flyers and posters were distributed with schedules of daily events. The celebrations died out as
hop prices declined in the early 1950s.
7.
Hop and Heritage Festival: A Revival - In 2001 a group of interested citizens resurrected
the old Hop Fiesta, renaming it the Independence Hop & Heritage festival.
7a.
The new festival focused on local history and heritage. It also created a venue for local youth
organizations to raise funds by selling goods and food products to support youth programs.
The Festival now includes:
7b.
The ‘ghost walk’; a guided tour with stories of urban legends of downtown businesses
7c.
hot air balloon launch and pancake breakfast at the Independence State Airport;
7f.
The “Fun Run” 5k race, cook-off, concerts, and fireworks
Each year the festival continues to evolve keeping with the traditions of Independence history. The
wide variety of activities draws thousands of visitors during the last full weekend of September.
8.
Hop Farm Production Process -
8a.
Historically, the process of growing hops entailed locating the spikes leftover from the previous
year, tilling and replanting viable rhizomes (roots), replacing tie down wires (the wire that runs along
the top of the poles) and attaching strings from the tie down wires to the ground and staking the
string to the ground using spikes. These were set at angles so the vines would climb the strings. This
was usually done in early spring after the hard rains had passed.
8b.
Angling the strings provided air circulation to minimize mildew and maximized production.
Early in the growing season workers would strip the lower leaves and train the vines on the strings.
Occasionally the growers would spray with pesticides and in the early 1930’s, fertilizers. Tilling
between rows was done on a regular basis.
8c.
At picking time men in trucks would drive down the rows and cut the strings so pickers could
reach the 10 - 15 foot high plants. The pickers were required to “pick ‘em clean” which meant no
leaves or stems in the basket otherwise they would have to spend time cleaning up their pickings.
8d.
When the pickers filled a small ‘pickers basket’ the hops were transferred to a larger bottomless
basket which filled a burlap sack. The sack was weighed and the picker received a ticket that could be
turned in for pay or spent at the shops in town.
8e.
The sacks were piled on a wagon and taken to the drying kilns. These kilns were wood fired, in
a wooden building; the threat of fire was always a concern. Every year there were losses due to fire.
When the hops were at about 25% humidity they were pressed into a rectangular shape using a baling
machine called a hop press. The hops were then sewn up in canvas bags that weighed about 200
pounds.
8f.
The Wigrich Hop Ranche had a spur from the tracks on Davidson Road that would haul
workers in and out; captioned the “Wigrich Excursion”. There are photos in the HMS collection that
caption the I & M Train “Wigrich Special”. The Northern Pacific RR hauled much of the season’s crop
from the ranch to be marketed in London, England and Ireland. Wigrich Photos and Information, Courtesy
of Independence Heritage Museum Archives, 2004.031
After WWII major changes occurred in hop production and in 1946 the first machines were built due
to labor shortages. A majority of the Independence hop growers quit as the price of hops dropped
caused by disease in the variety being grown. Source: ‘Hops’ by Al Haener, 1987, photos taken in 1958; Heritage
Museum Collection