Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
A podcast about Gresham history, told through the voices of those who have lived it. Join us as we bring Gresham's past to life - from the Japanese American experience to Prohibition and speakeasies. Hosted and co-written by Stephanie Vallance and Melissa Bevency, in partnership with GHS.
In 1880, the first Japanese settler arrived in Oregon. Her name was Miyo Iwakoshi, and her arrival would pave the way for generations of Japanese Americans to come. Buried in an unmarked grave, she became a mystery, uniting historians across space and time in the search for who she was. Join us as we explore the unusual life of Miyo Iwakoshi, the Western Empress of Orient.
Last week, we were introduced to Gresham’s first Japanese settler - Miyo Iwakoshi. In episode 2 of Voices of Gresham, we'll take a closer look at how the issei and their nisei children followed in Miyo's footsteps to put down their own roots. Their families' experiences were much like those of many early 20th century American immigrants.
Last week, we were introduced to Gresham’s first Japanese settler - Miyo Iwakoshi. In episode 2 of Voices of Gresham, we'll take a closer look at how the issei and their nisei children followed in Miyo's footsteps to put down their own roots. Their families' experiences were much like those of many early 20th century American immigrants. Joy and hope were often coupled with tragedy and loss and would define the lives of Japanese American immigrants during the first half of the 20th century.
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. As war broke out, so did feelings of suspicion towards Japanese Americans, ultimately culminating in President Roosevelt’s internment order. Gresham’s Japanese families sold most of what they owned, left behind their farms, and boarded buses headed towards an unknown future. Most arrived a
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. As war broke out, so did feelings of suspicion towards Japanese Americans, ultimately culminating in President Roosevelt’s internment order. Gresham’s Japanese families sold most of what they owned, left behind their farms, and boarded buses headed towards an unknown future. Most arrived at the Portland Assembly Center, where they found livestock stalls that they were temporarily forced to call home. Join us as we travel with them on the first leg of their journey.
In the summer of 1942, Gresham’s interned families were loaded onto trains and forcibly relocated to Hunt, Idaho. There they found an unfinished concentration camp called Minidoka, where they would live under guard for the next three years. Despite their imprisonment, many looked for ways to exercise autonomy and build community. They cul
In the summer of 1942, Gresham’s interned families were loaded onto trains and forcibly relocated to Hunt, Idaho. There they found an unfinished concentration camp called Minidoka, where they would live under guard for the next three years. Despite their imprisonment, many looked for ways to exercise autonomy and build community. They cultivated gardens in the dusty soil, started their own baseball teams, and created their own newspaper and yearbook. Join us as we uncover their incredible stories from the Idaho desert.
During internment, the Japanese had done their best to maintain autonomy and community despite their difficult circumstances. While laboring at Nyssa and counting down the long desert days at Minidoka, many thought of what life would be like after the war. Upon leaving the camps, would they be embraced or rejected? Would they ever get ba
During internment, the Japanese had done their best to maintain autonomy and community despite their difficult circumstances. While laboring at Nyssa and counting down the long desert days at Minidoka, many thought of what life would be like after the war. Upon leaving the camps, would they be embraced or rejected? Would they ever get back what was lost? In this episode, we examine what it was like for those who returned to their homes in Gresham.
The decades following World War II were pivotal for Gresham’s Japanese American community. Many engaged with Japanese traditions alongside the American notion of freedom that internment had denied them. It was a time of reparations and rebuilding, of both seeking amends for the past and creating a better future. Through it all, Miyo Iwako
The decades following World War II were pivotal for Gresham’s Japanese American community. Many engaged with Japanese traditions alongside the American notion of freedom that internment had denied them. It was a time of reparations and rebuilding, of both seeking amends for the past and creating a better future. Through it all, Miyo Iwakoshi's unmarked grave rested beneath a tall cedar – a symbol of strength and resilience throughout 100 years of history.
At a glance, 1920s Gresham appeared to be a quaint, sleepy farm town. However, beneath the surface, something strange was brewing. Stills and speakeasies were popping up rapidly – much to the frustration of the county sheriff. From barns and backyards, moonshine traveled east and west along Base Line Road. As Portland residents flocked to
At a glance, 1920s Gresham appeared to be a quaint, sleepy farm town. However, beneath the surface, something strange was brewing. Stills and speakeasies were popping up rapidly – much to the frustration of the county sheriff. From barns and backyards, moonshine traveled east and west along Base Line Road. As Portland residents flocked to Rockwood’s roadhouses, colorful characters connected over illicit spirits. Join us as we hear from those who lived it, exploring this hidden history 100 years later.
As we wander through the streets and fields of Gresham today, it’s easy to overlook the layers of history beneath our feet. On today's episode, we’ll journey through the environmental story of Gresham and uncover how millennia of constant transformation shaped the town we know today. Kayte Williamson and Kendal Young, our newest voices of
As we wander through the streets and fields of Gresham today, it’s easy to overlook the layers of history beneath our feet. On today's episode, we’ll journey through the environmental story of Gresham and uncover how millennia of constant transformation shaped the town we know today. Kayte Williamson and Kendal Young, our newest voices of Gresham, explore the powerful and sometimes surprising connections between the environment and the people who call this place home.
Read about host Stephanie Vallance's journey through the annals of local history and the museum archives. Voices of Gresham is a production almost 50 years in the making.
Chris Keizur, Gresham Outlook 7/26/2024
On a hot summer day, Japanese Americans, many of whom had settled in the Gresham area, were told they were being relocated.
They had been kept over the summer at the Portland Assembly Center, not knowing of the furious construction that had been going on in the high desert of Idaho.
“We were told to pack up and hop on a train.”
Chris Keizur, Portland Tribune 7/10/2024; also published on KOIN, 7/12/2024
Gresham has a long history of commemorating important figures/families from its early history by naming roads and landmarks after them: Powell, Roberts, Eastman, Cleveland.
But for decades a prominent woman whose role in the city’s early development was no less influential was all but forgotten. Miyo Iwakoshi does not have her name enshrined on any local street signs. In fact, for decades she was buried in an unmarked grave, leaving behind a mystery for local historians to unspool with her family killed or dispersed to the far corners of the world.
Chris Keizur, Gresham Outlook 6/24/2024
A new podcast is launching this weekend that amplifies the many voices of local residents through the decades.
“Voices of Gresham” is a lively, one-of-a-kind podcast based on oral history recollections of Gresham residents past and present.
Using interviews conducted in the last 40-plus years, hosts Stephanie Vallance and Melissa Bevency explore themes including farming, nightlife and the Japanese American experience. Read more...
Chris Keizur, Gresham Outlook 4/1/2024
Local history buffs will get to explore East Multnomah County’s past through a series of oral histories that will be shared via a new platform.
The Gresham Historical Society is leveraging an $18,000 grant, courtesy the Oregon Heritage Commission, to launch “Voices of Gresham” podcast, which will share unique perspectives of the many people who have called this town home.
The Oregon Heritage Commission has awarded the Gresham Historical Society (GHS) an $18,000 grant to launch a unique podcast that tells the Gresham experience from the perspective of those who have lived it.
The Voices of Gresham podcast will be written and directed by Stephanie Vallance, GHS’s public historian, whose position has been funded through the City of Gresham Community Enhancement Grant since 2022. Over the past year and a half, she has developed a robust oral history interview program, which will form the basis for this podcast. Voices of Gresham will also integrate oral histories recorded on cassette tapes by GHS volunteers in the 1980s and 1990s, plus a handful of interviews filmed between 2013 and 2015. The initial episode of a planned first season of 10 episodes will be released at a free launch party on June 29, 2024.
Episodes will be organized around themes in Gresham’s history and will place these stories in the context of regional and national events, such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II—the subject of a planned five-episode arc in the first season. Other possible themes include displacement and migration, agriculture, urbanization, environment, and commerce. Each episode will incorporate research done by GHS staff and volunteers, along with narration by Vallance and various guests. The primary focus, however, will be on the recollections of Gresham residents and others with a story to share about local history.
Voices of Gresham is intended to nourish a sense of our shared past by removing barriers to access. People who are unable to visit a museum exhibit for any of a variety of reasons will have an opportunity to engage with local heritage through the podcast. Voices of Gresham will be available for free on Apple Podcasts and other leading platforms and will receive a dedicated page on the GHS website, greshamhistorical.org.
Gifts and contributions to the Gresham Historical Society support the continued preservation and sharing of our local history. We are a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible.
GHS volunteers and staff are working hard to find great local history stories and share them with you. Check out their research on our YouTube channel and learn about upcoming lectures at the museum.
What's your history mystery? Search for the answer in our archives! Resources include over 70 years of the Gresham Outlook (our local newspaper) as well as thousands of historic documents and photos. You can also browse a portion of our collection online.
Join us for upcoming events, including lectures, tours, and fundraisers. Monthly history talks, walking tours of historic cemeteries, and family-friendly workshops are just some of what we have to offer.
Copyright © 2024 Gresham Historical Society - All Rights Reserved.